Around The Empire

Guest: Whitney Webb. We talk about the Solar Winds hack that has been reported by the media since December, including an important update on January 6 which was largely drowned out by the January 6 incidents at the Capitol and the 24/7 media blast that followed.

News articles about the Solar Winds hack with warnings about impending disaster continue to be published frequently. An article in Lawfare today titled "The SolarWinds Hack Can Directly Affect Control Systems" said: "As Microsoft's CEO pointed out, what's been seen so far is only the 'first phase' of the attack that targeted IT systems in the government and companies large and small. While disconnecting the SolarWinds Orion system from one's IT system may mitigate some of the damage, it neglects the possibility that potentially destructive malware could easily have been planted on OT systems as well. And the impact of OT breaches can be more significant than mere IT penetration; OT consists of systems that affect the physical world."… "By attacking the SolarWinds platform, the Russians were able to get a "two-fer," that is, persistent access and data exfiltration from the IT networks and access to control system devices and control system OT networks." Lawfare directly attributes all of this to the Russian government and it should be noted that Lawfare is very well connected to the national security establishment and has been one of the most extreme promoters of the Russiagate narrative for the past four years.

In the story about the Solar Winds hack, some key cybersecurity entities familiar to us from Russiagate reappear, like CrowdStrike and FireEye as do some familiar figures like Ghilaine Maxwell's sister, Isabel. Reports of a massive and ongoing compromise to a broad range of government and private networks with a weak attribution claim about Russian state-sponsored hackers began to spread like a 2016 DNC "hack" narrative deja vu. Dire warnings about dark winters and ruinous cybersecurity attacks have been put on a loop setting, predicting unprecedented economic and institutional impact. Some new entities have emerged and some old figures have reappeared in the latest impending crisis. At the same time there have been rigorous efforts to shift the threat target toward domestic terrorism and dissent.

One of the disturbing aspects of the whole thing is that long before the reports about the Solar Winds hack, similar but more vague warnings along these lines have been put out into the public by entities whose exercises and simulations have tended to actually occur in real life.

There is also a bonus question about how the 2020 election was a prerequisite for a much larger, more broad transformative objective that has been signaled by various official organizations inside and outside the US government and marketed by the World Economic Forum whose annual meeting in Davos begins today.

FOLLOW Whitney @_whitneywebb SUBSCRIBE to her podcast Unlimited Hangout and find her work at the Unlimited Hangout website, Rokfin and at The Last American Vagabond.

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.

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Recorded on January 25, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. (Jan, 2021) Another Mega Group Spy Scandal? Samanage, Sabotage, And The SolarWinds Hack, Whitney Webb
2. (Jan, 2021) Silicon Valley and WEF-Backed Foundation Announce Global Initiative for COVID-19 Vaccine Records, Whitney Webb
3. (Jan, 2021) Lawfare: The SolarWinds Hack Can Directly Affect Control Systems
4. (Jan. 20. 2021: WHO Information Notice for IVD Users 2020/05: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) technologies that use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of SARS-CoV-2
5. (July, 2020) Why a Shadowy Tech Firm With Ties to Israeli Intelligence Is Running Doomsday Election Simulations, Whitney Webb
6. (July, 2020) How an Israeli Spy-Linked Tech Firm Gained Access to the US Gov't's Most Classified Networks, Whitney Webb
7. (July, 2020) The Maxwell Family Business: Espionage, Whitney Webb

Guest: Mohamed Elmaazi. The long awaited extradition decision for Julian Assange came on Monday, January 4, 2021, followed by a bail hearing two days later. These recent days have been an emotional rollercoaster for Assange supporters and many were surprised, even shocked, by both decisions. Mohamed Elmaazi continues to be one of the foremost journalists covering the case on the ground at the Old Bailey Courthouse in a press annex or other nearby locations, attending via video link as required during the Covid lockdowns. And two weeks from now the executive power changes hands. The news from the second hearing, the bail hearing, happened on the same day that Congress held the session with the electors from the states in the presidential election and all hell broke loose, so the news about the bail hearing was drowned out. In this interview he provides us with details and analysis on what happened in those hearings.

Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He writes for Sputnik News, he publishes The Interregnum blog and he has been a contributor to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network.

FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi. Find his writing at Sputnik News, The Canary and visit his blog The Interregnum

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 January 6, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. UK Judge Denies Bail for Julian Assange During US Extradition Appeal, Mohamed Elmaazi
2. Assange's Lawyers to Seek Bail After UK Judge Ruled Against Extradition to US, Mohamed Elmaazi
3. Judge Rules Against Extraditing Julian Assange to the US, Purely Based On His Risk of Suicide, Mohamed Elmaazi
4. Britain Refuses to Extradite 'Suicidal' WikiLeaks Founder to US (VoA interview with Marcy Wheeler) Video version of the interview here

Guest: Mohamed Elmaazi. Journalist Mohammed Elmaazi and I had this conversation the week before Christmas just as new exculpatory evidence, audio of conversation between Julian Assange and a State Department official, was released by Project Veritas. We are also now in the final weeks leading up to the court decision on Assange's extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States and there have been many people, including some pretty influential people, urging Trump to pardon Assange. In our conversation we reviewed some of the events and players and skullduggery over the years since the early days of Wikileaks. Plus there is a bonus episode with our thoughts on whether Assange will be pardoned, who we think are the most influential people lobbying Trump for and against a pardon and how things might play out if Assange is pardoned.

Even The Guardian, whose behavior toward Assange has been contemptible, made an editorial statement opposing extradition. Mohammed commented on it on Twitter: "This editorial statement by The Guardian on Julian Assange is spot on. If only they made this clear years ago rather than 3 weeks before the judge is due to give her decision." I'd also like to mention a few of the things have happened recently since we recorded this interview. First. there was breaking news about members of the UK parliament now lobbying for an Assange pardon and also German MPs have formed a working group to free Julian Assange.

Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He writes for Sputnik News, he publishes The Interregnum blog and he has been a contributor to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network.

FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi. Find his writing at Sputnik News, The Canary and visit his blog The Interregnum

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.

Reference Links:

1. Assange Supporters Denounce 'Lies', 'Smears' and 'Fabrications' Outside The Guardian Headquarters, Mohamed Elmaazi
2. Audio Recordings Confirm Assange Spoke to US State Dept to Stop Publication of Unredacted Cables, Mohamed Elmaazi
3. German MPs Form 'Free Julian Assange' Working Group Amid Growing Calls for a Trump Pardon, Mohamed Elmaazi
4. Assange's Removal From Embassy Was Coordinated on 'Direct Orders From the US President', Court Told, Mohamed Elmaazi (Mohamed interview of Cassandra Fairbanks)
5. Tucker Carlson interview with Stella Moris
6. "Project Veritas" Leak: Julian Assange Asked Clinton State Department For Help Mitigating Damage Of Unintentional 2011 Data Dump, Real Clear Politics
7. Glenn Greenwald on Tucker Carlson show re: Assange

Guest: Ford Fischer. Ford has been covering the various protests and counterprotests that we have seen since May, 2020. These including the Black Lives Matter and social justice protests, pro and anti police demonstrations, pandemic related things like the anti-lockdown and back to work demonstrations, anti-fascist protests and counter protests, and also the multitude of election related protests during that period of time. Often these protests aren't easily categorized as Left or Right or pro/anti-Trump or Biden or political party. Ford not only describes the things he has witnessed on the ground at these events but helps analyze what they're about and what is happening with a more informed and nuanced perspective based on his observations and interactions with the people on the ground. In a bonus question we talk about the recent warnings and predictions that a civil war is brewing.

Ford Fischer is an independent videographer and editor, a computer scientist and web designer. He's the editor-in-chief and co-founder of News2share.com where citizen journalists and independent videographers and citizen journalists contribute content to the evolving news cycle. His work has been featured on many news networks. He also does freelance work as a videographer/journalist.

FOLLOW Ford on Twitter at @FordFischer. Follow his news site at @N2Sreports on Twitter and at news2share.com on the web. Support his work at https://www.patreon.com/FordFischer/.

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 December 15, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. ATE Ep 95 Chelsea Manning Jailed, Resisting Wikileaks Grand Jury feat Ford Fischer

Joanne Leon and Kyle Anzalone, hosts of Around the Empire and Conflicts of Interests podcasts, team up for another swapcast. We discuss the 2020 election, upcoming electoral college vote, protests and some of Biden's potential picks for high level positions, like Mike Morrell as director of the CIA. We also talk about the risk of war with Iran and other issues in the Middle East.

FOLLOW Kyle on Twitter: @KyleAnzalone_ SUBSCRIBE to the Conflicts of Interest podcast at the Libertarian Institute and on YouTube.

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 December 13, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. RAY McGOVERN: Why Michael Morell Cannot Be CIA Director
2. Multiple people stabbed after thousands gather for pro-Trump demonstrations in Washington
3. Michael Flynn Says Trump Will Remain President in First Public Remarks Since Pardon
4. EXCLUSIVE: West working to 'deprive Russia of right to determine its future' & is pushing for 'regime change,' Lavrov tells RT
5. The Coming Wave of Evictions Will Significantly Worsen America's Covid-19 Crisis
6. DIANA JOHNSTONE: The Great Pretext … for Dystopia

Guest: Gunar Olsen. Gunar recently published a response to an historian's analysis of the Soviet Afghan invasion and the question of whether or not Zbigniew Brzezinski's goal (under the Carter administration) in assisting the mujahedin was really about provoking the Soviet military intervention. There is also a bonus question on why there was so much push back and resistance to Trump's last ditch effort to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and what the real reasons behind it.

