War

Ukraine and the threat of war

The powder keg that threatens to ignite over the situation in the Ukraine is, more than anything, a manifestation of the turn towards intensified global rivalry on the part of the US, argues John Clarke
The bloody legacy of Bomber Blair

The announcement of a knighthood for Tony Blair is an insult to the lives destroyed by his criminal warmongering, argues Alex Snowdon
Is Bosnia breaking up?

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explains the newest crisis in the Balkans
Talking peace, risking war: why the hawks are shaping the US’s China policy

Weeks after signing off the AUKUS pact, Joe Biden was back on the offensive against China this week. Chris Nineham reports
Dissenting POWs: From Vietnam’s Hoa Lo Prison to America Today - book review

Dissenting POWs charts the record of US prisoners in Vietnam who opposed that imperialist war, in a vital contribution to the anti-war movement in the present, argues John Clarke
Stop the arms fair: Liverpool says no to the merchants of death

Ahead of the Electronic Warfare Europe arms fair in Liverpool, protesters gathered to call for it to be cancelled, reports Michael Lavalette
We won't pay for their crisis - Counterfire Freesheet October 2021

The Tory crisis, an interview with Ken Loach on Starmer and the next steps for the left, urgent demands to stop climate breakdown and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Aukus: ratcheting up Western confrontation with China - video

Chris Nineham speaks to RT News about the provocative and unnecesary step the US, UK and Australia have taken with their new nuclear alliance
Merchants of death are not welcome in Liverpool: protesters rally against the arms fair

Protesters confront the militarism of the Liverpool arms fair with a clear message of peace, reports Tayo Aluko
Did the crime of 9/11 justify 20 years of the War on Terror? - video

Lindsey German speaks to Double Down News about the legacy of 20 years of war and terror on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
The tragedy after the tragedy: 9/11 and the war on Afghanistan

On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Chris Nineham assesses the war on Afghanistan and 20 years of military interventions it was used to justify
The ignominious end of liberal interventionism

The whole idea that the world's largest imperialist nation could 'remake' a country was a conceit born of overweening power, argues Lindsey German
Made in Washington: the tragedy of Afghanistan

More war will not help the people of Afghanistan or anywhere else and those still arguing for "humanitarian intervention" are living in a fantasy, argues Shabbir Lakha
The tragedy of Afghanistan must never be repeated - CounterBlast

The defeat in Afghanistan has shattered Britain's imperial fantasies and exposed the lies about humanitarian intervention, argues Terina Hine
Afghanistan: why Biden is still bombing

US military intervention is what devastated Afghanistan in the first place, more bombing is not going to fix it, argues Chris Nineham
China, imperialism and the new world order

Dragan Plavšić discusses US imperialism and the developing global tensions with China as part of Counterfire's Revolution! Festival
Donald Rumsfeld was a known known war criminal - CounterBlast

The former US Defense Secretary should be remembered for his connivance in horrific wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, writes Sean Ledwith
Friendship’s Death – film review

Peter Wollen’s newly restored feature film reminds us of a time when theory and practice came together in the cinema, argues Martin Hall
A world in crisis and G7 leaders aren't going to do anything to solve it

All the talk of solving the world's problems at the G7 summit is just that - all talk, says Lindsey German
The Israeli War Machine is deliberately destroying Palestinian families - CounterBlast

Terrorising civilians has always been part of Zionist military doctrine and is not accidental, writes Sean Ledwith
Britain's war machine: imperial fantasies and the tilt to China

Britain's new hi-tech aircraft carrier and its 100-stop mission will only increase global tensions, argues Chris Nineham
The West's defeat in Afghanistan: after twenty years of war, what was it all for?

Twenty years of the War on Terror has produced neither security nor stability for the Afghan people and cost countless lives in the process, argues Terina Hine
Just what we need in the middle of a pandemic: more nukes - CounterBlast

The biggest threat to the freedoms and safety of the British people is our own government, not someone else’s, argues Sean Ledwith
'America is back': Biden and the continuation of US imperialism

We shouldn't allow the relief from watching Trump go colour our view on Biden's administration, argues Chris Nineham
Imperialism under Biden - video

Shabbir Lakha explains what we can expect from Biden's foreign policy using a Marxist understanding of imperialism
Biden, the Yemen U-turn and how to end the war

The US ending its support for Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen is a win for the anti-war movement, but we mustn’t be complacent, argues Lucy Nichols
Students take a stand against war on Yemen during global day of action

Students held a mass rally as part of an internationally-coordinated day of action to stop the war on Yemen, reports Minnie Life
Biden's presidency, the warmakers and the anti-war movement in the US

Anti-war sentiment has already impacted on the incoming Biden administration, but it will have to be mobilised to deliver change, argues Chris Nineham
Armoured cars and tanks and guns: the real story of the Irish troubles

Chris Bambery looks at the history of the Northern Ireland state - and the violence Britain was prepared to use to maintain it
Conscious barbarism: Pompeo ramps up war on Yemen in final days of Trump administration

