Monday, October 31, 2016

Justifying the Saudi Slaughter in Yemen

Exclusive: Official Washington insists Iran is the main Mideast troublemaker when clearly that isn’t true, but the “group think” explains why a few intercepted arms shipments to Somalia where linked to Iran and Yemen, reports Gareth Porter. By Gareth Porter…

How the West Provoked the New Cold War

The mainstream U.S. media portrays the New Cold War as “white-hatted” Americans standing up to “black-hatted” Russians to stop aggression against NATO and to save children in Syria, but the reality is much more gray, says ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern.…

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Who Will Weed Out the Warmongers?

Exclusive: Progressive Democrats are gearing up to fight Wall Street appointees to a Hillary Clinton administration, but there is no similar campaign to weed out neocon/liberal-hawk warmongers, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry If Hillary Clinton hangs on to win…

Saturday, October 29, 2016

The De Facto US/Al Qaeda Alliance

Exclusive: Buried deep inside Saturday’s New York Times was a grudging acknowledgement that the U.S.-armed “moderate” rebels in Syria are using their U.S. firepower to back an Al Qaeda offensive, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry A curious aspect of…

Police Clash with Pipeline Protesters

The confluence of the twin issues of Native American respect for the land and modern environmentalists’ alarm over global warming has met in resistance to a North Dakota oil pipeline, observed Ann Wright. By Ann Wright It’s like we are…

Why the Truth Might Get You Fired

The tension between intelligence analysts and political policymakers has always been between honest assessments and desired results, with the latter often overwhelming the former, as in the Iraq War, writes Lawrence Davidson. By Lawrence Davidson For those who might wonder…

The Passion Behind Standing Rock Protest

Police arrested more than 140 Native American and environmental protesters challenging an oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, a project touching the raw nerves of water and global warming, reports Dennis J Bernstein. By Dennis…

Friday, October 28, 2016

Only Making Matters Worse in Syria

Exclusive: Washington’s foreign policy establishment is determined to escalate U.S. military attacks in Syria even though that won’t resolve the conflict and will only get more people killed, a dilemma addressed by Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare Middle East policy has reached…

The Abnormal Normal of Nuclear Terror

Almost goofily, behind Official Washington’s latest warmongering “group think,” the U.S. has plunged into a New Cold War against Russia with no debate about the enormous costs and the extraordinary risks of nuclear annihilation, Gray Brechin observes. By Gray Brechin…

Selling ‘Regime Change’ Wars to the Masses

Propaganda is now such a pervasive part of Western governance that any foreign leader who resists the prevailing power structure can be turned into a demon and made a target of a “regime change” war, explains John Pilger. By John…

A Lasting Trump Stamp on Foreign Policy

Many downwardly mobile Americans are dazed and confused about what has happened to them, which explains the attraction of Donald Trump, who offers few coherent solutions but still may have a lasting impact on U.S. relations with the world, observes…

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Modern History of ‘Rigged’ US Elections

Special Report: Donald Trump claims the U.S. presidential election is “rigged,” drawing condemnation from the political/media establishment which accuses him of undermining faith in American democracy. But neither side understands the real problem, says Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The United…

The Fallacy of a ‘Goldilocks’ War Policy

Official Washington’s new “group think” is that the next president must pursue a “Goldilocks” foreign policy not as aggressive as George W. Bush but more warlike than Barack Obama, but ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar says that’s nonsense. By Paul…

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Tom Hayden, Courageous Warrior for Peace

Exclusive: The death of Tom Hayden at age 76 marked the passing of a major progressive leader who championed causes from civil rights to Vietnam War opposition to the environment, as Marjorie Cohn recalls. By Marjorie Cohn When Tom Hayden…

Europe’s Battle: Nationalists vs. Elites

On both sides of the Atlantic, a battle is underway between largely discredited “elites” and sometimes disreputable “nationalists,” a conflict over un-kept promises about the future and unsettling memories of the past, writes Andrew Spannaus. By Andrew Spannaus In recent…

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Bernie Sanders’s Hopes and Regrets

Bernie Sanders hopes to hold a President Hillary Clinton to the Democratic platform’s commitment to progressive policies, but the Vermont senator may be having doubts and possibly regrets, writes Joe Lauria. By Joe Lauria Leading protests and stirring up trouble…

Women Call for Israel-Palestine Peace

Though the Israel-Palestine conflict has been mostly off the mainstream media’s radar recently, this long-running crisis drew the attention this month of two women Nobel Peace Prize winners, reports Ann Wright. By Ann Wright On Oct. 5, two women Nobel…

