Secretary of State Kerry urged President Obama to launch secret missile attacks inside Syria without admitting the U.S. role, a plan that Obama rejected, according to a new report cited by Gareth Porter.
Kerry’s Secret War Plan for Syria
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Intelligence, Obama Administration, Secrecy, The Bush-43 Administration
What’s the Matter with John Kerry?
From the Archive: As a young warrior and senator, John Kerry stood up to politicians who spread propaganda that got people killed. But, as a Secretary of State in his 70s, Kerry has become what he once challenged, Robert Parry reported in 2014.
Campaign 2016, Constitution, Human Rights, Media, Obama Administration, Politics, Religion, Right Wing
Trump and a Clash of Values
Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric, including threats against Muslims for their religious affiliation, has prompted clashes at his rallies and raised freedom of speech issues, writes Nat Parry.
Obama, the Hesitant ‘Realist’
President Obama has come partially out of the closet as a foreign policy “realist,” but he hesitates in the face of Official Washington’s neocon establishment, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar explains.
Dangers from Pesticides
Intensive use of pesticides in California and other agricultural centers presents a risk to farmworkers and their families that is still only dimly understood, writes Dennis J Bernstein.
In Case You Missed…
Some of our special stories in February focused on the early U.S. presidential race, the continuing U.S.-Russian tensions, and the bloodletting in Syria.
Campaign 2016, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Lost History, Obama Administration, Politics, Right Wing, The Bush-43 Administration
The Electoral Choice from Hell
The prospect of a Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump general election is nightmarish for Americans who see Clinton as a warmonger and Trump as a demagogue, but William Blum sees Trump as the lesser danger.
Hillary’s Double-Standard on Protests
Exclusive: Hillary Clinton is lecturing Donald Trump on the need to respect protesters but – in 2011 – she did nothing to stop police from brutalizing a silent protester at one of her speeches, writes Robert Parry.
Clinton’s Email Hypocrisy
Hillary Clinton imposed a double-standard on emails as Secretary of State, one for her underlings and one for herself, and now she’s using double-talk to excuse her behavior, writes Bart Gruzalski.
Neocons Red-Faced Over ‘Red Line’
Exclusive: Official Washington’s neocons love to condemn President Obama for not enforcing his “red line” after a sarin attack in Syria in 2013, even though one neocon now admits that U.S. intelligence lacked the proof, writes Robert Parry.
Turkey’s Path to Dictatorship
Throttling Turkey’s democracy, President Erdogan seized an opposition newspaper that dared reveal his clandestine arming of jihadists seeking to overthrow neighboring Syria, as Alon Ben-Meir explains.
Netanyahu’s Loosening Grip
Pandering to Israel has been a long-revered rule of U.S. politics, but Donald Trump’s refusal has shown that Israel’s grip on American policymaking is weakening, writes Lawrence Davidson.
Two Corrupt Establishments
Exclusive: The insurgent campaigns of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have staggered Official Washington’s twin corrupt establishments on the Republican and Democratic sides, but what happens next, asks Robert Parry.
Trump’s Fear of a ‘Brokered’ Convention
Exclusive: The Republican establishment’s last-ditch battle to stop Donald Trump may come down to whether convention rules can be rewritten, as ex-CIA analyst Peter W. Dickson explains.
Taking Aim at Russia’s ‘Underbelly’
Exclusive: While loudly complaining about “Russian aggression,” the U.S. government escalates plans for encircling Russia in a modern “Great Game,” writes Jonathan Marshall.
Neocons Sulk over Iran Nuke Deal
Official Washington’s neocons, who wanted so much to “bomb-bomb-bomb” Iran, are now sulking as the nuclear agreement isn’t producing the horrors that they predicted, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar notes.
Campaign 2016, Environment, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Lost History, Obama Administration, Right Wing
The Honduras Killing Field
The murder of prominent Honduras environmental activist Berta Caceres recalls Hillary Clinton’s role in supporting a right-wing coup in 2009 that ousted an elected progressive president and turned Honduras into a killing field, writes Dennis J Bernstein.
Why GOP Bigwigs Fear Trump
A desperate Republican establishment is going all out to stop Donald Trump who has rallied the GOP “base” that the bigwigs have long manipulated and sold out, explains ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.
Geithner Gets Morgan-Chase Gravy
Despite the 2008 Wall Street crash and government promises of reform, the old back-scratching ways of special favors and influence are again in vogue – as if they were ever out of style, writes JP Sottile.
Sleepwalking Toward Catastrophe
Because the mainstream U.S. media remains neocon-dominated, there has been little rational debate about the risks of stumbling into nuclear war with Russia, as James W Carden writes.