2/6/18 Elijah Magnier on Iran’s waning influence in Iraq

Veteran war correspondent Elijah Magnier returns to the show to discuss his latest article, "Iran is Losing Influence in Iraq: Is Qassem Soleimani the Right Person?" Magnier breaks down the degree to which Iraq and Iran see eye to eye about policy, the political climate in the lead up to elections in Iraq, and explains how it came to be that the Iraqis rejected the aid of their long-term ally Soleimani. Magnier then returns to the Sunni insurgency in Iraq over a decade ago and describes the...

1/3/18 Muhammad Sahimi on the protests in Iran

USC professor Muhammad Sahimi returns to the show to discuss the latest developments in the protests in Iran,  describes how the current regime is responsible for the justified grievances of the people protesting, and explains why some people fear regime change given the opportunistic nature of .the Trump administration, the aftermath of post-Gaddafi Libya, and the role of the Iranian far right in fomenting the protests. Sahimi then explains how the Iran Deal has backfired for Rouhani who...

11/29/17 Reese Erlich on Saudi Arabia’s expanding role in the Middle East

Reese Erlich joins Scott to discuss Saudi Arabia and their new de facto King, Mohamed Bin Salman, the story behind Lebanon prime minister Saad al-Hariri's resignation and subsequent un-resignation, and the deep discord in Trump's state department over it all. Erlich and Scott then discuss Trump's heightened tension with Iran, how the Iraq War was a major gift to the Iranians, and why the concern for control of the global oil supply has determined much of U.S. foreign policy. Lastly, Erlich...

10/27/17 Gareth Porter deconstructs Trump’s decision to decertify the Iran Deal

Gareth Porter returns to the show to discuss his latest article for The American Conservative "Trump Trashes Iran Deal to Satisfy Netanyahu." Porter discusses Trump's goal to convince Congress to pass new sanctions against Iran and explains why, even if the United States breaks the deal, Iran may have incentives to remain in the deal. Porter and Scott then take a trip back down memory road to the outset of the Iraq War and the role Iran played in helping push the U.S. gears into war. The two...

10/13/17 Reza Marashi on the likelihood of Trump decertifying the Iran Deal

Research director of the National Iranian American Council Reza Marashi returns to the show to discuss Donald Trump's likely decision to decertify the Iran Deal. Scott puts the question to Marashi: What's so good about the Iran Deal? Marashi says it ensures that Iran can't attempt to build a nuclear weapon without being caught, it helps avoid war between the United States and Iran by resolving one point of contention, and, at least until the Trump administration came to power, it created...

9/27/17 Muhammad Sahimi debunks neoconservative lies about Iran

USC professor Muhammad Sahimi returns to the show to discuss his latest article “Deconstructing Neoconservatives’ Manifesto for War With Iran.” Sahimi debunks the misinformation and lies being spread by John Bolton and other neoconservatives about the Iran Deal, explains in detail the steps Iran has taken to ease tensions with the United States, and lists the many hypocrisies of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Sahimi hammers home the fact that, should the U.S. void the Iran Deal, no...

9/27/17 Julian Borger: White House Pressuring CIA to Find Iran in Noncompliance of Nuclear Deal

World affairs editor for the Guardian Julian Borger returns to the show to discuss his latest article “White House ‘pressuring’ intelligence officials to find Iran in violation of nuclear deal.” Borger details the pressure CIA officials are facing from the White House to find or procure evidence of Iran being in noncompliance with the nuclear deal. But while Borger believes there’s hope that the CIA isn’t willing to play ball, he details how the Trump administration is finding other creative...

9/21/17 Trita Parsi on the potential dangers of escalating tensions with Iran

President of the National Iranian American Council Trita Parsi returns to the show to discuss the Iran Nuclear Deal and what's at stake should the Trump administration attempt to nix the deal and why his bellicose approach to Iran could have significant consequences. Parsi explains Congress's role in the life of the deal, and why even a Republican-controlled Congress might be hesitant to kill the deal. Trita Parsi is the president of the National Iranian American Council and the author of...

9/10/17 Gareth Porter on the possibility of a diplomatic solution in North Korea

Gareth Porter joins Scott on Antiwar Radio on KPFK to discuss his latest article for Antiwar.com, "Can the US and North Korea Move From Threats to Negotiations?" Porter details how America's history of foreign intervention has been North Korea's primary motivation for seeking nuclear deterrence and why, as a result, there is no military option in North Korea. And the question we all want answered: is this all ultimately leading toward regime change in Pyongyang? Finally, Porter addresses the...

9/8/17 Kelley B. Vlahos on the Trump strategy to end the Iran Deal

Kelley B. Vlahos, managing editor of the American Conservative, returns to the show to discuss her latest article "Haley Debuts Trump's Case for Ending Iran Nuclear Deal." Vlahos reviews the Iran Deal, explains how the neocons see Trump as an ally on Iran, and explains why Nikki Haley's speech to the American Enterprise Institute is a likely preview of Donald Trump's strategy to torpedo the Iran Deal. Scott and Vlahos then review the history of Iran-American tensions and speculate how the...

Wednesday Mornin’ Coffee

News Round-Up:

U.S. to send Marines to Libya to bolster security: official

Is Privacy Dead? 4 Government and Private Entities Conspiring to Track Everything You Do Online and Off

US Embassies in Algeria, Tunisia Warn of Protests

The Case Against War: Ten Years Later

Is there no Plan B for Iran?

Tuesday Mornin’ Coffee

News Round-Up:

The Deafness Before the Storm

The Persecution of John Kiriakou

Why is Georgia Secretly Giving Student Test Scores to Military Recruiters?

Israeli Leader Sharpens Call on U.S. to Set Limits on Iran

How We Became Israel

Remember When Obama Thought the FISA Amendments Act Was Imperfect?

Monday Mornin’ Coffee

America’s refusal to extradite Bolivia’s ex-president to face genocide charges
Forget Iran, it’s Israel’s Nuclear Gun Pointed at Obama’s Head The Greatest Myth of American Politics?
The tug o’ war at Bagram
India and Pakistan sign landmark visa deal
China’s Presumptive New Leader Is Mysteriously Absent
Turkey puts 44 journalists on trial for terrorism and backing pro-Kurd group