Globetrotting reporter Pepe Escobar returns for a debrief on his recent adventure in the US, talks about the real Petraeus, Benghazi and Gaza and offers us his colorful, informed comments and observations. We start with his recent road trip in the American West at election time, stylin’ in a rented Mustang convertible: from LA to San Francisco, then Reno, Salt Lake, meeting explorers from China in the Utah desert, New Mexico, Arizona and back to Las Vegas for Election Day. Then we talk about the real David Petraeus, and the “surge” in Iraq. Pepe was there, and tells the real story. From there, Escobar takes us to Benghazi, and asks about the real role of the CIA in Libya. And he has strong comments about the Israeli attack on Gaza.

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Here is our guest Pepe Escobar unplugged!

Pepe Escobar, born in Brazil is the roving correspondent for Asia Times and an analyst for The Real News Network. He is an investigative journalist with three decades of experience in covering politics and conflicts around the globe. He’s been a foreign correspondent since 1985, based in London, Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. Since the late 1990s, he has specialized in covering stories and cases from the Middle East to Central Asia, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was in Afghanistan and interviewed the military leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, a couple of weeks before his assassination. Mr. Escobar has made frequent visits to Iran and is the author of three must-read books: Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid War, Red Zone Blues: A Snapshot of Baghdad During the Surge, and Obama Does Globalistan.

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Investigative journalist and foreign affairs correspondent Joe Lauria joins us to discuss the re-election of Obama and its potential foreign policy consequences, the implications of coming elections in Israel, the brewing tensions involving Iran and the regional power-players’ stands, the United Nations, Syria and more.

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Here is our guest Joe Lauria unplugged!

Joe Lauria is an author, foreign affairs correspondent and investigative reporter. He has covered the United Nations for 19 years for numerous newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the London Daily Telegraph, the Montreal Gazette and the Johannesburg Star. Joe is a member of the Sunday Times of London’s investigative unit. He is co-author of A Political Odyssey, a look at America’s defense industry and the false threats it thrives on.

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Our favorite globetrotting investigative reporter, Pepe Escobar, joins us in-studio for the first time, and shares his encyclopedic knowledge on many issues. We largely focus on Iran, which was mentioned 45 times by the candidates, and Romney’s “me-too” message as Obama dominated the exchange and reeled off many zingers.
We also touch on the new film, Argo, and Escobar peppers his comments with literary and pop culture references. Pepe Escobar provides powerful insight and his unique voice based on his world travels, and delivers important perspectives on America by an outsider.

Here is our guest Pepe Escobar unplugged!

Interview with Pepe Escobar [ 1:06:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Pepe Escobar, born in Brazil is the roving correspondent for Asia Times and an analyst for The Real News Network. He is an investigative journalist with three decades of experience in covering politics and conflicts around the globe. He’s been a foreign correspondent since 1985, based in London, Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. Since the late 1990s, he has specialized in covering stories and cases from the Middle East to Central Asia, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was in Afghanistan and interviewed the military leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, a couple of weeks before his assassination. Mr. Escobar has made frequent visits to Iran and is the author of three must-read books: Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid War, Red Zone Blues: A Snapshot of Baghdad During the Surge, and Obama Does Globalistan.

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Eric Draitser joins us to define and discuss austerity, what austerity looks like in the US, the fact that austerity is the consensus of both parties, why an anti-austerity movement is essential in the US, and helps us connect what’s happening here to Greece, Italy, and Spain. Mr. Draitser talks about the deception of Obama on austerity-selling out his base and all progressives, Romney & Ryan as the bringers of death for many, possible solutions-including his recent activities organizing an anti-austerity movement in New York City, and more!

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Here is our guest Eric Draitser unplugged!

Eric Draitser is an independent geopolitical analyst based in New York City. He is a partner producer at Boiling Frogs Post, and the editor and host of StopImperialism.com and the Stop Imperialism podcast. He has provided analysis for Russia Today, Dr. Webster Tarpley’s World Crisis Radio and other programs.

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Carl Mayer returns to update desperate, disingenuous legal maneuvers from the “Justice” Department. Bottom line: unconstitutional detention rules are back in effect. Mayer and his co-counsel Bruce Afran represent Chris Hedges, Daniel Ellsberg and other plaintiffs, who won a permanent injunction against the broad, vague detention policies in section 1021 b 2 of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In this in-depth interview, Mayer first updates us on the scramble by government lawyers to reinstate the law, leading to a short-term “stay” of the ruling by Judge Katherine Forrest by an appeals court judge, following Forrest’s refusal. Mayer offers commentary on key portions of Judge Forrest’s ruling of September 12, which is blunt and unusual in many respects. You can download the ruling and follow the page references as we go through it. There’s much more, including many quotes from the clear and blunt court ruling.

Mayer’s team is fighting this case pro bono. You can contribute to help with legal expenses here or here.

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Here is our guest Carl Mayer unplugged!

