Patrick Oliver Cockburn is an Irish journalist who has been a Middle East correspondent since 1979 for the Financial Times and, presently, The Independent. He has written four books on Iraq 's recent history. He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize in 2005, the James Cameron Prize in 2006 and the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 2009.
Afganistanin sotaa kaunistellaan valheilla, 4.3.2014 (Patrick Cockburn)
The blundering British political class has shown the same incompetence in both fighting wars and coronavirus, Independent, 26 June 2020
The multiple fiascos presided over by Boris Johnson’s government have made people cynical about its plans, Independent, 19 June 2020
The jokes in parliament prove British leaders have no idea how bad slavery was – and why people are protesting, Independent, 12 June 2020
The Brexit crisis led to totally incompetent leadership at a time of unprecedented calamity. Now we are paying for it, Independent, 5 June 2020
Donald Trump's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is an unavoidable recognition of failure, Independent, 29 May 2020
Authoritarian governments are using coronavirus as an excuse to crush freedom of expression, Independent, 22 May 2020
Donald Trump's megalomania and Boris Johnson's incompetence have increased the coronavirus death toll, Independent, 15 May 2020
Iraq will be hit harder by the oil price drop than by coronavirus or Isis, Independent, 8 May 2020
Donald Trump is igniting a cold war with China to win the election, Independent, 1 May 2020
Boris Johnson's cheery ‘wounded in action' persona may save him, despite his mistakes leading to thousands of deaths, Independent, 24 April 2020
Trump, Erdogan, Modi, Orban, Bolsonaro – populist nationalists have met their match in the coronavirus, Independent, 18 April 2020
A pandemic like coronavirus may be reported like a war but it is very different, Independent, 10 April 2020
The chaotic government response to coronavirus is closer to the failures of 1914 than the determination of 1940, Independent, 3 Aptil 2020
The US is losing its world superpower status due to its failure to lead on the Covid-19 crisis - and this time, it might not recover, Independent, 27 March 2020
Society can come together to deal with coronavirus - but the government is lagging behind, Independent, 20 March 2020
The battle for the Saudi crown is raging even if it is overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, Independent, 13 March 2020
Let's stop pretending people with serious psychosis can be fully independent, and give them the support they need, Independent, 6 March 2020
While Muslims are being murdered in India, the rest of the world is too slow to condemn, Independent, 28 February 2020
With WikiLeaks, Julian Assange did what all journalists should aspire to do, Independent, 21 February 2020
Sinn Fein's election victory is Ireland's 'Brexit moment' when left-out voters turn on the elite, Independent, 15 February 2020
People are more frightened of coronavirus than they need to be, but the culprit is not who you think, Independent, 7 February 2020
We live in a disintegrating world - and that only makes it a more dangerous place, Independent, 31 January 2020
China’s coronavirus outbreak reminds me of the Irish polio epidemic I survived, Independent, 24 January 2020
The US and Iran’s perpetual almost-war is unsustainable – and will end badly, Independent, 17 January 2020
The west i s still buying into nonsense claims about Iran's regional influence, Independent, 10 January 2020
'Dead-heat' for US and Iran as both sides step back from the brink after Soleimani killing, Independent, 9 January 2020
Iran will make huge political gains from this crisis – as long as it doesn’t overplay its hand, Independent, 8 January 2020
Trump’s actions in Iraq could plunge the country into crisis once again, with Iran as strong as ever, Independent, 6 January 2020
Iraq’s worst fears have come true – they are now at the centre of a proxy war between the US and Iran, Independent, 4 January 2020
Nationalism is transforming the politics of the British Isles – its power as a vehicle for discontent grows ever stronger, Independent, 27 December 2019
Why did Labour increase its majority in Canterbury but lose the country? Independent, 20 December 2019
Johnson is the luckiest politician alive - reading about worse historical crises has been my solace in recent weeks, Independent, 13 December 2019
Britain's reign as a world superpower is over - and it's all thanks to Brexit, Independent, 6 December 2019
