US Militarism
US airstrikes in Afghanistan hit ten-year high in 2019
By Niles Niemuth, 29 January 2020
The Trump administration has ramped up the air war in Afghanistan as it seeks to pressure the Taliban into a settlement, killing hundreds of civilians in the process.
Democrats embrace war hawk Bolton in Trump impeachment trial
By Patrick Martin, 28 January 2020
The carefully timed leak of Bolton’s White House revelations has overshadowed the defense mounted by Trump’s attorneys in the Senate impeachment trial.
Iraqi government cracks down on anti-US protests
By Jean Shaoul, 28 January 2020
Protests were sparked by unemployment, particularly among young people, the lack of electricity and water, poor services and rampant corruption.
Trump’s disdain for wounds suffered by troops in Iraq sparks protest
By Bill Van Auken, 27 January 2020
The downplaying of the injuries has laid bare the president’s contempt for US military personnel, with whose lives he gambled by ordering the Suleimani assassination.
The mass protests in Iraq and the US drive to recolonize the Middle East
By Bill Van Auken, 25 January 2020
Among the hundreds of thousands who filled the streets of Baghdad were workers and youth whose entire lives have been shaped by the crimes of US imperialism.
Iranian student deported from Boston by Customs and Border Protection despite court order
By Julian James, 25 January 2020
At the time of his deportation, Abadi held a valid F1 student visa recently issued by the United States Customs and Immigration Services to continue pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Northeastern University in Boston.
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists warns of “civilization-ending nuclear war”
By Andre Damon, 24 January 2020
Amid a global nuclear arms race, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists warned that human civilization is closer to destruction than at any other period in history.
US troops confront Russian convoy near Syrian oil fields
By Bill Van Auken, 23 January 2020
Washington is occupying Syrian oil fields to deny resources to Damascus and continue its drive for regime change.
Berlin conference prepares military occupation of Libya
By Peter Schwarz, 21 January 2020
The Libya conference, which took place last Sunday in Berlin, was not about peace in the war-torn country, but about the distribution of the loot.
US official delivers Trump’s threatening message to Sri Lankan president
By K. Ratnayake, 20 January 2020
Sri Lanka is a key focus of intensifying rivalry between US and India, on one hand, and China and Russia, on the other.
Washington continues war buildup against Iran
By Bill Van Auken, 17 January 2020
Another squadron of F15-E fighter jets has been dispatched to the region, while the threat of a “nuclear option” is on the table.
Canada’s media and political establishment endorse illegal assassination of Iranian General Suleimani
By Roger Jordan, 17 January 2020
To the extent that criticisms have been made, they have revolved around the question of whether Suleimani’s murder by drone strike was tactically wise.
Trump exploits Iran war crisis to incite violence against political opponents
By Barry Grey, 15 January 2020
Following Trump’s order for the murder of Iranian General Suleimani, his denunciations of political opponents for “taking the side of terrorists” can only be interpreted as a threat of violence.
Assassination of Iran’s General Suleimani planned months in advance
By Bill Van Auken, 14 January 2020
The claim by the Trump administration that its drone missile assassination was carried out in the face of an “imminent” threat stands exposed as a lie.
Australia’s Pine Gap spy base likely involved in the assassination of Qassem Suleimani
By Patrick O’Connor, 14 January 2020
No-one within the Australian media and political establishment has raised the question as to whether the Pine Gap spy base in central Australia played a role in the killing.
Texas becomes the first state to refuse refugee resettlement
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 14 January 2020
An order issued by Trump in September precludes non-governmental and non-profit organizations from resettling refugees without the consent of state and local governments.
Iran admits to inadvertently shooting down Ukraine International Airlines jet, killing 176
By Jordan Shilton and Keith Jones, 13 January 2020
The felling of Flight 752 came amid a war crisis fomented by Washington’s campaign of “maximum pressure” on Tehran and its January 3 assassination of Suleimani.
Iran admits to inadvertently shooting down Ukraine International Airlines jet, killing 176
By Jordan Shilton and Keith Jones, 13 January 2020
The felling of Flight 752 came amid a war crisis fomented by Washington’s campaign of “maximum pressure” on Tehran and its January 3 assassination of Suleimani.
The assassination of Qassem Suleimani and the criminalization of US state policy
By Andre Damon, 13 January 2020
The normalization of extrajudicial killing is the outcome of the “war on terror” and decades of continuous war.
