Middle East
In visit to Israel, Trump escalates attacks on Iran
By Bill Van Auken, 23 May 2017
The US president’s pretense that his policies will bring about an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is transparent window-dressing for a policy of escalating militarism against Tehran.
Iran holds presidential election amid mounting geopolitical turbulence
By Keith Jones, 18 May 2017
US “secondary sanctions” continue to squeeze Iran’s economy, contributing to mass joblessness and growing social anger.
Washington levels new allegations against Syria on eve of Geneva talks
By Jordan Shilton, 18 May 2017
The unsubstantiated claims appeared aimed at blocking any settlement within the context of a ceasefire brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran earlier this month.
Yemenis dying of cholera as Trump meets with UAE ruler
By Bill Van Auken, 16 May 2017
The Trump administration is arming the UAE and Saudi Arabia to the teeth as the two regimes wage a savage war against the starving population of Yemen.
Pentagon in talks with Baghdad on permanent US occupation of Iraq
By Bill Van Auken, 5 May 2017
The discussions are unfolding in the shadow of the US-backed siege of Mosul, which continues to inflict mass civilian casualties.
At least 23 dead, dozens trapped in Iranian coal mine disaster
By Oscar Grenfell, 4 May 2017
The tragedy underscores the perilous conditions confronting coal miners in Iran and around the world.
US secretary of state issues war threat against Iran
By Bill Van Auken, 20 April 2017
The administration indicated it will review all sanctions lifted as part of the agreement, with an eye toward reimposing them on the phony pretext that Tehran is a “state sponsor” of terrorism.
Severe humanitarian crisis in Iraq with 800,000 going to bed hungry
By Jean Shaoul, 18 April 2017
A new survey, the most comprehensive ever carried out in Iraq, found that 53 percent of residents and 66 percent of internally displaced people are vulnerable to “food insecurity.”
Talks in Moscow fail to dispel rising US-Russian tensions
By Bill Van Auken, 13 April 2017
Five hours of talks between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian officials left relations between the two major nuclear powers at what both sides described as a low point.
US claims of Syria nerve gas attack: The anatomy of a lie
By Patrick Martin, 13 April 2017
All available evidence suggests that the tragedy in Khan Sheikhoun is a deliberate provocation organized by the American CIA and its clients among the Syrian “rebels.”
White House threatens more strikes on Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 11 April 2017
The threat of renewed US military action against Syria followed a Russian-Iranian warning that such action would cross “red lines,” prompting retaliation in kind.
The airstrikes in Syria and the war drive of American imperialism
By Joseph Kishore, 10 April 2017
A relentless logic of military escalation is taking over in Washington, dominated by demands for the overthrow of Assad and a confrontation with Russia.
US launches cruise missile attack against Syrian government
By James Cogan, 7 April 2017
The barrage is the first direct assault by the United States on the Russian- and Iranian-backed government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
The bombing of Syria: A new chapter in the US drive for global hegemony
By Bill Van Auken, 7 April 2017
Once again the United States has concocted a pretext to justify the violation of another country’s sovereignty.
Syria’s alleged gas attack: An imperialist provocation
By Bill Van Auken, 6 April 2017
The events in Syria’s Idlib province have all the earmarks of a US intelligence provocation designed to provide the pretext for a new military intervention in the Middle East.
US seizes on dubious gas attack to push for expanded Syrian war
By Jordan Shilton, 5 April 2017
The prospect of a direct US-led assault on the Syrian regime cannot be underestimated, with the alleged gas attack providing the pretext.
Egyptian dictator el-Sisi welcomed to the White House
By Patrick Martin, 4 April 2017
White House meetings with el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah revolve around increasing US pressure on these regimes to join the escalating wars in Iraq and Syria.
Top US general calls for military action against Iran
By Peter Symonds, 30 March 2017
General Joseph Votel’s provocative remarks and calls for military action feed into the growing clamour in Washington for tough measures against Iran.
US accused of war crimes in air strikes on Iraqi city of Mosul
By Bill Van Auken, 29 March 2017
The scale of the atrocity carried out by the US military in the March 17 bombing of Mosul continues to emerge amid fresh reports of the slaughter of civilians.
