Imperialism

The Hamas attacks against Israel saw over 1500 fighters storm through the border wall, taking control of army bases and entering numerous settlements. Now Israel is unleashing hell on the civilian population of Gaza.

West digs in behind bloody proxy war in Ukraine

The Western coalition behind Ukraine has started to falter after the failure of its much-anticipated counter-offensive.

Free Palestine—why we say by any means necessary

Following the assault on Israelis by the Palestinian resistance, there are those who say a violent fightback is never justified. Isabel Ringrose explains that the oppressed have a right to take up arms against their colonisers.

Who are Hamas?

Hamas is a major part of the Palestinian resistance movement that has opposed Israeli settler-colonialism for decades.

Arm yourselves with the arguments: why it’s right to back the Palestinian resistance

Here is a selection of articles from the Solidarity archives on the foundation of Israel, its links to imperialism and Palestinian resistance to it.

Palestinians are right to resist Israeli terror

Hamas has staged a dramatic series of attacks against Israel. This is an act of resistance against the brutal Israeli occupation.

BRICS summit a sign of growing imperialist rivalry

The BRICS summit took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August. It was another confirmation of the relative decline of US power and the increasingly turbulent state of world imperialism.

Ukraine counter-offensive facing failure as bloodshed continues

Despite the failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, both NATO and Russia are intent on continuing a war of attrition no matter the cost.

More US bases and war games as Albanese backs military buildup

Anthony Albanese is locking in the biggest US military build-up here since the Second World War, while establishing Australia as a major arms manufacturer.

Mass casualties in Ukraine counter-offensive as West feeds the war

Over two months into the much vaunted Ukrainian counter-offensive there has been no serious movement of the front lines.

Pine Gap: spy base with a vital role in the US war machine

The base at Pine Gap near Alice Springs plays a key role in US surveillance and military operations, as well as the Australia-US alliance, writes Feiyi Zhang

Universities rush to back nuclear subs and design courses for war

University bosses are already racing to support the government’s ambitions for nuclear submarines under the AUKUS agreement.

Ukraine counter-offensive will deliver months of bloodshed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that his country’s long-awaited counter-offensive is under way.

Banning the bomb—opposition to nuclear tests at Maralinga in the 1950s

As Australia became the test site for nuclear weapons in the 1950s, opposition developed through the unions and a new peace movement, writes Lucy Honan

PNG students take to the streets against war

Students across Papua New Guinea walked off their campuses last month to protest against a 15-year military agreement between PNG and the US.

Defence Strategic Review strengthens push to war with China

The Defence Strategic Review points to a future where the military is much more prominent throughout Australian society, under the banner of a “whole-of-nation approach”.

Unions lead opposition to nuclear subs base in Port Kembla with May Day march

Over 1000 people packed the streets of Port Kembla as unions, Labor Party members, anti-war activists and the local community marched to oppose plans for a nuclear submarine base.

Port Kembla no place for a nuclear subs base, say local campaigners

Activists in Wollongong are organising against plans for nearby Port Kembla to host the East Coast base for the AUKUS nuclear submarines. Solidarity spoke to Alexander Brown from Wollongong Against War and Nukes about local opposition and how unions have dedicated this year’s May Day march to opposing the plan.

Solidarity against imperialism: Australian workers and the Pan-Pacific Trade Union

Adam Adelpour continues our series on war and workers’ resistance, looking at Australian unions’ support for workers’ struggles in the Pacific against imperialism in the 1920s.

Iraq war showed the brutal cost of US power—don’t let them do it again

Mark Gillespie looks at the chaos and death the US unleashed on Iraq following the invasion in 2003—and why we need a new movement against war.

Stop the warmongering, stop the subs

Labor’s announcement that it will buy or build up to 13 nuclear-powered submarines at a price of $368 billion is a horrifying step towards war with China.

Broken Hill in the First World War: Strikes, conscription and workers’ radicalism

Tom Orsag looks at the bitter class struggles ignited by the First World War in Broken Hill, in the first of a Solidarity series on war and workers’ resistance.

US bases positioned for war against China

The US is the biggest bully in the Pacific, with rings of military bases blocking and threatening China, writes Tom Orsag.

Australian subimperialism—Submarines, sovereignty and class

Clinton Fernandes’ new book explains how Australia works as a subimperial power alongside the US, but still argues for a nationalist policy, says Robert Stainsby.