Gunar Olsen is an independent scholar, writer and journalist who covers the politics of U.S. imperialism. His articles have been published in The New Republic, The Nation, Jacobin, The Grayzone, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting and other publications. He also provides research for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

FOLLOW @GunarOlsen. Find him and his work at his website gunarolsen.com

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.

Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. "We Don't Need a Smoking Gun": U.S. Provocations and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, Gunar Olsen

Guest: Elijah Magnier. We talk about the recent assassination of an Iranian top scientist and threats of retaliation proposed by hardline Iranian media, the precarious situation due to Trump likely leaving office soon and Netanyahu's political troubles. We discuss the failure to withdraw US troops from Iraq and the likely consequences, the prospects for rejoining the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal and the things that could complicate that, the stronger influence of Russia and China in the region and finally a bonus question about the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu near the end of his term.

FOLLOW Elijah on Twitter @ejmalrai. Find and support his work at ejmagnier.com. There is a "donate" button at the bottom of the page.

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 November 29, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. IS THE MIDDLE EAST ON JOE BIDEN'S PRIORITY LIST? (1), Elijah Magnier
2. CAN IRAN CONVINCE BIDEN TO RESOLVE THE NUCLEAR DEAL? (2), Elijah Magnier
3. WHY IRAQ IS EXPECTED TO BE HOT FOR JOE BIDEN AND VICE-VERSA? (3), Elijah Magnier
4. WHY DOES IRAN BELIEVE ISRAEL COULD BE PREPARING A STRIKE AGAINST ITS NUCLEAR FACILITY?, Elijah Magnier
5. The Pride of Israel: Assassinations, Haaretz
6. Iran plans 'calculated' response after nuclear scientist killed as newspaper calls for revenge on Israeli city, Fox News

Guest: Convo Couch hosts Fiorella Isabel and Craig (Pasta) Jardula. Hosts: Joanne Leon and Kelley Lane. We discuss corrupt voting systems and party machines, rigging the Democratic primary elections and signs of rigging the 2020 elections by a bipartisan establishment, irregularities and challenges to the 2020 election results and more.

Craig (aka Pasta) Jardula and Fiorella Isabel are the hosts of the Convo Couch show, an independent media show focused on politics, rooted in progressivism and one that strives to stand up for the little guy against the machine. They've done extensive work with candidates and investigation of elections and election systems.

FOLLOW them on Twitter at @theconvocouch, @Fiorella_im and @yopasta and find their show on YouTube, Rokfin and 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 November 18, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Ways To Flip And/Or Fix An Election w/David Webber, Convo Couch

Guest: Afshin Rattansi. Hosts: Joanne Leon and Kelley Lane. We discussed the Biden transition team, the direction that a Biden cabinet would take in war and foreign policy, Brexit and the US/UK and EU relationship, and the current state of the media.

Afshin Rattansi is an award-winning journalist, author and the host of the show "Going Underground" that airs three times weekly on the RT network. He has previously worked for BBC Radio, CNN International, Press TV, Al Jazeera and various other international media organizations. He began his journalism at The Guardian and still contributes at Counterpunch.

FOLLOW Afshin on Twitter @afshinrattansi.

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 @joanneleon @Kelleyswords

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

Recorded on November 16, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. What Will Biden's Foreign Policy Look Like? (Prof. Charles Krupchan, Ex-Special Adviser to Obama), Going Underground 11/14/20
2. The Joe Biden Presidency: Will It Be Neoliberalism & Regime Change or Progressivism? (Matt Taibbi), Going Underground 11/14/20

Guest: Isa Blumi. We discuss the recent lifting of sanctions in Sudan, the development of the strategic Red Sea region and the historical trends, wars, economic collapse, exploitation, violence and political engineering that led up to it as part of a much larger strategy and ambitions. In a bonus question we discuss the likelihood that the 2020 elections cleared the way for multinational factions to resume imperial enterprises and transformations and the way that politics, media and pandemic are employed.

Dr. Isa Blumi is an historian, an author and Professor of Global History, Islamic World, Ottoman Empire, Yemen, Albania. His very prescient book, titled 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 work at Google Scholar and his latest book at UCPress.edu.

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 November 12, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. Trump lifts sanctions on Sudan as he announces deal between African nation and Israel, ABC News