Scott brings Muhammad Sahimi back on the show to talk about recent developments in Iran. They discuss the Trump administration’s relationship with the Iranian regime, the political dynamic within Iran and much more.

Discussed on the show:

“’Max pressure’ 2.0 on Iran could trigger a nuclear crisis” (Responsible Statecraft)
“How Iran quietly buttressed its pledge to not build nukes” (Responsible Statecraft)

Muhammad Sahimi is a professor at the University of Southern California who analyzes Iran’s political developments, its nuclear program, and foreign policy.

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

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9/24/21 Barbara Slavin on the True Winner of Iraq War 2

Scott interviews Barbara Slavin from the Atlantic Council. Slavin recently co-authored an article with Abbas Kadhim about how Iran’s influence in the middle east has grown substantially since the U.S. overthrew Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Slavin explains that the U.S. was more supportive of Iraq while they were engaged in a brutal war with Iran in the 80s, because the foreign policy establishment saw Iran as a bigger threat. Of course this changed in the 90s when George Bush Sr. launched a war against Iraq. And then there was the invasion in 2003 that disposed of Saddam. Scott and Slavin reflect on the ridiculous claims from that time arguing that regime change in Iraq would not hand Iran more influence, with some claiming it would weaken Iran by giving the U.S. leverage over the entire region.

Discussed on the show:

“Iran ‘won’ the war with Iraq but at a heavy price” (Atlantic Council)
Bruce Riedel overheard Bush’s phone call days after 9/11
“After Sistani and Khamenei: looming successions will shape the Middle East” (Atlantic Council)
A Clean Break
Cheney 1994 interview

Barbara Slavin is director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Follow her on Twitter: @BarbaraSlavin1.

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; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt; Lorenzotti Coffee and Listen and Think Audio.

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9/22/21 Hassan El-Tayyab on How We Can Help End the War in Yemen by Tomorrow

Scott talks with Hassan El-Tayyab about tomorrow’s vote to end all support for the Saudi campaign in Yemen. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is going to be debated on the floor this afternoon (September 22nd). Scott and El-Tayyab urge everyone to call their representatives and tell them to vote to end support. El-Tayyab’s organization has set up a phone number to make the process easy: 1-833-STOPWAR. Call this number now and help bring one of the worst atrocities going on in the world today to an end.

Discussed on the show:

https://www.fcnl.org/

Hassan El-Tayyab is a musician and peace activist, who works as the lead lobbyist on Middle East policy for the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

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9/17/21 Weimin Chen on Why the Approaching Completion of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Is Great News

Scott talks with Weimin Chen about his recent article on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. The pipeline will transport natural gas from Russia to Germany. Chen explains that these two countries have a long history of conflict, so we should see increased economic engagement as a triumph. But of course, that’s not how many in the U.S. government see it. Chen explains that those involved with the project have had to deal with U.S. sanctions since the Obama Administration. Washington has opposed the project both in the name of protecting American gas companies from competition and as a way to avoid giving Russia leverage over Europe. However, the Biden Administration has stopped the sanctions, signaling a change in the American position. Some Europeans themselves oppose the pipeline on environmental grounds. And others are upset they’ll make less collecting fees on gas traveling through their borders. But both Scott and Chen agree that all sides need to consider the risk of thermonuclear war when advocating against economic engagement.

Discussed on the show:

“Nord Stream 2: The Value of German-Russian Cooperation” (Austrian Economics Center)

Weimin Chen is a research assistant at the Austrian Economics Center and is a manager and project/events coordinator at the International Student Center’s Arts for Peace Initiative in New York City.

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9/13/21 Aaron Maté on the Seemingly Forgotten American Occupation of Syria

Scott talks with journalist Aaron Maté about his recent piece bringing attention to the U.S. occupation of Syria. The U.S. military currently controls about a third of Syria with an official troop count of 900. But considering officials were willing to lie to the former president about the real troop numbers, Scott and Maté are skeptical of the official figures. Maté observes that even with bipartisan opposition to these “forever wars” the occupation of Syria remains a subject that’s not to be talked about. Maté has little hope it will come to an end anytime soon. While the official reason given for the military presence is the fight against ISIS, Maté shows that this claim falls apart after a small amount of digging. And that the real reason is to hold economic leverage against the Syrian regime as a way to support Israel in its not-so-cold war with Iran.

Discussed on the show:

“To keep troops in Syria, US leaders are lying like in Afghanistan” (substack)
Joe Kent on Tucker
Dana Stroul giving the official reason for staying in Syria
Pentagon Report admitting that the U.S. is not fighting ISIS in Syria, contradicting the official narrative
“US military ‘owns’ 1/3rd of Syria, boasted top Biden Pentagon official, vowing to block reconstruction of ‘rubble’” (Grayzone)

Aaron Maté is an NYC-based journalist and producer. He hosts the news show Pushback for The Grayzone, and writes regularly for The Nation. Follow him on Twitter @AaronJMate.

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9/13/21 Mathieu Aikins on the Recent US Drone Strike in Kabul and Life in Afghanistan Post-Withdrawal

Scott interviews journalist Mathieu Aikins who has remained in Kabul to report for the New York Times. Aikins and his team recently investigated the drone strike the U.S. carried out on August 29th that officials claimed had targeted a car carrying explosives believed to be driven by a member of ISIS. However, the team from NYT found a devastating scene with the bodies of children and a distraught family claiming to have just lost ten family members. Aikins and his colleagues were able to identify the man as Zemari Ahmadi. Ahmadi worked for a California-based aid organization and was trying to get his family on a plane out of Afghanistan when he and many of his children were killed.

