Monday, December 31, 2018

Giuliani Says Assange Should Not Be Prosecuted

Donald Trump’s lawyer said on Monday that WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange should not be prosecuted and he compared WikiLeaks publications to the Pentagon Papers. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News Donald Trump, a lawyer for President Donald Trump, said…

Last Chance Today to Make a 2018 Tax-Deductible Donation and to Vote on the Top Ten Consortium News Stories of the Year

You have until midnight tonight to make a tax-deductible donation to Consortium News for your 2018 returns and to vote on the top 10 CN stories of the year. Happy New Year from Consortium News! Please give to our Winter…

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Wall Street, Banks and Angry Citizens

The post-Great Recession economic “recovery” was largely reserved for participants in financial markets, not the majority working longer hours and multiple jobs, writes Nomi Prins.  Inequality Worsens Around the Planet By Nomi Prins TomDispatch.com As we head into 2019, a major question…

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Local Forces Who Defeated ISIS in Syria Defend Their Territory

The outcry against Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria reveals an appetite for regional hegemony, writes As’ad AbuKhalil. It also minimizes the capacity of native militia to defend territory for which they fought and died.    A Wise and…

Friday, December 28, 2018

Watch the 10th Online Vigil for Assange Here Tonight

Consortium News will broadcast live the 10th online vigil for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange beginning at 8 pm Eastern Standard Time. Watch it here:    

There’s Still Time to Make a 2018 Tax-Deductible Contribution to Maintain Bob Parry’s Legacy

Time is running out to make a tax-deductible donation for your 2018 returns to help keep Consortium News going.   If you want to keep reading original articles by Ray McGovern, Max Blumenthal, Pepe Escobar, Patrick Lawrence, Annie Machon, and more please…

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Trump Critics of Syria Withdrawal Fueled Rise of ISIS

Too many of those protesting the removal of U.S. forces are authors of the catastrophe that tore Syria to pieces, reports Max Blumenthal for Consortium News. By Max Blumenthal Special to Consortium News President Donald Trump’s announcement of an imminent…

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

A Reuters Report on Iran That Fueled US Diatribes

This year, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made speeches about corruption and property confiscation in Iran that borrowed animating details from a skewed, 5-year-old story that is gaining influence, writes Ivan Kesic. By Ivan Kesic in Zagreb, Croatia Special to…

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Choose the Top Ten Consortium News Stories of 2018

As part of our Winter Fund Drive, Consortium News is asking readers to name the top five articles CN published during 2018. The results will be announced on Dec. 30. Happy Holidays from Consortium News Please Donate to our Winter…

Monday, December 24, 2018

VIDEO: Pilger Says Assange Denies Meeting Manafort

The Guardian has claimed Paul Manafort visited Julian Assange at the Ecuador embassy. John Pilger visited Assange and tells CN’s Joe Lauria Assange strongly denied any such meeting.   Pilger: ‘Julian is a touchstone for opposition’   By Joe Lauria Special to…

Friday, December 21, 2018

Send the Mad Dog to the Corporate Kennel

“Mad Dog” Mattis was famous for quipping, “It’s fun to shoot some people.” It remains a supreme irony that Mattis was widely considered the only “adult in the room” in the Trump administration, argues Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special…

Watch the 9th Vigil for Assange Live Here Tonight

Consortium News will broadcast live the 9th Online Vigil for Julian Assange as the pressure continues to mount on the WikiLeaks publisher. Among the special guests tonight will be journalist and filmmaker John Pilger, who has just visited Assange at…

Thursday, December 20, 2018

The Euro-Establishment’s Fear of Populism

French protesters are furious with EU champion Emmanuel Macron while Rome battles Brussels over its budget. Amid all this, Andrew Spannaus discusses why organized labor isn’t seizing the moment.  Yellow Vests, Italian Budget Battles & Silent Labor Unions By Andrew…

The Great Saudi Muddle

Two U.S. Senate resolutions last week have resulted in a ball of confusion, one that tries to distance the US from a murderous Saudi prince while at the same time demanding closer relations with the government he heads.  By Daniel…

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Don’t Hold Your Breath on US Troop Withdrawal from Syria

It would be nice to think the president has final say on foreign policy, given the U.S. constitution. But the misleading troop withdrawal announcement, followed by Trump’s boastful tweet, suggests the exact opposite, says Patrick Lawrence. By Patrick Lawrence Special…

Michael Isikoff Cuts His Loses at ‘Russian Roulette’

Michael Isikoff, one of the biggest proponents of the Russia-gate story now says that Robert Mueller’s investigation is “not where a lot of people would like it to be,” says Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News Last…

Monday, December 17, 2018

Diane Duston on Her Late Husband, Robert Parry

Bob Parry worked at his job nearly every waking hour. Diane Duston asked him why he kept it up. Her husband’s answer was pretty simple. It’s what journalists are supposed to do, he said.  Dear Readers: It has been almost…

Sunday, December 16, 2018

US Opened Doors After Vietnam War and Can Do So Again

People from Central America, as well as those displaced by wars in the Middle East, should get the kind of U.S. welcome that the military helped provide  to refugees from Indochina in 1975, writes Ann Wright.   Exodus of 750,000…

Friday, December 14, 2018

Watch Assange Vigil Live Tonight

An online vigil for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange will be broadcast live on Consortium News Friday night from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time. Among the featured guests will CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou. Watch it here beginning…

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Become a Member of Consortium News

Consortium News is offering readers to become members of the first independent news site on the Web, founded by legendary journalist Bob Parry in 1995. To show your support for Consortium News and help expand its reach you can join…

Latest Odds of a Shooting War between NATO and Russia

Hungarian scholar George Szamuely tells Ann Garrison that he sees a 70 percent chance of combat between NATO and Russia following the incident in the Kerch Strait and that it is being fueled by Russia-gate. An Interview with George Szamuely…

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Deep State and Bob Parry Exposed It

In his efforts to uncover the Iran-Contra plot and the machinations surrounding Russia-gate, Bob Parry was in the forefront of journalists exposing the inner workings of the Deep State, recalls Ray McGovern during out Winter Fund Drive. By Ray McGovern…

George HW Bush’s Bitter Legacy in the Middle East

The avalanche of funeral hagiography drowned any possible discussion of what Bush did to the Middle East. As’ad AbuKhalil writes that he rallied despots against Iraq and established a new, tyrannical security order in the region.   Sequel to ‘British…

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Fund Drive Special: A Concise History of Consortium News by Robert Parry

During the 2011 Winter Fund Drive, ex-CIA analyst (and peace activist) Ray McGovern suggested that the late Bob Parry write a brief narrative to explain Consortium News’ history and goals.  (If you want to donate to our end-of-year fund drive,…

Mexico’s Solution to the Border Crisis

López Obrador’s $20 billion development plan gives Washington a chance to help rectify the historic damage it’s done to the living conditions of people in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, writes Patrick Lawrence. A Latin American Marshall Plan, at a…

Monday, December 10, 2018

Consortium News Launches Winter Fund Drive

To keep bringing quality independent journalism in the tradition of our founding editor, the late Robert Parry, we depend on our readers’ support. So today Consortium News launches its year-end, Winter Fund Drive.  Please Donate to Keep Bob Parry’s Legacy…

Alexis Tsipras’ Failed Attempt at Democratic Socialism

The prime minister who lost his bluff with international creditors in 2015 is now striking another radical pose by giving holidays to assassins, writes John Kiriakou.  Tsipras Has Betrayed the Greek People By John Kiriakou Special to Consortium News The…

Watch Vigil for Assange

Consortium News broadcast the latest vigil for Julian Assange as the publisher comes under new pressure to be expelled from Ecuador’s London embassy, while charges await him in the United States. The broadcast was Friday night. With Ray McGovern, Chris…

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Karen Kwiatkowski Receives 2018 Sam Adams Award. Read Her Acceptance Speech Here.

