US Militarism
Democrats’ anti-Russia hysteria prepares the ground for war
By Patrick Martin, 21 March 2017
The real target of Monday’s House Intelligence Committee hearing was Russia, not the Trump administration.
Trump, Tillerson press China for action against North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 20 March 2017
Despite his muted public remarks in Beijing, the US secretary of state had already made clear that “all options,” including military ones, were on the table to deal with Pyongyang.
US threats against North Korea and the danger of war in Asia
By Andre Damon, 18 March 2017
As the Trump administration charts a course toward war in the Asia-Pacific, there is no discussion within the American media or political establishment of the catastrophic consequences.
Israel air raid targets government positions as Syrian conflict intensifies
By Jordan Shilton, 18 March 2017
Syrian government forces fired anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli aircraft carrying out air strikes near Palmyra, amid reports that the US bombed a mosque near Aleppo, killing 46 civilians.
Letter from a Syrian reader: “There is a new sentiment of solidarity in the ranks of the poor people”
18 March 2017
The WSWS has received the following correspondence from a reader and supporter in Damascus on the situation in Syria after six years of a civil war instigated and abetted by the major imperialist powers.
Assault on boat off coast of Yemen kills over 40 Somali refugees
By Niles Niemuth, 18 March 2017
Friday’s assault highlights the historic humanitarian crisis which is engulfing a significant portion of the African continent and Middle East.
Trump budget to fund wider wars by slashing domestic spending
By Patrick Martin, 17 March 2017
The budget proposes to increase spending on the military and homeland security by nearly $60 billion, while slashing spending on the environment and social programs.
US secretary of state ramps up pressure on China over North Korea
By Mike Head, 17 March 2017
Rex Tillerson’s trip highlights the Trump administration’s focus on using North Korean missile and nuclear programs as a pretext for targeting China.
AFRICOM spearheads escalation of US “scramble for Africa”
By Eddie Haywood, 16 March 2017
The head of the African command warned the US Senate that more military resources are needed to pursue Washington’s predatory interests on the continent.
Trump administration secretly resumes CIA drone assassination program
By Bill Van Auken, 15 March 2017
The unannounced change in policy casts aside cosmetic restrictions imposed under Obama, allowing the CIA to freely function as Washington’s “Murder Inc.”
US sends drones, assassination squad to South Korea
By Peter Symonds, 14 March 2017
The military build-up by the Trump administration takes place as the White House considers launching strikes on North Korean nuclear and military sites.
US bombing kills 11 civilians in Mosul as Washington lifts restraints on Pentagon
By Bill Van Auken, 14 March 2017
There are clear indications that the Pentagon has given the green light for airstrikes that inevitably result in the killing of unarmed men, women and children.
Is the US preparing for war against North Korea?
By Peter Symonds, 13 March 2017
Amid a shrill media campaign inflating the threat posed by North Korea, the Trump administration is considering “all options” against Pyongyang.
US rejects talks over North Korea, declaring “all options on table”
By Peter Symonds, 9 March 2017
China’s foreign minister warned that the US and North Korea are like “accelerating trains” on a collision course “with neither side willing to give way.”
As US deploys anti-missile system, China warns of nuclear arms race
By Peter Symonds, 8 March 2017
Using North Korean missile tests as a pretext, the US has begun deploying its THAAD anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea.
India becomes “frontline” state in US war plans against China
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 7 March 2017
After decades of “non-alignment,” India has become a service hub for the US Seventh Fleet, marking a new stage in its integration into US imperialism’s military-strategic offensive against China.
North Korea tests missiles amid huge US-South Korean war games
By Peter Symonds, 7 March 2017
The Trump administration is considering all options, including military ones, to prevent North Korea from building a nuclear-tipped ICBM able to reach the US mainland.
Trump administration considers military strike against North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 4 March 2017
The leaked White House strategic review details are another indication that Trump is making action against North Korea a top priority.
