War
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India’s forever wars and forever warriors
The Washington-based Quincy Institute, arguably the most intellectually stimulating American think tank nowadays, in its compulsively readable publication Responsible Statecraft featured on Tuesday an investigative report titled Weapons biz bankrolls experts pushing to extend Afghan War, authored by Eli Clifton, noted expert and journalist on US foreign policy. Continue reading
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All the warfare of the future’: Drones, new technology and the Integrated Review
At the beginning of March, the government will publish its long-awaited Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, known (thankfully) as ‘The Integrated Review’. It’s purpose is to “define the Government’s ambition for the UK’s role in the world and the long-term strategic aims for our national security and foreign policy.” Continue reading
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General Atomics plan flights of its new drone in UK – safety fears rerouted previous flights in the US
General Atomics is to bring a company-owned SkyGuardian drone to the UK in the summer to undertake “a series of operational capability demonstrations” for the UK and other NATO members. The RAF’s soon to be acquired Protector drone is a version of the SkyGuardian with a range of UK modifications. The aircraft is being shipped… Continue reading
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Nuclear Violence is Why We Are Living in the Anthropocene Age
[Prefatory Note: The short essay below is my contribution to the latest thematic Forum of the Great Transition Initiative. It responds to a beautifully crafted paper by the Founder of GTI under the auspices of the Tellus Institute, Paul Raskin. Paul’s initial paper and a series of fascinating responses can be found at https://greattransition.org/gti-forum/interrogating-the-anthropocene. GTI has… Continue reading
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‘Our Indifference To Ourselves’ – Beyond The ‘Virtue’ Of Self-Sacrifice – Part 1
The name Arnold Ridley will be familiar to many viewers of ‘Dad’s Army’, one of Britain’s best-loved TV comedies, which ran a long time ago (1968-1977) but is still shown on prime time BBC TV. Unbeknownst to most viewers, although Godfrey seemed the unlikeliest of warriors, the actor who played him had been involved in… Continue reading
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On the Edge: Security, protracted conflicts and the role of drones in Eurasia
Our new report, ‘On the Edge: Security, protracted conflicts and the role of drones in Eurasia’ examines the proliferation of drones and loitering munitions (often descried as suicide drones) across Eurasia. It charts their increasing use along the borders of separatist areas, aims to shed some light on the acquisition of large Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE)… Continue reading
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John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger describes the invisible weapon of past and current wars, and the threat of nuclear war, under cover of the Covid pandemic. This is propaganda, aided by censorship by omission. Continue reading
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Britain’s role in the death & injury of Yemeni civilians
After taking the UK government to court over its arms sales to the Saudis, the latest CAAT newsletter (Issue 258 Winter 2020) recalls that in July 2020 the Government said that it had made the required assessment as to “whether the Saudi-led coalition had committed violations of IHL in the past, during the Yemen conflict” and its… Continue reading
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Intervention ‘without the need to consider the human cost’: MoD thinking on UK’s new drone revealed
Overall, the presentations provide an important insight into the thinking of the British military and security establishment on Protector, and their belief that our “blood and treasure” are what primarily matters when the UK undertakes overseas interventions. Continue reading
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Secret State 28: why are Britain’s armed forces operating in 42 countries?
A reader has drawn attention to a very detailed report by Phil Miller, a staff reporter for Declassified UK, an investigative journalism organisation that covers the UK’s role in the world. – see Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Continue reading
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UK Campaign to Stop Killer Robots writes to Defence Secretary on the UK’s approach to LAWS
As members of the UK Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, Drone Wars and a number of other UK civil society groups have written to Secretary of State Ben Wallace on the UK’s position on the development of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems partly in response to recent comments by the Chief of the Defence Staff. Continue reading
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The planet cannot begin to heal until we rip the mask off the West’s war machine
Making political sense of the world can be tricky unless one understands the role of the state in capitalist societies. The state is not primarily there to represent voters or uphold democratic rights and values; it is a vehicle for facilitating and legitimating the concentration of wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands. Continue reading
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Why is US military in Africa?
Did you know that the U.S. military has 29 military bases in 15 countries across Africa? The U.S. military established AFRICOM in 2008, despite the majority of African nations rejecting it. Under a false guise of providing security, the U.S. uses its military force to impose control of African land, resources, and labor to serve the… Continue reading
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The Dead And Those About To Die – Climate Protests And The Corporate Media
It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. Wilfred Owen, the great English poet of the First World War, described this phrase as ‘the old Lie’ in his famous war poem, ‘Dulce et decorum est’. Patriotism so often means ‘honouring’ those who ‘fell in service to this country’, grand ceremonies at war memorials,… Continue reading
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Who Collects Biological Samples from Different Ethnic Groups, and for What Purposes?
Recently, US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien tried to formally accuse China of allegedly collecting genetic data from foreigners to serve its own interests. At the same time, he stressed that having genetic data creates an advantage for China, and allows it to influence “certain groups and certain countries”. Continue reading
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Armistice Day / Remembrance Day 103 Is November 11, 2020
November 11, 2020, is Armistice Day 103 — which is 102 years since World War I was ended at a scheduled moment (11 o’clock on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 — killing an extra 11,000 people after the decision to end the war had been reached early in the morning). Continue reading
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The book every opponent of war needs
The Fifth Edition of A Global Security System: An Alternative to War (AGSS) is now available! Continue reading
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Watch: ‘Drone Warfare: Today, Tomorrow, Forever?’
Here’s a recording of the webinar to mark our 10th anniversary ‘Drone Warfare: Today, Tomorrow, Forever?’ Continue reading
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History in the making – Nuclear Ban imminent
I am really excited to be able to let you know that last night, Honduras became the 50th state to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). This means that in 90 days time, the Treaty becomes international law ─ banning all use, possession and development of nuclear weapons. Continue reading
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Global Appeal to Nine Nuclear Governments
RootsAction.org is joining with a rapidly growing list of organizations and individuals from around the world to send an urgent appeal to the presidents, prime ministers, and legislatures of nine nuclear nations: China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 