Philip Giraldi

Philip Giraldi, a former CIA officer, is a contributing editor to The American Conservative and executive director of the Council for the National Interest.

The Inevitable War With Iran

One might regard the pledges made to Israel and its friends in the United States by aspiring presidential candidates as pro forma and vaguely amusing, but that would be a mistake. Policy commitments, even if they are lightly entered into, are a serious matter with real-world consequences. At the moment, the obligation to Israel goes … Continue reading “The Inevitable War With Iran”

Washington’s Secret Wars

Following the widely reported Iranian government plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington and alarming new reports of civilian deaths in Syria, the White House has issued several findings to the intelligence community authorizing stepped-up covert action against both Damascus and Tehran. A “finding” is top-level approval for secret operations considered to be particularly … Continue reading “Washington’s Secret Wars”

Neocons Preoccupied With Islamic Conspiracy Theories

The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, for all its flaws, is a genuine expression of the growing recognition in the United States that the government no longer serves the interests of the people. It has been described as an American version of the “Arab Spring,” driven by a sense of popular alienation from the elites … Continue reading “Neocons Preoccupied With Islamic Conspiracy Theories”

CIA Follies Put Agents at Risk

The transformation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) into a “terrorist-killing machine” using pilotless drones has diminished its ability to perform the function for which it was created in 1947 — to collect and analyze information. Right from the beginning, there was concern that the CIA would become some kind of secretive international police force … Continue reading “CIA Follies Put Agents at Risk”

Will Washington Thump the Syrian Domino?

I recently attended a conference where a speaker commented that the Obama administration has seemingly become addicted to war and conflict, finding itself unable to turn down any opportunity to intervene militarily in a new country or region. I might have added that where an actual U.S. military presence is lacking, the White House frequently … Continue reading “Will Washington Thump the Syrian Domino?”

Washington Loses on Own-Goal Hat Trick

In soccer, an “own goal” is when you screw up royally and kick the ball into your own net. It is the height of embarrassment to lose a game on an own goal. A “hat trick” is when a player scores three goals. No one has ever lost a soccer game on a hat trick … Continue reading “Washington Loses on Own-Goal Hat Trick”

The Merchants of Death and Me

I attended a recent talk on “defense cooperation” between the United States and the Arab world. Inevitably, no one on the panel of five bothered to ask why the United States should be fueling an arms race by selling to nearly every country in the region, but as each speaker had a personal interest in … Continue reading “The Merchants of Death and Me”

Obama Declares Victory, but Will It Win Votes?

Over two years ago, President Barack Obama, who had campaigned declaring that Iraq was an unnecessary war, doubled down on the war that he declared to be a vital interest, Afghanistan. Today, the United States is departing Iraq and Obama is acting like it is his decision to go, but it is only because the … Continue reading “Obama Declares Victory, but Will It Win Votes?”

How to Kill an Ambassador

An increasing number of former intel officers that I network with are convinced that the alleged plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador in Washington is not only completely implausible as described by the Justice Department and White House but also possibly the contrivance of an intelligence or security service other than that of Iran. … Continue reading “How to Kill an Ambassador”

Republican Foreign Policy Follies

Foreign policy is admittedly not the strong suit of the Republican presidential candidates, but if there is one candidate who does have genuine experience in that area it is Jon Huntsman, the former government of Utah and U.S. ambassador to China. Huntsman outlined his position on America’s foreign and security policies on Columbus Day. Interestingly, … Continue reading “Republican Foreign Policy Follies”