US Impunity Erodes World Justice

The International Criminal Court charges only Africans with human rights crimes while granting impunity to U.S. officials and their allies, undermining what had been a noble idea of universal justice, writes Nicolas J S Davies. By Nicolas J S Davies…

In Case You Missed…

Some of our special stories in September focused on the overlooked foreign policy issues of Campaign 2016, the unacknowledged reasons for U.S. overseas interventions, and the troubling twists and turns of the New Cold War. “US Arms Makers Invest in…

Monday, October 24, 2016

Clinton’s Slog Deeper into the Big Muddy

Exclusive: In the last debate, Hillary Clinton vowed to follow up the defeat of ISIS in Iraq’s Mosul with a march on ISIS’ capital in Raqqa, except that’s in Syria, a suggestion of a wider war, says Daniel Lazare. By…

How Russia Saw America’s Third Debate

With Hillary Clinton calling Donald Trump a Russian “puppet” and Trump calling her a “nasty woman,” the third presidential debate descended into personal insults that had special resonance in Russia, as Gilbert Doctorow describes. By Gilbert Doctorow In a recent…

Russia’s Very Different Reality

Special Report: The demonization of Russian President Putin and Russia, in general, has reached alarming levels in the West with a new “group think” taking hold that ignores Russian realities and interests, writes Natylie Baldwin. By Natylie Baldwin In February,…

Sunday, October 23, 2016

The ‘White Helmets’ Controversy

The saturation of propaganda from massive investments by Western interests in NGOs like the “White Helmets” has skewed the public’s understanding of foreign crises, such as Iraq in 2003 and Syria today, writes Rick Sterling. By Rick Sterling Across the…

One Iraqi Family’s Struggle amid Chaos

Amid the mainstream U.S. media’s focus on Syria, the ongoing U.S.-provoked humanitarian crisis in Iraq get little attention as victims of the post-invasion chaos still suffer, Cathy Breen reports. By Cathy Breen I’ve written often about our Iraqi refugee friend…

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Washington’s New Lock-Step March of Folly

Exclusive: Confident in a Hillary Clinton victory, Washington’s foreign policy elite is readying plans for more warfare in Syria and more confrontations with nuclear-armed Russia, an across-the-spectrum “group think” that risks life on the planet, says Robert Parry. By Robert…

The Open Wounds of Mideast Conflicts

Beyond Hillary Clinton’s insults about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin — and finger-pointing about ISIS — foreign policy has gotten little attention in Campaign 2016 and that’s especially true about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reports Dennis J Bernstein.  By Dennis J…

Friday, October 21, 2016

Finally, Letting the Philippines Go

Exclusive: Official Washington is in a tizzy over Philippine President Duterte’s outreach to China and his estrangement from the U.S., but this realignment beats the alternative, a military showdown between the U.S. and China, writes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall…

Embarrassing America Before the World

Despite 15 years of war, foreign policy has rated only brief flurries of debate in Election 2016 with Hillary Clinton pushing a hawkish agenda and Donald Trump often incoherent, notes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar The…

The Unique Human Capacity for War

One characteristic that sets humans apart from other animals is the capability to organize sustained warfare against members of their own species, a troubling fact that connects to the problem of PTSD, says Michael Brenner. By Michael Brenner The question…

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Raising More Questions Than Answers

The third and final presidential debate was an ugly affair with both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump dodging or botching many pressing questions about the future of America and the planet, writes Joe Lauria. By Joe Lauria At the final…

Jill Stein: On War, Trump Is Safer Than Clinton

The Green Party’s Jill Stein has spoken an inconvenient truth, that on the existential issue of a strategic war with nuclear-armed Russia, Donald Trump is less dangerous than Hillary Clinton, writes John V. Walsh. By John V. Walsh According to…

A Dark Debate Caps a Grim Campaign

Donald Trump seemed to have his feet on the ground during the early minutes of the last debate, but he soon soared back into his narcissistic universe where everything revolves around Donald, writes Michael Winship from Paris. By Michael Winship…

The Risks of Clinton’s Syrian ‘No-Fly Zone’

Hillary Clinton’s scheme for a “no-fly zone” – if implemented withouth the Syrian government’s approval – would be an act of war and a risk of a nuclear showdown with Russia, says ex-Congressman Dennis Kucinich. By Dennis Kucinich The most…

Clinton Repackages Her Syrian ‘No-Fly’ Plan

Exclusive: In a surprise twist, Hillary Clinton dramatically revised her scheme for a “no-fly zone” over Syria, presenting it as a subject for negotiation with Syria and Russia, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry While the major news media focused…

