US Militarism
Kerry charges “war crimes” as US escalates tensions with Russia
By Bill Van Auken, 8 October 2016
The US secretary of state charged Moscow with “war crimes” as US-backed, Al Qaeda-affiliated “rebels” appeared close to defeat in Aleppo.
Pentagon paid British PR firm $500 million to create fake al-Qaeda recruiting videos
By Jean Shaoul, 8 October 2016
The US military paid British public relations firm Bell Pottinger half a billion dollars to make fake terrorist videos as part of a secret propaganda programme in Iraq.
Fifteen years of the war in Afghanistan
By James Cogan, 7 October 2016
The US has been the central instigator of the Afghan tragedy for a period that now spans 38 years, with a toll in dead and wounded that numbers well over a million people.
Beating the drums for war with Russia
By Bill Van Auken, 6 October 2016
The New York Times and other major media are weighing in on the side of escalating the US intervention in Syria and militarily confronting Russia.
Tunisian men reveal new details of torture at CIA black sites
By Kevin Martinez, 6 October 2016
The ex-detainees described gruesome forms of torture not mentioned in the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA torture program.
Threat of US-Russia clash grows after Washington cuts off Syria talks
By Bill Van Auken, 5 October 2016
The Obama administration is set to discuss military options even as Russia has begun deploying more sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.
US suspends talks with Russia as danger mounts of escalation in Syrian war
By Jordan Shilton, 4 October 2016
Washington’s attempt to pin the blame on Russia for the breakdown of diplomacy in Syria is thoroughly dishonest and hypocritical.
US defence secretary announces “third phase” of military build-up against China
By Peter Symonds, 4 October 2016
Ashton Carter made clear that the US would sharpen its “military edge” in the Asia Pacific so as to remain the most powerful military in the region.”
The “major and deadly” wars to come
By Andre Damon, 3 October 2016
A report by a leading geopolitical strategy think tank makes clear that the US military is engaged in intensive planning for wars involving massive casualties.
New York Times brands Russia an “outlaw state”
By Bill Van Auken, 30 September 2016
The Times’ hysterical rhetoric reflects a debate within ruling circles over whether to launch a major escalation of war before or after the US election.
More US troops sent to Iraq ahead of assault on Mosul
By James Cogan, 30 September 2016
Justifications have been given in advance for the slaughter of every person labelled a member of ISIS and for large numbers of civilian casualties.
US threatens Russia with end to cooperation in Syria as fighting rages in Aleppo
By Jordan Shilton, 29 September 2016
Kerry’s blunt warning to Lavrov that the US is considering ending all bilateral cooperation with Russia in Syria shows how close the situation is to all-out war.
Pentagon chief outlines preparations for nuclear war with Russia
By Bill Van Auken, 28 September 2016
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter delivered a chilling speech in favor of nuclear escalation to US Air Force personnel in charge of launching strategic bomber and missile attacks.
Syria and the pro-imperialist pseudo-left
By Alex Lantier, 27 September 2016
The response of leading spokesmen of state capitalist and Pabloite tendencies reflect the increasingly open pro-war policies of substantial sections of the international pseudo-left.
US accuses Russia of “war crimes” as danger of clash in Syria mounts
By Jordan Shilton, 26 September 2016
The hypocritical accusations of war crimes hurled at Moscow by the US, Britain and France are an attempt to provide a cover for their reckless policy of regime change in Syria.
US intensifies campaign against Russia following attack on aid convoy in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 21 September 2016
The same Western media that proclaimed the US airstrike on the Syrian army an “accident” have rushed to pin the blame on Russia and Syria for attacking an aid convoy.
UN General Assembly convenes amid global military escalation
By Andre Damon, 21 September 2016
US President Barack Obama delivered remarks at the UN assembly on Tuesday against the backdrop of escalating conflicts in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia.
UK parliamentary report criticises Libya war but conceals its geo-strategic aims
By Jean Shaoul, 21 September 2016
The Foreign Affairs Committee describes Libya’s political and economic collapse and the growth of the Islamic State group in North Africa.
International Socialist Organization backs NATO escalation in Syria
By Alex Lantier and David North, 21 September 2016
The close links between CIA war propaganda and the ISO’s writings supporting war in Syria are virtually self-evident.
NATO sends 4,000 combat troops to Poland and Baltic states
By Johannes Stern, 20 September 2016
The sending of additional NATO troops to Eastern Europe is part of the preparations for war against Moscow adopted in early July at the NATO summit in Warsaw.
