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.

Veteran Army Officer Urges Afghan Troop Drawdown

A veteran Army officer who has served in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars warns in an analysis now circulating in Washington that the counterinsurgency strategy urged by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal is likely to strengthen the Afghan insurgency, and calls for withdrawal of the bulk of U.S. combat forces from the country over 18 … Continue reading “Veteran Army Officer Urges Afghan Troop Drawdown”

Pro-War Officials Play Up Taliban-al-Qaeda Ties

U.S. national security officials, concerned that President Barack Obama might be abandoning the strategy of full-fledged counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan, are claiming new intelligence assessments suggesting that al-Qaeda would be allowed to return to Afghanistan in the event of a Taliban victory. But two former senior intelligence analysts who have long followed the issue of … Continue reading “Pro-War Officials Play Up Taliban-al-Qaeda Ties”

Leaked Iran Paper Based on Intel That Split IAEA

Excerpts of the internal draft report by the staff of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published online last week show that the report’s claims about Iranian work on a nuclear weapon is based almost entirely on intelligence documents that have provoked a serious conflict within the agency. Contrary to sensational stories by the Associated … Continue reading “Leaked Iran Paper Based on Intel That Split IAEA”

New Doubt Cast on US Claim Qom Plant is Illicit

An Iranian assertion that construction on its second enrichment facility began only last year and further analysis of satellite photos of the site have cast fresh doubts on the Barack Obama administration’s charge that the construction of the plant near Qom involved a covert decision to violate Iran’s obligations to report immediately to the International … Continue reading “New Doubt Cast on US Claim Qom Plant is Illicit”

US Story on Iran Nuke Facility Doesn’t Add Up

The story line that dominated media coverage of the second Iranian uranium enrichment facility last week was the official assertion that U.S. intelligence had caught Iran trying to conceal a "secret" nuclear facility. But an analysis of the transcript of that briefing by senior administration officials that was the sole basis for the news stories … Continue reading “US Story on Iran Nuke Facility Doesn’t Add Up”

Fears of Blame for Defeat Shadow Afghan War Meetings

In a remarkable parallel with a similar turning point in the Vietnam War 44 years ago, President Barack Obama will preside over a series of meetings in the coming weeks that will determine whether the United States will proceed with an escalation of the Afghanistan War or adjust the strategy to reduce the U.S. military … Continue reading “Fears of Blame for Defeat Shadow Afghan War Meetings”

US Afghan Campaign Plan Says Key Groups Back Taliban

The leak of the "initial assessment" of the war in Afghanistan by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top commander in the war, with its blunt warning that "[f]ailure to provide adequate resources" is likely to result in "mission failure," was part of an obvious effort to force the hand of a reluctant President Barack Obama … Continue reading “US Afghan Campaign Plan Says Key Groups Back Taliban”

IAEA Conceals Evidence Iran Documents Were Forged

The International Atomic Energy Agency says its present objective regarding Iran is to try to determine whether the intelligence documents purportedly showing a covert Iranian nuclear weapons program from 2001 to 2003 are authentic or not. The problem, according to its reports, is that Iran refuses to help clarify the issue. But the IAEA has … Continue reading “IAEA Conceals Evidence Iran Documents Were Forged”

Taliban’s Tank-Killing Bombs Came from US, Not Iran

In support of the official U.S. assertion that Iran is arming its sworn enemy, the Taliban, the head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Dennis Blair, has cited a statement by a Taliban commander last year attributing military success against NATO forces to Iranian military assistance. But the Taliban commander’s claim … Continue reading “Taliban’s Tank-Killing Bombs Came from US, Not Iran”

ElBaradei Foes Leaked Stories to Force His Hand on Iran

Western officials leaked stories to the Associated Press and Reuters last week aimed at pressuring the outgoing chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, to include a summary of intelligence alleging that Iran has been actively pursuing work on nuclear weapons in the IAEA report due out this week. The aim of the … Continue reading “ElBaradei Foes Leaked Stories to Force His Hand on Iran”