Theater of Operations: The Gulf Wars 1991–2011: A significant exhibition at Museum of Modern Art’s contemporary arts center
By Clare Hurley, 13 January 2020
A large-scale group exhibition focused on US violence in the Middle East is currently on display at MoMA PS1 in Queens, New York.
US and Israel escalate Middle East tensions in wake of Suleimani assassination
By Bill Van Auken, 11 January 2020
A report that Washington attempted to assassinate a second Iranian official in Yemen has given the lie to the claim that Suleimani was killed to prevent an “imminent” attack.
US and Australia ready another “regime-change” operation in Solomon Islands
By Patrick O’Connor, 11 January 2020
American and Australian officials had exerted considerable efforts to dissuade Sogavare from aligning with China, and reacted with fury to his diplomatic switch away from Taiwan.
Bernie Sanders says “some wars are necessary”
By Tom Hall, 11 January 2020
Sanders’ stated opposition to Trump’s threatened war in Iran is a political trap being set for workers and youth.
The Democrats pass Pelosi’s phony antiwar resolution
By Patrick Martin, 10 January 2020
On Thursday, House Democrats backed a “concurrent” resolution that places no meaningful restrictions on Trump’s ability to launch a war against Iran.
German government defends US war drive against Iran
By Johannes Stern, 10 January 2020
Having previously defended the US assassination of Gen. Qassim Soleimani, an illegal act of state terror, Berlin condemned Iran’s retaliatory strike.
New Zealand government backs US provocations against Iran
By Tom Peters, 10 January 2020
New Zealand’s Labour Party-led government has backed the US assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Suleimani and refused to withdraw NZ troops from Iraq.
210 Thomas Friedman repost
10 January 2020
Trump bides his time, but the preparations for war against Iran will continue
By Bill Van Auken and David North, 9 January 2020
The media falsely claims that Trump’s failure to order immediate strikes against Iran signals an opening for peace.
Iran strikes US bases in Iraq as Pentagon deploys B-52 bombers
By Bill Van Auken, 8 January 2020
In evident preparation for full-scale war, the Pentagon has dispatched a bomber strike force consisting of six B-52 heavy bombers to the US military base on the island of Diego Garcia.
As millions march in Tehran, US steps up military build-up against Iran
By Patrick Martin, 7 January 2020
As millions in Iran mourn the murder of General Qassem Suleimani, President Trump is assembling the forces for much greater crimes.
The US propaganda machine justifies the assassination of Qassem Suleimani
By Andre Damon and David North, 7 January 2020
To present with any degree of honesty the life of Major General Qassem Suleimani would require acknowledging the criminal role the United States has played in subverting the interests of the people of Iran and the entire Middle East for upwards of 70 years.
European governments defend US state terrorism following assassination of Iranian General Suleimani
By Peter Schwarz, 7 January 2020
While the European governments have called for de-escalation, they have refused to condemn as a war crime the targeted killing of a high-ranking representative of a sovereign country.
US assassination of Suleimani staggers Turkish government
By Ulas Atesci, 7 January 2020
The Turkish government took 10 hours to react to this illegal act of war carried out by its decades-long NATO ally.
Maduro government ousts Guaidó as speaker of the Venezuelan National Assembly
By Andrea Lobo, 7 January 2020
The move to sideline the opposition is largely based on calculations that it can exploit the war crisis in the Middle East and growing popular opposition to the lawlessness of US foreign policy.
7 January 2020
Democrats fault Trump on strategy, silent on illegality of Suleimani assassination
By Patrick Martin, 6 January 2020
The candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination have sought to disguise their support for American imperialism with insincere appeals to popular antiwar sentiment.
Canadian government tacitly endorses US assassination of Iranian general Soleimani
By Roger Jordan, 6 January 2020
Just hours after Trump ordered a drone strike to exterminate Suleimani, the Canadian government issued a statement denouncing Iranian “aggression” in the Middle East.
Britain backs US war drive against Iran
By Robert Stevens, 6 January 2020
Whatever the qualms in British ruling circles about the grave implications of war in the Middle East, the UK is already involved—as America's closest ally—in a potential war against Iran.
020 US War in Somalia
6 January 2020
Oppose Trump’s criminal war against Iran!
By The International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site, 6 January 2020
Trump’s provocation of a war with Iran is an attempt to find a way out of the increasingly desperate crisis of American capitalism—international and domestic—through spectacular acts of violence.
The murder of Qassem Suleimani and assassination as state policy
By Bill Van Auken, 4 January 2020
In a reckless and criminal act, the Trump administration has effectively declared war on Iran, threatening to drag the whole world into a catastrophic conflict.