US backing puts Taiwan at the mercy of American war plans

Seeking the backing of the US puts Taiwan in the middle of the clash between superpower rivals—with potentially devastating consequences writes Phil Griffiths

Dangerous new chapter in Ukraine war

The bloody war in Ukraine has taken a new turn as Ukrainian forces equipped with US-supplied weaponry have routed Russian forces south-east of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city.

Sanctions: a double-edged weapon of imperialist war

Sanctions are a cruel weapon of war. But the imperialist powers that impose them can also face unintended consequences. David Glanz looks at a new book that explores the history of sanctions.

Taiwan visit goads China in US imperialist power play

Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan in August has signalled a dangerous new phase in the rivalry between the US and China.

Is China really a threat?

Expanding military spending and locking Australia further into cooperation with the US war machine only inflames the prospect of war in the region, argues Adam Adelpour.

An imperialist alliance: NATO’s bloody history

NATO is an instrument of US imperialist policy, not a defensive alliance, argues Adam Adelpour.

US and NATO push for drawn-out proxy war in Ukraine

The US and NATO are waging an increasingly open, long-term proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

Red lines and imperialist rivalries—Australia is no friend of the Pacific

The Australian government’s record in the south Pacific shows it is a bully and a thief that wants to maintain its own domination of the region argues James Supple

The West prepared to let Ukraine horror drag on

Instead of leaping at the possibility for negotiations in Ukraine, our leaders made it clear that they want the war to go on.

How war can lead to revolution

The horrors of war have produced numerous revolts at home—that have ended wars, toppled dictatorships and put a fight for radical change on the agenda, argues Tom Orsag.

NATO escalation will only lead to ongoing bloodshed

Putin’s war is becoming more bloody and brutal the longer it drags on. But the efforts of the US and NATO are risking a further and even deadlier escalation of the conflict.

Our rulers engage in a grotesque dance of death

While ordinary people respond to the war in Ukraine with horror, the leaders of the major powers are already preparing for the next conflict.

Defiant protests across Russia say no to war

Since the start of the war, protests have been happening every day across Russia, from individual picketing to marches of tens of thousands.

Ukraine government’s Nazi links don’t make Putin an anti-fascist

Ukraine has a significant Nazi and far-right nationalist movement. But before the invasion there was no evidence it enjoyed widespread support.

Sanctions on Russia will punish ordinary people, not Putin

Western powers have imposed crippling economic sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

How NATO and the West fuelled the war in Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been bloody and brutal. But the path to war began long before Russian tanks crossed the Ukrainian border.

Russian socialist writes: ‘Putin ramps up repression, but there’s less patriotic frenzy’

A Russian socialist writes on Putin's crackdown at home and the collapse in living standards caused by the war

Ukraine war product of imperialism of both Putin and the West

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a brutal piece of imperialism. But NATO and the US also share the blame for the conflict.

Russian troops out of Ukraine: Don’t look to NATO for peace

This is the text of a leaflet distributed at a rally in Melbourne against war in Ukraine.

No war in Ukraine: Russian troops out, NATO out

Solidarity says that Russia should withdraw its troops and halt the attacks. NATO must pull back, too. The Australian government should stop fanning the flames by providing Ukraine “non-lethal” military equipment.

France tries to smother Kanak resistance in New Caledonia

France has now announced that the third referendum in New Caledonia will take place on 12 December, angering independence parties, which have called for a delay until late 2022.

Stop the march to war on China—join the protests against AUKUS

The Australian government is helping boost the chance of war through belligerent rhetoric against China, alongside its largest military build-up since the Second World War.

Why ending war means ending capitalism

Adam Adelpour continues our series on Marxist classics, looking at how Bukharin's Imperialism and World Economy explains a system of global rivalry and war

Morrison’s US pact is a plan for war

The Coalition’s new military agreement with the US and Britain, known as AUKUS, brings war with China a big step closer.

9/11 horror triggered new wave of US terrorism and war

The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington caused incredible shock and killed around 3000 people. But what 9/11 represented more than anything was the violence the US had inflicted worldwide for decades coming home.

US humiliated in Afghanistan as Taliban seizes Kabul

The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan has ended in a major defeat for the US and its allies.

Australia and US brought 20 years of horror and war to Afghanistan

After a 20 year occupation spanning four US presidencies, Australian and US forces are finally withdrawing from Afghanistan. But there is little to show for 20 years of war.