Here is Karen Kwiatowski’s acceptance speech for the 2018 Sam Adams Award at a ceremony in Washington on Saturday night, preceded by the citation, that was read by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern.    Citation Karen Kwiatkowski Know all ye…

Friday, December 7, 2018

Live Vigil for Assange Friday

ConsortiumNews will broadcast live a vigil for Julian Assange as the publisher comes under new pressure to be expelled from Ecuador’s London embassy, while charges await him in the United States. The broadcast begins at 8 pm Eastern U.S. time…

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

The Bushes’ ‘Death Squads’

George H.W. Bush was laid to rest on Wednesday but some of his murderous policies lived on through his son’s administration and until this day, as Robert Parry reported on January 11, 2005. How George W. Bush Learned From His…

Yellow Jackets Rise Against Neo-Liberal ‘King’ Macron

For a couple of centuries, the “left” hoped popular movements would lead to changes for the better. Today, many leftists seem terrified of popular movements for change, convinced “populism” must lead to “fascism.” But it needed be so, says Diana…

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Trump’s Timidity is Letting Comey Off the Hook

With just a few days left before Congress adjourns, House Republicans, like their President, have pretty much let the clock run out. There’s little chance now in “taking on the intelligence community,” says Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special to…

On The Road to a Post-G20 World

The ascendence of China and multilateral trading blocks could eventually spell the doom of the G20 and U.S. global dominance, as Pepe Escobar explains. By Pepe Escobar in Moscow Special to Consortium News The trade war launched by the Trump…

Monday, December 3, 2018

The Guardian’s Vilification of Julian Assange

The Guardian did not make a mistake in vilifying Assange without a shred of evidence. It did what it is designed to do, says Jonathan Cook.  By Jonathan Cook Johanthan-Cook.net It is welcome that finally there has been a little…

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Bush-41’s October Surprise Denials

“Deny everything,” British traitor Kim Philby said, explaining how the powerful can bluff past their crimes, something known to George H.W. Bush when he denied charges of his own near treason in the October Surprise case, wrote Robert Parry on…

Saturday, December 1, 2018

The Bushes: Fathers and Sons ( With Apologies to Turgenev)

In a story worthy of the great Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, in the Bushes’ case the sins of the son were visited upon the father, who neglected an opportunity to stop them from happening, as Ray McGovern explains. By Ray…

Taking a Bush Secret to the Grave

The National Archives approved Robert Parry’s appeal on a 30-year-old secret: the address where George H.W. Bush supposedly went on an October 1980 weekend — when several witnesses put Bush in Paris meeting with Iranians, Parry reported on Sept. 27,…

Friday, November 30, 2018

George H.W. Bush, the CIA and a Case of State-Sponsored Terrorism

Fifty-eight years ago, a car-bomb exploded in Washington killing Chile’s ex-Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier, an act of state terrorism that the CIA and its director George H.W. Bush tried to cover up, Robert Parry reported on Sept. 23, 2000. By…

The Guardian/Politico Psyop Against WikiLeaks

The claims made by Luke Harding and The Guardian that Assange met Manafort will never be proven true, and they know it. And we should never let them forget it, says Caitlin Johnstone. By Caitlin Johnstone Caitlinjohnstone.com For the first few hours…

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Israel’s Overlooked Strategic Losses in Wars Against Arabs

After conventional Arab armies failed to deter Israeli invasions, Lebanese and Palestinian volunteers have changed the strategic balance in the Middle East, writes As`ad AbuKhalil. 2006 Lebanese War Changed Power Calculus By As`ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium News In South…

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski Wins 2018 Sam Adams Award

Karen Kwiatkowski has won the 2018 Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence award for trying to stop the “shock and awe” attack on Iraq. Kwiatkowski is featured in the film “Shock and Awe” to be shown at an awards ceremony Saturday.…

Pence’s Attacks on China Won’t Help Trump at G-20

Beijing wants to avoid an all-out trade war with Washington. That is what will count at the G-20 summit later this week, writes Patrick Lawrence, not the U.S. vice president’s hostility in Asia earlier this month. Trying to Isolate China…

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Judge Delays Decision Whether to Unseal Assange Indictment

A hearing was held in Alexandria, Virginia on Tuesday on a motion to make public the sealed U.S. indictment against Julian Assange.  Joe Lauria, editor of Consortium News, was in the courtroom.  A decision whether to unseal a U.S. government…

Saturday, November 24, 2018

The Fate of Julian Assange: Chris Hedges Interviews Consortium News Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria

On his program “On Contact,” journalist and author Chris Hedges interviews Joe Lauria, CN editor, on the moves to prosecute Julian Assange using the Espionage Act; the media’s cravenness and the latest on Assange’s condition in London.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving from Consortium News

Consortium News will be taking a holiday break along with our readers in the U.S. for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  We will resume publication on Monday, Nov. 26. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Pakistan’s Fight Against Extremism Rebuffed by Trump

Washington would be wise to engage the new Pakistani administration to help fight extremism at home and bring about reasonable solutions to regional crises, rather than exacerbate them, says Ann Wright. By Ann Wright The relationship between the Trump administration…

Monday, November 19, 2018

How the US Creates ‘Sh*thole’ Countries

A new collection of essays, edited by former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, clearly shows that it is the U.S. that is largely responsible for the poverty and suffering in these very nations, says Robert Fantina. By Robert Fantina In two years,…

Saturday, November 17, 2018

US-Funded Neo-Nazis in Ukraine Mentor US White Supremacists

Short-sighted U.S. foreign policy that backs jihadists in the Middle East and neo-Nazis in Ukraine is once again blowing back on the United States, as Max Blumenthal explains. FBI: Azov Battalion Trained Rise Above Movement By Max Blumenthal Last month,…

Thursday, November 15, 2018

National Exclusive: Former Sen. Barbara Boxer’s Son and California Powerbroker Found Bilking Indian Tribe

Darius Anderson and his business partner, Douglas Boxer, preyed upon Native American clients who were too intimidated by their political connections to seek recourse, writes investigative reporter Peter Byrne. Judges Find Breach of Contract and Trust By Peter Byrne Darius…

Et Tu, RT? Amplifying Western Disinformation on Rwanda

The great lie about the Rwandan bloodbath opened the door to a far larger genocide in Congo and helped justify U.S. military interventions in Libya and Syria, argues Ann Garrison. By Ann Garrison Black Agenda Report During a recent campaign…

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Newly Elected Progressives Face Palestine Taboo

After they won their primaries, some young progressives curbed their pro-Palestine rhetoric.  Now they are in Washington getting oriented. Next up: early test votes in the new year sponsored by the pro-Israel lobby, writes As`ad AbuKhalil. Newly-Elected Progressives Confront AIPAC Test…

Clapper’s Credibility Collapses

Former DNI James Clapper had his own words read back to him by Ray McGovern, exposing his role in justifying the Iraq invasion based on fraudulent intelligence. Clapper Admits Gross Intelligence Failure on Iraq WMDs But Still Escapes Justice By…

COMMENTARY: US Intel Will Bring Assange to US in Chains

It appears increasingly likely Wikileaks founder and publisher Julian Assange will wind up in the clutches of the U.S. government, says Ann Garrison. United States Will Bring Assange to US in Chains By Ann Garrison Special to Consortium News It…

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

America’s Empty Chair in Istanbul: A Sign of Decline, Not Surrender

Team Trump missed the summit on Syria. In that, Patrick Lawrence sees another sign of Washington’s failure to accept its loss of diplomatic primacy. Lost in the Memory Palace: US Leads, But No One Follows By Patrick Lawrence Special to…

Monday, November 12, 2018

Yemeni War Deaths Have Been Underestimated by 5 to 1

Civilian casualties in the three-year horror in Yemen has been vastly underestimated by mainstream organizations, reports Nicolas Davies. Total Deaths in Yemen  Top More Than 100,000 By Nicolas J. S. Davies An NGO responsible for reporting on war deaths in…

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Trump and Big Media: Clash or Collusion?

Now that the media is protesting the suspension of Jim Acosta’s credentials Sam Husseini asks why he and the other journalists didn’t intervene on his behalf when he was expelled from a news conference. By Sam Husseini Special to Consortium…

Saturday, November 10, 2018

John Brennan and James Clapper Should Be Prosecuted for Breaking the Law

Recently declassified documents show that the former CIA director and former director of national intelligence approved illegal spying on Congress and then classified their crime. They need to face punishment, writes John Kiriakou. By John Kiriakou Special to Consortium News…

LIVE: Peace Congress to End U.S. Wars at Home and Abroad

The No Trump Military Parade coalition of 250 organizations is holding a Peace Congress in Washington, D.C., on Saturday in place of the Trump military parade, which they helped to stop. Watch live on Consortium News, starting at 9:30 a.m. EST. In…

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Ukraine-Russia Tensions Rise in Church Row

With an apparent nod from the U.S., the Ecumenical Patriarch’s ruling from Istanbul severed 1000-year ties between Moscow and the Orthodox church in Ukraine, raising further tensions between Kiev and Moscow, as Dmitry Babich reports. Moscow’s Role in Ukraine Orthodox…

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

The West is Failing Julian Assange

While the media focused on Julian Assange’s cat rather than his continuing arbitrary detention, evidence shows that Britain worked hard to force his extradition to Sweden where Assange feared he could then be turned over to the U.S., as Stefania…

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Why the Saudi-US Crisis Will Pass

U.S.-Saudi ties have withstood crises in the past and will withstand this one, says As’ad AbuKhalil. Washington and Rihyad Have Had Worst Crises and Will Survive Khashoggi Murder By As`ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium News Nobody in Washington, Republican or…

Despite Saudi Crisis, US Increases Threats Against Iran

Though the U.S.-Saudi alliance may have been weakened because of the Khashoggi murder, both countries are still targeting Iran as new US sanctions are announced on Sunday, writes Marjorie Cohn of Truthout.  By Marjorie Cohn Truthout The alleged torture, murder…

Saturday, November 3, 2018

LIVE: Assange Emergency Meeting

Watch live an emergency meeting being held on new threats to Julian Assange.

