Cindy Sheehan sends Message of Solidarity to Venezuela Against US Sanctions

¡Viva Venezuela!

I was supposed to go to Venezuela this weekend

(9/15 to 9/20)

to attend an international convocation, called by President Maduro, 

against US sanctions.

Between the sanctions AND hurricanes, it was really impossible

to arrange the travel.

Here is my short message of solidarity to the convocation and the

People of Venezuela!

 

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

Antifa ≠ Profa with Matt Sedillo (SOAPBOX PODCAST 9/10/17)

Soapbox Podcast

September 10, 2017

Guest: Matt Sedillo

(Poet/author/activist)

Matt
 Topic: Who is the real enemy?

Chris Hedges is a Public Menace

by Matt Sedillo  

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

 

Venezuela and ALBA Weekly 9.8.2017

       

September 8, 2017 This weekly email contains a few useful articles on Venezuela and ALBA Countries that contain bite-sized dose of the truth so that you can fight the disinformation in your own community, that so much of the media, including alternative media are putting out.  It is AfGJ's conviction that we in the US defend Venezuela's sovereignty and recognize that the Bolivarian Revolution has improved the lives of its citizens, led the movement toward Latin America integration, and is building participatory democracy structures that are an example for us in the US as well. -AfGJ staff AFGJ Friends – we would like to include statements, events, and actions in solidarity with Venezuela. If you are aware of any or are planning any, please send them to us: stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com. These may also be used as part of the redesigned international solidarity page on Venezuelanalysis.com The People Themselves Are Radicalizing Venezuelas Bolivarian Revolution Venezuelan Left Fights Back Against Trump's Threats and Sanctions Large Scale Manoeuvres Encircling Venezuela   Abby Martin - Episode 94 Allied Events Join the Tear Down the Walls Border Encuentro Nov. 10-12 organized by SOA Watch.   Register for the People’s Congress September 16-17 in Washington, DC at the Blackburn Center at Howard University.  Delegation to China: Pearl River Delta Region - Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hong Kohn Labor, Globalization, Migrant Workers, with Celebrate New Year in Hong Kong! U.S. Activist Solidarity Delegation to China, organized by National Immigrant Solidarity Network and Action LA Network.

Receive the News from Venezuela Each Week- Sign Up for the Venezuela Weekly! Like the work AFGJ is doing?   Please support us today.

Syria Weekly Digest (Week of 9/4 to 9/11) Beginning of the End?

The Syrian War Weekly Digest

September 4, 2017 to September 11, 2017

September 8, 2017

The Syrian War is Ending and Assad is the Victor

(ed note: while it seems that Assad is fending off imperialism, led by US imperialism, there are no "victors" in war).

by Robert Fisk

A message came through from Syria on my mobile phone last week. “General Khadour kept his promise,” it read. I knew what it meant.

Five years ago, I met Mohamed Khadour, who was commanding a few Syrian soldiers in a small suburb of Aleppo, under fire from Islamist fighters in the east of the city. At the time, he showed me his map. He’d recapture these streets in 11 days, he said.

And then in July this year, I met Khadour again, far out in the east of the Syrian desert. He was, he said, going to enter the besieged city of Deir ez-Zor before the end of August. I reminded him, a trifle cruelly, that the last time he told me he’d recapture part of Aleppo in 11 days, it took the Syrian army more than four years to retake. That was long ago, he said. In those days, the army had not learned to fight in a guerrilla war. The army were trained to retake Golan and defend Damascus. But they had learned now.

(Read the rest of the article) 

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Freedom Rider: Assad is Winning

Margaret Kimberley, BAR editor and senior columnist

07 Sep 2017 

The five-year long regime change effort in Syria may soon be over and the United States and its allies will be the losers. The Syrian Arab Army broke the siege of Deir Ezzor, which was one of the last Daesh strongholds in the country.

The neocon plot for American hegemony was hatched during the George W. Bush administration but was happily continued by Barack Obama and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Fresh from their evil success in Libya, they thought the same combination of Arab monarchs and jihadists could dislodge Bashar al Assad and achieve the goal of destroying the few secular Arab governments still in power. But fortunately for humanity, Assad hung on long enough and the Russian Federation finally decided to back up their ally with military help.

It is good news that this war may soon be over. The United States and its allies committed a terrible crime against the Syrian people and five million of them were forced to flee their country to escape this latest example of state sponsored terrorism. There is no downside to Assad making good on his promise to take back his country from American sponsored jihadists.

“The United States and its allies committed a terrible crime against the Syrian people.”

(CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE)

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Israel Attacks Syrian Military Base, Killing Two

Israeli Warplanes Fired Missiles From Lebanese Airspace

 

Jason Ditz Posted on September 7, 2017Categories NewsTags Israel, Syria

Israeli warplanes carried out an overnight attack against a Syrian military base in the Hama Province, causing considerable damage to the facility and killing at least two people. Syria confirmed the incident, but Israel has yet to officially comment.

(CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST)

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SYRIA: History in the Making as Syrian Arab Army Breaks ISIS Siege of Deir Ezzor

September 5, 2017 By Vanessa Beeley

21st Century Wire says…
How many of us can truly say we have witnessed such exhilarating history in the making? Footage of the Syrian Arab Army and their allies entering the city of Deir Ezzor has just been released. Yet another one of the brutal and punishing sieges maintained by ISIS and assorted US coalition armed and funded extremist forces has had its back broken by the SAA and the stubborn resistance of the Syrian people. We are witnessing the end of our existing global order, the victory of Truth over Force and asymmetric power and the birth of a new geopolitical paradigm.

Our endless gratitude should be extended to the brave people of Syria for the gift they have given to Humanity – the proof that resistance will prevail despite all the odds against them. The following video was posted by independent Aleppo MP,  Fares Shehabi, on Facebook. Watch ~

The following report is from AlMasdarNews:

“Within minutes of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) lifting the siege on Deir Ezzor city, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad contacted three top Syrian commanders, all of whom played a major role in the victory, via phone.

According to reports, the Syrian president spoke with Rafiq Shahada (who is Deir Ezzor’s Chief of Security), Hasan Muhammad (commander of the 17th Reserve Division, whose men were the first to reach Syrian forces in Deir Ezzor) and Isaam Zahreddine (the operational commander of all forces in Deir Ezzor).

In the phone conversation, President al-Assad congratulated the three commanders for the historic victory which they have now achieved.

Whilst commanders Rafiq Shahada and Isaam Zahreddine played-out the role of protecting Deir Ezzor and its residents from relentless attacks by besieging ISIS forces over the last three years, 
Hasan Muhammad, the commander of the 17th Reserve Division, led the vanguard Syrian Army units which officially lifted the siege on the city.”

CLICK FOR ORIGINAL POST

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Hezbollah co-leader: US nurtured ISIS monster against Syrian govt, now has to fight them

Published time: 5 Sep, 2017 13:10 Edited time: 6 Sep, 2017 09:02 

CLICK FOR VIDEO AND ARTICLE

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September 09, 2017

The Intercept Mistranslates Assad Speech - Smears Syria As Neo-Nazi 

There have long been attempts in the anti-Syrian media to claim alignment of the socialist and anti-sectarian Syrian government with western fascist and religious supremacist elements. The latest in this propaganda genre is the just published Intercept piece Why White Nationalists Love Bashar al-Assad.

The Intercept is a rather dubious news outlet founded by Pierre Omidyar, a major owner of the auctioning site eBay and its PayPal banking division. It most recent remarkable moment was its betrayal of a NSA whistle-blower who fatuously had trusted The Intercept to act professionally:

The Intercept published a leaked five page NSA analysis about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. Its reporting outed the leaker of the NSA documents. That person, R.L. Winner, has now been arrested and is likely to be jailed for years if not for the rest of her life.

As we noted back in June when the above incident happened:

The Intercept pieces are usually heavily editorialized and tend to have a mainstream "liberal" to libertarian slant. Some are highly partisan anti-Syrian/pro-regime change propaganda. [...] Some of its later prominent hires (Ken Silverstein, Matt Taibbi) soon left and alleged that the place was run in a chaotic atmosphere and with improper and highly politicized editing.

(CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL POST AND TO READ THE REST AT MOON OF ALABAMA)

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Investigation: White Helmets Committing Acts Of Terror Across Syria

The supposedly Syrian NGO White Helmets were established in Turkey, not in Syria. They are largely trained in Turkey and Jordan, not inside Syria. They were established in March 2013 by a British ex-military officer with $300,000 in seed funding from Japan, the U.K. and the U.S.

by Vanessa Beeley 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE  

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Israel Launches ‘Humanitarian’ Air Strikes On Syria, Assad Plays The Waiting Game

The move has made it clear that Israel remains deeply uncomfortable with the Syrian Army’s overwhelming momentum of late and seeks to keep the fires burning in Syria.

by ZeroHedge.com

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST

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Losing in Syria, the US will target Russia more than ever

Finian Cunningham (born 1963) has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. Originally from Belfast, Ireland, he is a Master’s graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. For over 20 years he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organizations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. Now a freelance journalist based in East Africa, his columns appear on RT, Sputnik, Strategic Culture Foundation and Press TV.

