Reese Erlich is interviewed on the latest Taliban offensive in Afghanistan in Ghanzi city. The city was taken and the Taliban then withdrew, after killing many policeman and accepting the surrender of many Afghan forces. Also discussed is the history of the conflict, and whether or not the US will finally withdraw. Reese Erlich is a freelance journalist who has reported from the Middle East for decades. His nationally distributed column, Foreign Correspondent, appears every two weeks. His book...

Eric Eikenberry comes on the show to give an update on the war in Yemen. Thanks in part to a campaign of letters and phone calls to congressmen, political will for the war is fading somewhat, and Eric is hopeful that we may see an end to U.S. support for the war. Discussed on the show: “Congress, White House Reaching Breaking Point On Yemen?” (Lobelog) “US supplied bomb that killed 40 children on Yemen school bus” (The Guardian) War Powers Resolution Eric Eikenberry is the Director of Policy...

Sheldon Richman returns to the show, this time to interview Khaled Al Sabawi about his work helping Palestinians on renewable energy projects and with getting property deeds. Sabawi explains the many injustices suffered by Palestinians at Israeli hands, as well as the frustrations dealing with a Palestinian Authority that frequently just carries water for the Israeli government. Discussed on the show: "8/10/18 Sheldon Richman on Palestinian Property Rights" (Libertarian Institute) "TGIF: A...

Peter Van Buren is interviewed on his recent twitter ban, and also his books “We Meant Well” and his time in Iraq as a foreign service officer. Van Buren talks about the drama surrounding his book’s publication while he was still employed at the State Department, and discusses at length his experiences in Iraq. Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the...

Phil Weiss of Mondoweiss.net talks Israeli occupation of Palestine and why so many American Jews, particularly on the political left, are willing to go along with it. In large part, he explains, it’s because the collective memory of Jewish persecution is too raw to conceive of Israel as an aggressor. There’s also a lot of influence from the Israel lobby in the democratic party, so average voters just toe the line. Weiss sees reason for optimism in Trump’s presidency, however, because it may...

Airwars reporter Oliver Imhof joins Scott to talk about all the Iraqi casualties from coalition drone bombing and artillery strikes. Because of the difficulty and danger involved in getting into these war zones, the numbers are hard to verify, but almost certainly they are higher than the official statistics coming from our own and other governments. Discussed on the show: “Four years of war and ISIS is almost defeated – but at what cost?” (Airwars) Battle of Mosul Battle of Raqqa Fallujah...

Sheldon Richman joins the show to talk about Khaled Al Sabawi, and his attempt to provide current property titles to Palestinians on the West Bank, the many abuses of the Palestinians at Israeli hands, including displacement through settlements on the West Bank and even targeted killing of civilians, both of which the Israeli government does with impunity. Richman explains that the Palestinian Authority is just an enforcer of these policies, and is often complicit in carrying them out....

Grant Smith, director of the Institute for Research: Middle East Policy, is interviewed on his new article “Can the US Keep Lying About Israel’s Nukes?“. A new court case may force the US government to admit that they know Israel has nuclear weapons. Israel’s history of nuclear weapons development, and the long pattern of US administrations ignoring the fact that Israel has nuclear weapons, in violation of numerous acts of Congress. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen...

Cato Institute Senior Fellow Ted Galen Carpenter joins Scott to talk Venezuela, Russia, and the United States’ penchant for supporting brutal regimes. Though government officials like to talk a big game when it comes to freedom and democracy, they mostly only support those things when it’s in their political interest—otherwise they’re perfectly happy to put up with tyranny and hope Americans don’t notice. Carpenter fears that the growing turmoil in Venezuela may be yet another opportunity for...

Brian McGlinchey talks about his exclusive interview with retired FBI agent Ken Williams, the author of the ignored “Phoenix Memo” that may have prevented 9/11 had it not been ignored, regarding the 9/11 victims civil lawsuit against Saudi Arabia. “Kenneth Williams was told by the FBI’s Office of the General Counsel not to cooperate with attorneys representing 9/11 victims in their suit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because it could harm US – Saudi relations.” William was later told the...