Break-in Attempted at Assange’s Residence in Ecuador Embassy

A attempt was made on Oct. 29 to break-in to the Ecuadorian embassy, where security has been removed and new surveillance devices installed, reports Joe Lauria. Break-in Attempted at Embassy; Fears Raised of Abduction   By Joe Lauria Special to…

Friday, November 2, 2018

33 Trillion More Reasons Why The New York Times Gets it Wrong on Russia-gate

New research shows The New York Times was even further off the mark in blaming Russian social media for Trump’s win, as Gareth Porter reports. Facebook Said 80,000 Russian Posts Were Buried in 33 Trillion Facebook Offerings Over Two-Year Period Further Undermining…

New Threats to Julian Assange; Consortium News to Broadcast Emergency Meeting Live on Saturday

New threats to the safety of Julian Assange, to be disclosed shortly by Consortium News, has prompted an emergency meeting of his supporters. New Threats Reported to Assange to Be Revealed An alarming series of occurrences have unfolded this week…

Thursday, November 1, 2018

New Iran Sanctions Risk Long-term US Isolation

The U.S. is going for the jugular with new sanctions on Iran that will punish anyone who trades with Teheran. But the U.S. may have a fight on its hands, writes Patrick Lawrence. New Iran Sanctions Risk Long-term US Isolation…

American Terror is Not New

There were hate crimes before Donald Trump ran for president, most of them sanctioned by the state, including anti-black violence, as old as white settlement on this continent, says Margaret Kimberley of Black Agenda Report. American Terror is Not New…

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

CN Radio—Episode 4: Lee Camp on War, Prisons, the Media and His New Comedy Special

Comedian Lee Camp joins Consortium News Radio for Episode 4, discussing the state of America’s ward, prisons and media as well as his new comedy special to be released on mid-term Election Day in the U.S., Nov. 6. Consortium News…

Monday, October 29, 2018

Welcome to the Jungle

A troubling new era has begun in Brazil with the election on Sunday of the far-right Jair Bolsonaro as president, writes Pepe Escobar. By Pepe Escobar Special to Consortium News It’s darkness at the break of (tropical) high noon. Jean…

Sunday, October 28, 2018

As a Saudi Citizen in Exile, I Know What the Regime Does to Silence its Critics

As a Saudi citizen exiled in Washington, D.C., since 2000, Ali al Ahmed has experienced first-hand what the Saudi government is willing to do to silence its critics inside and outside the country. By Ali al Ahmed The murder of…

Friday, October 26, 2018

WikiLeaks’ Legacy of Exposing US-UK Complicity

WikiLeaks is vilified by governments (and increasingly by journalists) for its exposures, including of the U.S.-UK “special relationship” in running a joint foreign policy of deception and violence that serves London and Washington’s elite interests, says Mark Curtis. By Mark…

America’s Bloody Ally

The U.S. continues to support the dictatorship of Saudi Arabia—as a key ally—even after the horrific murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the horrendous five-year bombing campaign on Yemen, writes Ann Wright. By Ann Wright in Istanbul Special to Consortium News…

Thursday, October 25, 2018

The Khashoggi Affair and the Future of Saudi Arabia

If the Saudi power structure were to crumble in the wake of the Khashoggi scandal there would be chaos at home and a shift in power around the Gulf, says Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare Special to Consortium News If…

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Facebook Censorship of Alternative Media ‘Just the Beginning,’ Warns Top Neocon Insider

At a Berlin security conference, hardline neocon Jamie Fly appeared to claim some credit for the recent coordinated purge of alternative media, report Max Blumenthal and Jeb Sprague. By Max Blumenthal and Jeb Sprague Gray Zone Project This October, Facebook…

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

CN VIDEO—Woman’s March on the Headquarters for War: The Full Video Report

Consortium News videographer Netra Halperin has produced a full video report of Sunday’s Women’s March on America’s center for planning and executing war. About 1,500 women and allied men marched on the Pentagon on Sunday to demand an end to…

CN VIDEO—Jill Stein Talks to Consortium News: ‘We Are Being Robbed Blind by the War Profiteers’

During the Women’s March on the Pentagon, Jill Stein, the Green Party’s 2016 candidate for president, told Consortium News Video that war is robbing us blind. By Netra Halperin Special to Consortium News 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein spoke…

Monday, October 22, 2018

Women March on the Pentagon

Fed up with ongoing wars depleting innocent lives and the U.S. Treasury, more than a thousand women marched on the Pentagon on Sunday to declare their opposition to the continuing slaughter. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News About 1,500…

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Report Says Russia-gaters Should Go Quietly in the Night

After more than two years of mania about Russia stealing the 2016 election for Trump and demonization of anyone who questioned it, an embarrassing end may soon be near for the Russia-gaters, says Caitlin Johnstone. By Caitlin Johnstone In a…

Friday, October 19, 2018

When Black Panthers Aligned with Confederate-Flag-Wielding, Working-Class Whites

Can the unlikely alliance of the Black Panthers and a group of transplanted Southern Whites in 1969 hold any lesson today, asks Colette Gaiter. By Colette Gaiter The Conversation In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump won the white vote…

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Psyched at The American Psychological Association

A trip to the convention of the American Psychological Association revealed an attempt to get back into Guantanamo after a scandal with the CIA and Pentagon as well as a profession that is enamored with its own power, reports Michael…

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

AUDIO: Shady Claims by NYT on Russia-gate: Peter B. Collins interviews Gareth Porter

Gareth Porter discusses with radio host Peter B. Collins his Consortium News article exposing exaggerated claims of Russian skulduggery on Facebook in 2016. By Peter B. Collins Journalist and historian Gareth Porter returned to the Peter B. Collins show to discuss his…

Congo in the Abyss

The aggression of Western governments has inflicted multiple holocausts on the Congolese people, Congolese historian Bénédicte Kumbi Ndjoko tells Ann Garrison. By Ann Garrison Black Agenda Report This week I spoke to Swiss Congolese historian and activist Bénédicte Kumbi Ndjoko about…

Consortium News’ Comment Policy

We are republishing our Comment Policy to remind readers to please adhere to it. We do not practice censorship based on political views but comments that violate the Policy will be removed to maintain a dignified and fact-based comments section. …

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Israel’s 50-Year Time Bomb

In the quest to change Israel’s very nature, the Netanyahu government is pushing Palestinians to the edge – with the support of the Trump White House, says Dan Steinbock. By Dan Steinbock Special to Consortium News The Trump White House…

How the FBI Silences Whistleblowers

Speaking truth to power has ruined Darin Jones, a former FBI contract specialist who reported evidence of serious procurement improprieties. He should be the last federal whistleblower victimized, writes John Kiriakou. By John Kiriakou Special to Consortium News The idea of…

Monday, October 15, 2018

The Strange Disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi

Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist, who disappeared in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week is not quite the critic of the Saudi regime that the Western media says he is, writes As’ad AbuKhalil. By As`ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium…

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Peter Lavelle: Why I Read Consortium News

Peter Lavelle, the host of RT’s Cross Talk, explains what Consortium News means to him. From the desk of Peter Lavelle: Not long ago during a visit he made to Moscow, I told Joe Lauria – now editor-in-chief of Consortium…

Saturday, October 13, 2018

The Art of No Mideast Deal

Donald Trump once advertised an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan as his greatest achievement-in-the-making, but like many of the president’s negotiations, the Kushner-Greenblatt strategy is a one-sided bargain, writes Patrick Lawrence. By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium News Whatever happened to President…

