Foreign Policy Focus

Scott Horton returns to FPF to talk about Assange, weapon sales to Saudi Arabia, and the new deployment of troops to the Middle East. Scott 'Fisks' the Assange indictment and explains who Julian Assage is a journalist. Scott and Kyle talk about Trump declaring a national emergency to sell more weapons to the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The weapons will likely be used to commit genocide in Yemen. Scott breaks down Trump's announcement of sending 1,500 troops to the Middle East to combat the Iranian threat. 

Scott Horton is the host of the Scott Horton Show and the author of Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan. He is the Editorial Director of Antiwar.com and the Managing Director of The Libertarian Institute.  

Links

Scott Horton - Assange Indictment 

Will Porter returns to FPF to break down events in the Middle East that could cause a larger conflict between the US and Iran. In Syria, the US is again claiming the Iran-backed Assad government is using chemical weapons against its own civilians. In Iraq, the US government is warning that Iran-backed Shia militias will attack US forces. The US, Saudi, and UAE continue to blame Iran for any attacks carried out by Yemen's Houthis. Will and Kyle discuss the potential for one of these events to be used to spark a war. 

Links

Around the Empire - Elijah Magnier 

On FPF #352, I discuss the military power of the Libyan Field Marshal Haftar. Haftar came to power in the vacuum left by Obama's war in Libya and now controls most of Libya. The strongman has acquired a fleet of fighter jets and 10,000s of troops. He has also built up a navy. Most of the military equipment was given to him by allies of the US like UAE, Egypt, and France. 

Links

• MEE - Haftar's Army
• Americans favor arms control
• Kelley Vlahos on Patrick Shanahan

On FPF #351, I discuss weapon sales and their impact on geopolitics. Turkey said it will buy the S-400 and S-500 air defense systems from Russia. The US approved $1 billion in Raytheon made missiles to Canada, Japan, and South Korea. Google is funding a company that is developing targeting AI for the Pentagon drones. I break down how global nuclear weapons are becoming more advanced and dangerous. 

Links 

Defense One - Nuclear Weapons

SHS - Muhammad Sahimi

On FPF #350, I argue that the armed US government agents are often the bad guys with guns on American streets and overseas. A recent editorial in the NYT explains how cops in Baltimore became the bad guys. I explain how US troops end up becoming the bad guys with guns during our wars. 

I also discuss Chelsea Manning, Africa, Iran, and Yemen. 

Links

• NYT - Cops are bad guys with guns
• Patrick Cockburn - War with Iran
• Did the Houthi hand over the Hodeida ports?

Will Porter returns to FPF to discuss his recent writing on events in the Persian Gulf. Will breaks down the deployment of US forces to the Gulf and the alleged sabotage against four ships at a UAE port. Will and Kyle give their analysis on the events and the potential for war. 

Will is a staff writer at RT. His work has been published at Antiwar.com, Consortium News, and Libertarian Institute.  

On FPF #348, I update the persecution of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning. The UK sentenced Assange to a 50-week sentence for violating bail. The US is seeking his extradition on charges related to the Manning Leaks. Now Sweden is also seeking his extradition. 

Chelsea Manning is now free from jail. Manning served over two months for invoking her 1st, 4th, and 6th Amendments rights. She now faces another subpoena that forces her to testify or be arrested. 

Links

Caitlin Johnson - Rape allegations against Assange

FPF - Patrick Shanahan

On FPF #347, I discuss the reckless actions the US is taking against China, Iran, and Venezuela. Trump new tariffs could restart the trade war with China. He is also increasing challenges to Chinese territorial claims in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Bolton made a big show of the US deploying the USS Abe Lincoln to counter threats from Iran. The deployment of the aircraft carrier is routine, however, the hawks in Trump's administration seem determined to provoke a war with Iran. The regime change effort in Venezuela is ongoing. I review the one-sided media coverage of the events. 

Links

• FAIR - Venezuela coverage
• Danny Sjursen - Afghan Data

Will Porter and Joanne Leon return to FPF to do more debunking of the Russiagate conspiracy theory. Joanne, Will, and Kyle focus in on the story of George Papadopoulos. According to the conspiracy theory, Papadopoulos was connecting Trump's campaign to Russia for receiving secret information about Hillary Clinton's emails. Papadopoulos claims he was the mark of some deep state actors who were attempting to set him up. Joanne and Will make sense of competing claims and changing narratives. 

Will Porter is a staff writer at RT. He has bylines at Antiwar.com. Consortium News, and Libertarian Institute.  

Joanne Leon is the host of the Around the Empire podcast. 

Marko Marjanovic returns to FPF to talk about Venezuela and Syria. Kyle and Marko discuss how US regime change efforts in Venezuela have failed to topple Maduro. The US actions have hurt the Venezuelan people and increased Maduro's popularity. In Syria, Assad is continuing to work to retake all of his country. Currently, he is battling with jihadists in Idlib. Kyle and Mark break down how Assad's fight and the role of the US trying to prevent Assad from retaking Syria. 

Marko Marjanovic runs Checkpoint Asia.

Links

• US blocks Iranian Oil to Syria
• Idlib Offensive
• SHS - Kevin Zeese 
• FPF #208 - Marko Marjanovic