War crimes—why Australian troops bring terror

The ongoing reports of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan are the latest in a long history of terror. Sophie Cotton explores why Australian troops carry out these atrocities

Australia beats the drums of war and fuels confrontation with China

Australia’s rulers are feeding a conflict that could see war between two nuclear-armed powers, the US and China. It’s madness.

Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict fed by outside powers

A long-running border dispute between armenia and azerbaijan has flared up with some of the heaviest fighting in four years. The fighting underlines the potential for spreading military conflict in...

Second World War was no defence of democracy

The Second World War, which ended 75 years ago, saw the rulers of the Allies fighting for empire and world domination, not democracy or anti-fascism, writes James Supple

US-China rivalry creating a dangerous world

Phil Griffiths looks at the escalating imperialist tensions between the US and China

Hiroshima—nuclear attack launched to demonstrate US power

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years ago was not necessary to end the Second World War, it was designed to establish US control of the world, writes Matilda Fay

Stopping work to stop the war—the Vietnam Moratorium fifty years on

The first massive Vietnam Moratorium marches were held 50 years ago this month. What made them a new high point was the scale of workers' strike action to "stop work to stop the war"

Big powers put imperialist rivalries before human lives

Instead of co-operating in the face of humanitarian crisis, Donald Trump and other world leaders are using the coronavirus outbreak to advance their own power and imperialist interests.

Trump takes US to the brink of war with Iran

The US and Iran have stepped back from the brink of war, after Donald Trump’s assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani threatened to bring on a dangerous conflict in the Middle East.

Kurds abandoned by US imperialism—again

Turkey has begun a military offensive against Kurdish areas of northern Syria, after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops giving the green light for the operation.

Don’t side with xenophobia about threat from China

Recent weeks have seen a growing campaign against “Chinese influence” in Australia, mainly from right-wing figures in the Liberal Party.

Iran crisis: Why US aggression is to blame

The Trump administration and a coterie of allies—including Australia—are ratcheting up aggression against Iran and another disastrous war in the region shouldn’t be ruled out.

George Bush Senior–mass murderer and father of a mass murderer

George HW Bush was a brutal conservative whose invasion of Iraq in 1991 laid the basis for the further horrors visited on that country, and Afghanistan, by Presidents to come, including his son, George W.

Brutal murder exposes dictatorship the West backs

The brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has thrown into sharp relief the relationship between the West and the Saudi police state in the Middle East.

Western attacks on Syria will only bring more horror

The US, Britain and France have launched new airstrikes against targets in Syria. More Western bombing only increases the chances of the war escalating even further.

Imperialist powers abandon Kurds in Afrin

Once again the Kurds have been abandoned, with imperialist powers including the US and Russia allowing the Turkish military to do as it likes.

Saudia Arabia and the West create human misery in Yemen

Yemen is in the grip of what the UN has called the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. This month Save the Children said it faced “the worst diphtheria outbreak in a generation” with at least 52 deaths already.

The First Intifada—30 years since Palestinians rose up against Israel

Thirty years ago Palestinians rose up against Israel in the first intifada. Nick Clark looks at the Palestinians’ struggle and the lessons for resisting Israel today Palestinian resistance organisation Hamas...

Israel’s 1967 war: Six days that entrenched imperialism

Israel’s war on the Arab states 50 years ago entrenched Western imperialism in the Middle East and led to misery for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, writes Tooba Anwar

US and regional powers crush Iraqi Kurds’ independence bid

In September, Iraqi Kurds voted by 93 per cent to support independence. The referendum result drew immediate opposition and threats from the neighbouring governments of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.

North Korea: the war that never ended

The Korean war involved an unbelievable level of destruction and death, writes James Supple, and North Korea remains caught up in the game of imperialist rivalry

Trump’s ‘new’ Afghan strategy more of the same

Donald Trump has announced a “new strategy” for the war in Afghanistan, which after 16 years is America’s longest running war. His strategy is anything but new.

Trump, China and the new world disorder

The decline of US power has led to increased imperialist tensions and war, with the rise of Donald Trump a new element of instability, writes James Supple.

Mosul ‘liberation’ leaves city destroyed

Last month Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory against Islamic State in Mosul. But there was little to celebrate for the city’s residents.

Blockade on Qatar highlights Middle East rivalries

On 5 June this year, Saudi Arabia and its Middle East allies made the shock decision to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar, cut off transport access and expel Qatari citizens from their territories.

