Syria
US special forces flee “moderate” rebels in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 17 September 2016
The threat by the so-called rebels to slaughter American special operations troops exposed the immense contradictions underlying US imperialism’s war for regime change in Syria.
UK reneges on its promise to take in Syrian refugees
By Jean Shaoul, 17 September 2016
One year after former Prime Minister David Cameron promised to settle 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020, only 2,800 have arrived in Britain.
Pentagon openly challenges US-Russia ceasefire deal in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 15 September 2016
The statements opposing the cease fire by the top military brass are an unmistakable sign of the real and growing danger of a US war against Russia.
German weekly Die Zeit defends Al Qaeda
By Peter Schwarz, 13 September 2016
Die Zeit is angry that the Russian-American accord on Syria instructs the “moderate rebels” to distance themselves from Al Qaeda.
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.
Few Syrian refugees yet to arrive in Australia
By Max Newman, 10 September 2016
Less than 2,000 Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers have been allowed entry since the government’s promise to protect 12,000 people nearly a year ago.
Tensions between Washington and Moscow rise as Russia intercepts US spy planes over Black Sea
By Jordan Shilton, 9 September 2016
Whatever the precise cause of the incident, primary responsibility for the exacerbation of tensions lies with US imperialism and its NATO allies.
German army steps up military intervention in Middle East
By Johannes Stern, 9 September 2016
According to media reports, the German army will massively expand its presence at the Incirlik air base in southeastern Turkey.
Canada’s pseudo-left Socialist Project propagandizes for US imperialism in Iraq
By Roger Jordan, 9 September 2016
Socialist Project is promoting an article by a former US State Department official that advocates a Kurdish state in northern Iraq because it would advance “America’s national interest.”
Turkey prepares joint action with US in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 8 September 2016
A joint US-Turkey incursion raises again the possibility of a direct conflict with the Russian-backed Syrian government, as the civil war in Syria threatens to spiral out of control.
Mounting evidence of British “boots on the ground” in Syria
By Jean Shaoul, 8 September 2016
The secret deployment of the SAS is of a piece with the government’s campaign of lies, deceit and disinformation throughout the five-year-long civil war.
Syrian war threatens to escalate as Obama-Putin talks fail
By Jordan Shilton, 7 September 2016
The calls for humanitarian aid and safe zones are transparent pretexts to legitimise a vast intensification of the imperialist intervention in Syria.
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.
An interview with Roy Scranton, author of War Porn
By Eric London, 1 September 2016
Novelist Roy Scranton spoke with the WSWS about his debut novel, War Porn, and the role of art in opposing war.
US pressures Turkey to curb attacks on Syrian Kurds
By Patrick Martin, 30 August 2016
The Obama administration is allied with both sides in the mounting conflict provoked by Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria.
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.
“Godfather” Biden visits Turkey
By Andre Damon, 27 August 2016
One month after the failed coup, the vice president met with Erdogan.
Turkey expands invasion of Syria
By Jordan Shilton, 26 August 2016
Washington’s support for the Turkish invasion is aimed at creating the conditions for a broader intervention to topple the Assad regime.
Biden meets with Erdogan, backs Turkish invasion of Syria
By Halil Celik, 25 August 2016
The US vice president declared Washington’s support for the escalation, while Russian officials said they were following the invasion with concern.
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.
Suicide bombing kills 51 at wedding in Turkey
By Alex Lantier, 22 August 2016
The atrocity is the bloody outcome of years of incitement of Islamist terror and ethnic warfare in Syria by Washington and its imperialist allies in Europe.
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.
UK media denounces Corbyn’s refusal to support war with Russia
By Robert Stevens and Chris Marsden, 20 August 2016
Corbyn’s comments occasioned a slew of articles and commentary declaring that he could not be trusted with the reins of power if he were not ready for all-out war.
“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.
German report criticizing Turkey highlights growing tensions within NATO
By Johannes Stern, 19 August 2016
Relations within NATO have reached new lows, four weeks after the failed military coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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.
Saudi coalition airstrike on hospital in Yemen kills at least 11
By Peter Symonds, 16 August 2016
Yesterday’s attack on the Doctors Without Borders hospital is part of a deliberate campaign to terrorise the Houthi population.
British Special Forces operating inside Syria
By Harvey Thompson, 16 August 2016
The BBC report revealing their presence tried to portray the role of the Special Forces as a withdrawn, reserved force.
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.
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.
British government to escalate its Middle East intervention
By Paul Mitchell, 5 August 2016
The ramping up of the British military intervention is part of US plans to recapture Mosul from Islamic State control.
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.
British RAF carry out airstrikes in Mosul, Iraq
By Robert Stevens, 4 August 2016
The bombings mark a further escalation of Britain’s participation in imperialist military operations in the Middle East.
