Mitchell Prothero, a journalist with McClatchy Newspapers, discusses the escalating battle for Tikrit, as the Islamic State fights an odd coalition of Iraqi security forces and Shiite militias led by Iranian officers.

Patrick J. Buchanan, a political analyst and former Republican presidential candidate, discusses the paleo-conservative opposition to the 1991 Gulf War; current US policy on Iran, Syria and Iraq; the relatively peaceful 21st century (compared to the 20th); and why intervention in Ukraine is a bad idea.

Reza Marashi, research director at the National Iranian American Council, discusses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress, during which he attempted to derail an Iran nuclear deal and score political points for his re-election bid in two weeks.

Sheldon Richman, vice president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his article "The War of 1812 was the Health of the State;" the origins of American empire; and why libertarians often wear rose-colored glasses when they look back at the nation's founding.

John Mueller, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, discusses the overblown threats to the American people since WWII - from a supposedly imminent Japanese land invasion after Pearl Harbor, to the current "existential" threat of terrorism.

Michael Schwartz, professor of sociology and author of War Without End, discusses his TomDispatch article "The Great Game in the Holy Land: How Gazan Natural Gas Became the Epicenter of An International Power Struggle."

David Hardy, author of This Is Not An Assault: Penetrating the Web of Official Lies Regarding the Waco Incident, discusses the passing of Mike McNulty, who doggedly pursued the truth about Waco and disproved the government's official narratives.