Bringing Light Into Darkness - News & Analysis

With special guest, Matt Hoh who brings nearly twelve years of frontline experience with America’s wars overseas with the United States Marine Corps, Department of Defense and State Department. He has been a Senior Fellow with the Center for International Policy since 2010. In 2009, Matthew resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan with the State Department over the American escalation of the war.

Citing sources close to the Taliban, Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that the Biden administration has asked the Taliban to agree to a continued US presence in Afghanistan for three or six months past May 1st deadline agreed to 14 months ago.

In a sensational presentation and wide-ranging interview and dialogue, Matthew shares his remarkably informed perspective on Afghanistan, including his suggestion that we are creating the circumstances in which the only option is violence. We discuss the concern that this too often continues to be the outcome of US foreign policy as indicated by the result of our ‘War on Terror’ which has resulted in an explosion of State Department Listed Terror Groups and terrorist membership from 2001 until today.

Our guest shares the depth of corruption of the government in Kabul by citing ‘Transparency International’ which rates them as one of the most corrupt governments in the world and further cites the results of UN reports which claim that roughly one third of all prisoners of Afghanistan are tortured by the security forces (police, the army, and the intel services) of Afghanistan, forces that we train.

A compelling body of information is presented that suggest that there is no moral justification for US Afghan foreign policy to date and in fact he details how it has been instead incredibly counterproductive. His personal experience in dealing with Taliban members provides another level of credibility. Although he is no fan of the Taliban, he knows them. Unlike the US who has a history once again of lying about our involvement in foreign policy theaters, in Afghanistan, he doubts the Taliban will renege on promises made. In fact, they have abided by the agreement the last year or more to not attack and kill US and NATO forces. “These groups they mean what they say and do what they say”

The show also covers the historical context since the 1970s in Afghanistan identifying the real government types that historically provided the best and most promising material and human rights advances for women and all Afghans.

With special guest, Matt Hoh who brings nearly twelve years of frontline experience with America’s wars overseas with the United States Marine Corps, Department of Defense and State Department. He has been a Senior Fellow with the Center for International Policy since 2010. In 2009, Matthew resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan with the State Department over the American escalation of the war.

Citing sources close to the Taliban, Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that the Biden administration has asked the Taliban to agree to a continued US presence in Afghanistan for three or six months past May 1st deadline agreed to 14 months ago.

In a sensational presentation and wide-ranging interview and dialogue, Matthew shares his remarkably informed perspective on Afghanistan, including his suggestion that we are creating the circumstances in which the only option is violence. We discuss the concern that this too often continues to be the outcome of US foreign policy as indicated by the result of our ‘War on Terror’ which has resulted in an explosion of State Department Listed Terror Groups and terrorist membership from 2001 until today.

Our guest shares the depth of corruption of the government in Kabul by citing ‘Transparency International’ which rates them as one of the most corrupt governments in the world and further cites the results of UN reports which claim that roughly one third of all prisoners of Afghanistan are tortured by the security forces (police, the army, and the intel services) of Afghanistan, forces that we train.

A compelling body of information is presented that suggest that there is no moral justification for US Afghan foreign policy to date and in fact he details how it has been instead incredibly counterproductive. His personal experience in dealing with Taliban members provides another level of credibility. Although he is no fan of the Taliban, he knows them. Unlike the US who has a history once again of lying about our involvement in foreign policy theaters, in Afghanistan, he doubts the Taliban will renege on promises made. In fact, they have abided by the agreement the last year or more to not attack and kill US and NATO forces. “These groups they mean what they say and do what they say”

The show also covers the historical context since the 1970s in Afghanistan identifying the real government types that historically provided the best and most promising material and human rights advances for women and all Afghans.

With special guest, TX Senator Sarah Eckhardt and KOOP’s own, PJ Pullus, Lynn Cowles & Reshmi Chowdhury. This show is part of a four-show combination this week in celebration of the last week of International Women’s Month (IWM. We begin with Reflections of Community Outreach (ROCO) on Monday 3/29 followed by this BLID show at 6pm the same day. We are followed by Civil Rights & Wrong show focus on Tuesday 3/30 at 6pm and this collage of four shows that continue our KOOP IWM celebration ends with In Touch Interviews on 3/31/21 at 2:30pm.

The show introduction details the $10T (not billon!) of unpaid labor by women of the world contribute that augment the criminal wealth inequality divide produced by the predatory nature of the world economic system that the US and EU dominate through institutions such as the world Health Organization (WTO). We document how claims that pharmaceutical companies take significant risks and largely finance the science behind the Covid 19 vaccination development and production is completely misleading and false.

