Scott Horton Interviews Gareth Porter
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Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses the internal political pressures on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that may prevent him from inviting the US military to stay past 2011; how Obama has joined the Pentagon’s attempt to subvert the Status of Forces Agreement; how Moqtada al-Sadr’s influence may tie Maliki’s hands – whereby acquiescing to US wishes could very well cost him his job; the popular Iraqi outrage about Saudi Arabia’s brutal repression of Bahrain’s Shia majority and its longstanding financial support of militant Iraqi Sunni groups; the possibility of a regional conflagration along religious lines, pitting Iran against Saudi Arabia; and why Iraq’s military – which has close ties with the US military – wants the troop extension and might attempt a coup to make it happen.
MP3 here. (18:14)
Gareth Porter is an independent historian and journalist. He is the author of Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam. His articles appear on Counterpunch, Huffington Post, Inter Press Service News Agency and Antiwar.com.
eCAHNomics
April 10th, 2011 at 7:00 am
Juan Cole calls 20,000 U.S. troops in Iraq "hostages." Is that accurate.
What about doubling the U.S. embassy in Iraq to 18,000. What do they do. How many speak Arabic. How often do they leave their gilded prison. With what kind of retinue.
fsssdee
April 10th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
I wonder if Obama will claim the US has to stay to prevent the Kurds from being slaughtered?
Mina
April 10th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Good interview. Nice to hear some Iraq coverage again
Iraq snapshot (C.I.) | thecommonillsbackup
April 11th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
[...] US soldiers have died this month.“ Yes, US soldiers remain in Iraq. For how long? Scott Horton spoke with Gareth Porter about this Friday on Antiwar Radio (and about Porter’s most recent article): Gareth Porter: I mention that both American [...]
Little Princess in the White House (Cedric) | thecommonillsbackup
April 12th, 2011 at 2:32 am
[...] “5 US soldiers have died this month.“ Yes, US soldiers remain in Iraq. For how long? Scott Horton spoke with Gareth Porter about this Friday on Antiwar Radio (and about Porter’s most recent article): Gareth Porter: I mention that both American [...]
stubborn people (Rebecca) | thecommonillsbackup
April 12th, 2011 at 2:35 am
[...] “5 US soldiers have died this month.“ Yes, US soldiers remain in Iraq. For how long? Scott Horton spoke with Gareth Porter about this Friday on Antiwar Radio (and about Porter’s most recent article): Gareth Porter: I mention that both American [...]