Antiwar.com Weekly Newsletter for January 19, 2021

Your source for foreign policy news.

January 19th, 2021

US Flies B-52s as 'Show of Force' Against Iran

Exemplifying US hostility toward Iran, America carries out B-52 overflights of the region with increased regularity, often twice a month. The US Central Command issued a statement confirming another such overflight this weekend.
As with previous cases, officials are calling it an "observable" show of military power, aimed explicitly at Iran. Today's bombers flew out of Minot, North Dakota, making the long flight to Iran to prove a point about US hostility.
Officials did not say how many B-52s took part in this particular overflight, but past ones usually involved two. The bombers have an extreme amount of range, and have to fly a long route indeed to reach a potential target.

By Jason Ditz

UN Predicts US Houthi Terror Designation Will Lead to Famine 'Not Seen in 40 Years'

A top UN official called for the reversal of the US decision to designate Yemen's Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, warning the move will lead to a massive famine.

The UN's humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock spoke out against the designation in remarks on Thursday. "First, what is the likely humanitarian impact? The answer is a large-scale famine on a scale that we have not seen for nearly 40 years," he said.

According to UN numbers, around 80 percent of Yemenis rely on aid, and 13.5 million people face acute food insecurity. These dire conditions are a direct result of the US-backed Saudi-led war on Yemen that started in 2015. The coalition regularly bombs civilian infrastructure and is enforcing a blockade on the country.

By Dave DeCamp

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Biden Taps Veteran Interventionist Samantha Power to Head USAID

On Wednesday, Joe Biden announced that he will nominate Samantha Power to head the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Power served as ambassador to the UN for President Obama from 2013 to 2017. Before that, she worked on Obama's National Security Council, where she played an instrumental role in pushing for US intervention in Libya in 2011.

Power argued in favor of US intervention in Libya under the guise of protecting human rights and preventing genocide. She was joined in her crusade by then-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Susan Rice, who served as the UN ambassador at the time.

By Dave DeCamp

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Feds Walk Back Claim That There Were 'Kill Capture Teams' at Capitol

On Friday, the top federal prosecutor in Washington DC said there is no direct evidence that pro-Trump demonstrators who stormed the Capitol on January 6th had formed "kill capture teams" to target US officials.

By Dave DeCamp

New Items for Sale in the Antiwar.me Shop

Weve redesigned our merch for the Antiwar.me store, and are pleased to announce the addition of some fresh new peace gear for 2021! Support the critical work we do at Antiwar.com by showing your advocacy for a more peaceful world.

In addition to shirts, tank tops, backpacks, and fanny packs we have a number of books for sale.

We would also like to thank our new partner, psychedelic rock band Beyond From Within, for adding to our offerings with 3 pro-peace shirts.

The shop accepts payment by PayPal, credit cards, and several crypto currencies.

By Antiwar.com Staff

ISIS-Africa Alarmism: Brought to You Context-Free by Defense Analysts

Long before he played various roles in the Obama administration, Robert Berschinski was described as among the "rarest of creatures." For starters, he was an R.O.T.C. cadet at an Ivy League school - Yale - on September 11, 2001, at a time when graduates of elite universities have been conspicuously absent from the military's ranks. Berschinski then served as Air Force intelligence officer from 2002-06, including a stint in Kigali, Rwanda, and a combat tour in Iraq's then real-life Wild West Ramadi, in Anbar Province - attached to Joint Special Operations Command. There, he helped target the Islamic State's precursor, Al Qaeda in Iraq, but returned less than hopeful about the war's prospects, and skeptical of the then ongoing 2007 "surge" strategy.

By Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.)

How CENTCOM Chief McKenzie Manufactured an Iran Crisis to Increase His Power

Announcing Scott Horton's New Book: Enough Already Time to End the War on Terrorism

Biden Needs To Embrace New Thinking on North Korea

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