On October 7, 2001, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. The war is now 16 years old — and that’s not even counting the decade of U.S. intervention in the country during the Cold War. Donald Trump once advocated the “speedy withdrawal” of U.S. troops from that country. As...
A Nobel Prize for Sanity?
The Nobel Peace Prize for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a wonderful tribute to the many millions of people around the world who have struggled over the years against the insanity of nuclear weapons.Congratulations to the courageous...
What’s Good and What’s Missing in the 702 FISA Reform Bill
My colleague Pat Eddington has already taken a first pass at the newly unveiled legislation aimed at reforming Section 702, the controversial foreign intelligence surveillance authority that empowers warrantless surveillance of foreigners outside the United States....
USA LIBERTY Act – Making Spying on You Permanent
With Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act set to expire at the end of the year, Congress is scurrying to find a way to preserve the post-9/11 authority for the government to conduct mass surveillance of US citizens' communications. They have come up with another...
Nick Turse on The Journalist and the Fixer
Originally posted at TomDispatch.We were already roaring down the road when the young man called to me over his shoulder. There was a woman seated between us on the motorbike and with the distance, his accent, the rushing air, and the engine noise, it took a moment...
FISA Section 702 Reauthorization Bill Circulated
Wednesday afternoon the House Judiciary Committee circulated its draft FISA Sec. 702 reauthorization bill. This is a preliminary readout of the major problems I see with this legislation.Mandatory Data Destruction Not MandatoryOne of the biggest vulnerabilities...
The Disingenuousness of the ‘Procedural Irregularities’ Position Against Catalan Independence
One the more popular arguments now being employed but those who are against the separation of Catalonia from Spain but who do not want to be seen as lining up with the political philosophy and violent tactics of the Rajoy government is the following:"I'm all for...
Trump and ‘His Generals’ on Collision Course Over Iran
With President Trump again facing the requirement to certify whether Iran is complying with the P5+1 nuclear deal this month, it looks like a major clash may be brewing between the president and the neocons on one side, and the military generals he openly embraces in...
Ron Paul on Cuba’s ‘Sonic Weapons’ – Real or Imagined?
The Trump Administration has just expelled several Cuban diplomats in Washington and suspended visas for Cubans wishing to visit the United States over reports that US embassy personnel in Havana have been attacked by some kind of mystery "sonic weapon" that is...
Thaddeus Russell Interviews Scott Horton About His New Book: Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan
Historian Thaddeus Russell sat down for an extensive interview with Scott Horton on his new book Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan.Order the BookScott Horton is the author of the widely-acclaimed Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in...


