Scott brings Max Blumenthal of The Grayzone back onto the show to discuss developments in the Middle East. They start with a recording that The Grayzone recently published in which AIPAC leaders were bragging internally about having total control over Trump’s foreign policy team. That leads into a broader discussion of AIPAC’s playbook when steering Washington’s Middle East policy to the Israeli government’s benefit. Scott and Blumenthal also discuss how a war with Iran would most likely play out, what Israel is currently doing in Syria, the health of Turkish President Erdoğan and more.

Discussed on the show:

Max Blumenthal is a senior editor of the Grayzone Project and the author Goliath, Republican Gomorrah and The 51 Day War. Follow him on Twitter @MaxBlumenthal.

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

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10/18/21 Scott Hechinger on the Murder Rate, Police Reform and Gun Control

Scott interviews attorney Scott Hechinger about a recent article he wrote for The Nation. They discuss the recent jump in the murder rate, its possible causes and the portrayal of the increase in the media. Hechinger explains that the universal nature of the increase hurts the argument that bail and police reform are causing crime surges. Scott and Hechinger also discuss racial disparities in the justice system. Both agree that the problem is in the over-policing of poor black communities rather than the lack of policing in affluent white neighborhoods. Lastly, they touch on the closing of Wallgreens in San Fransisco and the problems with the further criminalization of gun possession.

Discussed on the show:

“A Massive Fail on Crime Reporting by The New York Times, NPR” (The Nation)

Scott Hechinger is a civil rights attorney and the executive director of Zealous, a national coalition supporting local initiatives to harness media and storytelling for justice. Follow him on Twitter @ScottHech

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; EasyShip; Dröm; Free Range Feeder; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt; Lorenzotti Coffee and Listen and Think Audio.

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10/15/21 Barrett Brown Returns

Scott interviews journalist and investigator Barrett Brown. Since his last appearance on the show in 2011, Brown spent four years in prison and he is currently seeking asylum from the United States. He tells Scott the story of those tumultuous ten years. Brown also gives background and updates on his fellow journalists and activists working to expose the cyber-industrial complex. Finally, he gives advice for listeners who may be interested in getting involved in activism.

Discussed on the show:

The Internet’s Own Boy — Full Movie
The Operators by Michael Hastings
Brown’s pinned tweet
“The Return of Anonymous” (The Atlantic)
The Terror Factory by Trevor Aaronson

Barrett Brown is the founder of Project PM. Follow him on Twitter @BarrettB.

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10/14/21 James Bradley on the Lies Americans Are Fed About China

Scott is joined by author James Bradley. They discuss how foolish the Russiagate story was from the beginning before getting into China. Bradley explains how the entire American understanding of China is flawed. That the average American’s perception of China is the result of a mirage or fictional narrative we’ve been fed for many decades. Bradley argues that no rational look at China makes them out to be the threat they’re portrayed to be. And that, instead, the greatest threat comes from the American aggression that results from these false stories.

Discussed on the show:

Scott’s interview with Jeffery Carr – July 2016
“Konstantin Kilimnik, Russiagate’s Last Fall Guy, Speaks Out” (TK News)

James Bradley is the author of Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys, The China Mirage, and many others. He hosts the podcast, Untold Pacific. Follow him on Twitter @jamesjbradley.

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10/11/21 Andrew Quilty on the Afghan War Criminals being Brought to the United States

Scott interviews Andrew Quilty, a journalist who’s stayed in Kabul, about a recent article he wrote for the Intercept. The article talks about the Zero Units which were militia groups of Afghan commandos led by CIA advisors, or handlers. These units gained notoriety during the war and have been accused of numerous war crimes. Many refer to them as CIA Death Squads. Quilty explains how members of these Death Squads were given priority in the evacuation from Kabul and how they will be resettled in the United States. Quilty also gives his account of how things are in Afghanistan after the U.S. has pulled out.

Discussed on the show:

“The CIA’s Afghan Proxis, Accused of War Crimes, will get a Fresh Start in the U.S.” (The Intercept)
“The Other Afghan Women” (The New Yorker)
No Good Men Among The Living by Anand Gopel
“Looser rules, more civilian deaths, a Taliban takeover: Inside America’s failed Afghan drone campaign” (Connecting Vets)
“Surprise, panic and fateful choices: The day America lost its longest war” (Washington Post)

BBC reporting about eyewitness claims that soldiers fired into the crowd after the suicide attack.

