I have to admit, sometimes I get too bogged down in the moral and practical estimates of U.S. militarism. Just Foreign Policy's Robert Naiman at the Huffington Post reminds us that, ahem, Obama can't legally bomb Syria without Congressional approval: On Sunday,...
One of the favored tactics of Israeli politicians over the years has been to promote the fact that they are willing to negotiate with the Palestinians "without preconditions." This tactic is a beneficial public relations stunt because it is juxtaposed by the...
Aaron David Miller thinks the Obama administration will bomb Syria, aiming not to topple the Assad regime but to "make a point." Noting the Obama administration's reluctance to go to war in Syria, Miller expects a "middle-ground response" like "targeted attacks...
The calls for U.S. military intervention in Syria's civil war are growing louder and louder amidst allegations that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, killing hundreds of people. The use of chemical weapons is beyond the pale, we're told, and must be met with...
Even as they condemn the Syrian regime's use of cluster munitions, the U.S. is selling Saudi Arabia $640 million worth of American-made cluster bombs. Cluster munitions have been banned in 83 countries on account of their indiscriminate nature and their record of...
Matthew Schrier, a photojournalist covering the war in Syria, was captured by al-Qaeda-linked rebels and held for seven months. He finally escaped and has now told his story to various media outlets. Once, when he was caught trying to escape, his captors tortured him...
John Reed at Foreign Policy describes "how the U.S. is encircling China with military bases." The U.S. military is encircling China with a chain of air bases and military ports. The latest link: a small airstrip on the tiny Pacific island of Saipan. The U.S. Air Force...
In compliance with a Freedom of Information Act request, the Obama administration finally declassified a 2011 ruling by the FISA court which found the NSA broke the law and the constitution in its collection of Americans' communications. The 86-page declassified...
According to The Wall Street Journal, new details reveal the NSA's reach is even broader than we've thought in the wake of Snowden's leaks: The National Security Agency—which possesses only limited legal authority to spy on U.S. citizens—has built a surveillance...
Foreign Policy has posted a nifty map of the world noting "the 7 governments the U.S. has overthrown." It's cool and all, but this number 7 is a significant undercount. J. Dana Stuster, who posted this map, does specify that these are covert CIA-supported coups only...
