In this two-part series investigative journalist Mohamed Elmaazi joins us from London. Mohamed has been working on what is potentially one of the most explosive international scandals in recent years. Hacked documents have exposed a secretive “charity” think tank, the Institute for Statecraft, which is funded by the British Foreign Office, the US State Department, NATO, Facebook, a neoconservative foundation and others. Mohamed located their London office in a neo-gothic mansion, Two Temple Place, and later accompanied a British MP on an unwelcome visit. One of the Institute for Statecraft’s projects, The Integrity Initiative, possibly a front for military intelligence, is a covert propaganda network of politicians, journalists, academics, researchers and military officers engaged in smearing political leaders and interfering in the affairs of other allied governments.

Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He contributes to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network.  FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi.

Around the Empire is independent media and you can support it at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on December 22, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Inside the Temple of Covert Propaganda: The Integrity Initiative and the UK’s Scandalous Information War, Gray Zone, Mohamed Elmaazi and Max Blumenthal
2. Institute for Statecraft slams door in Labour MP’s face, The Canary, Mohamed Elmaazi
3. Labour’s Chris Williamson warns of ‘British interference’ in Spain’s national security affairs, The Canary, Mohamed Elmaazi
4. Briefing note on the Integrity Initiative, Paul McKeigue, David Miller, Jake Mason, Piers Robinson
5. CyberGuerilla site, Nov 5 post, Nov 29 post

In this two-part series investigative journalist Mohamed Elmaazi joins us from London. Mohamed has been working on what is potentially one of the most explosive international scandals in recent years. Hacked documents have exposed a secretive “charity” think tank, the Institute for Statecraft, which is funded by the British Foreign Office, the US State Department, NATO, Facebook, a neoconservative foundation and others. Mohamed located their London office in a neo-gothic mansion, Two Temple Place, and later accompanied a British MP on an unwelcome visit. One of the Institute for Statecraft’s projects, The Integrity Initiative, possibly a front for military intelligence, is a covert propaganda network of politicians, journalists, academics, researchers and military officers engaged in smearing political leaders and interfering in the affairs of other allied governments.

Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He contributes to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network.  FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi.

Around the Empire is independent media and you can support it at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on December 22, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Inside the Temple of Covert Propaganda: The Integrity Initiative and the UK’s Scandalous Information War, Gray Zone, Mohamed Elmaazi and Max Blumenthal
2. Institute for Statecraft slams door in Labour MP’s face, The Canary, Mohamed Elmaazi
3. Labour’s Chris Williamson warns of ‘British interference’ in Spain’s national security affairs, The Canary, Mohamed Elmaazi
4. Briefing note on the Integrity Initiative, Paul McKeigue, David Miller, Jake Mason, Piers Robinson
5. CyberGuerilla site, Nov 5 post, Nov 29 post

Elijah Magnier returns to the show. He is currently in Beirut enroute to Damascus. We discuss Trump’s announcement of a rapid withdrawal from Syria, the prospect of a Turkish invasion of Kurdish and US-occupied areas in Syria, and the situation this creates for the Kurds, who, even if Trump reneges on his order, are now confronted with a crisis of confidence in long term American occupation. We also discuss Russia’s consequential change in the rules of engagement with Israel and Syria, and a possible Middle East summit.

Elijah is a veteran war correspondent, a terrorism/counterterrorism analyst specializing in the Europe and the Middle East, especially Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Libya. FOLLOW Elijah at @ejmalrai and find his work at ejmagnier.com. Support him by using the Paypal link at the bottom of every page on his website.

Around the Empire is independent media and you can support it at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on December 20, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. NEW RULES OF ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SYRIA AND ISRAEL, AS RUSSIA CHANGES ITS POSITION, Elijah Magnier

A wide-ranging discussion with author and policy analyst Patrick Eddington about his service in the CIA during the Bush 41 and Bill Clinton eras, the Gulf War, Russiagate, the failure to change course at the end of the Cold War and about the unsustainability of and America’s incompatibility with empire.

Patrick Eddington is a policy analyst in homeland security and civil liberties at the Cato Institute. He was an advisor to Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey and he’s an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies.  Eddington was a military imagery analyst at the CIA’s National Photographic Interpretation Center from 1988 to 1996 with assignments that included monitoring the breakup of the former Soviet Union and providing military assessments to policymakers on Iraqi and Iranian conventional forces.