 

The spectacular victory this week for Syrian state forces and allies liberating Deir ez-Zor portends an end to the war. But celebrations should be tempered by the realization that the enemies of Syria will shift their agenda for conflict elsewhere. 

 

If we segregate the many protagonists in Syria’s conflict, the two main rivals to emerge from the melee are the United States and Russia. Russia may have gained the upper hand in Syria. But, ironically, winning the peace in Syria may unleash wars elsewhere.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST

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The West’s counter-ISIS efforts cost Iraq and Syria dearly

Dr Alexander Yakovenko, Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Deputy foreign minister (2005-2011). Follow him on Twitter @Amb_Yakovenko 

 

Published time: 10 Sep, 2017 09:08

Get short URL

Damaged buildings are pictured during the fighting with Islamic State's fighters in the old city of Raqqa, Syria, August 19, 2017. © Zohra Bensemra / Reuters

According to the UN, mass media, and NGOs, as a result of air and artillery strikes by the US-led counter-ISIS coalition in Syria, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of civilians have died.

The number of refugees and temporarily displaced persons from Raqqa has reached 200,000. At present, there are still 25,000-40,000 civilians in the city, which until 2013 was inhabited by almost 300,000 people.

 

CLICK TO READ THE REST 

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

 

 

Washington, Tel Aviv Love to See Arabs Fighting Each Other: Interview of Cindy Sheehan

 Original link

Washington, Tel Aviv Love to See Arabs Fighting Each Other: US Activist

News ID: 1511928 Service: World

September, 06, 2017 - 15:38

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A prominent anti-war activist based in California highlighted the role of the US and Israel in creating conflicts in the Middle East and said the two that form an “axis of evil” love to see Arabs fighting each other.

“The US-Israeli axis of evil encourage and love to see Arabs and other regional players fighting each other to weaken the position of the popular governments in the region to strengthen the position of the paranoid-Zionist state of Israel,” Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.

Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan, whose son, US Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed during the Iraq War, attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 for her extended anti-war protest at a makeshift camp outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch—a stand that drew both passionate support and criticism. Sheehan ran for Congress in 2008. Her memoir, Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism, was published in 2006. Sheehan was the 2012 vice-presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party.
The full text of the interview is as follows:

Tasnim: As you may know, recent airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition near the Yemeni capital have killed about 60 people, including dozens of civilians, and injured many others after hitting a hotel in Arhab, 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Sana’a. A recent report authored by several international aid agencies said Yemen suffered more airstrikes in the first half of this year than in the whole of 2016, increasing the number of civilian deaths and forcing more people to flee their homes. In your opinion, why has the Saudi regime decided to increase the airstrikes, hitting civilian targets?

Sheehan: It is important to always emphasize (especially to those in the West) that without the encouragement, support, and permission of the US-Israel cabal, Saudi Arabia would not be able to continue its program of terror against Yemen.

There are, of course, many reasons that Saudi Arabia is allowing itself to be used as a willing puppet/proxy of the US and Israel, but increasing attacks on innocent civilians is a time-tested and unfortunately successful strategy that has been employed by the US empire and the Zionist state of Israel for many years.

Targeting civilians helps to spread fear among the population and shows that the dominant force (in this case the corrupt Saudis) will stop at nothing to have its goals accomplished: to not allow the popular revolution of Ansarullah to succeed. The US-Israeli axis of evil encourage and love to see Arabs and other regional players fighting each other to weaken the position of the popular governments in the region to strengthen the position of the paranoid-Zionist state of Israel.

Tasnim: Newly-leaked emails written by two former top US officials have shown that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and defense minister Mohammed bin Salman “wants out” of the war he started in Yemen. The Saudi regime has reached none of its objectives in Yemen. In 2015, the kingdom had a record budget deficit of almost $100 billion, prompting it to rein in public spending in a bid to save money. Why is the regime continuing its attacks on the Arabian Peninsula country despite its failures and cash-strapped economy? What do you think about the future of the war?

Sheehan: Saudi Arabia seems to have a lot invested in oppressing its own citizens and those of its regional neighbors. Yemen is in a strategic place on the Arab Peninsula and how can the repressive Saudis actually have a progressive democracy right next door?

