Globetrotting Asia Times journalist Pepe Escobar discusses his recent article "'War on chemical weapons': Obama traps himself into Syrian combat;" Secretary of State John Kerry's "Colin Powell moment;" the folly of Obama's "red line" on chemical weapon use in Syria; why incompetent National Security Advisor Susan Rice should have been fired long ago; and why Saudi Prince "Bandar Bush" may be responsible for supplying Syria's rebels with chemical weapons.

Patrick Buchanan, author of Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War," discusses House Speaker John Boehner's opportunity to "Stop Our Rogue President" from starting an undeclared war in Syria; why Congress has gradually ceded power to the Judicial and Executive branches of government; and how a "Nixon goes to China" approach could succeed in reaching an agreement on Iran's nuclear program.

Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses why President Obama should be impeached if he starts a war with Syria without a Congressional Declaration; the British Parliament's surprising rejection of UK military action in Syria; why there's no such thing as "limited" military strikes; the Swiss mind-your-own-business foreign policy; and recent polls indicating Americans have no interest in starting yet another war.

Independent political journalist Joe Lauria discusses the United Nations' surprising interference with the US/UK push for military strikes in Syria; shades of pre-war Iraq as UN ambassador Samantha Power insists weapons inspectors aren't needed to investigate the Damascus chemical attack after all; and why the White House seeks only "to attack just strongly enough not to be mocked."

Eric Margolis, journalist and author of American Raj, discusses the imminent US entry into Syria's civil war; the questionable evidence that Syria's government used chemical weapons on civilians; parallels to the Bush administration's propaganda campaign before the 2003 Iraq War; the possibility of Russia entering the conflict; and escalating violence in Lebanon including car bombs outside Sunni mosques.

Andrew Cockburn, author of Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy, discusses his article on "The ferocity and failure of America's sanctions apparatus;" why US sanctions against Germany continued even after WWII was over; the decimation of Iraq's economy due to 20 years of sanctions; how US domination of the world's financial system prevents Iran from trading with other countries; and LBJ's elephant-squashing-mosquito style of US foreign policy.

Major Todd E. Pierce, a former JAG defense attorney at Guantanamo, discusses the history of martial law (or rather, rule by military decree) in the US; why the First Amendment no longer guarantees citizen oversight of government; and why the war on terror and Civil War-era precedents don't justify the presidential powers dreamed up by Bush and Cheney's legal counsel.

Independent journalist Alexa O'Brien discusses her post-sentencing interview with Bradley Manning's attorney David Coombs; the government's failure to prove damage to national security from Manning's leaks; the role of the FBI and State Department in his investigation and prosecution; the fertile grounds for appeal; and how Adrian Lamo worked with the feds to set Manning up.

Former Congressman Ron Paul discusses his video interviews on the Ron Paul Channel; why the US has no business telling Egyptians what to do with their own country; lessening the terrorism threat with non-interventionist foreign policy; how Obama's "red line" on Syria bypasses Congress's duty to declare war; the incentive for Syrian rebels to conduct false flag chemical weapons attacks; and the selective prosecution of whistleblowers and war criminals.

Gareth Porter, an independent investigative journalist and historian, discusses his article taking issue with ProPublica journalist Sebastian Rotella's report on the alleged 2008 Iranian bomb plot against the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan; Gareth's upcoming book on the web of lies about Iran's nuclear program; and why the US government had no problem seeing the economic case for nuclear power in Iran during the Shah's reign.