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Ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern returns to the show to follow up on Russia-United States relations in the aftermath of Vladimir Putin's recent speech in which he unveiled new nuclear weapons. McGovern details the history of Russian-American relations, dating back to the days of the USSR from World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the lead up to the Vladimir Putin years of the present. McGovern draws parallels between the Cuban Missile Crisis and the current escalation of tensions and explains how close the United States and Russia came to a full nuclear disarmament during the Reagan years. Scott and McGovern then discuss how American intervention in Ukraine over the past five years has provided flint for the fire today. Finally, McGovern tells Scott the message he pleaded with George HW Bush to pass on to his son in the lead up to the Iraq War.

Ray McGovern is the co-creator of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and the former chief of the CIA’s Soviet analysts division. Read all of his work at his website: raymcgovern.com.

Discussed on the show:

"Putin Announces New Generation of Nuclear Weapons," by Scott Horton (Libertarian Institute)

Tommy Thompson

Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

"Putin’s ‘Invincible’ Missile Is Aimed at U.S. Vulnerabilities," by David Sanger (The New York Times)

Mikhail Gorbachev

Fritz Ermarth

"Ronald Reagan’s Disarmament Dream" (The Atlantic)

"Gorbachev Told NATO Wouldn't Move Past East German Border" (The National Interest)

"McCain: Rand Paul 'working for Vladimir Putin'" (The Hill)

Jack Matlock: "The source of missile deployment in Eastern Europe is to create jobs for American manufacturers and employees" (YouTube)

Jack Matlock

"09/03/14 – Jack Matlock – The Scott Horton Show" (ScottHorton.org)

"Ukraine conflict: US 'may supply arms to Ukraine'" (BBC)

"Russian mercenaries said to be killed by U.S. airstrike in Syria" (Washington Post)

Israeli consul general in New York to Jodi Rudoren “Let them both bleed, hemorrhage to death” (New York Times)

Brent Scowcroft

"Don't Attack Saddam," by Brent Scowcroft

Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy, by Andrew Cockburn

The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, by John Mearshimer and Stephen Walt

"Putin: I Kept Trying to Tell You; You Wouldn’t Listen," by Ray McGovern (RayMcgovern.com)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Grant F. Smith returns to the show to promote his upcoming conference The Israel Lobby and American Policy 2018 on Friday, March 2nd in Washington, D.C. Smith explains why this remains such an important issue for Americans and Israelis alike and details the numerous, compelling speakers slated to present.

Grant F. Smith is the author of a number of books including “Big Israel: How Israel’s Lobby Moves America” and “Divert!”. He is director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C.

Discussed on the show:

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)

"How the Israel Anti-Boycott Act Threatens First Amendment Rights" (ACLU)

"The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act would damage free speech rights on campus" (LA Times)

"Author Lecture: Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan" (Eventbrite)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern returns to the show to discuss the merits of Russian interference in American democracy, explaining what he thinks prompted the Russia scandal and why he's convinced the supposed hack was in fact a leak. McGovern does what he can to analyze the U.S.-Russia tensions from the perspective of Vladimir Putin. McGovern then explains what he means when he says "Deep State" and why he thinks the Carter Page memo is revelatory. Why does this all matter? According to McGovern, the U.S.-Russia relations are as frayed and combustible as they have been at any point since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Ray McGovern is the co-creator of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and the former chief of the CIA’s Soviet analysts division. Read all of his work at his website: raymcgovern.com.

Discussed on the show:

Robbert Parry, Russia (Consortium News)

William Binney

"On Russia, We Need More Reason and Less Frenzy," by Katrina vanden Heuvel (The Nation)

"But, Mr. Putin, You Just Don’t Understand," by David Swanson (Washington's Blog)

"Pope Francis to Congress: Arms industry 'drenched in blood'" (United Press International)

Caspar Weinberger

"Khan Sheikhoun, Syria: The Nerve Agent Attack that Did Not Occur," by Theodore Postol (Global Research)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Scott interviews surviving Branch Davidian David Thibodeau on the 25 year anniversary of the Waco Massacre and the new TV miniseries partly based on Thibodeau's book, "A Place Called Waco." Thibodeau discusses the merits of the television show, gives his personal history of how he joined the Branch Davidians, and explains how David Koresh attracted people from all over the world with his biblical teachings. Thibodeau describes the day of the raid and how the crucial pieces of evidence that corroborate the Davidians' stories were "lost." Scott then prompts Thibodeau: "Tell me about the fire." Thibodeau concludes with what he's learned from his experience, reflections, and review of the evidence that's been uncovered in the years since the tragedy.

David Thibodeau is a surviving member of the Branch Davidians and the author of A Place Called Waco. A new television miniseries, Waco is based in part on Thibodeau's book.

Discussed on the show:

Interview of Mike McNulty

Waco: The Rules of Engagement

Davidian Massacre: Disturbing Questions About Waco Which Must Be Answered, by Carol Moore

Henry Clay (WikiQuote)

"Shedding light on the use of SWAT teams," by Radley Balko (The Washington Post)

Waco: Messiah or Madman (A&E)

"The Waco Massacre," (Includes embedded documentary films) by Scott Horton (Libertarian Institute)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Cato's Ted Galen Carpenter joins Scott to discuss his article for The American Conservative "Will the U.S. Go to War With China Over Taiwan?" Carpenter starts of with an overview of the history of the conflict between China and Taiwan and the role the United States has played from the beginning. Carpenter explains how the Taiwanese deserve our sympathies generally, but not if it risks outright nuclear war.

