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.

National Security State Left US Defenseless Against Coronavirus

Donald Trump’s failure to act decisively to control the coronavirus pandemic has likely made the Covid-19 pandemic far more lethal than it should have been. But the reasons behind failure to get protective and life-saving equipment like masks and ventilators into the hands of health workers and hospitals run deeper than Trump’s self-centered recklessness. Both … Continue reading “National Security State Left US Defenseless Against Coronavirus”

Pompeo and Netanyahu Paved a Path to War With Iran, and They’re Pushing Trump Again

The administration of President Donald Trump may escape the most recent conflict with Iran without war, however, a dangerous escalation is just over the horizon. And as before, the key factors driving the belligerence are not outraged Iraqi militia leaders or their allies in Iran, but Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and Israeli Prime … Continue reading “Pompeo and Netanyahu Paved a Path to War With Iran, and They’re Pushing Trump Again”

The NYT Insidious Ongoing Disinformation Campaign on Russia and Elections

For the past three years the new narrative of Russian interference in U.S. elections has bound corporate news media more tightly than ever to the interests of the national security state. And no outlet has pushed that narrative more aggressively – and with more violence to the relevant facts – than The New York Times. … Continue reading “The NYT Insidious Ongoing Disinformation Campaign on Russia and Elections”

How Corporate Media Are Fueling a New Iran Nuclear Crisis

The U.S. news media’s coverage of the Iran nuclear issue has been woefully off-kilter for many years. Now, however, those same outlets are contributing to the serious crisis building between Washington and Tehran. Iran has responded to Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal by resuming the stockpiling of low enriched uranium, removing the cap … Continue reading “How Corporate Media Are Fueling a New Iran Nuclear Crisis”

Lies About Iran Killing US Troops in Iraq Are a Ploy to Justify War

One of the many myths that have been used to justify the push for war with Iran led by National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is that Tehran is responsible for the killing of more than 600 U.S. troops during the Iraq War. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, whose … Continue reading “Lies About Iran Killing US Troops in Iraq Are a Ploy to Justify War”

No War With Iran, for Now – but Mike Pompeo and John Bolton Still Really, Really Want One

After a week of high drama in which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicated the Trump administration was preparing for war with Iran, President Trump sought to end the war crisis, at least for now, by declining to retaliate against Iran over what he called “very minor” attacks. Trump canceled a retaliatory strike on Iran … Continue reading “No War With Iran, for Now – but Mike Pompeo and John Bolton Still Really, Really Want One”

Pentagon’s Phony Iran ‘Evidence’: New Rationale for US Intervention?

Last week a senior Pentagon official accused Iran of having sabotaged four oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on May 12 and of firing a rocket into Baghdad’s Green Zone on May 19. Iran executed these events, he said, either directly or through regional “proxies.” But instead of creating sensational headlines, the briefing by … Continue reading “Pentagon’s Phony Iran ‘Evidence’: New Rationale for US Intervention?”

Bolton Is Spinning Israeli ‘Intelligence’ to Push for War Against Iran

John Bolton has gotten away with a dangerous deception. The national security adviser’s announcement Sunday that the Pentagon has deployed air and naval forces to the Middle East, which he combined with a threat to Iran, points to a new maneuver to prepare the ground for an incident that could justify a retaliatory attack against … Continue reading “Bolton Is Spinning Israeli ‘Intelligence’ to Push for War Against Iran”

Mueller Stoked Trump-Russia Alarmism, Despite Finding No Collusion

The Mueller report did not find evidence that contacts between Trump campaign advisers and staff and Russians during the 2016 election campaign constitute “collusion” or “conspiracy” with a Russian effort to elect Donald Trump. Nevertheless, Mueller’s report is bound to prolong the U.S. political obsession with the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, because it keeps alive the … Continue reading “Mueller Stoked Trump-Russia Alarmism, Despite Finding No Collusion”

How the US Navy Sold the Vietnam War

Dr. Tom Dooley, whose best-selling book Deliver Us From Evil helped create a favorable climate of opinion for U.S. intervention in South Vietnam, has long been linked to legendary CIA officer Edward G. Lansdale and his black operations in Vietnam between 1954 and 1955. But the real story about Dooley’s influential book, which has finally … Continue reading “How the US Navy Sold the Vietnam War”