Fool’s Errand Turns 1

My book, Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan came out a year ago today. It was good timing since I knew that Trump was about to launch his first escalation there and that other than that, the status quo would hold: the Taliban would continue to slowly retake the country-side, they would attack major cities and Afghan National Army outposts, while never staying long enough to get their fixed positions bombed to oblivion by U.S. B-1s, and the national government in Kabul would...

8/14/18 Peter Van Buren on Iraq Wars II and III, Twitter, and More

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...

8/13/18 Phil Weiss on American Jewish Support for Israel

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...

8/10/18 Oliver Imhof on Civilian Casualties in Iraq

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...

8/10/18 Sheldon Richman on Palestinian Property Rights

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....

8/10/18 Grant Smith on US Lying About Israel’s Nukes

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...

8/8/18 Ted Galen Carpenter on Venezuela and Russia

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...

8/08/18 Brian McGlinchey on Lawsuit Against Saudi Arabia and 9/11 Incompetence

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...

8/06/18 Jonathan Fenton-Harvey on UAE’s Destruction of Yemen

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey journalist at Middle East Eye is interviewed on his article “How the UAE is Destroying Yemen”. The UAE’s role in the expanding Yemeni war, and how the Saudis, UK and USA support the war against the Yemenis is discussed in detail. The UAE’s rift with Saudi Arabia, and their support for rival groups in Yemen, including al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Jonathan Fenton-Harvey is a UK-based freelance journalist who actively writes about political and social issues in...

8/02/18 Peter van Buren on Modern McCarthyism

Peter van Buren is interviewed on his new article for the American Conservative “Donald Trump is Not the ‘Manchurian Candidate’” and the modern McCarthyism of the neoconservative and establishment attacks on the Trump Administration. 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 Iraqi People and the novel Hooper’s War. He is now a contributing editor at The...

8/03/18 Iona Craig on US-Saudi Air War in Yemen

Iona Craig discusses her recent report for the Intercept on a Saudi airstrike in Yemen and civilian casualties in the ongoing 3 1/2 year U.S.-Saudi-UAE war there. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; LibertyStickers.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone. Help support the show at...

8/01/18 Nasser Arrabyee on the Yemeni War

Nasser Arrabyee, reporter from Sana’a, Yemen, is interviewed on the status of the current battle of Al Hudaydah on the Red Sea. The Saudi war in Yemen is also discussed, as is the US’s support for the Saudis and regional tensions with Iran and the Saudi coalition. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein...