Foreign Policy Focus

On FPF #106, I discuss the terror attack in Somalia that killed over 300 people. I look at blowback and how US policy possibly motivated the bomber. I explain that while Americans may not care about dead Somalis, people in the Muslim world do. I update Marawi, Kurdistan, Syria, and Israel. 

Articles

• The US shipped Saudi Arabia $70 million more in weapons during the first eight months of 2017 than during the first eight months of 2016. [Link]
• Two leaders of the Catalan independence movement have been jailed while they are investigated for sedition. [Link] 
• The two leaders of the Islamic State-linked jihadist group controlling the city Marawi have been killed. [Link]
• The US has spent $3.9 billion per month for 16 years in Afghanistan. [Link] 
• Taliban suicide bombers targeted a police training building killing at least 33. [Link]
• The Iraqi government forces have taken several positions in and around the city of Kirkuk. The Kurdish forces previously held Kirkuk. Some fighting has been reported, but Kurdish forces have mostly withdrawn. [Link] 
• Kurdish families fled Kirkuk as the Iraqi army advanced on and took control of the city. [Link]
• The leader of Iraqi Kurdish forces said the Iraqi government’s offensive against Kirkuk amounts to a declaration of war. [Link]
• The Syrian Arab Army is quickly advancing against the Islamic State in the Deir Ezzor Province. [Link] 
• Israeli warplanes hitting Syrian targets were fired on by Syrian anti-aircraft weapons. Israeli responded by bombing Syrian anti-aircraft weapon. [Link]
• Iran’s foreign minister said Iran would remain in the nuclear deal so long as European countries remain in the deal. [Link]
• Spain plans to seize Catalonia if Catalan leadership does not end the attempt at independence. [Link]
• At least 300 people have been killed by a truck explosion in Somalia’s capital city Mogadishu. [Link]
• The former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai is warning the US the Trump’s new Afghanistan policy will not work. [Link] 
• US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces allowed 275 Islamic State fighters and their family members leave Raqqa. The SDF now plan their final assault on the remaining Islamic State fighters in Raqqa. [Link] 
• The Iraqi government says the Iraqi Kurds has declared war against them by allowing PKK fighters into Kirkuk. Iraqi Kurdish officials deny these claims. [Link] 
• The Iraqi army is advancing on Kirkuk. [Link] 
• The Syrian government is demanding that Turkish troops withdraw from Syria. Additional Turkish troops entered the Idlib Province of Syria as part of a deal to establish deconfliction zones. Turkish troops are thought to be working with the al-Qaeda backed Syrian rebel groups. [Link] 
• Recent Saudi airstrikes kill 29 children in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has been criticized several times for killing Yemeni children. [Link]

On FPF #105, I discuss Trump's Iran policy speech. Trump's speech was filled with lies and half-truths meant to make Americans scared of Iran. Trump then uses the lies to justify decertifying the P5+1 Nuclear Agreement. I debunk the lies and explore why Trump's policy will fail. 

Trump's Speech

Gareth Porter's Book

On FPF #104, I update the news on all of American's wars. In Syria, the Islamic State continues to kill civilians. The US is moving a second aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula. Trump is looking at a new more hawkish Iran policy. In Afghanistan, Pakistan is attempting to build a border wall. The House Resolution to end US support for Saudi's war in Yemen was postponed to November 2nd. 

