Author: Conflicts of Interest

On COI #131, Kyle and Will delve into the US case against Julian Assange, which was dealt a major blow after a key witness against the WikiLeaks founder admitted to lying to the FBI. An Icelander, the witness is a convicted pedophile and financial fraudster, but provided testimony for the DOJ’s superseding indictment against Assange.

Facebook is asking users to rat out their right-wing uncles, sending prompts to certain accounts warning that somebody they know might be flirting with an “extremist” ideology. As part a new effort against so-called “extremism,” the platform has partnered with Life After Hate, a NGO strictly focused on right-wing radicals, which received a $750,000 grant from the DHS last year to “disrupt domestic terrorism.”

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has died at the age of 88. Kyle and Will summarize his legacy of militarism and deception, exemplified by his indispensable role in the disastrous 2003 invasion of Iraq.

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On COI #130, Dave DeCamp – news editor at Antiwar.com – returns to the show to discuss Biden’s disorganized Russia and Afghanistan policies. After a somewhat successful summit with Putin, the Biden administration followed up by threatening sanctions and violating Russian territorial waters. In Afghanistan, US officials say the withdrawal is mere days away from completion – however, 1,000 troops will remain in the country. Dave breaks down the chaotic Afghan War policy.

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On COI #128, Kyle and Will break down reports indicating that four of the Saudis behind the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi received paramilitary training in the United States. The training, which took place between 2014 and 2019, was authorized by the State Department.

The Biden administration has confirmed that it will not end the American military occupation of Syria, with State Department officials saying the troops will remain in the country to “defeat” the Islamic State. While the group is now more of a low-level insurgency than a multi-national caliphate, it continues to offer a perpetual justification to keep US troops in Syria, where they are embedded with Kurdish proxy forces.

Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted for the murder of George Floyd, has been sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. Kyle and Will break down the sentencing, the potential for appeal and the public reaction to Chauvin’s punishment.

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On COI #126 Brian Saady, author and host of the Rackets podcast, comes on the show to explain how the ‘war on drugs’ is a deadly foreign policy. Brian breaks down the countries most impacted by the drug war: Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Honduras. Each country plays a critical war in the multi-billion dollar cocaine market. Brian explains how the American anti-drug efforts in these countries increase violence and death.

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On COI #125, Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter explain recent efforts in Congress to repeal the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), which gave legal authority for the US invasion of Iraq. Kyle argues that while the 2002 authorization has been invoked a few times since the invasion, it’s really the 2001 AUMF that’s allowed the War on Terror to continue. Far less attention has been paid to the broader 2001 authorities, however.

Israel briefly renewed airstrikes on the Gaza Strip last week, after Palestinians sent incendiary balloons into Israeli cities. The exchange followed clashes that sparked during a controversial ‘Flag March’ through Jerusalem, arranged by Israeli nationalist groups last week. The two sides are now attempting to deescalate, as a new coalition government in Israel cuts its teeth on its first bout of conflict with the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, made uncharacteristically reasonable comments about China and Taiwan during a recent congressional hearing. Despite near-constant warnings about an imminent Chinese invasion from lawmakers and military officials, Milley downplayed those concerns, questioning whether Beijing has any intention or interest in taking over the island.

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Scott Spaulding, host of ‘Why I am Antiwar’ and an Afghan War vet, returns to the show to discuss the withdrawal from Afghanistan. As thousands of troops and contractors make their exit, Scott gives his unique perspective on what the pullout will mean for the Afghan people. Scott and Kyle break down how the withdrawal has progressed and how the conflict is evolving. Scott explains how the geopolitics of Central Asia will make it difficult for the US to carry out major operations in Afghanistan after ending its longest war.

Follow Scott @MdVet4 on Twitter

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