Tasnim: The Saudi blockades on Yemen's ports and airspace has caused a human tragedy. According to the World Health Organization, Yemen is facing the "world's worst cholera outbreak". The WHO recently said the total number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen this year hit the half a million mark, and nearly 2000 people have died since the outbreak began to spread rapidly at the end of April. Why have the international organizations, particularly the UN, remained passive in the face of the ongoing Saudi atrocities?

Sheehan: The cholera outbreak and other humanitarian crises caused by the Axis of Evil’s atrocities in Yemen are indeed very troubling, but not as troubling as the lack of UN/world outrage against them.

Israel has created a very powerful narrative since the occupation of Palestine nearly 70 years ago: The atrocities committed on Jewish people by Nazis in WWII were so great that Israel “deserves” its own homeland carved out of the land and flesh of the Palestinian people. If Israel has to participate in atrocities or condone atrocities by others (the Saudis), then, that is unfortunate, but a small price to pay for Israel’s security in the region.

What does this have to do with the crisis in Yemen? Very few state leaders, and the UN Security Council (with veto power of the US), will criticize Israel, or its policies in any way. Israel wants the Saudis to destroy Yemen, just like Libya, Afghanistan, and Iraq have been destroyed (as the Axis of Evil are also working on Syria and Yemen), so there will be no outcry from so-called world leaders or corporate media, consequently, no corresponding mass outcry from the public.

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

Radical Labor History: Mother Jones (the woman, not the magazine)

Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was an extremely radical labor organizer who was "born in revolution" in Cork County, Ireland in 1837. A dressmaker in Memphis at the time, profound tragedy struck her in 1867 as her husband George Harris and her four children (all under aged 5) died of a yellow fever epidemic. I stand in awe of her strength and courage after burying one of my children almost destroyed me.

After her husband and children died, Mother Jones moved to Chicago to open another dressmaking business, but then it was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire.

She went on to belong to the radical Knights of Labor which folded after Haymarket, then she went on to work with the Socialist Party of America and help found the Wobblies (International Workers of the World: IWW) and worked with the Mine Workers to help organize poor and beleaguered mine workers in the Appalachians.

When I rode my bike across the country in 2013, our Tour de Peace

Photo Courtesy, Tour de Peace

stopped in  Mount Olive, Illinois to pay our respects to this "most dangerous woman in America" at her burial site where mine workers raised thousands of dollars to erect a very beautiful, yet powerful monument to honor their "mother." 

After our ride through Mount Olive, I was talking about the experience of visiting her monument and a person in the audience approached me afterwards to tell me that the song "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" is about Mother Jones: a factoid that I was not familiar with. Lyrics to the song include the verse, "She'll be wearin' red pajamas when she comes," which refers to her affiliation with socialism.

I've read that at times, Mother Jones was profane, witty, and a very inspirational speaker who worked overtime to improve working conditions of not only miners, but also children as she led the "March of the Mill" children in 1901 from Pennsylvania to the doors of President Theodore Roosevelt. Although Roosevelt (of course) refused to meet with them, the March brought much needed attention to the conditions of child labor and the fact that in the 1900 US census, it was revealed that 1/6 of all children under the age of 16 were employed.

Mother Jones, like contemporary labor giant, Eugene V. Debs, was not perfect, but she organized so many strikes and other actions for her "boys" that she was bound to make mistakes, however; her accomplishments are legendary. 

Over the past several decades, hard won victories of labor have been slowly eroded by both Republicans who never pretended to be pro-labor and Democrats who are more treacherous in their dealings with labor.

At a time when most "big" labor unions here in the US have become reactionary tools of the Democrat Party, today, on Labor Day, we can look back on the life of Mary Harris Jones and other radical labor activists and marvel at her strength and commitment to improve conditions and the lives of all workers. 

I believe the most famous quote attributed to Mother Jones is, "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living." 

As a Radical Granny myself, I will strive to internalize those words, especially on a day like today!

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

Syria Weekly Digest (Week of 8/28 to 9/3) Beginning of end of Syria war?

August 28, 2017-September 3, 2017

A weekly digest to distribute alternative (anti-imperialist) analysis to the propaganda about the

ongoing conflict in Syria. 

Russia Responds to Netanyahu’s Ultimatum in Syria With a Warning to Israel

September 1, 2017

(ANTIMEDIA) — Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in person that Israel will not tolerate an Iranian military presence in Syria that threatens Israeli interests. Netanyahu also stated that Israel is prepared to take action in Syria to curb the alleged threat.

At the time, Putin did not respond specifically to Israel’s issue with Iran. This provided some uncertainty regarding Russia’s position on the current conflict given Russia views Iran as a strategic ally. At the same time, however, Russia would likely not want to be dragged into a regional spat between Israel and the Islamic Republic.

