Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses the dirt on CIA Director nominee John Brennan; how Brennan exemplifies the worst aspects of the Bush and Obama administrations on torture, renditions, wiretapping and more; the secret "The Gloves Come Off" Memorandum of Notification from 2001 that is still being used to justify all manner of illegal actions in the war on terrorism; and the bogus legal case for US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki's extrajudicial assassination.

Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of the Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses "the fascinating case" of New York attorney Lynne Stewart, who is serving ten years in prison for supporting terrorism; how advocating for the overthrow of tyrannical governments became a federal crime; why the rotten-to-the-core national security state needs dismantling, not revision; and the extent Democrats can push gun control without being crushed at the polls.

Blogger Philip Weiss discusses why there can be no two-state solution for Israel-Palestine; how a further rightward turn in Israel's Knesset could push Netanyahu to annex the West Bank - and possibly incur the wrath of Europe; and the neoconservatives' so-far unsuccessful campaign to derail Chuck Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense.

Globetrotting Asia Times journalist Pepe Escobar discusses how Obama's nomination of John Kerry and Chuck Hagel for Secretary of State and Defense could effect Israel relations; why new CIA director John Brennan won't shy away from covert actions in Syria; Ben [Affleck's] dishonest portrayal of the Iran hostage crisis in his movie Argo; Libya's disappearance from the news; and AFRICOM's never-ending mission of chasing Al-Qaeda terrorists/freedom fighters (depending on the country) around the...

Trevor Aaronson, author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism, discusses how the FBI became a department of pre-crime after 9/11; using informants to entrap unsavory characters who have no means or opportunity to commit terrorism on their own; the lack of media skepticism on sting operations; and how the FBI uses blackmail and immigration threats to recruit and motivate Muslim informants.

Conn Hallinan, columnist for Foreign Policy in Focus, discusses his article "Four More Years: The Asia Pivot;" the serious conflicts brewing between Japan, Russia, Korea and China - all while the US military greatly expands its presence in the Pacific; China's role as economic competitor and essential trading partner for the US (and the world); and the regional trade organizations that threaten US global hegemony.

The Other Scott Horton, Contributing Editor for Harper's Magazine, discusses the European Court of Human Rights' condemnation of Bush-era CIA torture practices within the rendition program; the former CIA officer (now a senior Obama counterterrorism official) responsible for Khalid El-Masri's torture in the "Salt Pit" prison; the US justice system's failure to make federal government officials accountable for crimes; and the still-secret 6000-page Senate Intelligence Committee report on torture.

Muhammad Sahimi, political columnist and professor of chemical engineering, discusses the War Party and the Israel Lobby's push for war with Iran in 2013; the lies and half truths about Iran's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty rights and obligations; how the US uses Iran's nuclear program as a pretext for regime change; and Muhammad's new Iran News & Middle East Reports website.

Joey King of Veterans for Peace discusses upcoming VFP protests against the deployment of US troops to 35 African nations; the Pentagon's interest in staying "globally engaged;" foreign policy and blowback; and the insanity of drone warfare.

Thomas C. Mountain, an independent journalist based in Eritrea, discusses the UN's "murder and mayhem" in Africa; how US-friendly governments in Uganda and Rwanda are making matters worse in Darfur and Mogadishu; why Africa's so-called economic miracles and democratic elections are more fiction than fact; Saudi funding for radical Wahabbis in Mali; how Al-Qaeda is both an ally and enemy of the US; and journalist Gary Webb's exposure of the CIA's drug running.

Jonathan Landay of McClatchy Newspapers discusses the Afghan government's draft peace plan; why the Taliban has no incentive to negotiate or make political concessions; the many factions vying for power in Afghanistan and within the Taliban itself; why there are no good outcomes possible - whether the US withdraws or not; and India's political and financial interests in Afghanistan.

Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses how the Council for the National Interest plans to counter the Israel Lobby and Islamophobia hucksters in 2013; Chuck Hagel's unlikely shot at Secretary of Defense; the 6000-page Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture; and how the US is descending into national barbarism.

James Bovard, policy advisor to The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his new book Public Policy Hooligan; asserting individual rights in response to arbitrary authority; honing the craft of writing; doing journalism behind the Iron Curtain; US farm policy; the myth and reality of "fair trade" products; and investigations of Ruby Ridge and Waco.

Will Grigg, blogger and author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses the Sandy Hook school massacre; Barack Obama's ability to shed tears for murdered schoolkids in Newtown while he authorizes drone strikes that kill children in Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan; and why most Americans think murder is moral when the government does it.