Millions more Yemenis are now at risk of starvation because of Pompeo's Houthi terrorist designation, writes Chris Nineham
2020: the year the mask fell off

Shabbir Lakha reflects on a tumultuous year and what we must remember for the fight ahead
The Queen’s Gambit: a riposte to Cold War America

The Queen’s Gambit offers an engaging critique of official Cold War narratives and Western individualism, finds Nathan Street
ICC dropping investigation into Iraq war crimes is a scandal - video

Despite thousands of allegations of crimes committed by the British army in Iraq, not one case has been prosecuted in a court - how can the ICC say there isn't a cover-up?
Permanent war: Britain’s global military reach exposed

With a permanent military presence at 145 base sites in 42 countries or territories around the world, Britain is far from a ‘nation in retreat’, writes Terina Hine
Why is there £21.5bn more for the military but no money for key workers?

The credit card is maxed out when it comes to public sector pay but there's always money for war according to the Tories, writes Terina Hine
US foreign policy is unlikely to become less belligerent under Biden

Biden's foreign policy record suggests there isn't likely to be much change, so the anti-war movement must prepare to assert itself, argues Chris Nineham
Starmer, Corbyn and the Labour whip: this is a war against the left

Withholding the whip from Corbyn is unjustifiable. The left must unite and fight back against Starmer's war on the left, argues Chris Nineham
After the election, is US foreign policy likely to change?

As the chaotic presidential election inches towards resolution, we can expect more continuity than change in US foreign policy, argues Terina Hine
Stop the war on Yemen: a global protest the warmongers can't ignore

As the devastation of Yemen continues, Stop the War is part of a global coalition organising an international day of action against the war
What the US state does to anti-imperialists: The Trial of the Chicago 7 review

The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells us the powerful story of the brave stand taken by the anti-war movement in the late sixties
New Tory rules on 'anti-capitalist school materials' are an attack on civil liberties

The government's latest regulations are an attempt to hamper political learning and organising in schools, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
International opposition to the war on Yemen is growing

The desperate situation in Yemen cannot be hidden anymore. More and more international voices are calling for a halt to the fighting, says Chris Nineham
Taiwan: the US is leading the world to the brink of a new Cold War

Recent provocations in Taiwan between the US and China risks military escalation, and must be resisted by the anti-war movement, argues Terina Hine
Protecting war criminals and torturers: the Tory bill and Starmer's shame

The passing of the Overseas Operations bill which Labour abstained on is a disservice to victims of torture and undermines international law, argues Lindsey German
Donald Trump is no 'peace president'

Trump is once again claiming he has an anti-war foreign policy in his election campaign, but his record doesn't back it up, argues Chris Nineham
What is imperialism? - explainer

Dragan Plavšić examines the roots of imperialism and how to oppose it
Refugee crisis is one of the major legacies of Britain’s recent interventions

'Wars are welcome, refugees not' seems to be the only mantra the media and politicians want to repeat, says Lindsey German
Never again: Hiroshima at 75

The ruling class's deadliest toys, nuclear weapons are never a 'necessary evil', writes Lucy Nichols
Jazz and the anti-war movement

Chris Nineham reflects on the history of jazz music and the anti-war movement ahead of Stop the War's event with Shabaka Hutchings marking the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Protest for Yemen: The UK has blood on their hands

The opposition to Britain’s role in facilitating the destruction of Yemen spilled onto the streets of London for a second week, reports Maddalena Dunscombe
Protesters march against the UK enabling the war on Yemen

Protesters demanded an end to Britain's role of facilitating the war on Yemen that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, reports Lucy Nichols
The anti-war movement must challenge the imperialist narrative

It's our turn to tell the story of war, says Terina Hine
Blowing open the past: Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods reviewed

Spike Lee's latest is a powerful and deeply political triumph, finds Chris Nineham
The looming danger of a US-China military confrontation

The coronavirus and deepening economic crisis is being used as a pretext by Trump to scale up tensions with China, writes Lindsey German
The China syndrome: why Trump’s obsession could lead to war – long read

The US policy to counter the growing economic and political strengths of China have taken a dangerous turn, says Chris Nineham
Coronavirus: a collective problem that needs a collective response

Capitalist competition is arresting the fight against Covid-19, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
World War 2: we weren’t all in it together

On VE Day, we repost Lindsey German's article busting the oven-ready myths that are being used to corral the herd during this crisis
Fight to fund health, not war

With the current crisis increasing military tension, we must argue publicly to avoid increased military spending in the UK, writes Chris Nineham
Lockdown? This government should be locked up – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, class crises and the escalation of global tensions
Coronavirus is showing that war has never been about security

While thousands are dying from the pandemic, it is obscene that war machines are still grinding on, argues Lindsey German
Endless conflicts are deepening Coronavirus crisis

