Western powers test out harsh economic sanctions on Iran. Israel pins the blame for a bus bombing in Bulgaria on Iranian agents, presumably retaliating for Israeli assassinations of Iran’s scientists. As tensions ratchet up Syria’s unraveling, too the chances for…
How We’ve Earned Your Support
From Editor Robert Parry: Since fall 1995 for almost 17 years Consortiumnews.com has worked to correct the American narrative. We’ve done it on spot stories of great significance and on historical turning points that require a better understanding to know…
Mitt Romney’s New Lie
Exclusive: Mitt Romney is echoing a lie that has been rumbling through the right-wing echo chamber, a selectively edited comment by President Obama about how roads, bridges and other public spending help business. This is a classic case where “independent…
Reviving the Rendition Debate
Bush-era torture and extraordinary rendition have been pushed aside by the Obama administration, as it still seeks to look forward, not backward. But a group of international parliamentarians revived the troubling issue in calling for serious investigations now, not later,…
Dodging Tomatoes and Dissent
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to newly democratic Egypt was met by some protesters throwing tomatoes, but her stop in Israel, which included no overt signs of dissension, may have had more turmoil just below the surface, writes ex-CIA…
Angry Money v. Democracy
A handful of “angry, old, white men” are on their way to buying the American elections, says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But Republicans in Congress are making sure those identities stay secret by killing a bill that would at least…
Harassing the Whistleblowers
Exclusive: Food and Drug Administration officials reacted to suspected whistleblowing by some of its scientists, about excessive radiation from medical imaging devices, by spying on several. But the larger issue is the need to alert the public to unnecessary risks, writes ex-CIA…
The Plot that Killed Gandhi
Author James Douglass, who produced a thoughtful book on President Kennedy’s assassination, has now turned his attention to the murder of nonviolent Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, providing rare context for that momentous event, writes Jim DiEugenio.
Romney’s ‘Fact-Checker’ Cover-up
Exclusive: The “independent fact-checkers,” who have been shielding Mitt Romney from questions about Bain Capital’s off-shoring jobs and closing factories, are growing more isolated as the New York Times and other news outlets call for Romney to disclose more, reports…
‘Prisoner’ of Mandela
Nearing his 94th birthday, Nelson Mandela is revered for his courageous struggle against apartheid and for racial justice in South Africa. His legendary movement drew in many reformers from around the world who made South Africa’s challenges their own, including Danny…
Immigration, Racism & the Courts
Blocked on comprehensive immigration reform, the Obama administration has won some piecemeal victories against GOP demands for more draconian moves against “the undocumented.” Deportations of “dreamers” have been stopped and much of an Arizona law was overturned, but more battles lie ahead, writes Marjorie…
The Romney ‘Fact-Checking’ Scandal
Exclusive: Mitt Romney cites “independent fact-checkers” to spare him from having to explain exactly what he did with Bain Capital after February 1999. But those “fact-checkers” are acting less like impartial journalists and more like argumentative lawyers covering Romney’s political flanks, writes Robert…
July 14, 2003: A Day of Infamy
From the Archive: July 14 is a French holiday celebrating the 1789 liberation of the Bastille prison in Paris, leading to the overthrow of the monarchy. But there were less auspicious events connected to that date in 2003, during the autocratic…
Egypt’s Outreach to the Saudis
Egypt’s new president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, made a pragmatic statement with his choice of a first foreign trip, visiting Saudi Arabia and its oil-rich monarchy, observes former CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.
Bohemian Grove & Reagan’s ‘Treason’
Exclusive: This weekend, Occupy protesters are targeting the Bohemian Grove in California, where well-connected rich men go on retreats several weekends each summer. The secrecy of the 1980 encampment became a factor in the cover-up of possible “treason” by Ronald Reagan and George…
How Banksters Rig the System
The Libor scandal is just the latest revelation of how the VIPs of high finance rig the system for themselves and their friends while millions of “common people” are driven into poverty. But the fix is also in when it…
Mitt Romney: The New Teflon Man
Exclusive: Mitt Romney is fast becoming the new Teflon man. Whenever he faces criticism for his past business practices, “independent fact-checkers” rush to his rescue and insist that he’s been wronged, regardless of what the evidence actually is, Robert Parry notes.
The Second-Half Fund Drive
From Editor Robert Parry: What happens in the United States over the next few months will have a profound impact on the future of American democracy and the world. So, it is vitally important that Consortiumnews.com has the resources to continue illuminating the dark…
Seeking Failure in Iran Nuke Talks
America’s influential neocons cite the lack of progress in Iranian nuclear talks as reason for more sanctions and more threats, but the real problem is the West’s unwillingness to reward Iran’s concessions with meaningful relaxation of sanctions and threats, says…
Buying What’s Left of Democracy
Under the cloak of “free speech,” rich Americans — especially on the Right — are buying what’s left of U.S. “democracy” and doing much of it in secret, insisting their sponsorship of TV attack ads be hidden. Some of their handmaidens even…