War Drive in the Middle East
Syrian government, “rebels” meet for talks in Kazakhstan
By Bill Van Auken, 25 January 2017
In the wake of the strategic defeat suffered by the CIA-backed Islamist militias, the US participated only as an observer in the talks brokered by Russia.
Joint Russian, Turkish bombing campaign in Syria deepens NATO crisis
By Bill Van Auken, 20 January 2017
The joint Russian-Turkish action came on the eve of the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is reportedly preparing a major escalation of US intervention in the region.
Iraqi civilian death toll mounts as fighting intensifies in Mosul
By Jordan Shilton, 17 January 2017
Up to 30 civilians were reportedly killed in a US-led air strike last Thursday. The UN reports that fully half of all casualties in Mosul have been civilians.
Paris conference pleads with Trump to continue Middle East “peace process”
By Jean Shaoul, 17 January 2017
The Paris meeting demonstrates the futility of seeking a way forward for for the Palestinian people through a filthy deal between the Palestinian bourgeoisie, the Israeli government and the reactionary Arab states.
Syria accuses Israel of launching missile strike against military airport in Damascus
By Niles Niemuth, 14 January 2017
Israel reportedly carried out its third attack against Syria in as many months even as a ceasefire in the six-year-old US-stoked civil war continues to hold.
US air strike kills 20 civilians in Syria
By Jordan Shilton, 11 January 2017
Details of last week’s raid in Idlib province emerged as Democrats and Republicans in the Senate introduced bipartisan legislation to intensify punitive measures against Russia over its interventions in Syria and Ukraine.
Canadian Afghan war veteran commits suicide after killing family
By Laurent Lafrance, 11 January 2017
Lionel Desmond was suffering from PTSD but failed to receive the support he required due to systematic cuts to health care and veterans’ services.
US destroyer fires warning shots at Iranian patrol boats
By Peter Symonds, 10 January 2017
The incident underscores the volatile situation in the Middle East and the potential for a rapid rise of US-Iranian tensions once Trump assumes the US presidency.
US-Russian tensions sharpen over Syria
By Jordan Shilton, 10 January 2017
The carrying out of a ground raid by US special forces troops in eastern Syria makes clear Washington’s determination to escalate the conflict.
US bombs hospital amid escalating assault on Mosul
By Bill Van Auken, 31 December 2016
The attack came as US-backed Iraqi forces launched what they described as the second phase of their assault on Iraq’s second-largest city.
Russia and Turkey broker ceasefire in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 30 December 2016
The ceasefire, which excludes ISIS and Al Qaeda, as well as the Kurdish militia, is supposed to lay the foundations for peace talks in Kazakhstan.
Mosul, Iraq and Obama’s legacy of war
By James Cogan, 22 December 2016
There is no doubt as to the overriding motive behind the 1991 Gulf War, years of sanctions on Iraq, the 2003 US invasion and the blood-letting in Mosul—oil.
Russia, Iran and Turkey issue joint declaration on Syrian settlement
By Bill Van Auken, 22 December 2016
The joining of Turkey, a NATO ally, with Moscow and Tehran has provoked anger and recriminations from the US establishment and media.
Turkey, Russia, Iran sign deal on Syria after shooting of Russian ambassador
By Halil Celik and Alex Lantier, 21 December 2016
Though Turkey is a NATO ally of the United States, it is reacting to the victory of the Syrian regime in Aleppo by moving closer to Russia and Iran.
Russian ambassador to Turkey assassinated in Ankara
By Bill Van Auken, 20 December 2016
The assassination by an off-duty policeman of the Russian ambassador comes amidst rising international tensions over the Syrian government’s retaking of Aleppo.
The International Socialist Organization and the fall of Aleppo
By Andre Damon, 20 December 2016
The crisis of the US-backed proxy war for regime change in Syria has provoked a furious response from the pseudo-left apologists for US imperialism.
While decrying “massacre” in Aleppo, US steps up bloodshed in Mosul
By Bill Van Auken, 16 December 2016
The hypocrisy of US denunciations of Syria, Russia and Iran for the suffering in Aleppo is exposed by the plight of the besieged Iraqi city of Mosul.
Washington’s hypocrisy over the fall of Aleppo
By Bill Van Auken, 15 December 2016
The hysterical denunciations by Western governments and media of alleged atrocities in eastern Aleppo are a measure of the debacle for US imperialism in Syria.
Syrian government retakes eastern Aleppo
By Bill Van Auken, 14 December 2016
Under a deal brokered between Turkey and Russia, Islamist militias have agreed to evacuate the last remaining area of the city under their control.
Pseudo-left covers for Corbyn’s capitulation to Blair over Iraq war
By Laura Tiernan, 14 December 2016
The pseudo-left’s support for Corbyn gives Labour a blank cheque to facilitate British military aggression.