US assassinates top Iranian general as 4,000 troops readied for Iraq intervention
By Bill Van Auken, 3 January 2020
The umbrella group for Iraq’s Shia militias reported Friday morning that a US-targeted assassination at Baghdad airport killed Iran’s Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani.
Washington escalates Mideast war threat with strikes on Iraq, Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 31 December 2019
Sunday’s airstrikes are part of an increasingly reckless US imperialist intervention in the region directed against Iran.
The impeachment crisis and US war plans against Russia
By Andre Damon, 31 December 2019
The ferocity with which the entire US national security apparatus responded to a temporary delay in sending anti-tank missiles and radar to Ukraine raises the question: Is there a timetable for using these weapons in combat against Russia?
The US sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the danger of World War III
By Peter Schwarz, 31 December 2019
The decision by the US Congress to impose sanctions on companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline underscores the danger of world war.
Iran, Russia and China hold joint naval drills in Indian Ocean amid US war threats
By Alex Lantier, 30 December 2019
The exercises are a signal that a US-led war targeting Iran could rapidly escalate into a global conflict involving the major nuclear powers.
Edward Gallagher, Donald Trump and America’s criminal wars
By Patrick Martin, 30 December 2019
A new report documents the gruesome record of the Navy Seal commander Trump has praised and pardoned.
New WikiLeaks documents expose doctoring of chemical weapons report to justify 2018 US attack on Syria
By Niles Niemuth, 28 December 2019
Just as extraordinary as the leaks themselves is the complete blackout observed by the mainstream media in the United States and Europe.
Trump issues hypocritical threat over Syrian offensive
By Bill Van Auken, 28 December 2019
Syrian government troops backed by Russian air power have advanced on the last redoubt of Al Qaeda-linked militias in Idlib province.
Saudi Arabia sentences hit men to death, shields organizers of Jamal Khashoggi murder
By Kevin Reed, 24 December 2019
The announcement by Saudi Arabia of death sentences for five members of the death squad that brutally assassinated the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018 is part of a cover-up to protect the role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
German government condemns US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline
By Johannes Stern, 23 December 2019
The temporary halt to construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has dramatically intensified tensions between the United States and the European powers.
Israel’s political impasse ahead of third election in a year
By Jean Shaoul, 23 December 2019
Netanyahu and his right-wing and ultra-orthodox partners need to secure 61 seats in the Knesset to form a right-wing government that could give him immunity from prosecution.
In midst of impeachment, Pelosi honors Trump with State of the Union invitation
By Patrick Martin and Andre Damon, 23 December 2019
The move makes clear that, despite the bitter foreign policy differences at the heart of the impeachment drive, the two parties of American capitalism are united on fundamental issues.
Trump signs Pentagon budget imposing new sanctions on Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 21 December 2019
The record $738 billion National Defense Authorization Act was passed with the overwhelming support of House and Senate Democrats.
Pentagon chief says US troops in Afghanistan to be redeployed against China
By Bill Van Auken, 19 December 2019
The remark by Mike Esper came amid reports that some 4,000 of the roughly 13,000 US troops now deployed in the war-ravaged country may be pulled out within weeks.
US Army XVIII Airborne Corp posts sympathetic portrayal of Nazi war criminal on Facebook
By Kevin Reed, 18 December 2019
The publication of a glowing portrayal of Nazi war criminal Joachim Peiper by the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corp’s Facebook page exposes a constituency within the military for fascism.
North Korean-US tensions rise as end-of-year deadline approaches
By Peter Symonds, 18 December 2019
In the absence of any US sanctions’ relief or meaningful talks, North Korea has threatened to resume its nuclear- and missile-testing program.
US tests INF-banned missile after Democrats rubber-stamp Trump’s nuclear build-up
By Andre Damon, 14 December 2019
The test comes just days after congressional Democrats voted for a massive military spending bill that stripped out language limiting the development of dangerous new nuclear weapons.
Pentagon chiefs say US troops to stay in Syria for years
By Bill Van Auken, 13 December 2019
Less than two months after Trump’s demagogic announcement of a full withdrawal from Syria, the US military has made clear that it has no plans to leave.
US renews insults and threats against North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 12 December 2019
The Trump administration has made clear that it has no intention of meeting North Korea’s end-of-year deadline for meaningful talks, thus setting the stage for confrontation and conflict.
