US Militarism
US and its allies threaten escalation of Syrian war
By Bill Van Auken, 18 May 2016
The failure to set a date for the resumption of talks points to the continuation of a conflict that threatens to spill over into a wider war involving the US and Russia.
US forces in combat in Somalia as AFRICOM plans for war across continent
By Thomas Gaist, 18 May 2016
Washington is preparing interventions throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where the US military’s Africa Command is currently examining a dozen locations for new bases.
NATO-Russia war tensions laid bare at Washington summit
By Thomas Gaist, 16 May 2016
The past week has seen the American-dominated Western alliance markedly intensify its preparations for aggressive war along Russia’s eastern and southern borders.
US Special Forces have been operating secretly in Libya for months
By Thomas Gaist, 14 May 2016
American commando teams are waging and preparing for war across ever-growing stretches of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Obama and the bombing of Hiroshima
By Andre Damon, 13 May 2016
The American president will travel to Hiroshima not to apologize for past crimes, but to prepare new ones.
US-NATO officials unveil Romania-based missile system
By Thomas Gaist, 13 May 2016
In a move Russian officials denounced as a “direct threat,” US and NATO officials presided over the formal launch of a new missile system based in Bucharest.
War danger grows following new US provocation in South China Sea
By James Cogan, 11 May 2016
US imperialism continues to stoke up long-standing, competing claims over territory in the South China Sea to militarily encircle and destabilise the Chinese regime.
A further eruption of US militarism in the Middle East
By Bill Van Auken, 10 May 2016
A century after the Sykes-Picot agreement dividing the Middle East between imperialist powers, the volcanic eruption of US militarism has shattered the nation-state system created by that accord.
US-backed Chinese separatists, dissidents meet in Dharamsala, India
By Kumaran Ira, 6 May 2016
American sponsored dissident groups held a conference last weekend in the midst of escalating war threats against China.
US change of command in Europe signals escalation of anti-Russia threats
By Bill Van Auken, 5 May 2016
NATO’s planned escalation of its presence on Russia’s western flank has led Moscow to prepare deployment of three new divisions.
US Navy Seal killed in Iraq combat
By Bill Van Auken, 4 May 2016
The fighting in Iraq came as the US and Russia sought to broker a renewed cessation of hostilities in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
The 9/11 cover-up continues
By Andre Damon, 3 May 2016
Over the weekend, CIA Director John Brennan denied allegations of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the September 11 terror attacks and demanded that documents pointing to its complicity remain hidden from the American people.
Iraqi regime shaken by storming of Baghdad’s Green Zone
By Thomas Gaist, 2 May 2016
In a desperate effort to prop up its ailing puppet regime, Washington is preparing to meet opposition with, as Defense Secretary Carter put it, “the full might of the US military.”
US senators demand escalation of military confrontation with China
By James Cogan, 2 May 2016
The rhetoric reflects the fact that major figures in the US political establishment are more than prepared to trigger a war.
US Vice President Biden travels to Iraq for crisis talks
By Patrick Martin, 29 April 2016
The unannounced trip is the highest-level official US visit to Iraq since the emergence of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Trump’s “America First” speech and the US war election
By Patrick Martin, 28 April 2016
The leading contenders in both parties, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, are committed to a vast military escalation following the November election.
US warplanes sent near disputed South China Sea reef
By Peter Symonds, 27 April 2016
The use of American ground attack aircraft and special forces helicopters near a Chinese-claimed islet was designed to send a menacing message to Beijing.
Obama’s war summit in Europe
By Bill Van Auken, 26 April 2016
Nearly eight years after he addressed 200,000 in Berlin, promising “hope” and “change,” Obama presided over a summit with the European powers on the expansion of war in the Middle East and new provocations against Russia.
Obama in Germany: New joint aggression and growing imperialist rivalries
By Johannes Stern, 26 April 2016
Obama’s fifth trip to Germany was aimed primarily at expanding imperialist aggression in the Middle East and NATO’s military build-up against Russia.
Federal appeals court dismisses drone lawsuit
By Tom Hall, 23 April 2016
The lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union sought to compel the CIA to release information on its secret drone warfare program.
