08/16/11 – Chris Hellman – The Scott Horton Show

Chris Hellman, Senior Research Analyst for the National Priorities Project, discusses his article “How Safe Are You? What Almost $8 Trillion in National Security Spending Bought You” at tomdispatch.com; how cutting projected DoD spending increases could solve future government spending cuts mandated by the recent debt ceiling compromise; why the homeland security industry needs to hype terrorism threats to justify hefty budgets in a time of austerity; why casual readers of Antiwar.com know...

08/15/11 – Pepe Escobar – The Scott Horton Show

Pepe Escobar, journalist and author of Obama Does Globalistan, discusses why his article “Why the Syrian regime won’t fall” could prove false if major demonstrations break out in the largest urban areas, including Damascus and Aleppo; whether Turkey’s mediation can prevent the slaughter of civilian protesters in the street; the despots-in-waiting groomed by Saudi Arabia to fill vacancies in Syria and Yemen; the proposed Saudi Arabian “anti-terrorism” law that would send critics of the regime...

08/15/11 – Stephen Glain – The Scott Horton Show

Freelance writer Stephen Glain discusses his article “The Pentagon’s new China war plan” at Salon.com; the dangerous standoff between US full-spectrum dominance and a policy denying any near-peer competitors, with China’s 3000 year history of regional authority; his book, State vs. Defense: The Battle to Define America’s Empire, about how the US has used the military to solve diplomatic problems since President Truman; why we shouldn’t expect a surge of State Department assertiveness with the...

08/15/11 – Karen Kwiatkowski – The Scott Horton Show

Karen Kwiatkowski, columnist at lewrockwell.com and retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel, discusses her run for Congress in Virginia’s 6th District; the media’s steadfast refusal to mention Ron Paul’s near-win in the Iowa straw poll – because he “can’t win;” why the RNC may have nominated John McCain in order to purposely lose the 2008 presidential election; why Congressional Reps should have to actually read and write the bills they vote on, instead of having aids and lobbyists do it for them (and...

08/12/11 – Chris Woods – The Scott Horton Show

Chris Woods, documentary producer and freelancer for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, discusses his article “Drone War Exposed – the complete picture of CIA strikes in Pakistan;” the government’s general agreement with the total killed in drone strikes, and vehement disagreement about whether those people were civilians; how the Raymond Davis scandal soured the Pakistani government’s cooperation; how US government officials challenge the study’s methodology and conclusions in the media...

08/12/11 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show

This interview is from the KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles broadcast of August 12th. Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses the infamous “laptop of death” documents from which the vast majority of “evidence” about Iran’s supposed clandestine nuclear weapons program comes from; the conspicuous mistakes in the documents that lead him to believe a foreign intelligence agency (probably Mossad) fabricated them; how Iran’s refusal to turn over military missile...

08/11/11 – Scott Horton – The Scott Horton Show

The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer, professor and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses his article “A Setback for Obama’s War on Whistleblowers” and the unusual judicial check on Executive power; how the DOJ persecutes whistleblowers when they can’t be prosecuted; the Supreme Court decision that gives blanket immunity to prosecutorial misconduct; the two torture lawsuits progressing against Donald Rumsfeld because apparently government...

08/11/11 – Jason Leopold – The Scott Horton Show

Investigative reporter Jason Leopold discusses his article “Former Counterterrorism Czar Accuses Tenet, Other CIA Officials of Cover-Up” about Richard Clarke essentially blaming the CIA for failing to prevent the 9/11 terrorist attack by withholding the identities and whereabouts of two eventual hijackers; likely CIA efforts to recruit the hijackers and gain a desperately-wanted foothold inside al-Qaeda; the televised interview of Clarke by filmmakers John Duffy and Ray Nowosielski on Colorado...

08/11/11 – Philip Giraldi – The Scott Horton Show

Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses the MEK’s rightful place on the State Department’s (admittedly flawed and politicized) terrorism list; why a lack of determined opposition (unlike to, say, Jonathan Pollard’s pardon) will probably get the MEK what it wants; why Americans never seem to catch on even after being lied into war again and again; Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper empire that specializes in printing propaganda about Iran from Israeli and British intelligence agencies; and the best...

08/10/11 – Matt Barganier – The Scott Horton Show

Antiwar.com editor Matt Barganier discusses the best Antiwar.com articles of the week, including Grant F. Smith’s “Does AIPAC Have Only Two Major Donors;” Becky Akers’ “The TSA Exposed for Exposing Us – Again;” Justin Raimondo’s “Barbarians With BlackBerrys” about the British riots; and Ran HaCohen’s “Israelis Sick and Tired – but of What?” about the protests in Israel, where the limits of “guns and butter” spending have been reached. He also discusses the possibility of riots in the US due to...

08/10/11 – Grant F. Smith – The Scott Horton Show

Grant F. Smith, director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C., discusses his article “Does AIPAC Have Only Two Major Donors?” about the change in AIPAC’s donation list in the last few years, which makes the organization appear to be nothing more than a lobbying tool for a couple billionaires; why Steven Rosen’s defamation lawsuit against AIPAC isn’t getting anywhere, even though the documents brought to light would justify indicting the whole lobby for...

08/10/11 – John Glaser – The Scott Horton Show

John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses his article “Senators Want ‘Crippling’ New Iran Sanctions” about the 92 senators eager to punish Iranian civilians (the neocons want in on it too); the staggering price Iraqis paid for twelve years of sanctions; a reminder that “terrorism” means inflicting harm on civilians to effect political change – even if a state does it; and the effective difference between limited sanctions in the Cold War era (when the Soviets would aid Cuba, for...

08/10/11 – Scott Peterson – The Scott Horton Show

Scott Peterson, staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor, discusses his article “Iranian group’s big-money push to get off US terrorist list;” the dozens of top former US officials on MEK’s payroll to lobby for terrorist group de-listing; refuting claims that the MEK’s terrorism is either ancient history or the work of fringe offshoot groups; US politicians making $20,000 for essentially saying “MEK is A-OK!” in a ten minute speech; suspicions that domestic Iranian organizations funding...

08/09/11 – Max Blumenthal – The Scott Horton Show

Max Blumenthal, author of Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party, discusses his article “Meet the Right-Wing Hatemongers Who Inspired the Norway Killer” at alternet.org; the Islamophobes, including Pamela Geller, advocating for state terrorism and the wholesale killing of Muslims and Leftists; Republican campaign gimmicks that include loyalty oaths for Muslim government employees (e.g. mail carriers); changing the law in order to successfully prosecute Muslim...

08/09/11 – Brendan O’Neil – The Scott Horton Show

Brendan O’Neill, editor of Spiked, discusses his article “Syria and the Hole at the Heart of the Arab Revolts” about the stalemated Arab spring; why the London riots are more about mindless looting than any particular political grievance; waning US influence in the Middle East, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praises and condemns actions from afar, as a spectator; and how the lack of ideological congruence among rebels/protesters allows under-pressure despotic regimes to regroup and...