Eddington resigned from the CIA in 1996 after working on a book titled (Gassed in the Gulf: The Inside Story of the Pentagon-CIA Cover-up of Gulf War Syndrome) and he also wrote a 2011 memoir titled Long Strange Journey about his years in the CIA. He has been published at many outlets and has opinion pieces at the CATO Institute, Just Security and other sites. Find his work and links to his articles and events at the CATO Institute and at his blog, PatrickEddington.com.  FOLLOW him on Twitter at @PGEddington.

Around the Empire is independent media and you can support it at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on December 11, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Eddington’s Twitter thread on GHWB’s death
2. George H.W. Bush’s Persian Gulf War: Victory, With Tragedy, Patrick Eddington
3. Long Strange Journey: An Intelligence Memoir, Patrick Eddington
4. Gassed in the Gulf: The Inside Story of the Pentagon-CIA Cover-up of Gulf War Syndrome, Patrick Eddington

Joanne Leon and investigative journalist and historian Gareth Porter discuss “The Permanent War Complex” and how it developed in stages to the point where we have defense and intelligence mega-contractors helping to drive perpetual wars around the globe. Eisenhower’s nightmare has now come true. We also talk about recent machinations in the case of Julian Assange and Wikileaks.

Gareth Porter specializes in covering issues related to U.S. wars and interventions. He is the winner of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for Journalism who has covered U.S. policy toward Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Syria for Inter Press Service from 2004 to 2014, and his stories were widely republished on other news sites. Since then he has published stories and columns at Truthdig, American Conservative, Foreign Policy, Consortium News, Truthout, antiwar.com The Nation and Middle East Eye.

 He is the author of five books, including three books on Vietnam and the U.S. war in Indochina.  His latest book, Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare, reveals the true story of the Iran nuclear issue that has been hidden and distorted by government propaganda and complete lack of media scrutiny. FOLLOW Gareth on Twitter at @GarethPorter.

 Around the Empire is independent media and you can support it at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on December 4, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. U.K. and Ecuador Conspire to Deliver Julian Assange to U.S. Authorities, Gareth Porter
2. America’s Permanent-War Complex, Gareth Porter

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special two-part series on the Khashoggi Affair, which symbolizes a much bigger geopolitical crisis and battle. Roundtable format, released in two separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on November 23 and 24, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Fair Use Act Disclaimer. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Reference Links:

1. FPF #274 - Trump Runs Cover for MbS guest Will Porter, Kyle Anzalone, Will Porter
2. Khashoggi Was No Critic of Saudi Regime, Asad AbuKhalil, Consortium News
3. Why Did CIA Turn Against Saudi Crown Prince MBS? It’s More Than Khashoggi, The Real News, Ben Norton, Professor Asad AbuKhalil
4. Off the Hookah podcast 10/31/18: Episode #075: Crown Control (feat. Bruce Riedel)
5. One-on-one with Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, Fox Business, Maria Bartiromo, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
6. Saudi Arabia vs Iran: Is the cold war heating up? - UpFront, Al Jazeera English, Mehdi Hasan, Jamal Khashoggi, Seyed Hossein Mousavian
7. Saudi Prince Turki says CIA cannot be trusted on Khashoggi, Al Jazeera
8. Rand Paul on Face the Nation
9. Lindsey Graham on Meet the Press
10. Lindsey Graham on Hannity
11. Tulsi Gabbard Twitter thread
12. Here is a Saudi 'war game' scenario that demonstrates the peril of a post-Khashoggi period for the US and the Middle East, CNBC, Fred Kempe
13. Exclusive: After Khashoggi murder, some Saudi royals turn against king’s favorite son, Reuters
14. Keeping Bin Salman In Place Will Hurt Trump's Middle East Policies, Moon of Alabama

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special two-part series on the Khashoggi Affair, which symbolizes a much bigger geopolitical crisis and battle. Roundtable format, released in two separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on November 23 and 24, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Fair Use Act Disclaimer. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Reference Links:

