The most decorated Marine in the history of the Corps Major General Smedley Butler once wrote that "War is a racket." That was in 1935. If only he could see it now. The cash flow enabling the global war on terror which was launched in 2001 is astonishing,...

Yesterday, the government and allied Sunni tribes implemented a security operation in Anbar province, but they did not release figures until today. Also, a senior official warned of a worsening situation in the Falluja area. Meanwhile, Baghdad saw a number of bombings today, but only a few reports of violence came out of other regions. Overall, at least 73 Iraqis were killed and 111 more were wounded in the latest round of violence.

As the US continues and expands its worldwide "war on terror," extending its militarized tentacles into Africa as well as the Middle East, a festering threat looms closer to home: the ungluing of Mexico and its rapid descent into the status of a failed...

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Spying has a history almost as ancient as humanity itself, but every now and then the rules of the game change. This post-9/11 moment of surveillance is one of those game-changers and the National Security Agency (NSA) has been the...

At least 31 people were killed and 58 more were wounded in attacks across Iraq. An unspecified number of people were also killed in clashes in Anbar province but those figures were not released. The Iraqi government, along with Sunni tribesmen, launched an assault on...

Bombings in the capital resumed today. Meahwhile, news out of Anbar province was scarce, perhaps due to militants streaming into the province. Overall, at least 40 people were killed and 94 were wounded.

Americans don’t know much about geography. In 2006, three years into the bloody War on Iraq, 63% of Americans aged 18-24 couldn’t find the “target-rich” nation on a map. To be fair, only half could find New York State on a map, so it is unsurprising that, in spite of...

After 34 years of enmity, Tehran and Washington are heavily invested in the success of a deal over Iran’s nuclear program achieved through teamwork. Now the political future of Iran’s new moderate president, Hassan Rouhani, depends on this issue. “Resolving the...

Baghdad caught a break from the violence today, but attacks and clashes left at least 10 dead elsewhere. Another seven were wounded. A suicide bomber in Ramadi attacked a tribal checkpoint where he killed five men and wounded four more. Clashes continued in Falluja....

There's no column today: looks like the flu has claimed yet another victim! But don't worry: I'll be back on Monday. Meanwhile, you can read this old column on Mexico's "vigilante" movement, which the rest of the world is beginning to notice this week. Just remember:...