“The billions of dollars’ worth of weapons left behind after the American withdrawal did not dissolve into poetry. They entered a region already saturated with proxies, covert channels, ideological militias, and states that have perfected the art of denying authorship while enjoying the consequences. Empire’s genius, if one must flatter it, lies not in choosing one side cleanly but in keeping enough actors armed, frightened, and mutually enraged that no durable sovereignty can breathe.”

“The reality is that for every person like Joe Kent, who speaks out and resigns over policy, many do not. Kent’s criticism that the war on Iran is an unnecessary war driven by Israeli interests is a view that many within the U.S. government likely hold as well. It certainly is a view held by many commentators, many of them former U.S. military officers, diplomats or intelligence officials.”

“In recent years, Defend the Guard bills have been introduced in a majority of states, and the bill has passed the New Hampshire House, Arizona Senate, Virginia House of Delegates, and Idaho Senate. The proposal has drawn support from an unusual coalition of veterans, families of National Guard members, constitutional scholars, peace advocates, and civil libertarians who argue that it protects both service members and democratic accountability.”

“Since the beginning of the war on Iran, GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries have launched a sweeping crackdown on freedom of expression. The most concerning escalation is happening in Bahrain, where DAWN has confirmed that authorities have arrested at least 148 people for peaceful protest and online expression. They have charged activists with treason and sympathy with Iran.“

A coalition of antiwar groups launched a national campaign on Wednesday calling for Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer to step aside from their positions as minority leaders.  Jeff Cohen, cofounder of RootsAction, said: “Schumer and Jeffries have failed their party and country through wobbly leadership when firmness and clarity are needed in opposing a reckless and costly war… The Democratic base sees a weak and confused party leadership as Trump demands billions more to attack Iran. While the party needs strong leaders in Congress, both Schumer and Jeffries have shown that they’re not up to the job.” Kevin…

UN whistleblower Craig Mokhiber just posted: “For the second time in four months (see res. 2803), the UN Security Council has today bowed to the US empire (and its vassals) and ignored international law on its behalf, and neither Russia nor China have acted to stop it through their veto rights. In the middle of the unlawful and bloody US-Israel Axis aggression on Iran, the Council is entirely silent on the aggression and on Iran’s Charter-based right to defend itself. Instead of condemning the aggressors, it condemns only Iran for attacks on the territory of countries in the region hosting US…

“A diverse coalition is mobilizing opposition to a recently-passed federal law that seeks to step up preparations for and readiness to activate a military draft. The new law authorizes the federal Selective Service System (SSS) to begin using automated involuntary registration to increase the number of individuals currently listed in the agency’s database of potential draftees.“

“Israel and the U.S. are desperate to draw Arab countries into a direct confrontation with Iran to deplete those same countries and get Muslims to destroy each other (especially Gulf countries that have been competing with the West in attracting capital, talent and investments). This way Israel would emerge on top as the region’s uncontested hegemon and thug.“

In a new fact sheet, the Institute for Policy Studies explains that the war with Iran is already costing U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. “Daily operations in and around Iran for these major military systems are costing… an estimated $59.3 million per day. That [money] could instead cover the daily costs of Medicaid for more than 4 million Americans, or SNAP (food stamps) for more than 9.5 million Americans. Both programs were subject to significant cuts under last year’s H.R. 1, with millions of Americans at risk of going hungry and without healthcare as a result.” HANNA HOMESTEAD; [email protected]     Homestead…

“Nearly 60,000 people have been displaced over the previous 24 hours alone, according to Lebanon’s state-run media outlet, the National News Agency, adding to the tens of thousands who have already fled their homes since Monday.”