It is within this context that we then transition from the macro world level and how women significantly insulate the majority population from the hard edges of a profoundly undemocratic ‘profit over people’ priority, to the local US and Travis County level with our honorable women activist guests.

It is a great honor for BLID to present Texas Senator Eckhardt who reminds us that ‘the world may be unfair, but it is not inherently cruel’, and shares the three greatest things that are getting collectively rolled back here in the US, women’s reproductive health rights, public education, and free and welcoming access to vote. PJ Pullus who led KOOP’s efforts to bring the music of women together just one year ago as the Covid experience was beginning; Lynn Cowles who personifies dedicated activism and reveals the experiences of the disenfranchised in our community; And Reshmi Choudhury who shares the impact of the recent Atlanta horrific murders as part of the important insights she shares into the specific nature of racism that our Asian American population are subject to as well as the strengths they have brought to the fabric of our US culture.

With special guest, TX Senator Sarah Eckhardt and KOOP’s own, PJ Pullus, Lynn Cowles & Reshmi Chowdhury. This show is part of a four-show combination this week in celebration of the last week of International Women’s Month (IWM. We begin with Reflections of Community Outreach (ROCO) on Monday 3/29 followed by this BLID show at 6pm the same day. We are followed by Civil Rights & Wrong show focus on Tuesday 3/30 at 6pm and this collage of four shows that continue our KOOP IWM celebration ends with In Touch Interviews on 3/31/21 at 2:30pm.

The show introduction details the $10T (not billon!) of unpaid labor by women of the world contribute that augment the criminal wealth inequality divide produced by the predatory nature of the world economic system that the US and EU dominate through institutions such as the world Health Organization (WTO). We document how claims that pharmaceutical companies take significant risks and largely finance the science behind the Covid 19 vaccination development and production is completely misleading and false.

It is within this context that we then transition from the macro world level and how women significantly insulate the majority population from the hard edges of a profoundly undemocratic ‘profit over people’ priority, to the local US and Travis County level with our honorable women activist guests.

It is a great honor for BLID to present Texas Senator Eckhardt who reminds us that ‘the world may be unfair, but it is not inherently cruel’, and shares the three greatest things that are getting collectively rolled back here in the US, women’s reproductive health rights, public education, and free and welcoming access to vote. PJ Pullus who led KOOP’s efforts to bring the music of women together just one year ago as the Covid experience was beginning; Lynn Cowles who personifies dedicated activism and reveals the experiences of the disenfranchised in our community; And Reshmi Choudhury who shares the impact of the recent Atlanta horrific murders as part of the important insights she shares into the specific nature of racism that our Asian American population are subject to as well as the strengths they have brought to the fabric of our US culture.

With special guest, editor, and investigative journalist Jeremy Kuzmarov. In 2015 Russia enacted laws requiring NGOs financed by outside nations and are seeking to influence the internal politics of Russia to register as ‘foreign agents. This included the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) which outraged US government and NED officials. Investigative journalist Robert Parry accurately described the NED as “a U.S. government-funded organization created in 1983 to do what the Central Intelligence Agency previously had done in financing organizations inside target countries to advance U.S. policy interests and, if needed, help in ‘regime change’.” The US government was outraged despite Russia essentially mimicking the same law, The Foreign Agent Registration Act, that we passed in our own country in 1938.

In 1991, the Washington Post essentially validated what Parry was claiming regarding the purposes of the NED, as it quoted one of the founders of the NED Allen Weinstein as saying “a lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA.”

Tonight, we are joined by the managing editor of Covert Magazine as we examine the covert manner and outcome in which the American public has been conditioned informationally to be receptive to anti-Russian disposition. Our focus is on the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny and the rush to judgment that the Russians did it. We review the evidence to date as well as in light of the recent 21st century multiple scenarios in which the US government and the US media has repeatedly come up empty after making claims of certainty that Russia or another US ‘adversary’ had committed egregious acts. We review our guest, Jeremy Kuzmarov’s recent article Russian Opposition Leader Alexey Navalny a Key Prop in a Psychological Warfare Operation Designed to Bring Down Vladimir Putin?

We provide a much fuller and more fully documented and therefore healthier contextual information base to our listeners. It is called investigative journalism rather than ‘promoting a narrative’. in order that our listeners can make a more well-informed estimation regarding what to believe. Who benefits? Who has a higher motive? What is the evidence that is brought forth? Is due process honored or discarded? Where does the preponderance of circumstantial evidence point? Learning how to not be played…. Again, and again!

