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John Feffer returns to the show following his trip to South Korea and Japan where Donald Trump is visiting to continue his escalation against North Korea. Feffer details China’s role in curtailing North Korea, why the effort has fallen short, and how the Trump administration continues to pressure countries in the region. Scott wonders whether Donald Trump is really as dangerous on North Korea as everyone portrays him—and why neither the United States or North Korea has motivation to start a war. Feffer believes that the United States ultimately uses the North Korea threat to increase our leverage and influence in Asia, particularly over China. Feffer then travels down memory lane and explains how the Iraq War somehow dovetailed into escalation with North Korea. Feffer then shares his guess for the future: strategic patience—even from Donald Trump.

John Feffer is the co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus and author of the dystopian novel Splinterlands. His latest article for FPIF.org is “Honoring Otto Warmbier.” Follow Feffer on Twitter @JohnFeffer.

Discussed on the show:

* Moon Jae-in

* Shinzo Abe

* United States-South Korea Free Trade Agreement

* Trans-Pacific Partnership

* Xi Jinping

* Terminal High Altitude Area Defense

* “Japan: The World’s Next Big Arms Dealer?” (The National Interest)

* “Trump said ‘samurai’ Japan should have shot down overflying North Korean missiles” (Japan Times)

* “Ground Invasion Only Way to Destroy North Korea’s Nuclear Arsenal, Pentagon Says” (NBC News)

* “A grand bargain with China could remove North Korea’s nuclear threat — but it would destroy America’s global influence” (LA Times)

* Agreed Framework

* Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization

* War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death, by Norman Solomon

* Highly enriched uranium

* Gordon Prather

* “Text of President Bush’s 2002 State of the Union Address” (Washington Post)

* Proliferation Security Initiative

* “Rumsfeld calls for regime change in North Korea” (

Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina joins Scott to discuss his co-sponsorship of H.Con.Res.81, the United States’s never-ending wars, and how Congress can take back its mantle. Jones explains why he blames Paul Ryan for the lack of a vote on H.Con.Res.81, how Congress has abdicated its responsibility on matters of war, and why issues of war and peace are the most pressing that are facing the U.S.

Discussed on the show:

* Authorized for Use of Military Force (AUMF)

* “Al-Qaeda claims it is ‘fighting alongside’ US-backed coalition forces in Yemen” (The Independent)

* “Defense Department: The War On Terror Has Cost $250 Million A Day For 16 Years” (International Business Times)

* Clair Manera (Scott Horton Show)

* “Quiet Support for Saudis Entangles U.S. in Yemen” (New York Times)

* Kate Kizer (@KateKizer)

Quote of the show: “Scott, that is the dishonesty of Washington…the Rules Committee is nothing but a puppet group…it’s just hogwash to be honest with you.” – Walter Jones

 

Reese Erlich returns to the show to discuss his latest article for Antiwar.com, “US Sells Out the Kurds—Again” Erlich discusses the history of the Kurds in Iraq, America’s yo-yoing approach to first supporting then betraying the Kurds, and how it all relates back to today. Scott then brings the discussion to the political turmoil in Saudi Arabia, and what the apparent coup means for the U.S.-Saudi relations and the Middle East generally.

Reese Erlich is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect. Erlich’s next book” The Iran Agenda” will be published in 2018. In the meantime read his work at his website and follow him on Twitter.

Discussed on the show:

* “Kurds rescue Yazidis from Iraqi mountain” (Al Jazeera)

* “Of Kurds and Kissinger, Carter and Conscience” (The New York Times)

* “Kurdish leader Barzani resigns after independence vote backfires” (Reuters)

* “Musings on Iraq” (Joel Wing – @JoelWing2)

* Badr Brigade

* Iran-Iraq War

* Anfal Genocide

* Masoud Barzani

* “Iraqi Forces Sweep Into Kirkuk, Checking Kurdish Independence Drive” (New York Times)

* Moon of Alabama

* Mohammad bin al-Salman

* “Would very much appreciate Saudi Arabia doing their IPO of Aramco with the New York Stock Exchange. Important to the United States!” (@realDonaldTrump)

* “THE STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ: DIPLOMACY; Iraq Said to Have Tried to Reach Last-Minute Deal to Avert War,” by James Risen (The New York Times)

* “Saddam’s desperate offers to stave off war,” by Julian Borger (The Guardian)

Middle East correspondent Elijah Magnier returns to the show to discuss the latest turmoil in the Middle East and his recent article “ISIS into History’s rubbish bin and Iraq neither Iranian nor American.” Magnier shares what he knows about the resignation of Saad Hariri in Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia’s role in the latest Middle Eastern mess. Magnier then discusses the history of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the distinction between the terrorist group and the parliamentary party, which has considerable political power and popularity. Magnier then slams the U.S. media for turning al Qaeda into a moderate rebel group and the fall out from the war in Syria.

Elijah Magnier is the chief international correspondent at Al Rai and a political and terrorism/counterterrorism analyst. Find all his work at elijahjm.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @ejmalrai.

