Eric Margolis, author of American Raj: Liberation or Domination, discusses why Republican presidential candidates and the mainstream media want Americans to hate and fear Russia; and why the US doesn't pressure its Middle East allies to stop supporting Islamic State.

Brad Hoff, the managing editor of Levant Report, discusses the battlefield prowess of ISIS leader Omar "the Chechen" al-Shishani, who received US backing until 2013 while he transformed the demoralized Syrian rebels into a formidable fighting force.

Mitchell Prothero, a McClatchy special correspondent, discusses how he met top Islamic State military commander Tarkhan Batirashvili (a.k.a. Abu Omar al Shishani), who was trained in part by US special forces.

Ramzy Baroud, editor of The Palestine Chronicle, discusses the Israeli government's efforts to limit Palestinian entry to Al-Aqsa, the third holiest mosque in Islam; and his article "How Yarmouk Came About: Israel’s Unabashed Role in the Syrian Refugee Crisis."

M.J. Rosenberg, a former Congressional aide and AIPAC staffer, discusses his article "AIPAC Spent Millions of Dollars to Defeat the Iran Deal. Instead, It May Have Destroyed Itself."

Lauren Walker, a staff writer for Newsweek, discusses how a botched translation landed Yemeni Emad Hassan in Guantanamo for 13 years; his years-long hunger strike; and how he finally got released.

Chris Woods, a London-based investigative journalist and author, discusses the Airwars.org project that monitors the international coalition's airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, in an attempt to verify civilian deaths and bring accountability to the US and its allies.

Joshua Hughes, a peace activist and founder of Verdenergia Pacifica, discusses his sustainable farming and forestry operation in Costa Rica (open to ecotourists and those interested in permaculture) and why he prefers it to making a six-figure income in the US.

Keegan Stephan, a writer and political organizer in New York City, discusses his efforts to keep tabs on all the New Yorkers and other Americans killed by cops, and how our broken judicial process makes prosecuting cops almost impossible.

Gareth Porter, an award-winning journalist and historian, discusses his article, "Behind the Scenes: How the US and Iran Reached Their Landmark Deal;" and how AIPAC and their supporters in Congress are still working to undermine the deal.

Patrick Cockburn, a Middle East correspondent for The Independent, discusses how ISIS gained control of half of Syria's territory; rumors that Russia is building a military presence to support Assad; and why war will continue in Iraq and Syria for the foreseeable future.

Jason Leopold, a writer for Vice News and author of News Junkie, discusses how the CIA shaped the screenplay and essentially co-produced Zero Dark Thirty - a movie that helped launch the CIA's public relations campaign that torture led to the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.

Jack Mirkinson, a writer for Salon.com, discusses his article "What Hillary Clinton wants you to forget: Her disastrous record as a war hawk."

Grant F. Smith, founder of IRMEP.org, discusses how a CIA cover-up stymied two FBI investigations into the diversion of weapons-grade uranium from the US to Israel in the 1960s.

Reza Marashi, research director at the National Iranian American Council, discusses the Senate's imminent passage of the P5+1 Iranian nuclear agreement; the Republican attempt to block the deal; and what Obama needs to do to ensure the deal lasts beyond his presidency.