Syndicated columnist Eric Margolis discusses the decidedly undemocratic Afghan national elections; the CIA-friendly drug dealers and warlords running for president; the Taliban's exclusion from the political process; and why the new government will probably "invite" US forces to stay indefinitely.

Nick Giambruno, senior editor at InternationalMan.com, discusses why Turkey was planning a false flag operation in Syria; domestic backlash against the Erdogan government's strong support for the Syrian rebels; dangers of NATO intervention if Turkey goes to war; and the divergent regional interests of Israel and the US.

Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses the Senate Intelligence Committee's vote to release the CIA torture report; the long list of CIA lies about its torture program, with more to follow; and why the media takes government officials at their word instead of delving deeply into the documents to find the truth.

Will Grigg, keeper of the Pro Libertate blog, discusses recent changes to the decades-long cultural divide on crime, drugs, and law enforcement; public protests against New Mexico's murderous police force; Mark Byrge's disabling ordeal with police in American Fork, UT; and going through local mayors and city councils to achieve reforms of otherwise-unaccountable police forces.

Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses why convicted spy Jonathan Pollard should complete his time in prison; a snapshot of Pollard's misdeeds and the false narratives being constructed to make him look like a martyr for Israel; and the intelligence community's backlash against Clinton's near-pardon of Pollard in 1999.

Greg Mitchell, author of Atomic Cover-up, discusses his 3-part series (part 1, part 2, part 3) on the long-suppressed film footage shot in the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings; President Truman's censorship of an MGM film on the subject; the questionable justifications for dropping the bomb on Japan; and Greg's offer of cooperation to documentary filmmakers who want to showcase the now-declassified material.

Barbara Slavin, Washington correspondent for Al-Monitor, discusses the Obama administration's trial-balloon proposal for a possible Iran nuclear deal; gauging the reactions of Congress, Iran and Israel; and the worrisome inclusion of a built-in Authorization for Use of Military Force - just in case the deal goes bad.