Friday, October 12, 2018

Gareth Porter: Why I Write for Consortium News

Consortium News is a priceless resource for honing in on the truth in the tradition of its founder Robert Parry, says Gareth Porter. From the desk of Gareth Porter We’ve all seen how the recent period of vertiginous political change…

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

The Shaky Case That Russia Manipulated Social Media to Tip the 2016 Election

The idea promoted by NYT’s Shane & Mazzetti that the Russian government seriously threatened to determine the 2016 election does not hold up when the larger social media context is examined more closely, reports Gareth Porter. By Gareth Porter Special…

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

New Writers Join Consortium News

In the past few weeks Consortium News has added a group of accomplished writers as regular contributors, ensuring that Consortium remains a unique source of news, analysis and commentary that you will not find in mainstream media. Pepe Escobar, the…

Future of Western Democracy Being Played Out in Brazil

Stripped to its essence, the Brazilian presidential elections represent a direct clash between democracy and an early 21st Century neofascism, indeed between civilization and barbarism, writes Pepe Escobar. By Pepe Escobar in Paris Special to Consortium News Nothing less than…

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Ray McGovern on Daniel Ellsberg and the Value of Consortium News

It is sobering to think that Dan Ellsberg, and other serious thinkers, look to Consortium News for professional journalism and analysis, says Ray McGovern. From the desk of Ray McGovern: Dan Ellsberg met me at the entrance to the Berkeley…

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Five Reasons Why the GOP Rushed to Confirm Kavanaugh

After Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, Trump and the GOP leadership mounted a full-court press to ram through his confirmation before October 1, the first day of the Court’s new term, for five good reasons, says…

Watch LIVE: Online Vigil for Julian Assange

As the crisis over Julian Assange continues to mount, the fifth online vigil for Assange is being broadcast live on Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm Eastern by Consortium News. The isolation of Julian Assange, publisher of WikiLeaks, continues…

Friday, October 5, 2018

Julian Assange in Crisis for Fifth Unity4J Online Vigil; Consortium News to Broadcast it Live on Saturday

As the crisis over Julian Assange continues to mount, the fifth online vigil for Assange will be held on Saturday, to be broadcast live by Consortium News. The isolation of Julian Assange, publisher of WikiLeaks, continues unabated as his lawyers…

The Trouble With ‘Preventing Palestine’

Seth Anziska’s new book on the Arab-Israeli “peace process” is a useful primer on the conflict, but it does not fully examine the paradox of the Carter administration’s solution that we are still living with, argues As’ad AbuKhalil. By As`ad…

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Could Saudi Arabia Become the Middle East’s Next Failed State?

Ibn Khaldun—the famous Tunisian historian, geographer and social theorist—believed that decadence leads to collapse for Muslim dynasties. Such a scenario may be playing out with the Saudis, reports Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare Special to Consortium News Reports are growing…

Seven Days in September

A new book, an anonymous Op-Ed and an Obama speech in the first seven days of September appeared to reveal dangerous insider moves against a dangerous, but constitutionally elected president, writes Joe Lauria. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News…

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

The Kavanaugh Case: Sex, Lies, Privilege (and Plenty of Beer)

The use of identity politics by establishment Democrats to obscure a violent and hegemonic foreign policy has led many clear-minded people to conflate the very real problem of sexual assault, with a liberal Democratic agenda, says Joe Lauria. By Joe…

Monday, October 1, 2018

Extremists Unite to Diss Populism as Threat to Democracy

If there’s one thing that brings a tear to Caitlin Johnstone’s eye, it’s the inspiration she feels watching Republican-aligned neoconservatives and Democrat-aligned neoconservatives find a way to bridge their almost nonexistent differences.  By Caitlin Johnstone If there’s one thing that…

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Privatization, the EU and a Bridge

A Genoa bridge that collapsed last month killing 43 people is privately owned, but a key factor that has slowe basic infrastructure investment in Italy in recent years is the fall of the EU, reports Andrew Spannaus.   By Andrew Spannaus in…

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Will ‘God’ Save Kavanaugh?

That attitudes may not have changed from an older generation to Kavanaugh’s — and may have gotten still worse, and not only at elitist Georgetown Prep, but in society at large — is sad beyond telling, says Ray McGovern. By…

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Being Julian Assange

As Julian Assange’s fate may soon be resolved, here’s an in-depth look at the history of WikiLeaks, the infiltration of activist communities and the strength & vulnerability of the world-changing publisher whose freedom is at stake, by Suzie Dawson. By…

The Battle for Our Minds

There are battlefields in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, and elsewhere, but given the state of corporate media, perhaps the most consequential battle now being fought is for our minds, says Patrick Lawrence. By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium News After reading…

Monday, September 24, 2018

Teachers’ Strikes May Reinvigorate US Labor Movement

Events of recent weeks shows there’s gut-level support for radical change, including on the state of education and teacher’s working conditions. This building momentum could help spark a new labor movement, argues Andy Piascik. By Andy Piascik Last spring, public…

Friday, September 21, 2018

The New York Times as Judge and Jury

Seeking to uphold its credibility, The New York Times dispenses with the criminal justice system and basic principles of journalism to weigh in again on Russia-gate, reports Joe Lauria. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News We’ve seen it before:…

Thursday, September 20, 2018

CN Radio—Episode 3: Gareth Porter on DHS Deception & Bi-Partisan Fear of Revolt

The DHS deceptively pushed the story that Russia hacked U.S. voter databases; and both Democratic & Republican elites fear popular revolt against their failed polices but refuse to change, as Gareth Porter explains. The guest on Episode 3 of Consortium…

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Hold the Front Page: The Reporters are Missing

So much of mainstream journalism has descended to the level of a cult-like formula of bias, hearsay and omission. Subjectivism is all; slogans and outrage are proof enough. What matters is “perception,” says John Pilger. By John Pilger Special to Consortium…

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Justice Dept Likely to Slow-walk Declassification

President Trump has ordered Russia-gate data to be declassified  but will likely be stonewalled, raising questions about whether Trump is his own man, writes Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News Don’t hold your breath. While the media…

The West Against the Rest or The West Against Itself?

The West’s illiberal-bashing frenzy has reduced what should be a crucial debate about a fearful West Against the Rest, to the more pressing issue of The West Against Itself, writes Pepe Escobar. By Pepe Escobar Special to Consortium News What…

Monday, September 17, 2018

The Donald in Wonderland

One question as we head to the November midterm elections, a referendum on the president, is: Could Donald Trump be a one-man version of either Enron or Lehman Brothers, someone who cooked “the books” until he implodes?  By Nomi Prins TomDispatch Once…

How Yasser Arafat Led the Palestinians to Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’

Compromises made by the late PLO leader have the paved the way for the most humiliating deal offered the Palestinians yet, comments As’ad AbuKhalil.  By As`ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium News The Trump administration is hard at work on the…

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Corbyn Might Long Regret Capitulation on Anti-Semitism

The decision by the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee to adopt the IHRA’s contested anti-Semitism definition is a victory for the Israel lobby and for forces on both sides of the Atlantic seeking to stifle criticism of Mideast policy, argues…

Friday, September 14, 2018

Freedom Flotilla Missions Will Continue ‘Until Palestine Is Free’

The bold journey of the 2018 Freedom Flotilla Coalition dared Palestinians and the world to dream of peace, dignity and freedom for all. Now, we must keep working to build a culture of nonviolence, writes Elizabeth Murray. By Elizabeth Murray…

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh Threatens Racial Justice & Voting Rights

Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s disturbing record on racial issues would put the Voting Rights Act in further jeopardy if he were to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, argues Marjorie Cohn. By Marjorie Cohn Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s record on racial issues…

Consortium News Unveils New Logo

Consortium News on Thursday unveils a new logo, the first redesign of the publication’s nameplate in several years. The new design changes the name of the publication in the logo from Consortiumnews.com to its more commonly used name, Consortium News.…

Why the U.S. Seeks to Hem in Russia, China and Iran

America’s three principal adversaries signify the shape of the world to come: a post-Western world of coexistence. But neolibera and neocon ideology is unable to to accept global pluralism and multipolarity, argues Patrick Lawrence. By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium…

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Solving Italy’s Immigration Crisis

Europe must join forces to govern immigration—supporting development in impacted African countries and integration in the most dynamic economies—because one country alone cannot end this problem, writes Attilio Moro. By Attilio Moro in Brussels Special to Consortium News Look at Via…