How the West creates terrorism

It is not Islam or extremist ideas but the destruction of the Middle East by Western imperialism, and the racism accompanying it, that causes terrorism, argues Miro Sandev.

Trump’s threats against North Korea a dangerous game

US President Trump has issued a series of military threats as he pursues gunboat diplomacy against North Korea.

Civilian deaths soar as US coalition unleashes bombs on Mosul

There has been a surge in civilian casualties in Iraq, as US bombing intensifies in the city of Mosul.

Oppose Trump’s air strikes: Oppose all US and Australian bombing in Syria

Donald Trump’s firing of 60 cruise missiles into a Syrian air base in retaliation for Assad’s use of chemical weapons can only escalate the war and result in even more civilian casualties.

Imperialism in the Pacific: Does the US want war on china?

John Pilger’s new film exposes the ruthless US military buildup against China, but also refuses to let the Chinese government off the hook, writes Mark Gillespie

Trump’s dangerous games in Asia

Donald Trump’s preparation for office has been laced with a series of threats aimed at China and the US’s NATO allies, underlining the uncertainty his election has injected into global politics.

Human disaster looms in Mosul amid US-led offensive

A US-led coalition is entering the eighth week of a major assault on the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, currently controlled by the Islamic State.

Duterte pivots from US to China to play off both powers

After months of growing tension between the Philippines and the US, Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte announced in late October he was cutting ties with the US, one of the Philippine’s closest allies, and leading a pivot towards China.

75 years since Pearl Harbour: How the US pushed Japan towards war

The war in the Pacific began 75 years ago with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. But it was fundamentally a war between two powers for dominance of Asia, writes Tom Orsag

Hundreds of thousands died in Iraq: Blair lied—and so did Howard

The Chilcot report into Britain’s involvement in Iraq has overwhelmingly condemned the decision to go to war. And everything the report says about Tony Blair also applies to then Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Fallujah assault deepens Iraq’s sectarian divide

Civilians fleeing Fallujah have been tortured and abused by Shiite militias, inflaming further the country’s sectarian divide. Iraqi government troops recaptured the city in June, driving Islamic State fighters from the city.

The rebellion that shook Britain: Ireland’s 1916 Easter rising

100 years ago, a rebellion in Ireland fought for freedom and justice in British-controlled Ireland. Phil Chilton tells the hidden revolutionary history of the rebellion

Tragedy in Paris fuelled by West’s wars and racism

Western governments have been quick to seize on the tragedy in Paris, using rhetoric about national unity to justify more anti-democratic counter-terrorism measures, more bombing in Syria and more Islamophobic rhetoric.

More bombing of Syria won’t ‘destroy’ Islamic State

French President Francois Hollande called the attacks in Paris an “act of war”. Within days, France responded by bombing Raqqa, the so-called capital of Islamic State in Syria. There will be more to follow, with France moving its only aircraft carrier, which Hollande boasted would “triple our capacity to take action”, to the region.

Russia forces the West to embrace Syria’s dictator Assad

Russia’s intervention to shore up the Assad regime and begin bombing in Syria has decisively turned the tables on the US and its regional allies.

Imperialist tensions on show over South China Sea

China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea has led to an escalating stand off with the US.

Syria between both Assad’s and IS’s counter-revolution

What began in Syria in March 2011 as peaceful pro-democracy protests inspired by the Arab Spring’s demands for democracy and social justice has become a nightmarish military quagmire.

Imperialism intensifies Yemen’s crisis

At midnight on March 27 Saudi Arabia began a campaign of airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Saudis are leading the military assault as part of an alliance...

The Second International: Movement that failed to prevent war

Eliot Hoving looks at how the international workers’ movement pledged to resist the outbreak of the First World War

Renewed US ties will strengthen Cuban move to the market

On 17 December last year US President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced a commitment to renew diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba. The announcement follows 18...

Imperialism no ally for Kurdish fighters in Kobani

The defence of Kobani against the reactionary and sectarian Islamic State (IS) has inspired many on the left. But it would be wrong to idealise the situation.

US war in Iraq brings more sectarianism and death

Barack Obama has doubled the US troop commitment to the latest war on Iraq, and used the APEC conference to ask allies including Australia to send additional contributions too. But Western intervention will solve nothing.

Islamic State: who are they and where do they come from?

