The essay that begins below was posted yesterday on the author’s website, Behind the Curtain. Global Research posted it less legibly today, and several other sites are expected to post or link to it soon. — MCM

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Another magical JFK assassination pseudo-debate and limited hangout, by Edward J. Curtin, Jr. | Behind the Curtain Much has been made of the Sept. 9 simultaneous reports in The New York Times and Vanity Fair of the claims of a former Secret Service agent, Paul Landis, who was part of the security detail in Dallas, Texas, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963.  Like so many reports by such media that have covered up the truth of the assassination for sixty years, this one about “the magic bullet” is also a red herring. It encourages pseudo-debates and confusion and is a rather dumb “limited hangout,” which is . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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In Ukraine, the focus is the fighting, but are negotiations possible? Reported by Greg Myre | NPR A former U.S. diplomat and national security official now at Georgetown University, Charles Kupchan, was part of a small, unofficial group that met quietly this year with Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He has been . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Meet the Ukrainian soldiers removing the explosives Russia buried under the frontline. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  In Ukraine, possibly the world’s most mined country, a team of sappers races to clear explosives left by Russians along the southeastern frontline to help Ukrainian troops take back occupied land. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ukrainian forces reclaim a village in the east as part of counteroffensive, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Ukraine’s forces have recaptured a village in the country’s east after intense battles with Russian troops, the military said today as the invaded nation pursues a multi-pronged counteroffensive. The village of Andriivka, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia hunts for Ukrainian war planes used in Crimea strikes — Kyiv. From Reuters. KYIV — Kyiv said today a Russian drone attack overnight on a region that hosts a Ukrainian military airfield showed Moscow was searching for warplanes involved in strikes this week on Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine’s air force said it had downed all 17 of the “kamikadze” drones Russia had fired in the central Khmelnytskyi region, home to the Starokostiantyniv air . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Su-25SM attack jets wipe out Ukrainian stronghold near Krasny Liman — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Su-25SM attack aircraft from Russia’s Central Military District have destroyed a Ukrainian stronghold in the Krasny Liman area with S-8 unguided rockets, the Russian Defense Ministry says. The strike was executed with . . . READ MORE . . .

Here are links to a few of this week’s reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press (two in Spanish as well as English), and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. — MCM

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Most of the 177 environmental activists killed last year were in Latin America. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  Global Witness says 177 environmental activists were killed in 2022, and the majority were murdered in Latin America. Click HERE to listen and read to report, and HERE for a link to Global Witness.

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Guatemala President-elect suspends transition after agents raid election facilities, open vote boxes, by Sonia Pérez D. | AP  GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arévalo said Tuesday he was temporarily suspending the transition process and called for the resignation of the attorney general following raids on electoral facilities during which government agents opened boxes of votes and photographed their contents in what experts called an unprecedented violation of the law. Arévalo said he had notified outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei and would only return to the process . . . READ MORE . . .

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El presidente electo de Guatemala rompe diálogo con gobierno saliente y suspende transición, por Sonia Pérez D. | Agencia AP  CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA — El presidente electo de Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, rompió el diálogo el martes con el gobierno saliente al anunciar que suspende el proceso administrativo de transición de poder, tras la última arremetida de la fiscalía con el allanamiento a dos sedes de Tribunal Supremo Electoral y la revisión de cajas con votos. Arévalo pidió la renuncia de la fiscal general Consuelo Porras, así como del . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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UN says Nicaragua’s human rights violations and persecution of dissidents are on the rise, by Gabriela Selser | AP  MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua has increased human rights violations and persecution of the opposition as it ratchets up its efforts to stifle dissent, a United Nations group of experts monitoring the country said Tuesday. The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, that the government continues increasing pressure on human rights defenders to force them to leave the . . . READ MORE . . .

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El Chapo’s wife released from U.S. custody after completing 3-year prison sentence. From AP. The wife of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was released from federal custody on Wednesday after completing a three-year sentence for helping him run his multibillion-dollar criminal empire, the federal Bureau of Prisons said. Emma Coronel Aispuro, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to three federal offenses as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors, had been moved from a Texas prison to a California halfway house prior to her release. She will now serve . . . READ MORE . . .