On the Brink with Russia in Syria Again, 5 Years Later

It’s deja-vu all over again in Syria, with the U.S. on the verge of a confrontation with Russia as Donald Trump faces his biggest decision yet, as Ray McGovern explains. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News The New York…

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Beyond Bolton: The Path to a Progressive Foreign Policy

America’s miserable record over 30 years should make it clear a serious and genuine commitment to the rule of international law offers a more viable way forward than the “law of the jungle,” argue Nicholas Davies and Medea Benjamin. By Nicolas…

Monday, September 10, 2018

Letter from Britain: The Real Reason for the ‘Anti-Semite’ Campaign Against Jeremy Corbyn

Panic is driving the smear attack against the Labour Party leader. Jeremy Corbyn’s background as a radical socialist, not his criticism of Israel and support for the Palestinian struggle, makes him a threat to the British establishment’s hold on power,…

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Support Our Commitment to Independent Journalism

Consortium News is today launching its Fall Fund Drive so it can continue its mission as a trusted source of independent news and views. Robert Parry founded Consortium News in 1995 as a place for journalists to publish stories their…

Moscow Has Upped the Ante in Syria

As Syrian forces backed by Russia launch the final showdown in Syria against jihadist extremists in Idlib province, the potential for a U.S.-Russia confrontation has never been greater, as VIPS warns in this memo to the president. September 9, 2018 MEMORANDUM…

World Scholars, Artists, Activists Call for Demilitarization of Okinawa

More than one hundred scholars, peace activists and artists from around the world have issued a statement condemning the Japanese and U.S. governments’ plans to build a new base for the US Marine Corps in Northern Okinawa. To: Prime Minister of…

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Consortium News on Flash Points: Max Blumenthal, As’ad AbuKhalil and Diana Johnstone

The second episode of Consortium News on Flash Points focuses on two different perspectives on John McCain and the real meaning of Russian interference in U.S. politics. In collaboration with Dennis Bernstein, host of Pacifica Radio’s syndicated show Flash Points,…

Thursday, September 6, 2018

The Establishment’s Bi-Partisan Fear of Popular Revolt

Right and left insurgencies in the 2016 U.S. election spooked the bi-partisan Establishment. Gareth Porter explains how they are responding. By Gareth Porter The two most powerful think tanks in Washington, representing center-left and center-right political elites, have responded to…

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Plutocracy Now!

The United States today qualifies as a plutocracy – on a number of grounds, and it is having a profound impact on the media, education and think tanks–indeed on the whole of society, says Michael Brenner.  By Michael Brenner Plutocracy…

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Ellsberg Says Assange, as a Journalist, Can’t Be Tried Under Espionage Act

In an interview with Consortium News Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg says the Espionage Act, under which he was indicted, cannot apply to Julian Assange because he is a journalist.  Speaking during an online vigil for Assange…

NEW— Consortium News Launches Audio and Video Podcasts

Consortium News announces today that its audio and video productions will be available as podcasts on iTunes, Spotify and other popular hosts.  Consortium News Radio and Consortium News Video productions will be archived as podcasts on a variety of hosts,…

Monday, September 3, 2018

John McCain: The View from the Middle East

Being on the deadly end of his policies, many Arabs view John McCain in a very different way than the U.S. mass media has presented him.   By As`ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium News It is not unusual that Arabs and Americans…

Friday, August 31, 2018

LIVE: Watch Online Vigil in Defense of Julian Assange

Join Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, on Saturday as he moderates a daylong chain of interviews in defense of WikiLeaks and its publisher Julian Assange beginning at 10 am EDT, 2 pm GMT. From 10 a.m EDT to 10…

The Unlikely Force Behind US Prison Reform

While serious prison reform in the United States has long failed there is a new force to be reckoned with from an unlikely source that should be taken seriously, says John Kiriakou. By John Kiriakou Special to Consortium News Prison…

Thursday, August 30, 2018

The Trump Administration’s Spoiler Foreign Policy

U.S. strategy abroad has assumed a dangerous shape in recent weeks. Whether the president or his minders are running affairs, Patrick Lawrence sees an ardent desire to develop a true “post-Cold War order.” By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium News…

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

VIPS Tells Media Support for Brennan is Not Unanimous

In this memo, VIPS tells the news media that the revocation of John Brennan’s security clearance is falsely being portrayed as an assault on the freedom of speech of the deeply flawed, former CIA director.  August 29, 2018 TO: The…

Back in the (Great) Game: The Revenge of Eurasian Land Powers

Whatever is left roaming our wilderness of mirrors depends on the irascible mood swings of the Goddess of the Market. No wonder a side effect of Eurasia integration will be a death blow to Bretton Woods and “democratic” neoliberalism., says Pepe…

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

How the Department of Homeland Security Created a Deceptive Tale of Russia Hacking US Voter Sites

The narrative about Russian cyberattacks on American election infrastructure is a self-interested abuse of power by DHS based on distortion of evidence, writes Gareth Porter. By Gareth Porter Special to Consortium News The narrative of Russian intelligence attacking state and…

The Sun Does Not Revolve Around the US

While visiting Galileo’s house in Florence, Jean Ranc reflected on how America thinks the world revolves around it, as it was once falsely thought the sun revolves around the earth. By Jean Ranc Special to Consortium News On a sunny…

Monday, August 27, 2018

The Real Russian Interference in US Politics

If Russia were trying to interfere in U.S. domestic politics, it wouldn’t be attempting to change the U.S. system but to prevent it from trying to change Russia’s, argues Diana Johnstone. By Diana Johnstone The Cold War between the United…

Sunday, August 26, 2018

The Other Side of John McCain

If the paeans to McCain by diverse political climbers seems detached from reality, it’s because they reflect the elite view of U.S. military interventions as a chess game, with the millions killed by unprovoked aggression mere statistics, says Max Blumenthal.…

Friday, August 24, 2018

INTRODUCING: Consortium News on Flash Points, Our Second Radio Show

This month Consortium News launched Consortium News Radio. Today we begin a second radio show in collaboration with Pacifica Radio’s Flash Points, a biweekly interview program with Consortium News writers. In collaboration with Dennis Bernstein, host of Pacifica Radio’s syndicated…

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Corbyn’s Labour is Being Made to Fail – by Design

Besieged for four years with charges of anti-semitism, Jeremy Corbyn’s allies in the Labour leadership have largely lost the stomach for battle, one that was never about substance or policy but about character assassination, says Jonathan Cook. By Jonathan Cook…

Being Pro-Palestinian Doesn’t Make Jeremy Corbyn an Anti-Semite

The Israelis’ war on the leader of the Labour Party is really a war on free speech that’s meant to silence critics of Israel in the UK and elsewhere, argues As’ad AbuKhalil. By As’ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium News In…

The Limits of Elizabeth Warren

Senator Elizabeth Warren was pushed to her limit at the National Press Club, entrapped by a system she says she wants to debate, but clearly can’t, as Sam Husseini explains. By Sam Husseini Special to Consortium News Senator Elizabeth Warren…

Monday, August 20, 2018

Fifteen Years of Forever Wars

Fifteen year ago Donald Rumsfeld said Afghanistan was pacified and George W. Bush said the U.S. mission in Iraq was “accomplished.” Fifteen years later the disastrous neconservative assumptions are in full view, says Chas Freeman. By Chas Freeman Fifteen years…

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Religious Divisions Threaten to Further Inflame Ukrainian Civil War

Not admitting the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to Kiev is like barring the Pope from Rome, but that is just what the U.S.-backed Ukrainian government has done, explains Dmitry Babich. By Dmitry Babich Special to Consortium News During…

Saturday, August 18, 2018

A Retrospective on Kofi Annan, Dead at 80

Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan died on Saturday. The following is a look back on his tumultuous ten years in office by Consortium News Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria, writing for The Boston Globe on Dec. 29, 2006.  By Joe Lauria, for The…

Friday, August 17, 2018

Have British Spies Been Hacking the EU?

