Monthly Archives: January 2012

Antiwar Radio: Scott Horton

The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses his article “Spanish Court Resumes Gitmo Prosecution;” the many other foreign courts, frustrated with the US’s refusal to act, restarting their own torture prosecutions; uncertainty of how high up the chain of command indictments will go, and whether the White House OLC lawyers enabling torture will be targeted; how WikiLeaks got the ball rolling again by exposing high-level US efforts to squash previous Spanish investigations of American political and military figures; the US’s repudiation of international law and universal jurisdiction, after helping establish them after WWII; and Ron Paul’s effort to repeal the NDAA’s indefinite detention provision.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:43 — 4.7MB)

Antiwar Radio: Pepe Escobar

Globetrotting journalist Pepe Escobar discusses his article “Sinking the Petrodollar in the Persian Gulf;” the increasingly divergent US and Israeli “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear program; proposed pipelines that would route oil around the Persian Gulf, marginalizing Iran’s ability to shut the Strait of Hormuz; how sanctions on Iran have lessened the US dollar’s dominance in global oil trading transactions; and the civil strife in Syria, where the opposition is no more credible than the reigning minority Assad regime.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:08 — 6.0MB)

Antiwar Radio: Philip Giraldi

Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi discusses his article ”What War With Iran Might Look Like;” the many layers of obfuscation (like peeling an onion) in the Jundallah/CIA/Mossad frame-up; President Bush’s “absolutely ballistic” response to Israeli operatives, posing as CIA officers, recruiting Jundullah agents to commit terrorist acts in Iran; and why the Obama administration is powerless to stop Israel from starting a war with Iran (and dragging the US along with it).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:40 — 4.5MB)

Antiwar Radio: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses why the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) would give Americans a taste of Chinese-style Internet censorship; the decline of media coverage on Libya since Hillary Clinton’s “We came, we saw, he died” gloating about Muammar Qaddafi’s execution; talk of Libyan oil exports closing the gap caused by proposed sanctions on Iran; and how Yemen’s internal security problems are delaying their bogus one-candidate presidential election.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:05 — 4.4MB)

Antiwar Radio: Gareth Porter

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses the Israeli Mossad’s false flag operation that made the CIA appear responsible for terrorist attacks inside Iran; using Jundullah to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists to provoke a military response – not set back their nuclear program; how terrorist attacks marginalize Iranian political moderates and make diplomatic negotiations with the US impossible; and the predictable nationalistic “blowback” response of Iranian students, who are defiantly switching majors to nuclear science.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:59 — 4.6MB)

Antiwar Radio: John Glaser

John Glaser, Assistant Editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the profound disrespect shown by US Marines toward dead Afghans and the ho-hum response of Americans; yet another pending military investigation that will drag on until the scandal is forgotten, at which point all parties will be exonerated (except the occasional low-ranking soldier); how the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan contradicts 10+ years of “progress” reports; and why the Obama administration ignores “insurgent math” and maintains the status quo, knowing full well Afghanistan policy is counterproductive.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:43 — 4.5MB)

Antiwar Radio: Roy Gutman

Roy Gutman, Baghdad Bureau Chief for McClatchy Newspapers, discusses the bureaucratic hindrances to the MEK’s move out of Camp Ashraf in Iraq; how individual asylum cases will essentially force the MEK to disband (as no country is willing to accept the whole group); Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki’s efforts to consolidate power in the splintered and unworkable Iraqi government system; the many Iraqi politicians with huge security forces that also function as hit squads against rivals; why Iraq’s political outcome is critical to the region, world oil market and Western world; how Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are jockeying for position in the “up for grabs” countries of Syria and Iraq; why US intervention in the Middle East is necessary to protect oil resources and fill the security vacuum; and the merits of US interventionism in general, from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:43 — 14.6MB)

Antiwar Radio: Robert Koehler

Nationally syndicated writer Robert Koehler discusses his article “‘Bugsplat’: the civilian toll of war;” robbing America’s enemies of their humanity through derisive name calling or utter indifference; how US nationalism – America’s civic religion – permits the government to commit atrocities abroad without domestic political repercussions; why all the regular people look like ants to those on high; and military recruiting through video games and high unemployment.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:27 — 4.7MB)

Antiwar Radio: Mark Sheffield

Mark Sheffield of the Policy on Point blog discusses his article “Skip the Turban, Check the Brain: It’s Called the Persian Gulf for a Reason;” why the Persian Gulf qualifies as US-occupied territory; the mainstream media’s spin on Iran’s naval war games and their bluff and bluster about closing the Strait of Hormuz; Iran’s asymmetrical options for counterattacking a US or Israeli airstrike; and the danger of Silkworm missiles to US naval vessels, especially aircraft carriers.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:19 — 4.4MB)

Antiwar Radio: Gareth Porter

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses the Israeli Mossad chief’s admission that a nuclear-armed Iran would not be an “existential threat;” the conflict between policy “realists” in Israel’s military and intelligence community and the “messianic” hawks aligned with Netanyahu and Ehud Barak; why a Republican presidential victory in 2012 (excepting Ron Paul) would advance Netanyahu’s push for war; how ever-harsher sanctions are leading to a complete shutdown of Iran’s oil exports (which could provoke a reaction like Japan’s in 1941); and why Obama would be “crazy” to push for a Libyan-style regime change in Syria.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:44 — 6.6MB)

Antiwar Radio: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s attempt to purge Sunnis from government; how Iraq’s central state is being challenged by Kurdish and Sunni autonomous regions; the thousands of Americans remaining in Iraq to staff the embassy and provide training; why most members of Congress still don’t understand that the US gave Iraq to Iran on a silver platter; and how the recent killing of 35 Kurds by the Turkish military resembles the US practice of execution without due process.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:28 — 4.5MB)

Antiwar Radio: Anthony Gregory

Anthony Gregory, Research Editor at the Independent Institute, discusses his article “Non-Interventionism: Cornerstone of a Free Society;” why war is just legalized mass murder, made acceptable because a state – instead of an individual – does it; why Americans have a hard time seeing their own government as an aggressive war-maker (we’re the good guys!); the irony of veteran soldiers (who supposedly fought for our freedom) getting killed by cops while peacefully demonstrating; and getting lied into war yet again, this time with Iran.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:09 — 4.6MB)