Andrew Quilty is an Australian freelance photojournalist and reporter. A winner of Polk and World Press Photo awards, he has been based in Kabul since 2013. Follow him on Twitter or at andrewquilty.com.

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10/4/21 Scott’s Debate with Bill Kristol

On Monday, October 4th, Scott took part in a debate organized by Gene Epstein. Scott’s opponent was neoconservative Bill Kristol, one of the most prominent war hawks of recent American history. The resolution they debated was: A willingness to intervene, and seek regime change, is key to an American foreign policy that benefits America. The event was filmed by Reason TV so the video version can be found on their Youtube Channel.

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10/8/21 David Vine on the Absurd Number of American Bases Around the World

Scott talks with David Vine about a report he wrote recently for the Quincy Institute along with Patterson Deppen and Leah Bolger. The report makes the case for significantly reducing the number of American military bases abroad. Vine explains that there are currently around 750 active military bases outside of the U.S. And with far less diplomatic foreign infrastructure, America is projecting itself as a global empire that is militaristic above all. Scott and Vine also discuss some of the factors that keep these bases from closing.

Discussed on the show:

“Drawdown: Improving U.S. and Global Security Through Military Base Closures Abroad” (Quincy Institute)
Okinawa: Cold War Island by Chalmers Johnson

David Vine is a professor of Anthropology at American University and the author of Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia. He also writes for the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Guardian, among others. Follow him on Twitter @davidsvine.

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10/8/21 John Kiriakou on the Torture of Abu Zubaydah

Scott interviews former CIA Officer John Kiriakou about a recent article he wrote. Kiriakou was personally involved in the 2002 capture of Abu Zubaydah in Pakistan. At the time, the CIA believed Zubaydah to be Al Qaeda’s third highest-ranking member. In truth, he was simply a logistician. Still, the Bush Administration used Zubaydah to make it look like dangerous terrorists were being captured and were handing over information thanks to “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Scott and Kiriakou observe that the Americans executed Japanese soldiers after WWII for using those very same techniques on American POWs. Kiriakou details the torture that Abu Zubaydah has been put through since his capture, all without a single charge being brought against him. Scott and Kiriakou also discuss other victims of the torture program, some of whom were killed without even being charged. Finally, Kiriakou explains the legal action Zubaydah is attempting to take against certain CIA contractors.

Discussed on the show:

“Supreme Court to hear whether Abu Zubaydah’s torture is ‘secret’” (Responsible Statecraft)
A Question of Torture by Alfred McCoy
Murder at Camp Delta by Joseph Hickman

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer and author of The Convenient Terrorist: Two Whistleblowers’ Stories of Torture, Terror, Secret Wars, and CIA Lies and Doing Time Like A Spy. He is the host of Loud and Clear on Sputnik Radio. Follow him on Twitter @JohnKiriakou.

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10/01/21 Gareth Porter on the Media’s Misleading Portrayal of the Taliban

Gareth Porter joined Scott on Antiwar Radio to discuss his recent piece at the Gray Zone about the dishonest ways the media has covered the Taliban. Both Scott and Porter agree that the Taliban are not to be considered the good guys, but that the media has a history of pushing a misleading narrative about them to justify war. Scott and Porter reflect on how this has been happening, to some extent, for the Taliban’s entire history, but especially as it relates to the group’s connections with Islamic terrorists.

Discussed on the show:

“Corporate media stirred global terror hysteria to push postwar hostility toward new Afghan govt” (The Gray Zone)
Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa
No Good Men Among the Living by Anand Gopal
Charlie Wilson’s War by George Crile

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on the national security state. He is the author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare and, with John Kiriakou, The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis. Follow him on Twitter @GarethPorter and listen to Gareth’s previous appearances on the Scott Horton Show.

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4/10/25 Max Blumenthal on Israel’s Control over America’s Middle East Policy

Recommended reading

10/18/21 Scott Hechinger on the Murder Rate, Police Reform and Gun Control

10/15/21 Barrett Brown Returns

10/14/21 James Bradley on the Lies Americans Are Fed About China

10/11/21 Andrew Quilty on the Afghan War Criminals being Brought to the United States

10/4/21 Scott’s Debate with Bill Kristol

10/8/21 David Vine on the Absurd Number of American Bases Around the World

10/8/21 John Kiriakou on the Torture of Abu Zubaydah

10/01/21 Gareth Porter on the Media’s Misleading Portrayal of the Taliban

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