Bolton’s Regime-Change Mentality Includes Latin America Among His Targets

Bolton’s track record of both blocking and distorting intelligence that doesn’t suit his agenda does not bode well for countries that he has long targeted for regime change, causing concern in Latin America where the legacy of US-backed military coups and death squads is still remembered.

Whitney Webb
By Whitney Webb
**FILE PHOTO*** *** John Bolton Named New National Security Advisor***

This article is Part III of a series exploring the past of soon-to-be National Security Adviser John Bolton and what his appointment will mean for U.S. foreign policy, with a focus on the Middle East, Latin America, and the Koreas. Part I examined Bolton’s past advocacy for Israel, often at the U.S.’ expense. Part II detailed how that same

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Regime Change, Partition, and “Sunnistan”: John Bolton’s Vision for a New Middle East

Bolton is likely to push for the creation of a new sectarian state out of Syrian and Iraqi territory, now that the groundwork has been laid and the path largely cleared to building a “new Middle East.” Iran is currently the only country in the region with the potential to foil that plan.

Whitney Webb
By Whitney Webb
Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo: Gage Skidmore)

This article is Part II of a series exploring the past of soon-to-be National Security Adviser John Bolton and what his appointment will mean for U.S. foreign policy, with a focus on the Middle East, Latin America, and the Koreas. Part I examined Bolton’s past advocacy for Israel, often at the U.S.’ expense. Part II details how that same commitment

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Bolton’s Past Advocacy for Israel at US Expense Heralds Dangerous New Era in Geopolitics

Notorious war hawk John Bolton – who has long been vying for a position in Trump’s administration – has been especially eager to work with a president with minimal foreign policy knowledge or experience, allowing him maximum effect in achieving his policy goals.

Whitney Webb
By Whitney Webb
iran sanctions

This article is Part I of a series exploring the past of soon-to-be National Security Adviser John Bolton and what his recent appointment will mean for U.S. foreign policy, with a focus on the Middle East, Latin America, and the Koreas. Part I explores Bolton’s history of putting the interests of the Israeli government ahead of those of the U.S.,

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What to Do About John Bolton and Other Pro-War Appointees

John Bolton’s appointment as Trump’s chief foreign policy advisor is terrifying. The appointment requires no Senate ratification, so effective responses are hard to find. However, there are plans for pushing back, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Sarah Van Gelder
By Sarah Van Gelder
iran sanctions

Yes, John Bolton Really Is That Dangerous, read a headline from the New York Times. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said he “can’t imagine a more reckless, more dangerous pick” in an interview for MSNBC. “U.S. War with North Korea and Iran More Likely With John Bolton Running National Security” read a Newsweek headline. “It’s time to panic now:

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Trump and Bolton Take a Page From Richard Nixon and the Mad Man Theory

The madman theory of policy is a debatable subject, but the thought of having actual madmen in positions of power is frightening.

Melvin Goodman
By Melvin Goodman
President Nixon meets Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 9, 1973. Days before the 1972 election, Kissinger declared that peace was "at hand" in Vietnam. (AP/Harvey George)

Early in Richard Nixon’s presidency, he told his chief of staff, Bob Haldeman, that his secret strategy for ending the Vietnam War was to threaten the use of nuclear weapons.  Nixon opined that President Eisenhower’s nuclear threats in 1953 brought a quick end to the Korean War, and that he planned to use the same principle of threatening maximum

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Amid Renewed Arms Shipments To Rebels, McMaster ‘Doubts” US Will Send More Troops To Syria

The U.S. will provide additional arms to the U.S.-backed Syrian rebel force, but it hasn’t been clear about troops.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster listens as President Donald Trump makes the announcement at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, that McMaster will be the new national security adviser. (AP/Susan Walsh)

In comments today on ABC’s “This Week,” National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster downplayed the chances of the US sending more ground troops to Syria, saying that it still “remains to be seen” if more troops are needed, but that he doubts the US will have to send any more. President Trump had appeared to rule out such deployments last week,

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