21 December 2018 — Jonathan Cook
We check in to Banksy’s bizarre Palestinian hotel, where the hospitality is as peculiar as the message is powerful
The National – 21 December 2018
Day: December 21, 2018
Defense Secretary Mattis resigns amid Washington backlash over Syria troop withdrawal
21 December 2018 — WSWS
The announcement by US President Donald Trump of his decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria—followed by reports that he has ordered a partial withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan—has unleashed a major crisis within the administration and its relations with the military.
‘Organ traders, terrorists & looters’: Evidence against Syrian White Helmets presented at UN
21 December 2018 — RT
White Helmets are shown in Syria’s Idlib province in this September 2015 file photo © Reuters / Khalil Ashawi
The ‘White Helmets’ are not a rescue group but an extension of jihadist militants, and should be designated a terrorist organization, Russia’s envoy to the UN argued at the presentation of evidence into the group’s wrongdoing.
Doctors leaders call on government to halt NHS migrant charges By Joanna Dobbin
20 December 2018 — OurNHS
The Royal College of Physicians have today joined with other Royal Colleges to call on the government to suspend upfront charging of overseas visitors within the NHS, calling them a “concerning barrier to care”.
Why is the United States suddenly withdrawing from Syria? By Valentin Vasilescu
21 December 2018 — Voltaire Network
The US Air Force is condemned to defeat if it confronts the Syrian Arab Army, which now has in its possession Russian anti-air materials, the best in the world. The US’s only viable option is to leave, sparing itself any humiliation.
UK government announces draconian Brexit immigration policy and deployment of troops By Robert Stevens
21 December 2018 — WSWS
The day after the government announced it was putting 3,500 troops on standby, amid business organisations saying they were “watching in horror” at the implications of a no-deal Brexit, proceedings in Parliament Wednesday descended into farce.
Enabling RAF chaplains to provide guidance to drone pilots
20 December 2018 — Drone Warfare
The Times and the Commercial Drone Professional reported recently that the Church of England has announced a programme helping RAF chaplains to offer pastoral care and support to drone pilots. They will spend a year studying for a master’s degree in ethics at Cardiff University so they can provide guidance to drone pilots in the British Army on the moral dilemmas that come with killing an enemy on the other side of the world.
Don’t Hold Your Breath on US Troop Withdrawal from Syria By Patrick Lawrence
20 December 2018 — Consortium News
The announcement on Wednesday that the U.S. will withdraw all remaining troops from Syria within the next month looked at first like a rare victory for Donald Trump in his admittedly erratic opposition to senseless wars of adventure. “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there,” the president tweeted with an unmistakable air of triumph.
The New Dark Age 