Scott talks to Robert Naiman about the efforts in congress and the senate to oppose the war in Yemen and stymie any escalation in a conflict with Iran. Naiman is optimistic that a concurrent resolution against the war in Yemen, which Trump cannot veto, will have enough support to make it through congress. Republicans and many in the media maintain that a concurrent resolution is merely symbolic, with no power to bind the president. But Naiman assures us that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 specifically cites a concurrent resolution as the means by which congress can end an unauthorized war. Those who deny this, he says, are living in their own fantasy.

Robert Naiman is Policy Director at Just Foreign Policy and president of the board of Truthout. He helped write The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire. Find him on Twitter @naiman.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Francis Boyle explains why President Trump should be impeached—not for the charges of corruption and abuse of power in Ukraine, but for his war crimes in continuing the aggressive wars of the Bush and Obama administrations. Boyle thinks that Trump’s behavior with Ukraine probably constitutes an abuse of power, but mostly agrees that it’s just a continuation of the “Russiagate” witch hunt by the democrats. Clearly Trump’s real crime is allowing Saudi Arabia to perpetrate its war of genocide by starvation against Yemen, which is only possible with American equipment, intelligence, and consent. Scott and Boyle agree that Trump could end that war today simply by announcing that the U.S. will no longer support it. By not doing so, he is just as guilty as those waging the war.

Discussed on the show:

• “Why Not Impeach Trump for War Crimes?” (Accuracy.Org)

Francis Boyle is a human rights lawyer and a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He is the author of Defending Civil Resistance Under International Law and Protesting Power: War, Resistance, And Law.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Scott talks to Matthew Hoh about the claim that General Soleimani and the Iranians were directly responsible for 600 American deaths in the war in Iraq, which supposedly would justify the general’s recent assassination by President Trump. Hoh explains that although it’s generally true that some Iranian money supported certain militant groups that the U.S. fought against in Iraq, we have little to no concrete evidence of the Iranian military ordering, planning, or supporting any attacks on American soldiers. In fact by the evidentiary standards of the anti-Iran hawks, there is far more evidence for the guilt of gulf states like Saudi Arabia supporting America’s enemies, and these countries are supposed to be our allies. Those really responsible for these 600 dead Americans—and for the tens of thousands who come home with physical and psychological wounds, the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, and the entire nations that have been destroyed in America’s war on terror—are our elected politicians and “selfless” public servants who advocate these policies and face little repercussion.

Discussed on the show:

• The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany

Matthew Hoh is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Hoh is a member of the Board of Directors for Council for a Livable World and is an Advisory Board Member for Expose Facts. He writes on issues of war, peace and post-traumatic stress disorder recovery at matthewhoh.com.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Patrick Cockburn discusses the recent killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani at an airport in Baghdad. Cockburn is surprised by the boldness of the move, and thinks Iran will respond, though not necessarily in a dramatic or immediate way. More likely, he says, Iran will try to increase its influence in Iraq and force the U.S. out, which should be easier now that the killing of Soleimani—generally unpopular with Iraqis—has actually made him a martyr of American authoritarianism.

Discussed on the show:

• “Iraq’s worst fears have come true – they are now at the centre of a proxy war between the US and Iran” (Independent)

Patrick Cockburn is the Middle East correspondent for The Independent and the author of The Age of Jihad and Chaos & Caliphate.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Scott talks with Brett Murphy about his recent USA Today article exposing a disastrous U.S. military raid in 2008 that killed 60 Afghan children. The U.S. government tried to cover up the incident and paint it as a perfect success, so it was not until now that Murphy and others have been able to expose what really happened. Scott reminds us to imagine how we would feel if a foreign government occupied our country, accidentally killed our children, denied it, and then tried to “win hearts and minds.” Clearly, anyone would have just the opposite feelings toward their oppressors, and the example reminds us why wars like the one in Afghanistan are so hopeless.

Discussed on the show:

• “Inside the U.S. military’s raid against its own security guards that left dozens of Afghan children dead” (USA Today)
• “1/2/20 Peter Van Buren on the Americans Dying for the Government’s Lies” (The Libertarian Institute)

Brett Murphy is an investigative reporter for the USA Today Network in Florida. Follow him on Twitter @BrettMmurphy.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Mustafa Akyol talks about his latest New York Times op-ed, which describes a backlash among the people of the Muslim world to some of the political extremism that has recently become common in the Middle East. Scott and Akyol rehash the history of radical Islamist movements that have sprung up in response to the actions of the U.S., turning regimes like Libya, Iraq, and Egypt that were stable and secular—if not perfect by American standards—into murderous and chaotic theocracies. A decade or so later, a sort of “backlash to the backlash” is now emerging in the form of Muslim populaces who are sick and tired of heinous actions being taken in the name of their religion. This gives Akyol hope for the future of his country, Turkey, and for the rest of the region.

