President Obama announced last week that he was imposing yet another round of sanctions on Russia, this time targeting financial, arms, and energy sectors. The European Union, as it has done each time, quickly followed suit. These sanctions will not produce the...

Originally posted at TomDispatch. As every schoolchild knows, there are three check-and-balance branches of the U.S. government: the executive, Congress, and the judiciary. That’s bedrock Americanism and the most basic high school civics material. Only one problem:...

History is full of ironies: World War I, marketed to Americans as a "war to end all wars," paved the way for an even more massive slaughter. The invasion and conquest of Iraq – which was supposed to augur what George W. Bush hailed as a "global...

Islamic State militants have reportedly taken over the Mosul Dam on the Tigris River and the town of Sinjar, in which the U.N. fears could be the beginning of a “humanitarian tragedy.” Meanwhile, the Iraqi government reported they had killed over 650 militants, mostly in airstrikes.

Battles and airstrikes took their toll on militant forces, leaving almost 300 of them dead. Attacks against security forces and civilians drove the total number of dead today to 357 killed. Another 150 people were wounded.

The controversy surrounding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been as notable for its moral poverty as its rhetorical intensity. Conservatives have branded Bergdahl a traitor, hardly worth the five Afghan detainees for whom he was traded. Liberals have defended the exchange...

There was this village in England which took great pride in its archery. In every yard there stood a large target board showing the skills of its owner. On one of these boards every single arrow had hit a bull's eye. A curious visitor asked the owner: how is this...

The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights is now 47 years old. Two generations of Israelis have grown up, matured and been educated in a country depriving millions of their political rights. In Israel's political leadership, settlers residing...

In the realm of human rights advocacy, few organizations enjoy the influence commanded by Human Rights Watch (HRW). With outposts and contacts all over world, the New York-based NGO enjoys a reputation for assiduously chronicling human rights abuses and leveraging its...

At least 266 people were killed and 87 more were wounded in the ongoing bloodshed, which the foreign minister blamed on Prime Minister Maliki. Also, Islamic State militant avoided another confrontation with Mosul residents and targeted their university instead of an ancient shrine or mosque.