Discussed on the show:

* Saad Hariri

* Hezbollah

* “Lebanon PM Hariri resigns, assails Iran and Hezbollah” (Reuters)

* “Lebanon – Hariri’s Resignation – The Opening Shot Of The Saudi War On Hizbullah” (Moon of Alabama)

* Michel Aoun

* “Trump erroneously says Lebanon is ‘on the front lines’ fighting Hezbollah, a partner in the Lebanese government” (Chicago Tribune)

* “Second Saudi prince dead in 24 hours?” (India Today)

* Mohammad bin al-Salman

* Al-Nusra Front

* Idlib

* “The Moderate Face of Al Qaeda” (Rand Corporation)

* Oliver North

* “In Shocking, Viral Interview, Qatar Confesses Secrets Behind Syrian War” (Zero Hedge)

* “Iran Extends Its Reach In Syria” (The New Yorker)

* “ISIS into History’s rubbish bin and Iraq neither Iranian nor American” (Elijah Magnier)

Mark Thornton returns to the show to discuss his latest articles for the Mises Institute “The Real Cause of America’s Opioid Epidemic” and “Big Pharma Makes Drugs that Please Regulators, Not Customers.” Thornton makes the case for why legalizing heroin—and all drugs—would be a major step towards solving the opioid crisis. Instead, because of FDA regulations, doctors and pharmaceutical companies are not held liable for the awful consequences of their use. According to Thornton, and counter to popular opinion, lack of government regulations is what will actually regulate the quality of the product on the market.

Mark Thornton is a senior fellow at the Mises Institute. He serves as the Book Review Editor of the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics. His publications include The Economics of Prohibition (1991), Tariffs, Blockades, and Inflation: The Economics of the Civil War (2004), The Quotable Mises (2005), The Bastiat Collection (2007), An Essay on Economic Theory (2010), and The Bastiat Reader (2014).

Discussed on the show:

* Ludwig Von Mises Institute 

* Chicago School

* “In one year, drug overdoses killed more Americans than the entire Vietnam War did” (Vox)

* Fentanyl

* “Authorities seize enough fentanyl for ‘1 million overdoses'” (CBS News)

* “Trump to declare national emergency on opioids months after initial promise” (CNN)

* “Tylenol made a hero of Johnson & Johnson : The recall that started them all” (New York Times)

Joe Lauria, editor of “How I Lost By Hillary Clinton” returns to the show to discuss the situation in Iraqi Kurdistan where the Kurdish president Masoud Barzani has resigned as a result of the backlash from the independence referendum. Lauria details the consequences of the referendum and argues that it has done considerable damage to what had been the best condition the Kurds had enjoyed in their history. Lauria and Scott wonder how the Baghdad government will attempt to rebuild the cities that were liberated from—and destroyed in—the fight against the Islamic State. They then turn to Lauria’s latest article for Consortium News, “The Democratic Money Behind Russia-Gate” and the latest development in the Russia-gate saga.

Joe Lauria is a contributing writer at Consortium News. He is a former UN correspondent and wrote at the Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal. You can follow him on Twitter @unjoe.

Discussed on the show:

* Masoud Barzani

* “Kurdistan votes for independence from Iraq with 93% saying ‘yes’,” (The Telegraph)

* “Iraqi Forces Sweep Into Kirkuk, Checking Kurdish Independence Drive” (New York Times)

* Jalal Talabani

* Kurdish Democratic Party

* Iraqi-Kurdish Civil War

* Gorran Movement

* “It’s time America explored how to end the multiple wars it has helped cause since 2001, rather than dropping more bombs,” by Patrick Cockburn (The Independent)

* “The Redirection,” by Seymour Hersh (The New Yorker)

* “Manafort money laundering charge in Russia probe may face challenges” (Reuters)

* George Papadopoulos

* “Clinton campaign, DNC paid for research that led to Russia dossier” (Washington Post)

* CrowdStrike

* “The FBI vs. Antiwar.com,” by Justin Raimondo (Antiwar.com)

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.

Cato Institute senior fellow Trevor Thrall joins Scott to discuss his article for War On The Rocks, “Time to Step Back from the War on Terror.” Thrall’s piece details how the U.S. war on terror has been a failure and raises the question “what if we abolish the war on terror?” Thrall’s solution begins by, in the first place, stopping the constant interventions in the first place. Thrall believes that, at the root of the problem, is the fact that America believes it needs to control everything, everywhere, spurred on by the false belief that it is “providing regional stability and improving the global economy.” Then the interview pivots to the war in Afghanistan. Thrall discusses Trump’s about-face on foreign policy, which has alienated him from his Steve Bannon-directed base. As a result, Thrall has little hope that the Afghan War will play out any differently than it did during the Bush and Obama presidencies.

Trevor Thrall is a senior fellow for the Cato Institute’s Defense and Foreign Policy Department and an associate professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Follow him on Twitter @trevor_thrall.