The emergence of the group Islamic state is a product of Western intervention and imperialist power games in the Middle East, writes James Supple

US failure in Iraq returning to haunt it

In August, Barack Obama became the fourth consecutive US President to bomb Iraq and has also begun airstrikes inside of Syria. Tony Abbott has been the most enthusiastic member of his “coalition”, pledging Australian military support even before the terms of the war became clear.

US imperialism and the new world order

Paddy Gibson looks at the turmoil and renewed power games across the Middle East, Ukraine and Asia and what drives conflict among the world’s major powers.

US bombs won’t help the Kurds

The relentless advance of the Islamic State (IS) on the Kurdish city of Kobane has drawn international attention to the plight of the Kurds, caught between IS, on the one hand, and Turkey on the other.

New war on Iraq no humanitarian mission

The US has stepped up its bombing in Iraq after President Obama announced plans to “degrade and destroy” the jihadist group the Islamic State (IS).

Abbott’s opportunism over M17 stokes imperialist tensions

The shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines MH17 over rebel held territory in eastern Ukraine is a terrible tragedy. It has cost 289 lives, including 37 Australian citizens and permanent...

US will worsen a tragedy of their creation in Iraq

The US has begun bombing raids on northern Iraq after President Barack Obama declared the US had to intervene against the Sunni Islamist group, the Islamic State.

Abbott’s opportunism over MH17 stokes imperialist tensions

The shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines MH17 over rebel held territory in eastern Ukraine is a terrible tragedy. But it is very clear that Abbott is trying to use the disaster to halt his falling popularity.

Abbott and the US approve Egypt’s crackdown

Yet last month the US gave the military regime its seal of approval when Secretary of State John Kerry announced the release of $575 million in US military aid to Egypt.

Iraq’s crisis and divisions created by the West

The dramatic capture of Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, by sectarian extremists is the direct product of the US occupation and its imposition of divide-and-rule sectarianism.

Imperialist rivalry and Putin’s Russia

As the conflict inside Ukraine continues, Solidarity looks at Russia’s increasing assertiveness under Vladimir Putin.

How revolution ended the First World War

Revolutions across Europe ended the First World War, writes Lachlan Marshall, as the working class rose up against the rulers that had sent them to war.

Afghan elections keep warlords in control

Western politicians have been quick to claim the recent presidential election in Afghanistan as some sort of victory. While western newspapers were full of pictures of Afghan women lining up to vote, behind the democratic veneer is a deeply traumatised society where power depends on the support of rival warlords.

Retreat from Afghanistan shows disaster of occupation

In December Australia’s last combat troops in Afghanistan left after 12 years. According to Tony Abbott the withdrawal was, “Not with victory, not with defeat, but with, we hope, an Afghanistan that is better for our presence here”, in an effective admission that the West has lost the war.

Australia’s Timor oil grab exposed in spy scandal

Following the Abbott government's arrogance over the Indonesian spying scandal, there have been fresh revelations of a disgraceful Australian government spying operation in East Timor. The operation was a...

Syria, war and imperialism: Why the main enemy is at home

The history of socialists’ opposition to war provides insights for today, argues Geraldine Fela British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama have been forced into an embarrassing...

Stop the bombing of Syria

The US is preparing to bomb Syria, with the full support of the Australian government and backing from France and other countries. But Western intervention can only make the...

Imperialism, sectarianism and Syria’s revolution

Joseph Daher is a member of the Syrian Revolutionary Left Current and runs the blog syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com. He spoke with Solidarity’s Mark Goudkamp about the Syrian revolution. How would you characterise...

Australian imperialism, aid and the PNG solution

One of the appalling aspects of the PNG solution—and the entire Pacific Solution—is the way the Labor government has coerced poor, small Pacific countries to be complicit with Australia’s...

Lessons from history: how a mass movement ended war in vietnam

Danny Hardiman looks at the lessons of the movement against the Vietnam War in Australia, and how it turned the tide of public opinion The movement against the Vietnam War...

US militarism is ramping up Korean tensions

Imperialist bullying by the US has pushed the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, not the actions of the North Korean regime. The West blames the declarations from...

Australia’s war against Japan: the myth of the ‘good war’

There is nothing progressive about Australian militarism, argues Adrian Skerritt, and the Pacific War was no exception Every year the Australian government and the media frenetically promote the celebration of...

World War II—people’s war or class war?

A People’s History of the Second World War By Donny Gluckstein Pluto Press $35 from Solidarity Donny Gluckstein’s A People’s History of the Second World War illuminates a crucial distinction that has long...