Thousands flee as US artillery and air strikes intensify in Mosul offensive
By Jordan Shilton, 1 March 2017
The brutal offensive on Iraq’s second-largest city has already displaced upwards of 200,000 civilians, including 8,000 over the past week.
Trump proposes huge hike in military and police spending
By Patrick Martin, 28 February 2017
A budget outline presented by the White House Monday calls for a $54 billion increase in military and police spending, offset by an equal cut in domestic social spending.
Pentagon prepares for bigger, bloodier war in Iraq and Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 25 February 2017
Among recommendations being prepared for Trump is a lifting of restrictions on rules of engagement supposedly designed to limit civilian casualties.
As the media hails Lt. General McMaster, the military strengthens its grip on the government
By Patrick Martin, 23 February 2017
The extravagant praise for Trump’s choice as national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, exposes the complete abandonment of such basic democratic principles as civilian control of the military.
US officials accuse China of building missile bases in South China Sea
By Mike Head, 23 February 2017
Media reports have declared the latest claims to be “an early test of US President Donald Trump.”
Appointment of “Warrior-Scholar” McMaster signals intensification of anti-Russia confrontation
By Bill Van Auken, 22 February 2017
The appointment of McMaster exposes the utterly reactionary and undemocratic character of the official debate surrounding the Trump administration.
US defense chief arrives in Iraq amid renewed assault on Mosul
By Jordan Shilton, 22 February 2017
Secretary of Defense James Mattis will soon recommend an escalation of US military involvement in both Iraq and Syria.
Trump names Iraq war general and militarist as national security adviser
By Patrick Martin, 21 February 2017
The selection of McMaster is seen as a concession to the anti-Russian campaign waged by the intelligence agencies, the Democratic Party and sections of the Republican Party.
Plans to expand US Navy highlight vulnerable conditions of shipyard workers
By Toby Reese and Genevieve Leigh, 21 February 2017
In the decade spanning from 2005 through 2015, a total of 76 workers in the private shipbuilding and repair industry were killed on the job.
How many people would die in a war between the US and Russia?
By Andre Damon, 21 February 2017
Amidst the non-stop anti-Russian hysteria from the media and the Democratic Party, no one is posing the question: What will be the consequences of a war with Russia?
US conducts show of force in South China Sea
By Mike Head, 20 February 2017
The USS Carl Vinson’s operation is being mounted amid a sharp escalation in US trade war and military threats against China since the inauguration of Trump.
Pentagon chief warns of “arc of instability” at Munich security conference
By Bill Van Auken, 18 February 2017
Trump's defense secretary, James Mattis, sounded a warning to the conference aimed at justifying a further escalation of US and NATO militarism.
The Trump press conference: A ferocious conflict within the ruling elite
By Patrick Martin, 17 February 2017
The press conference was unlike anything seen in modern American history, as the US president traded insults with journalists and engaged in a bitter battle with his nemeses in the media.
Pentagon prepares plan to deploy ground troops in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 17 February 2017
The dispatch of conventional ground troops to Syria as well as an intensification of US airstrikes are reportedly both under consideration.
US demands greater European military spending at NATO summit
By Chris Marsden, 17 February 2017
European officials present at the summit responded with their own calls for military rearmament targeted against Russia.
US-backed UN statement condemns North Korean missile test
By Peter Symonds, 16 February 2017
The UN warned of “further significant steps” if Pyongyang did not halt its testing and called on UN members “to redouble their efforts” to implement existing sanctions.
Behind the Flynn resignation and Trump crisis: A bitter conflict over imperialist policy
By Patrick Martin, 15 February 2017
Congressional Democrats are speaking for a large section of the military-intelligence apparatus that is opposed to any lessening of US pressure on Russia.
Syria talks restart in Astana as fighting continues
By Jordan Shilton, 15 February 2017
The talks began just days after an Amnesty International report detailed the mass extrajudicial execution of an estimated 13,000 opponents of the Assad government at a Damascus prison.
Trump administration to expand India-US military-strategic alliance
By Deepal Jayasekera and Keith Jones, 15 February 2017
The Trump administration is intent on using India as a frontline state in a drive to thwart China through economic and military pressure and, if need be, all-out war.
