Contractor Kidnappings and the Perils of Privatized War Contractor Kidnappings and the Perils of Privatized War
More than 3,700 contractors died on the global battlefield between 2001 and 2015, in this deadly and secrecy-shrouded game of crony capitalism.
Feb 2, 2016 / Tim Shorrock
Why Do All of the Pentagon’s ‘Successes’ in Iraq Look More Like Failures? Why Do All of the Pentagon’s ‘Successes’ in Iraq Look More Like Failures?
The only thing the US military has succeeded at is believing its own propaganda.
Jan 21, 2016 / Nick Turse
The Pentagon’s New Base Plan Will Achieve the Exact Opposite of Its Goal The Pentagon’s New Base Plan Will Achieve the Exact Opposite of Its Goal
We’re building bases to prevent terrorism, but local terror groups are recruiting in reaction to our bases.
Jan 14, 2016 / David Vine
December 13, 2003: Saddam Hussein Is Captured December 13, 2003: Saddam Hussein Is Captured
“Neither the overthrow of the Baathist regime nor Saddam’s capture can erase the fact that Washington helped prop up Saddam for years.”
Dec 13, 2015 / 150th Anniversary / Richard Kreitner
Washington to Whomever: Please Fight the Islamic State for Us Washington to Whomever: Please Fight the Islamic State for Us
Why the Gulf states, the Kurds, the Turks, the Sunnis, and the Shia won’t fight America’s war.
Dec 10, 2015 / Peter Van Buren
Ben Carson Isn’t the Only US Politician With a Hand in Shady Latin American Dealings Ben Carson Isn’t the Only US Politician With a Hand in Shady Latin American Dealings
Duane Clarridge’s Iran/Contra history is horrifying—but it’s no worse than Hillary Clinton’s record in Colombia.
Nov 25, 2015 / Greg Grandin
The US Military’s Best-Kept Secret The US Military’s Best-Kept Secret
For years, American military expansion in Africa has gone largely unnoticed, thanks to a deliberate effort to keep the public in the shadows.
Nov 17, 2015 / Nick Turse
Is It Wrong to Mourn Paris More Deeply Than Beirut? Is It Wrong to Mourn Paris More Deeply Than Beirut?
Paris was a wake-up call for Westerners—a reminder that we usually have the luxury to ignore the costs of war, even as our governments inflict them on foreigners.
Nov 16, 2015 / Jeanne Kay
November 3, 1986: The Iran/Contra Weapons-for-Hostages Deal Is Exposed November 3, 1986: The Iran/Contra Weapons-for-Hostages Deal Is Exposed
“The arms deal did not take place on the margins of policy but at its very heart.”
Nov 3, 2015 / 150th Anniversary / Richard Kreitner
American Special Operations Forces Have a Very Funny Definition of Success American Special Operations Forces Have a Very Funny Definition of Success
US Special Operations forces have deployed to 147 countries this year. To what end, exactly?
Oct 26, 2015 / Nick Turse