With special guest, editor, and investigative journalist Jeremy Kuzmarov. In 2015 Russia enacted laws requiring NGOs financed by outside nations and are seeking to influence the internal politics of Russia to register as ‘foreign agents. This included the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) which outraged US government and NED officials. Investigative journalist Robert Parry accurately described the NED as “a U.S. government-funded organization created in 1983 to do what the Central Intelligence Agency previously had done in financing organizations inside target countries to advance U.S. policy interests and, if needed, help in ‘regime change’.” The US government was outraged despite Russia essentially mimicking the same law, The Foreign Agent Registration Act, that we passed in our own country in 1938.

In 1991, the Washington Post essentially validated what Parry was claiming regarding the purposes of the NED, as it quoted one of the founders of the NED Allen Weinstein as saying “a lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA.”

Tonight, we are joined by the managing editor of Covert Magazine as we examine the covert manner and outcome in which the American public has been conditioned informationally to be receptive to anti-Russian disposition. Our focus is on the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny and the rush to judgment that the Russians did it. We review the evidence to date as well as in light of the recent 21st century multiple scenarios in which the US government and the US media has repeatedly come up empty after making claims of certainty that Russia or another US ‘adversary’ had committed egregious acts. We review our guest, Jeremy Kuzmarov’s recent article Russian Opposition Leader Alexey Navalny a Key Prop in a Psychological Warfare Operation Designed to Bring Down Vladimir Putin?

We provide a much fuller and more fully documented and therefore healthier contextual information base to our listeners. It is called investigative journalism rather than ‘promoting a narrative’. in order that our listeners can make a more well-informed estimation regarding what to believe. Who benefits? Who has a higher motive? What is the evidence that is brought forth? Is due process honored or discarded? Where does the preponderance of circumstantial evidence point? Learning how to not be played…. Again, and again!

There is something wrong with the US foreign policy being predicated on the expectation that other countries should put US foreign policy desires ahead of their own interests. And if they fail to, and there is noncompliance, sanctions, foreign intervention or outright facilitation of conflict and war by the most powerful country and its allies on the planet too often, follows. Our guest the esteemed human rights activist who has practiced civil disobedience and its consequences for the last several decades shares why she and others are willing to get arrested and jailed in order to fight back against the negative outcomes that have taken so many civilian men, women and children lives. Ms. Kelley traveled to Iraq 17 times beginning in or about 1990 and also has frequented Afghanistan among other places where US foreign policy results have impacted so negatively so many lives. She is part of a larger group of patriots who are loyal to ethical tradition that says no to “unjust laws” no to “unjust wars” and no to “unjust sanctions” as she reveals the outcomes, they create from eyewitness accounts.

Our particular focus is on her Iraq experiences and lessons learned but not covered by our ‘mainstream media’ including NPR. From intentionally targeting sanitation, water systems and other infrastructure and then denying chlorinators and other supplies to address the basic civilian needs over a ten-year period during the sanction period following 1990 -1991 Desert Storm, up until the 2003 US invasion. A scenario being repeated in Yemen as well as in the 2011 Libya invasion. Ms. Kelly also responds to the takeover of the Iraqi economy by the Coalitional Provisional Authority led by Paul Bremer and the profiteering mainly by US corporate interests.

If US public knew of these tragic consequences, they would not have tolerated it.

‘Trust but verify’ demands responsibility and accountability by an informed electorate. Please join us tonight as we seek to help contribute to building such an informed US public.

There is something wrong with the US foreign policy being predicated on the expectation that other countries should put US foreign policy desires ahead of their own interests. And if they fail to, and there is noncompliance, sanctions, foreign intervention or outright facilitation of conflict and war by the most powerful country and its allies on the planet too often, follows. Our guest the esteemed human rights activist who has practiced civil disobedience and its consequences for the last several decades shares why she and others are willing to get arrested and jailed in order to fight back against the negative outcomes that have taken so many civilian men, women and children lives. Ms. Kelley traveled to Iraq 17 times beginning in or about 1990 and also has frequented Afghanistan among other places where US foreign policy results have impacted so negatively so many lives. She is part of a larger group of patriots who are loyal to ethical tradition that says no to “unjust laws” no to “unjust wars” and no to “unjust sanctions” as she reveals the outcomes, they create from eyewitness accounts.

