On FPF #416, I discuss tech companies’ ties to the military. Tech companies often present themselves as being ‘progressive,’ and some even have human right statements. Last year, Google employees quit in protest over the company contracting with the Pentagon to provide AI recognition for drones. Google said it would not renew the contract for the program. However, Google now seeks more business with the Pentagon. 

Links

• Google will continue to contract with the Pentagon. [Link]
• Two Twitter employees are charged with spying for Saudi Arabia. One employee has been arrested, and the other is in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi citizen has been charged as well. [Link]
• A State Department official says Russian trolls are to blame for the protests in Chile. [Link] 

IS?

• An Islamic State affiliate is blamed for an attack near the Tajikistan/Uzbekistan border. Fifteen militants have killed as well as a soldier and a police officer. [Link]

Kashmir

• At least one person was killed and several injured by a grenade attack in Kashmir. Some of the injured were Indian soldiers. [Link]

Israel

• The Israeli high court upholds a ruling that bars a Human Rights Watch official from the country because of his past support for BDS. [Link]

Syria

• Israel says it is providing diplomatic and humanitarian assistance to the Syrian Kurds. [Link]  
• At least 30 people were killed in fighting between Syrian Kurds and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels. [Link]
• Syrian government forces are moving into areas near the oil fields the US claims to be controlling. [Link]
• The State Department says the oil produced from the US-occupied oil fields in Syria is going to local communities. [Link]
• The US is building two bases in the region of the Syrian oil fields. [Link]

Iraq

• Protesters blocking an Iraqi port have caused a $6 billion loss in commerce. [Link[ 
• Iraqi officials say the prime minister has authorized increased violence against protesters. [Link]
• The UN reports 97 Iraqi protesters have been killed since October 25th. [Link]
• The backing of Sadr? – SHS w/ Elijah

Africa 

• Egypt claims to have killed over 80 jihadists in the Sinai over the past month. [Link]
• Gunmen killed at least 37 people in Burkina Faso. The dead were workers for a Canadian mining company. [Link]
• The Islamic State claims responsibility for an attack in Mali that killed 53 soldiers and one civilian. [Link]
• Militants killed ten people in the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo recently launched an offensive against a major rebel group. [Link]

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