Oct 2022 – Page 15

Decoding the Pentagon’s online war against Iran

By Kit Klarenberg | The Cradle | October 1, 2022

The civil unrest in Iran in response to the recent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was waiting at a Tehran police station, although rooted in legitimate grievances, also bears the hallmark of a western-sponsored covert war, covering multiple fronts.

Key Background

The protests, led largely by women, have been held in cities across Iran for more than a week, and have even spread to cities around the world in countries including the U.K., Turkey,Canada, France, Austria and Norway.

The first protests in Iran began last Saturday, the day of Amini’s funeral, and are the biggest public demonstrations in Iran since 2019. Police said Amini, who was taken into custody for wearing a headscarf improperly, died after a three-day coma stemming from a heart attack.

Amini’s family dispute the police account, saying the 22-year-old was healthy and have accused police of mistreatment, which authorities denied.

Witnesses say the morality police beat Amini immediately after her arrest. At least 41 people have died during the ensuing protests, according to state media, but some experts believe the toll is much higher.

Dirty money: Meet the US agent driving the CIA-led riots in Iran Meet Masih Alinejad, Washington’s weapon of choice for flaring up the largest color revolution attempt in Iran today. “I’m leading this movement,” Alinejad, 46, told The New Yorker on Saturday. “The Iranian regime will be brought down by women. I believe this’.

‘Woman, life, freedom’: L.A. protest over Iran draws thousands

Mere days after the protests erupted on 16 September, the Washington Post revealed that the Pentagon had initiated a wide-ranging audit of all its online psyops efforts, after a number of bot and troll accounts operated by its Central Command (CENTCOM) division – which covers all US military actions in West Asia, North Africa and South and Central Asia – were exposed, and subsequently banned by major social networks and online spaces.

The accounts were busted in a joint investigation carried out by social media research firm Graphika, and the Stanford Internet Observatory, which evaluated “five years of pro-Western covert influence operations.”

Published in late August, it attracted minimal English-language press coverage at the time, but evidently was noticed, raising concerns at the highest levels of the US government, prompting the audit.

Solidarity with Iranians’ fight for democracy and justice/ STOP U.S. attempt to Co-Opt Women’s Revolution!

by AYESHA KIDWAI AND NIVEDITA MENON at Kafila Onlinen¡ via thefreeonline

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see also Decoding the Pentagon’s online war against Iran|.. Meet Masih Alinejad, Washington’s weapon of choice for flaring up the largest color revolution attempt in Iran

This post is jointly written by AYESHA KIDWAI AND NIVEDITA MENON
In solidarity with the Iranian people fighting for democracy and justice: Ayesha Kidwai & Nivedita Menon

On this international day of solidarity with the Iranian people, two feminists from India send you our greetings, in complete awe of your courage, your creativity, your solidarity with one another, your relentless resistance in the face of cruel and brutal repression.

Watching the panel discussion on Jadaliyya on the ongoing struggle of the Iranian people against the authoritarian regime, we were struck by the complexity of the arguments being made. The struggle is not against Islam, and it is not about hijab everywhere and at all times.

What we are witnessing in Iran is reflected all over the world wherever there is resistance to the gendered ways in which all states control populations – whether by compulsory conscription in wars the people have no interest in, or by making the hijab central to the reason of state – in Iran by compulsory veiling, in France and in India by compulsory unveiling of the Muslim woman; or in the USA by denying autonomy over their bodies to women by criminalizing abortion.

That the struggle in Iran is far wider than for bodily autonomy (and nowhere are struggles over the body only about bodily autonomy) is evident from the range of journalists, students, film makers and writers in prison over the last decade. for expressing dissent against different aspects of the authoritarian regime.

Writing as we do from India where a Brahminical Hindu supremacist, masculinist regime ruthlessly destroys Muslim and Dalit lives and livelihoods;

has subverted almost every democratic institution; criminalised dissent and free expression in universities; tries to eliminate practices of minority cultures;

violently attempts to control women’s right to choose their romantic partners;

unleashes mob violence against non-compliant women; appropriates the resources and lands of the people in the interests of corporate capital;

and imprisons without trial hundreds of voices raised in opposition to these policies – we say to you, our sisters and brothers in Iran, that everywhere in India, the stories of your militant, powerful struggle against dictatorship are being shared.