Stop the war drive in Syria and Libya! Workers of the world unite against war!
By Jerry White, 4 August 2016
Behind the backs of the American people, President Obama has ordered US military jets to bomb Libya even as the White House ratchets up its military intervention in Syria.
More airstrikes in new US war in Libya
By Peter Symonds, 3 August 2016
While nominally directed against ISIS, the fresh eruption of American militarism is more broadly aimed at stamping US dominance throughout the region.
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.
Russian helicopter shot down in Syria as battle rages over Aleppo
By Alex Lantier, 2 August 2016
Cut off from their supply lines to Turkey, US-backed Islamist militias are mounting a desperate offensive to break through the encirclement of their forces in Aleppo.
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.
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.
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.
Massive police operation follows deadly attack on Munich shopping centre
By our reporters, 23 July 2016
German security forces conducted a huge anti-terror operation in the city of Munich, where, according to the latest reports, 10 people were shot dead and at least 21 injured.
US air raids kill more than 200 civilians in northern Syria
By Thomas Gaist, 22 July 2016
The slaughter in northern Syria gives a foretaste of the bloody offensives being prepared by Washington and its NATO allies against Raqqa and Mosul.
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.
Obama’s “moderate rebels” behead 12-year-old in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 21 July 2016
The atrocity was carried out by an armed Islamist militia whose members received both weapons and salaries from the CIA.
Washington and Brussels step up pressure on Turkey
By Halil Celik, 20 July 2016
US Secretary of State John Kerry indirectly threatened Turkey with the loss of its NATO membership as Ankara carried out mass arrests following the July 15 coup attempt.
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.
The Turkish coup: A warning to the international working class
By Bill Van Auken, 18 July 2016
The attempted seizure of power by the military in Turkey, a key NATO member and sixth largest economy in Europe, is indicative of far broader dangers across the globe.
Failed military coup in Turkey
By James Cogan, 16 July 2016
The political upheaval in Turkey is testimony to the generalised breakdown taking place internationally in the political institutions and mechanisms of bourgeois rule.
In bid to save proxy forces in Syria, US discusses pact with Russia
By Thomas Gaist, 16 July 2016
The Obama administration has suggested a military cooperation pact with Russia aimed at salvaging the remnants of the Islamist forces it has backed against the Assad regime.
US Defense Secretary Carter announces 560 more US troops to Iraq
By Thomas Gaist, 13 July 2016
The deployments will support a joint US-Iraqi offensive against the urban center of Mosul, which is projected to last for months and turn hundreds of thousands more Iraqis into refugees.
The Chilcot verdict on Iraq: A war crime by British and US imperialism
By Julie Hyland, 7 July 2016
The Chilcot report provides conclusive proof that those responsible for the war have the blood of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, on their hands.
Behind US proposal for military cooperation with Russia
Washington plans escalation of war for regime-change in Syria
By Thomas Gaist, 5 July 2016
Both the Democratic and Republican presumptive presidential candidates have declared their support for intensified bombing and the imposition of a no-fly zone directed against the Syrian regime and its Russian backers.
Terror attacks shake US-backed Baghdad regime
By Thomas Gaist, 4 July 2016
At least 125 Iraqis were killed by a massive car bomb explosion in Baghdad Saturday, underscoring the crisis of the US-backed Iraq state
Death toll in Istanbul airport attack rises to 41
By Alex Lantier, 30 June 2016
The massacre is the tragic yet predictable outcome of the NATO powers' backing of Al Qaeda-linked forces in their war for regime-change in Syria.
New Zealand extends military deployment in Iraq
By Tom Peters, 27 June 2016
Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, New Zealand soldiers are assisting the predatory US war to dominate the Middle East.
State Department Syria memo: Setting the stage for war with Russia
By Bill Van Auken, 24 June 2016
The frustration expressed by the 51 State Department signatories is with the failure not just of Obama’s Syria policy, but of US imperialism’s entire Middle East strategy.
Reports of sectarian massacres as Fallujah falls to Iraqi government
By James Cogan, 20 June 2016
The Iraqi forces are being accompanied by US, British and Australian military “advisors.”
State Department “dissent” memo backs escalation of regime-change war in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 18 June 2016
The memo has ratcheted up tensions with Moscow while providing a glimpse of what may prove to be the policy of the next US administration.
US Navy to continue Black Sea incursions, brushing aside Russian demands
By Thomas Gaist, 18 June 2016
Rather than countering “Russian aggression,” the breakneck militarization of the Black Sea is rooted in the drive by the US and European powers to control the Eurasian landmass.
