Scott interviews former CIA Officer John Kiriakou about a recent article he wrote. Kiriakou was personally involved in the 2002 capture of Abu Zubaydah in Pakistan. At the time, the CIA believed Zubaydah to be Al Qaeda’s third highest-ranking member. In truth, he was simply a logistician. Still, the Bush Administration used Zubaydah to make it look like dangerous terrorists were being captured and were handing over information thanks to “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Scott and Kiriakou...
10/01/21 Gareth Porter on the Media’s Misleading Portrayal of the Taliban
Gareth Porter joined Scott on Antiwar Radio to discuss his recent piece at the Gray Zone about the dishonest ways the media has covered the Taliban. Both Scott and Porter agree that the Taliban are not to be considered the good guys, but that the media has a history of pushing a misleading narrative about them to justify war. Scott and Porter reflect on how this has been happening, to some extent, for the Taliban’s entire history, but especially as it relates to the group’s connections with...
10/01/21 Peter Van Buren on the Stages of America’s Imperial History
Scott is joined by Peter Van Buren to discuss some recent articles he wrote for The American Conservative. Van Buren used the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to reflect on his experience on that day, as well as how the attacks fit into the larger story of America’s quest for global dominance. Scott and Van Buren also discuss the future of this quest. Finally, Van Buren shares a story of how a job he was tasked with forced him to confront the truth about America’s role in the world....
9/27/21 Aaron Maté on the Charged Clinton Lawyer and the Legacy of Russiagate
Scott interviews Aaron Maté about his recent article on Michael Sussmann, the Clinton attorney who was recently charged for lying to the FBI. Maté helps weave this developing story into the broader narrative of Russiagate. Scott and Maté reflect on how wild this story was from the beginning. They also discuss the effects this Clinton/FBI hoax had on the 2020 election and how it will affect our Country going forward. Discussed on the show: “With Clinton lawyer charged, the Russiagate scam is...
9/27/21 James Carden on AUKUS, China and NATO Infighting
Scott is joined by James Carden to discuss a possible silver lining to the new and unnecessary anti-China pact between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. (AUKUS). Tensions broke out within NATO after France was unexpectedly cut off from a previously negotiated submarine deal with Australia. Carden thinks some infighting can do some good if it leads to the end of this out-of-date military alliance that threatens peace rather than preserving it. Discussed on the show: Video of Mearsheimer...
9/27/21 Kevin Gosztola on the CIA’s War on Assange, Wikileaks and Journalism Itself
Kevin Gosztola is back on the show to discuss a recent Yahoo! News article about Assange that went viral. Gosztola thinks the piece contains some good reporting but leans too much on a flawed Russiagate framing. Scott and Gosztola discuss the semantic war our government is waging with attempts to redefine certain journalists as “information brokers” and “non-state hostile intelligence agents.” Gosztola also gives an update on Assange’s situation as his next hearing approaches next month. ...
9/24/21 Barbara Grant on What Really Happened on the Final Day of the Waco Siege
Scott is joined by Barbara Grant to discuss her new documentary which gives an experts perspective on the infrared footage capture on the final day of the Waco siege. Grant was busy working on a satellite when it happened in 1993, but she later became interested in the infrared footage featured in the 2000 film Waco: A New Revelation. The footage shows several flashes occurring behind the compound. The film argued that these flashes were gunfire while the Government dismissed them as solar...
9/24/21 Capt. John Vaughn on His Experience at the Kabul Airport During the Evacuation
Scott is joined by U.S Army Captain John Vaughn who spent two weeks in Kabul assisting with the evacuation. Vaughn gives some details on his experience and addresses the concerns about military equipment falling into the hands of the Taliban. He also speaks to the scale of the operation and commends his fellow soldiers for moving a massive amount of people and equipment so quickly. Finally, Vaughn talks about how his experience during the suicide attack at the airport gates and gives his...
9/24/21 Barbara Slavin on the True Winner of Iraq War 2
Scott interviews Barbara Slavin from the Atlantic Council. Slavin recently co-authored an article with Abbas Kadhim about how Iran’s influence in the middle east has grown substantially since the U.S. overthrew Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Slavin explains that the U.S. was more supportive of Iraq while they were engaged in a brutal war with Iran in the 80s, because the foreign policy establishment saw Iran as a bigger threat. Of course this changed in the 90s when George Bush Sr. launched...
9/22/21 Hassan El-Tayyab on How We Can Help End the War in Yemen by Tomorrow
Scott talks with Hassan El-Tayyab about tomorrow’s vote to end all support for the Saudi campaign in Yemen. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is going to be debated on the floor this afternoon (September 22nd). Scott and El-Tayyab urge everyone to call their representatives and tell them to vote to end support. El-Tayyab’s organization has set up a phone number to make the process easy: 1-833-STOPWAR. Call this number now and help bring one of the worst atrocities going on...
9/17/21 Weimin Chen on Why the Approaching Completion of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Is Great News
Scott talks with Weimin Chen about his recent article on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. The pipeline will transport natural gas from Russia to Germany. Chen explains that these two countries have a long history of conflict, so we should see increased economic engagement as a triumph. But of course, that’s not how many in the U.S. government see it. Chen explains that those involved with the project have had to deal with U.S. sanctions since the Obama Administration. Washington has opposed the...
9/13/21 Aaron Maté on the Seemingly Forgotten American Occupation of Syria
Scott talks with journalist Aaron Maté about his recent piece bringing attention to the U.S. occupation of Syria. The U.S. military currently controls about a third of Syria with an official troop count of 900. But considering officials were willing to lie to the former president about the real troop numbers, Scott and Maté are skeptical of the official figures. Maté observes that even with bipartisan opposition to these “forever wars” the occupation of Syria remains a subject that’s not to be...
9/13/21 Mathieu Aikins on the Recent US Drone Strike in Kabul and Life in Afghanistan Post-Withdrawal
Scott interviews journalist Mathieu Aikins who has remained in Kabul to report for the New York Times. Aikins and his team recently investigated the drone strike the U.S. carried out on August 29th that officials claimed had targeted a car carrying explosives believed to be driven by a member of ISIS. However, the team from NYT found a devastating scene with the bodies of children and a distraught family claiming to have just lost ten family members. Aikins and his colleagues were able to...
9/9/21 Joe Dyke on the Civilian Bodycount of American Airstrikes
Joe Dyke from Airwars.org joins the show to discuss his new report, coauthored with Imogen Piper, which attempts to count civilian deaths resulting directly from U.S. airstrikes during the Terror Wars. Dyke says he and his colleagues want civilian deaths to be part of the broader ongoing discussions about the cost of these wars. Scott and Dyke discuss the difficulties involved with trying to count civilian deaths and examine the costs and benefits of different methods. Both agree, regardless...
9/9/21 Dave DeCamp on Developments in Afghanistan and Syria
This week on Antiwar Radio, Scott talked with Dave DeCamp. DeCamp gives an update on Afghanistan where the Taliban are attempting to form a government. Both Scott and DeCamp agree that the Taliban are likely to face difficulties as they try to govern the country, especially if they continue to only appoint Pashtun men to positions of power. Both point to the retaliatory drone strike that killed civilians in Kabul as a preview of what “over the horizon” operations will look like if Biden is...