War, the Democratic Party and the 2016 elections
By Joseph Kishore, 23 April 2016
A sympathetic article appearing in the New York Times on Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Clinton’s war record underscores the danger of a very rapid military escalation following the 2016 US presidential election.
Indian air chief calls growing Chinese influence a strategic threat
By Kanda Gabriel, 22 April 2016
India’s alignment with Washington’s anti-China “pivot” is inflaming explosive military and national-ethnic tensions across South Asia.
US authorizes intensified air strikes against civilians in Iraq and Syria
By Thomas Gaist, 21 April 2016
The loosening of the Pentagon’s rules of engagement coincides with an escalation by the US and its Gulf allies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
NATO-Russia meetings resume amid fears of military clash in Europe
By Alex Lantier, 21 April 2016
After close encounters between US and Russian forces in the Baltic Sea, there are mounting fears of an accidental clash escalating into full-blown war between nuclear powers.
US threatens harsh sanctions if North Korea conducts nuclear test
By Peter Symonds, 21 April 2016
The intensifying US pressure is not primarily directed at Pyongyang, but against Beijing, as part of the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia.”
Indian elite welcomes deal to allow US military to use ports and bases
By Deepal Jayasekera, 20 April 2016
While the Congress and Stalinists are voicing opposition to India becoming a “full-fledged” US ally, they have been instrumental in expanding US-Indian military ties.
US-Russia tensions flare in Baltic Sea
By Jordan Shilton, 18 April 2016
Washington’s aggressive military build-up throughout Eastern Europe, in close collaboration with its NATO allies, has brought the entire region to the brink of war between nuclear powers.
Australian prime minister skirts controversy in China
By James Cogan, 16 April 2016
Turnbull carefully avoided any contentious public remarks on the US-China confrontation in the South China Sea.
Plan B: CIA prepares to arm Syrian “rebels” with antiaircraft weapons
By Bill Van Auken, 14 April 2016
Washington is warning that if it is unable to achieve regime change through UN-brokered talks, it will drastically escalate the Syrian bloodbath.
The US to further expand its military presence in the Philippines
By Peter Symonds, 14 April 2016
As US-China tensions mount, Defence Secretary Carter signalled Washington’s intention to seek access to more Philippine military bases.
India-US military cooperation “robust and deepening”
By K. Ratnayake, 14 April 2016
India has “agreed in principle” to allowing the US military to make routine use of its bases and ports—a major step in making it a “frontline state” in Washington’s preparations for war with China.
US defence secretary’s trip to Asia sets stage for new provocations against China
By Peter Symonds, 13 April 2016
Carter arrives in the Philippines to send a message to Beijing that the South China Sea is “a core American strategic interest.”
Kerry in Hiroshima
By Andre Damon, 12 April 2016
Amid well-advanced preparations for a “Second Pacific War,” US Secretary of State John Kerry refused to apologize for America’s use of nuclear weapons in the Second World War during a visit to the city of Hiroshima.
US deploys B-52s for bombing in Syria, Iraq
By Patrick Martin, 11 April 2016
The movement of heavy bombers to the Persian Gulf is a major escalation in the US war, carried out with virtually no public discussion.
Lockheed Martin offers to site F-16 fighter jet production in India
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 11 April 2016
This offer, which could only be made at Washington’s urging, is part of the US drive to make India a “frontline state” in its military-strategic offensive against China.
US seeks to develop close military ties with Sri Lanka
By Vijith Samarasinghe, 8 April 2016
The US Seventh Fleet flagship’s visit to Colombo indicates moves by the Sri Lankan government to tie the country into US war plans.
US provocations against China threaten world war
By Andre Damon, 8 April 2016
The United States has sharply escalated its standoff with China, leading the New York Times to conclude that a “confrontation seems increasingly likely.”
Global military spending increased in 2015
By Thomas Gaist, 6 April 2016
Governments worldwide spent $1.7 trillion on military costs in 2015, spurred on by deepening geopolitical strife in Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
US, NATO preparing new air and ground attacks against Libya
By Thomas Gaist, 5 April 2016
Barely five years after destroying Libya as a functioning society, the imperialist powers are preparing a new bombing campaign and ground invasion.