French war on Mali is not about democracy

When French warplanes began pounding the northern half of the West African state of Mali in mid-January, the French government boasted that they quickly would regain control of the...

Uprising of protest can stop Israel’s terror

Israel is again unleashing terror and death on the people on Gaza. But this new war comes amid a very different regional backdrop to the last Gaza war in...

West is withdrawing because Afghans hate the troops

By the end of next year, most Australian troops will be out of Afghanistan. All US and NATO combat troops plan to quit the country by the end of...

Anger at imperialism cuts across Muslim world

The protest in Sydney was one of many. In Pakistan protesters set fire to buildings and at least 20 people died in clashes with police. The anger at US...

Algeria: from liberation to dictatorship

On the fifty year anniversary of Algerian independence, Solidarity looks at the limits of Algeria’s national liberation struggle and change within the framework of capitalism Fifty years ago Algerians won...

Gillard lines up billions for drone warfare

With the Obama administration embroiled in controversy over civilian victims of drones in the borderless war on terror, the Australian government is following Washington’s lead in expanding Australia’s drone...

Syria’s armed revolt is product of popular uprising

The Assad regime is using tanks, jet fighters and helicopter gunships to re-establish control in Damascus and Aleppo. Though severely out gunned, the opposition continues to hang on. This violence...

Syria’s revolution from below still gaining strength

There was renewed talk of Western military intervention into Syria following the Houla massacre in May and the downing of a Turkish military jet in June. “All options are...

Black soldiers’ mutiny against racism hidden for 70 years

A Queensland historian has uncovered the story of a mutiny by African-American troops stationed in Australia during World War II at an army base outside Townsville. The armed rebellion...

Afghanistan, an unwinnable war with no end in sight

After ten long years of war, Afghanistan is no safer, nor is an end date for the conflict any more certain. The deteriorating security situation and the failure of the...

Is China headed for world domination?

The rise of China has produced tensions with the US, and shows how imperialist patterns of great power competition still define our world, writes Feiyi Zhang In the last few...

Facing down the regime’s crackdown in Syria

The wave of Arab revolutions appears to have stalled in Syria in the face of a massive crackdown by the regime. Opposition to the regime is united in its...

NSW Greens right to back Israel boycott

In the aftermath of the NSW election, The Australian and right-wing politicians have mounted a witch-hunt against the NSW Greens over their support for the campaign of Boycott, Divestment...

Wikileaks exposes cost of Afghan war

The recent leak of over 90,000 secret US military documents on the WikiLeaks website reveals the truth about the war in Afghanistan. Mounting, unreported, civilian deaths are compounded by an...

Afghanistan—US war plan failing

As the war in Afghanistan approaches its 10th anniversary, political support for it among Western rulers is crumbling. The Dutch are withdrawing their forces. New Zealand bluntly rejected a plea...

Israel is still the US’s watchdog

Israel’s determination to build settlements on occupied Palestinian territory is worrying the US government. John Rose answers questions on the US-Israel relationship What is the historic relationship between the US...

How Afghanistan drove out the Russian empire

When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 they thought they were in for an easy victory. But they underestimated the power of the resistance, writes Dave CrouchIn the...

Obama’s surge brings more horror to Afghanistan

NATO began a massive new offensive in Afghanistan in February when 15,000 troops began an assault on the southern provincial town of Marjah. Operation Moshtarak is the biggest offensive since...

Gandhi’s Salt March and the myth of non-violence

Gandhi’s celebrated strategy of non-violent protest was not responsible for winning Indian independence, and actually held back the struggle, explains Lucy Honan As the police gathered forces and began...

How US imperialism has devasated Haiti

For all the talk of aid to Haiti, the response to the tragedy was disgracefully slow. A BBC reporter touring the country five days after the quake hit reported...

Hollywood fights imperialism in 3D

Review: Avatar Directed by James Cameron, in cinemas now AVATAR MIGHT not be the subtlest movie around but its central message is reaching millions: if ordinary people unite, we can win...

Afghanistan: why the West is losing

Afghanistan has reached a turning point. Recent media headlines such as “where Empires go to die” and “Afghanistan: Tipping Point” signal that after eight years, the future of Western control...

Was the Second World War a war for democracy?

Seventy years after the end of World War II, it is still celebrated as the good war, a necessary war for democracy to counter the threat of fascism. This hides the reality of an imperialist war that cost 55 million lives with civilian causalities six times higher than in World War I.