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Trita Parsi, the president of the National Iranian American Council, returns to the show to discuss Donald Trump’s motivation to spurn the Iran deal. Parsi explains that the Iran Deal is in danger because of an inexplicable desire on Donald Trump’s part to destroy the deal, dating back to his campaign. Parsi speculates that, in addition to Trump’s opposition to Barack Obama, his hatred of the Iran Deal is the result of his seemingly new infatuation with the Saudi Arabians who have been vehemently opposed to the Iran Deal from its inception. Trump’s plan appears to be to make Iran’s life as difficult as possible such that Iran will ultimately break the deal. Making things worse, even some of the so-called adults in Trump’s administration believe that a limited conflict against Iran in Syria and elsewhere would convince Iran to back down. Parsi explains why history shows that a U.S. conflict with Iran is highly unlikely to achieve its goals. Finally, while Iran and the United States appear to have common cause in the Middle East, the ultimate question and tension between the two is who will be the dominant power in the Middle East? Parsi explains that the desire to be hegemon will ultimately prove to be the stumbling block.

Trita Parsi is the president of the National Iranian American Council and the author of “Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy.” Parsi is the recipient of the 2010 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Follow him on Twitter @tparsi.

Discussed on the show:

* “Gates: Saudis want to fight Iran to the last American” (ForeignPolicy.com)

* Rex Tillerson

* James Mattis

* H.R. McMaster

* Joseph Dunford

* Sebastian Gorka

* International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

* Olli Heinonen

* Non-Proliferation Treaty

* “Monitoring and Verification in Iran” (IAEA.org)

* Gordon Prather (Antiwar.com)

* “How Bush Pushed North Korea to Nukes,” by Gordon Prather (Antiwar.com)

* “When the Ayatollah Said No to Nukes” (ForeignPolicy.com)

* George W. Bush Axis of Evil Speech (YouTube)

* “Trump lets Iran deal live, but signals he may not for long” (Seattle Times)

* Islamic Dawa Party

Editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle Ramzy Baroud returns to the show to discuss his latest articles, “The Story Behind the Jerusalem Attack: How Trump and Netanyahu Pushed Palestinians into a Corner” and “Power to the People: Why Palestinian Victory in Jerusalem is a Pivotal Moment.” Scott and Baroud begin by discussing the history of the ’67 War, its basis in false propaganda, and how the deliberate plan put in place 50 year ago remains today. Baroud then explains the context of the clash in east Jerusalem, where Israel has used the al-Aqsa clash with Palestinians as an opportunity to permanently control Haram Sharif. According to Baroud if Israel fully controls Haram Sharif then there’s nothing left to fight for in Jerusalem for the Palestinians. Baroud details how this is just the latest act of aggression in Israel’s steady creep into east Jerusalem and how, through continual pressure and coercion, Arabs have now become a minority in east Jerusalem. Finally, Baroud explains why a two-state solution would be an impossible endeavor and how effectively the Israelis have manipulated the language of the occupation to flip the victim narrative on its head.

Ramzy Baroud is a US-Arab journalist and is the editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of“My Father Was A Freedom Fighter: The Untold Story of Gaza.” His latest digital project is “Palestine in Motion,” intended to give a holistic understanding of the lives of Palestinians as told in their own words. Follow Ramzy on Twitter @RamzyBaroud and read his work at RamzBaroud.net.

Discussed on the show:

* “Israel provoked the Six-Day War in 1967, and it was not fighting for survival” (Mondoweiss.com)

* Al-Aqsa Mosque

* Dome on the Rock

The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967-1977, by Gershom Gorenberg 

* The Allon Plan

* “Netanyahu says Jerusalem ‘always Israel’s capital'” (Al Monitor)

* Haram Sharif (Temple Mount)

* Jerusalem Islamic Waqf

* “No Israeli damage to al-Aqsa manuscripts following unrest, says Jerusalem Islamic Endowment” (Al Aaraby)

* Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

* “Death Toll in Gaza Climbs, Israel Calls up More Troops” (The Atlantic)

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William J. Astore returns to the show to discuss his latest article for Antiwar.com “On Afghanistan, Trump Is Right To Be Skeptical.” Astore discusses Trump’s apparent cognitive dissonance: he’s happy to bomb the Middle East indiscriminately, but is skeptical of escalating troops in Afghanistan and speculates that it’s Trump’s impatience, which is frequently a danger, which may be a saving grace in Afghanistan. Astore thinks Trump might have a nose for a losing approach, and that the last thing Trump wants is to be associated with what he believes is a losing effort in Afghanistan. But Trump, like Obama, faces increasing pressure from his generals. Scott and Astore discuss how the lack of an anti-war movement both in politics and in society generally have incentivized Barack Obama and Donald Trump to fold to the national security state and prolong the wars. Finally, Astore is particulary worried that the latest propaganda that Russia and Iran are backing the Taliban could lead to something far more serious.

William J. Astore is a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF). He is a contributing writer at Antiwar.com and TomDispatch.com. Read all of his work at his website BracingViews.com.

Discussed on the show:

“Petraeus: Afghan war a ‘generational struggle’ that will not end soon” (PBS)

* Pashtuns

* “Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Musery,” by Eric Margolis (Huffington Post)

* “Trump Says U.S. ‘Losing’ Afghan War in Tense Meeting With Generals” (NBC News)

* Helmand Province

* “Petraeus backs July 2011 Afghan withdrawal date” (CNN)

* Erik Prince

* “Bannon & Kushner Want to Outsource Afghanistan to Mercenaries,” by Mark Perry (The American Conservative)

* “How Obama Abandoned Democracy in Iraq” (Politico)

* “How America Armed Terrorists in Syria,” by Gareth Porter (The American Conservative)

* “CNN Poll: Afghanistan war arguably most unpopular in U.S. history” (CNN)

* “John McCain and Lindsey Graham: Why we need more forces to end the stalemate in Afghanistan” (Washington Post)

* Our Latest, Longest War: Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan, edited by Aaron B. O’Connell

* “Empire of Bases,

Director of the Ron Paul Institute Daniel McAdams returns to the show to discuss his latest article, “Russia Sanctions and the Coming Crackdown on Americans“. McAdams details the phony justification for the sanctions, how hardcore neocons are leading the Russia hysteria, and why it poses a serious threat to our first amendment rights. Scott and McAdams discuss whether Trump is totally and completely lost or whether he has one or two good instincts and if they will be revealed when he finally makes a decision on Afghanistan. McAdams explains why the neocons are flourishing under Trump and how both sides of the Trump administration divide (the nationalists and the neocons) are both pro-war in different ways. Finally, Scott asks about Venezuela and wonders which is to blame: the inherent problems of socialism or American intervention.

Daniel McAdams is the executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and the cohost of the Ron Paul Liberty Report. Follow him on Twitter @DanielLMcAdams and read all of his work over at Antiwar.com.

Discussed on the show

* “It’s not Russia that’s pushed Ukraine to the brink of war” (The Guardian)

* Sergey Lavrov

* “Fire McMaster,” by Justin Raimondo (Antiwar.com)

* Hamilton 68 Dashboard (German Marshall Fund)

* PropOrNot

* Lew Rockwell (LRC.com)

* “Alliance for Securing Democracy” (German Marshall Fund)

* Mike Chertoff

* David Kramer

* Michael Morell

* Bill Kristol

* Michael McFaul

* Mike Rogers

* Project for the New American Century (PNAC)

* Eric Margolis

* “McMaster ousts second official on National Security Council” (Washington Post)

* Hersha Ali (woman who says all Muslims are awful)

* Robert Parry (AlterNet)

* “Exclusive: Google, CIA Invest in ‘Future’ of Web Monitoring” (Wired.com)

* Venezuela has lower corporate tax rate than the United States (TaxFoundation.org)

