05/30/12 – Jason Leopold – The Scott Horton Show

Jason Leopold, lead investigative reporter of Truthout and author of News Junkie, discusses his exclusive article on Hesham Abu Zubaidah, brother of the infamous “high-value detainee” al-Qaeda member; the two years Hesham spent in jail for an immigration violation after 9/11 – during which he was constantly questioned about his long-estranged brother; our total reliance on government-sourced information on (terrorism suspect) Abu Zubaidah; the indispensable Andy Worthington; and how the FBI...

05/30/12 – Marcy Wheeler – The Scott Horton Show

Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses the NY Times puff piece article on President Obama’s secret kill list; the government’s fuzzy math in calculating civilian casualties from drone strikes; assassinating the bakers who may or may not sell bread to the Taliban; journalists (a.k.a. “terrorist sympathizers”) who dare gather information on drone strike casualties; more evidence that counterterrorism advisor John Brennan is a liar; how the US helped create the AQAP threat in Yemen; why the...

05/30/12 – John Glaser – The Scott Horton Show

John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the going-nowhere P5+1 Iran talks; the domestic political considerations that influence Obama’s foreign policy decisions; how US Iran Policy is Intended to Leave Open ‘Avenues for Regime Change;’” why the US and Israel won’t tolerate Iran’s nuclear breakout capability (even though nearly all nations with civilian nuclear programs have one); and the contradictory media reports on Syria’s Houla massacre.

05/29/12 – Adam Morrow – The Scott Horton Show

IPS News journalist Adam Morrow discusses his article “From Mubarak to Worse;” the final two candidates - a Muslim Brother and a former Mubarak official – in Egypt’s presidential run-off election; why Egyptians are more concerned with Islamic dress codes than Gaza policy or foreign meddling; the Muslim Brotherhood’s history of cooperation with the West; Egypt’s unfinished constitution; and why Egypt’s socialist/leftist groups haven’t had any electoral success.

Oops

U.S. Bombs Civilians to Death Call their targeting "Afghan Good Enough"

05/25/12 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show

Gareth Porter, investigative historian and journalist specializing in U.S. national security policy, discusses his article “US Hard Line in Failed Iran Talks Driven by Israel;” the deal-breaking US positions on sanctions relief and Iran’s Fordow enrichment facility; the US’s tried-and-true model for justifying military action, from Kosovo to Iraq, that works by sabotaging any diplomatic alternatives; the Obama administration’s seeming opposition to war with Iran; and how the neoconservatives...

The Re-re-revival of the Stress Blog

Ain't you been gettin' tired of there bein' no Stress blog? Me too. So here it is again: International terrorist Barack Obama today suicide-bombed the Baghdad talks with Iran over their nuclear program. Oh, no. Apparently he just regular-bombed them. As former NSC-man Flynt Leverett explained on the show earlier, Obama does not want a deal. He just wants BS nowhere talks in order to forestall an Israeli-initiated war. I guess we'll have to settle for "DC Good Enough." Update: Justin's take.

05/24/12 – Flynt Leverett – The Scott Horton Show

Flynt Leverett, former Senior Director for Middle East Affairs at the National Security Council, discusses the latest negotiations on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program at the just-concluded P5+1 Baghdad summit; why the US will never agree to lift sanctions on Iran, no matter the concessions; how the US negotiating position makes Obama look like an idiot; Richard Nixon’s observation that the same political price is paid for going half way as all the way – so you might as well go to China; why...

05/24/12 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show

Gareth Porter, investigative historian and journalist specializing in U.S. national security policy, discusses his article “Was Afghan Massacre Linked to IED Attack;” the confusing events and timeline during Sgt. Robert Bales’s alleged massacre; the Special Forces assassination raid that took place in the same village, on the same night, as the massacre; and how the US military uses collective punishment (a war crime) on civilians suspected of aiding the insurgency.

05/23/12 – Grant F. Smith – The Scott Horton Show

Grant F. Smith, director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy, discusses his article “US Charity Secretly Funds Israeli Nukes;” how the Weizmann Institute, posing as a non-profit charity, conducts espionage and fundraising for Israel’s nuclear weapons program; why the US government continues pretending that Israel’s nukes don’t exist; the IRS’s tentative ruling on tax-deductible donations to the Weizmann Institute; how the Justice Department’s secretive “shutdown” orders on...

05/23/12 – Sheldon Richman – The Scott Horton Show

Sheldon Richman, senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his article “On Israel’s ‘Right to Exist;’” the libertarian perspective on the rights of individuals and states; how Israel’s “right” is used as rhetorical misdirection, changing the subject away from the plight of Palestinians; defining Israel as “the state of the Jewish people” irrespective of location (since all Jews have the right of return); why the “end of Israel,” as defined, does not mean Jews will be pushed...

05/23/12 – Carl Finamore – The Scott Horton Show

Carl Finamore, Machinist Local Lodge 1781 delegate to the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO, discusses his article “Military Orchestrates Egypt’s Presidential Elections;” how Tahrir Square protesters won free speech and labor reforms, but failed to change the military-dominated political system; how the West uses Islamic groups to counter secular nationalism in the Arab world; the US’s strategic interests in Egypt; and why Egyptians, fatigued from lengthy protests, are increasingly more...

05/22/12 – Robert P. Murphy – The Scott Horton Show

Robert P. Murphy, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism, discusses his article “Who Needs War for Oil;” why the US military doesn’t need to intervene in the Middle East to “secure” supplies of oil; how embargoes hurt oil exporting countries more than their customers (shown by the US-supported embargo on Iran); and the contrarian theory that oil scarcity and higher prices are the true US policy goals.

05/22/12 – Chris Hellman – The Scott Horton Show

Chris Hellman, Senior Research Analyst for the National Priorities Project, discusses his article “How Much Does Washington Spend on ‘Defense;’” the GOP’s plan to cut the “meals on wheels” program instead of the Pentagon’s budget; how constant threat-hyping makes Americans believe Iran is more threatening than the Soviet Union in its heyday; how outsourcing failed to reduce the size and cost of government; and why a few budget items should be higher, like nuclear waste storage.

05/22/12 – Ray McGovern – The Scott Horton Show

Former CIA senior analyst Ray McGovern discusses his article “Applying the Six-Day War to Iran;” neoconservative Charles Krauthammer’s revisionist history on the war – recounting it as a pre-emptive strike against imminent Arab attack instead of a long-planned land grab; former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s candid honesty about Israel’s “war of choice” in 1967; disagreement among Israeli government officials on whether or not Iran poses an existential threat; and how President...