William Binney, a retired senior NSA official and whistleblower, discusses the dubious evidence that Russia used computer hackers to manipulate the election and help Donald Trump win; why 9/11 and other terrorist attacks could have been prevented if the NSA used a targeted approach to intelligence gathering instead of “get it all” bulk collection; and the flawed method of using cell phone metadata to identify and target terrorists.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.