Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the comical chronic legal problems of successive Pakistani prime ministers; the evolution of Boko Haram from a “loopy sect” to a US-designated international terrorist group; and the blowback from Nigeria’s military massacre of Boko Haram members (who quickly swapped their bows and arrows for machine guns).
06/21/12 – Winslow T. Wheeler – The Scott Horton Show
Winslow Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the Center for Defense Information, discusses his article “The Jet That Ate the Pentagon;” the large portion of procurement money earmarked for the F-35; why single-purpose planes are better and cheaper than multipurpose ones; and the price/performance penalty inherent in stealth aircraft.
06/20/12 – Eva Galperin – The Scott Horton Show
Eva Galperin, International Freedom of Expression Coordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, discusses her article about pro-Syrian-government hackers using malicious computer software against Syrian activists; the online information battle between loyalists and anti-government groups, in the absence of on-the-ground media; why Skype isn’t any safer to use than social media like Facebook; protecting yourself online by encrypting communications and staying informed about threats; and...
06/19/12 – John Glaser – The Scott Horton Show
John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the moral and practical problems of US support for Syria’s opposition; how foreign meddling prolongs civil conflicts and reduces incentive to negotiate; why the German media’s contrary version of the Houla massacre is no more (or less) believable than the official story blaming the government; the war hawks in Congress who want Syrian regime change to weaken Iran, not for any humanitarian reason; and why policy makers aren’t thinking of...
06/19/12 – Will Grigg – The Scott Horton Show
Will Grigg, blogger and author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses his article “Judicially Authorized Rape: The Newest Weapon in the Prohibitionist Arsenal;” the stories of three victims of forced catheterizing by the police; more evidence that cops are habitual liars and shouldn’t be trusted; two cops who were promoted instead of getting prison time for sexually assaulting Stephan Cook; the “qualified immunity” legal exemption for costume-wearing state employees who break the law; and how the US...
06/18/12 – Adam Morrow – The Scott Horton Show
IPS News journalist Adam Morrow discusses Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi’s narrow victory in Egypt’s presidential runoff election; how Egypt’s military and supreme constitutional court are subverting civilian government and democratic reforms; the danger of false flag bombings designed to sow unrest and discredit the Islamists; and why Egypt’s military is better suited for domestic repression than national defense.
06/15/12 – Kelley B. Vlahos – The Scott Horton Show
Regular Antiwar.com columnist Kelley B. Vlahos discusses her article “The CIA and Polio in Pakistan;” how Dr. Shakil Afridi set up a fake immunization campaign to help the CIA in their effort to pinpoint Osama bin Laden’s location in Abbottabad; how the immunization ruse further undermined public confidence in vaccinations in one of the last countries with Polio cases; and the reality of life in an iron lung.
06/14/12 – Richard Silverstein – The Scott Horton Show
Richard Silverstein, writer of the Tikun Olam blog, discusses his article “Flame: Israel’s New Contribution to Middle East Cyberwar;” the IDF’s “Unit 8200? cyberwarfare department; the differences between industrial-sabotage virus Stuxnet and the sophisticated espionage worm Flame; how state-created computer viruses can get out of control and wreak havoc on their creators; President Obama’s antisocial foreign policy of anonymous drone strikes and cyber attacks; and the US’s rejection of...
06/13/12 – John Glaser – The Scott Horton Show
John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses his article “Under Obama’s Reign, Habeas Corpus Rights Wrenched Away;” how the DC Circuit court has undermined Boumediene v. Bush and effectively taken away all legal recourse for the 169 remaining Guantanamo prisoners; how President Obama bypasses the courts entirely by killing suspected terrorists (and/or dark-skinned civilians) with drone strikes; the enemy-combatant status of all drone victims, unless proven otherwise posthumously...
06/13/12 – Eric Margolis – The Scott Horton Show
Eric Margolis, internationally syndicated columnist and author of American Raj, discusses his article “Egypt Headed for an Explosion;” the vote-rigging funny business that enabled a Mubarak retread to get in the presidential runoff election; why Egypt won’t remain a US client state, 2 billion a year in military aid notwithstanding; how the US Navy came to be both tremendously expensive and strategically useless; the USAF’s critical role in US foreign policy; and the Pentagon’s promotion of...
06/12/12 – Jason Ditz – The Scott Horton Show
Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses his debate with the “Prince of Darkness” (Richard Perle) on BBC Radio; the Obama administration’s refusal to apologize for the deadly November attack on a Pakistani military outpost – even though critical supply lines to Afghanistan remain closed as a consequence; the technological barrier preventing other countries from using drones the way the US does; and how the dearth of journalists in Syria allows the Western media to spin the...
I’ll be outta town for 10 days
Take it away Zooey...
06/11/12 – Giorgio Cafiero – The Scott Horton Show
Foreign Policy in Focus contributor Giorgio Cafiero discusses his article “Resurgent Arab Nationalism in Egypt;” a history lesson on Gamal Abdel Nasser and Egypt’s non-aligned independence during the Cold War; US support for the Muslim Brotherhood as a bulwark against Arab nationalism; how Egypt was brought under US influence after the 1973 Yom Kippur War demonstrated the power of Arab unity against Israel; the current runoff presidential election in Egypt, which does not include the popular...
06/11/12 – Joe Lauria – The Scott Horton Show
Independent investigative journalist Joe Lauria discusses his article “Security Council Blames Syria for Attack;” allegations that the Houla massacre was actually Sunni rebels killing pro-government Alawites and Shia; why Bashar al-Assad deserves the blame for Syria’s civil unrest; the media’s scant coverage of al-Qaeda’s presence within Syria’s rebellion; Russia’s strategic interests in Syria aside from the Tartus naval port; why NATO intervention would almost certainly worsen the crisis; and...
06/11/12 – Antiwar Radio; Sarah Manusek – The Scott Horton Show
Sarah Marusek, social science doctoral candidate at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, discusses her article “West Must Recognize Peaceful Palestinian Resistance Movement;” the hundreds of thousands of down-and-out Palestinian refugees in Lebanon who, inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt and beyond, are demonstrating to get back home; the surprising alliance between competing Palestinian factions (Fatah, Hamas) and militant groups (Islamic Jihad) that are joining together for...
