Jason Ditz, news editor at antiwar.com, joins the show for an update on Libya and lots of other recent foreign policy news. Discussed on the show: “Libyan Unity Govt Bombs, Then Recaptures Tripoli Airport” (Antiwar.com) “Qatari official: Afghan talks postponed indefinitely” (AP News) “Iran’s Rouhani: US Should Suspend Sanctions Because of Flooding Crisis” (Antiwar.com) Jason Ditz is the news editor of Antiwar.com. Read all of his work at news.antiwar.comand follow him on Twitter @jasonditz....

Scott talks to Philip Weiss about Israeli politics in light of Netanyahu’s recent victory in the election for prime minister. Israeli society, explains Weiss, leans heavily right wing, especially the young people, and this creates serious barriers to negotiations for peace with the Palestinians. In yet another setback, President Trump recently “promised” the Golan Heights to Israel, something that is not his to give. We are reminded of Horton’s Law: A politician will break all of his good...

Max Blumenthal comes on the show to talk about his new book, The Management of Savagery: How America’s National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump. He explains not only the familar narrative of U.S. support for rebel groups in the Middle East creating bloody civil wars and general unrest, but also how mainstream, centrist marginalization of unorthodox views has fueled polarization and allowed for the rise of an extreme and dangerous political right. Discussed on...

Scott talks to William Van Wagenen about his latest article for the Libertarian Institute, “A Brief History of the Destruction of Yarmouk,” which traces the story of the Palestinian refugee camp at Yarmouk. Much of the blame for the horrible conditions there fell on the Syrian government, when in reality much of the fault lies with rebels, who were killing refugees and deliberately preventing food and aid from getting in. This skewed reporting, of course, contributed to the anti-Assad bias of...

Scott talks to Daniel Lazare about the story of George Papadopoulos, the young man at the center of the FBI’s investigation into Donald Trump. Lazare recently reviewed Papadopolous’s book, in which he claims to be completely innocent of any wrongdoing and merely a convenient target for the FBI. Discussed on the show: “The Tale of a ‘Deep State Target’” (Consortiumnews) Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump Daniel Lazare is the author...

Matthew Hoh joins Scott for an update on the peace talks in Afghanistan. There are some reasons for optimism, says Hoh, but he cautions that without a plan for careful withdrawal of troops, the country could quickly be plunged into brutal civil and tribal warfare in the resulting power vacuum. Discussed on the show: “How Wartime Washington Lives in Luxury” (The American Conservative) Matthew Hoh is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and formerly worked for the U.S. State...

Eric Margolis comes back on the show to give an update on the revolutions brewing in Africa. The forces at work during the Arab Spring are still at play in countries like Algeria, and elsewhere in Africa, America has deliberately fomented political unrest for its own ends. Discussed on the show: “Waiting for the Second Algerian Revolution, by Eric Margolis” (The Unz Review) Colour revolution “General Wesley Clark: Wars Were Planned – Seven Countries In Five Years” (YouTube) Eric Margolis is a...

James Carden joins the show to talk about the obsolescence of NATO as the organization turns 70 this year. Far from Russia expanding its influence westward, as was feared, Carden explains how the U.S. has actually been the one to expand eastward, largely by including more European countries in NATO. The new Cold War that has come about as a result is a danger to pretty much everyone, except for the military-industrial complex. Discussed on the show: “NATO Turns 70” (The Nation) The Management...

Janine Jackson talks about Chelsea Mannings re-incarceration for her refusal to testify in Julian Assange’s Wikileaks case. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her leaking of classified state department information, but had her sentence commuted by President Obama after seven years, still the longest sentence served by any whistleblower in America. Jackson lambasts the mainstream media for their failure to support Manning and Assange, since the real purpose of journalism should be...

Joe Lauria joins the show for an update on Julian Assange, who was arrested this morning at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Lauria explains why it’s so dangerous for governments to prosecute Wikileaks, which is nothing more than a platform for information. This precedent would open any media outlet that publishes government information to prosecution. Discussed on the show: “Risk (2016)” (IMDb) Joe Lauria is the editor-in-chief at Consortium News. He is a former UN correspondent and wrote at...

Scott talks to Ramzy Baroud about the Palestinians’ March of Return and their broader struggle for civil rights in Israel. Discussed on the show: “‘The Essence of Being Palestinian’: What the Great March of Return is Really About” (Counterpunch) Obstacle to Peace: The US Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict “Netanyahu Unaware of the Camera ‘America can easily be moved'” (YouTube) Oslo Accords Ramzy Baroud is a US-Arab journalist and is the editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle. He is...

Scott talks to John Kiriakou about Chelsea Manning, who is refusing to testify against Wikileaks. Kiriakou explains that she probably doesn’t want to incriminate herself by forgetting things while rehashing details of previous testimony. Scott and Kiriakou both agree that the prosecution of Wikileaks as an intelligence organization is extremely dangerous for the ability to hold government accountable. Discussed on the show: “Chelsea Manning’s ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ Moment” (The American...

Medea Benjamin joins the show for a rundown of some of the democratic presidential candidates’ positions on war and the military-industrial complex. Some candidates, like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, are better now than they once were, perhaps due to increased public awareness of atrocities like the war in Yemen. Others, like Tulsi Gabbard, have always been principled in their opposition to unnecessary wars. But for the most part, of course, democrats want foreign wars and big military...

Scott talks to Joanne Leon of Around the Empire about all the left-leaning journalists who were skeptical of the mainstream “Russaigate” narrative all along, which, as opponents of President Trump, went against their interest in a certain sense. These people held an unpopular opinion because they believed the principle was right, and they deserve recognition now that it’s pretty clear there’s no evidence of collusion with the Russians. Discussed on the show: “Foreign Policy Follies: Russiagate...

Scott talks to journalist Bette Dam about her new book, Searching For An Enemy: The Secret Life Of Mullah Omar. Dam also reflects on how journalists may need to rethink the ways they report on the terror wars. Bette Dam is a journalist and the author of A Man and A Motorcycle: How Hamid Karzai Came to Power and Searching For An Enemy: The Secret Life Of Mullah Omar. Find her on Twitter @BetteDam. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles...