Michael Zigismund

April 2, 2018

On April 6, 2017, the United States bombed a Syrian airbase. The bombing was in response to a chemical attack immediately thought to be ordered by the behest of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad just two days before. This bombing was illegal. Even the U.S. government has since repeatedly failed to legally justify it. With the […]

Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams

April 2, 2018

The US is the world’s leader in arms sales overseas and has been for a quarter of a century. President Trump is only following in the footsteps of his predecessors in pushing US weapons overseas. He claims it’s about jobs. But what are the costs? What are the moral costs? Economic costs? Security costs? Tune […]

Scott Horton

March 31, 2018

It’s been 15 years since they lied us into Iraq War II. So I did a couple of long, in-depth interviews with Jonathan Schwarz about how and why they lied us into it, and Gareth Porter about how the war played out. Especially for those of you who were too young or wrong back then […]

William Astore

March 31, 2018

Back in 2009, I wrote a few articles on torture during the Bush/Cheney administration. With Barack Obama elected on a vague platform of hope, change, and transparency, there was a sense torture would be outlawed and torturers would be called to account. Obama did sign an executive order to outlaw torture – which really meant […]

Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams

March 29, 2018

We are facing a presidential “war cabinet” more aggressive than any in history. John Bolton, “Mad Dog” Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley, “Bloody” Gina Haspel, and more. If we are not able to turn this ship around and return to a non-interventionist foreign policy, we may soon find that there is nothing left to preserve […]

William Astore

March 29, 2018

President Trump has nominated Gina Haspel to be the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Haspel had an important role in the torture regimen approved by the Bush/Cheney administration, and she worked to destroy videotaped evidence of the same. What does it say about the United States that Haspel is now being rewarded […]

Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams

March 28, 2018

President Trump’s huge military spending increase is based on a false premise: that more money means more security. If anything, the debacle of the F-35 fighter should demonstrate that massive military spending with no real purpose not only does not deliver more security but in fact undermines our security. A bigger military budget does not […]

Daniel Larison

March 27, 2018

Originally appeared on The American Conservative February 28, 2018. Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz spells out what the nuclear deal with Iran does and what withdrawing from it would mean: Conversely, if Trump withdraws the United States from the agreement, with Iran complying and with our allies clearly committed to its continuation, he will have […]

Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams

March 26, 2018

President Trump has expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the US over UK government claims that Russia was behind the recent alleged attack on a former Russian spy in the UK. The Russians have asked for some evidence they were behind the alleged attack. London refused. What’s behind Trump’s decision to back up UK Prime Minister […]

Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

March 25, 2018

MEMORANDUM FOR: The PresidentFROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for SanitySUBJECT: Request to Withdraw Nomination of Gina Haspel EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With respect, we veteran intelligence officers from CIA and other agencies urge you to withdraw the nomination of Gina Haspel for CIA director. From what is already known of her leading role in CIA torture 16 years […]