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Emma Coronel, esposa del “Chapo”, queda en libertad tras cumplir condena en EEUU. De AP. La esposa del narcotraficante mexicano Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán quedó en libertad tras purgar una condena de tres años por ayudarlo a manejar su imperio criminal multimillonario, informó la Agencia Federal de Prisiones de Estados Unidos. Emma Coronel Aispuro, quien en 2021 se declaró culpable de tres delitos federales como parte de un acuerdo con la fiscalía, había sido trasladada de una prisión en Texas a un centro de rehabilitación en California antes de su liberación. Le resta cumplir . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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Lula names two ministers from opposition to buttress congressional support, by Anthony Boadle | Reuters BRASILIA — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva swore in two new ministers from center-right opposition parties on Wednesday, in a bid to increase congressional support for his minority leftist government. The move should help Lula pass his economic agenda, including tax hikes, political analysts said, but he still faces an uphill battle to get Brazil’s conservative-led legislature to . . . READ MORE . . .

For now, links to reports from the Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, Tass, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Kyiv Independent, followed by a link to commentary from a Substack account; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. – MCM

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‘New surprises await Russians in Crimea’ – Ukraine destroys yet another air defense system. From the Kyiv Post. A Ukrainian drone and missile attack destroyed a sophisticated Russian air defense complex in Crimea early this morning, as Kyiv warned those living on the occupied peninsula to expect more “surprises.” A Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) source said an S-400 “Triumf” air-defense system, with an estimated value of $1.2 billion, was taken out near . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia repels overnight wave of Ukrainian drones in border regions. From AFP. Russia said today it destroyed multiple Ukrainian drones in its border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod during the night and into today, with no casualties reported. The Russian Defense Ministry said six drones had been shot down in four locations in the Bryansk region, located around 400 kilometers southwest of Moscow. “Air defense systems . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian army shells borderline Belgorod Region about 140 times in 24 hours — governor. From Tass. MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. Ukraine’s armed forces have shelled the borderline Belgorod Region about 140 times over a 24-hour period, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. “In the Belgorodsky District . . . READ MORE . . .

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Danger lurks behind ‘every bush’ for brigade in Ukrainian counteroffensive, by Anna Voitenko | Reuters  ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine — For soldiers in Ukraine’s “Spartan” brigade, danger could lurk behind every bush and in every field as they fight in Kyiv’s counteroffensive against deeply entrenched Russian forces. Progress through vast Russian minefields and heavily fortified defences . . . READ MORE . . .

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Here’s what happened in Kim Jong Un’s meeting with Putin. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged support for Russia’s war in Ukraine at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war, by Francis Farrell | The Kyiv Independent DONETSK OBLAST The expanded role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on both sides of Russia’s war against Ukraine spans from basic reconnaissance to long-range strikes deep into the enemy’s rear. Both sides are getting serious with their drone game: ramping up production while looking to come up with new innovations that could prove . . . READ MORE . . .

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When the intelligence is inconvenient, by Seymour Hersh | Substack  It is an accepted reality that presidents in the post-9/11 era do not hesitate to manipulate and lie about even the most competent of intelligence reports if they do not fit into their political agenda. What began in the Bush/Cheney years continued during the presidency of the much beloved, much misunderstood Barack Obama. Ten years ago, amid calls for the U.S. to intervene in the Syrian civil war . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

The essay linked below appeared on Oct. 10, 2001, in the online publication Narco News, some of whose articles are archived HERE. – MCM

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The so-called evidence is a farce, by Stan Goff | Narco News  The story heard on the news and read in the newspapers in the last four weeks is simply not believable. The verifiable facts, before, during, and after September 11th do not support it or conform to the current actions of the United States government. The official line only works if they can get everyone to accept its underlying premises. They are twofold. One, that what this de facto administration is doing now is a “response” to September 11th. Two, that the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was done by . . . Click HERE or HERE to read more.

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Tass, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. – MCM

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Russian ships damaged in Ukrainian strike on annexed Crimea. From AFP. A Ukrainian cruise missile and seaborne drone attack on a shipyard in annexed Crimea damaged two Russian warships that had been undergoing repairs, Russian and Ukrainian military officials said today. The overnight attack targeted a shipyard in the port city of Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet, causing a blaze that injured at least 24 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it hit Russian naval targets in attack on Crimea, by Tom Balmforth | Reuters  KYIV — Ukraine said it struck Russian naval targets and port infrastructure early today in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, in what appeared to the biggest attack of the war on the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The attack on Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014, was confirmed by Moscow. It highlighted . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian ships damaged in Ukraine’s attacks on shipyard in Sevastopol to re-enter duty. From Tass. MOSCOW — The two Russian naval ships damaged in Kiev’s attack on the Ordzhonikidze shipyard in Sevastopol will be fully restored and re-enter combat service in their fleets, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. It said earlier . . . READ MORE . . .