Why the resignation of Iraq's prime minister will not automatically stop the mass uprising on the horizon, Independent, 29 November 2019
Iraq protests: Anti-Iran sentiment at boiling point as demonstrators torch consulate and death toll soars, Independent, 28 November 2019
What Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman could learn from Prince Andrew – and vice versa, Independent, 22 November 2019
Alleged abuses by British army in Iraq and Afghanistan highlights total failures in both wars, Independent, 18 November 2019
Erdogan’s ethnic cleansing of the Kurds is still happening now – and we have Trump to thank, Independent, 15 November 2019
How Tehran-backed forces are taking over in Iraq: 'The Iranians always have a plan', Independent, 10 November 2019
Cameron's failures in war highlight the decline in British leadership - a trend that is only likely to continue, Independent, 8 November 2019
Like Northern Ireland, Great Britain is reaching for nationalism over economic sense, Independent, 1 November 2019
The killing of Isis leader Baghdadi does not solve all problems for the west, Independent, 28 October 2019
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was a brutal tyrant but he had no real answer to the crumbling of his caliphate, Independent, 27 October 2019
Mass protests against corruption and deprivation are replacing an era of sectarian civil wars, Independent, 25 October 2019
The US airstrike on its former headquarters is a terrible symbol of American failure in Syria, Independent, 19 October 2019
Turkey's Syria invasion rapidly backfiring for Ankara amid unexpected international condemnation, Independent, 15 October 2019
As Turkey prepares to slice through Syria, the US has cleared a new breeding ground for Isis, Independent, 11 October 2019
Kurdish soldiers I spoke to feared Trump would be a treacherous ally. But the scale of his betrayal is terrifying, Independent, 9 October 2019
Patrick Cockburn: “A Shakespearean Act of Betrayal”: Trump Agrees to Let Turkey Invade Kurdish-Controlled Syrian Area, Democracy Now! 7 October 2019 (video and transcript)
Iraq protests: Death tolls soars as pro-Iran militias accused of shooting protesters, Independent, 7 October 2019
The Iraqi people are in revolt - pushing the post-Saddam Hussein settlement to the brink of collapse, Independent, 4 October 2019
Iraq cuts internet and imposes curfew in attempt to stifle new mass protest movement, Independent, 4 October 2019
Deadly army crackdown on anti-corruption protests risks turmoil in Iraq, Independent, 2 October 2019
Baghdad protests: At least ‘10 dead and more than 200 injured’ as riot police open fire, Independent, 1 October 2019
Iran-US tensions threaten fragile stability in Iraq, amid army dismissals and restructuring, Independent, 30 September 2019
‘People are dying’: The Shia city where Isis are trying to make their presence known, Independent, 28 September 2019
Just as Iraq begins to find peace, it once again becomes the battleground for an American proxy war, Independent, 27 September 2019
The drone attacks in Saudi Arabia have changed the nature of global warfare, Independent, 20 September 2019
The Saudi Crown Prince plans to make us forget about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi before the US election, Independent, 13 September 2019
Mugabe's rule led many people to dismiss the concept of nationalism - but that opened the door to something far worse, Independent, 6 September 2019
I recognise Boris Johnson’s coup for what it is because I’ve seen this before – in Turkey, Independent, 30 August 2019
The Battle of the Bogside was 50 years ago - so why are the same mistakes being made right now? Independent, 9 August 2019
Sectarianism is alive and well in Northern Ireland – and Boris Johnson is recklessly picking at the scabs, Independent, 2 August 2019
A no-deal Brexit would be an opening shot in a Johnson and Trump-led economic cold war with the EU, Independent, 27 July 2019
Brexit Britain is on the brink of a ‘national breakdown’, Independent, 23 July 2019
Iran tanker crisis: Impending Brexit leaves UK with no choice but to do US bidding - and suffer the consequences, Independent, 22 July 2019
Boris Johnson is often compared to Trump, but he is even more dangerous - here's why, Independent, 20 July 2019
Deferring to Trump's ego over the Kim Darroch leak highlights the weakness of Britain, Independent, 13 July 2019
With an unstable ally in Trump, Britain is making itself a target in the Gulf, Independent, 12 July 2019
Hunt is wrong about sanctions. I’ve seen for myself how they hurt the poor yet leave leaders untouched, Independent, 5 July 2019