US drumbeat for action against North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 14 February 2017
North Korea’s missile test took place amid mounting tensions between the US and China, North Korea’s ally, over trade, monetary policy, Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China and East China seas.
Trump’s lavish welcome for Japan’s prime minister
By Peter Symonds, 11 February 2017
Despite Trump’s gushing praise for Abe, a question mark remains over the US-Japan alliance and the threat of punitive US trade measures continues.
Air strike in Afghanistan kills more than 20 as top US commander calls for more troops
By Bill Van Auken, 11 February 2017
General John Nicholson, told a Senate panel that “a few thousand” more US troops were needed to sustain what is now by far Washington’s longest war.
Chinese foreign minister warns against war with the US
By Peter Symonds, 9 February 2017
Trump’s top adviser Steve Bannon declared last March there was “no doubt” that the US would go to war with China over the South China Sea in “five to ten years.”
Week three of the Trump presidency: A crisis of bourgeois rule and turn toward dictatorship
By Joseph Kishore, 9 February 2017
Events of the past several days have exposed the acute political crisis in the United States and the breakdown of democratic forms of rule.
Dakota Access pipeline construction to proceed
By Shelley Connor, 8 February 2017
The Army Corps of Engineers has given Energy Transfer Partners the final go-ahead needed to tunnel under Lake Oahe and complete the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.
China protests US sanctions on Iran
By Peter Symonds, 8 February 2017
The Trump administration blacklisted three Chinese individuals and two Chinese companies in retaliation for Iran’s missile test.
Eliot Cohen’s blueprint for World War Three
By Eric London, 8 February 2017
The former State Department official’s book calling for preemptive nuclear war was warmly received by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.
US defence secretary backs Japan, threatens war against China over disputed islets
By Peter Symonds, 6 February 2017
Mattis’s remarks were precisely what Tokyo wanted to hear: a US commitment to wage war against China in the event of a conflict over the Senkakus.
The Democratic Party and the anti-Russia hysteria
By Patrick Martin, 6 February 2017
While millions who have demonstrated against Trump are motivated by opposition to national chauvinism and authoritarianism, the criticism of Trump by the Democrats is centered on their demand for aggression against Russia.
US defence secretary threatens North Korea with “overwhelming” force
By Peter Symonds, 4 February 2017
Mattis’s threat only has one meaning: the obliteration of North Korea’s regime, as well as its military, industry and infrastructure, with the loss of countless lives.
Democrats back Trump administration’s new sanctions against Iran
By Joseph Kishore, 4 February 2017
The sanctions are part of an aggressive shift of the new administration and follow the declaration of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn that Iran was being put “on notice.”
Washington’s war threat against Iran
By Bill Van Auken, 3 February 2017
It would be a dangerous mistake to believe that the actions of the Trump White House are the result of mere improvisation or impulse. Rather, they are part of a definite plan.
Senior Chinese military official warns of rising danger of war
By Peter Symonds, 31 January 2017
The remarks reflect growing concerns in the Chinese regime over the bellicose remarks of Trump and his advisers toward Beijing.
Dozens killed in Yemen in first US special forces raid under Trump
By Niles Niemuth, 30 January 2017
Reports indicate that at least 57 people were killed on Sunday in a raid in the central province of Baydah, including 16 civilians and one American soldier.
White House to issue executive order on “safe zones” in Syria, ban on Muslim immigrants and refugees
By Niles Niemuth, 27 January 2017
The leak of the draft executive order to the media on Thursday was preceded by an extended interview with ABC News in which Trump endorsed US-controlled “safe zones” inside Syria.
New York University and the military-university complex
By Isaac Finn, 27 January 2017
The US military/intelligence apparatus exercises immense influence over the school’s political and intellectual life.
Trump threats on South China Sea heighten risk of nuclear war
By Peter Symonds, 25 January 2017
The only means of barring China from access to its islets in the South China Sea is a naval and air blockade, an act of war.