US sends more ground troops to support Kurdish militias in Syria
By James Cogan, 12 December 2016
The increased involvement of American forces will heighten already tense relations between the United States and Turkey.
US-backed Islamist militias abandon Aleppo’s old city as Syrian army advances
By Alex Lantier, 8 December 2016
Reports are emerging that Washington is pressing opposition forces in Aleppo to abandon the city and continue fighting elsewhere.
Trump victory strengthens Israel’s far-right and settler parties
By Jean Shaoul, 5 December 2016
Trump’s remarks on the Israel/Palestine conflict reflect the most extreme demands of Israel’s settler movement and Netanyahu’s political rival Naftali Bennett.
Moscow in secret talks with Syrian “rebels”
By Bill Van Auken, 2 December 2016
The talks brokered between Russia and Turkey are a further manifestation of the debacle facing the US regime change campaign.
Mosul and imperialist “human rights”
By James Cogan, 2 December 2016
The attitude of the imperialist powers to war crimes is determined by whether they benefit from them.
Australia’s Socialist Alternative agitates for escalation of US intervention in Syria
By Will Morrow, 2 December 2016
Socialist Alternative’s commentary on Syria closely aligns with the most hawkish sections of the US military and intelligence apparatus.
Pentagon advances coverup for September bombing of Syrian army
By Bill Van Auken, 1 December 2016
The claim that the massacre of as many as 90 Syrian soldiers was a “human error” carried out in “good faith” is contradicted by the US military’s own admissions.
New York Times vents Washington’s rage over debacle in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 30 November 2016
The Times has churned out countless lying editorials and columns justifying the bloodbath instigated by US imperialism in Syria as a “human rights” crusade.
US-backed “rebels” face rout in Aleppo
By Bill Van Auken, 29 November 2016
Syrian government forces have seized some 40 percent of the area previously controlled by militias led by the Al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.
Israel carries out airstrikes against ISIS ally in Syria
By Jean Shaoul, 29 November 2016
Sunday’s airstrikes highlight the increasing danger of a wider war involving nuclear-armed powers.
Syrian war threatens to escalate as Turkey accuses Damascus of attacking its troops
By Jordan Shilton, 25 November 2016
The escalation of tensions between Syria and Turkey, a NATO member, poses the very real risk of direct clashes between the major powers.
US arms Syrian Islamists with surface-to-air missiles
By Bill Van Auken, 23 November 2016
The portable missiles have been placed in the hands of the so-called “rebels” in an apparent attempt to escalate the conflict in advance of the change in US administrations.
Fighting intensifies in Mosul and northern Iraq
By James Cogan, 22 November 2016
Hundreds of American personnel are on the ground and involved in the combat, while British and Australian troops are also reported to be fighting alongside Iraqi units.
Syrian fighting intensifies amid growing signs of military escalation under Trump
By Bill Van Auken, 17 November 2016
The offensive has been accompanied by an increasingly hysterical campaign in the media against any easing of tensions with Moscow under a Trump administration.
German parliament backs extension of military operations in Iraq and Syria
By Justus Leicht, 14 November 2016
German troops are engaged in a wide-scale military combat mission in the Middle East, having been granted permission to “use military force”.
Bagram air base bombing kills four US personnel in Afghanistan
By Bill Van Auken, 14 November 2016
The attack and other incidents underscore the increasingly precarious situation in Afghanistan after a decade and a half of US war and occupation.
Growing crisis surrounds US-backed offensive in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 11 November 2016
The assault on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa has exposed the sharp tensions between the disparate forces that constitute Washington’s allies.
US-backed Kurdish militia announces assault on ISIS capital in Syria
By James Cogan, 7 November 2016
The largely rhetorical announcement appears primarily aimed at bolstering Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Chair of UK Iraq War Inquiry: Tony Blair went “beyond the facts” to justify invasion
By Paul Mitchell, 3 November 2016
The British parliament, led by the Labour government, voted for an illegal war because it agreed with Blair that supporting the US was a strategic imperative.
Britain’s pseudo-left and the party of war
By Robert Stevens, 2 November 2016
The election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader one year ago has not changed Labour’s pro-war agenda one iota.
The political anatomy of pseudo-left war propaganda
Part two
By Eric London, 2 November 2016
A Road Unforeseen employs postmodernist political categories and identity politics in an explicit call for US war in the Middle East.
Sectarian tensions rise in Iraq as Mosul offensive enters third week
By Jordan Shilton, 1 November 2016
Iraqi government troops entered the eastern outskirts of the northern Iraqi city Monday amid ongoing warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe facing its residents.
New Zealand pseudo-lefts hold protests to denounce Russia
By John Braddock, 1 November 2016
The rallies were an attempt to whip up support for the US-led intervention in Syria and its reckless confrontation with Russia.
The political anatomy of pseudo-left war propaganda
Part one
By Eric London, 1 November 2016
A Road Unforeseen employs postmodernist political categories and identity politics in constructing an argument for war in the Middle East.
