Muhammad Sahimi, political columnist and professor of chemical engineering, discusses how Iran's religious dictatorship can be traced back to the 1953 CIA coup against Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq; the 2009 Iranian election and subsequent crackdown on political opposition; how Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has squandered Iran's oil revenues and created a kleptocracy; and why the US needs to mind its own business and let Iranians institute their own political reforms.

Max Blumenthal, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author of Republican Gomorrah, discusses the results of Israel's elections; the surprising success of media celebrity Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party; why talk of a two-state solution persists despite a one-state reality; the ethnic and religious bigotry than permeates Israel - from the left-wing to the right-wing; the excellent documentary 5 Broken Cameras; and why the West Bank is primed for revolution in the near future.

Yousaf Butt, a scientific consultant to the Federation of American Scientists, discusses the unsubstantiated claims about nuclear activity at Iran's Parchin military base that could derail upcoming P5+1 talks on Iran's uranium enrichment program; how UN Security Council demands on Iran go far beyond the scope of international law; Iran's good faith gesture of converting some contentious 20% enriched uranium into fuel rods that can't be weaponized; and why nobody knows how, when, or why Iran...

Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML, discusses the next wave of states introducing legislation to legalize marijuana; the generational shift away from prohibition and "reefer madness;" why Congress - despite a "cannabis caucus" of sorts - is slow to respond to public support for legalization; how legal, commercial growing would drastically lower the price of marijuana; the lack of rhyme or reason in the federal government's raids and prosecutions; and the 5 reasons why pot...

Eric Margolis, journalist and author of American Raj, discusses the surging violence in Mali and Algeria; how tiny Qatar has become a major power broker in the Middle East; Algeria's short-lived experiment with democratic government; why the Tuareg's are the "Kurds of the Sahara;" why the French are warming to their tax-raising, warmaking president; and Israel's political shift to the extreme right.

Muhammad Sahimi, political columnist and professor of chemical engineering, discusses David Albright's (the founder and President of ISIS - the Institute for Science and International Security) full-time job hyping the Iranian nuclear threat despite all evidence to the contrary.

Chris Woods of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism discusses the decade-long history of secretive US drone strikes; the UN investigation of civilian casualties from drones; the dangerous precedent the US is setting with targeted assassinations; the CIA's exemption from the so-called drone playbook; classifying all military-age males as "militants;" the secret war in Somalia; and doubts about the long-term effectiveness of "mowing the grass."

Patrick Cockburn, columnist for The Independent, discusses Al-Qaeda's expansion in northern Mali; why having guerrilla fighters "on the run" is nothing to brag about; the Sunni "War Against the Shia;" the barbarous acts of Syrian rebels; and how Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki is building the foundations of a dictatorship.

James Ostrowski, a writer and attorney in Buffalo, NY, discusses his article "The Rise and Fall of Jury Nullification [PDF];" why staunch Second Amendment supporters should be equally protective of the Sixth Amendment (the right to trial by jury); how "judicial repeal" revoked the ability of juries to rule on the law as well as the facts; and why you don't want to be a defendant with a jury composed of government employees.

Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses why the campaign to derail Chuck Hagel's nomination to Secretary of Defense is "All About Israel;" Senator Rand Paul's curious visit to Israel - paid for by the Christian fundamentalist American Family Association; and why Israel continues to be the #1 "friendly" spy threat to the US - stealing military and industrial secrets with impunity.

Cora Currier, a journalist with ProPublica, discusses her article "Everything We Know So Far About Drone Strikes," the large percentage of "targeted killings" conducted by drones relying on often-questionable intelligence and dubious legal authority; the "direct action" against supposed Al-Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Somalia; and why drone strikes are likely to continue even though - as Stanley McChrystal recently said - they are creating more problems than they solve.

Matthew Roach, a firearms aficionado in New York state, discusses the politicization of terms like "assault rifle" and "assault weapon;" the 250,000 responsible and law-abiding American owners of fully automatic rifles; specifics on the much-hyped AR-15; why gun-control Leftists are the best salesmen of firearms; and the new gun laws being considered at state and national levels.

Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, discusses the French military incursion in Mali; the hostage disaster in Algeria; the cascading failure of interventions from Libya to Mali and Algeria; why the US favors the tyrannical government in Morocco instead of the pro-democracy protestors; and how a heavy-handed foreign policy ensures the most radical opposition groups come to the fore.

Foreign Policy in Focus columnist Conn Hallinan discusses the 150+ years of shameful US foreign policy in Latin America since the Monroe Doctrine; how the US is now losing political and economic influence to the BRICS in Central and South America; how Hugo Chavez has reduced demand for IMF predatory loans and the inevitable austerity measures that follow; the laughable "Iran is taking over South America" right-wing talking points; and the Obama administration's tacit approval of military coups...

Justin Elliott, a journalist with ProPublica, discusses his article "Revealed: America's Arms Sales to Bahrain Amid Bloody Crackdown;" the scant media coverage of continuing pro-democracy protests in Bahrain; the FOIA documents that cast doubt on US government claims that weapons sales to Bahrain are only used for external defense, not political repression; and the "questionable claim" that Iran has 30,000 intelligence operatives.