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.

Karzai and Warlords Mount Massive Vote Fraud Scheme

Afghanistan’s presidential election has long been viewed by U.S. officials as a key to conferring legitimacy on the Afghan government, but Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his powerful warlord allies have planned to commit large-scale electoral fraud that could have the opposite effect. Two U.S.-financed polls published during the past week showed support for Karzai … Continue reading “Karzai and Warlords Mount Massive Vote Fraud Scheme”

Shi’a Unity Deal Explodes US Proxy-War Myth

The agreement announced Monday between Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and a Shi’a resistance group called the "League of the Righteous" (Asa’ib al-Haq) formally ended the group’s armed opposition to the regime in return for the release of its leader and eight other Shi’a detainees. This deals a final blow to the U.S. military’s narrative … Continue reading “Shi’a Unity Deal Explodes US Proxy-War Myth”

US Officials Protect Pak Military on Aid to Taliban

Despite evidence implicating the current Pakistani army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, in a major military assistance program for the Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan over the past few years, senior officials of the Barack Obama administration persuaded Congress to extend military assistance to Pakistan for five years without any assurance that the Pakistani assistance to … Continue reading “US Officials Protect Pak Military on Aid to Taliban”

Child Rapist Police Return Behind US, UK Troops

The strategy of the major U.S. and British military offensive in Afghanistan’s Helmand province aimed at wresting it from the Taliban is based on bringing back Afghan army and police to maintain permanent control of the population, so the foreign forces can move on to another insurgent stronghold. But that strategy poses an acute problem: … Continue reading “Child Rapist Police Return Behind US, UK Troops”

US Uses False Taliban Aid Charge to Pressure Iran

The Barack Obama administration has given new prominence to a Bush administration charge that Iran is providing military training and assistance to the Taliban in Afghanistan, for which no evidence has ever been produced, and which has been discredited by data obtained by IPS from the Pentagon itself. The new twist in the charge is … Continue reading “US Uses False Taliban Aid Charge to Pressure Iran”

Freeh Became ‘Defense Lawyer’ for Saudis on Khobar Attack

In early November 1998, Louis Freeh sent an FBI team off to observe Saudi secret police officials interviewing eight Shi’a detainees from behind a one-way mirror at the Riyadh detention center. He planned to use the Shi’a testimony to show that Iran was behind the bombing. As expected, the stories told by the detainees recapitulated … Continue reading “Freeh Became ‘Defense Lawyer’ for Saudis on Khobar Attack”

Afghan Air Strike Report Belies ‘Blame Taliban’ Line

The version of the official military investigation into the disastrous May 4 air strike in Farah province made public last week by the Central Command was carefully edited to save the U.S. command in Afghanistan the embarrassment of having to admit that earlier claims blaming the massive civilian deaths on the "Taliban" were fraudulent. By … Continue reading “Afghan Air Strike Report Belies ‘Blame Taliban’ Line”

FBI Ignored Evidence of bin Laden Role in Khobar Attack

Osama Bin Laden had made no secret of his intention to attack the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia. He had been calling for such attacks to drive it from the country since his first fatwa calling for jihad against Western "occupation" of Islamic lands in early 1992. On Jul. 11, 1995, he had written … Continue reading “FBI Ignored Evidence of bin Laden Role in Khobar Attack”

US Officials Leaked False Story Blaming Iran for Khobar Attack

In March 1997, FBI Director Louis Freeh got what he calls in his memoirs "the first truly big break in the case": the arrest in Canada of one of the Saudi Hezbollah members the Saudis accused of being the driver of the getaway car at Khobar Towers. Hani al-Sayegh, then 28 years old, had arrived … Continue reading “US Officials Leaked False Story Blaming Iran for Khobar Attack”