Stories by Gareth Porter

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist specialising in U.S. national security policy. The paperback edition of his latest book, "Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam", was published in 2006. subscribe to Gareth Porter's feed

Did Lebanese Militants Target Israelis in Bulgaria? Revelations Cast Doubt on Rush to Blame Hezbollah

Posted on: Feb 18, 2013, Source: Inter Press Service

Major revelations have further damaged the credibility of the Bulgarian claim to have found links between the suspects behind the Bulgaria bomb blast and Hezbollah.

How the Israel Lobby is Making Diplomacy with Iran Impossible

Posted on: May 29, 2012, Source: Inter Press Service

The inflexible U.S. diplomatic posture reflects President Barack Obama's need to bow to the demands of Israel and the U.S. Congress on Iran policy.

Bin Laden Files Debunk Neocon Hysteria Over Iran

Posted on: May 10, 2012, Source: Inter Press Service

The claim of a deal between Iran and Al-Qaeda has been discredited by former officials in the wake of publication of documents from Osama bin Laden's files.

US-Afghan Pact Won't End War or Hated Night Raids

Posted on: May 2, 2012, Source: Inter Press Service

The Obama administration's success in obscuring the fact that the war will continue for many years down the road is the real story.

Details of Talks with IAEA Belie Charge Iran Refused Cooperation

Posted on: Mar 21, 2012, Source: Inter Press Service

An Iranian representative says it was the IAEA's positions that scuttled a potential agreement

Are Crackpot Liars Being Used to Tie Iran to 9/11?

Posted on: Dec 29, 2011, Source: TruthOut.org

A court case resulting in a "finding of fact" that Iran assisted al Qaeda is a tapestry of recycled fabrications and distortions of fact from a bizarre cast of characters.

Former Weapons Inspector: Iran Does Not Have Nuclear Weapons Test Chamber

Posted on: Nov 20, 2011, Source: Inter Press Service

A former inspector for the IAEA has repudiated its major new claim that Iran built an explosives chamber to test components of a nuclear weapon.

Official Data Shows Night Raids Killed More Than 1,500 Afghan Civilians

Posted on: Nov 2, 2011, Source: IPS News

U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) killed well over 1,500 civilians in night raids in less than 10 months in 2010 and early 2011.

New Study Says U.S. Night Raids Aimed at Afghan Civilians

Posted on: Sep 20, 2011, Source: IPS News

A new study finds U.S. Special Operations Forces are targeting Afghan civilians in violation of the laws of war.

U.N. Reported Only a Fraction of Civilian Deaths from U.S. Raids in Afghanistan

Posted on: Mar 24, 2011, Source: IPS News

If the same law used in counting victims of Taliban assassinations were applied to those targeted in night raids, the victims would have to be considered civilian casualties.

Were Fake Documents Planted to Encourage an Attack on Iran?

Posted on: Nov 22, 2010, Source: TruthOut.org

Documents at the center of the case against Iran show telltale signs of fraud.

UN Report: American Citizen Executed By Israelis During Mavi Marmara Raid

Posted on: Sep 27, 2010, Source: TruthOut.org

The report shows conclusively that US citizen Furkan Dogan and five Turkish citizens were murdered execution-style by Israeli commandos.

Obama Rebuffs Defense Establishment's Hunger for Conflict with Iran

Posted on: Aug 31, 2010, Source: Inter Press Service

Obama's refusal in a White House briefing this month to announce a "red line" in regard to Iran's nuclear program is a promising sign.

Neocons Hoping Israel Will Start a Fire the U.S. Will Be Forced to Put Out

Posted on: Aug 3, 2010, Source: Foreign Policy in Focus

Neocons are supporting an Israeli attack on Iran in the hope that the U.S. would be drawn into the ensuing conflict.

McChrystal Faces Massive Failure in Afghanistan in Next Few Months

Posted on: Jun 13, 2010, Source: IPS News

The Afghan population in the Taliban heartland is not cooperating with U.S. and NATO forces.

Marjah: The Non-Existent City the Military Said We Conquered in Afghanistan

Posted on: Mar 9, 2010, Source: IPS News

Marjah isn't even a town, but rather one of the clearest and most dramatic examples of a war of perception as outlined in the US's counter-insurgency doctrine.

Obama's Afghan Surge Rationale Contradicts His Own Recent Position

Posted on: Dec 2, 2009, Source: IPS News

Obama's rationale for escalation in Afghanistan is based on a notion that he recently rejected: the supposedly indissoluble link between the Taliban insurgency and al Qaeda.

Veteran Army Officer Urges Afghan Troop Drawdown

Posted on: Oct 16, 2009, Source: IPS News

In a 63-page paper reflecting conversations with others who have served in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis argues that it's too late for the U.S. to defeat the insurgency.

Fresh Doubts Emerge on Obama Administration Claims About Iran's Nuclear Intentions

Posted on: Oct 5, 2009, Source: IPS News

Obama team's charge that construction on Iran's second uranium-enrichment facility is part of a covert decision to violate its nuclear treaty obligations is questioned.