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.
Poland “faces tragic decision” after Trump election
By Clara Weiss, 25 January 2017
According to the conservative newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Poland faces a “devilish decision” between allying itself either with the US or with Germany and the European Union.
Appearance of military officers during Trump’s inaugural address still unexplained
By Jerry White, 23 January 2017
There has been no explanation as to why, in an unprecedented fashion, ten military officers stood prominently behind Trump during his inaugural address before promptly dispersing.
Trump’s fascistic diatribe: On the road to World War III
By Patrick Martin, 21 January 2017
Trump’s inaugural address combined nationalistic chest-thumping against foreign countries with bullying demands for patriotism and conformity at home.
Former US ambassador advocates American military bases on Taiwan
By Peter Symonds, 19 January 2017
Bolton is among those militarist layers who regard conflict with China as inevitable.
Chelsea Manning sentence commuted after seven years of brutal imprisonment
By Patrick Martin, 18 January 2017
Manning’s trial and imprisonment for leaking evidence of war crimes was itself a crime, for which the US military and Obama administration are responsible.
US escalates Russia tensions on eve of Trump inauguration
By Bill Van Auken, 18 January 2017
The deployment of 300 Marines to Norway Monday was accompanied by a barrage of anti-Russian rhetoric from the outgoing Obama administration.
Parliamentary crisis in Poland deepens amid US troop deployment
By Clara Weiss, 18 January 2017
As 3,500 US troops deploy to Poland, escalating plans for war against Russia, the ruling Law and Justice Party continues its efforts to build up a dictatorial regime.
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.
Amid anti-Russia media campaign
First permanent deployment of US troops on Russian border since Cold War
By Andre Damon, 16 January 2017
Some 4,000 US troops, together with tanks, artillery and armored vehicles, arrived in Poland over the weekend, further escalating tensions with Russia ahead of the inauguration of Trump.
Trump again threatens to tear up One China policy
By Peter Symonds, 16 January 2017
China rejected Trump’s remarks declaring that the “One China” principle was the political foundation of China-US relations and was “non-negotiable.”
Former Australian prime minister denounces Trump over China
By James Cogan, 16 January 2017
Paul Keating stated that a Trump administration threatened to “involve Australia in war with China.”
China and Russia to counter US anti-missile systems in Asia
By Peter Symonds, 14 January 2017
While nominally directed against North Korea, the THAAD deployment in South Korea is part of the US military buildup in Asia for war against China and Russia.
With bipartisan support, Trump defense nominee outlines plans for global war
By Tom Eley, 13 January 2017
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 24-3 to waive the legal restriction preventing the approval of a secretary of defense who has not been out of the military for at least seven years.
Trump’s China policy threatens nuclear war
By James Cogan, 13 January 2017
President-elect Donald Trump and the cabal of billionaires and ex-generals who will comprise his cabinet have signaled they will substantially intensify the United States’ conflict with China.
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.
US defence secretary threatens to shoot down any North Korean missile
By Peter Symonds, 11 January 2017
Trump’s propensity for recklessness and militarism will only heighten the danger of conflict on the Korean Peninsula, one of the world’s most dangerous flash points.
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.
Details emerge of Fort Lauderdale shooter’s experience in military
By Genevieve Leigh, 10 January 2017
Reports from friends and family continue to emerge regarding the toll that Esteban Santiago’s time in Iraq took on his mental state.
Obama's legacy of war, repression and inequality
By Joseph Kishore, 10 January 2017
For Obama and the privileged social layers that surround the Democratic Party, a legacy can be crafted with honeyed phrases and clever marketing. Millions of people, however, will judge the administration by its actions.
Child abuse and neglect soar in US military families
By Shelley Connor, 9 January 2017
For years, the Pentagon has maintained that child abuse is less common and less severe in military homes than it is among the civilian population.
The media campaign on Russian hacking and the US debacle in Syria
By Andre Damon, 9 January 2017
Despite the absence of any factual evidence in the report released last week by US intelligence agencies on alleged Russian hacking, the media campaign for war shows no signs of abating.
