Brian Cloughley

On February 12 it was announced by the UN that a British lawyer had been elected as chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. No matter what one might think of the ICC, it is taking steps to investigate war crimes in Afghanistan and Yemen, so it can’t be all bad. But a major point … Continue reading “Britain’s Double Standards in International Affairs”

On April 25 the White House published a heartening and most welcome “Joint Statement by President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia” to mark “the 75th Anniversary of the historic meeting between American and Soviet troops, who shook hands on the damaged bridge over the Elbe River. This event heralded the decisive … Continue reading “Why Keep On Confronting?”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has often declared that he considers himself to be a devout evangelical Christian, and in November 2019 told the New York Times Magazine that the Bible “informs everything I do.” Given that his religious convictions are based on the Bible, he is doubtless familiar with the command from Philippians … Continue reading “Now Is the Time to Cancel Sanctions on Iran”

The killing of Iranian General Soleimani was big news. There were a few points made in the Western mainstream media about its legality being dubious, but nobody seems to be concerned that it contravened international law, in addition to be totally amoral. One wonders if any of the drone operators, the little key-tapping techno-dweebs thousands … Continue reading “Drone Strikes Leave Innocent Widows and Orphans”

A lot happened in and about Afghanistan on August 15. The BBC reported that 48 people were killed in Kabul and that there has been "a recent upsurge in militant violence, including a major Taliban assault on the eastern city of Ghazni [where] at least 100 members of the security forces were killed." Then Stars … Continue reading “Get Out of That Quagmire in Afghanistan”

Countries of the NATO military alliance have been ordered by President Trump to increase their spending on weapons, and the reasons for his insistence they do so are becoming clearer. It’s got nothing to do with any defense rationale, because the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has admitted that “we don’t see any imminent … Continue reading “NATO Is a Goldmine for the US/Military Industrial Complex”

"A Palestinian journalist shot Friday during clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces at the Gaza-Israel border died of his wounds later Friday night. The journalist, Yaser Murtaja, can be seen in photos soon after he was shot, wearing a protective jacket labeled PRESS. Four other journalists were injured by live fire during the demonstrations, one … Continue reading “‘There Are No Innocent People in the Gaza Strip’”

The TV series, The Vietnam War, is absolutely riveting. The ten discs in the DVD set provide over 17 hours of viewing, and there is hardly a moment wasted. It is evenhanded to the most admirable degree, and presents the points of view of war-supporters in the US and Vietnam as well as doubters, protesters … Continue reading “Intensified Bombing for Victory in Afghanistan”

The censored version of the 2018 US National Defense Strategy has a motto – and, absurdly, a bumper sticker – proclaiming that the United States must "Compete, Deter, and Win" which is an aggressive declaration of uncompromising military confrontation. As observed by the Brookings Institution, the Strategy "unveiled a global operating model to help centrally … Continue reading “Compete, Deter, and Win With Big Guns and Better Chow in the Baltic States”

International fame, at last! Pakistan hit international headlines because it was the subject of Donald Trump’s first tweet of 2018. The country will have a small but everlasting place in history. Trump is the man who immediately after being elected US President telephoned the then prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, to say Pakistan is … Continue reading “Now Trump Menaces Pakistan”