Phyllis Bennis

Don’t Sit Tight: Congress Can Still Tank the Iran Deal

Members of Congress are fleeing Washington’s steam bath for their August recess, making this a key time for constituents to raise their voices on crucial issues. Right now, the biggest thing lawmakers must decide is whether they’ll join the 54 percent of voters who support diplomacy over war, or if they’d rather to kill the … Continue reading “Don’t Sit Tight: Congress Can Still Tank the Iran Deal”

Obama Does Have a Strategy in Iraq: Escalation

Almost nine months after President Obama admitted that “we don’t have a strategy yet” to challenge the Islamic State – and just days after he said he still has “no complete Iraq strategy” – the non-strategy suddenly has a name: escalation. According to reports in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, the … Continue reading “Obama Does Have a Strategy in Iraq: Escalation”

Jim Crow in the Holy Land

The last days of the campaign sounded an awful lot like the Jim Crow South, when African Americans had officially won the right to vote but still faced massive discrimination. On election morning, a powerful white official running for re-election urged his followers to get out and vote, warning that minority voters were turning out … Continue reading “Jim Crow in the Holy Land”

In Gaza, International Law Is Up in Flames

As Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip rages on, ceasefires come and go. Most last just long enough for Palestinians to dig out the dead from beneath their collapsed houses, get the injured to overcrowded and under-resourced hospitals, and seek enough food and water to last through the next round of airstrikes. “There is nothing … Continue reading “In Gaza, International Law Is Up in Flames”

Pope Francis in Palestine

There were plenty of important statements from Pope Francis during his recent three-day trip to Palestine and Israel – including a plea for “justice,” a traditional call for peace, and a reference to the “State of Palestine” – but at the end of the day it was all about the photo-ops. The pope’s visit was … Continue reading “Pope Francis in Palestine”

Obama Could Go it Alone: Bring All the Troops Home, and Stop the Killing

President Obama said during his State of the Union address that he would focus on things he could do alone — without having to depend on a badly divided, partisan Congress. And the powerful imagery he summoned in support of voting rights — real, implementable voting rights, based on the example of a 102-year-old voting … Continue reading “Obama Could Go it Alone: Bring All the Troops Home, and Stop the Killing”

No Military Intervention in Syria

The brave, nonviolent Syrian challenge to a brutal dictatorship emerged as part of the Arab risings across the region. But that short Syrian spring of 2011 has long since morphed into an escalation of militarization and death. The International Committee of the Red Cross acknowledged what many already recognized: Syria is immersed in full-scale civil … Continue reading “No Military Intervention in Syria”

We’re Fighting in a War We Lost Before the War Began

It shouldn’t surprise anyone, but support for the longest U.S. war is dropping further and faster than ever. The latest national U.S. poll, released on May 9, shows 66 percent of Americans are against the war in Afghanistan – with 40 percent "strongly opposed." We can expect to hear the usual spin, claims that it’s a … Continue reading “We’re Fighting in a War We Lost Before the War Began”

What’s Next for US-Libyan Relations?

After Moammar Gadhafi’s demise, the future of Libya’s relationship with the United States remains uncertain. Libya ousted its longtime leader in essentially a civil war in which the U.S. and NATO backed one side. This is a stark contrast with the independent and largely nonviolent revolutionary processes that led to the ouster of dictators in … Continue reading “What’s Next for US-Libyan Relations?”