US House approves bill for record military spending
By Patrick Martin, 12 December 2019
The National Defense Authorization Act passed by a huge bipartisan majority, with 188 Democrats and 189 Republicans supporting it.
Report unmasks FBI intervention in 2016 elections
By Patrick Martin, 10 December 2019
The real threat to American democracy comes from the national-security state and the capitalist ruling elite, not from any foreign country.
The “Afghanistan papers”: The criminality and disaster of a war based upon lies
By Bill Van Auken, 10 December 2019
The documents published by the Washington Post constitute a damning indictment of both major parties as well as the media for lying to the American people for two decades.
Paris summit on Ukraine overshadowed by inter-imperialist conflicts
By Clara Weiss, 10 December 2019
The escalation of warfare within the US ruling class and the intensification of the conflicts between the imperialist powers occur amid the unraveling of the strategy that US imperialism has pursued in the region since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.
America’s torturers and their co-conspirators must be prosecuted
By Tom Carter, 9 December 2019
Five years after the release of the Senate report on CIA torture, the gruesome drawings contained in the Seton Hall Law School paper on “How America Tortures” are a powerful indictment of the entire US political establishment.
US prepares to deploy thousands more troops against Iran
By Bill Van Auken, 6 December 2019
While the Pentagon denied a report that 14,000 more troops are being sent to the Persian Gulf, it made clear that a major escalation is under discussion.
Pompeo vows intervention against “riots” in Washington’s “own backyard”
By Bill Van Auken, 5 December 2019
Immediately following Pompeo’s provocative speech, the US slapped new sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba, which the secretary of state accused of fomenting violence.
NATO bitterly divided as London summit begins
By Alex Lantier, 3 December 2019
NATO heads of state arrived yesterday in London for a two-day summit beginning today, 70 years after NATO’s foundation in the aftermath of World War II in 1949.
Iranian government kills hundreds in bid to suppress the worst protests in decades
By Jean Shaoul, 3 December 2019
There is no doubt that the US, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf monarchies and Israel are seeking to exploit the escalating crisis confronting Iran.
US carries out fresh massacre in Afghanistan, killing entire family with drone strike
By Bill Van Auken, 3 December 2019
The bloody attack came in the wake of Trump’s claim that peace talks with the Taliban had resumed.
Imperialist powers intensify pressure on Iranian regime in wake of protests
By Jordan Shilton, 30 November 2019
US imperialism is chiefly responsible for the tense standoff in the Persian Gulf. But the claims of the Iranian regime that “collective security” can be achieved by establishing a closer military alliance with Beijing and Moscow are reactionary.
Trump signs Hong Kong “democracy” bill
By Nick Beams, 29 November 2019
Entitled the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act”—and passed by the US Congress with only one dissenting voice, making it veto-proof—the legislation has nothing to do with either.
Over 250 students arrested in Michigan by ICE in fake university scam
By Jacob Crosse, 29 November 2019
After arresting 161 students in January and February earlier this year, US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement revealed that they had detained an additional 91 students in an ongoing sting operation conducted by the federal agency.
In defiance of repression, Colombian workers mount second national strike in the past week
By Evan Blake, 28 November 2019
In the face of intense police repression that has already killed four protesters, workers and youth took to the streets to voice their hostility to the right-wing Duque administration.
Trump threatens to designate Mexican cartels as “terrorists”
By Andrea Lobo, 28 November 2019
The step would set the stage for direct US military interventions in Mexico, while pressuring the Mexican government to escalate militarized repression of social opposition.
US media ramps up anti-China campaign over Uyghur “human rights”
By Peter Symonds, 28 November 2019
Washington has a long record of cynically exploiting “human rights” to justify regime-change operations, military provocations and wars, while ignoring the gross abuses of key allies.
999 DSA article on Bolton and impeachment
28 November 2019
Trump’s war crime pardons: Cultivating a fascistic base in the military
By Bill Van Auken, 27 November 2019
The unprecedented intervention in defense of Navy Seal Edward Gallagher is aimed not just at facilitating war crimes abroad, but at preparing forces to be used against the working class at home.
US navy secretary fired in case of pardoned SEAL war criminal
By Bill Van Auken, 26 November 2019
The crimes of Gallagher and the other war criminals pardoned by Trump account for a minuscule portion of the civilians massacred in the illegal wars waged by US imperialism over the past 18 years.
Who decided the US should fight a “hot war” with Russia?
By Andre Damon, 23 November 2019
The impeachment inquiry has exposed a US conspiracy to spend billions of dollars to overthrow an elected government in Ukraine and foment a civil war that has killed thousands of people.
