Category: Peace and War

Trump’s quest to kick America’s ‘Iraq War syndrome’

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Responsible Statecraft, Jan 14, 2026 by Leah Schroeder (quotes Stephen Zunes)
Experts say the ‘easy’ Venezuela operation is reminiscent of George H.W. Bush’s 1989 invasion of Panama, which in part served to bury the ghosts of Vietnam
“Panama mattered because it showed the U.S. would continue intervention even after the Cold War,” said Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and Program Director for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco. “Many people thought the end of communism meant the U.S. would become a good world citizen and stop violating international law. Panama showed the Cold War was more an excuse than the reason, and that the U.S. would continue as an imperial, interventionist power.”
But where Trump might scare away a cautious population is with impulsive comments in which he says the U.S. could “run” Venezuela for years. “What makes Venezuela more serious on certain levels is that this is not a one-and-done,” Zunes said.

Is US Moving Towards UN’s Exit Door?

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Inter Press Service by Thalif Deen, United Nations, Jan 13 2026 (quotes Zunes): “The Trump administration, however, appears to be rejecting the post-WWII international legal system as a whole. His statements, particularly since the attack on Venezuela, appear to be a throwback to the 19th-century imperial prerogatives and a rejection of modern international law.”
“As a result, it is possible that Trump could indeed pull the United States out of the United Nations and force the UN out of New York.”

The Real Reason Trump Invaded Venezuela: It’s not drugs, democracy, or even oil. It’s power.

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The Progressive, January 6, 2026 and republished by Common Dreams as,
Until Democrats Confront the Lawlessness of Trump’s Venezuela Assault, Expect More War.
The U.S. attack resulted from having an incredibly corrupt and autocratic-minded President using his office to enrich himself and his supporters, deploying the country’s armed forces against his own citizens, abusing the justice system to punish political opponents, and manipulating the electoral process to try to stay in power. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has engaged in similar behavior as well…

Interview: Monroe Doctrine Rises Again

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WORT FM, Madison, January 8, 2026 (48-min):
The Monroe Doctrine Rises Again in Venezuela.
Host Allen Ruff and Professor Stephen Zunes discuss his recent article in The Progressive, “The Real Reason Trump Invaded Venezuela: It’s not drugs, democracy, or even oil. It’s power.” Zunes puts the Trump administration’s lies — calling Maduro a narco-terrorist despite that no fentanyl comes from Venezuela, that Maduro stole “our oil” despite Venezuela nationalizing its oil in the 1970s, and more — in the context of international law, the Monroe Doctrine, Venezuelan opposition to Maduro, and the US military’s recent boat-bombing campaign. He says the US will control all Venezuelan oil for the foreseeable, but “Trump plans to take control of the oil personally and stash the cash in offshore accounts.”

Interview: How Catherine Connolly Can Redefine Irish Politics

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Counterpunch November 14, 2025, by Daniel Falcone
An Interview With Yvonne Galligan that quotes Zunes on the significance of the election of the new democratic socialist president of Ireland.
“Activist and author Medea Benjamin commented, ‘Ireland just reminded the world what moral leadership looks like, electing a president who speaks for justice, stands with Palestine, rejects NATO’s militarism and wants to preserve Ireland’s neutrality.’ At the same time, Connolly crucially ‘still supports Ukraine and condemns Russian aggression, [and] one can legitimately recognize both,’ indicated international relations scholar Stephen Zunes.

Interview: Gaza/Israel ceasefire

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Hudson Mohawk Magazine/Sanctuary Community Radio,
upstate New York, Oct. 22, 2025 (10-mins.) with Mark Dunlea.
After two weeks, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is still holding, despite numerous continued killings by Israel’s IDF and a delay by Hamas in turning over some bodies of dead hostages they claim are buried under the rubble from Israel’s missiles. Updates the situation and Zunes’s article, “A Shaky Ceasefire is Better Than an Ongoing Genocide.”