Articles & Commentary

I am an investigative journalist, covering mostly national security and intelligence. I am currently the managing news editor of Raw Story, Media; contributor to Alternet, and The Huffington Post, and other publications. My work has been referenced in most major news outlets online, in print, and in various reference collections, as well as scholarly works and historical books. I am not politically left or politically right, because I don't see myself as defined by such a narrow spectrum and because I refuse to be categorized in an artificially constructed world view when many positions that are the focus of each political platform are complex and nuanced. Below is a list of some of my articles on a few key topics:

Recent Articles:

Build Up to Iran: Key Articles

• Spurious attempt to tie Iran, Iraq to nuclear arms plot bypassed U.S. intelligence channels - 1/11/2006

• Outed CIA Officer Working on Iran at Time of Outing - 2/13/2006 

• U.S. quietly tightens access to classified information - 3/13/2006

• Cheney has tapped Iranian expatriate, arms dealer to surveil discussions with Iran - 4/20/2006

• Chalabi Involved in Key US-Iran Policy Making Discussions - 5/1/2006   

• Officials Raise Concern for a Possible Military Strike on Iran- 5/11/2006

• Pentagon Confirms Iranian Directorate - 6/15/2006

• Congress Quietly Holds Secret Briefings On Iran as Dems Try to Get Access to Intel - 6/22/2006

• Intelligence Officials Doubt Iran Uranium Claims, Say Cheney Getting Suspect Briefings - 8/18/2006

• Pentagon Moves to Stage II Planning for Iran - 9/21/2006

• Intelligence Laundry: To Paris Again -10/16/2006

• Source says 'outsider' Gates prepped for confirmation by Cheney's office - 12/22/2006

• Intelligence Sources Question Gates' Independence from Cheney -  11/14/2006

• Officials believe White House chose new Intelligence chief in effort to darken Iran Intelligence Estimate, broaden domestic surveillance - 1/8/2007

• IAEA disputes claim that Iran barred inspectors - 1/22/2007

• Escalation of US Iran military planning part of six-year Administration push - 1/23/2007

• CIA running black propaganda operation against Iran, Syria and Lebanon, officials say - 6/4/2007

• CIA said to step up operations against Iran as  hawks seek to tie Iraq bombs to Tehran - 8/24/2007

• Study: US preparing 'massive' military attack against Iran-8/28/2007

Iraq Intelligence Manipulation: Key Articles

• Coalition of citizen groups seek formal Inquiry; Downing Street Documents - 5/26/2005 

• The Unofficial War: US/UK launch illegal bombings against Iraq - 6/27/2005

• Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Quietly "Fixes" Intelligence on Iraq - 8/11/2005

• More than 1300 being held in Iraqi prisons, less than 2% convicted -  11/15/2005

• Senate Intelligence Committee Stalling Pre-War Intelligence Report on Iraq (Phase II)  - 12/2/2005

• Secretive Military Unit Sought to Solve "political" WMD Problem in Iraq - 1/5/2006 

• American Who Advised Pentagon Says he Worked for Magazine that Found Niger Documents - 1/17/2006
• Pentagon Investigation of War Hawk Stalling Inquiry into Pre-War Intelligence on Iraq (Phase II) - 1/30/2006
• Cheney and Rumsfeld Outsourcing Special Ops in Iraq to Terror Group (MEK) - 5/13/2006

• Pentagon Inspector General to release investigation into secretive pre-war Iraq intelligence group - 2/7/2007
• Senator calls report 'devastating condemnation' of Office of Special Plans - 2/8/2007

• Despite condemning itself, Pentagon report sees intelligence problem resolved; Makes no recommendations - 2/9/2007

Domestic/National: Key Articles

• Ohio volunteers allege election tampering - 1/26/2005
  

• Immigration bill sparks furor among some Republicans - 2/25/2005 

• Whistleblowers allege influence peddling by members of Congress, VP in Mexico wastewater project - 3/29/2006

• Dems locked out of debate over sweeping and controversial Real ID Bill - 5/28/2005

• Ms. Noe's own scandal: Wife of Ohio GOP fundraiser does some election reform of her own - 8/1/2005

• Conyers to call for special prosecutor to investigate Noe scandal - 8/1/2005

• Reporters: Court must order release of Ghraib photos - 8/5/2005

• Judge rules in favor of holding public hearings on detainee abuse - 8/16/2005

• Dems to file request for immediate investigation of former US Attorney General - 8/17/2005

• Democrat calls for racial profiling inquiry - 8/25/2005

• Waiting game: No ruling on release of Abu Ghraib pics - 8/30/2005

• Decorated veteran, and lifelong Republican, says new  Abu Ghraib photos must be released - 8/30/2005

• Immigration memo intended for Rove arrives on Democrat's fax - 9/19/2005

• Commerce Department tells National Weather Service media contacts must be pre-approved - 10/4/2005

• Librarians defy FBI - 6/2/2006

• 'Shadow' human rights report to accuse United States of violating international human rights treaties - 7/6/2006

• Report: Treatment of US suspects at home mirrors that of terror suspects in military custody - 7/13/2006

• New book alleges Rove held secret Abramoff meetings; Stepfather's gay life explored - 9/2/2006

• 9/11 widows blast Bush Administration over Rice, Tenet meeting - 10/6/2006

• Human trafficking of Indian guest workers alleged in Mississippi shipyard; Contractor defends 290-man camp - 4/13/2007

