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Scott talks with Peter Lee about the deployment of U.S. special forces to the island of Kinmen. Although it’s controlled by Taiwan, the island is right on China’s coast. Lee recounts the history of the military presence on the island and explains Taiwan’s reasons for stationing troops there. He and Scott also talk about the likelihood of a Chinese invasion of all of Taiwan in the near future.

Discussed on the show:

• Peter Lee on Twitter @chinahand
• “US Military Advisors Deployed to Taiwan-Controlled Islands on China’s Coast” (Antiwar.com)

Peter Lee writes on East and South Asian affairs and their intersection with US global policy. Follow his work on Patreon and on Twitter @chinahand.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Moon Does Artisan Coffee; Roberts and Robers Brokerage Incorporated; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; Libertas Bella; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

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Chris Deliso, director of the independent Balkanalysis.com, discusses the three-year-long political crisis in Macedonia brought about when a consortium of internal and external agitators tried to replace the long-ruling conservative party. These agitators included Macedonia’s leftist Social Democrats, Albania’s prime minister, European intelligence agencies, George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, and the US Ambassador to Macedonia.

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Jacob Hornberger, president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his effort to educate more African-American college students about the evils of the war on drugs, since they are disproportionately effected by racist drug laws, yet typically make up a small part of his lecture audiences.

Upcoming FFF events:

End the War on Drugs – free program at Florida A&M University College of Law on Wednesday, March 22, 2017.

The National Security State and JFK – $99 admission to “one of the most fascinating, important, and relevant conferences” in FFF’s 27-year history. Guest speakers include director Oliver Stone and Ron Paul. The conference is Saturday, June 3, 2017 at the Dulles Airport Marriott in Northern Virginia.

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Samuel Oakford, an investigative journalist and contributor to Airwars.org, discusses the grossly underreported official number of civilians killed by coalition and Russian airstrikes in Iraq and Syria in the ongoing fight against ISIS; and why the Airwars estimates are much more realistic.

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Former CIA terrorism analyst Cynthia Storer discusses the credentials of Sebastian Gorka, President Trump’s deputy advisor on national security affairs, who claims to be an expert on Islamic terrorism; Cynthia’s earlier CIA work tracking Osama bin Laden and warning about Al-Qaeda’s intent to target the US; and why labeling the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization would be a stupid thing to do.

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Joost Hiltermann, program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group, discusses the Trump administration’s mistaken view that the Houthis in Yemen are an Iranian proxy-militia like Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hiltermann also debunks claims that Iran is allied with Al-Qaeda, and examines the clan-based divisions in Yemen, the country’s unique religious makeup, and what kind of political solution could end the war.

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Zaid Jilani, a writer for The Intercept, discusses President Trump’s apparent concessions to critics accusing him of being soft on Russia, including his selection of Richard Grennell (who is in favor of arming Ukraine and leaving direct military confrontation with Russia “on the table”) for NATO ambassador, H.R. McMaster for national security adviser, and Nikki Haley for UN Ambassador.

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Andrew Cockburn, the Washington editor of Harper’s Magazine and the author of Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins, discusses the history of Yemen’s (sort of) civil war, the different factions and foreign backers, and why President Trump is escalating US support for Saudi Arabia and its Al-Qaeda allies (yet fighting them at the same time).

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