Daniel Larison, a senior editor at The American Conservative, discusses the pro-Russian protests in eastern Ukraine; the thousands of Russian troops gathered at Ukraine's border, poised for invasion; US benevolent global hegemony vs. the real world; and NATO's mission of "keeping the Germans down, the Russians out, and the Americans in."

Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, discusses his "Freedom vs. the State" college speaking tour with FFF vice president Sheldon Richman; the merits of Michael Swanson's The War State; and why JFK was indeed serious about reigning in the CIA after the near-cataclysmic Cuban missile crisis.

Clive Stafford Smith, the founder and Director of Reprieve, discusses Shaker Aamer's continued detention in Guantanamo despite being cleared for release by the Bush and Obama administrations; Aamer's physical and psychological damage from severe torture and confinement; why the UK doesn't want him back; and how Guantanamo has damaged the US's reputation worldwide.

Flynt Leverett, author of Going to Tehran, discusses why the US got so involved in Syria after the Arab Spring; the lousy record of US-backed regime changes in the Middle East and beyond; how support for Syria's rebels draws out the stalemate and creates a humanitarian disaster; Obama's commitment (or lack thereof) to an Iran nuclear deal; and Sy Hersh's reporting on Syria's sarin gas attack.

Michael Rattner, President Emeritus at the Center for Constitutional Rights, discusses the federal court dismissal of a joint CCR/ACLU lawsuit challenging US drone killings of three American citizens; the court's deference to presidential authority without regard to due process of law; and the proper definition and application of the laws of war.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh discusses his article on the Pentagon's skepticism about going to war in Syria following the Sarin gas attack in August 2013; evidence that the attack was carried out by Turkish-backed rebels, not the Assad government; and why Obama backed down on his "red line" in Syria after going full-bore in Libya.

Ray McGovern, a retired CIA officer turned political activist, discusses how the US intelligence community helped prevent military intervention in Syria; John Kerry's repeated lies about the Sarin gas attack and an "unbelievably short war" scenario; Obama's surprising resolve to defy the neoconservatives and the Israel lobby; and why the rift with Russia shouldn't nix an Iran nuclear deal. Transcript: We move on to our next guest, it's the great Ray McGovern, for 27 years he was a CIA analyst...

Major Todd E. Pierce, a former JAG defense attorney at Guantanamo, discusses why we're all Cheneyites now; the post-Cold War US policy of military domination abroad and authoritarianism at home; why conservatives don't really mind one-world government - so long as they're in charge of it; and how the Law of War is displacing the US Constitution.

Syndicated columnist Eric Margolis discusses the decidedly undemocratic Afghan national elections; the CIA-friendly drug dealers and warlords running for president; the Taliban's exclusion from the political process; and why the new government will probably "invite" US forces to stay indefinitely.

Nick Giambruno, senior editor at InternationalMan.com, discusses why Turkey was planning a false flag operation in Syria; domestic backlash against the Erdogan government's strong support for the Syrian rebels; dangers of NATO intervention if Turkey goes to war; and the divergent regional interests of Israel and the US.

Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses the Senate Intelligence Committee's vote to release the CIA torture report; the long list of CIA lies about its torture program, with more to follow; and why the media takes government officials at their word instead of delving deeply into the documents to find the truth.

Will Grigg, keeper of the Pro Libertate blog, discusses recent changes to the decades-long cultural divide on crime, drugs, and law enforcement; public protests against New Mexico's murderous police force; Mark Byrge's disabling ordeal with police in American Fork, UT; and going through local mayors and city councils to achieve reforms of otherwise-unaccountable police forces.

Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses why convicted spy Jonathan Pollard should complete his time in prison; a snapshot of Pollard's misdeeds and the false narratives being constructed to make him look like a martyr for Israel; and the intelligence community's backlash against Clinton's near-pardon of Pollard in 1999.

Greg Mitchell, author of Atomic Cover-up, discusses his 3-part series (part 1, part 2, part 3) on the long-suppressed film footage shot in the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings; President Truman's censorship of an MGM film on the subject; the questionable justifications for dropping the bomb on Japan; and Greg's offer of cooperation to documentary filmmakers who want to showcase the now-declassified material.

Barbara Slavin, Washington correspondent for Al-Monitor, discusses the Obama administration's trial-balloon proposal for a possible Iran nuclear deal; gauging the reactions of Congress, Iran and Israel; and the worrisome inclusion of a built-in Authorization for Use of Military Force - just in case the deal goes bad.