US politics

Millions Come into Streets for Slain Gen. Soleimani in Biggest Rallies in Iran’s History (And no, They weren’t Coerced)

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Monday, Iran witnessed the largest crowd actions in its history, as millions came out into the streets of cities large and small in a combination of mourning and protest on behalf of assassinated military commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani. The right wing political forces in the United States are trying […]

Donald Trump

In Iran showdown, conflict could explode quickly – and disastrously

Middle East Monitor

By Bear F. Braumoeller | Despite the claims of optimists, the odds that an international conflict will snowball into a bloody war haven’t gone down significantly since the end of World War II. Trump administration officials’ confidence that the present conflict with Iran can be managed could be dangerously misplaced. Since a drone strike at […]

Arms Sales

The Real Winners of Iran Conflict: Threat of War Inflates Stock Holdings of Military Contractor CEOs

Inequality.org

By Sarah Anderson | – (Inequality.org) – As long as the top executives of our privatized war economy can reap unlimited rewards, the profit motive for war in Iran — or anywhere — will persist. CEOs of major U.S. military contractors stand to reap huge windfalls from the escalation of conflict with Iran. This was […]

Donald Trump

Iraqi Parliament Resolves to Kick Out US Troops, and Trump Threatens Mother of All Sanctions

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – By a simple majority, the Iraqi parliament in an extraordinary session on Sunday passed a resolution requiring the executive to take steps to preserve Iraqi sovereignty by expelling US troops from the country. The Sunni and Kurdish parties made themselves scarce, and there was only just barely a quorum. All […]

Donald Trump

Iran is not Going Away, and Trump’s only hope of Success is not War but a Deal

Ali Abootalebi

Eau Clare, Wi. (Special to Informed Comment) – Much has been speculated and written about the possibility, trajectory, and the likely consequences of a war between the United States and Iran. In case of a wider war that may threaten the survival of the Islamic Republic, Iranian leadership will inevitably push for an all-out war […]

Afghanistan

Trump threatens Armageddon on yet Another Country: Crimes against Humanity in Afghanistan

Nick Turse

(Tomdispatch.com) – On February 4, 2002, a Predator drone circled over Afghanistan’s Paktia province, near the city of Khost. Below was al-Qaeda’s founder Osama bin Laden — or at least someone in the CIA thought so — and he was marked for death. As Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld put it later, both awkwardly and […]

Donald Trump

Making America Hated Again: Tens of Thousands of Iraqis Chant “Death to America” at Soleimani Funeral in Baghdad

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Prime Minister Adil Abdulmahdi, former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and other high Iraqi politicians attended funeral ceremonies for Trump-assassinated Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. So writes Nabih Bulos of the LA Times. So if anyone was wondering where the Iraqi political […]

Donald Trump

Trump’s Soleimani Assassination: It’s All about the Oil

Reese Erlich

(48Hills.org) – Reese Erlich, who has reported from the region for 20 years, sorts out the impact of Trump’s drone attack that killed a popular Iranian general. On Jan. 2 a US drone fired a missile on a car caravan leaving the Baghdad airport, killing Iranian Major General Qassem Suleimani and leaders of Iraqi militia […]

Donald Trump

Trump Unites Iran and Iraq . . . against the United States

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – As is always the way with Western colonialists, Trump administration figures such as secretary of state Mike Pompeo gave it out on Friday that the people of Iran are dying for the United States to invade and occupy them, and are just tickled pick that the US assassinated Gen. Qasem […]