In this critical hour, all sanctions and hostilities must cease argues Chris Nineham
US sanctions on Iran are fuelling the spread of coronavirus

Trump's sanctions on Iran are limiting the country's ability to deal with the coronavirus outbreak effectively and it's costing lives, writes Jonathan Maunders
A People’s History of the German Revolution 1918-19 - book review

William Pelz’s People’s History of the German Revolution is a vivid and accessible introduction to socialism’s greatest lost revolution, finds Tom Whittaker
Afghanistan is a prime example of why 'humanitarian intervention' is a lie

After spending trillions of dollars and killing countless civilians, the US has admitted defeat in Afghanistan, but don't expect any honest accounting, writes Lindsey German
Why socialists oppose imperialist wars

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander
After a bruising election... What next for the left? - Counterfire Freesheet January 2020

Labour leadership contest, general strike in France, growing protest movement in India, why socialists oppose imperialism, a year of climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Behind Trump's tantrums: the US, Iran and the continuing threat of war

The decline in the US' strategic power in the region is leading to desperate measures from Trump writes Chris Nineham
War with Iran is still a danger

The threat of war with Iran isn't over and the anti-war movement must continue to organise against it, writes Shabbir Lakha
The anti-war movement gears up to oppose war with Iran

Protesters took the streets to say no to Trump's drive to war with Iran, reports Shabbir Lakha
Labour needs Corbyn’s anti-war politics more than ever

The leadership contest is likely to be a missed opportunity for making Labour a serious anti-war party, argues Alex Snowdon
Decade of austerity: 10 reasons to get the Tories out

Tory PM Boris Johnson cannot be allowed to pretend that ten years of Tory rule are nothing to do with him, argues Alex Snowdon
If you are against the West's wars you need to be against Nato

Chris Nineham looks at Nato’s interventionist history and its deranged bid to expand operations to every corner of the world
Labour and the warmongers – election briefing 2 December

Lindsey German on imperialism and anti-imperialism
We need to talk about Nato: an imperialist war machine

Ahead of the Nato Summit in London on 3 December, Sweta Choudhury busts the myths that portray Nato as a force for peace
Fire, floods and emergencies: these are what the election is about - election briefing 18 November

Lindsey German on broken infrastructure, social crisis and covert war crimes
The nasty parties unite to stop Corbyn - election briefing 12 November

Lindsey German on Farage’s non-aggression pact, media warmongering and imminent strikes
What the government wants us to forget on Remembrance Day

Poppies must not distract us from the Tories' contempt for the working class, writes Mona Kamal
Vote Labour and get ready to fight - Counterfire freesheet November 2019

Corbyn and the British state, CWU and UCU strike ballots, why we say no to Nato and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Stop Turkey's mass murder of Kurds say protesters in London

Tens of thousands of protesters demanded an end to the barbaric attacks on the Kurdish people by the Turkish army, reports Shabbir Lakha
With friends like this: John McDonnell’s flirtation with the right is damaging and inexcusable

Alastair Campbell and the Gentlemen’s Quarterly should be treated like enemies, argues Alex Snowdon
Say no to war and invasion of Rojava - SPOT statement

Statement from Solidarity with the People of Turkey following Erdogan's invasion and airstrikes on northern Syria
Kick out the crooks - Counterfire freesheet October 2019

Tory crisis, Corbynism, drive to war with Iran, austerity, climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Why join Counterfire?

We need a bigger, stronger extra-parliamentary left.
Trump betrays the Kurds: never trust the imperialists

US and British imperialism will never be an ally for the liberation of people anywhere, writes Shabbir Lakha as Erdogan begins bombing northern Syria
Netanyahu and Pence: Boris Johnson's warmonger allies

Boris Johnson's meetings with Netanyahu and Pence were about coordinating the drive to war with Iran, writes Lucy Nichols
Bolton's out, but we can't trust Trump or Johnson

John Bolton's sacking is good news, now we need an alternative foreign policy by an anti-war government, argues Lindsey German
Profiting from death and destruction: DSEI 2019

The world's worst arms dealers will be gathering to exhibit their instruments of death at London's ExCel Centre once again, writes Lucy Nichols
Where is the love?

An anti-arms trade campaigner explains what the DSEI arms fair is and why it is so important to join the protests against it when it comes to London in September
How far will he go? Trump and the limits of populism - book review

Chris Nineham assesses the varied interpretations of Trump in this year’s Socialist Register, pointing out the opportunities for the left
India's annexation of Kashmir sets a path for war

The Indian government revoking Article 370 is an outright transgression of the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, writes Sweta Choudhury
Stand with Kashmir against military occupation and colonialism

At a London vigil for Kashmir after India's suspension of Article 370, Nirmala Rajasingam of the South Asia Solidarity Group gave this speech
Iran: stop this war before it starts

We shouldn't be fooled, the British state has been deliberately ramping up military aggression with Iran, argues Alistair Cartwright
Boris Johnson is a racist, sexist, warmonger who must be stopped - video