US navy prepares third provocation in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 5 April 2016
Amid large US-Philippine war games, the Pentagon is preparing a new “freedom of navigation” operation to challenge China’s maritime claims.
Why is the CIA putting bombs on Virginia school buses?
By Nick Barrickman, 5 April 2016
A substance found in a school bus was identified as C-4, which the CIA said had been used to conduct detection training exercises in a school bus yard.
Obama’s nuclear summit underscores danger of war
By Peter Symonds, 2 April 2016
The aim of US “non-proliferation” policy is not to rid the world of nuclear bombs but to ensure the US retains its nuclear dominance over any potential rival.
War: The great unmentionable in the 2016 US elections
By Joseph Kishore, 31 March 2016
While it is not a topic of significant debate among the various candidates contending for the presidential nomination, the growing international war drive, spearheaded by the United States, looms over the election campaign.
Warnings of global arms race ahead of Nuclear Security Summit
By Andre Damon, 30 March 2016
As world leaders gather for this week’s nuclear summit in Washington, leading think tanks are warning of a “new arms race” and the need to plan for “Armageddon.”
Military chiefs seize on Brussels attacks to send more US troops to Iraq
By Thomas Gaist, 29 March 2016
More than four years after the official end of the US occupation of Iraq, and with a current presence of some 5,000 troops, military leaders are calling for additional military assets.
Japan’s security laws: Another milestone in the drive to world war
By Peter Symonds, 29 March 2016
The implementation of the military legislation is a major step in the revival of Japanese militarism, encouraged by Washington as part of its war preparations against China.
Historic city of Palmyra falls to Syrian government forces
By Thomas Gaist, 28 March 2016
The renewed push by the Syrian military, aided by Russian air cover, followed last week’s visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Moscow.
Australia: Socialist Alternative and the US “pivot to Asia”
By Oscar Grenfell, 25 March 2016
Socialist Alternative’s response to the Defense White Paper is aimed at obscuring Australia’s central role in the US drive to war against China.
Indian analyst urges US to use secret diplomacy in harnessing Delhi to anti-China “pivot”
By K. Ratnayake, 25 March 2016
A prominent military-strategic analyst has criticised the very public manner in which the US is pressing for India to act as a “frontline state” in its war drive against China.
US airstrike kills 40 in Yemen
By Gabriel Black, 24 March 2016
The US airstrike on AQAP forces comes after a series of significant territorial gains by the jihadist militia throughout southern Yemen.
Northwestern University faculty oppose selection of US general to head global studies institute
By Alexander Fangmann, 23 March 2016
Eikenberry, a former commander of American forces in Afghanistan, was selected in order to more closely integrate the university into the plans of American imperialism.
US accelerating military encirclement of China
By Peter Symonds, 22 March 2016
Beijing responded to the implementation of the US-Philippines basing agreement by warning that Washington was turning Asia into “a new Middle East.”
Syrian war enters sixth year with graver dangers still ahead
By Bill Van Auken, 18 March 2016
The recent “cessation of hostilities” and partial withdrawal of Russian forces will not stop the escalation of US militarism in the region and beyond.
US-trained Chechen ISIS commander Abu Omar al-Shishani survives US assassination strike
By Thomas Gaist, 14 March 2016
The Georgian militant’s career exemplifies the close ties between US imperialism and its supposed enemies in the Islamic State.
Pentagon deploying drone aircraft within the US
By Joseph Kishore, 12 March 2016
The use of military drones is part of a broader expansion of domestic military activity, under the cover of the “war on terror,” which is a serious warning to the working class.
US reignites controversy over Chinese lease of Australian port
By Peter Symonds, 12 March 2016
The Australian government is already feeling the heat from Washington for failing to carry out a military intrusion into Chinese-claimed waters in the South China Sea.