Sixty killed in new US-Saudi war crime in Yemen
By Bill Van Auken, 31 October 2016
At least 60 civilians were killed in the latest bombing raid, which comes on the heels of reports warning of mass starvation.
UN warns US-Saudi war threatens mass starvation in Yemen
By Bill Van Auken, 29 October 2016
After 18 months of bombardment, the catastrophe unfolding in the poorest nation in the Middle East constitutes a war crime of historic proportions.
US-backed Islamist rebels launch offensive in Syria
By Jordan Shilton, 29 October 2016
Continuing its grotesque double standards over human rights violations, the US media broadly welcomed an Islamist rebel offensive in Aleppo that included indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas.
Aleppo, Mosul and “war crimes”
By Bill Van Auken, 28 October 2016
Those denouncing Russia for “war crimes” in Aleppo have carried out atrocities over the course of the past three quarters of a century that vastly eclipse the events in the embattled Syrian city.
Obama administration split on “Plan B” for Syria intervention
By Bill Van Auken, 25 October 2016
The US National Security Council reportedly discussed proposals to provide heavy weapons to Al Qaeda-linked rebels, but took no decision.
Roger Cohen of the New York Times declares that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism
By Chris Marsden, 24 October 2016
Cohen’s attack on the left’s “anti-Semitism,” which seeks to proscribe all criticism of Israel, is a slander directed in particular against Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters.
Mosul offensive intensifies regional tensions as Turkish soldiers intervene in Iraq
By Jordan Shilton, 24 October 2016
The dispute between the Iraqi and Turkish governments is only one of a vast array of regional and sectarian divisions being inflamed by the US-backed offensive on the northern Iraqi city.
Mosul offensive stirs a cauldron of conflicts
By James Cogan, 21 October 2016
Before Mosul even falls, savage fighting threatens to break out between nominal allies in the operations against Islamic State.
The siege of Mosul and the crimes of US imperialism
By Bill Van Auken, 20 October 2016
The offensive against Mosul is the latest in a series of US war crimes that have killed, maimed and displaced millions across the Middle East.
Amid Mosul offensive, Turkey denounces US policy, stakes claims in Balkans
By Alex Lantier, 20 October 2016
Greek officials warned that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements threatened to undermine Turkey's relations with Greece and the entire European Union.
US-backed Iraqi forces tighten noose around Mosul
By James Cogan, 18 October 2016
The increasingly clear intent is to use air strikes, starvation and desperation to weaken what remains of ISIS’s fighting strength.
EU foreign ministers adopt statement denouncing Russia and Syria
By Alex Lantier, 18 October 2016
The European Union statement is aligned with the flood of anti-Russian propaganda emanating from Washington over the NATO war for regime change in Syria.
The US-directed assault on Mosul and imperialist hypocrisy
By James Cogan, 17 October 2016
In both Syria and Iraq, US objectives are the same: asserting its dominance over the key oil-producing region of the world.
US steps up anti-Russian rhetoric over Syria as EU foreign ministers meet
By Robert Stevens, 17 October 2016
The US, UK and France are seeking to impose additional sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Syria.
Western foreign ministers to meet in London to discuss Syria intervention
By Robert Stevens, 15 October 2016
The efforts by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to assemble a “coalition of the willing” behind military action in Syria is being led by the Labour Party.
Washington threatens military intervention in Yemen following reported missile attacks on US warship
By Barry Grey, 13 October 2016
The missile incidents follow a savage bombing carried out last Saturday by Saudi war planes on a packed funeral hall in Sanaa, killing at least 140 civilians.
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.
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.
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.
Russia responds to US threats with blunt warning over use of force in Syria
By Jordan Shilton, 3 October 2016
A US attack on Syrian government forces could result in “total war” and “tectonic shifts” in the Middle East, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned.
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.
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.
Top US general warns Syrian “no-fly” zone means war with Russia
By Bill Van Auken, 24 September 2016
Marine General Joseph Dunford’s warning came amid plans for escalating the US intervention in the region and intensified fighting in Syria.
US pushes for “no fly” zone as Syrian conflict escalates
By Bill Van Auken, 22 September 2016
Washington is exploiting the attack on a UN aid convoy in a bid to strengthen the position of US-backed Islamist militias.
Australian aircraft involved in provocative US-led airstrike in Syria
By Peter Symonds, 22 September 2016
Canberra is so enmeshed in Washington’s proxy war in the Middle East that it could find itself on the frontline of a conflict with Russia.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Syria war escalates in run-up to G20 summit meetings
By Johannes Stern and Alex Lantier, 3 September 2016
Despite talks between the United States, Russia, and Turkey, conflicts inside Syria continue to mount as the Turkish invasion of northern Syria proceeds.
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
By , 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.
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