1. FPF #274 - Trump Runs Cover for MbS guest Will Porter, Kyle Anzalone, Will Porter
2. Khashoggi Was No Critic of Saudi Regime, Asad AbuKhalil, Consortium News
3. Why Did CIA Turn Against Saudi Crown Prince MBS? It’s More Than Khashoggi, The Real News, Ben Norton, Professor Asad AbuKhalil
4. Off the Hookah podcast 10/31/18: Episode #075: Crown Control (feat. Bruce Riedel)
5. One-on-one with Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, Fox Business, Maria Bartiromo, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
6. Saudi Arabia vs Iran: Is the cold war heating up? - UpFront, Al Jazeera English, Mehdi Hasan, Jamal Khashoggi, Seyed Hossein Mousavian
7. Saudi Prince Turki says CIA cannot be trusted on Khashoggi, Al Jazeera
8. Rand Paul on Face the Nation
9. Lindsey Graham on Meet the Press
10. Lindsey Graham on Hannity
11. Tulsi Gabbard Twitter thread
12. Here is a Saudi 'war game' scenario that demonstrates the peril of a post-Khashoggi period for the US and the Middle East, CNBC, Fred Kempe
13. Exclusive: After Khashoggi murder, some Saudi royals turn against king’s favorite son, Reuters
14. Keeping Bin Salman In Place Will Hurt Trump's Middle East Policies, Moon of Alabama

Middle East expert Joshua Landis returns to the show to discuss the recent summit in Istanbul, Europe’s move to join the Astana process, the war in Syria, the Khashoggi Affair and the forces aligning against the current US foreign policy in the MidEast.

Professor Landis is the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He spent much of his childhood in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, and later lived in several other countries in the Middle East including Syria and Turkey. He is a frequent interview guest in numerous media outlets in the United States and abroad. You can find his work at his blog, Syria Comment. FOLLOW him on Twitter at @joshua_landis and on Facebook.

Around the Empire is independent media and you can support it at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on November 1, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Landis thread on the Istanbul Summit (Twitter thread)
2. Istanbul Summit on Syria Was a Success but Caveats Remain, MK Bhadrakumar

Major Danny Sjursen joins the show to talk about about the war in Afghanistan, an unsustainable quagmire for which no more blood and treasure should be sacrificed. We also talk about the magical American soldier myth and the empire denial syndrome.

Major Danny Sjursen is a US Army strategist and former history instructor at West Point. He served tours with reconnaissance units in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has written a memoir and critical analysis of the Iraq War, Ghostriders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge. He’s the co-host of the podcast Fortress on a Hill, and his articles are published frequently at numerous websites including The Nation, Truthdig, TomDispatch and antiwar.com. FOLLOW Danny Sjursen on Twitter at @skepticalvet and support his work at patreon.com/fortressonahill.         

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on October 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Quagmire: What the Attack on General Miller in Afghanistan Tells Us, Maj. Danny Sjursen
2. Not Worth Another Life: An Afghan Anniversary To Lament, Maj. Danny Sjursen
3. The Limits of Power – The Myth of the Magical American Soldier, Maj. Danny Sjursen
4. Danny Sjursen on The War on Terror, Scott Horton Show
5. Major Danny Sjursen: Endless War in Afghanistan,The Zero Hour

Tom Secker joins the show for this two-part series as we compare and contrast two movies: War Machine and Charlie Wilson’s War. We talk about Afghanistan, wars, history, geopolitics, movies, the involvement of the national security state in the entertainment industry and more. A great conversation that is interesting and informative, both serious and light-hearted at varying times and is packaged into two episodes (available in full in advance for patrons).

Tom Secker is a writer, researcher and podcast host from Northern England, who specialises in the intelligence services, Hollywood and the history of terrorism.  He hosts the ClandesTime podcast and is the author of two books, including National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood. Find his work and ways to support that work at spyculture.com and patreon.com/tomsecker.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on October 18, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Fair Use Act Disclaimer. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Reference Links:

1. War Machine (2017), IMDB
2. Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), IMDB
3. Did the CIA rewrite Charlie Wilson's War?, Tom Secker
4. The Cinema of the Soviet-Afghan War, Tom Secker
5. How to Catch Brzezinski in a lie, Tom Secker
6. Towards an International History of the War in Afghanistan, 1979-1989,  Christian F. Ostermann, Mircea Munteanu, The Wilson Center
7. National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood, Tom Secker
8. 06/23/10 – Michael Hastings – The Scott Horton Show
9. 04/21/09 – Michael Hastings – The Scott Horton Show
10. Brzezinski’s Afghan War and the Grand Chessboard, The Real News Network
11. The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan, Michael Hastings
12. The Runaway General, Rolling Stone, Michael Hastings
13. The Brzezinski Interview with Le Nouvel Observateur (1998), D. Gibbs, University of Arizona