• Bush Administration vaunted bogus credentials for birth control czar, records show -  5/15/2007

• The permanent Republican majority: Part one: How a coterie of Republican heavyweights sent a governor to jail - 11/26/2007

• The permanent Republican majority: Part two: Daughter of jailed governor sees  White House hand in her father's fall - 11/27/2007

• The Permanent Republican Majority: Part III - Running elections from the White House - 12/16/2007

• Alabama station drops broadcast of 60 Minutes expose on political prosecution scandal - 2/25/2008

• In exclusive interview, Alabama whistleblower says Rove trying to smear her - 2/25/2008

• Karl Rove's next move: A million-dollar home on Florida's Emerald Coast - 3/28/08

• The Permanent Republican Majority, Part IV: How corporate-GOP interests sought to topple Democrats in Mississippi - 4/1/08

• The Permanent Republican Majority, Part V:  Mississippi Justice: Bush US Attorney targeted my wife, supporters and friends - 4/9/08

• The Permanenet Republican Majority, Part VI:  Break-ins plague targets of US Attorneys - 5/1/08

Counter-terrorism/Intel: Key Articles

• Democrats seek assurances, final report in CIA leak investigation - 10/12/2005

• Cheney aide cooperating with CIA leak probe investigators sources say - 10/18/2005

• Testimony from Rove's former assistant may solidify the case that misled inquiry lawyers - 11/28/2005

• NYC tunnel plot just chatter - 7/8/2006

• Was former Russian KGB agent killed for knowing too much? - 11/27/2006

• Murdered KGB agent was working for UK security firm at the time of murder - 12/11/2006

• Soviet-era compound in northern Poland was site of secret CIA interrogation, detentions - 3/7/2007

• New documents link Kissinger to two 1970s coups - 6/26/2007

• UK officials caution media reports tying car bomb attacks to Qaeda -7/3/2007

• National Intelligence Estimate lacks supporting evidence, possibly politicized, intelligence officials say - 7/25/2007

• US has been covertly arming Gulf States since 2004, officials say-8/2/2007

• Senate passes intelligence bill after Democrats back down on presidential briefings, CIA jails -10/5/2007

• All the president's PR men: Raw Story investigation reveals revolving door on Iraq PR Men -10/11/2007

• FBI documents contradict 9/11 Commission report - 2/28/08

Other Key Intel/War Articles:

• Israeli air strike did not hit nuclear facility, intelligence officials say - 9/24/2007

• US intelligence does not show Syrian nuclear weapons program... Cheney ... - 10/18/2007

• UN nuclear watchdog set to submit Iran report -11/13/2007

• US, Israel refuse to cooperate with inquest into Syria strike - 11/14/2007

• US intelligence suggests coverup in Bhutto assassination - 1/7/2008

• Intelligence officials on both sides of the Atlantic question al Qaeda role in Bhutto killing -  1/18/2008

Award Nominated Series -The Permanent Republican Majority Series (US Attorney Scandal and the Missing Emails):

• Part 1: Political Prisoner
• Part 2: Siegelman's Daughter Speaks Out
• Part 3: Running Elections from the White House
• Part 4: Mississippi Prosecutions
• Part 5: Interview with Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver E. Diaz, Jr.
• Part 6: Break-Ins Plague Targets of Political Prosecutions
  
• Part 7: Justice for Sale
• Judge who denied Paul Minor's release protoge of Karl Rove
• DOJ Investigating 2 US Attorneys in alleged political prosecutions
• 60 Minutes signal dropped in Alabama only during Siegelman portion
• Interview with Dana Jill Simpson on Karl Rove's alleged smears
• Karl Rove's next move: A Million Dollar House in Florida
• Republican IT consultant subpoenaed in case alleging vote tampering in Ohio during 04 election
• Documents reveal how vote tallies were routed in Ohio during 04 election
• Abramoff said he had agreement with White House aid regarding communications
• Treasury Department investigating US Attorney for sharing private income tax returns of a case target
• IT Consultant subpoenaed in Ohio case declared emergency before fatal airplane crash

Key Interviews:

-FBI investigator who helped catch Russian spy, Eric O'Neill

-Former UN Inspector Scott Ritter, Series:

1. Part One: Nuking the Spin
2. Part Two: Terminally Ill Intelligence
3. Part Three: Neocons are parasites

-Controversial Neo-Conservative and Iran-Contra player Michael Ledeen, Series:

1. Conversations with Machiavelli's Ghost: The Democratic Revolutionary
2. Conversations with Machiavelli's Ghost: Demystifying Intrigue
3. Conversations with Machiavelli's Ghost: Staffing the Deck

-Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Michigan Democrat John Conyers: The Battle Goes On
-Former Ambassador, Joseph Wilson (husband of outed CIA officer, Valerie Plame)

-John Cusack slams corporate media, talks up new movie 'War, Inc.' in wide-ranging interview

Key Commentary:

• Bush Is Waiting for An Iraq Solution That Will Never Come
• When Strategy Fails, Rove Will Fight Dirty
• Republican Torture Laws Will Live in History
• The Most Trusted Names in News (Really!)
• Is Lebanon the 'Trigger' for U.S. War With Iran?
• Bush: Breaking the Law, Again and Again
• Saddam's Execution is about Iran
• Our Cold Civil War
• Our Cold Civil War - Reprint/Hustler (paper)