Your extraordinary courage gives us all strength.

The beauty of your protest actions moves us to tears.

The inclusiveness of your protest gives us hope.

**The words you chant – Zan, Zindagi, Azaadi – are beloved and familiar, belonging to the lexicon of some of our many languages.**

In our struggle for justice in India we take heart from the lines of the poet Faiz, written originally in Urdu:

That day, too, we shall see…
When the dark clouds of torment and oppression
Are blown away like wisps of cotton,
And the pounding of our indigent feet
Causes the earth to pulsate at its core.
And upon the heads of our rulers
Lightning will crackle and strike…

This poem has been an anthem of resistance across borders on the Indian subcontinent, from 1979 when it was written, to the 21st century.

We send it to you all – with love, in solidarity, in hope.

Antifascists Successfully Defend Pro-LGBTQ Event at Church From Kelly Neidert Rally with Hitler Saluting Neo-Nazis

Sep 30, 22— Screwston Antifascist Committee at itsgoingdown via thefreeonline

Report from Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee and the Space City Anarchist Organization on a recent mobilization to defend a church in Katy, Texas, which was hosting a pro-LGBTQ bingo fundraiser for youth, from a coalition of neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, and Republican groups.

On September 24th, Saturday afternoon, the First Christian Church of Katy held a Drag Bingo fundraiser to buy supplies for transitioning youth.

The event was heavily protested by a wide range of right-wing and white supremacist groups and was successfully defended by antifascists from the Houston and Katy area.

100 antifascists counter-protested against Hitler saluting and swastika flag flying neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, and Christian fascists led by Kelly Neidert in #Katy, #Texas today. The white supremacists were protesting a pro-LGBTQ bingo event. Great thread + photos from @CandiceBernd. https://t.co/IO1Kr82kCi pic.twitter.com/rPfmM5Se1e
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) September 25, 2022

Both sides were heavily attended, and small scuffles broke out throughout the event, primarily between Proud Boys and antifascists.

No serious injuries were sustained by antifascist protesters and the Drag Bingo Fundraiser went on successfully without disruption.

Filed under: Action, Anti-fascist, Central, Featured, Police, Queer, Trans

Detailed Overview HERE itsgoingdown

DRP NB 031022: Great Victory of People: MP govt scraps all contracts related to Maheshwar Dam — SANDRP

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mPZe039PnTk%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

While congratulating the state government for cancelling the contracts, we would also suggest that the government needs to quickly decide about decommissioning of the dam, so that it does not pose safety risk to the people upstream and downstream and also perpetuates unnecessary adverse social and environment impacts. Earlier the dam is decommissioned, quicker will be the relief from these impacts. Moreover, the MP government should also not let the private company go scot free and all attempts should be made to recover the money spent and also penalise them for breach of the contracts. The private company should also be made to pay for the decommissioning costs.
DRP NB 031022: Great Victory of People: MP govt scraps all contracts related to Maheshwar Dam — SANDRP

Lula Wins but Oligarchy and Corporations, Bots and Churches, plus US PR Campaign Promote Election Buzz for Neo-Lib Criminal Bolsonaro

Lula just won the first round of Presidential Elections by over 6 million votes.

But the MSM buzz is that he’s losing big time and will crash out in the second round. Never mind that the Workers Party swept the board in the poor north east, the largely black coast and nearly all the indigenous Amazon. Never mind that women and blacks support Lula to stop sexist and racist discrimination.

President Bolsonaro ‘jokes at a rally ” We’re going to shoot dead Workers Party supporters” –Bolsonaro avisa em comício: “Vamos fuzilar petistas”

In 2018 Bolsonaro grabbed power with a hysterical media campaign, planned by top US PR agencies, aided by the far right Evangelicals with their 24 hour TV stations plus an army of internet bots, mainly Twitter and WhatsApp.

All it takes is to find a few Lula supporters, among tens of millions, and pay them to admit the worst crimes imaginable and flood the media with their stories 24/7.. and BINGO.. 4 more years on the Gravy Train and a new bonanza to ‘extract’ Brazil’s resources for US corporations, enslave the workers, annihilate the Amazon, and impose forever a fascist militarized political system.