The International Socialist Organization agitates for war with Russia over Syria
By Alex Lantier, 12 March 2016
Amid bitter disputes within the American state over Obama’s Syria policy, the ISO is seeking to build broader support for an escalation of US involvement in the Middle East war.
Washington steps up threats over Iran missile tests
By Bill Van Auken, 11 March 2016
While the tests by Iran do not violate the nuclear accord, Washington sees them as an intolerable affront to its drive for hegemony.
US generals push for more troops in Iraq, Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 10 March 2016
In congressional testimony, a top commander made clear that the US intervention is aimed not merely at ISIS, but at Iran and Russia as well.
Western powers prepare military operations in Libya
By Niles Williamson, 9 March 2016
Plans for a renewed imperialist intervention in Libya have reached an advanced stage following the deployment of US and European special forces to the country in recent weeks.
US-South Korean militaries rehearse pre-emptive strikes on North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 8 March 2016
This year’s joint war games are based on a new operational plan that includes pre-emptive attacks on North Korean missile and nuclear sites and “decapitation” raids to kill its leaders.
US airstrike massacres 150 at al-Shabaab training camp in Somalia
By Joseph Kishore, 8 March 2016
The attack north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu marks a significant escalation of US operations in the Horn of Africa, which lies next to critical oil routes leading into the Indian Ocean.
US moves to harness India to anti-China “pivot”
By Keith Jones, 8 March 2016
Washington is determined to make India a “frontline state” in its drive to strategically isolate, encircle and potentially wage war against China.
US sends aircraft carrier to challenge China in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 5 March 2016
The dispatch of a US carrier strike group is part of a wave of provocations over China’s alleged militarisation of the South China Sea.
US presses India to join anti-China alliance
By K. Ratnayake, 5 March 2016
The head of the US Pacific Command urged India to take steps that would make it a “frontline state” in the US drive to encircle and prepare for war against China.
UN Security Council imposes harsh US-sponsored sanctions on North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 4 March 2016
The punitive new measures will intensify North Korea’s economic and social crisis and greatly heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the region.
US admiral claims Russia’s intervention in Syria has implications for Arctic
By Roger Jordan, 4 March 2016
Both Canada and the US are moving to rapidly expand their military capabilities in the Arctic, citing heightened tensions with Russia in Eastern Europe and the Mideast.
US, China agree to new UN sanctions on North Korea
By Ben McGrath, 1 March 2016
The draft resolution contains measures reportedly the strictest in 20 years and will further heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the region.
New York Times on Clinton and Libya: Portrait of a war criminal
By Bill Van Auken, 1 March 2016
The Times piece details the leading role played by Clinton in fomenting a war of aggression that killed tens if not hundreds of thousands.
Syria fighting continues into third day of US-Russian “truce”
By Thomas Gaist, 29 February 2016
US war planes continue to strike targets throughout large areas of the country, while American commandos organized offensive operations by an array of proxy forces.
US fires ICBMs amid war threats against Russia
By Bill Van Auken, 27 February 2016
The Pentagon described the unusual launching of two unarmed missiles in the space of a week as a “signal” that Washington is ready for nuclear war.
Pentagon inflates “China threat” to justify massive build-up in Asia
By Peter Symonds, 27 February 2016
The only conclusion that can be drawn is that advanced preparations are being made for war with China.
US and the Philippines move rapidly to implement military deal
By Dante Pastrana, 26 February 2016
The Enhanced Defense Cooperative Agreement paves the way for a major US military build-up in the Philippines that will greatly heighten tensions with China.
Sticking point in Syria truce: Washington’s support for Al Qaeda
By Bill Van Auken, 25 February 2016
Amid bitter recriminations over the “cessation of hostilities” brokered by the US and Russia, all the lies used to promote both regime-change in Syria and the “war on terror” are disintegrating.
US blocked talks with North Korea before nuclear test
By Peter Symonds, 23 February 2016
For seven years, the Obama administration has stymied any resumption of the six-party negotiations to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea.
War and the 2016 US elections
By Joseph Kishore, 22 February 2016
There is no discussion in the US presidential campaign of the preparations of the ruling class for an immense escalation of war following the elections in November.
