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.

The Media Misses the Point on ‘Proxy War’

The term “proxy war” has experienced a new popularity in stories on the Middle East. Various news sources began using the term to describe the conflict in Yemen immediately, as if on cue, after Saudi Arabia launched its bombing campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen on 25 March. “The Yemen Conflict Devolves into Proxy War,” … Continue reading “The Media Misses the Point on ‘Proxy War’”

Houthi Arms Bonanza Came From Saleh, Not Iran

As the Saudi bombing campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen continues, notwithstanding a temporary pause, the corporate media narrative about the conflict in Yemen is organized decisively around the idea that it is a proxy war between Iran on one side and the Saudis and United States on the other. USA Today responded like Pavlov’s … Continue reading “Houthi Arms Bonanza Came From Saleh, Not Iran”

Iran Won Upfront Sanctions Relief, but With Potential Snags

The framework agreement reached on Thursday night clearly gives the P5+1 a combination of constraints on Iran’s nuclear program that should reassure all but the most bellicose opponents of diplomacy. It also provides the basis for at least a minimum of sanctions relief in the early phase of its implementation that Iran required, but some … Continue reading “Iran Won Upfront Sanctions Relief, but With Potential Snags”

Iran Demands Lifting of Sanctions for ‘Irreversible’ Moves, Says Insider

As the P5+1 and Iran agree to continue talks on a possible joint statement past a midnight deadline into Wednesday, the most contentious issue in Lausanne still appears to be how and when sanctions on Iran will be lifted. Virtually all the details of the negotiating positions of the two sides remain cloaked in secrecy. However, … Continue reading “Iran Demands Lifting of Sanctions for ‘Irreversible’ Moves, Says Insider”

Sanctions and the Fate of the Nuclear Talks

With the agreed deadline for reaching a “political framework” for a final comprehensive nuclear agreement only a few days away, the fate of the negotiations now hang on closing the gap between the P5+1 and Iran on removing sanctions. The issues associated with Iran’s nuclear program have now been pretty much resolved, except for limits … Continue reading “Sanctions and the Fate of the Nuclear Talks”

The Real Story Behind the Republicans’ Iran Letter

The “open letter” from Senator Tom Cotton and 46 other Republican Senators to the leadership of Iran, which even Republicans themselves admit was aimed at encouraging Iranian opponents of the nuclear negotiations to argue that the United States cannot be counted on to keep the bargain, has created a new political firestorm. It has been … Continue reading “The Real Story Behind the Republicans’ Iran Letter”

The Long History of Israel Gaming the ‘Iranian Threat’

Western news media has feasted on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s talk and the reactions to it as a rare political spectacle rich in personalities in conflict. But the real story of Netanyahu’s speech is that he is continuing a long tradition in Israeli politics of demonizing Iran to advance domestic and foreign policy interests. The history … Continue reading “The Long History of Israel Gaming the ‘Iranian Threat’”

How US Diplomatic Strategy Gave Netanyahu Leverage

The latest public spat between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government centers on Israeli leaks of details of the U.S. negotiating position in the Iran nuclear talks and the U.S. consequently reducing its consultation with Israel on the talks. Washington Post columnist David Ignatius divulged some of the details of the quarrel this week. … Continue reading “How US Diplomatic Strategy Gave Netanyahu Leverage”

The Real Problem of ‘Getting to Yes’ With Iran

Talking to reporters Monday, President Obama asked rhetorically, “[D]oes Iran have the political will and desire to get a deal done?”  Iran “should be able to get to yes,” Obama said. “But we don’t know if that is going to happen. They have their hard-liners, they have their politics….” The idea that Iranian agreement to US … Continue reading “The Real Problem of ‘Getting to Yes’ With Iran”

The Nisman Murder and the AMIA Terror Bombing: A Tangled Thread

The evidence already available about Argentine Prosecutor Alberto Nisman’s death from a gunshot to the head creates a strong presumption that he was murdered.  He was about to present publicly his accusation that President Christina Fernández de Kirchner and her foreign minister, Héctor Timerman conspired to absolve Iran of the 1994 AMIA bombing and lift … Continue reading “The Nisman Murder and the AMIA Terror Bombing: A Tangled Thread”