Bio
Melvin A. Goodman is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC, and an adjunct professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University. His 42-year government career included tours at the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of State, and the Department of Defense’s National War College, where he was a professor of international security. His books on international security include “A Whistleblower at the CIA: The Path of Dissent;” “National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism;” “Bush League Diplomacy: How the Neoconservatives are Putting the World at Risk;” “The Wars of Eduard Shevardnadze;” “The Phantom Defense: America’s Pursuit of the Star Wars Illusion;” “The End of Superpower Conflict in the Third World,” and “Gorbachev’s Retreat: The Third World.”
He has written numerous articles and opeds that have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, Foreign Policy; Harper’s Magazine; the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; and the Foreign Service Journal. His TV appearances include the PBS Newshour; the Amy Goodman Show; NBC; and CBS. He has lectured at college campuses all over the country as well as to numerous chapters of the World Affairs Council, the Council on Foreign Relations, and various veteran organizations. In 1991, he testified before the Senate intelligence committee in order to block the confirmation of Robert M. Gates as director of the CIA.
Recent News and Latest Book
Trump’s War on Arms Control and Disarmament
Every U.S. president since Dwight David Eisenhower has understood the importance of arms control and disarmament, which serves to highlight the ignorance and inexperience of Donald Trump and his key advisers regarding disarmament issues. Over the past two years, the Trump administration has scuttled the Iran nuclear accord, which brought a measure of predictability to the volatile Middle East, and the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which destroyed more missiles that any treaty in history. Now, the Trump administration has walked away from the Open Skies Treaty, which was particularly important to the Baltic states and the East Europeans for monitoring Russian troop movements on their borders.
Trump Administration and the Washington Post: Picking Fights Together
Sunday’s front-page article read like a war game scenario concocted by the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency. The article stated that Iran and Venezuela were “forging a closer strategic partnership,” with five Iranian oil tankers “steaming” across the Atlantic Ocean in the “most public display of the deepening relationship.” Iran hardly qualifies as a challenge, let alone a threat, on any level, but the Post relied on comments from hard liners such as Elliott Abrams, the U.S. special representative to Venezuela, and Evan Ellis, a professor of Latin American studies from the U.S. Army War College.This imaginary scenario is particularly ludicrous because it comes at a time when Iran is moderating its approach to the West, particularly avoiding any confrontation with the United States. Iran recently endorsed Iraq’s selection of an American-approved prime minister, who actually has ties to U.S. intelligence forces in Iraq. Iran has stopped pro-Iranian militias in Iraq from attacking U.S. forces, and has significantly reduced attacks on merchant ships and tankers in the Persian Gulf.