Discussed on the show:

• “A New Secularism Is Appearing in Islam” (The New York Times)

Mustafa Akyol is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. He is the author of The Islamic Jesusand Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty. Follow him on Twitter @AkyolinEnglish.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Peter Van Buren talks about the unlearned lessons from America’s last several decades of foreign policy failures. Although a presidential administration will occasionally make a blunder that results in something like ISIS or the empowerment of Iran, for the most part, says Van Buren, the endless and unwinnable wars, the bloated military spending, and a nation that worships its military are all part of the plan for the neocons, neoliberals, and the military industrial complex and its lobbyists. It is really the well-intentioned but gullible American people who keep falling for the same lies, eagerly sending their sons and daughters off to die in pointless conflicts. And so long as they do so, things will continue just as they are.

Discussed on the show:

• “This American Died For Our Lies In Afghanistan” (The American Conservative)
• “U.S. officials misled the public about the war in Afghanistan, confidential documents reveal” (Washington Post)
• “Pentagon Papers” (HISTORY)
• OPCW Douma Docs

Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People and the novel Hooper’s War. He is now a contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Tim Shorrock discusses the negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea. Shorrock explains why the strategy pursued by American neocons—and therefore President Trump’s cabinet—of crushing economic sanctions until North Korea agrees to complete denuclearization, and a more gradual policy that both Koreas favor, are totally incompatible. To make things worse, democrats at home try to portray Trump as a lover of dictators, making it hard for him to negotiate with someone like Kim. On top of this domestic political pressure, powerful lobbies in Washington have a huge financial interest in keeping the current cold war stalemate going in perpetuity.

Discussed on the show:

• “A Low-Intensity War Is Underway in Northeast Asia” (The Nation)

Tim Shorrock is the author of Spies For Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing and a regular contributor to The Nation and the Korea Center for Investigative Reporting. Follow him on Twitter @TimothyS.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Lyle J. Goldstein talks about the need for Russia and Ukraine to get along better, and in general for Europe to handle more of its military and foreign affairs without the involvement of the U.S. Much has been made in certain American circles of supposed Russian aggression in Crimea and Syria, two major pillars of the narrative that Russia is a dangerous enemy that must be met with strength. But these claims present a very slanted narrative, and are mostly used by those who want to keep the U.S. military involved in policing the entire world.

Discussed on the show:

• “The War in Ukraine Must End” (The National Interest)

Lyle J. Goldstein is Research Professor in the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) at the United States Naval War College in Newport, RI. He is the author of Meeting China Halfway: How to Defuse the Emerging US-China Rivalry. Follow his work at The National Interest.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Scott interviews John Kiriakou about the history of the CIA’s secret torture program. Kiriakou was involved in the 2002 capture of Abu Zubaydah, who was initially interrogated with some success by the FBI, before his interrogation was eventually taken over by the CIA. Zubaydah was the first victim of the CIA’s torture regime, which, Kiriakou says, completely failed to produce any actionable intelligence. Kiriakou eventually blew the whistle on the program and served time in prison as part of a plea deal.

Discussed on the show:

• “JOHN KIRIAKOU: Those Torture Drawings in the NYT” (Consortium News)
• “Secret world of US jails” (The Guardian)
• “The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis” (Skyhorse Publishing)
• Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare
• Murder at Camp Delta: A Staff Sergeant’s Pursuit of the Truth About Guantanamo Bay
• “The Report (2019)” (IMDb)
• “Marty Gottesfeld: Another Whistleblower in Solitary Confinement” (MintPress News)

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer and author of The Convenient Terrorist: Two Whistleblowers’ Stories of Torture, Terror, Secret Wars, and CIA Lies and Doing Time Like A Spy. He is the host of Loud and Clear on Sputnik Radio. Follow him on Twitter @JohnKiriakou.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Jim Bovard talks about America’s lack of faith in the FBI, as represented by both the film Richard Jewell and also the Inspector General’s report about the Bureau’s failures in conducting the “Russiagate” probe. The FBI’s history of incompetence and outright malice goes back much further than that though, says Bovard, who remembers the malfeasance of the Nixon administration and the deliberate sabotage of the civil rights movement. Bovard and Scott find reason for hope, however, in the fact that many of the nation’s conservatives, who often support the very worst of America’s policies, seem to be taking a firm and principled stand against proposals for gun confiscation. Bovard reminds us that even many members of the police and military still believe in the personal liberties guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.

