Hamas Rocket Launches Don’t Explain Israel’s Gaza Destruction

Israel and its supporters abroad have parried accusations of indiscriminate destruction and mass killing of civilians in Gaza by arguing that they were consequences of strikes aimed at protecting Israeli civilians from rockets that were being launched from very near civilian structures. That defense has already found its way into domestic U.S. politics. A possible … Continue reading “Hamas Rocket Launches Don’t Explain Israel’s Gaza Destruction”

As Israel Assaulted Gaza, Its Supporters Pushed for Assaulting Iran

For 50 days in July and August Israel assaulted Gaza, slaughtering at least 2104 Palestinians, of whom 70 percent were civilians, including at least 504 children and 253 women. Israel’s aggression was condemned by a vast number of people, groups and governments (except, of course, by the Obama administration), including human rights advocates, and antiwar … Continue reading “As Israel Assaulted Gaza, Its Supporters Pushed for Assaulting Iran”

The Fate of the Gaza Ceasefire

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Is there nowhere on the face of the Earth where opinion polls aren’t taken? In the wake of the 50-day Israeli assault on Gaza, parts of that tiny strip of land now look, according to photographs, like a moonscape of destruction. At least 10,000 homes were obliterated and thousands more damaged; … Continue reading “The Fate of the Gaza Ceasefire”

NATO Poised To Escalate Tensions Over Ukraine

The NATO summit that took place at the end of last week in Wales was supposed to celebrate the end of a long, draining war in Afghanistan. But with the presidential election still up in the air in Kabul, NATO couldn’t enjoy its “mission accomplished” moment. Instead, the assembled ministers took steps to accelerate two … Continue reading “NATO Poised To Escalate Tensions Over Ukraine”

Peter King Demanded an Investigation To Find Journalist’s Sources Like Peter King

On May 7, 2012, then Associated Press reporters Adam Goldman and Matt Apuzzo broke the story of a thwarted al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) underwear bomb plot. Within a day, several news outlets – including ABC News, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times – reported that the culprit was actually a Saudi … Continue reading “Peter King Demanded an Investigation To Find Journalist’s Sources Like Peter King”

Bluster and Bluff in the Baltic

“I say to the people of Estonia and the people of the Baltics, today we are bound by our treaty alliance. … Article 5 is crystal clear: An attack on one is an attack on all. So if … you ever ask again, ‘who’ll come to help,’ you’ll know the answer – the NATO alliance, … Continue reading “Bluster and Bluff in the Baltic”

Corruption Is the Price of Empire

A New York Times investigation into the influence of foreign money on American thinktanks is causing a Twitter-storm as I write this, and with good reason. In one particularly egregious example, the report details an explicit agreement, signed by the principals, between the Center for Global Development (CGD) and the government of Norway for the … Continue reading “Corruption Is the Price of Empire”