Philip Giraldi

I am going to explain why Gareth Porter’s new book Manufactured Crisis: the Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare is possibly the most important expose of political corruption and government malfeasance to appear in the past ten years. Investigative reporter Porter’s meticulously documented account tells the tale of how the government lied again and … Continue reading “Targeting Iran”

Mitt Romney is the kind of guy who just never goes away, even when you really, really want him to. Readers will recall that Mitt had some funny ideas about foreign policy back in 2012, insisting that Russia was our "number one geopolitical foe." He is now at it again, explaining what he would have … Continue reading “Foreign Policy Delusion Is Bipartisan”

On March 6th President Barack Obama signed an executive order "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine" which permits Washington to seize the assets of any "United States person" who opposes current US policies vis-à-vis that country. The order claims absurdly that the status quo in Ukraine and the Crimean referendum … Continue reading “Simple Stuff About Ukraine”

Back in my CIA days we sometimes used to describe our opponents in the KGB as "ten feet tall." It was, in truth, a tribute to their tradecraft and ability to operate in largely hostile environments. Soviet case officers were sent overseas meticulously trained in both the local culture and language, remained in a country … Continue reading “Selling a Mossad Book”

It is perhaps a sign of the weakening of the Israel Lobby after three significant defeats over the Chuck Hagel confirmation, bombing Syria and imposing new sanctions on Iran that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) should be willing to crawl out from the shadows on and around Capitol Hill where it usually operates … Continue reading “AIPAC and Friends Explain Themselves”

The problem with writing a weekly column is that when the new piece has finally appeared you have to sit right down and start thinking about what you might be able to do by the next deadline. Sometimes a story is obvious based on what is taking place in the world, but occasionally there is … Continue reading “That Old Clinton Foreign Policy Magic”

Why is the United States so reluctant to negotiate with other countries and so prone to leap immediately to the option of using force or chicanery in lieu of a more deliberative foreign policy? It might partly be because we Americans are not very good at the subtlety and give-and-take that diplomacy requires, but it … Continue reading “Diplomacy Is a Four Letter Word”

Whenever one needs a good laugh there is almost always an obliging politician who can come up with something that makes the rest of us smile. Michigan Republican Mike Rogers, frequently noted scowling with a face radiating hostility that could curdle milk, chairs the House Intelligence Committee. He is much given to finding enemies under … Continue reading “The Art of American Scaremongering”

I read in the newspaper last week now the US Chief Negotiator on the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Martin Indyk, met with a group of Jewish leaders to brief them on the "tightly held" details of what was being proposed by Secretary of State John Kerry. A few days before, New York’s new mayor Bill de … Continue reading “Ordinary Citizens Need Not Apply”

Even though there were few good reasons to vote for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, the Republicans provided plenty of better reasons not to vote for their candidates, allowing Obama to benefit from the political vacuum. I was particularly concerned in both election cycles regarding the in-your-face religiosity of several of the GOP candidates. … Continue reading “Putting a Christian Zionist in Charge”