NATO riven by tensions between major powers
By Alex Lantier, 22 November 2019
The NATO foreign ministers summit in Brussels dealt with political fallout from French President Macron’s statement that the US-European alliance is “brain dead.”
Trump overrides Navy’s bid to evict war criminal from SEALS
By Bill Van Auken, 22 November 2019
This was the fourth intervention by the US president in the case of Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL charged with shooting civilians and murdering a prisoner during the 2017 siege of Mosul.
US, EU gave over $20 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine since 2014
By Patrick Martin, 21 November 2019
Testimony at the final impeachment hearing confirmed the massive scale of imperialist operations in Ukraine, aimed at undermining and attacking Russia.
Naval command challenges President Trump’s war crimes pardon
By Kevin Reed, 21 November 2019
In an extraordinary and open conflict between the leadership of the US Navy and the White House, Rear Admiral Collin Green pressed forward on Wednesday with plans to remove Edward Gallagher from the SEALs following his exoneration by President Trump.
The bloodbath in Baghdad
By Bill Van Auken, 19 November 2019
The US media has remained largely silent as more than 330 unarmed demonstrators have been killed in the streets of the Iraqi capital.
Obama joins effort to push Democratic primary campaign to the right
By Patrick Martin, 18 November 2019
Obama declared his opposition to anything “revolutionary” or “crazy” being put forward by presidential candidates whom he did not name, although he was clearly referring to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Louisiana governor wins re-election in blow to Trump
By Patrick Martin, 18 November 2019
Edwards won despite three campaign appearances by President Trump and an all-out effort by the Republican National Committee.
Former US Secretary of State Kissinger points to danger of “catastrophic” conflict between US and China
By Nick Beams, 16 November 2019
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has warned of an inevitable “conflict” between the US and China that “will be worse than the world wars that ruined European civilisation.”
Seeking to cultivate fascistic base, Trump pardons two war criminals and promotes a third
By Evan Blake, 16 November 2019
Trump’s unprecedented pardoning of war criminals highlights the authoritarian character of his administration.
The Trump impeachment and US policy in Ukraine
By Patrick Martin, 16 November 2019
The public hearings on impeachment have brought to light bitter recriminations within the US ruling elite sparked by the failure of its anti-Russia efforts in Ukraine.
Popular resistance mounts against Bolivian coup
By Andrea Lobo, 15 November 2019
Thousands of workers and peasants in Bolivia’s capital of La Paz, the neighboring district of El Alto and in Cochabamba have taken to the streets in defiance of police-military repression.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro threatens use of dictatorship-era law against Lula for “inciting violence”
By Miguel Andrade, 15 November 2019
Bolsonaro and the military brass met immediately after Lula was allowed to leave prison while appealing a corruption sentence.
Former Israeli soldiers tour US to speak out against occupation of Palestinian territories
By Fred Mazelis, 13 November 2019
The soldiers’ own experiences have led them to rebel against the criminal policies of the Israeli government.
In Berlin Wall speech, Pompeo advances crusade against Russia and China
By Bill Van Auken, 11 November 2019
In a hypocritical address invoking a worldwide crusade for “freedom,” Pompeo escalated US threats of global war.
Democratic Socialists of America “International Committee” denounces “reckless” withdrawal of US troops from Syria
By Genevieve Leigh, 9 November 2019
The response of the DSA to Trump’s announced troop withdrawals from Syria is indistinguishable from that of the Democratic Party and Trump’s critics within the military and intelligence apparatus.
US seizure of oil fields escalates tensions in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 8 November 2019
Russia has issued a warning that it will not cooperate with US forces in the region, raising the threat of a military clash.
Trump calls for US troops to wage “war” on drug cartels in Mexico
By Eric London, 6 November 2019
Trump tweeted: “This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth.”
Washington Post and New York Times incite racist campaign against Chinese-Americans
By Andre Damon, 5 November 2019
The newspapers most closely associated with the Democratic Party and the US intelligence agencies are inciting racially-motivated suspicions of Americans of Chinese ancestry.
Death toll mounts as Iraqi protests defy repression
By Bill Van Auken, 5 November 2019
At least 260 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded since protests against unemployment and social inequality erupted last month.
Democrats, media silent over identification of CIA “whistleblower”
By Patrick Martin, 4 November 2019
The official who filed a complaint against Trump has been identified by pro-Republican sources as 33-year-old Eric Ciaramella, a CIA analyst who worked in the White House under Obama and Trump.
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