Discussed on the show:

* Libyan Islamic Fighting Group

* Ansar al-Sharia

* Ayman al-Zawahiri

* “The Moderate Face of Al Qaeda” (Foreign Affairs)

* “America’s Forgotten Wars” (Foreign Affairs”)

* “Hudson Institute Violent Extremism Conference, Steve Bannon Remarks” (C-SPAN)

* Daniel Davis

* “Step Back: Lessons for U.S. Foreign Policy from the Failed War on Terror” (Cato)

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Patrick Cockburn joins Scott from Baghdad to discuss the liberation of Raqqa from ISIS and the battle in Kirkurk between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga. Cockburn describes how ISIS is still in business as a guerrilla force, but the caliphate has been destroyed. Cockburn further details which powers in the region have gained in influence and power and who faces even more pressure—in particular the Kurds, who have seen major losses since the referendum for independence, which Cockburn believes was a major mistake. Cockburn then discusses the always fragile relation between Sunnis and Shias and the bizarre role the United States plays in the middle and on both sides.

Patrick Cockburn is the Middle East correspondent for The Independent and the author of “The Age of Jihad” and “Chaos & Caliphate.”

Discussed on the show:

* Battle of Raqqa (2017)

* Iraqi army

* Peshmerga

* Kirkuk

* “10/2/17 Joe Lauria on the consequences of the Kurdish Referendum” (Scott Horton Show)

* Haider al-Abadi

* Badr Brigade

* Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)

* Hezbollah

* Yom Kippur War (1973 War)

Quote of the show: “On the other hand people are fairly cock-a-hoop in Baghdad—they feel we’ve been pushed around by these Kurds long enough, let’s really make sure we’re in control in future.” —Patrick Cockburn

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Gareth Porter returns to the show to discuss his latest article for The American Conservative “Trump Trashes Iran Deal to Satisfy Netanyahu.” Porter discusses Trump’s goal to convince Congress to pass new sanctions against Iran and explains why, even if the United States breaks the deal, Iran may have incentives to remain in the deal. Porter and Scott then take a trip back down memory road to the outset of the Iraq War and the role Iran played in helping push the U.S. gears into war. The two then consider the likelihood that Trump could push the U.S. into war with Iran and why, thankfully, it appears unlikely.

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on the national security state and author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. Follow him on Twitter @GarethPorter and listen to Gareth’s previous appearances on the Scott Horton Show.

Discussed on the show:

* Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

* “When the Ayatollah Said No to Nukes,” by Gareth Porter (ForeignPolicy.com)

* “10/26/17 Trita Parsi on the recently decertified Iran Deal” (The Scott Horton Show)

* David Stockman

* Sheldon Adelson

* Benjamin Netanyahu

* “How Ahmed Chalabi conned the neocons,” by John Dizard (Salon.com)

* “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm“

* “Coping with Crumbling States: A Western and Israeli Balance of Power Strategy for the Levant by David Wurmser 1996” (The Scott Horton Show)

* “US intelligence fears Iran duped hawks into Iraq war” (The Guardian)

* Likud

* “Israel’s Former Ambassador: Militant Shias Are More Dangerous Than Sunnis” (The Atlantic)

* People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK)

* Ehud Olmert

* “Episode 27: Scott Horton” (The Unregistered Podcast)

* William Fallon

* “Preparing the Battle Field,” by Seymour Hersh (The New Yorker)

* “John Kelly and the Language of the Military Coup,” by Masha Gessen (

Whistleblower Matthew Hoh returns to the show to discuss the Afghanistan War, what’s changed and what’s stayed the same. Hoh recalls how he challenged the U.S. war party by speaking out against the Afghan War during Obama’s surge, why Obama’s—and every other president’s—Afghan policy has failed, and how the failings were obvious from the outset. Hoh then touches on the reportedly expanded role of the CIA in tracking the Taliban and the United States’s disastrous partnership with the Afghan National Army.

Matthew Hoh is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and formerly worked for the U.S. State Department. Hoh received the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling in 2010. Hoh is a member of the Board of Directors for Council for a Livable World and is an Advisory Board Member for Expose Facts. He writes on issues of war, peace and post-traumatic stress disorder recovery at matthewhoh.com.

Discussed on the show:

* Karl Eikenberry

* “Obama Ignores Key Afghan Warning,” by Ray McGovern (Consortium News)

* “Triage: The Next 12 Months in Afghanistan and Pakistan” (Center for a New American Security)

* “Resignation Letter of Matthew Hoh” (Washington Post)

* “U.S. official resigns over Afghan war,” by Karen DeYoung (Washington Post)

* “Ambassador Eikenberry’s Cables on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan” (New York Times)

* Afghan National Army

* Ahmad Shah Massoud

* Anand Gopal

* James Mattis

* “‘Ghost Soldiers’: Too Many U.S.-Trained Afghans Are Going AWOL” (ForeignPolicy.com)

* “Afghan Soldiers Went AWOL in America for Years,” by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos (The American Conservative)

* “A Newly Assertive C.I.A. Expands Its Taliban Hunt in Afghanistan” (New York Times)

* John Negroponte

Today’s show is sponsored by: NoDev, NoOps, NotIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; 3tediting.com;