Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the swiftly unraveling US disaster in Afghanistan, the short-lived 'government in a box' Marjah model, US reliance on Wali Karzai (Hamid Karzai’s brother) for intelligence gathering, Gen. McChrystal’s continuation of night raids despite their ineffectiveness and why the upcoming operation in Kandahar may be the last gasp of US occupation.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the just-disclosed US demand that Iran must stop all uranium enrichment before any negotiations are conducted, why further UN Security Council sanctions would need to be toothless to gain support from Russia and China, Hillary Clinton's bad faith diplomacy that is weakening the US sphere of influence, parallels between US mission creep in Vietnam and Afghanistan and increasing evidence that US foreign policy...

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the unusually pessimistic Pentagon report on US progress in Afghanistan, pre-announced military offensives that prevent major confrontations with the Taliban, Hillary Clinton's heavy-handed approach to diplomacy with Pakistan, NY Times writer David Sanger's sudden realization that US foreign policy does indeed have consequences and why Israel is hesitant to violate US-controlled Iraqi airspace to strike Iran.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the blowback from Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s 'targeted' night raids in Afghanistan, right-wing complaints about limited engagement rules that supposedly undermine military efforts and CIA documents obtained by Wikileaks that recommend using women’s rights issues to get European support in Afghanistan.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the US military’s descriptive excesses that preceded their offensive on the Afghan 'city' of Marjah, the US counterinsurgency strategy of establishing a favorable narrative to shape domestic public opinion, the winners and losers in the global war on terrorism and the military-industrial complex’s goal of permanent occupation.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses Hamid Karzai's increased willingness to make a deal with the Taliban, the US determination to militarily weaken the Taliban before negotiating and the disastrous Afghan strategy born from a compromise between US political and military goals.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the Obama administration’s inability to negotiate an Afghan peace deal, differing opinions on whether the troop surge will ultimately help or hurt U.S. diplomatic leverage with the Taliban, the possibility a constitutional rewrite will bring back Sharia law and snuff out Afghanistan’s fledgling 'democracy', the high likelihood of renewed civil war even with a U.S.-brokered peace deal and the slightly...

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses Obama’s compromise decision on troops for Afghanistan that pleased nobody, the divergent goals and methods of al Qaeda and the Taliban, serious logical flaws in the 'disrupting terrorist safe havens' rationale for war in Afghanistan, the Democratic Party strategy of acceding to any military demands and the obstacles to a third-party uranium encrichment deal with Iran.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses longstanding Iranian contingency plans for a U.S. attack on their nuclear industry, the Qom facility’s use as a symbol of deterrence to Israel and the U.S., the likely failure of multiple party uranium processing agreements and how Iran’s potential nuclear 'breakout' capability creates leverage in U.S. negotiations.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses Iran’s counter-proposal to the IAEA enrichment deal, the ambiguous meaning and political sensitivity of nuclear 'breakout capability,' continued defense of the 2007 Iran NIE by U.S. intelligence agencies, a new generation of efficient uranium centrifuges intended for use at the Qom facility and how the ever-increasing sanctions imposed on Iran by Congress are tantamount to declaring war.