Discussed on the show:

“Times Investigation: In U.S. Drone Strike, Evidence Suggests No ISIS Bomb” (New York Times)
“Examining a ‘righteous’ strike” (Washington Post)
“The Taliban’s Fight for Hearts and Minds” (Foreign Policy)

Mathieu Aikins is an international freelance journalist currently reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan. His upcoming book is The Naked Don’t Fear the Water: A Journey Through the Refugee Underground. Follow him on Twitter @mattaikins.

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9/9/21 Joe Dyke on the Civilian Bodycount of American Airstrikes

Joe Dyke from Airwars.org joins the show to discuss his new report, coauthored with Imogen Piper, which attempts to count civilian deaths resulting directly from U.S. airstrikes during the Terror Wars. Dyke says he and his colleagues want civilian deaths to be part of the broader ongoing discussions about the cost of these wars. Scott and Dyke discuss the difficulties involved with trying to count civilian deaths and examine the costs and benefits of different methods. Both agree, regardless of method, it’s important work. Especially since the U.S. government has made no official estimates.

Discussed on the show:

“Tens of thousands of civilians likely killed by US in ‘Forever Wars’” (Airwars.org)
Cost of War Project at Brown University
“The Other Afghan Women” (New Yorker)
“Looser rules, more civilian deaths, a Taliban takeover: Inside America’s failed Afghan drone campaign” (Connecting Vets)
“The Drone Papers” (The Intercept)
George W. Bush speech after 9/11
“The Iraq War Logs” (Wikileaks)
“Iraq war logs reveal 15,000 previously unlisted civilian deaths” (The Guardian)

Joe Dyke is Senior Investigator at Airwars. He has a decade of experience living and working in the Middle East, carrying out in-depth investigations into conflict-related civilian harm. Follow his work on Twitter @joedyke.

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9/9/21 Dave DeCamp on Developments in Afghanistan and Syria

This week on Antiwar Radio, Scott talked with Dave DeCamp. DeCamp gives an update on Afghanistan where the Taliban are attempting to form a government. Both Scott and DeCamp agree that the Taliban are likely to face difficulties as they try to govern the country, especially if they continue to only appoint Pashtun men to positions of power. Both point to the retaliatory drone strike that killed civilians in Kabul as a preview of what “over the horizon” operations will look like if Biden is serious about continuing them. Lastly, DeCamp provides an update on Syria where insiders appear to be happy with the status quo. And both Scott and DeCamp point to northern Syria as a perfect example of Washington’s hypocrisy on “terrorist safe-havens.”

Discussed on the show:

Bill Roggio at the Long War Journal
Emily Horne’s statement about Taliban cooperation
“Tens of thousands of civilians likely killed by US in ‘Forever Wars’” (Airwars.org)
“The Other Afghan Women” (New Yorker)
“Looser rules, more civilian deaths, a Taliban takeover: Inside America’s failed Afghan drone campaign” (Connecting Vets)

Dave DeCamp is the assistant news editor of Antiwar.com. Follow him on Twitter @decampdave.

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9/6/21 Clive Stafford Smith on Ahmed Rabbani and the Other Innocent Men Being Held at Guantanamo Bay

Scott interviews Clive Stafford Smith about a recent article written by his client Ahmed Rabbani. Rabbani has been in custody for 19 years without a single charge being brought against him. In 2002 he found himself in the hands of the CIA who allegedly believed he was a man named Hassan Ghul. But even after the real Ghul was captured and brought to the same prison Rabbani was being kept in, the CIA kept trying to extract information from Rabbani. Ghul cooperated and was freed. But Rabbani was sent to Guantanamo Bay where he remains today. Smith explains some of the difficulties facing him as he argues Rabbani’s case and sheds some light on how common his story really is.

Discussed on the show:

“The U.S. Has Held Me For 19 Years Without A Charge. I Have Just One Chance To Be Freed” (Huffington Post)
The Senate Torture Report

Clive Stafford Smith is founder of Reprieve, and is now director of his new non-profit the 3DCentre. He is the author of Bad Men: Guantánamo Bay and the Secret Prisons and Injustice: Life and Death in the Courtrooms of America. Follow him on Twitter @CliveSSmith.

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Recent Episodes of the Scott Horton Show

3/14/25 Muhammad Sahimi on how Trump’s Return and Israel’s War are Affecting Iran

Recommended reading

9/24/21 Barbara Slavin on the True Winner of Iraq War 2

9/22/21 Hassan El-Tayyab on How We Can Help End the War in Yemen by Tomorrow

9/17/21 Weimin Chen on Why the Approaching Completion of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Is Great News

9/13/21 Aaron Maté on the Seemingly Forgotten American Occupation of Syria

9/13/21 Mathieu Aikins on the Recent US Drone Strike in Kabul and Life in Afghanistan Post-Withdrawal

9/9/21 Joe Dyke on the Civilian Bodycount of American Airstrikes

9/9/21 Dave DeCamp on Developments in Afghanistan and Syria

9/6/21 Clive Stafford Smith on Ahmed Rabbani and the Other Innocent Men Being Held at Guantanamo Bay

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