Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Comprehending Today’s Russia

The U.S. government and mainstream media present Russia as a dangerous aggressor that must be resisted and punished, but American citizens who toured Russia in May found a very different reality, reports Rick Sterling. By Rick Sterling For over two…

Avoiding War with China

In recent years, many American leaders have grown cavalier about nuclear war, especially with Russia, but there is also risk of a devastating conflict with China, as former U.S. Ambassador Chas W. Freeman Jr. observes. By Chas W. Freeman Jr.…

Libya’s Link to Manchester’s Tragedy

Whenever a horrific terror attack hits the West, the media/political etiquette rejects any linkage between the atrocity and the West’s wars in the Arab world, a blackout now applying to the Manchester bombing, notes John Pilger. By John Pilger The…

Cumulative Costs from Global Warming

While it’s impossible to precisely calculate the costs from global warming, they range from macro threats such as massive shore erosion and mass dislocations of people to micro ones like lost sleep, writes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul…

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Trump: The Narcissist with Haters

Exclusive: In many ways, President Trump is a classic case of the paranoid with enemies, except he also is the narcissist who rejects any criticism and lacks the discipline to disarm an array of haters, writes David Marks. By David Marks If…

Trump’s Unrealistic Foreign Policy ‘Realism’

President Trump fancies himself a “principled realist,” but the reality is that there are very few principles and very little reality attached to his foreign policy, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar In his speech in…

Monday, May 29, 2017

Alleged Russia-Taliban Arms Link Disputed

Exclusive: Recent Russia-bashing has included U.S. claims that Moscow is arming the Afghan Taliban, but a senior U.S. intelligence official splashed cold water on that claim in barely noticed testimony, writes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall A tiny article from…

The Meaning of Assange’s Persecution

Exclusive: The long legal ordeal of Julian Assange – and the continuing threats against the WikiLeaks founder – make a mockery of the West’s supposed commitment to press freedom and the public’s right to know, as Marjorie Cohn explains. By…

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Trump Submits to Neocon Orthodoxy

Exclusive: In his Mideast trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel, President Trump sought some political safe harbor by tacking toward neocon orthodoxy and jettisoning his campaign promises of a more rational strategy, writes Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare With astounding…

George W. Bush’s Horrific Legacy

As part of the drive to drive President Trump from the White House, some “never-Trumpers” are rehabilitating George W. Bush as a relative “moderate” and thus whitewashing his war crimes, notes Lawrence Davidson. By Lawrence Davidson There is an ongoing…

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Europe May Finally Rethink NATO Costs

Exclusive: By dunning NATO nations to chip more money into the military alliance, President Trump may inadvertently cause some Europeans to rethink the over-the-top anti-Russian propaganda, says ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern President Donald Trump’s politically incorrect behavior…

Business Group Fawns Over Trump

Many U.S. business groups groused about President Obama even as their companies thrived but are lavishing praise on President Trump despite doubts over his first four months, notes Barbara Koeppel. By Barbara Koeppel We’ve heard a lot about fake news.…

Friday, May 26, 2017

Trump and the ‘Management of Allies’

President Trump’s emerging foreign policy is a jumble of mixed messages and bad optics, raising questions about how well he can manage allies, let alone adversaries, writes ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke. By Alastair Crooke One commentator recently noted that if one…

Believing the Russian ‘Hacking’ Claim

Government lies are common when seducing a population to support a war, but the Russian “hacking” claims are unusual in that U.S. officials supply no evidence while the “fact” is just assumed, as David Swanson explains. By David Swanson When…

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Trump’s Saudi/Israeli First Foreign Policy

President Trump boasts about his America First foreign policy committed to “jobs, jobs, jobs,” except when he parrots the Saudi-Israeli hatred of Iran, a hostility that hurts U.S. interests and costs jobs, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul…

Trump Plunges Deeper in Mideast Chaos

Sales of more U.S. weapons to Saudi Arabia may portend more chaos in the Middle East but President Trump justifies the move with his rhetoric about “jobs, jobs, jobs,” as Trita Parsi explained at Middle East Eye. By Trita Parsi…