Tom Secker joins the show for this two-part series as we compare and contrast two movies: War Machine and Charlie Wilson’s War. We talk about Afghanistan, wars, history, geopolitics, movies, the involvement of the national security state in the entertainment industry and more. A great conversation that is interesting and informative, both serious and light-hearted at varying times and is packaged into two episodes (available in full in advance for patrons).

Tom Secker is a writer, researcher and podcast host from Northern England, who specialises in the intelligence services, Hollywood and the history of terrorism.  He hosts the ClandesTime podcast and is the author of two books, including National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood. Find his work and ways to support that work at spyculture.com and patreon.com/tomsecker.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on October 18, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Fair Use Act Disclaimer. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Reference Links:

1. War Machine (2017), IMDB
2. Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), IMDB
3. Did the CIA rewrite Charlie Wilson's War?, Tom Secker
4. The Cinema of the Soviet-Afghan War, Tom Secker
5. How to Catch Brzezinski in a lie, Tom Secker
6. Towards an International History of the War in Afghanistan, 1979-1989,  Christian F. Ostermann, Mircea Munteanu, The Wilson Center
7. National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood, Tom Secker
8. 06/23/10 – Michael Hastings – The Scott Horton Show
9. 04/21/09 – Michael Hastings – The Scott Horton Show
10. Brzezinski’s Afghan War and the Grand Chessboard, The Real News Network
11. The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan, Michael Hastings
12. The Runaway General, Rolling Stone, Michael Hastings
13. The Brzezinski Interview with Le Nouvel Observateur (1998), D. Gibbs, University of Arizona

Syrian analyst Ehsani returns to the show to talk about the latest developments in the Syrian war, with a focus on the Idlib deal, Turkey’s role in the war, perspectives from Syrians, and the prospects for recovery.

Ehsani is a Syrian American originally from Aleppo. You can find his social media analysis and discussion about Syria on Twitter at @ehsani22. He has also written for the Syria Comment blog under the pseudonym, “Ehsani”.  

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on October 2, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Photo: By Jamen Schahoud at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Reference Links:

1. Ep 34 An End to the Syrian War feat Ehsani (9/20/17)
2. Ep 45 Ghouta, Afrin and Eastern Syria feat Ehsani (3/27/18)

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special three-part series on the Rise and Fall of John Brennan, done in a roundtable format and released in three separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

In American political life, few officials have weathered as many storms as former CIA director John Brennan. With a career marred by a virtually endless series of scandals, Brennan’s ability to maneuver himself within institutions of power has served him exceptionally well both inside and outside of government.

Brennan’s decades-long tenure at the CIA presents a microcosmic portrait of US foreign policy since the fall of the Soviet Union—a true exemplar of the American role in a “unipolar” world.

His name has become synonymous with torture, regime change, targeted assassinations, drones, spying, the arming of foreign militias and now, in the era of Trump, politicized intelligence.

But that may have finally come to an end. The recent revocation of Brennan’s security clearance could represent the final nail in a coffin that, until now, has simply refused to stay shut.

Join us in this 3 part series reviewing Brennan’s career at the CIA, the litany of scandals tied to his name, as well as what could come next for the retired intelligence officer.

Support Kyle at  https://www.patreon.com/ForeignPolicyFocus. Support Will at patreon.com/WKPJournalist.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.