Articles 

• Trevor Aaronson explains how the FBI attempted to bully a man into becoming an informant. [Link]
• Jason Ditz explains how the US government uses the word suspect to dehumanize its victims. [Link]
• North Korea’s Foreign Minister said Donald Trump “lit the wick of war” and the US risks a “hail of fire” with rhetoric. [Link]
• The Spanish Prime Minister issued an ultimatum to Catalonia. The ultimatum gives the Catalan government eight days to drop the independence bid or else the Spanish government will seize Catalonia and dissolve the government. [Link] 
• The Israeli government approved the building of another 3,700 settlement homes. [Link]
• The Syrian Foreign Minister said that the Syrian Kurds are drunk off US assistance and are looking to capture Syrian oil fields. [Link] 
• H.Con.Res 81 now has 27 cosponsors. The bill looks to end US involvement in the Yemeni Civil War. [Link]
• Ron Paul interviews Robert Perry on the state of journalism in the US. [Link]
• Trump is expected to reveal his new policy for Iran today. [Link] Trump is not expected to decertify the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran but will place more sanctions on the IRGC. [Link]
• The Pentagon spends half of its budget on contractors. [Link] 
• The US announced troop arrivals to Poland near the border with Russia. [Link]
• The US is moving a second aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula. [Link] 
• The UN says the US and Afghan militaries airstrikes in Afghanistan have caused a 50% increase in civilian casualties in the past year. [Link] 
• In Northeast Syria, at least 50 people were killed by Islamic State suicide car bombs. [Link]
• The vote on H.Con.Res 81 has been postponed until November 2. [Link]

On FPF #103, I discuss how we can prevent some disasters. I base my discussion on Jason Ditz's article The Hurricanes You Control Vs. The Hurricanes You Don’t. In this article, Jason explains how some disasters, like hurricanes, are uncontrollable. While some disasters, like Yemen, are very controllable. I also discuss burn pits, Iraq, Syria, and North Korea. 

Articles 

• The US flew B1-B bombers over South Korea in a show of force. [Link] 
• The President of Catalonia has signed a declaration of independence from Spain but suspended the independence process to allow talks with the Spanish government. [Link]
• Hundreds of Islamic State fighters are surrendering to the Iraqi Kurds. [Link]
• Kelley Vlahos discusses a new documentary about burn pits from the Iraq War. [Link]
• South Korea has added a graphite bomb to their arsenal. The graphite bomb is also known as a blackout bomb and targets electric infrastructure. [Link]
• Aid groups report that over 2,000 people in Yemen, including unborn babies, have died from cholera. [Link] 
• Education in Yemen continues to suffer because of the civil war. Many teachers have not been paid in months and some are going on strike. Over 1,700 schools are unfit because of damage from the conflict. [Link]
• The US will not participate in war games with Saudi Arabia because of Saudi’s blockade of Qatar. US CENTCOM in the Middle East is located in Qatar. [Link] 
• Trump says that the US will develop a “broad strategy” to punish Iran. [Link]
• The State Department approved a $15 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia. The weapons deal includes THAAD missile defense systems. [Link] 
• Gareth Porter explains the importance of supporting the bill to end support for Saudi’s war in Yemen. [Link] 
• The Spanish government will lift restrictions on companies who move from Catalonia to other parts of Spain. [Link]
• An estimated 350,000 people took to the streets in Catalonia to protest Catalan independence. There are some reports that some of the protesters were bused in from other regions of Spain. [Link] 
• Kim Jung Un says nuclear weapons are a powerful deterrent against the US. [Link] 
• The body of a special operations soldier has been found in Niger. He is the fourth US soldier to die in last weeks ambush attack in Niger. The US now believes an Islamic State affiliate group was responsible for the attack. [Link] 
• The Red Cross will scale back operations in Afghanistan after being targeted by militias. [Link]

On Foreign Policy Focus #102, I discuss the Yemeni Civil War. I review the history of the war and the destruction of Yemen. Americans remain apathetic about Yemen as it is destroyed with American weapons. Saudi Arabia was blacklisted for a second year for killing Yemeni children. 

Articles 

• Saudi Arabia was put on a UN blacklist for murdering Yemeni children. [Link] 
• CNN has released new footage showing the conditions in some Yemeni hospitals. Nearly 800,000 Yemeni have now contracted cholera. [Link]

On FPF #101, I discuss the Catalan independence vote. 90% of people who were able to vote, voted for independence. The Spanish police brutally cracked down on people trying to vote. Catalans have responded with massive peaceful protesters. 

