Jason Ditz

Palestinians Voice Concern Over Saudi Peace Plan’s Biased Toward Israel

According to the Palestinians, the proposal, which U.S. and Saudi officials have since disavowed, Israel would keep effectively everything, including full border control, all settlements, and permanent rule over all of Jerusalem

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
Donald Trump and Saudi Defense Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrive for lunch in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, March 14, 2017. (AP/Evan Vcci)

Palestinian officials are voicing major concern following a recent meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during which the prince set out a shockingly bad set of terms for a new peace proposal being pushed, supposedly with the support of the U.S. government. According to the Palestinians this

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Netanyahu: Israel Will Act Alone to Force Iran Out of Syria

“Iran is scheming to entrench itself militarily in Syria. They want to create a permanent air, land and sea military presence, with the declared intent of using Syria as a base from which to destroy Israel.”

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the most recent ceasefire announcement did not involve any commitment for Russia to force Iran out of Syria, saying that Iran can maintain a legitimate presence in Syria. This isn’t sitting well with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who urged the world to unite and force

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Report: Post-9/11 War Debt Will Cost US $8 Trillion In Interest Alone

America’s assorted wars show no sign of ending, and indeed the Pentagon has been pretty clear about the US deployment in Iraq being a permanent thing.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
U.S. soldiers board a U.S. military aircraft in Bagram, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP/Musadeq Sadeq)

The cost of America’s global war on terror has yet to be reckoned with, and there’s a very good reason for that. By and large, the US has not been paying for all of these wars, but rather has been borrowing to pay for the conflict. In the long run that’s going to be expensive. Paying off the war is going to mean not only paying the prices of the

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Russian Parliament Prepares Law to Retaliate Against US Media

The move will likely target Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, media outlets which are organized as quasi-independent government media in virtually identical ways to RT.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
The headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) seen with the United States, RFE/RL and the Czech Republic flags in the foreground, in Prague Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. (AP/CTK, Michal Kamaryt)

Russia’s lower house of parliament is advancing a measure which will allow the government to take moves to label certain US media outlets as “foreign agents” under law, forcing them to disclose substantial information about their operation within the country. Details are still scant, but the move is described as being meant to take similar

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In Shifting War, US Scrambles to Established Outposts in Western Iraq

The vast empty deserts of western Syria and Iraq are soon to be the new frontline of the ongoing conflict, with US forces scrambling to establish a military presence in the region.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
U.S. Marines prepare to build a military site in western Anbar, Iraq. The US' newest outpost is in this dusty corner of western Iraq near the border with Syria where several hundred American Marines operate close to the battlefront. (AP/Khalid Mohammed)

Officials are loudly trumpeting the idea that, with the fall of al-Qaim in Iraq and Abu Kamal in Syria, ISIS is “defeated,” and has lost their “last” strongholds in both countries. In reality, ISIS fighters have been taking to the desert for weeks on end in both countries. U.S. officials seem to have been fully aware of this, even as they

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Senior US Official Visits Damascus, Meets Security Chief

The US official pressed American concerns in the Syrian War, in particular, a number of Americans who are “missing” inside Syria, including CIA operatives who were on the ground.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
International flags fly at Syria’s first international trade fair since war broke out in 2011, a few kilometers away from the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017. The prime minister opened the fair, an event hailed by the government as a sign of renewed confidence after years of conflict. (AP Photo)

An unnamed “senior US official” reportedly made a surprise visit to the Syrian capital city of Damascus earlier this week, meeting with Ali Mamlouk, the Syrian National Security Chief. Those familiar with the situation say the US official pressed American concerns in the Syrian War, in particular a number of Americans who are “missing” inside

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NATO Threatens ‘Consequences’ After Turkey Buys Russian Missile System

It’s generally assumed that NATO member nations are going to import their weapons from NATO arms dealers, which pretty much always means the United States, with a few small deals for Britain and France.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
Russian S-400 air defense missile systems make their way through Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. (AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

In looking to upgrade their air defense system, Turkey had a choice: buying the advanced Russian S-400 systems, or more expensive, US-made alternatives. Turkey chose to buy Russian, and NATO isn’t happy. While NATO was initially just complaining the S-400 was incompatible with their own systems, top NATO General Petr Pavel told reporters this

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