Daniel Larison

The Biden administration hasn’t followed through on its commitment to end U.S. support for the Saudi coalition war on Yemen. Almost four months since Biden announced the end to US support for Saudi coalition "offensive operations," the administration refuses to tell Congress what kind of support it has halted and what it has continued. A … Continue reading “Lift the Criminal Blockade on Yemen”

Whenever the U.S. or one of its client states launches attacks on others or commits war crimes against a civilian population, they claim they are acting in self-defense. This takes a legitimate exception to the U.N. Charter’s prohibition on the use of force and twists it into a catch-all justification for criminal aggression and violations … Continue reading “Crying ‘Self-Defense’ To Cover Up War Crimes”

Withdrawing from war zones usually doesn’t end our government’s role in a war. U.S. forces are often just relocated to a neighboring country and expected to continue the same mission from a new base. Shortly before leaving office, Trump ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Somalia, where they have been working with the government … Continue reading “The Troops Move, But the Wars Continue”

The Israeli government has gone out of its way in recent weeks to confirm that it is an apartheid state. In one of the latest egregious examples of this oppressive system, Israeli police attacked Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque last Friday on one of the most important days of Ramadan using stun grenades, tear gas, … Continue reading “Israeli Apartheid Is On Display”

Broad economic sanctions are a form of warfare, and the U.S. is by far the most frequent economic belligerent in the world. Our government’s overuse and abuse of sanctions has increased by leaps and bounds in just the last two decades. Sanctions designations increased significantly during the Obama years, and then they exploded under Trump … Continue reading “Sanctions Are War”

The U.S. does not know how to end its wars. Even when US troops are withdrawn from another country, US involvement in the war there does not necessarily end. The Trump administration pulled troops out of Somalia last year, but US military operations in Somalia continue. President Biden has committed to withdrawing the remaining troops … Continue reading “How We End the Forever War”

The Israeli government’s latest attempt to sabotage negotiations over the nuclear deal with Iran has failed. Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility suffered a significant attack on April 11 that caused a blackout and destroyed or damaged hundreds of centrifuges. The Israeli government carried out the attack in the hopes of derailing the talks in Vienna that … Continue reading “Israeli Sabotage of the Nuclear Deal Fails Again”

The Biden administration risks creating a crisis with Russia with its ill-considered shows of support for the Ukrainian government. President Biden expressed his "unwavering support" for Ukraine in a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, and there are reports that U.S. ships may be sent into the Black Sea to "send a message" to Russia. … Continue reading “Keep Ukraine Out of NATO”

The twentieth anniversary of the start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan is only six months away, and it is still uncertain whether the Biden administration will withdraw the last remaining American troops from America’s longest war. Last month, President Biden seemed to pour cold water on the possibility of leaving by the agreed-upon May … Continue reading “Get Out of Afghanistan!”

President Biden claims to be restoring American diplomacy and rebuilding relations with allies that were strained under Trump, but his handling of the relationship with South Korea and his North Korea policy to date reveal an administration that doesn’t know how to do either one. As a candidate, Biden faulted Trump for being too accommodating … Continue reading “Denuclearization Is a Dead End”