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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eric Margolis, a journalist and author of American Raj: Liberation or Domination, discusses the Obama administration’s retaliation against alleged Russian interference in the US election; why the CIA is due for a major shakeup; and why the US didn’t veto (as it usually does) a UN resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.

Gareth Porter, an independent investigative journalist and winner of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for journalism, discusses President Obama’s decision to help arm the Syrian opposition to appease Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar; then-CIA Director David Petraeus’s role in smuggling guns out of Benghazi to Turkey; and the failure of Obama’s advisors to anticipate direct Iranian and Russian support for the embattled Assad regime.

“Emptywheel” Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses why the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) report on Edward Snowden is so “inexcusably shitty;” whether Snowden is actually working for Russia during his exile there; and how the government’s failure to implement data security measures after Chelsea Manning’s leaks allowed Snowden to exploit the same weaknesses.

Jim Lobe, a veteran journalist and founder of Lobelog.com, discusses the wacky, conspiratorial worldview of Trump’s national security adviser Michael T. Flynn; the relatively level-headed secretary of defense nominee James “Mad Dog” Mattis; and how a Trump administration will deal with the Middle East, Israel, Russia and China.

Retired US Army colonel Daniel L. Davis discusses why the Iraqi coalition’s progress in retaking ISIS-held Mosul isn’t as impressive as it seems, and the implications for the Iraqi government and incoming Trump administration if there is no decisive victory in early 2017.

Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan and whistleblower, discusses his article claiming the DNC and Podesta emails came from U.S., not Russian, sources.

Political humorist Alex Sobel discusses his show “Hypocrite Twins” that pokes fun at the typical Democrat-Republican talking points on issues of the day; and why so-called “fake news” sites don’t come close to the MSM’s proficiency in spreading misinformation and creating ignorant viewers.

Conn Hallinan, a Foreign Policy In Focus columnist, discusses why the conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan is the most dangerous in the world; the disastrous global effects of nuclear war; and why the US is partly responsible for the situation.

Yakov Hirsch, a writer for Mondoweiss.net, discusses how Israel’s support for “murdering medic” Elor Azaria shows how much Israelis have internalized their own ethnocentric propaganda; Jeffrey Goldberg’s alternate reality where every critic of Israel is anti-Semitic; and why Netanyahu is going to have big problems getting Donald Trump to put Israel’s interests ahead of America’s.

Scott Paul, Senior Humanitarian Policy Advisor for Oxfam America, discusses how the Saudi coalition blockade and Yemen’s central bank failure have created a dangerous shortage of food and money for Yemenis.