Our particular focus is on her Iraq experiences and lessons learned but not covered by our ‘mainstream media’ including NPR. From intentionally targeting sanitation, water systems and other infrastructure and then denying chlorinators and other supplies to address the basic civilian needs over a ten-year period during the sanction period following 1990 -1991 Desert Storm, up until the 2003 US invasion. A scenario being repeated in Yemen as well as in the 2011 Libya invasion. Ms. Kelly also responds to the takeover of the Iraqi economy by the Coalitional Provisional Authority led by Paul Bremer and the profiteering mainly by US corporate interests.

If US public knew of these tragic consequences, they would not have tolerated it.

‘Trust but verify’ demands responsibility and accountability by an informed electorate. Please join us tonight as we seek to help contribute to building such an informed US public.

In our final Black History & State of Black America celebration show, the 6th in our series of conscious raising shows around systemic racism & oppression, we continue our 2011 Libya US led NATO criminal overthrow of the Libyan government and its outcome featuring the distinguished research findings of Dr Alan Kuperman of the University of Texas. Dr Kuperman’s research findings brought light into the darkness of the false claims that led us to unjust NATO invasion of Libya ten years ago by contradicting the false ‘humanitarian intervention’ narrative that the US Obama government and mainstream media successfully promoted. Instead, our foreign policy intervention resulted in the opposite, another humanitarian disaster, highlighted by a return of slavery and the enabling of al Qaeda.

Dr Kuperman documented ahead of the 2011 US led NATO overthrow of the Libyan government that “In fact the uprising from the first day as armed, militant and led by veterans of al Qaeda in northeastern Libya.” … “the uprising was led, initiated, spearheaded by al Qaeda veterans.” And that Gaddafi’s Libyan airstrikes specifically targeted these insurgents and NOT civilians.

Last week before ending our show with a Libya focus, we detailed the false narrative promoted by the Hill Knowlton PR firm as an important component of misleading the US public to support the 1st Gulf War against Iraq. We also shared the false narrative promoted by the US government and swallowed whole without dissent by mainstream media (MSM) that lead us to the unjust 2003 invasion in Iraq. It is in that context that we examine the US government and MSM misrepresentations that led to the unjust overthrow of the Libyan government in 2011. If we do not become historically literate to the truths of our past interventions than we are much more likely to be played like chumps again today and tomorrow. Please join us tonight as we continue, this time through the research of Dr Alan Kuperman, to bring light into the darkness of the deceit our government and mainstream media so routinely have concocted that preceded our histories of US foreign policy intervention in order to reduce its opposition.

‘Trust but verify’ demands responsibility and accountability by an informed electorate. Please join us tonight as we seek to help contribute to building such an informed US public.

In our final Black History & State of Black America celebration show, the 6th in our series of conscious raising shows around systemic racism & oppression, we continue our 2011 Libya US led NATO criminal overthrow of the Libyan government and its outcome featuring the distinguished research findings of Dr Alan Kuperman of the University of Texas. Dr Kuperman’s research findings brought light into the darkness of the false claims that led us to unjust NATO invasion of Libya ten years ago by contradicting the false ‘humanitarian intervention’ narrative that the US Obama government and mainstream media successfully promoted. Instead, our foreign policy intervention resulted in the opposite, another humanitarian disaster, highlighted by a return of slavery and the enabling of al Qaeda.

Dr Kuperman documented ahead of the 2011 US led NATO overthrow of the Libyan government that “In fact the uprising from the first day as armed, militant and led by veterans of al Qaeda in northeastern Libya.” … “the uprising was led, initiated, spearheaded by al Qaeda veterans.” And that Gaddafi’s Libyan airstrikes specifically targeted these insurgents and NOT civilians.

Last week before ending our show with a Libya focus, we detailed the false narrative promoted by the Hill Knowlton PR firm as an important component of misleading the US public to support the 1st Gulf War against Iraq. We also shared the false narrative promoted by the US government and swallowed whole without dissent by mainstream media (MSM) that lead us to the unjust 2003 invasion in Iraq. It is in that context that we examine the US government and MSM misrepresentations that led to the unjust overthrow of the Libyan government in 2011. If we do not become historically literate to the truths of our past interventions than we are much more likely to be played like chumps again today and tomorrow. Please join us tonight as we continue, this time through the research of Dr Alan Kuperman, to bring light into the darkness of the deceit our government and mainstream media so routinely have concocted that preceded our histories of US foreign policy intervention in order to reduce its opposition.

‘Trust but verify’ demands responsibility and accountability by an informed electorate. Please join us tonight as we seek to help contribute to building such an informed US public.