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

‘Getting Trump’ with the New McCarthyism

Special Report: Many Democrats and progressives are embracing a New McCarthyism in their drive to negate last November’s election and remove President Trump from office, but is that right, asks Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Yes, I get it. A…

Ukraine Factions Vie for Lobbying Edge

Exclusive: Though many Ukrainians live in poverty, government officials and oligarchs lavish millions on Washington insiders to buy influence, another example of how foreign lobbying can fuel a crisis, Jonathan Marshall reports. By Jonathan Marshall (This is the sixth and final…

Growing Poverty Fuels Europe’s Extremism

The European Union’s neoliberal economic orthodoxy has spread income inequality and even poverty across the Continent, spurring extremist movements to challenge this system, reports Andrew Spannaus. By Andrew Spannaus The rise of protest movements across Europe, with increasing support for…

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

New Cracks in Russia-gate ‘Assessment’

Exclusive: President Obama’s ex-intelligence chiefs admit they limited input into the Russia-gate “assessment,” which was handled by “hand-picked” analysts, raising the specter of politicized intelligence, Robert Parry reports. By Robert Parry At the center of the Russia-gate scandal is a…

Turkey’s Varied Tactics of US Lobbying

Exclusive: Turkey has built one of the premier foreign lobbies in Washington by paying powerful politicians, spreading around money to arms manufacturers, and teaming up with the Israel Lobby, writes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall (This is the fifth in a…

Trump Lets Saudis Off on 9/11 Evidence

Like his predecessors, President Trump made nice with the rich royals of Saudi Arabia, despite damning evidence that they have supported Islamic terrorists, including the 9/11 attackers, notes 9/11 widow Kristen Breitweiser. By Kristen Breitweiser President Trump has cut a…

Monday, May 22, 2017

US Journalism’s New ‘Golden Age’?

Exclusive: The Washington Post and other big media are hailing a new journalistic “golden age” as they punish President Trump for disparaging them, but is this media bias a sign of good journalism or itself a scandal, asks Robert Parry.…

Saudis Win Hearts by Lining Pockets

Exclusive: By achieving an odd-couple alliance with Israel, Saudi Arabia has cleared away U.S. political resistance to the massive arms build-up that President Trump just embraced, reports Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall (This is the fourth in a series on…

Trump Panders to the Saudi Royals

President Trump’s speech to the Islamic world amounted to a pander to his regal Saudi hosts and a blindness toward the realities of Mideast terrorism, explains ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar The bar for Donald Trump’s…

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Israel Lobby Pays the Political Piper

Exclusive: The Israel Lobby is so powerful that for years it insisted it didn’t exist – and Official Washington went along with the lie. Today, President Trump scrambles to secure the lobby’s blessings, Jonathan Marshall observes. By Jonathan Marshall (This…

Not Remembering the USS Liberty

Desperately seeking some praise, President Trump surely won’t remind Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu about the USS Liberty, which Israel nearly sank a half century ago killing 34 sailors, as ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern recalls. By Ray McGovern It is safe…

Saudis Embrace Embattled Trump

Escaping the tribulations of Washington, President Trump basked in the Saudi monarchy’s gilded welcome and promised a flood of U.S. weapons to tilt the region’s military balance against Iran, a bad bet on the past, says JP Sottile. By JP…

Saturday, May 20, 2017

How China Lobby Shaped America

Exclusive: A prototype of the modern foreign lobby in Washington was the China Lobby, bribing and bending U.S. politicians to serve the will of the Nationalists who fled to Taiwan and helped fuel McCarthyism, reports Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall…

Iran’s Victory for Moderation

Iranian President Rouhani’s solid reelection victory clears the way for Iran to continue its efforts to reengage with the global community and expand freedoms domestically, reports Trita Parsi. By Trita Parsi The Iranian population’s political sophistication continues to impress. Despite…

The Long Ordeal of Julian Assange

For the past decade, WikiLeaks has published groundbreaking evidence of government and corporate abuse while getting targeted for abuse itself, including a seven-year vendetta against founder Julian Assange, says John Pilger. By John Pilger After seven years, Sweden Julian Assange…