Obama green-lights escalation of Afghanistan war
By Thomas Gaist, 11 June 2016
The White House has authorized a major escalation of US air and ground combat operations targeting Taliban forces and others opposed to the stooge regime in Kabul.
Turkey’s Erdogan uses terror attack to escalate repression of opposition
By Halil Celik, 11 June 2016
The latest terror attack will only accelerate and facilitate the drive of the Turkish ruling elite towards militarism and dictatorship, while confusing the masses.
Fallujah: A symbol of US war crimes
By James Cogan, 8 June 2016
The humanitarian disaster that is unfolding in Fallujah is the product of the US-led invasion in 2003 and Washington’s deliberate stoking of sectarian conflict in the face of determined Iraqi resistance.
US-backed offensive against Fallujah threatens “human catastrophe”
By Bill Van Auken, 1 June 2016
The siege of the Iraqi city has exposed the deep sectarian fault lines in Iraq that are the product of the US occupation and its divide-and-rule tactics.
Thousands of civilians in danger as US-backed forces mount offensives in Iraq and Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 26 May 2016
The offensives launched by US-backed forces on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border threaten to deepen the region’s crisis.
US-backed offensive to seize Iraqi city of Fallujah
By Peter Symonds, 24 May 2016
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is desperately seeking to shore up his fragile government.
Canadian ruling elite applauds Liberal government for securing seat at Syria peace talks
By Roger Jordan, 24 May 2016
Canada’s seat at the table has been secured through its services rendered in the US-led military operations in the Middle East.
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.
Refugees shot by Turkish border guards
By Martin Kreickenbaum, 17 May 2016
According to eyewitness reports published by Human Rights Watch, at least five people were shot or beaten to death by Turkish border guards on the country’s border with Syria in March and April.
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.
Army captain’s lawsuit challenges legality of Obama’s war against ISIS
By Tom Carter, 9 May 2016
The lawsuit sheds light on the assertion of unlimited presidential powers to launch and wage wars.
Baghdad on military lockdown over fear of protests
By Bill Van Auken, 7 May 2016
As the US military escalates its intervention in Iraq, the government appears on the brink of collapse.
Australian government boasts of helping US kill its own citizens in Middle East
By Mike Head, 7 May 2016
Remarks by Prime Minister Turnbull amount to sanctioning extra-judicial killings as a matter of government policy.
New Zealand Labour Party leader visits Iraq
By Tom Peters, 6 May 2016
Andrew Little praised New Zealand’s troops in Iraq and pushed for their mission to be extended, underscoring the fraud of Labour’s vote against the deployment last year.
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.
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.”
Civilian deaths in Syria surge as US-Russian brokered ceasefire unravels
By Thomas Gaist, 30 April 2016
American support for the ceasefire was a tactical maneuver, aimed at buying time for US forces to prepare a renewed push.
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.
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.
Obama flies to Saudi Arabia amid rising tensions
By Bill Van Auken, 20 April 2016
While friction has arisen over Washington’s dealings with Iran and fallout from 9/11, the monarchical dictatorship remains a linchpin of US policy in the Middle East.
Canada’s Liberal government finalizes $15 billion Saudi arms deal
By Carl Bronski, 20 April 2016
The foreign minister has been caught out lying shamelessly about the Liberal government’s deciding role in finalizing a $15 billion arms deal with the Saudi regime.
In Cairo, French President Hollande defends the bloodstained Sisi junta
By Alex Lantier and Kumaran Ira, 20 April 2016
Hollande discussed with the Egyptian dictator his response to the November 13 attacks in Paris before deciding to impose a state of emergency across France.
Hollande sheds crocodile tears over refugees in Lebanon visit
By Kumaran Ira, 19 April 2016
French President François Hollande began his four-day trip to the Middle East, visiting Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, to boost economic and military ties amidst escalating war.
Doha oil talks collapse
By Nick Beams, 19 April 2016
The main reason for the failure to agree on an oil production freeze appears to be tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are on opposites sides in conflicts in the Middle East.
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.
Saudi onslaught against Yemen continues amid official cease-fire
By Thomas Gaist, 13 April 2016
Yet another UN-brokered “cease-fire” in Yemen has failed to effect even a temporary halt to the violence that has left more than 6,000 Yemenis dead
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.
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.
Australia: Socialist Alternative hails downing of Russian jet in Syria
By Oscar Grenfell, 29 March 2016
The declaration that Turkey’s flagrant act of war was “a small victory for humanity” underscores the pseudo-lefts’ support for imperialist provocations, including those that threaten to trigger world war.
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.
Canadian Liberal government to implement military spending hikes
By Roger Jordan, 28 March 2016
The Liberal government has already expanded Canada’s role in the Mideast war and is now considering further military interventions in Africa and Haiti.
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