This discussion was recorded in two sessions: August 24 and 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion are Hogwash, New York Times, John Brennan
2. William H. McRaven: Revoke my security clearance, too, Mr. President, Washington Post
3. Scores of ex-spies join in rebuking Trump over security clearances, Politico
4. The Seven Deadly Sins of John Brennan, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
5. Confront and Conceal (book), David Sanger
6. Gates to National Security Team on Osama Raid: 'Shut the F--- Up', Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
7. Exclusive: Did White House "spin" tip a covert op?, Mark Hosenball, Reuters
8. Who Bombed Khobar Towers? Anatomy of a Crooked Terrorism Investigation, Gareth Porter, Truthout
9. Brennan-led secret raids may have led to Benghazi retaliation, book claims, FoxNews
10. The media are misleading the public on Syria, Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe
11. US Special Forces sabotage White House policy gone disastrously wrong with covert ops in Syria, SOFREP, Jack Murphy
12. Secret Kill List Tests Obama’s Principles New York Times, Jo Becker, Scott Shane
13. A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows, New York Times Magazine, Mattathias Schwartz

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special three-part series on the Rise and Fall of John Brennan, done in a roundtable format and released in three separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

In American political life, few officials have weathered as many storms as former CIA director John Brennan. With a career marred by a virtually endless series of scandals, Brennan’s ability to maneuver himself within institutions of power has served him exceptionally well both inside and outside of government.

Brennan’s decades-long tenure at the CIA presents a microcosmic portrait of US foreign policy since the fall of the Soviet Union—a true exemplar of the American role in a “unipolar” world.

His name has become synonymous with torture, regime change, targeted assassinations, drones, spying, the arming of foreign militias and now, in the era of Trump, politicized intelligence.

But that may have finally come to an end. The recent revocation of Brennan’s security clearance could represent the final nail in a coffin that, until now, has simply refused to stay shut.

Join us in this 3 part series reviewing Brennan’s career at the CIA, the litany of scandals tied to his name, as well as what could come next for the retired intelligence officer.

Support Kyle at  https://www.patreon.com/ForeignPolicyFocus. Support Will at patreon.com/WKPJournalist.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.

This discussion was recorded in two sessions: August 24 and 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion are Hogwash, New York Times, John Brennan
2. William H. McRaven: Revoke my security clearance, too, Mr. President, Washington Post
3. Scores of ex-spies join in rebuking Trump over security clearances, Politico
4. The Seven Deadly Sins of John Brennan, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
5. Confront and Conceal (book), David Sanger
6. Gates to National Security Team on Osama Raid: 'Shut the F--- Up', Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
7. Exclusive: Did White House "spin" tip a covert op?, Mark Hosenball, Reuters
8. Who Bombed Khobar Towers? Anatomy of a Crooked Terrorism Investigation, Gareth Porter, Truthout
9. Brennan-led secret raids may have led to Benghazi retaliation, book claims, FoxNews
10. The media are misleading the public on Syria, Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe
11. US Special Forces sabotage White House policy gone disastrously wrong with covert ops in Syria, SOFREP, Jack Murphy
12. Secret Kill List Tests Obama’s Principles New York Times, Jo Becker, Scott Shane
13. A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows, New York Times Magazine, Mattathias Schwartz

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special three-part series on the Rise and Fall of John Brennan, done in a roundtable format and released in three separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

In American political life, few officials have weathered as many storms as former CIA director John Brennan. With a career marred by a virtually endless series of scandals, Brennan’s ability to maneuver himself within institutions of power has served him exceptionally well both inside and outside of government.

Brennan’s decades-long tenure at the CIA presents a microcosmic portrait of US foreign policy since the fall of the Soviet Union—a true exemplar of the American role in a “unipolar” world.

His name has become synonymous with torture, regime change, targeted assassinations, drones, spying, the arming of foreign militias and now, in the era of Trump, politicized intelligence.

But that may have finally come to an end. The recent revocation of Brennan’s security clearance could represent the final nail in a coffin that, until now, has simply refused to stay shut.

Join us in this 3 part series reviewing Brennan’s career at the CIA, the litany of scandals tied to his name, as well as what could come next for the retired intelligence officer.

Support Kyle at  https://www.patreon.com/ForeignPolicyFocus. Support Will at patreon.com/WKPJournalist.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.

This discussion was recorded in two sessions: August 24 and 31, 2018.

Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion are Hogwash, New York Times, John Brennan
2. William H. McRaven: Revoke my security clearance, too, Mr. President, Washington Post
3. Scores of ex-spies join in rebuking Trump over security clearances, Politico
4. The Seven Deadly Sins of John Brennan, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
5. Confront and Conceal (book), David Sanger
6. Gates to National Security Team on Osama Raid: 'Shut the F--- Up', Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
7. Exclusive: Did White House "spin" tip a covert op?, Mark Hosenball, Reuters
8. Who Bombed Khobar Towers? Anatomy of a Crooked Terrorism Investigation, Gareth Porter, Truthout
9. Brennan-led secret raids may have led to Benghazi retaliation, book claims, FoxNews
10. The media are misleading the public on Syria, Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe
11. US Special Forces sabotage White House policy gone disastrously wrong with covert ops in Syria, SOFREP, Jack Murphy
12. Secret Kill List Tests Obama’s Principles New York Times, Jo Becker, Scott Shane
13. A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows, New York Times Magazine, Mattathias Schwartz

Elijah Magnier returns to the show for an update and insight on the political situation in Iraq where the prime minister selection process (also a proxy battle of sorts between the US and Iran) is still ongoing. See Around the Empire Episode 56 for our first conversation on this topic. We also talk about the stalled operation in Idlib and the power players involved.

Elijah is a veteran war correspondent, a terrorism/counterterrorism analyst specializing in the Europe and the Middle East, especially Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Libya. He recently left Iraq and is speaking to us today from Lebanon.

Follow Elijah at @ejmalrai and find his work at ejmagnier.com. Support him by using the Paypal link at the bottom of every page on his website.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

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Recorded on September 14, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. A Weak and Divided Iraq is Stumbling Towards an Unbalanced Future (6/8/18), Elijah Magnier
2. The US Forces in Al-Tanf are Beleaguered on both the Syrian and Iraqi Sides. Tehran is Challenging Washington in Iraq Abadi is No Longer the Agreed Favourite Candidate (7/23/18), Elijah Magnier
3. Which War for Mesopotamia? Iraq Must Choose Between Iran and the US (8/21/18) , Elijah Magnier
4. Faleh Al-Fayyad is the Official Anti-US PM Candidate in Iraq, While the US is Trying to Hit Iran Below the Belt (8/31/18), Elijah Magnier
5. The US Horse Fell at the First Jump in Iraq (9/4/18), Elijah Magnier
6. The USA Oblivious to the Rise of a Resistance Movement in Response to Its Interference in Iraqi Elections (9/5/18), Elijah Magnier
7. A Wake-Up Call to the US in Baghdad: Will Haidar Abadi Become the Mohammad Morsi of Iraq? (9/7/18), Elijah Magnier
8. Haidar Abadi Has Fallen With the Burned Walls of the Iranian Consulate in Basra (9/10/18), Elijah Magnier
9. The Liberation of Idlib: Turkey is in the Way, With Russia Slowing Down (9/14/18), Elijah Magnier
10. Syria - The Rationale Behind The Delay Of Idleb's Liberation, Moon of Alabama
11. Can Erdogan intimidate Assad into backing off Idlib?, Amberin Zaman, Al Monitor
12. “Turkey reinforces military in Syria's Idlib after ceasefire call fails”, Orhan Coskun, Reuters
13. Turkish Strategy in Northern Syria Military Operations, Turkish-Backed Groups and Idlib Issue, SouthFront
14. “Notorious Terrorist Commander Eliminated By Syrian Troops In Idlib”, Muraselon/The Syria Reporters

Roving journalist Michael Tracey joins the show for a discussion about the McCain Holy Week, as he called it, and what it tells us about the state of the American empire.

Tracey is a journalist who has been published by numerous media organizations including The Young Turks, Rolling Stone, The New Republic, VICE, The Intercept. The Nation, Reason, American Conservative and New York Daily News.

FOLLOW @mtracey on Twitter and find his work on Medium and on his website.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

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Recorded on September 2, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. John McCain Was Not An Anecdote, Michael Tracey
2. Funeral For A Dying Doctrine, Michael Tracey
3. John McCain’s Funeral Was the Biggest Resistance Meeting Yet, Susan Glasser, The New Yorker
4. Washington Mourns John McCain – And Its Own Demise Under Trump, Tim Alberta, Politico Magazine
5. John McCain: The View from the Middle East, As’ad AbuKhalil, Consortium News

Yemeni journalist and filmmaker Nasser Arrabyee speaks to us from Sanaa about the war in Yemen. In 2015, a CENTCOM commander told a US Senator that he did not know Saudi Arabia’s goals and objectives in its war on Yemen and therefore could not assess the chances of success. More than three years later, Nasser Arrabyee helps us explore the answers to those questions. We talk about the US-backed Saudi and UAE coalition’s mission in Yemen, the Yemeni Resistance and Iran’s involvement. Arrabyee updates us on the situation in Hodeidah and we discuss the recent AP report on the Saudi/UAE cooperation with al Qaeda.