The Gaping Holes of Russia-gate

Between Russia-gate and President Trump’s potential impeachment, Washington is blending the thrill of McCarthyism and the excitement of Watergate, as ex-U.S. intelligence officials Ray McGovern and William Binney explain. By Ray McGovern and William Binney Official Washington got to relive…

Friday, May 19, 2017

The Open Secret of Foreign Lobbying

Exclusive: Russia-gate has focused attention on requirements for U.S. citizens acting as “foreign agents” to register with the Justice Department, but these rules have been sporadically or selectively enforced for decades, Jonathan Marshall writes in the first of a series. By…

Donald Trump at a Lonely Crossroads

Battered for months by Russia-gate innuendo, Donald Trump finds his unlikely presidency at a dangerous crossroads with no clear-cut path ahead, writes ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke. By Alastair Crooke It is time to pause, take a deep breath, and reflect. It…

Do High-Level Leaks Suggest a Conspiracy?

Widespread concern inside Official Washington about President Trump’s unfitness for the job is fueling a campaign of high-level leaks that is taking on the look of a “soft coup,” says ex-CIA officer Philip Giraldi. By Philip Giraldi Back in my…

Thursday, May 18, 2017

When the Trump Coup-makers Cometh

Exclusive: As President Trump prepares for his first foreign trip, the turbulent political waters around him are rising and the tidal wave of a “soft coup” may be just over the horizon, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry So what…

How NSA Can Secretly Aid Criminal Cases

From the Archive: Official Washington is thrilled by the choice of ex-FBI Director Mueller as Russia-gate special counsel, hailing him as a straight-shooter, but he cut some legal corners in office, ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern wrote in 2014. By Ray…

Trump Escalates Syrian Proxy War

At the start of the Trump presidency, it looked like the U.S. covert “regime change” war in Syria might be ending, but it has returned, zombie-like, in a slightly different form, reports Steven Chovanec. By Steven Chovanec Back in February,…

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The Fallacy of Demonizing Russia

Today’s demonization of Russia is especially offensive when viewed against the suffering of the Russian people that Natylie Baldwin recalled in a visit to the monument honoring the defense of Leningrad against a brutal Nazi siege. By Natylie Baldwin We…

Seth Rich Murder Case Stirs Russia Doubts

Exclusive: New claims have revived old suspicions that slain Democratic Party staffer Seth Rich, not Russia, was the source of Democratic emails that were slipped to WikiLeaks last year, reports Joe Lauria. By Joe Lauria A private investigator looking into…

The Existential Risk of Trusting ‘Intel’

Official Washington has a near mystical faith in “intelligence,” especially when it’s warning of some foreign enemy, but ideological bias and groupthink often creep in as shown in an insightful Cold War memoir, reports John V. Walsh. By John V.…

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Trump’s Need for Scapegoats

President Trump’s use of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein’s credibility to cover for the clumsy firing of FBI Director Comey has echoes of President Bush’s bogus WMD claims about Iraq, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar Deputy…

Monday, May 15, 2017

The Push for Trump’s Impeachment

Exclusive: Establishment voices are escalating their calls for President Trump’s impeachment, even without any public evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The Russia-gate affair has taken a strange turn as advocates for President…

Gorbachev Warns of Growing Danger

A group of Americans visiting Russia heard dire warnings from ex-Soviet President Gorbachev that the tensions between the U.S. and Russia are creating a dangerous situation for the world, reports Rick Sterling, who is on the trip. By Rick Sterling…

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Taming or Tiptoeing Around Trump

Donald Trump’s emotional shortcomings and lack of knowledge about the world have forced nations to adopt new strategies for maneuvering around the increasingly erratic U.S. superpower, writes Michael Brenner. By Michael Brenner The Trump presidency presents a unique challenge to…

How Trump Builds Up More ‘Bad Karma’

The U.S. government – and now President Trump – have a long record of palling around with oppressors, such as the leaders of Israel and Egypt, creating more “bad karma” for the nation, observes Lawrence Davidson. By Lawrence Davidson “Karma” is…