"If you try to have a war with Iran... you will create a mass movement against war in this country of the sort that you haven’t seen in more than a decade"
Not my Prime Minister - People's Assembly kicks off week of protest

On the eve of Boris Johnson's coronation as Prime Minister, Londoners gathered outside Downing Street to show their opposition, reports Chrissy Brand
The environmental cost of the United States war-machine

The sheer scale and perpetual nature of US military operations make it unimaginably destructive for the planet, argues Pete Morgan
Britain is following Trump and escalating the threat of war with Iran

The British Navy's seizing of an Iranian oil tanker shows Britain following Trump, trading in diplomacy for the threat of military confrontation, argues Lindsey German
BBC Panorama hatchet job on Labour antisemitism is a farce

The BBC's Panorama on antisemitism in the Labour Party provides no real evidence and shows how cynical the smear campaign is, argues David McAllister
Be in no doubt: Britain will be involved if there is war on Iran

If there is war, Britain will be part of it, writes Chris Nineham
Organise now to avoid war with Iran

Despite platitudes from both sides of the Atlantic, we cannot ignore the very real risk of another disastrous conflict in the Middle East, writes Chris Nineham
Game of Thrones: dragons of mass destruction

The disappointing ending to the latest and last series of Game of Thrones betrays an artistic and political laziness from the writers, argues Sean Ledwith
No to Trump, no to war on Iran

Trump and his neocon advisers are taking us to the brink of yet another disastrous war in the Middle East, writes Hilary Stephenson
Ten things they don't tell you about D-Day

As the commemorations of the 75 year anniversary of D-Day take place, Lindsey German reminds us of the truth about the end of the Second World War
Why Theresa May is the most disastrous Tory PM ever

Following Theresa May's resignation, Chris Nineham looks at her record as Prime Minister and what the left should do next
Nia Griffith has to go, say Labour members

Over 1,500 Labour Party members have signed an open letter calling for Nia Griffith’s resignation, reports Shabbir Lakha
There is something happening here but you don’t know what it is, do you Mr Centrist?

It’s the failure of centrist politics that fuels the rise of the populist right, but the centrists just don’t get it, argues John Rees
Seven demands for stopping climate change

Environmental activist and author, Elaine Graham-Leigh, highlights seven key demands the movement against climate change needs to be making
Keep fighting for Corbyn: Stop the attacks - Counterfire freesheet March 2019

The soft coup against Corbyn and the weaponisation of antisemitism, Tory Brexit crisis, Winston Churchill, Venezuela, climate change, Palestine and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet
Nato and the new imperialism

Written in June 1999, John Rees explains why the war in the Balkans was not about the plight of refugees but part of Nato’s expansion. It wanted to dominate the Balkans and eastern Europe as well as control the oil rich areas of the Caspian Sea
Why stopping wars is essential for stopping climate change

War isn’t just a waste of resources that could be used to tackle climate change, but is itself a significant cause of environmental harm, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Who's to blame for the rise of Islamophobic terrorist attacks?

After the terrorist attack in Christchurch and now the attacks on Birmingham mosques, Shabbir Lakha finds that it's leading politicians and the media fuelling Islamophobia
US military: the world's biggest polluter

The fight against ecological disaster must include fighting the war machine of the US state, argues Jago Corry
Tony Benn: socialist, comrade, friend

An obituary written at the time of Tony Benn's passing by John Rees on a life well lived
Conspiracy theory: the answer is more left-wing theory not less

Ruling class power can’t be understood as a conspiracy, argues John Rees
Revoking Shamima Begum’s citizenship is unjustifiable

Removing Shamima Begum's citizenship is a violation of international and human rights law and would set a dangerous precedent, argues Shabbir Lakha
Chuka's core values: privatisation, austerity and war

What the 7 MPs who quit Labour have in common is their voting records supporting welfare cuts, privatisation and foreign intervention, writes Mona Kamal
From toy drones to real ones: the arms trade and education

By allowing the arms trade into schools, colleges and universities, we are teaching children that innovation for the sake of destruction is acceptable and desirable, argues Lucy Nichols
Gavin Williamson: delusional and dangerous

Gavin Williamson's latest speech with jingoistic rhetoric and calling for more military spending shows just how out of touch with reality he is, argues Lindsey German
Before Venezuela: a long history of US imperialism in Latin America

The push for regime change in Venezuela represents the latest in an abhorrent history of intervention in Latin America, writes Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
There's no refugee crisis in Britain, only a hostile environment and racist scapegoating

The current Tory-manufactured “refugee crisis” is part of the same hostile environment that this government has created for its own citizens, argues Cathy Augustine
They've got to go! General election now - Counterfire freesheet January 2019

Tory Brexit crisis, the fightback against austerity, Eurovision boycott campaign, Trump and Syria, remembering Rosa Luxemburg, Yellow Vests and protests across Europe in this month's Counterfire Freesheet
Climate chaos is the most political issue of our time, to stop it we need systemic change