The threat of world war: The great unmentionable in the 2016 campaign
By Patrick Martin, 19 September 2016
Neither Clinton nor Trump is discussing the increasing likelihood of a US war with Russia or China, although the Pentagon is making active preparations.
62 dead, 100 wounded as US bombs Syrian army near Deir ez-Zor
By Alex Lantier, 19 September 2016
The bombing threatens to escalate the Syrian conflict into all-out war pitting the US-led NATO alliance against Russia and Syria.
Philippine foreign secretary says Manila will no longer be US “little brown brother”
By Joseph Santolan, 19 September 2016
As President Duterte downplays the South China Sea dispute with China, Washington is mounting a cynical “human rights” campaign to pressure the Philippines back into line.
US ambassador backs campaign against “Chinese influence” in Australia
By Peter Symonds, 15 September 2016
Berry’s intervention confirms American involvement in the anti-Beijing crusade, and highlights US determination to ensure Canberra’s support for its war drive against China.
US has spent nearly $5 trillion on wars since 9/11
By Bill Van Auken, 14 September 2016
A new report from Brown University estimates that Washington has squandered nearly $5 trillion since September 11, 2001 on the wars launched under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
American B-1 bombers send menacing warning to North Korea
By our reporter, 14 September 2016
The fly-past at South Korea’s Osan Air Base was also designed to send a message to Beijing to ramp up pressure on North Korea.
US triples special operations deployment to Latin America
By Neil Hardt, 14 September 2016
From 2007 to 2014, the US drastically expanded its training programs of Central and South American death squads.
The witch-hunt against Chinese influence in Australia
By Peter Symonds, 14 September 2016
The campaign against politicians, commentators and businessmen not fully supportive of the US “pivot” against China is a warning of the advanced character of war preparations in Asia.
Fifteen years since the 9/11 attacks
By The WSWS editorial board, 12 September 2016
The attacks of September 11, 2001 provided a pretext for a vast escalation of global military operations that threaten a Third World War.
US and allies threaten North Korea with sanctions and military attack
By Peter Symonds, 12 September 2016
Another round of punitive measures over Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test will exacerbate tensions on the Korean Peninsula and heighten the danger of war.
Fighting rages on in Syria in wake of US-Russia brokered agreement
By Jordan Shilton, 12 September 2016
Washington has acceded to the agreement to give some respite to its proxy forces around Aleppo, where government troops have made substantial gains over recent weeks.
Obama pledges to veto legislation allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi government
By Tom Carter, 12 September 2016
This legislation, together with the Obama administration’s opposition to it, marks the continued unraveling of the official narrative of the September 11 attacks.
Political prisoner Chelsea Manning begins hunger strike
By Tom Hall, 12 September 2016
Manning began her hunger strike in military prison on Friday in protest against the abuse and harassment that drove her to attempt suicide in July.
Twenty-year-old Muslim recruit killed by officers at Marine boot camp
By Eric London, 12 September 2016
Raheel Siddiqui, the son of a Michigan autoworker, jumped out of a third-floor window after being abused by officers at Parris Island, South Carolina.
Drone Valley: The University of California and the business of high-tech slaughter
By Toby Reese, 12 September 2016
The appointment of a number of new academics and scientists to the University of California, San Diego’s (UCSD) Contextual Robotics Institute is bound up with the US drive to war.
Media misinformation and the US election’s war agenda
By Bill Van Auken, 10 September 2016
The arrest of two young men in North Carolina for hacking into the accounts of top officials and government agencies casts a stark light on the media’s anti-Russia campaign.
Obama heightens antagonisms with China at East Asia Summit
By Joseph Santolan, 9 September 2016
Unable to enlist the Philippines or a reliable proxy from other ASEAN members, Obama was compelled to directly intervene.
Clinton and Trump bow to the military
By Patrick Martin, 8 September 2016
The unstated premise of Wednesday night’s forum before a veteran’s group in New York City was that the military should have veto power in the selection of the next US “commander-in-chief.”
Obama cancels meeting with Philippine President Duterte
By Joseph Santolan, 6 September 2016
The real source of the tensions is Washington’s increasing displeasure over Duterte’s failure to play his assigned role in the US pivot to Asia.
Obama and the US secret war in Laos
By Peter Symonds, 6 September 2016
Obama is the first US president since the Vietnam War to visit Laos, the scene of one of US imperialism’s bloodiest crimes, even as his administration is preparing new wars on a far greater scale.