* “Senate, Obama extend sanctions on Venezuela after prodding by Rubio” (

Professor of chemical engineering at USC Muhammad Sahimi returns to the show to discuss the latest Saudi crackdown on the local Shia population. Sahimi explains how Wahhabi clerics have ratcheted up tensions and violence against Saudi Shiites who face continual oppression from the Saudi government. Saudi hostility toward Shia in the region often receives attention, but now it’s time to pay more attention to how they treat their own people, Sahimi says, which includes mass torture and execution of dissidents. Sahimi explains that the reason we don’t hear about Saudi atrocities in the United States is because the Saudis are protected by the establishment in the United States and believes that the Saudis are exploiting its alliance with the U.S. and its fear of Iran to lobby the U.S. to fight Shias in the Middle East.

Muhammad Sahimi is the NIOC Chair in petroleum engineering at the University of Southern California and a contributor at Antiwar.com and the Huffington Post.

Discussed on the show:

* Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia

* Wahhabism

Nimr Baqir al-Nimr

* “Saudi Arabia executes 47 people in one day including Shia cleric” (The Guardian)

* “Saudi Arabia: Death penalty used as political weapon against Shi’a as executions spike across country” (Amnesty International)

* “Saudi Arabia: Treat Shia Equally” (Human Rights Watch)

* “When Beheading Won’t Do the Job, the Saudis Resort to Crucifixion” (The Atlantic)

* Sophie Scholl

* Mohammad bin Salman

* “Saudi Arabia’s mounting security challenges” (Al Monitor)

* “Saudi Arabia: 14 Protesters Facing Execution After Unfair Trials” (Human Rights Watch)

* “After Decisive Reelection, Rouhani Pushes More Diplomacy With the West” (Antiwar.com)

* “The Proxy Battle for Bahrain” (New York Times)

Al-Awamiyah

* Rafah Border Crossing (Egypt)

* “The Shia are in power in Iraq – but not in control,” by Patrick Cockburn (The Independent)

* Saudi King: “U.S. policy had now given Iraq to Iran as a ‘gift on a golden platter.

Foreign Policy in Focus columnist Conn Hallinan returns to the show to discuss his latest article for Foreign Policy in Focus, “The Tortured Politics Behind the Persian Gulf Crisis.” Hallinan details the reasons for the rising tensions between Qatar and their former friends in the Gulf over. According to Hallinan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are angry about Qatar’s largely independent foreign policy, which Qatar has used to develop relationships with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood. For Saudi Arabia, who’s leading the blockade of Qatar, this is just one of a series of really inept steps that the Saudis have taken, which are destabilizing the country. Donald Trump has been generally supportive of the blockade in spite of the fact that the largest U.S. base in the middle east is in Qatar. All of this makes U.S.-Iranian relations that much more tense. Scott wonders what would happen if the United States broke the Iran Deal, and whether or not a war with Iran might be on the horizon. Scott teases his upcoming book on the never-ending war in Afghanistan. and Hallinan explains why the conflict between India and Pakistan is the most frightening stare down in the world today. Finally the two discuss the rising tide of populism in the United States and Europe.

Discussed on the show:

* Gulf Cooperation Council

* Muslim Brotherhood

* Qatar has highest per-capita income in the world

* King Salman of Saudi Arabia

* “As Yemen War Rages On, Saudi King Elevates the War’s Architect—His Own Son—to Be Crown Prince” (DemocracyNow!)

* “Saudi Arabia has played Donald Trump like a fiddle when it comes to the dispute with Qatar” (The Independent)

* “Qatar hosts largest US military base in Mideast” (CNN)

* “Trump scolds Qatar as Tillerson seeks to ease crisis” (Reuters)

* “Emirati ambassador: US should rethink its air base in Qatar” (Military Times)

* “UAE orchestrated hacking of Qatari government sites, sparking regional upheaval, according to U.S. intelligence officials” (Washington Post)

* “Young Saudis See Cushy Jobs Vanish Along With Nation’s Oil Wealth” (New York Times)

* House of Saud

* Wahhabism

* Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT)

* “Brace Yourselves for Iran Deal Repeal̶...