Climate breakdown is a political issue, and to stop it we need to tackle it at the root, argues Jim Scott
Counterfire's books of the year - part one

We asked a few leading campaigners and performers from the left what books have inspired them over the last twelve months
Hundreds rally in London to end arms sales to Saudi Arabia

A packed out public meeting organised by Stop the War demanded an end to Britain's complicity in the war on Yemen, reports Chris Nineham
Britain must stop arming the Saudi war criminals now

A new offensive in the Saudi war on Yemen will ratchet up the humanitarian crisis. We must build a huge campaign to end arms sales, writes Chris Nineham
The politics of Remembrance

Remembrance is about the present and the future, not just the past, argues Alex Snowdon in this repost of his 2015 article
A hundred years after WW1, what are we remembering?

The establishment makes a big display of remembering fallen WW1 soldiers while justifying today's wars. We should remember those who fought hard to stop war, argues Lindsey German
Afghanistan's unending war: seventeen years since the Western invasion

The Taliban is advancing again, met by escalation from Trump and NATO. Amidst the devastation, our leaders still can't recognise defeat, writes Stop the War's Chris Nineham
Trump targets Iran: not just talk, this is serious

The Trump administration is stepping up its aggressive campaign against Iran, writes Chris Nineham
Corbyn makes defiant speech as thousands welcome him to Liverpool

At a Labour rally at Liverpool's pier on the eve of Conference, Jeremy Corbyn gave a radical speech to rapturous applause and loud chanting
The importance of mass mobilisation against war

Build the mass movements against war. Kevin Courtney's speech from the Stop the War Coalition national conference
Aftermath: Art in the wake of World War One - review

Modern art was a way of actively willing war towards an end says Alistair Cartwright in his review of the Aftermath exhibition at the Tate
To be called a political artist is no insult - Rachid Taha tribute

An obituary for the iconic Algerian singer who stood up against war and racism
Military propaganda must end

The MoD is attempting to rebrand life in the military in order to recruit vulnerable young people, argues Jago Corry
Libya: chaos reigns seven years on

Libyans are still paying the price with their lives for the 2011 Nato intervention. A stark reminder of why we urgently need an antiwar government argues Eleftheria Kousta
Afghanistan: more troops to continue an endless war

Britain sending more troops to Afghanistan shows the end of the war isn't in sight and lays bare what the 'special relationship' is all about argues Lindsey German
Together against Trump: a mass show of opposition

Looking back at the quarter of a million strong demonstration against Trump, Daniel Jakopovich argues that it was a mass display of people power
Together we can defeat Trump, and the Tories too

Opposing Donald Trump can play a role in bringing down our own vicious government
Why we should all be out protesting against Trump's visit to the UK

We must be united in our opposition to Trump and everything he represents
The human rights abuses that couldn't be closer to home – weekly briefing

Will the New Labour imperialists ever pay for their crimes, asks Lindsey German
The far right threat is real and we can't be complacent

After the big Free Tommy Robinson rally in London, the entire left need to get serious about organising against the far right argues Shabbir Lakha
Trump's ditching of Iran deal is paving the way to war

Trump pulling the US out of the Iran nuclear deal is a step on the path to more war in the Middle East argues Shabbir Lakha
The idea that the West have been “inactive” in Syria is completely untrue

Politicians and commentators supporting more military action in Syria say inaction has consequences, but the West haven't been inactive in Syria argues Shabbir Lakha
The mission accomplished that is nothing of the sort – weekly briefing

A primed anti-war movement finds the new warmongers much the same as the old warmongers, writes Lindsey German
Six things we learnt from the Syrian airstrike

John Rees on the immediate conclusions we can draw from the US led airstrike on Syria
Syria: the solution is not more military intervention

As Theresa May prepares to back Trump in escalating military intervention in Syria, Stop the War published the following letter in response
Douma attack and the war in Syria - Stop the War statement

Statement from Stop the War Coalition following the attacks on Douma in Syria
The Salisbury incident: facts not necessary

After Porton Down experts revealed that they can't confirm the origin of the nerve agent, it's clear that the government is trying to manipulate the public argue Johnny Charles and Harry Rogers
John Bolton: the return of the uber hawk

Trump's new National Security advisor will see his appointment as an opportunity to test his military prowess, argues Lindsey German
The problem is jingoism, not conspiracism

Spurious national unity does not serve working people. The left must resist, argues Kevin Ovenden
Apocalypse Then: the My Lai Massacre

Fifty years on from the worst US atrocity of the Vietnam War, Sean Ledwith explains what happened that day
The War? The Suffragettes? How did women win the right to vote?