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

The Democrats’ Joe McCarthy Moment

Exclusive: To shield Hillary Clinton from criticism of her Wall Street speeches, the Democrats are engaging in a new McCarthyism for the New Cold War, suggesting that Donald Trump is in league with the Russians, writes Robert Parry. By Robert…

Australia, Tagging Along into Other Nations’ Wars

Since World War II, the U.S. has been the big boss leading a band of lackey nations, mostly in Europe but reaching distant Australia which tags along for the periodic pummeling of some hapless country, as James O’Neill explains. By James…

How to Win Friends in Latin America

The U.S. government has won more friends in Latin America by opening diplomatic ties to Cuba than by demonstrating endless belligerence, a lesson little understood in Washington, observes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar Much gets said…

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Congress Sinks to New Depths

The sad state of American democracy – from the presidential race to Congress – is easy to lament as something beyond correction, but change is possible if the electorate starts taking citizenship seriously, says Mike Lofgren. By Mike Lofgren We…

The Right’s Made-up ‘Constitution’

From the Archive: America’s right-wingers talk fervently about protecting the Constitution but seem to have little understanding of what the Federalist framers were doing in creating a powerful central government, as Jada Thacker noted in 2013. By Jada Thacker (Originally published on…

Monday, October 17, 2016

Good Deaths in Mosul, Bad Deaths in Aleppo

Exclusive: As the U.S.-backed offensive in Mosul, Iraq, begins, the mainstream U.S. media readies the American people to blame the terrorists for civilian casualties but the opposite rules apply to Syria’s Aleppo, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Note how differently The…

Why Colombia’s Peace Deal Failed

Exclusive: Though polls show Colombians strongly favoring peace, President Santos’s peace deal went down to a narrow defeat for a variety of unconnected reasons, including Hurricane Matthew’s impact, writes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall It may take Colombia years to recover…

Sunday, October 16, 2016

NYT’s Absurd New Anti-Russian Propaganda

Exclusive: The New York Times is so determined to generate hate against Russia that it has lost all journalistic perspective, even portraying Russia’s military decoys – like those used in World War II – as uniquely evil, writes Robert Parry.…

Saturday, October 15, 2016

US Escalates War Role in Yemen

U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia’s bloody air war against impoverished Yemen has escalated into a direct U.S. attack on Yemeni targets as retaliation for alleged missiles falling near a U.S. warship, notes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul…

Friday, October 14, 2016

Donald Trump’s False Martyrdom

Exclusive: Donald Trump is presenting himself as a martyr absorbing the “slings and arrows” of false charges that he groped and abused women, even though he boasted about doing exactly that, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Yes, The New…

‘End of Growth’ Sparks Wide Discontent

The global elites’ false promise that neoliberal economics would cure all ills through the elixir of endless growth helps explain the angry nationalist movements ripping apart the West’s politics, observes ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke. By Alastair Crooke Raul Ilargi Meijer, the long-standing…

The Warnings of a New World War

The U.S.-Russia confrontation over Ukraine and now Syria is far more dangerous than is understood by the mainstream U.S. analysts as Russia lays down clear warnings that are mostly being ignored, writes Gilbert Doctorow. By Gilbert Doctorow In an interview with the Bild…

Thursday, October 13, 2016

The Failed Dogma of Neoliberalism

In the 1980s, British Prime Minister Thatcher and U.S. President Reagan depicted neoliberal or “free market” capitalism as the ideal system, a dogma that extends to the present despite its horrific failures and other ways, says Sam Ben-Meir. By Sam Ben-Meir…

Obama Re-imposes Neoliberalism in Latin America

President Obama’s chief “accomplishment” in Latin America was not restoring diplomatic ties to Cuba; it was his administration’s “regime change” strategy re-imposing “neoliberal” economic orthodoxy on the region, as Ted Snider explains. By Ted Snider Shortly after taking office, President Barack Obama…

How America Expunges Bad Memories

America is a place that expunges unpleasant memories that belie the happier vision of its “exceptionalism,” most notably the brutal ugliness of the Vietnam War and more recent war crimes in the Middle East, observes Michael Brenner. By Michael Brenner…

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

The Life and Death of Hanoi Hannah

Exclusive: The death of Hanoi Hannah, the radio voice urging U.S. G.I.’s to turn against the Vietnam War, brought back memories of another time when propaganda often trumped truth, writes veteran war correspondent Don North. By Don North Her name…

