Category: News

Host Wolf Blitzer set the tone for last night’s Republican Party presidential debate when he solemnly told the audience that Americans are more fearful now than at any time since 9/11. The fear of terrorism is the number one issue, he emphasized, trumping all other concerns. With the stage thus set, the candidates, with a few exceptions, proceeded to tell voters how many new wars they would start, how many civilians they would kill overseas, how many of our liberties we must give up at home. Today’s Liberty Report takes a look at the dismal future laid out by most of the candidates:

Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.

Ron Paul on Fox Business Channel:

Continuing his insightful analysis offered in October RT and November Real News Network interviews, Lawrence Wilkerson, a former United States Army colonel and chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell, expands this month on his exploration of the US national security state. In an in-depth interview this week with host Abby Martin at teleSUR, Wilkerson explains how “interminable war” is a goal of the national security state.

Many people suppose that US foreign policy is purposed to protect the American people from danger or to achieve altruistic aspirations overseas such as the spread of democracy or the protection of human rights. Consider, for example, the Afghanistan War that was justified as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on America and also promoted as having humanitarian purposes. In August of 2002, President George W. Bush claimed success in achieving some of these humanitarian purposes as follows:

In Afghanistan, the Taliban used violence and fear to deny Afghan women access to education, health care, mobility, and the right to vote. Our coalition has liberated Afghanistan and restored fundamental human rights and freedoms to Afghan women, and all the people of Afghanistan. Young girls in Afghanistan are able to attend schools for the first time.

Continue reading “US Foreign Policy of Interminable War to Support the National Security State”

The BBC interviews 14-year Gitmo inmate Shaker Aamer about his torture and time imprisoned by the Americans.

While the US government continues to face – and vigorously deny – charges that it secretly helps ISIS and other extremists in Syria to keep alive Obama’s regime-change policy for Assad, Washington’s closest ally in the region makes little pretense that it is at war with al-Qaeda and other extremists.

In fact, Israel is openly coming to the rescue of al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra just beyond the border of Israel-occupied Golan Heights.

Not only is Israel making no secret of its assistance to the same group responsible for the 9/11 attacks against the United States, Tel Aviv is inviting western media to “embed” with Israeli troops as they embark upon dangerous rescue missions into Syria. Friday’s Daily Mail ran an article complete with photos and “IDF Footage” of the Israeli army crossing into Syria to rescue members of al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria after they were wounded by Syrian government forces fighting back the al-Qaeda/ISIS-led insurgency.

This is not just a one-off emergency aid mission. According to the article, Israel has been running a three-year medical assistance program for al-Qaeda fighters in southern Syria. The article estimates that Israel has patched up at least 1,600 Islamist extremists and sent many back to battle the secular Syrian government. The missions have been undertaken at great danger to the Israeli soldiers involved and at significant expense for a small country: more than $13 million dollars spend thus far.

Continue reading “Israel’s al-Qaeda Rescue Program”

Awesome interview on the Tom Woods Show.

The just-war tradition is a much-heralded aspect of moral reflection in the Western world. But does this series of criteria for the acceptability of particular wars really serve the purpose of limiting war? It’s a question I’ve changed my mind on in recent years, and Laurie Calhoun helps me to work through the issue in today’s episode.

Listen to audio only here.