Trump’s coming confrontation with China
By Peter Symonds, 7 January 2017
No longer having the economic muscle to lay down the international trade rules, the US has begun a dramatic military build-up in Asia to assert its dominance, even if that leads to war with China.
Senators call for retaliation against Russia at “hacking” hearing
By Tom Hall, 6 January 2017
Yesterday’s hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee provided an opportunity for senators to kowtow before the US intelligence agencies and bray for war against Russia.
Congress grovels before the CIA as it escalates “Russian hacking” hysteria
By Patrick Martin, 6 January 2017
At Thursday’s congressional hearing, US Senators seemed to be in competition to demonstrate the most abject loyalty to the intelligence agencies.
US Special Operations troop deployments in Africa surged in 2016
By Eddie Haywood, 3 January 2017
The US deployed at least 1,700 elite soldiers to 33 nations across the African continent in 2016, more than twice the number deployed in 2014.
US think tank urges Trump to confront China in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 3 January 2017
Well aware of the dangers of full-scale war, the report nevertheless insists that the US and its allies must challenge China sooner rather than later.
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.
The lying campaign on Russian hacking
By Andre Damon, 31 December 2016
The US media, led by the New York Times, has embraced Obama’s retaliatory measures against alleged Russian hacking despite the fact that the White House has put forward no evidence to substantiate its claims.
Obama escalates anti-Russian campaign with new sanctions and threats
By Patrick Martin, 30 December 2016
The executive order issued Thursday is nominally directed against Russian hacking, but constitutes a sweeping attack on democratic rights.
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.
US weapons dealers top the market in global arms sales
By Nick Barrickman, 29 December 2016
The United States concluded over a third of the world’s weapons deals to developing nations in the last eight years.
Obama signs his last Pentagon budget: A legacy of war and reaction
By Bill Van Auken, 29 December 2016
The Democratic president’s signing of the National Defense Authorization Act ensures that the infamous prison at Guantanamo will be handed over intact to Donald Trump.
Japanese PM visits Pearl Harbor
By Peter Symonds, 28 December 2016
The ceremony was not about peace and goodwill, but was rather in preparation for new wars amid escalating tensions in the Asia Pacific with China.
Trump’s tweet and the danger of nuclear war
By James Cogan, 23 December 2016
Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested the use of nuclear weapons to achieve American imperialist ends and impose Washington’s dictates.
UK: Cambridge “spy” forum splits over alleged “Russian influence”
By Julie Hyland, 23 December 2016
The split comes against the backdrop of US and British imperialism’s debacle in Syria.
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.
Pentagon sends advanced surveillance team to train Sri Lanka’s military
By Pradeep Ramanayake, 22 December 2016
In line with Washington’s enhancement of India’s military capability, the US military is establishing interoperability with the Sri Lankan armed forces.
US Army document on urban warfare advances strategy for “contemporary Stalingrads”
By Eric London, 21 December 2016
The report titled “Military Contingencies in Megacities and Sub-Megacities” claims that US invasion of major cities is “inescapable” in the “not-too-distant future.”
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.
China accuses US of using undersea drone to spy
By Peter Symonds, 19 December 2016
The incident intensifies the US-China tensions produced by the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia” that has transformed the South China Sea into a dangerous flashpoint.
Obama, Clinton stoke anti-Russia campaign
By Patrick Martin, 17 December 2016
In his final press conference, Obama reiterated claims of Russian government hacking against the US election while refusing to provide any evidence.
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.
The US media’s neo-McCarthyite campaign for war against Russia
By Andre Damon, 16 December 2016
The ferocious denunciations of Russia that have dominated the American media are aimed at poisoning public sentiment and paving the way for war.
US admiral pledges to confront China in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 15 December 2016
The aggressive remarks by Admiral Harry Harris, commander of US Pacific Command, were encouraged by Trump’s belligerent stance toward China during and since the election.
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