In Case You Missed…

Some of our special stories in April focused on the continuing Russia-gate imbroglio, President Trump’s missile strike on Syria, and the danger of the mainstream media mediating “truth.” “Democrats’ Blind Obsession on Russia-gate” by Daniel Lazare, Apr. 1, 2017 “Trump’s…

Saturday, May 13, 2017

The ‘Soft Coup’ of Russia-gate

Special Report: The Russia-gate hysteria has grown stronger after President Trump’s firing of FBI Director Comey, but the bigger question is whether an American “soft coup” is in the works, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Where is Stanley Kubrick…

Friday, May 12, 2017

Russia’s Pride in WWII Victims and Heroes

As Americans are told to be very scared of a new (and old) enemy – Russia  – a more complex reality exists on the ground there, a proud and determined people, as Gilbert Doctorow witnessed at an Immortal Regiment march.…

Making Trump an Endless War President

A politically embattled President Trump is under pressure to reverse his campaign promise to finally bring U.S. troops home and instead commit to open-ended wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, writes Gareth Porter for Middle East Eye. By Gareth Porter…

The Glorious Return of Condi Rice

Exclusive: The failure to impose meaningful accountability on the Iraq War’s architects allows them to return as “wise” advisers to be consulted by media outlets and today’s politicians, as with Condoleezza Rice, notes James W Carden. By James W Carden…

Deeper into the Afghan ‘Big Muddy’

President Trump’s reliance on generals as his principal strategic advisers – and his own limited understanding of the world – may lead deeper into the Afghan quagmire, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar Impending choices by…

Thursday, May 11, 2017

The Scandal Hidden Behind Russia-gate

Exclusive: Official Washington has the Russia-gate scandal almost 180-degrees wrong; it is not about protecting democracy, but about pushing Americans into more wars, the true scandal that is being missed, writes Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare The Washington Post and…

Complexities of a ‘Post-Truth’ Era

The mainstream U.S. media claims a monopoly on determining truth, despite a very spotty record of getting it right and a blindness to the reality that there are usually two sides to a story, as Gilbert Doctorow explains. By Gilbert…

Respecting a Courageous American

In a dreary era when politicians play predictable roles and avoid courageous stands, it is worth remembering former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, now 89, who dared challenge U.S. foreign policies, says Dennis J Bernstein. By Dennis J Bernstein A new…

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Watergate Redux or ‘Deep State’ Coup?

Exclusive: Official Washington is abuzz, comparing President Trump’s ouster of FBI Director Comey to President Nixon’s Watergate cover-up, but there is a darker “deep state” interpretation of these events, says Robert Parry. By Robert Parry President Trump’s firing of FBI…

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

The Silent Slaughter of the US Air War

Exclusive: The U.S. mainstream media voiced moral outrage when Russian warplanes killed civilians in Aleppo but has gone silent as U.S. warplanes slaughter innocents in Mosul and Raqqa, notes Nicolas J S Davies. By Nicolas J S Davies April 2017…

European Union’s Democracy Dilemma

Exclusive: The European elites want the European Union as a means for controlling the Continent’s economies, but that often requires overriding the popular will of nation states, a dilemma for “democracy,” explains Andrew Spannaus. By Andrew Spannaus A sigh of…

Monday, May 8, 2017

Turning Gen. Flynn into Road Kill

Exclusive: Although no actual evidence was presented, two ex-Obama administration officials destroyed the reputation of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, portraying him as a liar and a potential traitor, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Not to defend retired Lt.…

Dems Still Blaming Others for Trump

Failed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton suggests she would have gone to war in Syria by now, but Democrats still can’t grasp why some “peace” voters defected to third parties, as Nat Parry explains. By Nat Parry In the latest…

East Timor’s Suffering and Survival

East Timor, which gained its independence from Indonesia in 1999 after suffering years of genocide, is now a beacon of democracy in Asia but faces new colonial pressures from globalization, writes John Pilger. By John Pilger Filming undercover in East…

