Medea Benjamin Knihy

In 1979, the Iranian Revolution brought a full-scale theocracy to the 80 million inhabitants of the Middle East's second largest country, with. The rule of the ayatollahs opened the door to Islamic fundamentalism. In the decades since, bitter relations have persisted between the U.S. and Iran. Yet how is it that Iran has become the primary target of American antagonism over nations like Saudi Arabia, whose appalling human rights violations fail to depose it as one of America's closest allies in the Middle East? In the first general-audience book on the subject, Medea Benjamin elucidates the mystery behind this complex relationship, recounting the country's history from the pre-colonial period to its emergence as the one nation Democrats and Republicans alike can unite in denouncing. Benjamin has traveled several times to Iran, and uses her firsthand experiences with politicians, activists, and everyday citizens to provide a deeper understanding of the complexities of Iranian society. Tackling common misconceptions about Iran's system of government, its religiosity, and its citizens' way of life, Benjamin makes short work of the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding U.S.-Iranian relations, and presents a realistic and hopeful case for the two nations' future

Groundbreaking expose of the dramatic shift to robot warfare, by a leading antiwar activist

What is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)? What role is played by its members and partners? Does the largest military alliance ever to exist serve the cause of peace or the causes of weapons sales and war mongering? Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the alliance, this sharp, concise account examines NATO's origins, structure, and its goals at a time of mounting global tension. NATO has remade itself repeatedly, as its past purposes have disappeared. In the last 35 years it has been part of wars in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. It has played a major role in Ukraine, and supported warmaking by Israel. NATO is now expanding rapidly, both in geography and in scope, adding partners from Colombia to Mongolia to Australia, and claiming a role in policing, immigration, economics, public budgeting, scientific research, and environmental protection. With pointed investigations of how NATO's decisions are made, the widely misunderstood question of the way it is funded, its relationship to international law, and the available alternatives to it, NATO: What You Need to Know is an indispensable primer on an organization that not only confronts expanding military conflict but, the authors contend, plays an active part in its escalation.

Russia's brutal February 2022 invasion of Ukraine has attracted widespread condemnation across the West. Government and media circles present the conflict as a simple dichotomy between an evil empire and an innocent victim. In this concise, accessible and highly informative primer, Medea Benjamin and Nicolas Davies insist the picture is more complicated. Yes, Russia's aggression was reckless and, ultimately, indefensible. But the West's reneging on promises to halt eastward expansion of NATO in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union played a major part in prompting Putin to act. So did the U.S. involvement in the 2014 Ukraine coup and Ukraine's failure to implement the Minsk peace agreements. The result is a conflict that is increasingly difficult to resolve, one that could conceivably escalate into all-out war between the United States and Russia--the world's two leading nuclear powers. Skillfully bringing together the historical record and current analysis, War In Ukraine looks at the events leading up to the conflict, surveys the different parties involved, and weighs the risks of escalation and opportunities for peace. For anyone who wants to get beneath the heavily propagandized media coverage to an understanding of a war with consequences that could prove cataclysmic, reading this timely book will be an urgent necessity.

Drohnen, ob klein wie Insekten oder groß wie Passagierflugzeuge, repräsentieren die neuesten Waffen der Rüstungsindustrie. Sie werden sowohl zur Überwachung als auch zum gezielten Töten eingesetzt und versprechen Milliardengewinne, während sie militärische Konflikte und Aufstandsbekämpfung grundlegend verändern. Als präzise Waffen gegen 'Terroristen' angepriesen, zeigen Einsätze in Afghanistan, Pakistan, dem Irak und Gaza, dass Drohnen oft nicht zwischen Gegnern und unschuldigen Zivilisten unterscheiden. Rund viertausend Menschen starben bereits bei Einsätzen, die der 'Ausschaltung' von Einzelzielen galten. Entscheidungen über Drohnentötungen werden von Spezialisten in klimatisierten Einsatzzentralen getroffen, oft Hunderte oder Tausende Kilometer vom Ziel entfernt. Die Unterscheidung zwischen Zielen wird unmöglich, wenn Zivilisten betroffen sind. Der Einsatz von Drohnen ist Teil einer breiteren Militarisierung des Lebens, die mit umfassender Überwachung beginnt. Der Übergang von Überwachungsdrohnen zu bewaffneten UAVs wird immer geringer. Ein Verbot militärischer und polizeilicher Drohnen ist daher für die Gesellschaft von entscheidender Bedeutung. Medea Benjamin, Aktivistin und Mitbegründerin von Global Exchange und Code Pink, setzt sich seit 2009 gegen den Einsatz militärischer Drohnen ein.