Discussed on the show:

• “Richard Jewell, Carter Page And The Illusion Of The FBI’s Power And Competence” (The Daily Caller)
• “Richard Jewell (2019)” (IMDb)
• “Banning Guns Will Not Make Schools Safe” (The Future of Freedom Foundation)
• “It begins: Virginia forms active militia to protect sheriffs, citizens from unconstitutional laws” (Law Enforcement Today)

Jim Bovard is a columnist for USA Today and the author of Public Policy Hooligan: Rollicking and Wrangling from Helltown to Washington. Find all of his books and read his work on his website and follow him on Twitter @JimBovard.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Dave DeCamp discusses the latest leaks related to the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma in 2018, which continue to point to the fact that it was staged. The most recent leaker dissents from the conclusions of the OPCW investigators that the supposed chlorine gas canisters were dropped into the apartment building from planes or helicopters. He claims instead that they were planted to make the scene look like a chemical attack. Other dissenters have cast doubt on medical reports from the victims, and on the evidence of supposed chemical weapons byproducts found on the scene. Despite its many holes, the official narrative continues to get used as an excuse to keep fighting the Assad regime, and to prevent U.S. troops from ever pulling out of Syria.

Discussed on the show:

• “New Leaks Provide Further Evidence Into OPCW Douma Cover Up” (Antiwar.com Original)
• “WikiLeaks” (OPCW Douma Docs)
• “5/26/19 Ted Postol on the Proof that the Douma Attack was Staged” (The Libertarian Institute)
• “Postol: Newly Revealed Documents Show Syrian Chemical “Attacks Were Staged”” (Accuracy.Org)
• “How the OPCW’s investigation of the Douma incident was nobbled” (Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Sheldon Richman discusses America’s relationship to Israel in the wake of President Trump’s speech to Sheldon Adelson’s Israeli-American Council. Trump has received criticism as being anti-semitic for saying that American Jews, particularly democrats, do not “love Israel enough.” This is odd, says Richman, since usually allegations of anti-semitism are based on people claiming that American Jews might have a special loyalty to Israel. He laments the fact that nobody cares about consistent principle anymore, happy instead to resort to sophistry and persecution if they think it will be convenient to their side’s interests in the short term.

Discussed on the show:

• “But Mr. Trump, Is Israel Lovable?” (Antiwar.com Original)
• 116th Congress (2019-2020): Ant-Semitism Awareness Act of 2019
• “The Stolen Life of Christopher Tapp” (The Libertarian Institute)

Sheldon Richman is the executive editor of the Libertarian Institute and the author of Coming to Palestine and America’s Counter-Revolution: The Constitution Revisited. Follow him on Twitter @SheldonRichman.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Scott interviews Nasser Arrabyee about Yemen, where the U.S. continues to back Suadi Arabia in waging a war of starvation against the people of Yemen. Scott calls this the very worst thing our government is doing, and yet by and large the American people don’t much care about it. Arrabyee says that Houthi leaders are beginning to talk with the Saudis through backchannels, which could be the first step toward a deescalation of the bombing and a reopening of airports, which would allow desperately needed foreign aid to get to the Yemenis.

Nasser Arrabyee is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the owner and director of yemen-now.com. You can follow him on Twitter @narrabyee.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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Peter Van Buren discusses the details of the Horowitz Report and gives a retrospective of the whole Russia conspiracy investigation into President Trump. Van Buren stresses that the Steele dossier—opposition research paid for by the democrats—was the only evidence presented by the FBI to the FISA courts in order to get warrants to surveil Carter Page. The FBI knew the research was questionable at the very least, but did not disclose that fact, and also misled the courts into thinking that their was corroborating evidence, which in reality was also based on the Steele dossier. And worst of all, the FBI knew Carter Page was actually working with the CIA, but didn’t disclose that either. Van Buren thinks it comical that Horowitz found 17 cases of FBI “mistakes”, all of which favored their agency to the detriment of Trump, but still concluded no political bias.

Discussed on the show:

• “Can We Impeach The FBI Now?” (The American Conservative)
• Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation 120919-examination

Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People and the novel Hooper’s War. He is now a contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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