Patrick Cockburn, journalist with The Independent, discusses how the civil war in Syria is inspiring Iraq's restive Sunni population; why Baghdad still has nonfunctional sewers and electricity even though billions of dollars have been spent; the Sunni protestors who are denied government representation and jobs; and the scant media coverage on Iraq after the US withdrawal.

Andy Worthington, author of The Guantanamo Files, discusses the US's very low standards for kidnapping and torturing suspects in the War on Terror; the continuing "colossal miscarriages of justice" for innocent victims; the Spanish courts taking action after the US failed to hold anyone accountable; the political cowardice preventing the release of Guantanamo prisoners cleared by Obama's task force; and why indefinite detention without trial is the hallmark of dictatorships, not democracies.

Christian Stork, a journalist with WhoWhatWhy, discusses his article "The Saga of Barrett Brown: Inside Anonymous And The War On Secrecy;" the federal criminal charges against Brown (who has been jailed since September 2012) that could amount to a life sentence; Brown's research effort (ProjectPM) to crowdsource the 75,000+ Anonymous-procured emails from private security/intelligence contractor HBGary; and the law firms and front groups paid to damage the reputations of activists and...

Mondoweiss blogger Philip Weiss discusses the outcome of Israel's election; Netanyahu's strange coalition of centrists and right-wingers; the liberal American Zionists who have faith that Obama and/or the EU can make Israel's government more moderate; why apartheid means the end of the Jewish Israeli state; the mainstream media's newfound ability to question and criticize Israel; and how Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearings have drawn needed attention to the Israel lobby.

IPS News journalist Gareth Porter discusses his upcoming book Manufactured Crisis: A History of the Iranian Nuclear Scare; his article on the investigation of the July 2012 Israeli tourist bus bombing, "Bulgarian Revelations Explode Hezbollah Bombing 'Hypothesis;'" how Israel and the US are scheming to get Hezbollah on the EU terrorist organization list; clues that point to Al-Qaeda involvement in the Bulgaria bus bombing; the significance of the 1996 Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia; and...

Nathan Fuller of the Bradley Manning Support Network discusses the upcoming international protests on February 23rd against Bradley Manning's 1000 days locked in jail without trial; how Manning's defense has been hurt by unfavorable pretrial rulings; the government's unprecedented interpretation of "aiding the enemy;" and the persecution of whistleblowers and leakers of information unfavorable to the government (favorable leaks are A-OK).

Kingston Reif, Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, discusses the cost effectiveness of the US missile defense system; the failure to test against ICBM's, decoys and countermeasures; why Israel's "Iron Dome" doesn't prove missile defense works; and how a seemingly defensive strategy could be used offensively against US rivals - sparking a new nuclear arms race.

IPS News journalist Adam Morrow discusses his article "Political Violence Grips Egypt From All Sides;" the National Salvation Front's demand for a new government and revised constitution; Mohamed ElBaradei's return to political prominence despite his unpopularity among Egyptians; divisions within the Salafist constituency; and why the protests are probably aimed at taking down President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Eric Margolis, journalist and author of American Raj, discusses how the disputed Senkaku Islands could ignite a China-Japan conflagration; the return of militant nationalism in Asia; why the US should gracefully withdraw from China's regional sphere of influence; the economic limitations of US empire going forward; attacks on Shia minorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan; and the military-industrial complex's motivation to stay in Afghanistan forever.

Blogger Marcy Wheeler discusses new details on the DOJ "white paper" justifying the extrajudicial assassination of American citizens abroad; judge Colleen McMahon's below-the-radar observation that Anwar al-Awlaki's killing was illegal; problems with "laws of war" justifications when the CIA is doing the killing; the spotty evidence al-Awlaki was directly involved with the underwear-bomb plot or the Ft. Hood shooting; and why the Obama administration had to know al-Awlaki's son was a minor...

Max Blumenthal, author of the upcoming book Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel, discusses his article "How Law Enforcement and Media Covered Up the Plan to Burn Christopher Dorner Alive;" the online police scanner recordings that prove the cops (using "burners") were intent on extrajudicial assassination, not capture and arrest; the media's failure to provide coverage and ask important questions; and how Dorner exposed the deep animosity many Americans feel toward cops.

Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, discusses the French military offensive in Mali and the potential for blowback; Africa's past and present neocolonial domination; and the evidence that knowledgeable, competent government officials aren't calling the shots on US foreign policy.

Steve Breyman, former William C. Foster Visiting Scholar Fellow at the US State Department, discusses his article "Why the War on Terror Endures;" how the neoconservatives remain prominent media figures despite being wrong about everything; our culture of government impunity and failing upwards; how the deck is stacked in favor of the MSM's conventional (wrong) wisdom; the huge increase in terrorist attacks since the War on Terror's inception; the political climate that breeds religious...

Lew Rockwell, founder and chairman of the Mises Institute, discusses the Federal Reserve System's disastrous 100-year history; the rising popularity of Austrian economics thanks in large part to Ron Paul; achieving a brighter future by eschewing Keynes and taking away the government's control of the money supply; the problem with artificially low interest rates; and why central banking is nearly the worst thing to ever happen to mankind.

Ira Chernus, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, discusses Secretary of State John Kerry's frank admission that "foreign policy is economic policy;" how the US came to dominate and "impose order" in the global marketplace; how the government manufactures the consent of Americans to start wars; individualism versus global citizenship and responsibility; and why antiwar activists waste energy when they try divining the government's "true motive" for waging war.