West Virginia House of Delegates representative Pat McGeehan joins Scott to discuss shis “Defend the Guard” bill. McGeehan discusses his attempts to defang the empire from the bottom up by passing a bill refusing to allow their state guard services to be nationalized and used in unconstitutional wars. McGeehan’s bill stated that no West Virginian guard unit could be deployed overseas without an expressed declaration of war from the U.S. Congress. He then relays a story about how adjutant general of the West Virginia national guard addressed him about the bill after receiving a call from the Pentagon, which threatened to move the West Virginia national guard onto the BRAC List or relocate them to other states. The bill didn’t pass, but the movement seems like it’s catching momentum.

McGeehan also describes his history in the military, explaining how the number of innocents slaughtered in Afghanistan changed his views on U.S. foreign policy. Those experiences changed McGeehan from a George W. Bush guy to a Ron Paul guy.

Pat McGeehan is a two-term representative in the West Virginia House of Delegates and a graduate of the U.S. air force academy. He is the author of “Stoicism and the Statehouse.” Follow him on Twitter @McGeehan4WV.

Discussed on the show:

* Tenth Amendment Center

* “The American Empire Must Be Stopped” Scott Horton speaks at Nullify Now Los Angeles (Tenth Amendment Center)

* Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) List

* Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11

* Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF)

* Supremacy Clause

* Militia Clause

* The Betrayal of the American Right, by Murray Rothbard

* James Stockdale

* “My Father, the Spy in the Hanoi Hilton,” by Jim Stockdale II (The Daily Beast)

* Epetitus (Stoic philosophy)

* Just War Theory (St. Thomas Aquinas)

* Federalism

* “Book Review: ‘Stoicism and the State House'” (Tenth Amendment Center)

* Cato the Younger

Josh Ruebner, director of the U.S. campaign for Palestinian Rights, and author of “Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace” joins the show to discuss his latest article “New U.S. bill would punish settlement boycotters.” Ruebner explains how the act would criminalize U.S. corporations and individuals for supporting or furthering the impact of a boycott against Israel. Despite obvious major free speech restrictions the bill has support from both Democrats and Republicans, many of whom are already backing off their commitment to the bill. What’s really disturbing about the bill according to Ruebner is that companies could be criminalized even if their business decisions had the effect, but not intent, of furthering a boycott on Israel. Beyond that, if the bill became law, Attorney General Jeff Sessions would have the power to throw someone in jail ostensibly for their political beliefs. Ruebner explains how the bill has already created blowback against AIPAC and Israel: Constituents are pressing members of Congress on this issue for the first time and the progressive wing of the Democratic party is feeling more emboldened to speak out in support of the Palestinians, making it clear that the base of democratic voters no longer on board with Israeli policy of the past. Finally, Ruebner discusses the necessary conditions for a political solution between Israel and Palestine and how the BDS movement has successfully convinced companies to divest from Israel.

Josh Ruebner is the director of the U.S. campaign for Palestinian Rights. He is the author of “Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace” and the upcoming book “Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State?“. Follow Josh on Twitter @joshruebner.

Discussed on the show:

* American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)

* Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)

* “ACLU Letter to the Senate Opposing Israel Anti-Boycott Act” (ACLU)

* “‘Netanyahu doesn’t have a vision for peace,’ Gillibrand says at town hall aroused by boycott bill” (Mondoweiss.net)

* Bill of attainder

* Export-Import Bank of the United States

* “34 House Dems condemn Israeli charges against Issa Amro — follower of civil rights movement and Gandhi” (Mondoweiss)

* “American attitudes on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” (Brookings Institutem)

* “State Dept: Israeli Settlements, Lack of Hope Drive Palestinian Violence” (Antiwar.com)

* “ZOA calls on Rex Tillerson to quit over State Department s...