Arrabyee has produced four documentaries about the war in Yemen and has been published by numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Bloomberg and Foreign Policy. FOLLOW @narrabyee on Twitter and find his work at his website yemen-now.com.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

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Recorded on August 16, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing (3/26/15) exchange between Sen. Gillibrand and Gen. Lloyd Austin (at 2:16:46)
2. America Is Committing War Crimes and Doesn’t Even Know Why, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
3. The toll of wars in the Middle East, WHYY Radio Times, Marty Moss-Coane
4. Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea?, Stephen Kalin, Rania El Gamal, Reuters
5. Yemen: US allies don’t defeat al-Qaida but pay it to go away, AP
6. Inside the UAE’s war on al-Qaeda in Yemen, Bel Trew, The Independent
7. After dozens of children die, Trump administration faces mounting pressure over Yemen war, Missy Ryan, Washington Post

Analyst and writer Tom Luongo returns to the show to talk about the economic and geopolitical implications of the current hybrid war between the US and Turkey and the broader war around it. We discuss the collapse of the Turkish Lira, dollar-denominated debt, how currency wars work, and the inertia of markets and traders. We also delve into the geopolitical lead up to this crisis -- Turkey’s role in the Syrian war and a failed coup -- both of which led to realignments and new allies that might result in an unusual rescue. Will Turkey employ a Russian formula for surviving sanctions and currency crises? Will it lead to an exit from NATO?  Or will the old guard, Cold Warrior foreign policy establishment bring a defiant Erdogan back into the fold one more time?

Tom is former research chemist and a current staunch libertarian. His speciality is markets analysis informed by geopolitics. Tom currently publishes his blog, Gold Goats ‘n Guns along with a monthly investment newsletter focused on geopolitics, commodities and cryptocurrencies. His work is also featured regularly on sites like Zerohedge, Strategic Culture Foundation and Investing.com. FOLLOW Tom @TFL1728. Find his work at Gold, Goats ‘n Guns, Steemit and on YouTube.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

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Recorded on August 14, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Lira Collapse To Jump The Mediterranean, Tom Luongo, ZeroHedge
2. BRICTS: Turkey Is Getting Off The US Reservation, Tom Luongo, ZeroHedge
3. Five Pillars of Debt Default, Tom Luongo, Gold, Goats n Guns
4. Turkey’s president: US waging economic war against Turkey, Associated Press
5. Losing Faith Fast, Istanbul Merchants Throw in Towel on the Lira, Bloomberg
6. Erdogan: How Turkey Sees the Crisis With the U.S., New York Times Op-Ed

We continue our discussion with Dr. Isa Blumi, speaking to us from Sweden, about the war in Yemen including the battle for Hodeidah, the development of Horn of Africa and Red Sea coast  and the bigger picture this war reveals. We discuss the underlying existential battles between Gulf States, the political factions in the United States they’re aligned with, and the western imperial and corporate powers at work in the region. Dr. Blumi expertly analyzes and advises on how to read the western media coverage and propaganda on Yemen and the old “divide and rule” exploitation tactics that are employed.

Dr. Blumi is an historian, an author and an Associate Professor at Stockholm University. His recent book Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World tells the story of the wars in Yemen but also “ultimately tells an even larger story of today’s political economy of global capitalism, development, and the war on terror as disparate actors intersect in Arabia.”  FOLLOW Isa Blumi @IsaBlumi and find his latest book at UCPress.edu.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

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Recorded on July 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World, Isa Blumi, UC Press
2. UAE talks up diplomacy as Congress curtails US involvement in Yemen war, Jack Detsch, Middle East Monitor
3. China probing emerging UAE reserves, Daniel J. Graeber, UPI
4. Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea?, Stephen Kalin, Rania El Gamal, Reuters
5. Yemen: US allies don’t defeat al-Qaida but pay it to go away, AP

Our guest, journalist and analyst Pepe Escobar, speaks to us from Bangkok about the new Great Game in Eurasia and why the critical military and geopolitical situation requires that the US resume relations with Russia despite the massive forces working against that.