On the centenary of women winning the right to vote, Katherine Connelly explores how they fought for their rights and resisted war
Back to the future? The possibility of a new arms race

Just as Trump feels that “unmatched power is the surest means to our true and great defence”, Putin evidently feels much the same way
This St David's Day, let us remember guerrilla leader Owain Glyndŵr

14th-century Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr deserves to be remembered as one of the great rebels of history
15 years on from the biggest protest in British history

Lindsey German looks back at the day in 2003 that millions took to the streets to protest the Iraq war
Despatches from the Tory civil war – weekly briefing

It’s a mistake to allow ruling class divisions on the EU to be refracted onto our side, argues Lindsey German
An anti-war government: a formation whose time has come

Jeremy Corbyn’s roots in the global anti-war movement offer an unprecedented opportunity to marginalise the warmongers, asserts Chris Nineham
False alarm in Hawaii: Trump and nukes keep the world on edge

With Trump in the White House boasting about his nuclear button, the world is on knife-edge and events in Hawaii serve as a warning to us all argues Tom Unterrainer
Darkest Hour - film review

Darkest Hour offers some truths on ruling class contradictions, but retells the myth that the people were fighting for Empire, argues Chris Bambery
Britain is hardening its foreign policy

As the British state's new aircraft carrier, worth billions of pounds, springs a leak, Lindsey German takes a look at the war games being played
Trump: one year of waking hell

Donald Trump was elected just over a year ago. In that time, he has wreaked havoc
Not fit to govern - Counterfire freesheet November/December 2017

Tory crisis, Catalonia, Universal credit, foreign policy, and more. Counterfire freesheet, November/December 2017
Taking sides in the next major Middle East war - weekly briefing

Anti-war activists are at the ready as imperial rumblings indicate a new phase for the region, writes Lindsey German
A government that is not fit to govern at home or abroad

This government is rotten to the core, with a duplicitous Foreign Office representing the worst of it
We need a new foreign policy built around peace

Jeremy Corbyn's rise has put anti-war politics centre stage. We now have a chance to do things completely differently, argues Chris Nineham
Don’t be blindsided: the threat of nuclear war is real

Recent rhetorical grandstanding should not obscure a clear and present danger, writes Lindsey German
Shock and remembrance: how not to commemorate war

We cannot let our histories become grist for the bosses’ war drive, argues Mick Wattam
Survival is victory: the facts and fictions of the Dunkirk evacuation

Dunkirk 1940 has always been an ideological field day for our ruling class, Chris Bambery cuts through the fog of war
UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia ruled lawful by High Court

Does anyone really believe Saudi Arabia respects international law? Today's High Court ruling fails to deliver truth argues Chris Nineham
Is there any war you don't support Theresa May?

Corbyn is wrongly labelled a pacifist by the Tories and the media, but his opposition to unnecessary war without end is in stark contrast to Theresa May's endless warmongering
Trump the warmonger

Just over a hundred days into office and confrontation with imperial rivals is already brewing, writes Chris Nineham
The nuclear question: Tory warmongers’ first strike

The case against a trigger-happy Prime Minister
Yemen: a very British disgrace

The conflict on the Arabian peninsula shows that our hysteria is selective
The new taboo: terrorism and its causes

As the media blizzard around the Westminster attacks begins to recede, Chris Nineham looks to some home truths
Martin McGuinness and the armed struggle in context

What actually sustained one of the final stages of England’s oldest imperialism, asks Lindsey German
Trump’s coming war with China?

Is Trump heading for war with China? Sean Ledwith takes a look
Iran and The Donald: the US isolationism that did not happen

Trump’s destabilising gestures in the Middle East are an alarm call to us all, asserts Chris Bambery
Obama: the peacenik’s president?

Don’t believe the hype, the Obama administration’s war record is bloody and shameful, argues Lindsey German
A poppy for our thoughts

Ahead of the England vs Scotland game, Mark Perryman responds to Fifa's poppies ban
The hypocrisy of the British war machine

The duplicity of British politicians condemning Russia in Syria but supporting the Saudi bombing of Yemen is revolting, argues Lindsey German
War and remembrance: the poppy and the butcher

The stark horrors of World War I cannot be cleansed to serve the interests of our rulers, past and present, argues Chris Bambery
'Keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down': a potted and bloody history of Nato

From its inception to the present, Nato has been intent on pursuing a policy of aggression. Jonathan Maunders explains
Yemen: Blairite Labour's addiction to war

Labour 'rebels' show their true colours by refusing to stop supporting Saudi bombing of Yemen argues Lindsey German
Calais: Europe's shame

The closure of the Calais camp is an act of barbarity, but solidarity with refugees remains strong, argues Shabbir Lakha
War begets war: the case against intervention in Syria

As many push for escalation in Syria, Chris Nineham takes a look at why this is a bad idea
Mosul: Stop the War statement

More aerial bombardment of civilians will not help to bring about peace and stability in Iraq
Corbyn represents change: the anti-war movement must stand behind him

We must renew our efforts, build the anti-war movement and support Corbyn, argues Mick Wattam
Permanent intervention: the calling card of the neocon warmongers

As the war drums starting beating ahead of next month’s US election, Stop the War convenor Lindsey German notes a renewed urgency and sense of purpose for the movement
Libya: blood on their hands

The imperialist chickens keep on coming home to roost, observes Alastair Stephens in this article republished from the current Counterfire paper
Corbyn: a view from afar

An Argentinian perspective on the rise of Jeremy Corbyn from journalist Mariano Schuster
Syria: a war without end?

As aid convoys to Syria are suspended, Jonathan Maunders takes a look at where we are, and where we are going to
Who's to blame for the end of the ceasefire in Syria?

The cessation of the Syrian conflict begins with the end of foreign intervention, argues Chris Nineham
Looking beyond the Referendum

Whatever the outcome, the left will have to unite after the referendum to fight against racism, austerity and war argues Lindsey German.
Libya: Britain heads to war

The government is taking us ever closer to war in Libya, says Chris Nineham
War Against the People

Jeff Halper’s War Against the People exposes the global role of Israel’s military and security industry, finds Kit Klarenberg
The causes of chaos: interview with Patrick Cockburn

Patrick Cockburn’s latest book on the Middle East, Chaos and Caliphate has just been published. Chris Nineham spoke to him
Macedonia at the crossroads

Activist Maz Saleem continues her frontline reporting from the refugee crisis with this insight into the Alexandreia Camp
Greece: the port and the storm

Anti-racist activist Maz Saleem reports from Piraeus Port, Athens, the frontline of the current refugee crisis
Trident: pointless, wasteful and very very dangerous - podcast

We spoke to Kate Hudson, General Secretary of CND about why we all need to be at the Stop Trident demonstration on 27th February
Fire and Blood: The European Civil War, 1914-1945

Fire and Blood brilliantly recounts the European civil war of 1914-45, which brought the idea of capitalist progress to an end, argues Chris Bambery
Saudi Arabia: a major part of Cameron's war

As the west pushes on with the 'war on terror' Saudi Arabia moves centre stage, writes Kevin Ovenden

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War

War

The powder keg that threatens to ignite over the situation in the Ukraine is, more than anything, a manifestation of the turn towards intensified global rivalry on the part of the US, argues John Clarke

The announcement of a knighthood for Tony Blair is an insult to the lives destroyed by his criminal warmongering, argues Alex Snowdon

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explains the newest crisis in the Balkans

Weeks after signing off the AUKUS pact, Joe Biden was back on the offensive against China this week. Chris Nineham reports

Dissenting POWs charts the record of US prisoners in Vietnam who opposed that imperialist war, in a vital contribution to the anti-war movement in the present, argues John Clarke

Ahead of the Electronic Warfare Europe arms fair in Liverpool, protesters gathered to call for it to be cancelled, reports Michael Lavalette

The Tory crisis, an interview with Ken Loach on Starmer and the next steps for the left, urgent demands to stop climate breakdown and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

Chris Nineham speaks to RT News about the provocative and unnecesary step the US, UK and Australia have taken with their new nuclear alliance

Protesters confront the militarism of the Liverpool arms fair with a clear message of peace, reports Tayo Aluko

Lindsey German speaks to Double Down News about the legacy of 20 years of war and terror on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Chris Nineham assesses the war on Afghanistan and 20 years of military interventions it was used to justify

The whole idea that the world's largest imperialist nation could 'remake' a country was a conceit born of overweening power, argues Lindsey German

More war will not help the people of Afghanistan or anywhere else and those still arguing for "humanitarian intervention" are living in a fantasy, argues Shabbir Lakha

The defeat in Afghanistan has shattered Britain's imperial fantasies and exposed the lies about humanitarian intervention, argues Terina Hine

US military intervention is what devastated Afghanistan in the first place, more bombing is not going to fix it, argues Chris Nineham

Dragan Plavšić discusses US imperialism and the developing global tensions with China as part of Counterfire's Revolution! Festival

The former US Defense Secretary should be remembered for his connivance in horrific wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, writes Sean Ledwith

Peter Wollen’s newly restored feature film reminds us of a time when theory and practice came together in the cinema, argues Martin Hall

All the talk of solving the world's problems at the G7 summit is just that - all talk, says Lindsey German

Terrorising civilians has always been part of Zionist military doctrine and is not accidental, writes Sean Ledwith

Britain's new hi-tech aircraft carrier and its 100-stop mission will only increase global tensions, argues Chris Nineham

Twenty years of the War on Terror has produced neither security nor stability for the Afghan people and cost countless lives in the process, argues Terina Hine

The biggest threat to the freedoms and safety of the British people is our own government, not someone else’s, argues Sean Ledwith

We shouldn't allow the relief from watching Trump go colour our view on Biden's administration, argues Chris Nineham

Shabbir Lakha explains what we can expect from Biden's foreign policy using a Marxist understanding of imperialism

The US ending its support for Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen is a win for the anti-war movement, but we mustn’t be complacent, argues Lucy Nichols