Ted Galen Carpenter is a senior fellow for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. Carpenter has written 10 books including "America's Coming War with China: A Collision Course over Taiwan" and is a contributing editor at The American Conservative Magazine and the National Interest.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

The ACLU's John Hafetz returns to the show to discuss the American citizen and alleged ISIS fighter being held without charge in Iraq. Hafetz explains how a judge granted the man access to a lawyer through the ACLU and how Hafetz and others have been fighting to get the man to court. Hafetz then discusses the former cases under the Bush administration when Americans were charged as enemy combatants. According to Hafetz the case will hinge on whether the AUMF allows Americans to be detained without charge and whether it can be extended to a group like ISIS that wasn't originally included in the AUMF.

Jonathan Hafetz is a senior staff attorney at the ACLU Center for Democracy. He teaches at Seton Hall Law School and has published many books. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanHafetz.

Discussed on the show:

"American ISIS Suspect Held in Iraq Has Right to Lawyer, Judge Rules" (New York Times)

Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri

Jose Padilla

Yaser Esam Hamdi

Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF)

National Defense Authorization Act (2012)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Nasser Arrabyee returns to the show to update the Saudi-American war in Yemen, where the country has been split by factionalism. Scott then asks well, if there's great factionalism, why not let the country split up? Arrabyee details the role the United Arab Emirates is playing in the conflict, the continuing blockade of the Port of Hodeidah, and the fight for control over Southern Yemen.

Nasser Arrabyee is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the owner and director of yemen-now.com. You can follow him on Twiiter @narrabyee.

Discussed on the show:

Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi

Houthis

Ali Abdullah Saleh

Hodeidah

"Trump calls on Saudi Arabia to end Yemen blockade" (CNN)

Muslim Brotherhood (Yemen)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Author of "Cover Up at Guantanamo," Jeffery Kaye joins Scott to discuss his article "The Long-suppressed Korean War Report on U.S. Use of Biological Weapons Released At Last." Kaye details the use of different biological weapons during the Korean War, including newly confirmed claims that have been suppressed for decades. Kaye then describes the lengths he had to travel to see the evidence of U.S. biological warfare firsthand in his attempt to corroborate different sources. Lastly Scott and Kaye discuss the long history of the U.S. threatening potential whistleblowers of U.S. war crimes and the constant drum beat to war on the part of the establishment.

Jeffrey Kaye is the author of "Cover-up at Guantanamo: The NCIS Investigation into the “Suicides” of Mohammed Al Hanashi and Abdul Rahman Al Amri." Kaye is a retired psychologist, blogger, and author. Follow him on Twitter @jeff_kaye.

Discussed on the show:

Sino-Japanese War

Joseph Needham

The United States and Biological Warfare: Secrets from the Early Cold War and Korea, by Stephen Endicott and Edward Hagerman

"Dirty little secrets" (Al Jazeera)

International Council for Science

Reid Technique

Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon, and the Destruction of Cambodia, by William Shawcross

Wormwood

John Powell

"Why the U.S. Government Brought Nazi Scientists to America After World War II" (Smithsonian)

Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad

"Transcript: President Bush, Part 2" (CBS News)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Jeff Larson joins Scott to discuss his new project working at the Foreign Policy Alliance. Larson explains how he's helped build a coalition across the political spectrum that's broad enough to affect significant change and still pure enough to remain ideologically sound. Larson goes through the list of resolutions outlined by the Foreign Policy Alliance and why they would dramatically improve U.S. foreign policy.

Jeff Larson is a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus and an aerospace professional with 25 years in NASA’s Mission Control. He has also been a candidate for office, a national convention delegate, an officer of a national Republican organization, a precinct chair, and a member of his county party’s candidates, vacancy, and training and development committees.

Discussed on the show:

Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire, by Chalmers Johnson

"Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America'" (The Guardian)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Brown University's Stephanie Savell joins Scott to discuss her project "Costs of War" as well as her research into policing of Brazilian slums. Savell explains why she thinks Americans have a strong detachment from discussing the war on terror and how military spending and support for the wars is the only consistent bipartisan agreement. Savell then breaks down the Pentagon's $700 billion annual budget and explains how it goes pretty much everywhere but for troop preparation. Lastly she discusses the enormous reach of the American military and its near-unlimited counter-terrorism operations across the world. Check out her latest article for TomDispatch.com "The Wars No One Notices."

Stephanie Savell is the co-director of the Costs of War project at Brown University's Watson Institute. Savell is an anthropologist who studies security, militarized policing, and civic engagement in Brazil and the U.S. She is the co-author of The Civic Imagination: Making a Difference in American Political Life.

Discussed on the show:

"U.S. spending on post-9/11 wars to reach $5.6 trillion by 2018" (Brown University)

The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict, by Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Blimes

"Fighting Terrorism With a Credit Card" (The Atlantic)

"Nearly Half the Pentagon Budget Goes To Contractors," by William D. Hartung (The American Conservative)

"The Pentagon’s ‘Logistics Agency’ Lost Track of More Than $800 Million" (New York Magazine)

"Obama: US spends more on military than next 8 nations combined" (PolitiFact)

"2/2/18 Major Danny Sjursen on the Vietnam War’s legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan" (The Scott Horton Show)

"U.S. Army Hones Antiterror Strategy for Africa, in Kansas" (New York Times)

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.