US Wars and Military Action

The Cold Warriors Strike Back

The Cold Warriors Strike Back The Cold Warriors Strike Back

In Washington, London, Turkey, Kiev, and even Moscow, opponents of a possible US–Russian détente on Ukraine and Syria demonstrate again their power to thwart the process of negotia...

Jan 27, 2016 / Stephen F. Cohen

US Special Forces in Africa

Here Are the ‘War on Terror’ Headlines of 2016 Here Are the ‘War on Terror’ Headlines of 2016

For all the world’s turmoil, US foreign policy is surprisingly predictable.

Jan 25, 2016 / Tom Engelhardt

Iraqi army vehicle

Why Do All of the Pentagon’s ‘Successes’ in Iraq Look More Like Failures? Why Do All of the Pentagon’s ‘Successes’ in Iraq Look More Like Failures?

The only thing the US military has succeeded at is believing its own propaganda.

Jan 21, 2016 / Nick Turse

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Russian officials.

The Secret Diplomacy That Could End the East-West Confrontation Over Ukraine The Secret Diplomacy That Could End the East-West Confrontation Over Ukraine

Though scarcely reported in the US media, all leaders involved in the epicenter of the new Cold War have launched a concerted campaign to end the Ukrainian civil (and US-Russian pr...

Jan 20, 2016 / Stephen F. Cohen

Who Runs the Pentagon?

Who Runs the Pentagon? Who Runs the Pentagon?

Not Defense Secretary Ashton Carter—while he may be more than a figurehead, “the building” has no boss.

Jan 20, 2016 / Feature / Andrew J. Bacevich

ISIS Fighters

How Saddam Hussein’s Execution Contributed to the Rise of Sectarianism in the Middle East How Saddam Hussein’s Execution Contributed to the Rise of Sectarianism in the Middle East

He was a brutal tyrant, but he remains an important symbol of strength for disillusioned Sunnis throughout the region.

Jan 15, 2016 / Mohamad Bazzi

US Troops Afghanistan

The Pentagon’s New Base Plan Will Achieve the Exact Opposite of Its Goal The Pentagon’s New Base Plan Will Achieve the Exact Opposite of Its Goal

We’re building bases to prevent terrorism, but local terror groups are recruiting in reaction to our bases.

Jan 14, 2016 / David Vine

US and Kuwaiti soldiers close a gate between Iraq and Kuwait in December 2011.

Is It Time for the US to Pull Out of Iraq and Syria? Is It Time for the US to Pull Out of Iraq and Syria?

Five years after the Arab Spring began, four experts debate a pressing question that remains unsettled on the left.

Jan 14, 2016 / Jeff Faux, Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, Phyllis Bennis, and Sherle R. Schwenninger

Obama’s Last State of the Union: Wonderful Rhetoric, Messy Realities

Obama’s Last State of the Union: Wonderful Rhetoric, Messy Realities Obama’s Last State of the Union: Wonderful Rhetoric, Messy Realities

He hit all the right notes, but wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he could have used the past tense to describe the crisis of inequality?

Jan 13, 2016 / Sasha Abramsky

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and US Secretary of State John Kerry

The New US-Russian Cold War Originated in the 1990s The New US-Russian Cold War Originated in the 1990s

Today it threatens to destroy Ukraine, undermine the European Union, and result in nuclear war.

Jan 13, 2016 / Stephen F. Cohen

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