Veteran journalist Eric Margolis returns to the show to discuss his latest article, "The Syrian Madhouse Gets Even Crazier." Margolis explains why Rex Tillerson's recent decision to maintain a long-term presence in eastern Syria has created an even bigger mess and how the Turkish-Kurdish conflict has come to a head. Scott then details the long history of U.S. support for and betrayal of the Kurds. Eric Margolis is a foreign affairs correspondent and author of “War at the Top of the World” and...
2/6/18 Elijah Magnier on Iran’s waning influence in Iraq
Veteran war correspondent Elijah Magnier returns to the show to discuss his latest article, "Iran is Losing Influence in Iraq: Is Qassem Soleimani the Right Person?" Magnier breaks down the degree to which Iraq and Iran see eye to eye about policy, the political climate in the lead up to elections in Iraq, and explains how it came to be that the Iraqis rejected the aid of their long-term ally Soleimani. Magnier then returns to the Sunni insurgency in Iraq over a decade ago and describes the...
1/26/18 Joey Lawrence on the Turkish assault on Syrian Kurdistan
Joey Lawrence returns to the show to discuss the latest developments in northeast Syria, where the Kurds and Turks are facing off—with the U.S. potentially caught in the middle. Lawrence breaks down the Turkish strategy in the battle against the Kurds, gives his thoughts on the new American bases in Syria, and explains how the Kurds negotiate their relationship with the U.S. and what their longterm goals are. Lawrence then details the Turkish bombing of Syrian Kurdistan. Finally Scott asks...
1/23/18 Reese Erlich on the brewing conflict in Northeast Syria
Reese Erlich joins Scott to discuss the latest developments in Iraq and Eastern Syria. Erlich details the growing tension between Turkey, a NATO country, and the United States and the Kurds who are getting caught in between. Erlich and Scott discuss the recent history of U.S. interventionism in Syria, how the Trump policy divulges from Obama's, and the current status of the Islamic State. Reese Erlich is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their...
1/5/18 Elijah Magnier on U.S. occupation of eastern Syria following fight against ISIS
Middle east correspondent Elijah Magnier returns to the show to discuss the U.S. presence in eastern Syria. Magnier explains what the United States' goals are, why they won't leave without guaranteeing a political transition and how they've, for the time being, partitioned the country along the Euphrates river. Magnier then details how the United States is essentially acting as the undeclared protector of the Islamic State for the time being as they've stopped bombing the Northeastern region...
1/3/18 Peter Van Buren on the end of Iraq War 3—and the history of the Iraq War
Heroic whistleblower Peter Van Buren returns to the Scott Horton Show to discuss his latest piece for the American Conservative, "2017: The Year the Iraq War Truly Ended." Van Buren explains what he means by "the war is over" and why it doesn't mean there won't be continued conflict for locals in Iraq. Van Buren then discusses how he categorizes each of the different phases of the Iraq War, which has been going on for three decades. So what happens in Phase Four, once the shooting stops? Van...
10/30/17 Trevor Thrall on ending the war on terror
Cato Institute senior fellow Trevor Thrall joins Scott to discuss his article for War On The Rocks, "Time to Step Back from the War on Terror." Thrall's piece details how the U.S. war on terror has been a failure and raises the question "what if we abolish the war on terror?" Thrall's solution begins by, in the first place, stopping the constant interventions in the first place. Thrall believes that, at the root of the problem, is the fact that America believes it needs to control everything,...
10/13/17 Jason Ditz Updates the Situation in Syria
Managing news editor of Antiwar.com Jason Ditz returns to the show to discuss the war in Syria where two separate wars are taking place—against ISIS in the East and al Qaeda in the east. Ditz details all of what we don't know thanks to increased secrecy from the Trump administration, explains what we do know about the continued fight against ISIS in Raqqa, where the U.S. air war has created lots of civilian casualties, and how the Kurds in Syria factor into the U.S. future plans. Scott and...
10/2/17 Airwars’ Chris Woods on the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria
Airwars investigative reporter Chris Woods returns to the show to discuss his work documenting aerial strikes and casualties in Iraq, Syria, and now Libya. Woods explains Airwars' method of documentation, discusses how Trump's strategy compares to Obama's, and breaks down the fight to free Mosul and Raqqa from ISIS and the overwhelming toll it has taken on the civilian populations. Woods is the author of Sudden Justice: America's Secret Drone Wars and the recipient of the Martha Gellhorn Prize...
9/6/17 Patrick Cockburn on al-Qaeda’s resurgence in Syria
Author and journalist Patrick Cockburn returns to the show to discuss his reporting on the heavy casualties in Mosul and why they've been underreported in the media. Cockburn explains how ISIS's guerrilla war tactics increase civilian casualties, why the Syrian Kurds fighting against ISIS in Raqqa have considerable incentive to extend the fight against ISIS, and discusses his latest article for the Independent on al Qaeda's power grab in Syria, "While defeat of Isis dominates global attention,...
The Antiwar Comic: Interventionists Vacations
You know, all these Interventionists who claim to free countries--- Do they actually visit the countries they "free"? Of course not. It would be something like this comic up here. And speaking of which, today's Antiwar Comic features a familiar face. For more comics visit.
The Antiwar Comic: The Budget Doesn’t Include You
When I first heard about Matt's story, I couldn't believe it, but I guess I shouldn't've been too surprised. Even when the government is helping, it doesn't really help, does it? For more comics visit the Webcomic Factory
