Around The Empire

Dan and Joanne talk about the cost of the Empire, the War on Terror aka "Empire Preservation Wars," current events and the new "Costs of War Project" done by Brown University.

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Recorded on January 17, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Costs of War Project, Brown University Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
2. Seeing Our Wars for the First Time, TomDispatch
3. KBOO interview with Costs of War Project co-director Neta C. Crawford
4. Where in the World Is the U.S. Military? Everywhere, US News & World Report

Dan and Joanne speak with Middle East commentator Sonia Mansour Robaey. Sonia is a neuroscientist, philosopher, ethicist, educator and she is a Lebanese francophone living abroad.

Follow Sonia at @les_politiques and find her work at Les Politiques.

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Recorded on November 24, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

The Shiites of Lebanon under Ottoman Rule, 1516-1788, Stefan Winter

Dan and Joanne talk with author and journalist Joe Lauria about Russiagate and the growing censorship of dissent.

Joe Lauria is an American journalist based in the Middle East, author of "How I Lost By Hillary Clinton," and he has been a UN correspondent for 25 years. He now writes for Consortium News and has previously written for the Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal and numerous other publications.

Follow Joe at @unjoe and find his writing at Consortium News.

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Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

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Recorded on November 24, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Huffington Post Pulls Down Article That Runs Afoul of DNC/HuffPost Guidelines on Russia-gate, Ray McGovern
2. PDF copy of Joe Lauria's article "On the Origins of Russia-gate," published on Nov. 4 and removed less than 24 hours later

Dan and Joanne discuss the Saudi purge, unrest in Lebanon, and the possibility of wars escalating in the Middle East.

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Recorded on November 10, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. "Senior Saudi figures tortured and beaten in purge" Middle East Eye
2. State Dept. statement "On the Situation in Lebanon"
3. Israel Channel 10 published leaked diplomatic cable (Twitter)
4. Interview with Saudi foreign minister Jubeir, CNBC
5. Interview with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, CNBC
6. "Yemeni rebels enhance ballistic missile campaign" Jane's Intelligence Review (PDF)

"US Air Force official: Missile targeting Saudis was Iranian" AP News

Ep. 37 AFRICOM

Dan and Joanne discuss the War on Terror shift to the African continent and the recent loss of US troops in Niger.

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Recorded on October 24, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. The U.S. military is conducting secret missions all over Africa, Nick Turse
2. Where does the U.S. have troops in Africa, and why?, CBS
3. The U.S. Military Moves Deeper into Africa, Nick Turse
4. U.S. will expand counterterrorism focus in Africa, Mattis tells senators, Washington Post
5. 2013 Interview with Emira Woods, The Real News
6. Interview with Léonce Ndikumana, The Real News
7. Interview with Horace Campbell and Mark Fancher Part 1, DemocracyNow

Interview with Horace Campbell and Mark Fancher Part 2, DemocracyNow

Dan and Joanne talk with correspondent Pepe Escobar about the new axis of evil. We discuss the geopolitical and economic importance of the New Silk Road and newly developing alignments on trade and security in Eurasia.

Pepe is the correspondent-at-large for Asia Times, author of several ebooks, and commentator. He is 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.

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

Find all of our work at our website aroundtheempire.com

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Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow, @joanneleon

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Recorded on October 2, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. "Unmasked: Trump Doctrine vows carnage for new axis of evil," Asia Times, Sept., 2017
2. "Shadow play: the New Great Game in Eurasia", Asia Times, Jan., 2017

Dan and Joanne talk with Scott Horton about his new book, Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan.

Scott is an author, managing editor at the Libertarian Institute, editor at antiwar.com, host of Antiwar Radio for Pacifica, and the Scott Horton Show podcast.

