Foreign Policy Focus

On FPF #494, I discuss Trump's decision to fire the State Department Inspector General. At the time the IG was fired, the office was looking into State Department head Mike Pompeo. Pompeo a target because the State Dept continued to push to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, even against the will of Congress and the laws of the US. Saudi has used several US-made bombs to commit war crimes in Yemen. American bombs have been found in the bombing of weddings, funerals, and one was used to kill 44 Yemeni children on a school bus.

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Gareth Porter on the Iran-Al Qaeda alliance

Will Porter returns to Foreign Policy Focus to explain a rare move the judge made in Mike Flynn's case. The Justice Department has recommended that charges be dropped against Flynn. However, the judge has now appointed a 'third party' to come argue the case against Fylnn. The 'third party' is not unbiased and has already written an oped arguing Flynn should continue to face criminal charges. Will breaks down what this means and how it fits into the Russiagate conspiracy theory.

Dan Wright and Joanne Leon return to Foreign Policy Focus to discuss the origins of Russiagate. For three years, we have been fighting to debunk the fake news created about the imagined Russian conspiracy to help Trump beat Hillary. Now, the fake news and false allegation have run dry, and some of the faces behind the fake news are being exposed. We discuss who is being unmasked and why it is so important.

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FPF debunking Russiagate series #211 #212 #213

On FPF #491, I discuss Trump's decision to veto the Iran War Powers resolution passed by Congress. The resolution was passed after the killing of Iranian General Soleimani. Trump's veto is now one of several vetoes he has used to keep Congress from attempting to put minor constraints on the presidential war powers. Congress must continue to try to pass legislation that will reign in the president's ability to start aggressive wars with countries that do not threaten America.

Will Porter returns to FPF to discuss the wild events during a recent coup attempt in Venezuela. Two Americans, along with 50-60 Venezuelans, landed on the shores of the country in an attempt to attest and overthrow Maduro. However, the Venezuelan government knew of the coup - as the plot was reported by AP - and the plotters were quickly captured. Will looks at the possibility the US government had a role in the coup and other important questions.

On FPF #489, I discuss how newly leaked documents from the OPCW show the organization was lying. The new docs leaked to the Grayzone, prove Ian Henderson was a vital member of the Douma fact-finding mission. As a member of the team, Henderson conducting an assessment that concluded the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma was staged. However, the OPCW left Henderson's assessment out of the Douma report and concluded Assad had used chemical weapons.

Henderson's assessment was eventually leaked, shedding important light on the truth of what happened in Douma. In an attempt to undermine the creditability of the report, OPCW leadership attacked Henderson. The new docs show the attempts to discredit Henderson were baseless smears.

On FPF #488, I discuss the US-Taliban "peace agreement." While the agreement has brought a reduction in violence between the US and Taliban, overall the violence between the Taliban and US-supported Afghan government rages. In the first three months of the year, Taliban attacks are up and the Afghan government is killing children at twice the rate of the Taliban. However, there are some positive signs. The two men claiming the title of Afghanistan's president are close to making a deal to unify the two governments.

Will Porter returns to Foreign Policy Focus to discuss the seeming reappearance of Kim Jong-un. Will breaks down the evidence that shows Kim's recent public visit to a new factory, after being absent from public view for three weeks. During his absence, the world outside of North Korea speculated about the North Korean chain of succession if the Supreme Leader would die. However, it looks like Kim is alive and well.

On FPF #486, I discuss how Israel apparently used fake documents to push Trump towards war with Iran in April 2018. Gareth Porter has a great article out that explains how it is clear the documents were forgeries. Netanyahu released the documents in April of 2018 before Trump withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal and imposed a 'maximum pressure' sanctions campaign against Iran. The economic war - and other provocative actions by Trump - has moved the US uncomfortable close to a shooting war with Iran.

On FPF#485, I discuss the lastest letter for current and former OPCW employees disputing the organization's latest report claiming Assad used chemical weapons. The letter points out several critical flaws with the report. The insiders point out the problem that the evidence was collected by the Syrian opposition to Assad, and not by OPCW officials. The authors of the letter concluded that there is a strong reason to suspect Assad did not carry out the chemical weapons attacks he was accused of in 2017.

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• OPCW Insiders' letter