James Bamford, author of The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America, discusses his article “The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)” and his follow-up response to NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander’s testimony to Congress; details on the immense new Utah data center; the NSA’s many telecom switch eavesdropping posts, extending far beyond the AT&T San Francisco facility revealed in 2006; whistleblower William Binney’s...
03/21/12 – Peter Certo – The Scott Horton Show
Peter Certo, editorial assistant at Right Web and the Institute for Policy Studies, discusses his article “U.S. Government Finally Catching up With MEK Boosters Like Ed Rendell;” the shocking development that the rule of law might actually apply to former high-level US government officials; the usual suspects – humanitarian activists and Muslims who upload videos on YouTube – who face “material support” of terrorism charges under the PATRIOT Act; and the connection between the MEK’s...
03/21/12 – Kevin Zeese – The Scott Horton Show
Kevin Zeese, Executive Director of VotersForPeace and Co-Chair of Come Home America, discusses his article “Dismissal Is the Only Option in Bradley Manning Case;” the prosecution’s withholding of government damage-assessment reports, which could help disprove Manning’s “aiding the enemy” charge; statements from President Obama and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey (last paragraph) that bolster an “unlawful command influence” defense; and whether Judge Col. Denise Lind will rule fairly,...
03/19/12 – Delphine Halgand – The Scott Horton Show
Delphine Halgand, Washington DC Director for Reporters Without Borders, discusses the RWB report “Beset by online surveillance and content filtering, netizens fight on;” the list of countries that are “enemies of the internet” or on the verge; the Obama administration’s persecution of WikiLeaks and whistleblowers in general; how social media helped spread the Arab Spring revolutions; why China won’t allow bloggers to use pseudonyms; and why internet filtering and censorship ultimately can’t...
03/19/12 – Umar Farooq – The Scott Horton Show
Umar Farooq, intern at The Nation, discusses his article “Our immoral drone war;” why the media pursues a cause-and-effect rationalization when an American commits an atrocity, but not when a Muslim does; the cycle of violence and radicalization in the US and Pakistan; why billions in US aid to Pakistan aren’t enough to offset the War on Terror’s destructive force; and whether Stanley McChrystal’s “insurgent math” applies to Pakistanis as well as Afghans.
03/19/12 – Barbara Slavin – The Scott Horton Show
Barbara Slavin, author of Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S. and the Twisted Path to Confrontation, discusses her article “Subtle Signs Obama Diplomacy May Work on Iran;” who was really at fault for Iran’s failed uranium fuel-swap deal in 2009; growing concern with Iran’s 20% enrichment process that yields medical isotopes and a “breakout” capability; and why the Treasury Department’s investigation of MEK shills like Edward Rendell may be Obama’s way of reaching out to...
03/16/12 – Reza Marashi – The Scott Horton Show
Reza Marashi, Research Director for the National Iranian American Council, discusses his article “Money vs. Facts: The Mujahedin-e Khalq Is a Terrorist Organization;” the chorus of voices turning the tables on the MEK’s latest PR campaign; the Treasury Department investigation of Ed Rendell (and other prominent ex-politicians who are paid to speak on MEK’s behalf – a.k.a. providing “material support” to terrorists); and why Israel is the most likely source of MEK funding – meaning the “only...
03/15/12 – John Cook – The Scott Horton Show
John Cook, editor at Gawker.com, discusses his article “How the FBI Monitored Crusty Punks, ‘Anarchist Hangouts,’ and an Organic Farmers’ Market Under the Guise of Combating Terrorism;” the Bush administration’s obsession with animal-rights and environmental activists, who were the primary focus of post-9/11 domestic terrorism policy; how the FBI quickly expanded their “Seizing Thunder” operation beyond federal criminal investigations, devoting resources to staking out farmers’ markets and...
03/14/12 – Jasmin Ramsey – The Scott Horton Show
Jasmin Ramsey, an Iranian-born journalist and editor of Lobe Log, discusses her article “10 Myths About Iran — And Why They’re Dead Wrong;” making it clear that Iran is a nation of 70 million individuals, not some great amorphous threat signified by lines drawn on a map; US hypocrisy on international monitoring – demanding that Iran comply with intrusive IAEA inspections while refusing the UN torture chief’s request to interview Bradley Manning privately; why Iran is not a military threat to...
03/14/12 – John Feffer – The Scott Horton Show
John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies, discusses his new book Crusade 2.0: The West’s Resurgent War on Islam; how the Obama administration is “bribing Israel” with offers of bunker buster bombs and long range aircraft if Israel will wait until after the election to attack Iran; looking at the pros and cons – for Iran – in pursuing a nuclear weapon; and the lack of resolve in US policy on Syria.
03/14/12 – Jason Leopold – The Scott Horton Show
Jason Leopold, lead investigative reporter of Truthout and author of News Junkie, discusses his article “US Subjected Manning to Cruel, Inhuman, Degrading Treatment, UN Torture Chief Concludes;” how Manning’s treatment highlights the State Department’s stunning hypocrisy when they finger-wag at other countries for human rights violations; why most Americans think Manning is a traitor and deserves whatever punishment he got in custody, even though he hasn’t been convicted of anything; and UN...
03/13/12 – Peter Hunt – The Scott Horton Show
Peter Hart, activism director at Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, discusses how pro-Israel media watchdogs like CAMERA control the narrative by making the NY Times print seemingly minor retractions (although the Foreign Agents Registration Act marks the difference between an “Israel lobbying group” and a “pro-Israel lobbying group”); why the media won’t stick their necks out on an issue that Democrats and Republicans agree on; Hart’s media advisory “After Afghan Massacre, War Gets Victim...
03/13/12 – Will Grigg – The Scott Horton Show
Will Grigg, blogger and author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses his article “The Resistance Rises: Restoring the ‘Castle Doctrine;’” why the passage of Indiana’s Senate Bill 1, restoring the right to defend your own home, won’t mean it’s “open season on law enforcement;” how the War on Drugs hastened the demise of both the castle doctrine and Fourth Amendment; how infamous former LAPD chief Daryl Gates helped militarize police forces, pioneering SWAT and DARE; and why, if you legally must...
03/13/12 – Jason Ditz – The Scott Horton Show
Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the possibility of another Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, like Operation Cast Lead in 2009; the unequal exchange of fire between rocket-toting Gazans and Israel’s formidable, US-supplied military; dropping the pretense of Yemeni government cooperation and foreknowledge of US drone strikes in Yemen; struggling to understand why the US is so intent on killing people in rural, agricultural tribal regions (Yemen, AfPak), whose...
03/12/12 – Saul Landau – The Scott Horton Show
Saul Landau, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, discusses his article “Malice v. Nobility: Scooter Libby v. Bradley Manning;” how Libby managed to “out” Valerie Plame, instigate the Iraq War, and get convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice without spending a day in prison (thanks to Bush’s commutation); why Manning would now be a free man if he had massacred Iraqi civilians instead of (allegedly) leaking classified information exposing the dirty deeds of the US...
