Gareth Porter

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist specializing in U.S. national security policy. The paperback edition of his latest book, Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam, was published in 2006.

Israel Pins Bombing on Hezbollah to Get EU Terror Ruling

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim Sunday of absolutely reliable intelligence linking Hezbollah to the bombing in Burgas, Bulgaria, last week was apparently aimed at supporting his government’s determination to get the EU to declare Hezbollah a terrorist state. The Netanyahu claim in interviews on Fox News Sunday and CBS’s Face the Nation of “rock … Continue reading “Israel Pins Bombing on Hezbollah to Get EU Terror Ruling”

Netanyahu Refuses Explicit Iran Attack Threat

The perception that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities unless sanctions and diplomacy succeed in shutting them down has been the driving force in the Iran crisis. But although Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have made some tough statements, especially over the past several months, there is still … Continue reading “Netanyahu Refuses Explicit Iran Attack Threat”

How a Nonexistent Bomb Cylinder Distorts the Iran Nuclear Issue

For many months, the most dramatic media storyline on Iran’s nuclear program has been an explosives-containment cylinder that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says was installed at Iran’s Parchin military base a decade ago to test nuclear weapons. The coverage of the initial IAEA account of the cylinder in its report last November has … Continue reading “How a Nonexistent Bomb Cylinder Distorts the Iran Nuclear Issue”

New Israeli Deputy PM Undercuts Strategy of Pressure on Obama

By staking out a policy line on Iran reflecting the views of the Israeli national security leadership, Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz has undercut the Benjamin Netanyahu government’s carefully planned strategy to get U.S. President Barack Obama to threaten war against Iran if it doesn’t give up its nuclear programme. It could be the beginning … Continue reading “New Israeli Deputy PM Undercuts Strategy of Pressure on Obama”

Changes at Parchin Suggest an Iranian Bargaining Ploy

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western governments acted this week to escalate their accusations that Iran has "sanitized" a site at its Parchin military complex to hide evidence of nuclear weapons work, showing satellite images of physical changes at the site to IAEA member delegations. The nature of the changes depicted in the … Continue reading “Changes at Parchin Suggest an Iranian Bargaining Ploy”

US Rejected 2005 Iranian Offer Ensuring No Nuclear Weapons

France and Germany were prepared in spring 2005 to negotiate on an Iranian proposal to convert all of Iran’s enriched uranium to fuel rods, making it impossible to use it for nuclear weapons, but Britain vetoed the deal at the insistence of the United States, according to a new account by a former top Iranian … Continue reading “US Rejected 2005 Iranian Offer Ensuring No Nuclear Weapons”

US Hard Line in Failed Iran Talks Driven by Israel

Negotiations between Iran and the United States and other members of the P5+1 group in Baghdad ended in fundamental disagreement Thursday over the position of the P5+1 offering no relief from sanctions against Iran. The two sides agreed to meet again in Moscow Jun. 18 and 19, but only after Iran had threatened not to … Continue reading “US Hard Line in Failed Iran Talks Driven by Israel”

Was Afghan Massacre Linked to IED Attack?

Interviews with survivors, relatives of the civilians massacred in Panjwai on March 11, and other local residents add new evidence suggesting that the massacre was linked to the response by the U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) unit to a roadside bomb that had blown up a U.S. troop carrier three days earlier. Sgt. Robert Bales, … Continue reading “Was Afghan Massacre Linked to IED Attack?”

IAEA Parchin Demand Puts Iran Cooperation Pact at Risk

In meetings with Iranian officials in Vienna this week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) apparently intends to hold up agreement on a plan for Iran’s full cooperation in clarifying allegations of covert nuclear weapons work by insisting that it must first let the nuclear agency visit Parchin military base. That demand, coupled with the … Continue reading “IAEA Parchin Demand Puts Iran Cooperation Pact at Risk”