The European Union has accused British intelligence agencies of disrupting Brexit negotiations—creating a new public dispute that could poison further an already toxic situation, says Annie Machon.  By Annie Machon in Brussels Special to Consortium News Just after midnight on…

How To Beat A Manipulator

In our political and personal lives many of us have been conned. Here’s how to recognize how politicians and people manipulate us and how to stop them, according to Caitlin Johnstone. By Caitlin Johnstone Humans are hackable. Ask any conman.…

Thursday, August 16, 2018

For Italy, Trump Represents a ‘Populist’ Opportunity

The new Italian government is taking comfort in some of Trump’s positions, especially on migration, trade and Russia, says Andrew Spannaus. By Andrew Spannaus in Milan Special to Consortium News During the 2016 United States election campaign, most of Italy’s…

Trump-Media Logrolling

Hundreds of mainstream newspapers on Thursday have coordinated editorials against Trump’s attacks on the press, but as Sam Husseini explains, the major media need to do some soul-searching itself.  By Sam Husseini Today, hundreds of newspapers, at the initiative of The Boston…

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Trump Strikes Back at ‘Ringleader’ Brennan

At war with current and former intelligence officials since before he was elected, Donald Trump Wednesday moved to strip Barack Obama’s CIA chief of his security clearance, though worse may be in store for John Brennan, says Ray McGovern. By…

‘Journey for Justice’ Caravan Launches Cross Country Trek

The Trump administration is dismantling temporary Protected Status to protect people from deportations to countries destabilized by war, civil conflict, or natural catastrophe. One group is fighting back. By Dennis J Bernstein The Trump Administration, with Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard…

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Consortium News Radio— Episode 2: Joe Meadors

A USS Liberty survivor who was arrested by Israel this month trying to break the Gaza blockade joins Episode 2 of Consortium News Radio.   Joe Meadors was a signalman on the USS Liberty surveillance ship on June 8, 1967 when…

Monday, August 13, 2018

‘Too Big to Fail’: Russia-gate One Year After VIPS Showed a Leak, Not a Hack

One year later, the VIPS memo contending that the DNC emails were leaked and not hacked has yet to be successfully challenged. Meanwhile, the country sinks deeper into the morass of the new McCarthyism. By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium…

Friday, August 10, 2018

Senator Richard Burr: a Longtime Fan of Torture

Newly released declassified documents prove once and for all that CIA Director Gina Haspel oversaw torture in Thailand, which the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee knew all along, as Ray McGovern explains. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News…

Election Results Could be Good for Pakistan, Bad for US

The election of Imran Khan as Pakistan’s new president further underscores America’s futile military strategy in the region, argues Graham Fuller. By Graham Fuller A bold new political face has come to power in the recent Pakistani elections, possibly offering…

In A Corporatist System Of Government, Corporate Censorship Is State Censorship

In a corporatist system of government, wherein there is no meaningful separation between corporate power and state power, corporate censorship is state censorship, argues Caitlin Johnstone in this commentary. By Caitlin Johnstone Last year, representatives of Facebook, Twitter, and Google were instructed…

Thursday, August 9, 2018

The Faulty Logic Behind the Attack on BDS

Defenders of Israel are using flawed logic in trying to tar supporters of the age-old tactic of boycotts as anti-semitic, argues Lawrence Davidson. By Lawrence Davidson If you search the topic boycotts on Google you immediately realize how historically common…

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Consortium News Radio— Episode 1: Peter Van Buren

INTRODUCING Consortium News Radio, an ongoing series of radio interviews with newsmakers and Consortium News writers intended to delve deeper into stories published on Consortium News. On the premiere edition of Consortium News Radio we speak with Peter Van Buren,…

Flotilla Passengers Released by Israel; Many Battered and Bruised; USS Liberty Survivor Held Six Days

Defending their illegal blockade of Gaza against what they see as infiltrators rather than activists bringing aid and making a point, Israeli soldiers physically assaulted a number of delegates and arrested them, including a USS Liberty survivor.  By Ann Wright…

Giving Trump Carte Blanche for War

A little-noticed Senate bill would give Donald Trump blanket permission to launch wars in violation of the Constitution, says John Kiriakou. By John Kiriakou Special to Consortium News Have you ever heard of Senate Joint Resolution 59 (S.J.Res. 59)? Neither…

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

VIPS Asks Twitter to Restore Van Buren’s Account

The Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity in a memo to the Twitter board of directors questions its decision to suspend the account of one of its members without due process. August 8, 2018 TO: Twitter Board of Directors FROM: Veteran…

Pilger Excoriates Media on Assange Silence

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and investigative reporter John Pilger takes the gloves off on the continuing attempts to upend WikiLeaks and arrest its founding publisher, Julian Assange, in this interview with Dennis Bernstein and Randy Credico. Pilger talks about Assange’s deteriorating…

Monday, August 6, 2018

VIPS Pleas for Humanitarian Asylum for Julian Assange

Memorandum for: The US Embassies of Ecuador and the United Kingdom, and the U.S. State Department From: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity Subject: Humanitarian Asylum for Julian Assange For six years, WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange has been effectively imprisoned without…

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Winning an Arms Race in Space Remains a Futile Fight

Donald Trump is not the first U.S. president to want to militarize life beyond Earth. But that approach is bankrupt, believes Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall Special to Consortium News When Donald Trump declared it was time to Make America…

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Journalists Are All Julian Assange

As Ecuador threatens to hand Julian Assange over to eventual U.S. custody, Consortium Editor Joe Lauria will take part in a 50-hour online vigil for Assange Saturday at 8pm EDT. In 2010, Bob Parry, late founder and editor of Consortium,…

The Mystery Fixer Who Has Negotiated the End of the Syrian War

A nearly unknown businessman named Khaled al Ahmad became Damascus’ secret liaison to the West and has quietly dealt Syria’s grinding war to a close, reports Rhania Khalek By Rania Khalek Gray Zone Project After seven years of grinding war,…

Friday, August 3, 2018

Hidden in Plain View in Belgrade

Why did NATO attack Yugoslavia in 1999, killing perhaps as many as 2,500 civilians? Here is a possible answer as Vladimir Golstein reflects back on that ugly episode. By Vladimir Golstein in Belgrade Special to Consortium News Right across the…

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

VIPS to Trump:  Intelligence on Iran Fails the Smell Test

As drums beat again for war — this time on Iran—-the VIPS’ warning is again being disregarded as it was before the Iraq debacle and this time VIPS fear the consequences will be all-caps CATASTROPHIC.  August 1, 2018 MEMORANDUM FOR: The President FROM: Veteran…

Virginia State Senator in Rare Support by Politician for Assange

Julian Assange’s lawyers fear his extradition to the U.S. where they believe a sealed indictment in the state of Virginia is waiting for him.  In a rare move by an American politician, a state senator in Virginia has come out…

In Shielding US from Legal Obligations, Kavanaugh Conflates International Law with Foreign Laws

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has nothing but contempt for international law. But he has shown uncritical deference to executive power, particularly in the so-called war on terror cases, argues Marjorie Cohn. By Marjorie Cohn The two primary sources of…

Monday, July 30, 2018

Gaza Flotilla Ship Al Awda Violently Seized by Israelis

Israeli forces have violently boarded a ship, being followed by Consortium News, that was headed to Gaza bringing humanitarian aid.  By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News Israeli soldiers in international waters boarded the Al Awda ship headed to Gaza to…

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Ahed Tamimi and Her Mother are Free

Ahed Tamimi and her mother were freed from prison on Sunday and Ray McGovern looks back on when he met the Tamimi family last year in their West Bank village and reflects on the spirit that drives them. By Ray…

Friday, July 27, 2018

Living in a World Bereft of Privacy

As Edward Snowden confirmed beyond doubt, we live in a world where our most intimate moments can be seen by would-be extortioners and, more alarmingly, by our governments, says Annie Machon. By Annie Machon in Brussels Special to Consortium News…

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Letter from Britain—Lost in a Brexit Maze: a Baffled Political Class Dreads the Prospect of Jeremy Corbyn

The British Establishment wants to protect the expanded privileges it inherited from Margaret Thatcher’s neoliberal legacy but appears clueless about how to deal with an increasingly rebellious British public, as Alexander Mercouris explains. By Alexander Mercouris in London Special to…

GOP and Corporate Dems Gain When Democrats Run Against Putin

Hammering on Russia is a losing strategy for progressives as most Americans care about economic issues and it is the Republicans and corporate Democrats who stand to gain, argues Norman Solomon. By Norman Solomon Progressives should figure it out. Amplifying…

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

The Gray Lady Thinks Twice About Assange’s Prosecution

Though The New York Times itself has not reported it, it’s No. 2 lawyer told a group of judges that the prosecution of Julian Assange could have dire consequences for the Times itself, explains Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special…

The Case for Stripping Former Officials of their Security Clearances

COMMENTARY: Former CIA agent John Kiriakou argues that no former intelligence official should be allowed to keep their security clearances when they leave government, especially if they work in the media. By John Kiriakou Special to Consortium News Libertarian senator…

