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Scott brings William van Wagenen on to talk about what he observed on his recent trip to Syria. They dig into what’s happened since the Jihadists took control last December, often looking to parallels in the ISIS takeover of western Iraq about a decade ago. They also look at the broader geopolitical dynamic of the region and consider how all of this will play out in the next few years. 

Discussed on the show:

• Van Wagenen’s article at The Libertarian Institute
• Van Wagenen’s article at The Cradle

William Van Wagenen has a BA in German literature From Brigham Young University and an MA in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. You can read his other writings on Syria for the Libertarian Institute here. Follow him on Twitter @wvanwagenen

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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Scott talks to Heather Brandon-Smith of the Friends Committee on National Legislation about the effort to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force. Although the 2002 AUMF has been less widely cited as grounds for America’s ever-expanding wars in the Middle East than the 2001 version (which authorized the war in Afghanistan), it has been used to justify the war against ISIS in Iraq and the Trump administration’s assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, among other operations. Brandon-Smith is hopeful that the Biden administration is serious about rolling back some aspects of the war on terrorism, and she and her colleagues at FCNL are working to push the anti-war momentum in the right direction.

Discussed on the show:

• “The 2002 Iraq AUMF: What It Is and Why Congress Should Repeal It” (Friends Committee On National Legislation)
• “With 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Nearing, Biden Team Debates How to End War on Terror” (Foreign Policy)

Heather Brandon-Smith is Legislative Director for Militarism and Human Rights at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Prior to joining FCNL, Heather served as the Advocacy Counsel for National Security at Human Rights First. Follow her on Twitter @HBrandonSmith.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Trita Parsi talks about the possibility of diplomatic talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which he views as a consequence of the Biden administration’s somewhat less aggressive stance toward the Middle East. People often allege that American military involvement abroad keeps the world safer; in reality, Parsi explains, it is only when the U.S. pulls back from conflict that countries must resort instead to diplomacy. He hopes Biden will make a commitment to ending some of America’s forever wars and, above all, find a solution to the desperate humanitarian crisis in Yemen that America helped cause.

Discussed on the show:

• “Why Mohammed bin Salman Suddenly Wants to Talk to Iran” (Foreign Policy)
• “The Houthis Are Not Hezbollah – Foreign Policy” (Foreign Policy)

Trita Parsi is the president of the National Iranian American Council and the author of Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy. Parsi is the recipient of the 2010 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Follow him on Twitter @tparsi.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Scott talks to Tom Collina about the alarming plan to expand America’s nuclear arsenal. The $2 trillion package, Collina explains, would include a large investment in what’s known as the “nuclear sponge”: a collection of ICBMs in America’s heartland designed to draw a nuclear attack from America’s enemies, rather than one targeted at Washington D.C. or other major cities. But this policy actually makes things far more dangerous, says Collina, since there’s then tremendous pressure to fire these land-based ICBMs before they’re struck. And if that strike turns out to be a false alarm, the U.S. could accidentally start a full-scale nuclear war. This kind of accident, Collina insists, and not a preemptive strike, presents the greatest danger of nuclear war.

Discussed on the show:

• “$264B for ICBMs That Would Be Destroyed in the Ground? No, Thanks” (Defense One)
• The Putin Interviews
• My Journey at the Nuclear Brink
• The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump
• The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner
• This Is the Way the World Ends
• “Opinion | Foreign Affairs; Now a Word From X” (The New York Times)

Tom Collina is Director of Policy for the Ploughshares Fund, a nonprofit combatting the spread of nuclear weapons. Collina writes for The National Interest, The Independent, Defense One, and many other publications. Find him on Twitter @TomCollina.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Aisha Jumaan discusses the situation in Yemen. Although the Biden administration claimed earlier this year that it would end American support for Saudi “offensive operations” in Yemen, they have recently announced that certain support functions—like providing maintenance and spare parts for the Saudi air force—will continue. But this bald-faced reversal, says Jumaan, isn’t even the main issue. Yes, the Saudis are killing innocent Yemenis in air strikes and other direct attacks, but by far the biggest threat to the health and safety of Yemeni civilians today is the Saudi blockade, which continues to stop critical goods like food and medicine from getting into the country. Those who care about ending this U.S.-sponsored humanitarian crisis must forcefully oppose continued American support for the war in all its forms.