Rising global tensions surface at G20 summit
By Nick Beams, 5 September 2016
It is a sure sign of the deepening malaise of the global capitalist economy, afflicted by lower growth and falling trade, that “overcapacity” in steel was at the very centre of the G20 economic agenda.
Clinton’s “American exceptionalism” speech: A bipartisan policy of militarism and war
By Patrick Martin, 2 September 2016
The Democratic presidential candidate’s speech to the American Legion was an attack on Trump from the right, pledging to be more ambitious and decisive in the use of American military power.
Spurning Washington’s appeals, Turkey vows to expand assault on US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria
By Barry Grey, 1 September 2016
The contradictions of US policy are underscored by the fact that US Special Operations forces are embedded within the Kurdish YPG and could come under attack from CIA-backed Sunni militia.
War clouds overhang Obama’s Asian trip
By Peter Symonds, 1 September 2016
Obama will attend international summits in China and Laos amid escalating geo-political rivalries, particularly between Washington and Beijing.
Australian establishment discusses prospect of US-China war
By James Cogan, 1 September 2016
ASPI began with the question “under what circumstances would Australia join in a war against China?”
Tamil Nationalists hail US “Operation Pacific Angel” in Sri Lanka
By K.Nesan, 1 September 2016
The US Pacific Command has launched Operation Pacific Angel in conjunction with the anti-China “pivot to Asia.”
US war planes and battleships to start using Indian bases
By Deepal Jayasekera, 31 August 2016
With the signing of the basing agreement, India is being transformed into a “frontline” state in the US drive to isolate, encircle, and prepare to wage war on China.
US deepens military ties with Sri Lanka
By Vilani Peiris, 31 August 2016
Washington wants to use Sri Lanka as one of its bases in the event of war with China.
Taliban captures key Afghan district in fierce fighting
By Peter Symonds, 31 August 2016
The latest attack takes place against the backdrop of geo-political intrigue that is drawing the entire region, including Afghanistan, into US preparations for war against China.
Turkish air strikes kill civilians in US-backed invasion of Syria
By Jordan Shilton, 29 August 2016
The incursion of NATO member states into northern Syria heightens the potential for a direct clash between Russia and the US which could quickly spiral out of control.
US torture victim Abu Zubaydah given “hearing” at Guantanamo
By John Burton, 29 August 2016
Zubaydah, one of 41 inmates still not cleared for release or transfer eight years after Obama pledged to close Guantanamo Bay, made a brief, silent appearance on video.
“Godfather” Biden visits Turkey
By Andre Damon, 27 August 2016
One month after the failed coup, the vice president met with Erdogan.
Finland announces defence agreement with the US
By Jordan Shilton, 25 August 2016
Finland’s expanding ties with Washington are part of a broader process that is transforming the Nordic region into another front in the US-led offensive against Moscow.
New flashpoint in escalating war: Turkey shells ISIS and Kurdish forces in Syria
By Barry Grey, 24 August 2016
Turkey and the US are increasingly working at cross purposes in Syria, further frustrating Washington’s central aim of removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Biden’s blank check to the Baltic states: US will wage war on Russia in your defense
By Andre Damon, 24 August 2016
Vice President Biden said Washington’s commitment to militarily defend the tiny states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia was a matter of America’s “sacred honor.”
US-South Korean war games inflame Asian tensions
By Peter Symonds, 23 August 2016
While nominally aimed against North Korea, the exercises consolidate Washington’s military alliance with Seoul as it makes preparations for conflict with China.
American jets scramble against Syrian aircraft bombing Kurdish rebels
By Alex Lantier, 20 August 2016
As US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria clash with pro-regime forces backed by Russia, Iran and China, the Middle East war threatens to escalate into all-out global conflict.
“Human rights” propaganda campaign paves way for military escalation in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 19 August 2016
The saturation of the airwaves and the press with images of a five-year-old child in Aleppo should be taken as a warning that Washington is preparing public opinion for a major military escalation.
Socialist Equality Party vice presidential candidate Niles Niemuth condemns US-backed war in Yemen
19 August 2016
This statement was given in response to the ongoing assault on Yemen by Saudi Arabia, including the destruction of a Doctors Without Borders Hospital this week.
Growing disquiet in Washington over Russian-Iranian actions in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 18 August 2016
The use by Russian bombers of Iranian bases to attack targets in Syria has provoked official US protests and warnings that Washington’s policy is creating a strategic crisis.