 CLICK TO READ THE REST 

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 The Reasons for Netanyahu’s Panic

September 1, 2017

 

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is pushing the panic button over the collapse of the Saudi-Israeli jihadist proxies in Syria and now threatening to launch a major air war, as ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke describes.

By Alastair Crooke

A very senior Israeli intelligence delegation, a week ago, visited Washington. Then, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke into President Putin’s summer holiday to meet him in Sochi, where, according to a senior Israeli government official (as cited in the Jerusalem Post), Netanyahu threatened to bomb the Presidential Palace in Damascus, and to disrupt and nullify the Astana cease-fire process, should Iran continue to “extend its reach in Syria.”

Russia’s Pravda wrote, “according to eyewitnesses of the open part of the talks, the Israeli prime minister was too emotional and at times even close to panic. He described a picture of the apocalypse to the Russian president that the world may see, if no efforts are taken to contain Iran, which, as Netanyahu believes, is determined to destroy Israel.”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST

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Syrian army moves closer to ISIL-besieged Deir Az Zor

September 3, 2017

 Al Jazeera

The governor of Deir Az Zor province says the Syrian army will reach the city in 24-48 hours 'at most'.

CLICK TO READ THE REST

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News Analysis: Beginning of end of Syria war could be closer than ever with IS collapse

Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-04 05:36:14|Editor: Lu Hui

by Hummam Sheikh Ali
DAMASCUS, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The end of the Syrian war seems around the corner with the near collapse of the Islamic State (IS) group and the change of the international stance toward President Bashar al-Assad, experts say.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST

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Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox

The Plot to Scapegoat Russia
Guest: Dan Kovalik

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SHOW 

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WHITE HELMETS: The Jib-Al-Qubeh War Crime in Aleppo, Denied by Channel 4

September 1, 2017 By Vanessa Beeley

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

Venezuela and ALBA Weekly 9.1.2017 Weisbrot, and Congressional Dissent Over New Sanctions

       

September 1, 2017 This weekly email contains a few useful articles on Venezuela and ALBA Countries that contain bite-sized dose of the truth so that you can fight the disinformation in your own community, that so much of the media, including alternative media are putting out.  It is AfGJ's conviction that we in the US defend Venezuela's sovereignty and recognize that the Bolivarian Revolution has improved the lives of its citizens, led the movement toward Latin America integration, and is building participatory democracy structures that are an example for us in the US as well. -AfGJ staff AFGJ Friends – we would like to include statements, events, and actions in solidarity with Venezuela. If you are aware of any or are planning any, please send them to us: stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com. These may also be used as part of the redesigned international solidarity page on Venezuelanalysis.com Congresspeople Pocan, Conyers, Khanna Statement Re: Trump's Executive Order on Venezuelan Sanctions  Marc Weisbrot; US Sanctions Aimed at Harming Venezuelan People  Dan Kovalik Webinar Recording: Why we Must Defend Venezuela and the Chavista Revolution (put in your name and email to open)  Caracas Sept. 16-17 International Solidarity Summit with Venezuela  Venezuelan Opposition Supports US Sanctions Despite International Condemnation  As a Result: Constituent Assembly to Try Opposition Leaders for Treason Venezuela to Donate $5M to Harvey Victims in Texas Steve Ellner: Social Programs in Venezuela Under the Chavista Governments  Response to Hurricanes: Cuba vs. US: A Lesson for the US: Cuba's Response to Hurricanes Hurricane Prevention: What the US Can Learn from Cuba Venezuela SolidarityRally Outside Toronto CBC Demands it Cover Venezuela ‘Truthfully’ Report by Former Consul Jesus Rodriguez at Detroit Venezuela Solidarity Event Tortilla con Sal: Nicaragua -World Bank Forced to Admit Social and Economic Successes  Chuck Kaufman: Freedom House faces Lawsuit Over its Nicaragua Disinformation Allied Events Join the Tear Down the Walls Border Encuentro Nov. 10-12 organized by SOA Watch.   Register for the People’s Congress September 16-17 in Washington, DC at the Blackburn Center at Howard University.  Delegation to China: Pearl River Delta Region - Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hong Kohn Labor, Globalization, Migrant Workers, with Celebrate New Year in Hong Kong! U.S. Activist Solidarity Delegation to China, organized by National Immigrant Solidarity Network and Action LA Network.

Receive the News from Venezuela Each Week- Sign Up for the Venezuela Weekly! Like the work AFGJ is doing?   Please support us today.  ************************************** CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX