Veteran war correspondent Elijah Magnier returns to the show to discuss his latest article, "Iran is Losing Influence in Iraq: Is Qassem Soleimani the Right Person?" Magnier breaks down the degree to which Iraq and Iran see eye to eye about policy, the political climate in the lead up to elections in Iraq, and explains how it came to be that the Iraqis rejected the aid of their long-term ally Soleimani. Magnier then returns to the Sunni insurgency in Iraq over a decade ago and describes the...
2/6/18 Tom Cooper on the war in Yemen from above
Author and illustrator Tom Cooper joins Scott to discuss his article for War is Boring, “A New State is Emerging in Yemen.” Cooper outlines how North and South Yemen were united under Ali Abdullah Saleh, the surprising nuances in the political alliances within Yemen, and the similarities and differences between the situation in Yemen and Syria. Cooper also details the many varied fighting forces in Yemen and the general consensus among them all against Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Tom Cooper is a writer...
2/5/18 Gilbert Doctorow on Bob Parry and Russia-Ukraine tensions
Consortium News' Gilbert Doctorow returns to the show to discuss his latest article, "A Coming Russia-Ukraine War?" Doctorow also shares his memories of legendary journalist Bob Parry who died this week, explains why understanding Russian political goals is essential to good diplomacy, and describes the rising tensions between Russia and the Ukraine. Doctorow then details the many different sanctions placed on Russians by the United States, and makes the case why sanctions constitute an act of...
2/5/18 Mark Perry on Donald Trump’s new Nuclear Arms Plan
Reporter Mark Perry returns to the show to talk about his latest piece for the American Conservative Magazine on Donald Trump's nuclear posture review, "Trump’s Nuke Plan Raising Alarms Among Military Brass." According to Perry there's considerable skepticism within the military about the new Trump plan. Perry then details the U.S.-Russia nuclear relations and the extreme danger of any kind of nuclear escalation. Finally Perry discusses what Trump could do to ameliorate the situation with...
2/2/18 Major Danny Sjursen on the Vietnam War’s legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan
U.S. army major Daniel A. Sjursen joins Scott to talk about his experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, the supposed military tactics of "The Surge," and his latest piece on the legacy of the Vietnam War, "The War That Never Ends (for the U.S. Military High Command)." Sjursen draws parallels between the Vietnam War and the Iraq and Afghan Wars and makes the case that misconceptions about the Vietnam War have persisted into the tactical approach to the forever wars of the present. Finally Sjursen...
2/2/18 May Jeong on the latest murderous U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan
May Jeong returns to the show to discuss her article for The Intercept, "Losing Sight" about a four-year-old Afghan girl, Aisha Rashid, who was the sole survivor of a drone strike in a remote village in Afghanistan. Aisha miraculously survived. Then she disappeared. Jeong goes in depth into her reporting, the horrors of drone warfare, and details the ISIS presence in Afghanistan. Scott and Jeong then talk about the paradox of humanitarian aid and the satellite charity organizations. May Jeong...
