Roy Gutman, Baghdad Bureau Chief for McClatchy Newspapers, discusses his article “Kirkuk is a ‘land mine’ where all sides want U.S. to stay;” why the majority of Iraq’s elite in government and the military want the US to remain as a stabilizing force; striking a balance on training Iraqi troops, so they are competent enough to repel foreign attacks (nevermind that their country is currently occupied by a foreign army) but not too strong to threaten regional powers; and why Moqtada al-Sadr’s...
07/20/11 – Philip Giraldi – The Scott Horton Show
Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses the Iranian government’s claim of shooting down a US drone near a nuclear enrichment facility; former CIA officer Robert Baer’s warning about an Israeli-instigated war with Iran, designed to disrupt the September UN vote on a Palestinian state; the Congress’s unconditional support for Benjamin Netanyahu’s every move, no matter how crazy or belligerent; and why Obama doesn’t have the guts to defy Congress and AIPAC by making Israel fight its own...
07/19/11 – Will Grigg – The Scott Horton Show
Will Grigg, blogger and author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses the “Character First” program spun off from Bill Gothard’s increasingly popular Christian ministry (or authoritarian cult) that advocates abject deference to a military-style hierarchy in all human interactions; parallels with prewar Germany’s rising authoritarianism; and why true character (like Bradley Manning’s) is revealed through bravely opposing unjust authority, not blindly following orders.
07/18/11 – Stephan Salisbury – The Scott Horton Show
Stephan Salisbury, author of Mohamed’s Ghosts: An American Story of Love and Fear in the Homeland, discusses his article “Islam-Baiting Doesn’t Work” at tomdispatch.com; the increased popularity of Islam-bashing in political campaigns – despite the fact most practitioners in 2010 lost their elections; the real facts on Sharia law “taking over” the US justice system (and if you’re still scared, get out of the bunker, take a look outside and be comforted by the lack of marauding religious...
07/18/11 – John Glaser – The Scott Horton Show
John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses his revitalization of Antiwar.com’s long-neglected blog; the many obstacles “on the ground” obstructing a complete US withdrawal from Iraq; how Obama has managed to get the US involved in six simultaneous wars; and why public apathy, though understandable from the deluge of bad news, means the government has us exactly where they want us.
07/15/11 – Gareth Porter – The Scott Horton Show
This interview is also available (here) in a version packaged for broadcast on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, with an introductory summary of foreign policy news and Antiwar Radio interviews from the week of July 11-15. Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses his article “What Is Sadr’s Game on Future US Troop Presence?” at antiwar.com, about Moqtada al-Sadr trying to have it both ways, by privately agreeing to an extended US troop presence (and getting free...
07/15/11 – Glenn Greenwald – The Scott Horton Show
Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com blogger and author of With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful, discusses WIRED magazine’s much-delayed release of the full Bradley Manning/Adrian Lamo chat logs; the lies and omissions from Lamo and WIRED editors Evan Hansen and Kevin Poulsen; newly revealed information that could aid Manning’s legal defense (like Lamo’s claim of confidentiality); and the very weak connection between Manning and WikiLeaks’...
07/14/11 – Jeremy Scahill – The Scott Horton Show
Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, discusses his article “The CIA’s Secret Sites in Somalia” at The Nation; why Somalia’s very weak central government would quickly fall to Al Shabab without support from the US and African Union; the latest discovered secret CIA prison/training facility “black site” in Mogadishu; a reminder that US intervention didn’t start yesterday, and that previous efforts have led to the disaster unfolding today;...
07/14/11 – Fred Branfman – The Scott Horton Show
Fred Branfman, a writer and longtime activist, discusses his article “Obama’s Secret Wars: How Our Shady Counter-Terrorism Policies Are More Dangerous Than Terrorism” at AlterNet; the “industrial-sized” US killing machine, purportedly used to win the war on terrorism, that strikes with impunity the world over; how drone strikes and assassinations create new enemies far faster than “terrorists” are killed, with the added bonus of destabilizing allied governments; the lack of a cohesive US...
07/13/11 – Eric Margolis – The Scott Horton Show
Eric Margolis, foreign correspondent and author of War at the Top of the World and American Raj, discusses why France and the US are working in tandem against the Assad regime in Syria; how Syria’s dissolution would cause massive regional upheaval, and should cause the West and Israel to rethink regime change plans; the public relations trappings that disguise naked imperialism by the US/NATO; the “low IQ” hawks in Congress who shout “send in the troops!” but don’t know Syria from Senegal; and...
07/13/11 – Adam Morrow – The Scott Horton Show
Adam Morrow, journalist with IPS News, discusses the return of million-man demonstrations in Egypt’s Tahrir Square; the powerful forces allied against successful Egyptian democratization; why world leaders, especially the autocratic ones tenuously holding power, are very worried about Hosni Mubarak’s prosecution; and the end of the honeymoon between Egypt’s protesters and the once-beloved army.
07/12/11 – Laura Pitter – The Scott Horton Show
Laura Pitter, counterterrorism advisor in Human Rights Watch’s Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program, discusses the HRW report “Getting Away With Torture;” why the Bush administration should be criminally investigated for its torture program; giving compensation to torture victims who cannot bring suit in court due to state secrets privilege; the illegality of holding prisoners incommunicado in “black sites,” even if they are otherwise treated humanely; why federal courts are more fair and...
07/12/11 – Pepe Escobar – The Scott Horton Show
Pepe Escobar, journalist and author of Obama Does Globalistan, discusses his article “What’s really at stake in Libya” at the Asia Times; the underlying “war of acronyms” in Libya (NATO and AFRICOM vs BRIC and EU); the Taliban’s resurgent strength and ability to strike at will; al-Qaeda’s strategy to shift the Afghan war to Pakistan’s tribal areas, as revealed in Syed Saleem Shahzad’s book; the slim chance regional powers (China, India, Russia, Iran, Pakistan) can work a deal to bring peace...
07/11/11 – Muhammad Sahimi – The Scott Horton Show
Muhammad Sahimi, Professor of Chemical Engineering and political columnist on Iran issues, discusses his article “Don’t Remove the MEK From the Terrorist List;” at antiwar.com; why the US chose to keep MEK leaders safe in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, rather than exchange them for al-Qaeda members held in Iran; the groundswell of support in the US (thanks to a suspiciously large budget, neoconservative allies and successful lobbying) for removing the MEK from the State Department’s list of...
07/11/11 – Ray McGovern – The Scott Horton Show
Ray McGovern, member of Veterans For Peace and former senior analyst at the CIA, discusses his part in the latest (unsuccessful) Gaza Aid flotilla on “The Audacity of Hope;” how Hillary Clinton essentially gave a green light for an Israeli attack against unarmed American activists; why Greek cooperation with Israel and the US in halting the flotilla may be the price paid for an economic bailout; George Washington’s wisdom on the dangers of entangling foreign alliances; a White House official...
