Furious over defeat in Syria, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince is gambling again, arresting rivals at home and provoking a political crisis in Lebanon, but he may lack the geopolitical chips to pull off his bet, says ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke.
The Saudi Hand in Lebanon’s Crisis
Facing defeat in its proxy war for “regime change” in Syria, Saudi Arabia undertook some startling moves, including staging the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister, reports Dennis J Bernstein.
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Intelligence, Lost History, Media, Obama Administration, Secrecy, Trump Administration
Did Al Qaeda Dupe Trump on Syrian Attack?
Special Report: Buried deep inside a new U.N. report is evidence that could exonerate the Syrian government in the April 4 sarin atrocity and make President Trump look like an Al Qaeda dupe, reports Robert Parry.
How Saudi Arabia Sows Instability
U.S. propaganda claims Iran causes Mideast instability, but the truth is that Saudi Arabia – from backing Islamic extremists to blockading and bombing Yemen – is the real culprit, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar explains.
Campaign 2016, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Obama Administration, Politics, Right Wing, Trump Administration
Trump and Democrats Misread Mandates
Exclusive: Neither the Democrats nor President Trump learned the right lessons from the 2016 election, leaving the nation divided at home and bogged down in wars abroad, writes Robert Parry.
Human Rights, Media, Obama Administration, Politics, The Bush-43 Administration, Trump Administration
The Politics of Sexual Harassment and War
The Harvey Weinstein scandal has forced the ugly practice of sexual harassment into the public square, where private companies have proven to be more responsive than the political world, reports David Marks.
The Dangerous Business of Journalism
As information warfare becomes a hotter topic, journalists have become bigger targets for repression and even assassination, a troubling trend that is spreading across the globe, reports veteran war correspondent Don North.
Campaign 2016, Human Rights, Obama Administration, Politics, The Bush-43 Administration, Trump Administration
Trump and the NAFTA Effect
President Trump has blamed NAFTA for eliminating manufacturing jobs for U.S. workers but it also caused economic dislocation in Mexico, driving some desperate Mexicans northward to the U.S., as Dennis J Bernstein reports.
Campaign 2016, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Intelligence, Media, Obama Administration, Politics, Trump Administration
Learning to Love McCarthyism
Special Report: Many American liberals who once denounced McCarthyism as evil are now learning to love the ugly tactic when it can be used to advance the Russia-gate “scandal” and silence dissent, reports Robert Parry.
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Lost History, Obama Administration, The Bush-43 Administration, Trump Administration
How US Blunders Strengthened Iran
Exclusive: By echoing the Israeli-Saudi bellicosity toward Iran, President Trump is repeating the same mistakes of his predecessors and inviting wider Mideast wars that could enhance Iran’s position, writes Jonathan Marshall.
Trump’s Misplaced Love for Gitmo Trials
President Trump has brought the boorish bigotry of right-wing talk radio into the White House, as shown again by his ugly reaction to the terror attack on a New York bike path, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar explains.
The Trumped-Up Syria-Sarin Case
As Israel threatens an expanded war against Syria and Lebanon, an emotional justification is the alleged April 4 sarin attack that was blamed on the Syrian government despite huge holes in the evidence, as Rick Sterling reports.
Israeli-Saudi Tandem Adjusts to Syria Loss
Facing defeat in the proxy war in Syria, the Israeli-Saudi tandem is planning a new front against Hezbollah, presaged by Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri’s sudden resignation, as ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke explains.
The Legacy of Dennis Banks
Native American activist Dennis Banks, who died Oct. 29 at 80, leaves behind a legacy that includes a reenergized movement that reminded America of its original sins of genocide and deceit, as Dennis J Bernstein reports.
Recycled GOP Promises of ‘Trickle Down’
Since the 1980s, Republicans have insisted that tax cuts for the rich will benefit working people, but the rich just sock away their money and national needs are neglected. Yet, the same cycle is back again, says JP Sottile.
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Obama Administration, The Bush-43 Administration, Trump Administration
How Afghans View the Endless US War
To understand why the 16-year-old U.S. war in Afghanistan continues to fail requires a look from the ground where Afghans live and suffer, a plight breeding strong opposition to the U.S. presence, explains Kathy Kelly.
Rearranging the Watergate Myth
Exclusive: A Washington axiom holds that that when power and truth clash, power usually wins, but the contest can be complicated by competing personal agendas, as James DiEugenio notes about a new Watergate movie.
Israel Set to Block Palestinian Unity
As the Palestinians seek unity between their two rival factions, Israel stands ready to obstruct the process and thus maintain its complaint that the Palestinians remain divided, notes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.
Trump Follows Well-Worn Mideast Trail
Despite the chaotic appearance of President Trump’s Mideast policies, they actually represent a troubling consistency in U.S. subservience to Israel and Saudi Arabia, as ex-CIA official Graham E. Fuller explains.
Blaming the Afghan War Failure on — Russia
Exclusive: Another part of the U.S. mainstream media’s rash of Russia-bashing is to claim that Moscow is arming Afghanistan’s Taliban, but again the evidence doesn’t match the accusations, writes Jonathan Marshall.