US launches airstrikes against Libya
By Bill Van Auken, 20 February 2016
Five years after toppling Libya’s government, Washington and its allies are embarking on a new military campaign under the banner of the war on terror.
Labor Party steps up demands for Australia to “stand up” to China
By James Cogan, 20 February 2016
Labor is serving as the catspaw of the US military establishment and seeking to dramatically ratchet up military tensions with Beijing.
Western powers move closer to new military intervention in Libya
By Marianne Arens, 19 February 2016
The main task of the national unity government in Libya will be to give the green light to a new military intervention in the oil rich North African country.
Rhetoric escalates over Chinese missile installation in Paracel Islands
By James Cogan, 19 February 2016
The entire issue has been inflated and exaggerated for definite political and diplomatic purposes.
US condemns Chinese missiles in the South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 18 February 2016
Much of the US and international media coverage of the Chinese missile revelations is exaggerated and deliberately misleading.
Obama lectures Russia on Syrian “quagmire”
By Bill Van Auken, 18 February 2016
If there is a “quagmire” in the Middle East, it is of Washington’s creation, the product of unending wars for regime change aimed at imposing US hegemony over the region and its vast energy resources.
US push on South China Sea falls short at ASEAN summit
By Peter Symonds, 17 February 2016
Obama’s failure to secure a tough statement against Beijing will not stop the provocative US freedom of navigation operations challenging Chinese maritime claims.
Syria fighting escalates as ceasefire deadline approaches
By Bill Van Auken, 16 February 2016
The intensifying clashes on the Syrian-Turkish border have placed the five-year-old conflict in Syria on a hair trigger for provoking a global confrontation.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit record in 2015
By Thomas Gaist, 16 February 2016
Responsibility for the social catastrophe in Afghanistan lies with American imperialism, which has fomented and waged a series of wars against the Afghan people.
US military boosts anti-missile systems in South Korea
By Peter Symonds, 16 February 2016
Far from being a defensive move, the restructuring of US forces in South Korea is bound up with more aggressive war plans, agreed last year between Washington and Seoul.
Washington denounces Russia, backs escalation of Syria war
By Alex Lantier, 15 February 2016
The NATO powers are supporting plans for a Turkish and Saudi invasion of Syria that could engulf the entire Middle East in war and trigger a global conflict.
Regional tensions and falling oil prices deepen crisis of Saudi monarchy
By Jean Shaoul, 15 February 2016
The Saudi monarchy is seeking to impose onto the working class the full cost of the deepening economic crisis and its disastrous military interventions.
US prepares harsh new sanctions on North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 12 February 2016
Washington and its allies are escalating a dangerous confrontation with Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
Obama budget proposes increases in military, security spending
By Patrick Martin, 10 February 2016
The budget’s proposed increases in domestic spending are empty election-year posturing, but the increases in military and security spending will almost certainly be enacted.
New York Times vents recriminations over Syria debacle
By Bill Van Auken, 9 February 2016
Roger Cohen’s hysterical column expresses rage within sections of the military and intelligence apparatus over the fate of the US regime-change operation.
Top US general confirms Pentagon plans for permanent combat role in Afghanistan
By Thomas Gaist, 8 February 2016
Statements from the commander in Afghanistan are the latest in a series of acknowledgements by US officials that the American military is planning a permanent occupation of the country.
Threat of wider war looms as Saudi monarchy proposes Syria intervention
By Bill Van Auken, 6 February 2016
The deployment of Saudi troops on the pretext of fighting the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq would inevitably be aimed at toppling the Assad government.
North Korea announces satellite launch
By Ben McGrath, 6 February 2016
The proposed launch has further raised tensions following Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test and will undoubtedly be exploited by the US to justify its military buildup in Asia.
Pentagon budget: A blueprint for World War III
By Bill Van Auken, 4 February 2016
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s preview of the Pentagon budget spelled out Washington’s advanced preparations for war against both Russia and China.
Syrian war negotiations collapse after two days
By Thomas Gaist, 4 February 2016
The talks have been postponed for at least three weeks amid an upsurge of fighting between US and Russian-backed forces.
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