Why Are U.S. Officials Protecting the Pakistan Military on Aid to Taliban?

Posted on: Aug 8, 2009, Source: IPS News

General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani may be providing assistance to Taliban insurgents, yet the U.S. government continues to fund the Pakistan military.

Child Rapist Police Return Behind U.S., UK Troops

Posted on: Jul 29, 2009, Source: IPS News

The police in Helmand province, who are linked to the local warlord, have committed horrific abuses against pre-teen boys.

Behind Detainee Release, a U.S.-Iraqi Conflict on Iran

Posted on: Jul 14, 2009, Source: IPS News

The five Iranian detainees were grabbed in a 2007 raid on vague claims by the U.S. military that they were part of a "clandestine network."

What's the Cost of America's Secret Drone War?

Posted on: Jun 15, 2009, Source: CounterPunch

U.S. Forces in Afghanistan have been paying locals to target terrorist strongholds. But is it working?

Errant Drone Attacks Spur Militants in Pakistan

Posted on: Apr 18, 2009, Source: IPS News

U.S. air strikes have been touted as eliminating top al Qaeda leaders, but they are actually weakening Pakistan’s defense against the insurgency.

Warnings Over Obama's Dangerous Afghanistan Plan Falling on Deaf Ears

Posted on: Mar 30, 2009, Source: IPS News

Strategists argue that escalating U.S. airstrikes and raids in Pakistan could actually strengthen radical jihadi groups.

Despite Obama's Vow, Combat Brigades Will Stay in Iraq

Posted on: Mar 26, 2009, Source: IPS News

"They will be called advisory and assistance brigades," says Defense Secretary Gates. "They won't be called combat brigades."

The Myth of U.S. Military Dominance in the Middle East

Posted on: Mar 9, 2009, Source: IPS News

The notion that U.S. military presence has definitively shaped the region has been thoroughly discredited.

'What is the End Game?': Why Obama Rejected a Bigger Surge in Afghanistan

Posted on: Feb 26, 2009, Source: IPS News

Obama refused to send the full 30,000 troops requested by his generals because they had no plan for how to use them.

What's the Real Deal With Obama's Generals' Conflicting Opinions on Iraq Withdrawal?

Posted on: Feb 19, 2009, Source: IPS News

David Petraeus and Ray Odierno say Obama's 16-month withdrawal plan is too risky. But a senior commander in Iraq disagrees.

Are Obama's Own Generals Plotting to Undermine His Exit Strategy for Iraq?

Posted on: Feb 6, 2009, Source: IPS News

A network of senior military officers appears to be engaged in an effort to mobilize public opinion against Obama's decision to leave Iraq.

Economy, Relations with West Are Key to Iran's 2009 Elections

Posted on: Dec 16, 2008, Source: IPS News

Both Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and whoever is chosen as his opponent are expected to try to pin responsibility for Western sanctions on each other.

New Evidence Shows Bush Had No Plan to Catch bin Laden After 9/11

Posted on: Oct 7, 2008, Source: IPS News

Mere weeks after 9/11, the Bush administration was too busy planning to invade Iraq to follow through on its mission in Afghanistan.

How the Bush Administration Underestimated Nouri al-Maliki

Posted on: Sep 2, 2008, Source: IPS News

Signs that the Iraqi PM's stance on U.S. withdrawal is hardening is undermining Bush's plan for indefinite occupation.

Will Bush Bully Maliki Into Backing Off a Withdrawal Timeline -- Again?

Posted on: Jul 31, 2008, Source: IPS News

Now is not the first time the Iraqi Prime Minister sought a timetable for U.S. withdrawal.

With Unexpected Iraqi Withdrawal Demand, Bush Has Lost the War

Posted on: Jul 11, 2008, Source: IPS News

New Iraqi resistance to U.S. demands reflects Iran's influence as well as Sadr's belief that he could succeed in driving U.S. forces out.

Bush's Word Games on Permanent Bases

Posted on: Jun 13, 2008, Source: IPS News

American promises made to the Iraqi government on the question of military bases have been revealed as carefully-worded ruses.

Attack Iran? Cheney's Already Tried

Posted on: Jun 9, 2008, Source: IPS News

How Pentagon officials firmly opposed a proposal by Dick Cheney last summer for airstrikes against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Just Where Are Those Iranian Weapons That the Bushies Say Are Flooding Iraq?

Posted on: May 23, 2008, Source: IPS News

The military insists that Iranian arms are fueling the Iraqi insurgency, but continue to provide little evidence to back up the claim.

The Bush Administration's Bogus Claims About Iran's Weapons Smuggling

Posted on: May 15, 2008, Source: IPS News

A plotted sequence of events to build domestic U.S. support for a possible strike against Iran over its "meddling" in Iraq has hit some snags.

The Pentagon's Corrupt "Military Analysts" Media Scheme

Posted on: Apr 21, 2008, Source: Huffington Post

An investigative report reveals the how TV military analysts have a vested economic interest in selling the Bush admin's happy talk about Iraq.

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