Articles

• The US ordered 15 Cuban diplomats to leave the country. The US also withdrew 60% of US diplomats from Cuba. [Link] 
• The US voted against a ban on the death penalty being made illegal as a punishment for homosexuality. [Link] 
• General Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US should stay in the Iran nuclear deal.
• John McCain criticized the Trump administration for not being transparent enough about its Afghanistan policy. [Link] 
• Mattis said about 3,000 US troops in Afghanistan will be in combat roles. [Link] 
• Catalans protested and were on strike against police abuse for a second day. [Link] 
• Catalonia’s president said Catalonia would declare independence from Spain within a few days. [Link] 
• Iraqi Kurds will have parliamentary and presidential elections on November 1. [Link] 
• US warships will now travel with their Automatic Identification System turned on. The AIS alerts other ships in the area on the size and speed of a ship to prevent coalitions. [Link]
• The White House confirms that they are unwilling to engage in talks with North Korea. [Link]
• Justin Raimondo argues the Catalan independence vote revealed the true nature of government. [Link]
• The Catalan President has submitted the results of the referendum to the Catalan Parliment. The president is also seeking international mediation to help with a peaceful split from Spain. The Spanish government is refusing to acknowledge the referendum happened and refusing to negotiate with Catalonia. [Link]
• On Monday, Catalans took to the streets to protest the brutal police crackdown on the Catalan independence vote. [Link]
• An American soldier was killed and another was injured in Iraq. [Link]  
• Iran has deployed tanks and artillery to the border they share with Iraqi Kurdistan. [Link]
• The Trump administration has set a cap of 45,000 refugees to be admitted to the US in 2018. [Link] 
• The Trump administration is urging Congress to renew and make permanent some sections of the Foreign Intelligence Survalience Act. [Link] 
• Senators McCain and Lee have introduced a bill to permanently exempt Puerto Rico from the Jones Act. [Link] 
• Julian Borger explains why the CIA is not helping Donald Trump to undermine the Iran nuclear deal. [Link] 
• Trump Tweeted that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was wasting his time trying to negotiate with North Korea. [Link] 
• Catalans held their independence referendum in spite of a brutal crackdown by Spanish police. Police were filmed beating and abusing peaceful voters. Police beat elderly women and firefighters attempting to protect voters. In total, 844 Catalans were injured yesterday. Police seized some ballot boxes and closed some polling stations. 90% of Catalans voted for independence. [Link] 
• The Spanish government will do everything possible to stop Catalonia from declaring independence. [Link] 
• A US missile malfunctioned and killed several civilians near Kabul Afghanistan. [Link]
• Senator Bob Corker said the US was likely to have ground troops in Afghanistan for the next decade. [Link] 
• Rex Tillerson issues a statement saying the US does not recognize the Iraqi Kurdish independence vote. [Link]
• A Turkish soldier was killed fighting the PKK in Iraq. Three PKK militants were also killed in the fighting. [Link]

Scott Horton joins me on Foreign Policy Focus #100 to discuss his new book Fool's Errand. Scott debunks the idea that 9/11 was the start of US interventionism in the Middle East. Scott explains Bush's war in Afghanistan and what happened at Tora Bora. Scott discusses ISIS in Afghanistan and where these jihadist came from. Scott also analyzes Trump's strategy for the American's longest war.

The web page for Fool's Errand FoolsErrand.Us

Scott Horton, managing director of the Libertarian Institute, is the host of Antiwar Radio on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, and Opinion Editor of Antiwar.com. Scott is the host of the Scott Horton Show.

Articles 

No Good Men Among the Living (Anand Gopal) http://anandgopal.com/

Afghan Analyst article on ISIS. Afghanistan-analysts.org

On FPF #99, I provide quick updates on several big current events. In Catalonia, the Spanish government is trying to censor the independence movement. In Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi government has shut down airspace as a punishment for voting for independence. In Afghanistan, Mattis made a visit and had to be rushed to safety.

This is a short show because I am not feeling well. 

On FPF #98, I discuss Trump bombing Libya. This is the 6th country that Trump has bombed during his presidency. Congress has not authorized Trump to carry out any military actions. I discuss Trump's tweet on Iran's missile test. I also update Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. 