Veteran war correspondent Elijah Magnier joins Scott to discuss his recent article, “First ‘Islamic State’ and then the US breaches Sykes-Picot with one objective: the Partition of Syria and Iraq.” Magnier explains how the U.S. is aiming to partition Syria and Iraq by placing permanent bases in northeast Syria and why, despite a potential ally in the Syrian and Iraqi Kurds, the U.S. is unlikely to be able to cut off Bashar al-Assad from the rest of Mesopotamia for long. Magnier says that America’s policy towards an independent Kurdish state has changed as the Kurds have come to represent an expedient ally in both Iraq and Syria. But an independent Kurdish state will, even with American support, have massive problems, which Magnier details. With Iraq in disarray, particularly in the majority Sunni areas, the longstanding Sykes-Picot agreement may be on its last legs. With the fight for Raqqa against ISIS nearing its conclusion, the question of what comes next looms.

Mangier also explains the origins of al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, Jabhat al-Nusra, its close ties to ISIS, and its growing tension with the other jihadist groups in the country. Thanks to a constant stream of support from the international community, including funding and weapons from the United States, al-Aqaeda will be difficult to eradicate. The eventual battle for Idlib could be as brutal the battle for Mosul. Like Mosul, Idlib is full of citizens, and currently controlled by al-Qaeda. Finally, Magnier describes how the Americans have tried to control al Qaeda in Syria, which started as a small and has steadily grown with direct and indirect U.S. support and explains why you can’t just pull the plug from al-Qaeda and expect al-Qaeda to go away.

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:

* Moon of Alabama (blog)

* Sykes-Picot Agreement

* Raqqa

* Referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan

* Al-Hasaka (Syrian city)

* “Biden plan for ‘soft partition’ of Iraq gains momentum” (New York Times)

* Masoud Barzani (Kurdish leader)

* “The partition of ‘Syraq’,” by Pepe Escobar (RT.com)

* Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

* Al-Tanf Crossing

* Ralph Peters: “The Kurds are going to run Syria” (Fox News)

* “America’s Marxist Allies Against ISIS” (Wall Street Journal)

* Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Qaeda)

* Ahrar al-Asham

* Abu Mohammad al-Julani

Executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity Daniel McAdams returns to the show to discuss his latest article, “House Passes New Russia Sanctions, Pumps Adrenaline into Cold War 2.0.” McAdams recaps the latest vote for sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea, which passed nearly unanimously, why the overwhelming support makes it unlikely Trump will veto the bill, and how sanctions on Russia will act as a form of protectionism for the U.S. energy industry with far reaching consequences for the European and U.S. economy. Dan and Scott then revisit the Bush years, and lament that it’s unlikely even Jeb Bush would have surrounded by as many neocons as Trump has. Finally, McAdams discusses how spending trillions of dollars a year on phantom threats around the world such as Iran and North Korea has done serious damage to the U.S. economy and the lives of ordinary people and why, if you’re really concerned about the Russians, the looming danger is the eventual collapse of the U.S. dollar.

Daniel McAdams is the executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and the cohost of the Ron Paul Liberty Report. Follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielLMcAdams and read all of his work over at Antiwar.com.

Discussed on the show:

* Anthony Scaramucci

* David Petraeus

* “Trump Recertifies Iran Nuclear Deal, but Only Reluctantly” (New York Times)

* “Collateral Damage: U.S. Sanctions Aimed at Russia Strike Western European Allies,” by Diana Johnstone (Counterpunch)

* “Merkel, Obama reaffirm partnership, vow path of diplomacy in Ukraine” (Deutsche Welle)

* “Trump To Nominate Chief Diplomat For European-Eurasian Affairs” (RFRERL.org)

* Kurt Volker

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

* “Iran-EU trade up 78% in 2016: Eurostat” (Tehran Times)

* “Nuclear weapons are a sin, says Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei” (The National)

* “South Korea’s New President, Moon Jae-in, Promises New Approach to North (New York Times)

* “Moon says sports can create peace, invites N. Korea to PyeongChang Olympics” (Korea Herald)

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