Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses the intelligence community’s weak evidence pointing to Russian involvement in the DNC and John Podesta email leaks that may or may not have led to Hillary Clinton’s election defeat; and the privately-sourced 35-page report alleging Donald Trump has been compromised by scandalous information the Russians have on him.

Hope Hodge Seck, a reporter for Military.com, discusses the Obama administration’s last-minute deployment of a 300-Marine team of advisors to Helmand province in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and no reliable opposition exists.

Eric Margolis, journalist and author of American Raj: Liberation or Domination, discusses why it’s time to end all the craziness over North Korea and have real negotiations on sanctions, US regime-change efforts, and nuclear weapons.

Gilbert Doctorow, the European Coordinator of The American Committee for East West Accord, discusses secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson’s carefully-crafted comments during his Senate confirmation hearing; the US’s entirely avoidable suicidal conflict with Russia; and Henry Kissinger’s reemergence as a “realist” voice of reason as Trump’s foreign policy team comes together.

Norbert Haering, an economic journalist and author, discusses how India’s sudden abolition of large-denominated bills, amounting to 80% of all cash in circulation, has created great hardship in a country where half the population doesn’t have a bank account and earns a living in the cash-based informal economy. Haering names the US-based NGOs, banks, and credit card companies that stand to profit handsomely from the forced transition to electronic payments.

Independent journalist Rania Khalek discusses the mainstream Western media’s unrelenting “Syrian freedom fighter” narrative, and why they can’t be honest about who they are really supporting; namely a bunch of human-rights-violating jihadist groups affiliated with Al Qaeda.

Peter Van Buren, author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People, discusses the novelty of leftists calling him a Russian patsy and Trump supporter for appearing on RT; creating a stable Iraqi state through US-Iran negotiations; and what Obama’s last minute escalation in Afghanistan means for the incoming Trump administration.

Daniel McAdams, Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute For Peace and Prosperity, discusses the Intelligence Community report on Russian election hacking claims; Trump’s likely nomination of pro-every-war Dan Coats for director of national intelligence; and the outlook for Syria after government forces recaptured East Aleppo.

Gareth Porter, an independent investigative journalist and historian, discusses the evidence that shows CENTCOM commander Gen. Jeffrey Harrigan deliberately targeted a Syrian army position on September 17th, killing scores of Syrian troops, ending talk of a “Joint Integration Center” for US-Russian cooperation in fighting Islamic State forces, and casting doubt on whether Obama or the Pentagon is in charge of foreign policy.