Applying Tolstoy to Today’s Rush to War

Rushing to war – often justified by half-truths and propaganda – is a story as old as written history and the topic of great novelists like Leo Tolstoy, whose Anna Karenina offers lessons for today’s stampede toward WWIII, writes Gilbert…

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Debate Moderator Distorted Syrian Reality

Exclusive: The American people are receiving a highly distorted view of the Syrian war – much propaganda, little truth – including from one of the moderators at the second presidential debate, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry How ABC News’…

Russia Reads US Bluster as Sign of War

Exclusive: As U.S. politicians and pundits have fun talking tough about Russia and demonizing President Putin, they are missing signs that Moscow isn’t amused and is preparing for actual conflict, writes ex-CIA analyst  Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern During the…

Trump’s Lies About a Nuke ‘Gap’

Exclusive: One of Donald Trump’s most dangerous lies is his claim about Russia surging ahead of the U.S. on nuclear weapons, a Cold War-style assertion of a nuke “gap” that goes unchallenged, writes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall “The country has never had…

Monday, October 10, 2016

How Trump Got the Iran Deal Wrong

Election 2016 will be remembered for its slurs, lies and weirdness polluting the public debate, but one of the worst examples has been Donald Trump’s smearing of the Iran nuclear deal, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R.…

Donald Trump Stalks Hillary Clinton

Since Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy, the Republican Party has padded its numbers by playing to America’s basest instincts, leading now to the stark image of Donald Trump almost stalking Hillary Clinton, notes Michael Winship. By Michael Winship If there was…

A First-Hand Account of Women’s Boat to Gaza

For almost a decade, Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza and its nearly 2 million people, preventing even humanitarian missions such as the capture this month of the Women’s Boat to Gaza, as Ann Wright describes. By Ann Wright…

Last Call on Consortiumnews Fund Drive

From Editor Robert Parry: Thanks to the generosity of our readers we have closed to within $1,000 of our late-summer/early-fall fundraising goal of $30,000. If you haven’t yet – and wish to – please consider a donation of any size…

Hillary Clinton: Candidate of War

Exclusive: The U.S. political/media establishment only permits the propaganda version of the Syrian conflict – and Hillary Clinton fully embraced it in her belligerent comments in the second presidential debate, writes Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare In case there was…

Low-Brow Debate Skirts Meaningful Issues

While brushing aside key issues, the second presidential debate took U.S. politics to new lows with Hillary Clinton bashing Donald Trump over his abuse of women and bigotry toward others while Trump vowed to put her in jail, as Joe…

Are Humans Natural-Born Killers?

Among scientists there has been a long debate about whether human violence toward other humans is inherent, cultural or a mix of both. The question is: Are we natural-born killers, notes Lawrence Davidson. By Lawrence Davidson A new study, published…

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Extracting Lessons from Police Shootings

Police shootings, especially aimed at people of color, have inflamed tensions between communities and the police sworn to protect them, raising difficult questions about attitudes and training, says ex-police officer William John Cox. By William John Cox The People of…

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Selective Outrage Over Aleppo Bombing

When the U.S. kills civilians while bombing ISIS’s cities in Syria and Iraq, the jihadists are blamed for using “human shields” and the big media is silent, but different rules apply to Russia’s attacks on Al Qaeda in Aleppo, says Steven Chovanec.…

Still Fighting for Native American Rights

The U.S. government’s historic abuse of Native Americans has many chapters, including modern ones, such as the standoff at Wounded Knee in 1973 and today’s protests against a pipeline in North Dakota, reports Dennis J Bernstein. By Dennis J Bernstein A new…

Friday, October 7, 2016

Key Neocon Calls on US to Oust Putin

Exclusive: A prominent neocon paymaster, whose outfit dispenses $100 million in U.S. taxpayers’ money each year, has called on America to “summon the will” to remove Russian President Putin from office, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The neoconservative president of…

The Dangers from ‘Humanitarian’ Wars

The West is rushing toward another major war in the Middle East, in Syria, behind the “responsibility to protect” banner, which may justify endless U.S. military interventions, says Conn Hallinan at Foreign Policy in Focus. By Conn Hallinan While the mainstream…

Thursday, October 6, 2016

The Forgotten Libyan Lessons and the Syrian War

Exclusive: Western leaders are plotting to bomb another Mideast nation, this time Syria, citing “humanitarianism.” But similar claims in Iraq and Libya were deceptive and ended up killing far more people than were “saved,” says Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Most…

To Fight Global Warming, Canada Ponders a Carbon Tax

Exclusive: While the gridlocked U.S. political process freezes progress in the fight against global warming, Canada is considering a national tax on carbon emissions to give a boost to renewables, writes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall Canada can take credit…