Discussed on the show:

• “Biden “Continues to Support Saudi Aggression on the People of Yemen”” (accuracy.org)
• “In Yemen ‘Diplomacy is Back.’ What Next?” (Newsweek)
• “Murphy Chairs First Subcommittee Hearing on Yemen” (murphy.senate.gov)
• “Quiet Support for Saudis Entangles U.S. in Yemen” (The New York Times)
• “‘We Think the Price Is Worth It’” (FAIR)

Dr. Aisha Jumaan is an epidemiologist and the founder and president of the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation. Find her on Twitter @AishaJumaan.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Scott interviews Andy Worthington about Guantanamo Bay, America’s secret black site prison, where 40 men are still being held, some of them without ever having been charged with a crime. President Obama famously campaigned on closing Guantanamo, but ultimately was unable (or unwilling) to do so. President Trump, too, allowed the atrocious human rights abuses to continue throughout his administration. Worthington is optimistic about the possibility of change, but if the American people continue to turn a blind eye to this issue, things may simply carry on indefinitely.

Discussed on the show:

• “The Obama GITMO myth” (Salon)
• “The Guantanamo Files” (WikiLeaks)
• “State Department Cables” (WikiLeaks)
• “Baghdad War Diary” (WikiLeaks)
• “Kabul War Diary” (WikiLeaks)
• Boumediene v. Bush

Andy Worthington is the author of Guantanamo Files and the director of “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantanamo.” Read his work at the Future of Freedom Foundation and AndyWorthington.co.uk and follow him on Twitter @GuantanamoAndy.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Scott talks to Dan Gifford, producer of the famous film, Waco: The Rules of Engagement, about the tragedy of the Waco siege, all the government and media lies to cover it up and what really happened behind the scenes. Gifford shares his decades of experience looking into this topic, including all the times when the government tried to shut him up.

Discussed on the show:

• “What Really Happened At Waco And The Establishment Collusion to Cover It Up” (Dan Gifford)
• “Will ABC really tell us what happened at Waco?” (Patch)
• “Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)” (IMDb)
• “Waco: A New Revelation (2000)” (IMDb)
• “The F.L.I.R Project (Video 2001)” (IMDb)
• The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation
  
• “How the Government Covered Up the Waco Massacre” (The Libertarian Institute)
• The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
  

Dan Gifford is a national Emmy-winning film producer and former reporter for CNN, The MacNeil Lehrer News Hour and ABC News. Check out his work on IMDb or his website, DanGifford.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Gareth Porter discusses the recent announcement that the Biden administration will withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year. This is obviously a violation of the May 1 withdrawal agreement made under the Trump administration, but Porter is optimistic that Biden and his team are serious about getting out by this fall. Scott and Porter also talk about the latest negotiations in Vienna regarding American sanctions and the Iran nuclear deal. Porter worries that the U.S. is taking too hard a line, thinking they can get away with continued sanctions, and that the negotiations may fall apart as a result.

Discussed on the show:

• “Opinion | Is Leaving Afghanistan the Right Move?” (The New York Times)
• “Osama’s Prodigal Son” (Rolling Stone)
• “General: Afghan military will collapse without some US help” (AP News)
• “Vienna talks reveal Biden team’s attachment to sanctions that would torpedo Iran deal” (The Grayzone)
• “Israeli officials will object to restoration of Iran deal in D.C. visit” (Axios)

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.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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Scott interviews Edward Hasbrouck about the effort to finally abolish America’s “selective service” requirement, the modern-day remains of what was once the draft. Hasbrouck explains how, after Nixon abolished the draft in the 1960s, Jimmy Carter reinstituted the system we have today, partially to combat national anxiety over the Iranian revolution and hostage crisis. Hasbrouck says that what the draft really is is an assurance to America’s war planners that there will always be an unlimited supply of infantry troops to fight any war the government decides to wage. Taking this power away means putting some of the power to decide when the U.S. will actually fight a war back in the hands of the American people, where it belongs.

Discussed on the show:

• “‘Selective Service Repeal Act’ Introduced in Congress” (Antiwar.com)
• “Red Dawn (1984)” (IMDb)
• Bill Texts: US SB1139

Edward Hasbrouck is a regular writer at Antiwar.com and maintains the blog, Resisters.info.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

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