IV509 - June 2017

IVP 509 June 2017 PDF now available to download

“How do you explain the rupture by Saudi Arabia and its allies, on June 5th, of their diplomatic relations with Qatar, accused of "supporting terrorism"? Is this the outcome of a crisis that has been maturing for a long time?”

Yvan Lemaître of L’Anticaptialiste spoke to Gilbert Achar to find out.

On a fateful Thursday, June 1, Donald Trump announced that “The United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord,” setting off alarm bells and outraged protests in U.S. cities and around the world. We would suggest that under present circumstances, he chose the better – well, less bad — of the existing options.

The longest and the most serious take over in a Southeast Asian country by ISIS inspired Jihadists has entered its fifth week. It has already displaced more than 70,000 families or around 350,000 individuals of the City of Marawi, the bastion of the Islamic faith in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines. According to the Philippine government’s Joint Task Force Marawi the latest death toll has reached 475 of which 380 from the Islamists, 69 from the AFP/PNP and 26 from the civilians. A total of 1,629 civilians were rescued or had dared to escape from the burning City. The AFP and PNP have reported to recover a total 208 high powered rifles (HPRs). [1]

Note from the LeftEast editors: The rallies that took place in Russia on June 12 under the slogan “We Demand Answers” are the first political event of the summer of 2017. Translated kindly from the original Russian on OpenLeft.ru by Emma Claire Foley.

Today’s reactionaries don’t seem to be interested in a new world war, but in a clash between North and South, rich and poor.

The general election marked a setback for the Scottish National Party. Is the independence dream dead?

Lider Restrepo writes from New York City on the political storm that broke out over the honoring of Oscar López Rivera at this year’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Three weeks ago war began in Marawi, in the province of Lanao del Sur (island of Mindanao) between the government army and two fundamentalist groups, the clan Maute and Abu Sayyaf, identifying with the Islamic State. Almost 100 per cent of the population of this city, 95 per cent Muslim, has fled from very destructive fighting.

Two years ago a left-wing coalition was elected to govern Spain’s capital. Now it’s locked in a battle with the national government.