Escobar is the correspondent-at-large for Asia Times and a frequent contributor to websites, TV and radio shows ranging from the US to East Asia. Born in Brazil, he's been a foreign correspondent since 1985, and has lived in London, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, Washington, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

FOLLOW Pepe Escobar on Facebook and find his work at Asia Times.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on July 26, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Here’s the real reason the US must talk to Russia, Pepe Escobar, Asia Times
2. Losing Military Supremacy: The Myopia of American Strategic Planning, Andrei Martyanov

Dan and Joanne talk with Jim Kavanagh about the summit between American President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki and the anticipated attempt to strike a MidEast grand bargain.

Jim is editor and writer at The Polemicist. His work is also published at CounterPunch, Greanville Post and he’s a frequent guest on the Loud and Clear radio show.  

Follow Jim at @ThePolemicist_ . Find his work at polemicist.net.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

Follow @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon

Please subscribe/follow us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on July 12, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Lindsey Graham interview laying out War Party strategy for Syria, Iran, Turkey (starts at 2:20)
2. Israeli, Saudi, and Emirati Officials Privately Pushed for Trump to Strike a “Grand Bargain” with Putin, Adam Entous, New Yorker
3. Netanyahu May Offer Putin: Remove Iran From Syria for Lifting of U.S. Sanctions on Russia, Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz
4. Middle East officials flocking to Moscow – is there a big deal to be made before Putin meets Trump?, RT
5. The Real “Deal of The Century” in The Middle East is The One Russia Struck With Israel Regarding Syria, Adam Garrie, Eurasia Future
6. The Warm War: Russiamania At The Boiling Point, Jim Kavanagh, The Polemicist

Dan and Joanne talk with writer and analyst Peter Lee (aka @chinahand) about the escalation between the United States and China. We also discuss the broader East Asian region including Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

Peter has decades of experience in East Asia both as a businessman and as a writer. He produces Newsbud’s “China Watch” and is published at Asia Times, CounterPunch at his own blog, China Matters. Follow Peter at @chinahand.  

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

Follow @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon

Please subscribe/follow us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on July 6, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. China's retaliation to U.S. tariffs will hit American soybean farmers, automakers and oil producers -- and have the greatest effect on counties that voted for Trump, Wall Street Journal
2. Tariffs ‘kick off 50-year trade war’ with China, Pepe Escobar, Asia Times

Joanne talks with Elizabeth Lea Vos about the immunity deal for Wikileaks founder and editor Julian Assange -- a deal that was scuttled by James Comey via Sen. Mark Warner in the Spring of 2017. We also discuss the independent analysis on the transmission of documents published by Guccifer2.

Elizabeth is the Editor-In-Chief of @DisobedientNews. Follow her at @ElizabethLeaVos and find her work at disobedientmedia.com. She also is an organizer of monthly #Unity4J vigils which advocate for the restoration of Julian Assange’s rights to communication with the outside world and ultimately for his release. The next vigil is scheduled for the weekend of July 7-8, 2018. Details at Unity4J.com and @Unity4J.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

Follow @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon

Please subscribe/follow us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on July 3, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. How Comey intervened to kill WikiLeaks' immunity deal, John Solomon, The Hill
2. Did Sen. Warner and Comey ‘Collude’ on Russia-gate?, Ray McGovern, ConsortiumNews

Dan and Joanne talk with Sharmine Narwani about the Southern Front -- US-backed rebels based in southern Syria -- and their affiliation with al Qaeda. We also discuss how the Syrian war is like an irregular world war and how it played a role in accelerating a global shift in power.

Sharmine is a commentator and analyst of Mideast geopolitics based in Beirut, speaking to us today from the United States. She is a former senior associate at St. Antony's College, Oxford University and has been published by a wide variety of publications, including the New York Times, the Guardian, Asia Times Online, al Akhbar English, Al Jazeera and RT.

Follow Sharmine @snarwani and find her work at her website mideastshuffle.com

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

Find all of our work at our website aroundtheempire.com

Follow @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon

Please subscribe/follow us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on June 28, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

Are al-Qaeda Affiliates Fighting Alongside U.S. Rebels in Syria’s South?, Sharmine Narwani, The American Conservative