The New York Times whitewashes US imperialism in Middle East and contemplates ethnic cleansing
By Eric London, 17 August 2016
A essay published by the Times on Sunday concludes that the collapse of nationalist governments in the Middle East proves the necessity for a sectarian division of the region.
The Score of War: A haunting documentary film on Ukraine
By Bernd Reinhardt, 17 August 2016
In April of last year, the Ukrainian violinist and composer Mark Chaet, accompanied by a small film crew, travelled from Berlin to his home in Eastern Ukraine.
New York Times “human rights” warrior Nicholas Kristof demands military escalation in Syria
By David Walsh, 15 August 2016
Politically conscious workers, intellectuals and young people should know by now that when Kristof and the Times speak of human rights, they mean neocolonial war, mass killing and plunder.
The provocation in Crimea and the threat of world war
By Bill Van Auken, 13 August 2016
The terrorist attack in Crimea and ratcheting up of the war threat in Eastern Europe have exposed the real purpose of the anti-Putin hysteria in both the US election campaign and the Rio Olympics.
US Special Forces coordinating operations in Libya
By Thomas Gaist, 13 August 2016
US ground troops were involved in fighting in Libya this week in operations that include supporting local militias and coordinating air attacks from a secret base just outside of Sirte.
US military prepares new offensives in Syria and Iraq
By Peter Symonds, 12 August 2016
The US is planning major simultaneous operations to seize Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria that could unfold in the final weeks of the presidential election campaign.
US sells battle tanks to Saudi Arabia as it renews assault on Yemen
By Thomas Gaist, 11 August 2016
The latest weapons deal highlights the central role of American imperialism in organizing and facilitating the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
The battle for Aleppo and the hypocrisy of US war propaganda
By Bill Van Auken, 10 August 2016
Fifteen years after launching a “global war on terror” in the name of wiping out Al Qaeda, Washington is arming and funding its associates in Syria to counter Russia.
Washington escalates covert backing for Al Qaeda militias in Aleppo
By Thomas Gaist, 9 August 2016
The CIA has aggressively funneled weaponry to Al Qaeda militias in Aleppo, enabling the US proxy forces to temporarily break the Syrian government’s encirclement of the city.
White House releases “guidance” for targeted killings
Obama’s drone-missile machinery of murder
By Patrick Martin, 8 August 2016
The document provides essentially unlimited authority to the CIA and Pentagon to conduct assassinations with drone-fired missiles, subject to review only by the White House.
Rio 2016: The “Olympic ideal” and the reality of capitalism
By Bill Van Auken, 8 August 2016
The Olympics are being held under conditions of military occupation in Brazil, one of the world’s must unequal countries, wracked by economic, social and political crises.
Why the CIA is for Hillary Clinton
By Patrick Martin, 6 August 2016
The Clinton campaign is seeking to direct all anti-Trump sentiment in a right-wing, pro-war direction.
“Thinking Through the Unthinkable”
RAND Corporation lays out scenarios for US war with China
By Peter Symonds, 5 August 2016
The RAND Corporation study provides further evidence that a US war against China is being planned and prepared in the upper echelons of the American military-intelligence apparatus.
What is behind the campaign against Erdogan?
By Ulrich Rippert, 5 August 2016
German politicians are demanding firm measures against Turkey and the break-off of accession talks to the EU.
New York Times covers up Obama administration’s role in Turkish coup
By Bill Van Auken, 5 August 2016
The combination of propaganda and disinformation makes it impossible to know where the CIA ends and the Times editorial board begins.
New chemical weapons claims pose threat of US escalation of Syrian war
By Tom Eley, 3 August 2016
Chemical weapons allegations against the Syrian government should be taken as a warning that the US is prepared to escalate its confrontation with Russia over Syria.
From WikiLeaks’ Clinton Email Archive
The New York Times’ chief military correspondent met secretly with State Department in 2010 to bury Iraq War Logs
By E.P. Bannon, 3 August 2016
The revelation of the correspondence again makes clear the degree to which the American “fourth estate” is completely integrated into the capitalist state.
After Democrats’ celebration of militarism, US warplanes bomb Libya
By Bill Van Auken, 2 August 2016
The bombing of the Libyan coastal city of Sirte was ordered amid an explosive escalation of American militarism.
Democratic Party’s anti-Putin rhetoric prepares escalation of Syrian War
By Andre Damon, 1 August 2016
A campaign to accuse the Putin government of hacking into Democratic Party servers is aimed at creating the conditions for military escalation in Syria and against Russia itself.