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North Korea’s Kim vows full support for Russia’s ‘just fight’ after viewing launch pads with Putin, by Kim Tong-Hyung and Dasha Litvinova | AP  SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed support for Russia’s “just fight” during a summit with President Vladimir Putin today that the U.S. warned could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. After touring launch pads with Putin at a remote space base in Russia’s Far East, Kim . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin and Kim hold meeting at a remote spaceport in Russia’s Far East. Reported by Leila Fadel, Anthony Kuhn and Charles Maynes | NPR  Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Russian city of Vladivostok — the same site as their last meeting in 2019, but under different circumstances. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press (one in Spanish), Reuters, and commentary from Consortium News; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. – MCM

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UN says Colombia’s coca crop at all-time high as officials promote new drug policies, by Manuel Rueda | The Associated Press  BOGOTA — Coca cultivation reached an all-time high in Colombia last year, the U.N. said, as the administration of President Gustavo Petro struggles to reduce poverty in remote areas and contain armed groups that are profiting from the cocaine trade. In a report published over the weekend, the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime said 230,000 hectares (nearly 570,000 acres) of farmland in Colombia were planted with coca in 2022, a 13% increase from . . . READ MORE . . .

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50 years after the coup, by Eva Vergara and Daniel Politi | AP   The world remembers Gen. Augusto Pinochet as the dictator whose regime tortured, killed and disappeared 3,065 people in the name of fighting communism. But as Chile marks the 50th anniversary of the coup that brought Pinochet to power for almost 17 years, many in the country don’t see it as a dark day. Amid a weak economy and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Chile conmemora medio siglo del golpe que dio paso a la cruenta dictadura militar, por Eva Vergara | Agencia AP  SANTIAGO — Chile conmemoró el lunes 50 años del golpe de Estado que dio paso a una cruenta dictadura militar con una ceremonia en el palacio de gobierno de La Moneda a la que asisten diversos líderes regionales. El régimen militar liderado por el general Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) dejó un saldo de 3.200 asesinados, incluidos 1.469 desaparecidos. Medio siglo después, hay . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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Argentina August inflation forecast at highest since 1991, by Hernan Nessi | Reuters BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) likely rose 11.8% in August, which would be the highest monthly figuresince 1991, according to a Reuters poll of analysts on Monday, after a sharp devaluation of the local peso currency last month. The country’s government devalued the currency by nearly 20% in mid-August after . . . READ MORE . . .

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Chile 50 years: U.S. scars from 9/11/73, by Brad Evans | Consortium News Fifty years ago this week, in the early morning of Sept. 11 1973, a U.S. backed coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet began with Chile’s military taking control of strategic locations in the capital city Santiago, including the main radio and television networks. At 8.30 a.m., a declaration was broadcast that the military was now in control of the country.During the 16 years of Pinochet’s reign, 1,100 people were officially registered as “forcibly disappeared”. Only 104 bodies were ever found, although . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, Tass, and Agence France-Presse, followed by a link to two pieces of commentary from Moon of Alabama, the second via Popular Resistance; other articles are accessible by clicking on the outlets’ names or initials below. — MCM

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Ukraine’s Antonov turns to drones in response to Russian invasion, by Joanna Plucinska, Valerie Insinna and Max Hunder | Reuters  LONDON / KYIV — Ukraine’s Antonov is expanding in drone making, a presentation by the country’s umbrella defence group shows, as it diversifies its core cargo plane business in response to Russia’s invasion. Drones made and adapted in Ukraine play a major . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin says nearly half a million added to army in a year. From Reuters. President Vladimir Putin said today that the Russian army has added over half a million people in the last year — both drafted and volunteer fighters – to fight in Ukraine. “We had a partial mobilization,” he said. “We called up 300,000 people. Now, in the last six-seven months, 270,000 people have voluntarily signed contracts to serve in the , , , READ MORE . . .