Horrific pictures of drowned migrants should not distract us from the fact that far more people die on EU borders, Independent, 28 June 2019
Trump the isolationist may hope to avoid a war with Iran – but he could already be in too deep, Independent, 21 June 2019
All over the country ethnic minorities are victims of more violence than ever – and it's all because of Brexit, Independent, 14 June 2019
Is Donald Trump a fascist? Well, he’s not Mussolini or Hitler just yet – but he’s not far off, Independent, 7 June 2019
America’s persecution of Julian Assange has everything to do with Yemen, Independent, 31 May 2019
Theresa May was a bad PM - but her resignation will do nothing to arrest Britain's long-term decline, Independent, 24 May 2019
Four times the US has made the same mistake in the Middle East. Now Trump is making it yet again over Iran, Independent, 17 May 2019
The mysterious 'sabotage' of Saudi oil tankers is a dangerous moment in Trump's pumped up feud with Iran, Independent, 13 May 2019
Europe doesn’t have the power to be much more than a spectator in the escalating US-Iran conflict, Independent, 10 May 2019
Britain's legacy is not benign - the Cambridge slavery inquiry will show we have plenty to feel guilty for, Independent, 3 May 2019
Brexit and austerity: a toxic mix that has decimated the life chances of a whole generation, Independent, 1 May 2019
Though Isis leader al-Baghdadi is alive, this poor strategist may not be a huge threat, Independent, 29 April 2019
We can end Isis terrorism – but only if western countries wind down their proxy wars in the Middle East, Independent, 26 April 2019
Revolutionaries in the Middle East have learnt crucial lessons since the Arab Spring, Independent, 19 April 2019
Calling Assange a 'narcissist' misses the point - without WikiLeaks we would live in darker, less informed times, Independent, 12 April 2019
What Benjamin Netanyahu's victory in Israel tells us about the balance of power in the Middle East, Independent, 10 April 2019
Brexit's negative effects are not 'yet to come' - leaving the EU has already left Britain crippled for good, Independent, 5 April 2019
In Birmingham, the 'city of a thousand trades', Brexit is endangering a modern-day renaissance, Independent, 1 April 2019
Theresa May’s appalling legacy will be the total destruction of the Good Friday Agreement, Independent, 30 March 2019
Isis caliphate defeated: How the Islamic State's brutal project was finally overthrown, and what might come next, Independent, 23 March 2019
The brutal legacy of Bloody Sunday is a powerful warning to the Tories still hoping to save Brexit, Independent, 15 March 2019
Karen Bradley's 'mistake' was more than ignorance - it reveals the political class's disregard for Irish life, Independent, 8 March 2019
Nobody wants a return to war in Northern Ireland but events can create their own momentum, Independent, 6 March 2019
The English are blindly driving Northern Ireland to conflict – the fear is that they are too stupid to care, Independent, 2 March 2019
Forget our dire levels of competency around Brexit and foreign policy - Shamima Begum and her infant are the real threat, Independent, 22 February 2019
Shamima Begum may not have known what she got herself into with Isis, but then neither did western governments, Independent, 15 February 2019
Trump says Isis has been defeated, but he is ignoring the bigger and much more worrying picture, Independent, 8 February 2019
A Plague of Rats: How Years of Austerity Prompted Many Britons to Vote for Brexit, CounterPunch, 5 February 2019
Crass Brexiteer Mark Francois needs a lesson in British history – it might help him understand our strange hubris, Independent, 2 February 2019
The Western world may no longer underestimate Isis, but we've failed to learn the most important lessons from its rise and fall, Independent, 25 January 2019
Why Trump doesn’t always get it wrong on the Middle East, Independent, 23 January 2019
Ignorant wishful thinking has harmed our approach to Brexit - much as it did during the Arab Spring, Independent, 18 January 2019
Brexit dominates political circles, but outside Westminster many are tuning out, The Independent, 16 January 2019
Refugees in the Channel are risking everything because of western intervention in the Middle East, Independent, 11 January 2019
The fate of Gatwick and the failings of armed forces recruitment tell a sorry tale about a country that wanted to ‘take back control’, Independent, 5 January 2019
From Bizarre Rage Against James Joyce to MI5 Phone-Bugging: Why I Collect Snippets of Strangers' Conversations, CounterPunch, 1 January 2019