Articles

• US officials say Iran did not test a ballistic missile over the weekend. A Trump Tweet from the weekend claimed Iran had tested a ballistic missile. [Link] 

• Trump said the US is totally prepared for devastating military action against North Korea. [Link]

• Chelsea Manning has been barred from entering Canada. [Link] 

• General Dunford answered questions to a Senate committee for his reappointment to as the head of the Joint Cheif of Staff. In the session, Dunford said the US must influence Pakistan to change the situation in Afghanistan and China would be the greatest enemy to the US by 2025. [Link]  

• Trump said the Catalan independence vote was foolish. [Link] 

• The Spanish government says there is a plan to have police officers at every voting station in Catalonia to prevent the independence vote. [Link] 

• The US lost track of $700 million in ammunition sent to Afghanistan. [Link] 

• The Saudi Arabian King issued a decree that will begin a process that will allow women to drive in June 2018. [Link] 

• The Syrian government says they are willing to negotiate Syrian Kurdish autonomy. [Link]

• Arab media sources are reporting Israel fired on a Syrian military aircraft near the Golan area. [Link] 

• Saudi Arabia published a letter threatening nations that support the UN resolution that creates an independent investigation into war crimes in Yemen. [Link] 

• H.R. McMaster said North Korea must allow inspections and declare it is committed to getting rid of nuclear weapons before the US will negotiate with North Korea. [Link] 

• Jimmy Carter says the US needs to talk to its enemies and warns against provoking North Korea. [Link] 

• North Korea says a tweet posted by Donald Trump is a declaration of war. North Korea also threatened to shoot down US aircraft in international airspace. [Link]  

• The Iraqi Kurds have voted overwhelmingly to form a new state. [Link] 

• In response to the Kurdish independence vote, Iran has closed the border with Iraqi Kurdistan. [Link] The Syrian government has refused to validate the vote. The Iraqi Parliament has voted send troops to the Kirkuk Province and other disputed areas. The Turkish government has threated to stop oil exports from the Iraqi Kurds. [Link] 

• The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces claim they were hit by a Russian airstrike outside of Deir Ezzor. Russia denies the claims. [Link] 

• Dozens of children were killed by a US airstrike in Syria that hit a school. [Link]

On Foreign Policy Focus #97, I discuss Trump calling Kim Jung Un a madman on Twitter. This is Trump's most dangerous Tweet so far. If Trump thinks Un is a madman, then Trump could decide to wage preemptive war North Korea. I review the road that led us to the mess in North Korea. I also update Syria, Yemen, and Myanmar. 

Articles 

• The Russian Zapad wargames have ended. Several news outlets used the wargames to create fear of Russian aggression. [Link] 

• The US flew B1-B nuclear-capable bombers and F-15s in airspace very close to North Korea. [Link] 

• Trump called Kim Jung Un a madman on Twitter. [Link] Trump made a threat to Kim Jung Un and North Korea’s Foreign Minister. North Korea held an anti-US rally. [Link] 

• 62% of Americans do not trust Trump to handle the North Korea situation. [Link] 

• Islamist fighters in Marawi continue to hold out against the Philippine military. The Islamists control about ten blocks and are estimated to have about 60 fighters left. [Link]

• Bangladesh reports that the flow of Rohingya refugees has stopped. [Link] 

• The Taliban have claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing attack on NATO troops in Afghanistan. Three civilians were killed in the attack. No NATO troops were killed or injured. [Link] 

• A Russian general was killed fighting the Islamic State in Deir Ezzor. [Link] 

• US-backed SDF fighters claim to have captured Syria’s largest gas field from the Islamic State. [Link] 

• The US has killed 2,617 civilians in Syria. [Link] 

• The Israeli military carried out airstrikes in near Damascus. Israel claims it was targeting Hezbollah. [Link] 

• Yemen’s President Hadi says that he only sees a military solution in the Yemen Civil War. [Link] 

• Saudi Arabia claims to have shot down a missile launched from Yemen. [Link]