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Russian air defense systems destroy 41 Ukrainian drones in past day — Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian air defense systems shot down 41 Ukrainian drones in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. Apart from that, the ministry, said, air defense systems intercepted four HIMARS rockets. According to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin says F-16 deliveries for Ukraine will ‘only prolong conflict.’ From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin today dismissed the significance of recent announcements by Ukrainian officials that their armed forces would soon receive F-16 fighter jets from Kyiv’s allies in the West. “They are going to deliver F-16s. Will this change anything? I don’t think so. It will just prolong . . . READ MORE . . .

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Western military commentators finally accept the obvious, by Moon of Alabama | Moon of Alabama  The Kuebler-Ross model of grief describes the human coping mechanism to deal with extremely difficult situations. It has five phases: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. With regard to the Ukrainian counter-offensive the last phase of the grief model has been reached. While not all politicians are yet there . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky threatens to terrorize Europe, by Moon of Alabama | Popular Resistance  The Economist published another interview with the Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski. It includes his usual unrealistic platitudes about not ending the war until Russia has completely pulled back. He didn’t miss to mention the ever misunderstood story about Chamberlain’s move in Munich: “Tapping loudly on the table, Mr Zelensky rejects outright the idea of compromise with . . . READ MORE . . .

Twenty-two years ago this morning, mass murder, mayhem, and — for many — misinformation visited the world, mostly through televised news. Each anniversary the story is at least slightly different, relying less on official accounts. For today, here are links to a small selection of reports and commentary, from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, the Springfield Republican, Newsweek, and the Substack account of the founder of Global Research. — MCM

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Latest Marine recruits at Parris Island, S.C., were all born after Sept. 11 attacks. Reported by Tom Bowman | NPR  Twenty-two years after the Sept. 11 attacks, different motivations are drawing Marine recruits into service. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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The U.S. marks 22 years since 9/11 with tributes and tears, from ground zero to Alaska, by Jennifer Peltz and Karen Matthews | AP  NEW YORK — From ground zero to small towns, Americans looked back today on 9/11 with moments of silence, tearful words and appeals to teach younger generations about the terror attacks that struck the nation exactly 22 years before. “For those of us who lost people on that day . . . READ MORE . . .

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For his sister, life’s joys help keep sadness at bay, by Cynthia Simison | The Springfield Republican  There are moments of sadness as Ann Murphy Fraro reflects on all the celebratory moments in their family’s life that her brother Brian J. Murphy has missed since that morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Brian, 41, was at work in the offices of Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower when . . . READ MORE . . .

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Timeline: How September 11 attack on WTC, Pentagon, Flight 93 unfolded, by Nick Mordowanec | Newsweek Twenty-two years ago, the United States was the target of the deadliest attack on its soil when 19 men hijacked four airplanes as part of a mission orchestrated by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, and more die each year because of related . . . READ MORE . . .

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From Reagan’s Al Qaeda sponsored war on Afghanistan to George W. Bush’s 9/11, by Michel Chossudovsky | Substack Osama bin Laden, America’s bogeyman, was recruited by the CIA in 1979 at the very outset of the U.S.-sponsored jihad. He was 22 years old and was trained in a CIA-sponsored guerrilla training camp. The architects of the covert . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to three reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible  by clicking on its initials below. —  MCM

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Decades after Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile, the fight for justice continues. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  It’s been 50 years since a U.S. backed coup toppled the democratically elected president of Chile and installed a dictatorship. After five decades many victims say they still haven’t seen justice. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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The U.S. set the stage for a coup in Chile. It had unintended consequences at home, by James Doubek | NPR  Fifty years ago in Chile, the United States worked to end the presidency of an elected Marxist and, in turn, helped usher in an authoritarian right-wing dictatorship. During the ensuing 17-year rule of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, more than 3,000 people would be disappeared or killed and some 38,000 would become political prisoners — most of them victims of torture. The . . . READ MORE . . .

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A rare chance to look into Nicaragua, a country that shuts itself off to journalists. Reported by Michel Martin and Eyder Peralta  | NPR  For more than a yeae, Nicaragua has kept foreign journalists out. NPR’s Eyder Peralta managed to get in, and he brings us some exclusive on-the-ground reporting. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.