Carl Mayer runs the Mayer Law Group LLC and is the author of several books including “Shakedown” and “Public Domain, Private Dominion.” He is a former law professor and served as special counsel to the New York State Attorney General. Mr. Mayer dedicates his law practice, writing and electoral efforts to ending the tyranny of corporate power over American citizens. He has written in law journals opposing efforts by corporations to use the Bill of Rights intended only for American citizens to shield corporations from accountability and legal sanction. Mr. Mayer runs two blogs: one on national corporate corruption (Untouchables Group) and one on New Jersey corruption (New Jersey Untouchables).

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Peter B. Collins presents Journalist Gareth Porter and analyst Kevin Gosztola of FireDogLake. Porter offers two credible sources that contradict the White House assertions that civilian deaths from drone strikes are few to zero. Like Stephen Colbert’s “truthiness”, this claim is based on the arbitrary standard that all adult males near a target are “militants”, which is undefined. As a Vietnam War historian, Porter also compares the manipulation of this information to the spin and lies of the 1960′s and 1970′s. He also offers cogent comments on Israel’s intentions to attack Iran.

At about 37 minutes into the podcast, Gosztola joins us to talk about his article on state secrets, which he calls a “horrendous creation of the judiciary.” He describes recent cases where judges have deferred to the administration, even when they were offended by lies and stonewalling. We talk about the Sibel Edmonds case and many other whistleblowers who face retaliation and fatuous claims that information that’s already public can be called “secret”.

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Here are our guests Gareth Porter & Kevin Gosztola unplugged!

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Roving journalist Pepe Escobar returns to our show to discuss the latest on Syria and Iran. He provides us with his take on Russia’s position, Turkey’s real intentions and internal debate, and the seldom discussed Kurdish factor.

Pepe Escobar, born in Brazil is the roving correspondent for Asia Times and an analyst for The Real News Network. He is an investigative journalist with three decades of experience in covering politics and conflicts around the globe. He’s been a foreign correspondent since 1985, based in London, Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. Since the late 1990s, he has specialized in covering stories and cases from the Middle East to Central Asia, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was in Afghanistan and interviewed the military leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, a couple of weeks before his assassination. Mr. Escobar has made frequent visits to Iran and is the author of three must-read books: Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid War, Red Zone Blues: A Snapshot of Baghdad During the Surge, and Obama Does Globalistan.

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Here is our guest Pepe Escobar unplugged!

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Author and peace activist David Swanson joins us to discuss our nation’s perpetual war status, the latest in the peace activists’ movement, and the disappearance of Anti-Republicans from the peace movement since Barack Obama’s presidency. He talks about the need to overcome Americans’ understanding of the war machine as a jobs engine and militarism as a normal way of life, and for broader understanding of the Military Industrial Complex as the top opponent of all that is good and just, broader-based opposition to not only domestic surveillance drones but also our killer drones abroad, and more!

David Swanson is an activist, blogger and author, and a founder of WarIsACrime.Org. He was press secretary for Dennis Kucinich’s 2004 presidential campaign, is co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, and a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, and Voters for Peace. Mr. Swanson has authored several books including Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union, War Is A Lie , When the World Outlawed War, and The Military Industrial Complex at 50. To learn more about David Swanson visit http://davidswanson.org

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Here is our guest David Swanson unplugged!

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Former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern returns to our show to discuss the erosion of the US Constitution and the absence of public outrage, the illegality of and the expected backlash from US drone strikes, the clear contradiction between the US/Israeli intelligence estimates about Iran’s nuclear program, the lack of real debate on and the hypocrisy of the use of Cyberwarfare, and more!

Ray McGovern’s 27-year career as a CIA analyst spanned administrations from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush. Ray’s duties at CIA included chairing National Intelligence Estimates and preparing the President’ Daily Brief (PDB). During the mid-eighties, Ray was one of the senior analysts conducting early morning briefings of the PDB one-on-one with the Vice President, the Secretaries of State and Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Ray received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Fordham College, designated a Distinguished Military Graduate, he was commissioned upon graduation and served as an infantry/intelligence officer in the US Army from 1962-64. Ray holds an M.A. in Russian Studies from Fordham University and a certificate in Theological Studies from Georgetown University. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

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Here is our guest Ray McGovern unplugged!

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Investigative journalist and NATO expert Rick Rozoff joins us to discuss the largest-ever one-time expansion of NATO membership, NATO’s invitation to the Persian Gulf kingdom to join NATO’s partnership program in the region, and its consideration of Saudi Arabia as a key player in the region. With the threat of Western military action against Syria and Iran mounting, Rozoff explores NATO’s intention to recruit Saudi Arabia for the Persian Gulf partnership, and how the U.S. and its Western counterparts are promoting in the Arab world from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf is a lethal mixture of militarism, monarchism and theocracy. He also talks about the Syria situation and how the Gulf monarchies are supplying the funds as well as many of the arms and recruiting foreign religious extremists as fighters, while the U.S. and its NATO allies are preparing to arm anti-government forces with more advanced weaponry and train and advise them with Western Special Forces personnel.

Rick Rozoff is an investigative journalist based in Chicago and has been an active opponent of war, militarism and intervention for over 40 years. He manages the Stop NATO e-mail list , and is the editor of Stop NATO, a website on the threat of international militarization, especially on the globalization of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Mr. Rozoff has a graduate degree in European literature.

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Here is our guest Rick Rozoff unplugged!

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