Espionage

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Annual Threat Assessment of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Avril Haines) contains some important information that should be highlighted because it refutes right wing propaganda. Let me just draw attention to some of these points. 1. Here’s an essential one: “We assess that Iranian leaders did […]

CIA

On Anniversary of Republican Party’s overthrow of the Iranian Gov’t; Let’s remember that on Jan. 6 it used the Same Techniques against our elected President

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – As the indictments by grand juries at the federal and state level show, there is good reason to believe that on January 6, 2021, Donald John Trump attempted to make a coup and remain in power despite losing the election to Joe Biden. August 19 is the anniversary of the […]

Donald Trump

The Trials of Donald Trump and Aaron Burr: 3 Similarities and 2 Differences

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Only three holders of the top executive offices in the country, the presidency and the vice presidency, have ever been tried in federal court. They are Aaron Burr (d. 1836), who had served as Thomas Jefferson’s vice president; Spiro T. Agnew (d. 1996), who served as Tricky Dick Nixon’s vice […]

Donald Trump

‘If you want to die in jail, keep talking’ – Two National Security Law Experts discuss the special Treatment for Trump and offer him some Advice

The Conversation

By Thomas A. Durkin, Loyola University Chicago and Joseph Ferguson, Loyola University Chicago | – (The Conversation) – Lawyer Thomas A. Durkin has spent much of his career working in national security law, representing clients in a variety of national security and domestic terrorism matters. Joseph Ferguson was a national security prosecutor in the U.S. […]

Campaign Finance

Emirates has Spent $154 mn on Lobbying US since 2016, and has Illegally Influenced US Politics: Intel Report

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The UAE has spent more than $154 million on lobbyists since 2016, according to Justice Department records. It has spent hundreds of millions of dollars more on donations to American universities and think tanks, many that produce policy papers with findings favorable to UAE interests. The intrepid John Hudson at […]

CIA

The Ultimate Blowback Planet: Remembering Chalmers Johnson

Tom Engelhardt

( Tomdispatch.com ) – Once upon a time, long, long ago — actually, it was early in the year 2000 — I was involved in publishing Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire. It had been written by the eminent scholar of Asia, former CIA consultant, and cold warrior Chalmers Johnson. I was his […]

al-Qaeda

Think Again: 9/11

Juan Cole

“Think Again: 9/11,” by Juan Cole. Published in Foreign Policy No. 156 (Sep. – Oct., 2006), pp. 26-28, 30, 32. Copyright Foreign Policy, all rights reserved. Not for further reprint. These responses were my assessment of 9/11 and the Bush Forever Wars five years after the attacks. It is perhaps worth revisiting them now, 20 […]

CIA

Biden’s New Mideast: In Nadir of US-Saudi Relations, release planned of CIA report Accusing Crown prince of Murder

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Biden administration will release a Central Intelligence Agency report concluding that crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, 35, of Saudi Arabia, masterminded the assassination on October 2, 2018, of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. I’m not sure even an old foreign policy hand like President Biden understands how explosive this […]

CIA

Israeli Official: “World should thank Israel” for murdering Iranian Scientist; CIA’s Brennan: “Act of state-sponsored terrorism”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – An unnamed Israeli official told the New York Times on Sunday, “the world should thank Israel” for killing Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. I don’t guess I’m thanking Israel for committing a flagrant act of terrorism. If Israel can murder a scientist in Iran, what is to stop it from […]