Exclusive: The CIA’s “Operation Merlin,” which involved providing Iran with a flawed design for a nuclear weapon and resulted in an alleged whistleblower going to prison, was the perfect example of creating intelligence in order to justify operations, reports Gareth Porter.
Category: Foreign Policy
Why Putin’s Latest Weapons Claims Should Scare Us
Exclusive: Americans should be very concerned about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on Russia’s breakthroughs in weapons technology – not necessarily because they pose a threat, but because it will mean vast fortunes spent in the U.S. on an arms race, Jonathan…
All Fire and Fury in Ukraine
Exclusive: The still decidedly volatile situation in Ukraine – resulting from another in a long line of U.S.-inspired regime changes that have destabilized the geopolitical landscape over the past few decades – is worth revisiting for a number of reasons.…
Katharine Gun’s Risky Truth-telling
From the Archive: On March 2, 2003, British intelligence official Katharine Gun blew the whistle on a pre-Iraq War ploy. On today’s 15-year anniversary of that event, we republish a 2014 article about Gun’s truth-telling by Sam Husseini.
Missile-gate: U.S. Intel Misses Russia’s Big Advances in Nuclear Parity
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on Thursday of major technological advances in nuclear weapons delivery systems appears to have caught the U.S. intelligence community unawares, reports Gilbert Doctorow.
Italy’s Choice: Shock or Stagnation
Exclusive: Italy’s elections this weekend represent a choice between the status quo, with risks of further austerity and structural reforms, or a wild card of populists who may lack competence and hold anti-democratic views, explains Andrew Spannaus.
North Korea, Iran and U.S. Intelligence that Neither Hears Nor Sees
A recent Worldwide Threat Assessment issued by the U.S. intelligence community exaggerates threats posed by North Korea and Iran, ignoring well-known realities and downplaying the U.S.’s own previous intelligence assessments, notes Ted Snider.
The War Against Alternative Information
From the Archive: The State Department is reportedly spending $40 million to bolster the Global Engagement Center’s efforts to crack down on “foreign propaganda.” On this occasion we republish an article by Rick Sterling examining the motives behind this initiative…
Resisting Calls to ‘Do Something’ About Syria
A common refrain is that the West must “do something” to help Syria, but this is like arguing that the gasoline that was used to start a fire can also be used to extinguish it, explains Caitlin Johnstone.
Who Benefits from Russia’s ‘Peculiar’ Doping Violations?
The Winter Olympics concluded with two Russian athletes testing positive for banned substances. But the doping would have made little sense in terms of gaining a competitive edge, leading Rick Sterling to wonder who benefits?