Guest: Nasser Arrabyee. Speaking to us from Yemen, Nasser describes the recent drone attacks by the Yemen armed forces (led by the Houthis) on the Saudi oil facilities in Abqaiq and  Khurais. We discussed the fact that there have been numerous other, progressively advanced, retaliatory strikes by Yemen on Saudi Arabia in recent months and over the past few years. Further, we talk about the five year bombardment and blockade of Yemen by Saudi Arabia (with the critical assistance of the United States) and how the number of casualties has been grossly understated. 

Nasser Arrabyee is a journalist and filmmaker based in Sanaa, Yemen. He 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 Nasser Arrabyee on Twitter @narrabyee. 

Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. 

SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app.

Recorded on September 17, 2019. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. 9/14/19 video statement from spokesman for Yemen/Houthi armed forces about the drone attack on Saudi oil facilities. Translation by Nasser Arrabyee 
2. Yemen's Houthis say Aramco plants still a target, Reuters
3. Scott Horton Show: 9/9/19 Nasser Arrabyee on the Ongoing War in Yemen
4. Damage At Saudi Oil Plant Points To Well Targeted Swarm Attack, Moon of Alabama
5. The Secret of Yemen’s War? We Can End It, NYT, Martin Griffiths (UN Special Envoy for Yemen)
6. Yemen Houthi drones, missiles defy years of Saudi air strikes, Reuters

Guest: Aaron Maté. We talk about the latest Russiagate “bombshell” story that revealed the identity and Washington, DC area location of a Kremlin spy, Oleg Smolenkov, and claimed that he provided intelligence proving that Vladimir Putin ordered an election influence operation favoring Donald Trump. Also we discuss the machinations of former CIA DirectorJohn Brennan, the Barr and Durham investigation of the investigators and the political ramifications of Russiagate overall. 

Aaron is the host of the Pushback With Aaron Maté show at the Grayzone and a contributing writer at The Nation. 

FOLLOW Aaron on Twitter @aaronjmate, subscribe to his show Pushback with Aaron Maté at the Grayzone channel on YouTube and support him at Patreon.

Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. 

SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app.

Recorded on September 15, 2019. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Exclusive: US extracted top spy from inside Russia in 2017, CNN, Jim Sciutto
2. C.I.A. Informant Extracted From Russia Had Sent Secrets to U.S. for Decades, NYT, David Sanger
3. Possible Russian spy for CIA now living in Washington area, NBC, Ken Dilanian
4. CIA slams CNN's 'misguided' and 'simply false' reporting on alleged CIA spy's extraction from Kremlin, Fox News, Gregg Re
5. Kremlin says reported U.S. spy in Russian president's office was fired years ago, Reuters
6. Loud and Clear radio show 9/10/19

Swapcast with Foreign Policy Focus podcast host Kyle Anzalone, on the firing of Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton.  

FOLLOW Kyle on Twitter: @Kyaaale.  SUBSCRIBE to the Foreign Policy Focus podcast at the Libertarian Institute.

Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. 

SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. 

SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app.

Recorded on September 14, 2019. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Trump Oval Office press conference on Bolton firing
2. Pushback with Aaron Maté: Ex-CIA analyst on why he predicted John Bolton’s firing
3. Around the Empire: Ep 111 John Bolton and Escalation With Iran feat Kyle Anzalone
4. Washington Post: How clashes with Trump led to John Bolton's firing