As Yemen war enters third year, Pentagon moves to escalate slaughter
By Bill Van Auken, 28 March 2017
The Trump administration is preparing for a potential direct US ground intervention in support of the Saudi regime’s savage war to further an agenda of confrontation with Iran.
The massacre in Mosul
By James Cogan, 27 March 2017
In February, the Trump administration let it be known that it would sharply escalate the onslaught on Mosul—regardless of how many innocent lives would be lost.
Casualties soar in Iraqi city of Mosul
By James Cogan, 25 March 2017
In the latest atrocity, an air strike on March 17 slaughtered as many as 200 civilians.
The freeing of Hosni Mubarak and the lessons of the Egyptian Revolution
By Johannes Stern, 25 March 2017
How is it possible that six years after the Egyptian revolution, nothing appears to be left of it, and Mubarak, the ugly face of the old regime, is free once again to show himself in public?
Protests shake Egypt after cut to bread subsidies
By Niles Niemuth, 8 March 2017
Egyptian cities were hit by protests just days after former dictator Hosni Mubarak, ousted in the 2011 revolution, was acquitted of murdering protestors and cleared for release.
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.
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
By our reporters, 17 February 2017
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
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.
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.
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.
Israel political crisis mounts over Netanyahu corruption revelations
By Jean Shaoul, 23 January 2017
While Netanyahu has appointed close associates to the positions of attorney general and police chief, recently leaked video tapes make his criminal prosecution increasingly likely.
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.
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 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.
Palestinian kills four Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem truck attack
By Patrick Martin, 9 January 2017
The attack is the bloodiest incident in Jerusalem since Israeli authorities announced a stepped-up expansion of Jewish housing in the predominantly Arab eastern half of the city.
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.
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.
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.
German defence minister on the offensive in the Middle East
By Johannes Stern, 10 December 2016
The central goal of Ursula von der Leyen’s trip to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan is the expansion of German imperialist influence in the geo-strategically important region.
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.
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.
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.
Egypt plunges into economic and social nightmare
By Jean Shaoul, 9 November 2016
The IMF insists that Egypt implement reforms, including a flexible currency, cuts to subsidies, a new VAT and the privatisation of state-owned enterprises.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Egyptian junta cultivates Russia and China as a counterweight to the US
By Jean Shaoul, 20 October 2016
Egypt’s turn to Russia and China is a desperate attempt to stave off bankruptcy.
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.
Yemeni war intensifies following Saudi bombing of funeral
By Peter Symonds, 11 October 2016
In all likelihood, the US knew of, and possibly even planned, last weekend’s air strikes by Saudi planes on Sanaa that killed over 140 people.
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.
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.
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.
Shimon Peres (1923-2016)
By Patrick Martin, 1 October 2016
The state funeral for Shimon Peres, former Israeli president and prime minister, brought leaders from around the world to pay tribute, not so much to the individual as to the rapacious, land-grabbing, militaristic state he did so much to construct.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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 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.
India ships food after mass protests by starving Indian workers in Saudi Arabia
By Kanda Gabriel, 4 August 2016
Laid-off workers in Saudi Arabia, the most reliable ally of US and European imperialism in the Middle East, are being left to starve by the thousands.
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 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: 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.
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
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.
After Tel Aviv attacks, Israel launches police-state crackdown
By Thomas Gaist, 10 June 2016
The Netanyahu government has deployed hundreds of additional troops to the West Bank and imposed punitive travel restrictions on more than 80,000 Palestinian civilians.
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.
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.
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.
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
UK documentary exposes Saudi role in global terror operations
By Jean Shaoul, 5 April 2016
The Saudi ruling family spent $70 billion exporting its particularly repressive form of Islamism through books, the media, Islamic welfare institutions and charities.
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.
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.
Hundreds of US Marines provide combat support as Iraqi forces advance toward Mosul
By Thomas Gaist, 25 March 2016
Two weeks after secretly deploying to northern Iraq, US Marines are pounding Iraqi villages in support of an Iraqi government offensive overseen by US advisors.
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