US warplanes kill at least 28 more civilians in northern Syria
By Barry Grey, 30 July 2016
The latest mass killing occurred in the same region where, nine days before, the US military bombed a group of houses, killing as many as 200 civilians.
US army threatens whistleblower Chelsea Manning with indefinite solitary confinement
By Isaac Finn, 30 July 2016
According to the ACLU, Manning could face added time and other punishments on the basis of charges related to a failed suicide attempt.
Turkish newspaper identifies US general behind failed military coup
By Johannes Stern, 28 July 2016
The newspaper describes a huge Pentagon/CIA-sponsored operation spanning several months and involving billions of dollars to prepare the coup.
New Zealand Greens celebrate US warship visit
By Tom Peters, 28 July 2016
The embrace of the US military by the Greens and its supporters points to a further shift to the right by this party.
US-China underwater rivalry in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 28 July 2016
While submarines play an important part in conventional warfare, the preoccupation of China and the United States is their role in a nuclear war.
Will the US use Indian military bases to wage its Afghan War?
By K. Ratnayake and Keith Jones, 28 July 2016
A former senior Indian diplomat has warned that the US’s harnessing of India to its anti-China “Pivot” will result in India being drawn into the Afghan war.
US stokes divisions over South China Sea at ASEAN summit
By Peter Symonds, 25 July 2016
The Philippines and Vietnam are at loggerheads with Cambodia over a reference in the final communiqué to the recent UN-backed court ruling negating China’s maritime claims.
Democratic convention opens: An agenda of militarism and war
By Barry Grey, 25 July 2016
The program of global militarism at the heart of the Clinton campaign is combined with the ferocious promotion of racial and gender politics.
Pentagon accuses Russia of targeting US-British Special Forces base in Syria
By Thomas Gaist, 25 July 2016
US-Russian tensions are surging in Syria, despite the Obama administration’s efforts to delay a further escalation of the war until after the 2016 US elections.
US vice president’s trip triggers debate on US-China conflict
By Mike Head and James Cogan, 23 July 2016
A full-scale US assault on China would almost certainly escalate into a nuclear war, in which millions would die.
The Turkish coup, US militarism and the collapse of democracy
By Bill Van Auken, 22 July 2016
The tumultuous events in Turkey have exposed the interconnection between the worldwide eruption of US militarism and the global breakdown of democratic forms of rule.
US vice-president makes menacing warning to China
By Peter Symonds, 21 July 2016
Biden’s speech in Sydney made clear that the US will not tolerate any equivocation by Canberra and other regional allies in supporting its war preparations in the Indo-Pacific.
In Australia, US vice president issues belligerent challenge to China
By Mike Head, 20 July 2016
Biden’s trip to Australia came in the immediate aftermath of the arbitration court decision in The Hague declaring illegal Chinese land reclamation activities in the South China Sea.
US admiral holds “frank” talks in Beijing over South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 20 July 2016
The Chinese regime is playing directly into Washington’s hands by resorting to its own reckless military measures that heighten the danger of conflict.
American war planes slaughter civilians in northern Syria
By Thomas Gaist, 20 July 2016
US airstrikes killed dozens of civilians in Aleppo province Monday, adding to the hundreds of thousands of civilian dead produced by Washington’s regime change operation.
Our man in Ankara: US ambassador denies US role in Turkish coup
By Bill Van Auken, 20 July 2016
Ambassador Bass, a former advisor to Dick Cheney, issued a “categorical” denial that Washington had any involvement in the Turkish military’s abortive uprising of July 15.
US releases Saudi documents: 9/11 coverup exposed
By Bill Van Auken, 16 July 2016
The declassification of the section of the 9/11 commission report on Saudi ties to 9/11 point to a deliberate distortion and exploitation of the attacks as a pretext for war.
The Hague ruling: A dangerous step toward war
By Peter Symonds, 14 July 2016
The court decision on the South China Sea will heighten tensions and the risk that a minor incident spirals out of control and triggers a conflict between the US and China.
US Marines deploy to South Sudan
By Thomas Gaist, 14 July 2016
The deployment, carried out in the name of protecting US citizens, marks the latest escalation in the drive by US imperialism to assert control over Sudan and its oil resources.
Hague court decision sets stage for US confrontation with China
By Peter Symonds, 13 July 2016
Yesterday’s tribunal ruling branding China’s actions in the South China Sea as “illegal” provides another pretext for the US to ramp up its military expansion in Asia.
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