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Scott talks with Matt Taibbi about a new series of articles he published on the origins of Russiagate. Specifically, Taibbi has been working with journalists Michael Shellenberger and Alex Gutentag to report on the role of Western intelligence agencies in spying on Trump’s team and constructing the narrative that the former president was compromised by the Russian government.

Discussed on the show:

• “CIA Had Foreign Allies Spy On Trump Team, Triggering Russia Collusion Hoax, Sources Say” (Public)
• “Our Man in Cambridge” (Racket)
• “The press versus the president” (Columbia Journalism Review)
• Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube, and the Rise of Private Spies by Barry Meier 
• “Why Even Democrats Should Care About the ‘Cooked Intelligence’ Russiagate Scandal” (Racket)

Matt Taibbi is a journalist, author and political commentator. Subscribe to his Substack publication: Racket News and follow him on Twitter @mtaibbi.

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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Trita Parsi, the founder and president of the National Iranian American Council, discusses the Obama administration’s diplomatic successes with Iran, and whether President Trump will roll back the nuclear deal and sanctions relief, then get the war drums beating again with a cabinet full of hawkish foreign policy advisors.

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Gareth Porter, an independent investigative journalist and historian writing on US national security policy, discusses why Donald Trump’s pick for national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael J. Flynn, is responsible for killing innocent Afghan civilians with drone strikes and night raids based on faulty intelligence. Flynn also knew the JSOC kill/capture program was counterproductive at winning hearts and minds in Afghanistan but continued it anyway as a public relations campaign with the compliant US media. Gareth also debunks White Helmet claims about the Aleppo Convoy Massacre.

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Yemeni Journalist Nasser Arrabyee discusses why Saudi Arabia has failed to win the war in Yemen despite killing and injuring 50,000 Yemeni civilians.

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Philip Weiss, founder of Mondoweiss.net, discusses how Trump’s election has driven a political wedge between the Democrats and Republicans who previously showed equal devotion to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu; and how the fear of anti-Semitism creates a reason for the Jewish State’s continued existence.

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Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern discusses how president-elect Trump’s political appointments could derail what is shaping up to be an improvement in Russia relations and in Middle East policy – particularly in Syria; and Trump’s negatives, including his approval of torture as an interrogation practice, which is now generally accepted by Americans brainwashed by Jack Bauer.

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Ramzy Baroud, editor of The Palestine Chronicle, discusses Israel’s attempt to ban the Islamic call to prayer in Palestinian communities, on the grounds that the 1400-year old tradition creates “noise pollution.”

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Patrick Cockburn, an award-winning writer with The Independent, discusses the imminent battles for Tal Afar and Mosul in Iraq – as senior Isis leaders leave for Syria, Turkey threatens to intervene on behalf of Sunni Turkmen, and Donald Trump is confronted with his first foreign policy crisis before he even takes office.

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Mark Thornton, Senior Fellow at the Mises Institute, discusses what president-elect Donald Trump’s economic and monetary policies are likely to be, considering his Reagan-like promises to increase government spending on the military and infrastructure, cut taxes, and raise interest rates.

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