Portside

Syria, Iraq, ISIS and the increased role of the U.S. (once again) has prompted wide-spread opposition, discussion and disagreements by those on the left. Yesterday's Congressional vote on war appropriations, with many who have opposed the Afghanistan and Iraq war, now voting for a new war, shows this lack of clarity and unity. Two long-time activists for peace and social justice, Seymour Joseph and James E. Vann sent Portisde opposing perspectives.

Reader Comments - Flashmob for Mandela; The Progressive 'Left"; War and Christmas Truce of 1914; Socialist Origins of the Pledge; Radicals in City Hall; Fidel Castro on Mandela's Death and Who Supported Apartheid; Korea; MSNBC; Announcements - "No Separate Justice" Launch in New York City Jan. 7; Esperanza Spalding Protest Song & Video Calling For Guantanamo Bay

This video tells the story of the “Detroit Sleeper Cell,” the first terrorism trial after 9/11. Here, a reporter who covers terrorism for The New York Times recalls the charged atmosphere at the time and the consequences for the Justice Department.

A wider view of the War on Terror may be necessary, but it is by no means more comforting.

"We ask that the FBI be directed to publicly produce documentation to support these claims, and that until and unless this is done, its officials be directed to withdraw these assertions. The FBI’s accompanying actions should also be immediately withdrawn for the following additional reasons."

The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed after the attacks of 11 September 2001, and provides the legal cornerstone for the so-called US "war on terror". It allows the US government to wage war at anytime, any place and on anyone deemed a threat to national security – with remarkably little evidence needed.

How a Washington Global Torture Gulag Was Turned Into the Only Gulag-Free Zone on Earth