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Catalonian Quest for Independence is Undeterred

In an interview with Consortium News, an independence leader and member of the Spanish parliament tells Attilio Moro that Catalonians are not finished seeking separation from Madrid. By Attilio Moro in Barcelona Special to Consortium News “Freedom for the political…

Monday, July 23, 2018

The World According to Ben Rhodes: Hypocrisy in Obama’s Foreign Policy

In a new book Obama’s deputy national security advisers opens up about Pentagon interference in policy, Obama’s political calculations and his own ignorance of the Middle East, as As’ad AbuKhalil explains in this review. By As`ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium…

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Moon-Strzok No More, Lisa Page Spills the Beans

The meaning of a crucial text message between two FBI officials appears to have been finally explained, and it’s not good news for the Russia-gate faithful, as Ray McGovern explains. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News Former FBI attorney…

The ‘White Helmets’ Controversy

FROM THE ARCHIVES: As Israel in the past few days helped evacuate 800 “White Helmets” from Syria, en route to Britain and other Wester countries, we look back at an article published by Consortium News in Oct. 2016. By Rick…

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Guardians of the Magnitsky Myth

FROM THE ARCHIVES: In pursuit of Russia-gate, U.S. mainstream media embraces any attack on Russia and works to ensure Americans don’t hear the other side of the story, as with the Magnitsky myth, reported Robert Parry on Oct. 28, 2017. By Robert…

Friday, July 20, 2018

Meanwhile, About Those Other Issues at the Summit

They actually held a Russian-American summit in Helsinki on Monday to talk about life and death issues, though you wouldn’t know it from the corporate media. Alexander Mercouris explores some of those other issues. By Alexander Mercouris The summit meeting…

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Working with the Publisher that Changed the World

Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi has worked with WikiLeaks for nine years on the Podesta emails and other revelations. Here’s an insider’s view of the publisher that has incensed rulers around the world, desperate to hide their corruption. By Stefania Maurizi…

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

When the US Invaded Russia

Amidst the backdrop of increased U.S.-Russian tensions and even talk of war, long forgotten is the time the U.S. actually invaded, explains Jeff Klein. By Jeff Klein Special to Consortium News Amid the bi-partisan mania over the Trump-Putin Summit in…

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Climb Down From the Summit of Hostile Propaganda

Public reactions to an open letter from academics, journalists and politicians asking for co-existence with Russia show many Americans don’t buy the media’s bellicose spin, as Norman Solomon explains. By Norman Solomon Throughout the day before the summit in Helsinki,…

Monday, July 16, 2018

US Media is Losing Its Mind Over Trump-Putin Press Conference

The media’s mania over Trump’s Helsinki performance and the so-called Russia-gate scandal reached new depths on Monday, says Joe Lauria By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News The reaction of the U.S. establishment media and several political leaders to President…

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Memo to the President Ahead of Monday’s Summit

Ray McGovern and Bill Binney have written an open letter to President Trump ahead of Monday’s summit.  With Friday’s indictments of Russian intelligence officers, Ray McGovern and Bill Binney have written an open letter to President Trump making clear that…

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Evidence Will Probably Never Be Produced in Indictments of ‘Russian Agents’

The indictment of 12 Russian ‘agents,’ which included no collusion with Trump’s team, is essentially a political and not legal document because it is almost certain the U.S. government will never have to present any evidence in court, reports Joe Lauria. …

Friday, July 13, 2018

Ray McGovern: Strzok Hoisted on His Own Petard

FBI agent Peter Strzok may be soon “thrown under the bus” in the ongoing investigation into Clinton’s emails and his alleged role in the Russia-gate investigation, comments Ray McGovern.  By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News If FBI agent Peter…

The Media’s Brazen Dishonesty About North Korean Nuclear Violations

In its reporting of supposed North Korean “violations”, the corporate media is once again found to be pushing a political agenda, as Gareth Porter explains. By Gareth Porter In late June and early July, NBC News, CNN, and The Wall Street…

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Trump’s Criticism of NATO Ignores the Real Questions

Donald Trump’s bluster at the NATO summit only has to do with money, not whether the alliance serves any genuine security purpose, says Jonathan Marshall. By Jonathan Marshall Special to Consortium News The usual NATO summit begins and ends with…

A Call to Ease Tensions Between the Nuclear Superpowers

With Donald Trump about to meet Vladimir Putin in their first summit on July 16, prominent academics, journalists, politicians and activists call for a lessening of dangerous tensions between the two nuclear powers.  An Open Letter Many Americans remain deeply…

Europe Shows a Polarized Supreme Court is Not Inevitable

The U.S. Supreme Court is riven by political division and the nomination process riddled by partisan battles, unlike Europe’s highest courts, argues David Orentlicher.  By David Orentlicher United States President Donald Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring Supreme…

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

How Trump is Reshaping US Foreign Policy

Trump’s policies are shaping America’s relationship with the world in major ways even if those policies don’t exhibit a consistent strategy, observes Paul Pillar. By Paul Pillar The urge within the commentariat to describe every president’s foreign policy in terms…

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Israel Bulldozes Khan Al Ahmar and Buries the Two-State Solution

In the midst of tepid Western criticism, Israel is finally realizing its decades-old goal of splitting the West Bank in two, while putting an end to the fiction of a two-state solution, observes Jonathan Cook. By Jonathan Cook in Nazareth…

USS Liberty Survivor Named US Delegate on Gaza Flotilla

A survivor of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty that killed 34 U.S. sailors has joined the Freedom Flotilla headed towards Gaza, as Joe Lauria reports. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News Joe Meadors, a survivor of the…

Saturday, July 7, 2018

The Hidden History of the Women Who Rose Up

John Pilger asks where the spirit of rebellion has gone that once led to numerous uprisings at a female prison factory in Australia where his great-great grandmother was once interned. By John Pilger  Like all colonial societies, Australia has secrets.…

Friday, July 6, 2018

Supreme Court Ignored International Law in Upholding Muslim Ban

The Supreme Court majority ignored two treaties and customary law in upholding Donald Trump’s latest travel ban, which the president himself said targeted Muslims, reports Marjorie Cohn. By Marjorie Cohn The Supreme Court’s opinion last month in Trump v. Hawaii, affirming Donald…

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Corporate Media’s About-Face on Ukraine’s Neo-Nazis

U.S. corporate media spent years dismissing the role of neo-Nazis in Ukraine’s 2014 coup but it is suddenly going through a conversion, as Daniel Lazare reports. By Daniel Lazare Special to Consortium News Last month a freelance journalist named Joshua…

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

America Celebrates Lateral Move From Monarchy To Corporate Rule

America celebrates its independence 242 years ago today from Britain with little thought it seems about who rules them now, comments Caitlin Johnstone By Caitlin Johnstone Today America celebrates its liberation from the shackles of the British Crown and the…

Former US Envoy in Moscow Calls Intelligence Report on Alleged Russian Interference ‘Politically Motivated’

Prominent journalists and politicians seized upon a shabby, politically motivated, “intelligence” report as proof of “Russian interference” in the U.S. election without the pretense of due diligence, argues Jack Matlock, a former U.S. ambassador in Moscow. By Jack Matlock Did…

Monday, July 2, 2018

Obrador Hopes to Restore Mexican Sovereignty

For decades, the specter of Andrés Manuel López Obrador has haunted Mexico’s ruling elites. His triumph on Sunday could change the country’s domestic, regional, and international outlook, says Dan Steinbock. By Dan Steinbock International media touted the neoliberal reforms of…

Saturday, June 30, 2018

The Berkeley Tribute to Robert Parry

A tribute to Robert Parry, the founder and editor of Consortium News, was held in Berkeley last month. Here is the video of the event and excerpts from the speakers who celebrated Bob’s life. By Rick Sterling Event Photos by…

Friday, June 29, 2018

The Legacy and Fallacies of Bernard Lewis

Bernard Lewis, seen by some in the West as a giant of Arab and Muslim scholarship, left behind a legacy of falsehoods and politically-motivated distortions, as As’ad AbuKhalil explains. By As`ad AbuKhalil Special to Consortium News There is no question…

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Democratic Elite Tries to Respond to Ocasio-Cortez

Stunned by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory, the Democratic Party establishment is trying to contain the rebellion challenging its class interests and may try to stem the tide with a compromise on super-delegates, as Norman Solomon reports.  By Norman Solomon Conventional wisdom…

