Brian Cloughley, author of War, Coups and Terror: Pakistan’s Army in Years of Turmoil, discusses his article “System Failure: Training the Afghan Army;” why it’s difficult enough to field an army of countrymen who are literate and share a common language – and near impossible to cobble one together in Afghanistan; the new low of US-Afghan relations following the recent massacre; and expectations that US withdrawal will plunge the country into civil war, like when the Soviets departed in...
03/12/12 – Saul Landau – The Scott Horton Show
Saul Landau, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, discusses his article “Malice v. Nobility: Scooter Libby v. Bradley Manning;” how Libby managed to “out” Valerie Plame, instigate the Iraq War, and get convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice without spending a day in prison (thanks to Bush’s commutation); why Manning would now be a free man if he had massacred Iraqi civilians instead of (allegedly) leaking classified information exposing the dirty deeds of the US...
03/09/12 – Sheldon Richman – The Scott Horton Show
Sheldon Richman, senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his article “No to AIPAC, No to Israel, and No to War;” President Obama’s disappointing speech at the AIPAC conference, where he refused to take “options off the table” in dealing with Iran; why Iran’s modest military capability poses no real threat to Israel or the US; refuting the “mad mullah” image of Iran’s leadership – which is in fact composed of rational actors who aren’t eager to see their 2500 year old...
03/09/12 – Daniel Larison – The Scott Horton Show
Daniel Larison, writer for The American Conservative Magazine, discusses the TAC-type of conservatives who oppose interventionist foreign policy and wars of aggression; how the never ending War on Terror increases the size and scope of government; the secret panel of government insiders passing for “due process” in the Obama administration; why the “Libyan model” of easy, from the air, regime change won’t work in Syria; and why, John McCain’s bluster aside, most Republicans really don’t want...
03/09/12 – Jason Ditz – The Scott Horton Show
Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the very low militant-killing success rate of drone strikes in the Afghanistan/Pakistan tribal border region; the US’s agreement to hand over Afghan prisoners in 2014 and refusal to end night raids; the Egyptian Freedom and Justice Party’s attempt to oust their military-imposed government; and the Western NGO workers freed from Egyptian custody.
03/09/12 – Pepe Escobar – The Scott Horton Show
Globetrotting journalist Pepe Escobar discusses why the Academy Award winning movie “A Separation” should be required viewing for Americans; how the Western powers will have trouble enforcing sanctions on Iran’s oil exports; the European Union’s weakness on foreign policy; how sanctions hurt the Iranian people much more than the government; and the IAEA’s conversion from impartial observer to political attack dog.
03/08/12 – John Glaser – The Scott Horton Show
John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses Senator Lindsey Graham’s hissy fit about Hamid Karzai’s insistence that the US military stop night raids and hand over control of prisoners to the Afghans; the largely illiterate and drug-addicted Afghan police and army that will supposedly take over security of the country; Afghanistan’s paltry GDP, made up almost entirely of poppy cultivation and foreign aid, that can’t possibly support a strong central government; and Obama’s apparent...
03/08/12 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show
Gareth Porter, investigative historian and journalist specializing in U.S. national security policy, discusses President Obama’s speech and the AIPAC convention’s creepy atmosphere; how Benjamin Netanyahu’s leverage on Obama increases as the presidential election nears; why the AIPAC-championed sanctions on Iran’s oil exports could be part of a plan to increase gas prices and influence the 2012 election; and why Israel risks being blanketed with rockets and missiles from neighboring countries...
03/07/12 – Eric Phillips – The Scott Horton Show
Eric Phillips, writer and graduate student in economic history, discusses his article “Military Spending and Bastiat’s ‘Unseen;’” the opportunity costs (in terms of dollars and innovation) when money is taken from the private sector and spent on national defense; why frightened Americans support enormous military budgets far in excess of what’s needed for defensive purposes; Obama’s defense “cuts” that are just reducing the rate of increase; and the high unemployment rate for young veterans,...
03/07/12 – Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr. – The Scott Horton Show
Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr., Chairman of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, discusses his endorsement of a full page ad in the Washington Post titled “Mr. President: Say No to War of Choice with Iran;” why the US should use sanctions to pressure Iran to adopt the Additional Protocol, allowing the IAEA to conduct more intrusive inspections; how the Obama administration earned the goodwill of Russia, China and Europe by reaching out to Iran diplomatically; and why war isn’t...
03/06/12 – Scott Horton – The Scott Horton Show
The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses Attorney General Eric Holder’s unpersuasive speech defending extrajudicial assassination; the new (government-friendly) definitions of “due process,” “imminent threat,” and “battlefield;” the minimal US effort in arresting and trying terrorism suspects living abroad; the geographical limitations of drone strikes (because collateral damage of Europeans is unthinkable,...
03/06/12 – Robert Pallitto – The Scott Horton Show
Robert Pallitto, professor of political science and contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, discusses his article “Psychologists and Torture, Then and Now;” post-9/11 US interrogation practices, adapted from Cold War-era techniques used for extracting false confessions; the professional psychologists who aided the CIA in coercive interrogations and torture, disregarding ethical constraints; the failure of state regulatory agencies or the APA in stripping the licenses of torture enablers; and...
03/05/12 – Glenn Greenwald – The Scott Horton Show
Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald discusses his article “The NYPD spying controversy: a microcosm for the 9/11 era;” the near-unanimous bipartisan support for spying on all Muslims in the NY City area – whether they are suspected of a crime or not; why there’s been little press coverage of the NYPD’s activities (since the issue can’t be framed as a Democrat v. Republican controversy); the eroding civil liberties of all Americans, including non-Muslims; Attorney General Eric Holder’s...
03/05/12 – Hillary Mann Leverett – The Scott Horton Show
Hillary Mann Leverett, former State Department official and co-founder of The Race For Iran, discusses President Obama’s interview with Jeffrey Goldberg – essentially a ploy to boost his pro-Israel credentials ahead of the AIPAC conference; why suffering Iranians are seen as a positive sign (to Obama) that sanctions are working as intended; the significance of defining the US “red line” on Iran’s nuclear program in terms of capability instead of action; the Obama administration’s fraudulent...
03/05/12 – Stephan Salisbury – The Scott Horton Show
Stephan Salisbury, author of Mohamed’s Ghosts: An American Story of Love and Fear in the Homeland, discusses his article “Weaponizing the Body Politic;” how the War on Drugs served as dress rehearsal for the current homeland security police state; the tanks and APCs providing “security” for the Republican National Convention in Tampa; how the freedoms of speech and assembly have become quaint notions from a bygone era; a cost-benefit analysis for the War on Terror (around 1 billion spent per...
