I just heard the news: the United States has changed its mind about Jens Stoltenberg, the new head of NATO. The U.S. Congress has passed a resolution blocking his appointment. Apparently, during his youth, Stoltenberg threw stones at the US embassy in Oslo. As such,...

Militants attempted to take over a village in Diyala province but, so far, have failed to do so. This would be the second location in Diyala to suffer a prolonged siege against it at the hands of DAASH/ISIS militants. Baghdad is bookended by Diyala and Anbar provinces, so the fall of Diyala province would be a great coup for militants working their way toward the capital. At least 35 people were killed, almost all of them militants, and 53 more were wounded today.

The war is on – no, not that war, this war: I’m talking about the GOP establishment’s war on Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, whose presidential campaign has taken wing and soared. And it isn’t just the Karl Roves and Peter Kings of this world who are up in arms over the...

Originally posted at TomDispatch. After an argument about a leave denied, Specialist Ivan Lopez pulled out a .45-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and began a shooting spree at Fort Hood, America’s biggest stateside base, that left three soldiers dead and 16...

When Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Empire an "evil empire," the phrase reflected his conviction that while the East-West struggle was indeed a global geostrategic conflict, it had a deep moral dimension. If Americans did not see the Cold War as he did, a battle...

At least 106 were killed today in Iraq, and another 73 people were wounded. Over half the fatalities were militants, but security forces and civilians were also harmed.

April 19 is the 21st anniversary of the holocaust which ended the 51-day standoff between followers of the Branch Davidians and federal authorities in Waco, Texas. Though it calmed down before any violence took place, all last week the news cycle was consumed with...

At least 104 people were killed today. Many of them were militants, but a large number of security forces and civilians were among the casualties. At least 95 people were wounded. The most significant attack was on a government compound housing the Anbar governor’s office and provincial council building.

The hysteria over Crimea’s secession from Ukraine and incorporation into the Russian Federation still has the Washington policy wonks all a-twitter. We even have the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (a.k.a. AIPAC) calling for US ground troops to be sent to...

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Be careful what you wish for. In 2011, a Libyan rebellion began against autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. It undoubtedly reflected the wish of many Libyans for a new world of their own without his heavy hand or that of his secret police and...