Sunday, May 7, 2017

The McCarthyism of Russia-gate

Exclusive: Civil-liberties nightmares about the Surveillance State are coming true, but – since the victims are former Donald Trump advisers – many of the usual civil-liberties defenders are strikingly silent, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Congressional demands for personal…

Saturday, May 6, 2017

America’s Ready Supply of Enemies

The U.S. political process seems to rely on a steady supply of foreign “enemies” to hate, but sometimes politicians overcome hostilities and talk out differences, which remains the hope for the North Korean standoff, says Ann Wright. By Ann Wright…

Playing Games with America’s Health Care

President Trump reneged on promises about health insurance for all to win a House vote on a bill to repeal Obamacare and cut taxes on the rich, but now Republicans have to live with the consequences, writes Michael Winship. By…

Friday, May 5, 2017

Trump’s Amateur Hour on Israel

Despite President Trump’s professed optimism, prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace remain dismal, partly because Trump shows no sign of deviating from Israel’s hard-line stance, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar explains. By Paul R. Pillar President Trump’s expressed desire to resolve,…

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Oliver Stone Honored with Press Freedom Award

Director Oliver Stone – in recognition of his brave work in documentary films – has been selected as the winner of the 2016 Gary Webb Freedom of the Press Award, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Though most people know…

Finding New Homes for Lethal Drones

America’s expanded use of drone warfare to kill targets half a world away is spreading from a base outside Las Vegas to other state-side locales, including Syracuse, New York, as Norman Solomon discovered. By Norman Solomon At dusk I stood…

How Trump Fixes Facts Around Policy

President Trump’s disdain for inconvenient truth has led to the deletion of climate science from the EPA’s web site and other moves to fix the facts around his policies, notes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar Many…

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Hillary Clinton Blame-Shifts Her Defeat

Exclusive: While admitting unspecified shortcomings in her campaign, Hillary Clinton blame-shifted her defeat primarily onto Russian President Putin and FBI Director Comey, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Hillary Clinton’s explanation for her electoral defeat – putting much of the…

Government Smearing of Israeli Critics

Israeli pressure to conflate criticism of its treatment of Palestinians with the evils of anti-Semitism has stifled a needed debate in Western societies, as Lawrence Davidson explains. By Lawrence Davidson “Back in the day,” which in this case was Feb.…

Trump’s Fragile Grasp of History

President Trump may have been a reality-TV star but his grasp of reality has always been tenuous, underscored by his weak understanding of U.S. and world history, as Michael Winship explains. By Michael Winship Gene Tunney, the champion prizefighter of…

Fears of a New Korean War

In the 1950s, the Korean War — pitting the U.S. against China —  devastated the Asian peninsula and inflicted an estimated 2.5 million civilian casualties, but some fear even worse if war is renewed, reports Dennis J Bernstein. By Dennis…

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

NYT Cheers the Rise of Censorship Algorithms

Exclusive: The New York Times is cheering on the Orwellian future for Western “democracy” in which algorithms quickly hunt down and eliminate information that the Times and other mainstream outlets don’t like, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Just days…

Reaching Out in Peace to Russia

The mainstream U.S. media bristles with hostility toward Russia – fueling a New McCarthyism – but the press finds no space for grassroots American gestures of peace, writes ex-U.S. intelligence analyst Elizabeth Murray. By Elizabeth Murray On a sunny afternoon…

Monday, May 1, 2017

Demonstrating America’s Need for Immigrants

President Trump has pushed for the expulsion of millions of undocumented immigrants, but they are pushing back by using May 1 to demonstrate the importance of their hard work, reports Dennis J Bernstein. By Dennis J Bernstein The theme of…

Drinking the Russia-gate Kool-Aid

Russia-gate, the Democrats’ over-the-top attempt to blame the Kremlin for Hillary Clinton’s disastrous campaign, has become the party’s go-to excuse to avoid confronting how it lost touch with average Americans, says Norman Solomon. By Norman Solomon A new book about…

Last Call for Spring Fund Drive

From Editor Robert Parry: Our Spring Fund Drive ends tonight – and we are about $500 short of our goal of $30,000. If you can help us reach our target, we would be most appreciative. You can donate by credit card…