“Assad must go. Assad must go.” This monotonous mantra has echoed endlessly in halls of power throughout the US-led imperium. In Washington, London, Riyadh, Doha, Ankara, and Tel Aviv, its chant has droned on for years, heedless of developments. Al Qaeda and ISIS leading the anti-Assad insurgency? Assad must go. And we will risk future … Continue reading “Syrians Deserve Self-Determination”
When War Hawks Coo Like Doves
Disastrous policies often raise the question of whether the policy makers at fault are stupid or evil. The scales tips toward malevolence whenever the guilty parties evince a basic grasp of the reasons why their schemes are calamitous. For example, Washington’s Syria policy has been a slow motion train wreck. And the “train engineers” keep … Continue reading “When War Hawks Coo Like Doves”
Medical Care for Terrorists Will Get You Bombed by the US… Unless You’re Israel
U.S. and Afghan officials have tried to justify the recent U.S./NATO bombing of a Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) hospital in Afghanistan (which killed 22 people) by claiming that it was housing Taliban fighters. Glenn Greenwald recently wrote of the: “…long-standing tension between the Afghan military and this specific MSF hospital, grounded in the … Continue reading “Medical Care for Terrorists Will Get You Bombed by the US… Unless You’re Israel”
Clean Break to Dirty Wars
To understand today’s crises in Iraq, Syria, and Iran, one must grasp their shared Lebanese connection. This assertion may seem odd. After all, what’s the big deal about Lebanon? That little country hasn’t had top headlines since Israel deigned to bomb and invade it in 2006. Yet, to a large extent, the roots of the bloody … Continue reading “Clean Break to Dirty Wars”
Where Does ISIS Get Those Wonderful Toys?
In the 1989 film Batman, after the caped crusader rescues a damsel in distress from the Joker using a fancy zipline gun, the clown prince of crime, played by Jack Nicholson, asks in bewilderment: “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” Especially upon seeing Batman’s nicest toys — his armored Batmobile and his military-grade Batwing fighter plane, … Continue reading “Where Does ISIS Get Those Wonderful Toys?”
The US Government’s Not-So-Secret Support for Al Qaeda and ISIS
“9/11: Never forget,” the tee-shirts insisted. “Have you forgotten how it felt that day?” the country crooner warbled. “September 11th… global terrorism!” the candidate for President of 9/11, Rudolph Giuliani, endlessly repeated. To this day we are bombarded with such reminders whenever reductions of the swollen national security state are proposed and need to be fended off with … Continue reading “The US Government’s Not-So-Secret Support for Al Qaeda and ISIS”
Don’t Forget Syria
News about President Obama’s program to listen in on nearly all telephone conversations in the United States, which Antiwar.com has been warning about for over two years, has preempted much of the alarming coverage about Syria. But one should not assume that lack of reporting means that the hawks are not continuing their efforts to … Continue reading “Don’t Forget Syria”
John McCain Cuddles Up to Syrian Kidnappers
When Sen. John McCain went to Syria to meet with Syrian “rebel” commanders and call for sending them US arms, he snuck over the border with Turkey to the town of Azaz – the headquarters of the “Northern Storm Brigade,” and the site of a 2012 kidnapping by Syrian rebels of 11 Shi’ite pilgrims returning … Continue reading “John McCain Cuddles Up to Syrian Kidnappers”
Why John McCain Wants to Aid Syrian Terrorists
When John McCain slipped into Syria the other day to meet with Islamist rebels, Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted “best wishes” to his fellow warmonger and claimed “dibs on his office if he doesn’t come back.” Leave it to Sen. Graham, who has been agitating along with McCain for the US to send weapons to the … Continue reading “Why John McCain Wants to Aid Syrian Terrorists”
Despite Horrific Violence, the US Should Stay Out of Syria
The worsening violence and repression in Syria has left policymakers scrambling to think of ways the United States could help end the bloodshed and support those seeking to dislodge the Assad regime. The desperate desire to “do something” has led to increasing calls for the United States to provide military aid to armed insurgents or … Continue reading “Despite Horrific Violence, the US Should Stay Out of Syria”