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Trump’s Spaced-Out Space Force

While key members of his administration oppose him, Donald Trump seems intent on forging ahead with plans to create a sixth military branch–in outer space, as Renee Parsons reports.  By Renee Parsons At a recent meeting of the newly-revived National Space…

Thursday, June 21, 2018

An Elite Coalition Emerges Against a Trump-Kim Agreement

Media coverage of the Trump-Kim summit has highlighted a political reaction that threatens to torpedo any possible U.S-North Korean agreement on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, says Garth Porter. By Gareth Porter An implicit coalition of corporate media, Democratic partisans…

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

The Pentagon’s Provocative Encirclement of China

It failed to make headlines, but the recent change in name of the U.S. Pacific Command is an ominous sign of a coming U.S. confrontation with China, argues Michael T. Klare. By Michael T. Klare U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis…

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Julian Assange and the Mindszenty Case

Courageous publishers like Julian Assange and principled churchmen like Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty are a rarity: Neither would be silenced; and both had to seek asylum; but the similarity ends there, explains Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News During World…

Monday, June 18, 2018

A Call to Bring Julian Assange Home

The Australian government has an obligation to free Julian Assange, John Pilger told a rally in Sydney on June 16, marking Assange’s six years’ confinement in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. By John Pilger The persecution of Julian Assange must…

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Border Angels Fight Trump’s Borderland Brutality

As Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policy intensifies, an organization founded in 1986 has stepped up its efforts to help families under attack, as Dennis J. Bernstein explains. By Dennis J Bernstein America’s “National Pastime” used to be the heart of the…

Friday, June 15, 2018

Letter From Britain: An Establishment Blinded By Russophobia

A British elite challenged by the large parts of the British population is rallying around trumped-up fear of Russia as a means of protecting its interests, as Alexander Mercouris explains. By Alexander Mercouris  Special to Consortium News in London  Hostility…

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Democrats Put Partisanship Before Prospects for Peace

In 1972 Democrats were able to praise Nixon for going to China, but the reaction to Trump’s summit in Singapore shows how far we’ve come since then, says Joe Lauria. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News When Richard Nixon returned…

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Trump-Kim Summit Raises Cautious Hopes for Peace

The U.S. and North Korean leaders have ended their historic summit in Singapore temporarily silencing the naysayers but only time will tell whether it will bring peace to the Korean Peninsula, reports Joe Lauria.  By Joe Lauria  Special to Consortium…

Monday, June 11, 2018

French Thought Police and the Creeping Dictatorship of Virtue

A new French law to combat so-called “fake news” fits in all too well with the growing establishment campaign to censor dissident opinion by one means or another, argues Jean Bricmont.  By Jean Bricmont The French government of Emmanuel Macron…

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

On the Trail of the RFK Murder

Investigative reporter and author Dan Moldea began 27 years ago believing two gunmen were involved in RFK’s assassination but his pursuit of the case led him to a different conclusion, which we republish here in the ongoing debate on the…

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Consortium News at Left Forum in New York to Honor Bob Parry

Consortium News will hold a panel discussion at the Left Forum in New York on Sunday to honor the memory of Robert Parry, the late founder and editor of this website.  To remember Bob, the panel will discuss “The Death…

Friday, June 1, 2018

How to Get Off the No-Fly List

Years after George W. Bush created a secret “kill list” of alleged terrorism suspects, it remains murky how one gets on the list, and just as complicated to try to get off it, as Marjorie Cohn explains. By Marjorie Cohn…

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Our Dad’s Pledge to You, the Reader

“The core responsibility of a journalist is to have an open mind toward any information you might find, to have no agenda, and to have no preferred outcome. In other words, I don’t care what the truth is. I just…

Spooks Spooking Themselves

As the role of a well-connected of group of British and U.S. intelligence agents begins to emerge, new suspicions are growing about what hand they may have had in weaving the Russia-gate story, as Daniel Lazare explains. By Daniel Lazare…

Sunday, May 27, 2018

‘Ehud Barak Gave the Order to Kill’

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak received an earful from protestors when he was in San Francisco recently to hawk his new book, as explained in this interview by Dennis J. Bernstein.  By Dennis J Bernstein 05/27/2018 15:33:27 Former Israeli Prime…

Saturday, May 26, 2018

South Korean President Moons Bolton

The summit may still be alive because it appears advisers around Trump may well be warning him not to follow his national security adviser down the road to disaster, comments Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern  Special to Consortium News Thanks…

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

The U.S. and the Fate of the World

It may not be an exaggeration to say that the fate of civilization is up to Americans to sort out how they want to interact with the rest of the world, argues Inder Comar in this commentary. By Inder Comar…

Monday, May 21, 2018

Delusions and Genocide: A Reply to Diana Johnstone 

Consortium News published an article on May 4 by Diana Johnstone, in which she critiqued an article by Tony McKenna, who has asked for the right to reply. Editor’s Note: Consortium News published an article on May 4 by Diana…

Friday, May 18, 2018

US Not Sitting Idly By on Eve of Venezuelan Election

As Venezuelans go to the polls Sunday, the U.S. is working to disrupt the re-election of Nicolas Maduro and rollback leftwing governments in the region, reports Roger D. Harris. By Roger D. Harris Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is the frontrunner…

Thursday, May 17, 2018

An Iranian Viewpoint on the Battle for Syria

A new feature from Iran gives a totally different perspective of the war raging in Syria than Western audiences are used to, explains Rick Sterling. By Rick Sterling West against East on the Syrian battle-field, in the newspapers and now…

A Tale of Two Tortures

How the Americans and the British “tortured some folks” and got away with it, as Annie Machon explains. By Annie Machon Special to Consortium News in Brussels It was with some disbelief that I read of two torture-related stories emerging…

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The Rebuilding of Syria

As the war in Syria winds down the daunting task of resettling refugees and internally displaced people and rebuilding the country faces numerous obstacles, reports Jeff Klein. By Jeff Klein Special to Consortium News During visits to Syria in 2016 and 2018, the devastation…

Tribute to Robert Parry, Founder of Consortium News, May 19, Berkeley, CA.

REMINDER: This Saturday afternoon, May 19, at 2pm, a Tribute to Robert Parry, Founder and Editor of Consortium News will be held at Berkeley Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar St. in Berkeley, CA. Open to the public. Tickets at Brownpapertickets.comor at…

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The (Unrecognized) US Contribution to Bloodshed in Syria, Part Two

Bashar Asad sought closer relations with the West but the U.S. was planning to remove him as early as 2006, which eventually led to the devastating seven-year in Syria, says As’ad AbuKhalil in the second and last part of this…

Monday, May 14, 2018

The World Will Not Mourn the Decline of U.S. Hegemony

Commentators on both right and left bemoan the decline of American global power under Donald Trump, but is that such a bad thing?, asks Paul Street in this commentary. By Paul Street There are good reasons to bemoan the presence…

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Ecuador Hints It May Hand Over Assange

Julian Assange has remained incommunicado for more than six weeks and as his health deteriorates many of his former supporters have remained silent too, says James Cogan. By James Cogan Julian Assange is in immense danger. Remarks made this week…

Congress Weighs Indefinite Detention of Americans

A Senate bill under consideration could allow Donald Trump to indefinitely jail American citizens without charge if they oppose U.S. military action, says Marjorie Cohn. By Marjorie Cohn Under the guise of exercising supervisory power over the president’s ability to…

Saturday, May 12, 2018

The EU Will Not Stand by Iran and the Nuclear Deal

While European leaders have made noises that they will defy Donald Trump’s reneging on the Iran nuclear deal and resist U.S. sanctions, in the end the Europeans will give in to U.S., argues Alexander Mercouris in this commentary. By Alexander…

Trump’s War Against Iran

An apparent coordination between Trump leaving the Iran deal and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets in Syria portend an attack on Iran itself, says Eric S. Margolis.  By Eric S. Margolis? Israel attacked alleged Iranian military positions in Syria on Tuesday, just…

Friday, May 11, 2018

Trump’s Iran Debacle: What Will Germany and Russia Do?

It falls to Germany to save the Iran nuclear deal and try to prevent a devastating new Middle East War, argues Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare  Special to Consortium News In the wake of Donald Trump’s thoroughly unsurprising decision to…

Iran Deal Partners Consider How to Confront ‘Renegade’ U.S.

With the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal and with Americans ordering Europeans to stop dealing with Tehran, the remaining signatories are trying to figure out how to confront the U.S., says Enrico Carisch. By Enrico Carisch What can…