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Follow @scotthortonshow, find his work at libertarianinstitute.org/scotthortonshow, foolserrand.us

Find all of our work at our website aroundtheempire.com

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Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow, @joanneleon

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Recorded on September 15, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives (Brzezinski) https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Chessboard-American-Geostrategic-Imperatives/dp/0465027261
2. "Toward a Global Realignment" (Brzezinski) https://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/04/17/toward-a-global-realignment/
3. "The Broken Chessboard: Brzezinski Gives Up on Empire" https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/08/25/the-broken-chessboard-brzezinski-gives-up-on-empire/
4. Scott Horton interviews archive: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews-2/
5. No Good Men Among the Living (Anand Gopal) http://anandgopal.com/

Dan and Joanne talk with Syrian analyst Ehsani @ehsani22 about the origins of the war and the new prospects for an end to the war. We also talk about the current situation in Deir Ezzor and Idlib.

Ehsani is from Aleppo, Syria. He is active on social media, especially Twitter, mainly with analysis and discussion about Syria. He has also written for Syria Comment under this pseudonymn "Ehsani"..

Follow @ehsani22 on Twitter. He has also been published many times at Syria Comment.

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 and Joanne: @USEmpireShow, @joanneleon

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Recorded on September 17, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference links:

1. Ehsani at Syria Comment
2. Russian foreign ministry comment on crossing the Euphrates
3. SDF Issue Statement Condemning Syrian/Russian bombardment of their forces
4. Ahmed Abu Khawla (commander of Deir Ezzor military council) claims SDF won't allow Syrian forces to cross the Euphrates
5. Russian military spokesman denied targeting SDF

Dan and Joanne talk with Syrian Kurdish photographer and journalist Kovan Direj about his perspective on Syria and the region.

Kovan is a Kurd from Rojava, Syria. He is a photographer, journalist and documentary film producer who spent most of his life in Aleppo and Qamishli and now works with refugees in Sweden.

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Follow @kovandire, find his work at www.kovandirej.com

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Recorded on August 24, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Dan and Joanne talk with Max Blumenthal about the history of the national security state and the ruling elite using radical and extremist groups as proxies both abroad and at home. We discuss the Syrian "rebels", neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine and we also talk about Charlottesville and how we got here.

Max is an author, journalist, senior editor of the Gray Zone Project at alternet.org, and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast. He is well known for his acclaimed books, The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel and Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party.

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Follow @maxblumenthal, find references to all of his work at maxblumenthal.com.

Find all of our work at our website aroundtheempire.com

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Recorded on August 20, 2017. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1) 18 August 2017 (VIDEO) The Real Story of How Bannon and Trump Got to the White HouseThe Real News Network - Thomas Hedges

2) 23 June 2017 John McCain and Paul Ryan Hold 'Good Meeting' With Veteran Ukrainian Nazi Demagogue Andriy Parubiy Alternet - Ben Norton, Max Blumenthal

3) 18 November 2014 How the Israel Lobby Protected Ukrainian Neo-Nazis Alternet Max Blumenthal (Rep. John Conyers wanted to block U.S. funding to neo-Nazis in Ukraine. But the ADL and Simon Wiesenthal Center refused to help.)

4) 24 February 2014 Is the U.S. Backing Neo-Nazis in Ukraine? Alternet Max Blumental

(Exposing troubling ties in the U.S. to overt Nazi and fascist protesters in Ukraine.)

5) 16 June 2017 (VIDEO) Anti-Muslim Manchester Demo Unites Britain's Far-Right

6) 16 June 2017 Former EDL leader holds large anti-Muslim demonstration in ManchesterHope Not Hate - Dr Joe Mulhall

7) 18 March 2017 New European Branch of International Alt-Right Group to Launch Hope Not Hate - Dr Joe Mulhall

8) 17 March 2017 More Transatlantic co-operation by the international Alt/Far Right – Hope Not Hate - Dr Joe Mulhall

9) 20 March 2017 (VIDEO) Can Europe Stop the Far Right if It Doesn't Stop Neoliberal Austerity? The Real News Network, Liz Fekete (Institute of Race Relations)

10) 20 June 2016 Return of the Reich - Mapping the Global Resurgence of Far Right PowerInsurge Intelligence - Nafeez Ahmed (A four part INSURGE intelligence investigative series commissioned by Tell MAMA)