The Joint US-Saudi Guilt for 9/11

Exclusive: As guilty as Saudi Arabia may be over 9/11, the broader guilt is shared by generations of U.S. officials who coddled Saudi extremism and cooperated in building a jihadist movement for geo-political gain, writes Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare In…

Coming Up Short on Fund Drive

From Editor Robert Parry: We want to wrap up our late-summer/early-fall fund drive in the next few days but find ourselves still around $10,000 short of our $30,000 goal. I realize there are many demands on people’s generosity, especially in…

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

A Vice-Presidential Debate to Forget

Democrat Tim Kaine was annoying with his hectoring and Republican Mike Pence sanctimonious in his calmness, but the real losers were the American people who learned little from the vice-presidential debate, says Michael Winship. By Michael Winship Well, that was…

New ‘Group Think’ for War with Syria/Russia

Exclusive: Official Washington has a new “group think” that is even more dangerous than the one that led to the Iraq War. This one calls for U.S. escalation of conflicts against Syria and nuclear-armed Russia, writes Robert Parry. By Robert…

The Unmourned Plutonium Disposal Deal

Exclusive: An apparent casualty of the New Cold War was a U.S.-Russian agreement for eliminating weapons-grade plutonium but the deal’s death is not being mourned by either side, as Jonathan Marshall explains. By Jonathan Marshall Despite America’s constant demonization of…

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

The NYT’s Neocon ‘Downward Spiral’

Exclusive: Every day, The New York Times – America’s “paper of record” – sinks deeper into the swamp of propaganda, now reliably touting predictable neocon notions about the Middle East and Russia, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The New York Times’ downward…

Double Standards for Israel and Syria

When Israel bombards Gaza after some ineffectual rocket attacks, the U.S. sees a right of self-defense, but different standards apply to Syria when foreign-backed terrorists fire deadly rockets and mortars, notes Rick Sterling. By Rick Sterling There is a hypocritical disconnect in…

Making Cold War to the End of the World

The Western media’s orgy of anti-Russia propaganda includes the curious claim that it is Moscow that is undermining faith in the U.S. presidential election, not the widely despised major party candidates, notes William Blum. By William Blum “Russia suspected of…

Contrasting Mayor LaGuardia and Donald Trump

New York’s New Deal-era Mayor Fiorella La Guardia and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump both belonged to the Republican Party, lived in New York and showed self-confidence but their similarities stop there, writes Michael Winship. By Michael Winship One of the most awkward…

Monday, October 3, 2016

Do We Really Want Nuclear War with Russia?

Special Report: The U.S. propaganda war against Russia is spinning out of control, rolling ever faster downhill with a dangerous momentum that threatens to drive the world into a nuclear showdown, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Through an endless…

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Obama Warned to Defuse Tensions with Russia

A group of ex-U.S. intelligence officials are warning President Obama to defuse growing tensions with Russia over Syria by reining in the demonization of President Putin and asserting White House civilian control over the Pentagon. ALERT MEMORANDUM FOR: The President FROM: Veteran Intelligence…

Trump’s Blindness Toward Slavery, Jim Crow

Exclusive: Donald Trump’s remarkable comments about American blacks never being worse off demonstrated a stunning ignorance of or callousness toward the grotesque evils of slavery and Jim Crow, writes Marjorie Cohn. By Marjorie Cohn The almost daily reports of police…

Clinton Shows a Dovish Side on Nukes

Exclusive: Hillary Clinton, who has carved out a reputation as a war hawk, has quietly voiced opposition to a $1 trillion plan to modernize America’s nuclear arsenal, including a nuke-tipped cruise missile, notes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall Whoever is hacking Hillary Clinton’s…

The Russian View of Trump-Clinton Debate

Russian media is much more nuanced than the U.S. public is led to believe, even showing a perceptive approach to describing the Trump-Clinton presidential debate, as Gilbert Doctorow observed first-hand. By Gilbert Doctorow On Sept. 25, I received a phone…

Saturday, October 1, 2016

How Arms Sales Distort US Foreign Policy

Exclusive: Money may not be the root of all evil but it surely contributes to horrible war crimes when lucrative arms sales distort U.S. foreign policy and cause selective outrage over human rights atrocities, writes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall…

A Process That Makes Democracy Look Bad

The circus-like U.S. political process, with a media that treasures trivia over substance, is giving democracy a bad name in the world and making alternative structures look good by comparison, says ex-CIA official Graham E. Fuller. By Graham E. Fuller  The “Great Debates”…