Students held a mass rally as part of an internationally-coordinated day of action to stop the war on Yemen, reports Minnie Life

Anti-war sentiment has already impacted on the incoming Biden administration, but it will have to be mobilised to deliver change, argues Chris Nineham

Chris Bambery looks at the history of the Northern Ireland state - and the violence Britain was prepared to use to maintain it

Millions more Yemenis are now at risk of starvation because of Pompeo's Houthi terrorist designation, writes Chris Nineham

Shabbir Lakha reflects on a tumultuous year and what we must remember for the fight ahead

The Queen’s Gambit offers an engaging critique of official Cold War narratives and Western individualism, finds Nathan Street

Despite thousands of allegations of crimes committed by the British army in Iraq, not one case has been prosecuted in a court - how can the ICC say there isn't a cover-up?

With a permanent military presence at 145 base sites in 42 countries or territories around the world, Britain is far from a ‘nation in retreat’, writes Terina Hine

The credit card is maxed out when it comes to public sector pay but there's always money for war according to the Tories, writes Terina Hine

Biden's foreign policy record suggests there isn't likely to be much change, so the anti-war movement must prepare to assert itself, argues Chris Nineham

Withholding the whip from Corbyn is unjustifiable. The left must unite and fight back against Starmer's war on the left, argues Chris Nineham

As the chaotic presidential election inches towards resolution, we can expect more continuity than change in US foreign policy, argues Terina Hine

As the devastation of Yemen continues, Stop the War is part of a global coalition organising an international day of action against the war

The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells us the powerful story of the brave stand taken by the anti-war movement in the late sixties

The government's latest regulations are an attempt to hamper political learning and organising in schools, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

The desperate situation in Yemen cannot be hidden anymore. More and more international voices are calling for a halt to the fighting, says Chris Nineham

Recent provocations in Taiwan between the US and China risks military escalation, and must be resisted by the anti-war movement, argues Terina Hine

The passing of the Overseas Operations bill which Labour abstained on is a disservice to victims of torture and undermines international law, argues Lindsey German

Trump is once again claiming he has an anti-war foreign policy in his election campaign, but his record doesn't back it up, argues Chris Nineham

Dragan Plavšić examines the roots of imperialism and how to oppose it

'Wars are welcome, refugees not' seems to be the only mantra the media and politicians want to repeat, says Lindsey German

The ruling class's deadliest toys, nuclear weapons are never a 'necessary evil', writes Lucy Nichols

Chris Nineham reflects on the history of jazz music and the anti-war movement ahead of Stop the War's event with Shabaka Hutchings marking the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The opposition to Britain’s role in facilitating the destruction of Yemen spilled onto the streets of London for a second week, reports Maddalena Dunscombe

Protesters demanded an end to Britain's role of facilitating the war on Yemen that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, reports Lucy Nichols

It's our turn to tell the story of war, says Terina Hine

Spike Lee's latest is a powerful and deeply political triumph, finds Chris Nineham

The coronavirus and deepening economic crisis is being used as a pretext by Trump to scale up tensions with China, writes Lindsey German

The US policy to counter the growing economic and political strengths of China have taken a dangerous turn, says Chris Nineham

Capitalist competition is arresting the fight against Covid-19, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

On VE Day, we repost Lindsey German's article busting the oven-ready myths that are being used to corral the herd during this crisis

With the current crisis increasing military tension, we must argue publicly to avoid increased military spending in the UK, writes Chris Nineham

Lindsey German on Covid-19, class crises and the escalation of global tensions

While thousands are dying from the pandemic, it is obscene that war machines are still grinding on, argues Lindsey German

In this critical hour, all sanctions and hostilities must cease argues Chris Nineham

Trump's sanctions on Iran are limiting the country's ability to deal with the coronavirus outbreak effectively and it's costing lives, writes Jonathan Maunders

William Pelz’s People’s History of the German Revolution is a vivid and accessible introduction to socialism’s greatest lost revolution, finds Tom Whittaker

After spending trillions of dollars and killing countless civilians, the US has admitted defeat in Afghanistan, but don't expect any honest accounting, writes Lindsey German

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander

Labour leadership contest, general strike in France, growing protest movement in India, why socialists oppose imperialism, a year of climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

The decline in the US' strategic power in the region is leading to desperate measures from Trump writes Chris Nineham

The threat of war with Iran isn't over and the anti-war movement must continue to organise against it, writes Shabbir Lakha

Protesters took the streets to say no to Trump's drive to war with Iran, reports Shabbir Lakha

The leadership contest is likely to be a missed opportunity for making Labour a serious anti-war party, argues Alex Snowdon

Tory PM Boris Johnson cannot be allowed to pretend that ten years of Tory rule are nothing to do with him, argues Alex Snowdon

Chris Nineham looks at Nato’s interventionist history and its deranged bid to expand operations to every corner of the world

Lindsey German on imperialism and anti-imperialism