Antiwar Radio with Scott Horton » Pakistan

Gareth Porter

Scott Horton — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:22:12 +0000

Gareth Porter, investigative historian and journalist specializing in U.S. national security policy, discusses his article “The Truth Behind the Official Story of Finding Bin Laden;” Pakistani Brig. Gen. (retired) Shaukat Qadir’s new book Operation Geronimo: the Betrayal and Execution of Osama bin Laden and its Aftermath; how bin Laden was ousted from Al Qaeda’s leadership and tricked into exile in Abbottabad, Pakistan; debunking the two big lies – that Pakistan’s ISI was hiding bin Laden, and that intelligence gathered from torture helped locate him; and Al Qaeda’s success (as revealed in Syed Saleem Shahzad’s book) in recruiting/radicalizing Pashtun tribes in northwestern Pakistan.

MP3 here. (27:51)

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist specializing in U.S. national security policy. The paperback edition of his latest book, Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam, was published in 2006.

Umar Farooq

Scott Horton — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:50:59 +0000

Umar Farooq, intern at The Nation, discusses his article “Our immoral drone war;” why the media pursues a cause-and-effect rationalization when an American commits an atrocity, but not when a Muslim does; the cycle of violence and radicalization in the US and Pakistan; why billions in US aid to Pakistan aren’t enough to offset the War on Terror’s destructive force; and whether Stanley McChrystal’s “insurgent math” applies to Pakistanis as well as Afghans.

MP3 here. (19:51)

Umar Farooq was born in Pakistan, raised in New Orleans, and spent five years as an activist and independent journalist in Baltimore. He is currently interning at The Nation, and tries to maintain a blog.

Chris Woods

Scott Horton — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:03:39 +0000

Chris Woods, documentary producer and freelancer for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, discusses his article “Obama terror drones: CIA tactics in Pakistan include targeting rescuers and funerals;” why these attacks qualify as state terrorism by any sensible definition; how the MSM enables government officials to smear their critics behind a veil of anonymity; the circumstantial evidence that former CIA Director Leon Panetta was responsible for the targeting of rescuers and funeral goers; and why the time is ripe for formal investigations, now that Obama himself has outed the “secret” war in Pakistan.

MP3 here. (19:36)

Chris Woods is an award-winning London-based investigative journalist and documentary film maker. He specialises in world affairs, notably the global war on terror. For many years he was based at the BBC, working as a senior producer on flagship programmes Newsnight and Panorama. More recently, he has written and directed major documentaries for Channel 4′s Dispatches and for Al Jazeera. He has been with the Bureau since spring 2010.

Jason Ditz

Scott Horton — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:42:27 +0000

Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses the large bombings in Iraq after US withdrawal; Prime Minister Maliki’s attempt to arrest Vice President Tareq Hashemi as a “terrorist;” Iraq’s coalition government falling apart, as Maliki overreaches; the 700 US troops scheduled to remain behind as trainers; the military’s report justifying the fatal US air attack on Pakistani border posts; back-channel negotiations between the US and Pakistan’s civilian government to undermine the Pakistani military’s power; and indications NATO is staying in Afghanistan for the long haul.

MP3 here. (23:57)

Jason Ditz is the managing news editor at Antiwar.com. His op-ed pieces have been published in newspapers and other media around the world.

Gareth Porter

Scott Horton — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:31:54 +0000

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses Obama’s inadequate “condolences” for the US attack on two Pakistani border posts that killed 25 soldiers; how the rising anger of Pakistanis is forcing their military to finally stop kowtowing to the Pentagon; why the US seems intent on provoking a crisis, even though crucial supply lines to Afghanistan are being cut off as a result; and why you need to talk to lower ranking US military officers to get the true story on Afghanistan.

MP3 here. (19:51)

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.

Jason Ditz

Scott Horton — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:37:09 +0000

Jason Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses all the ways you can donate to Antiwar.com (but no lima beans please); Defense Secretary Leon Panetta getting chewed out by the Senate Armed Services Committee for withdrawing from Iraq per the 2008 SOFA signed by President Bush (though Obama certainly tried to stay longer); the proposed agreement that will allow the US occupation of Afghanistan to continue through 2024; and how Pakistan’s military relied on Google Earth maps to target its tribal areas for bombing.

MP3 here. (21:15)

Jason Ditz is the managing news editor at Antiwar.com. His op-ed pieces have been published in newspapers and other media around the world.

Pepe Escobar

Scott Horton — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:13:23 +0000

Pepe Escobar, journalist and author of Obama Does Globalistan, discusses the Syrian rebellion’s near-triumph in Damascus and Aleppo; the large presence of Gulf Cooperation Council members eager to help a like-minded regime come to power should Assad be deposed; what murdered journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad had to say about al Qaeda’s strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan; how the corrupt and incompetent Karzai regime fails to lure ordinary Afghans away from the Taliban’s influence; and the opportunity for China, Pakistan and Russia to broker an Afghanistan peace deal while the US and NATO remain preoccupied in their pursuit of total victory.

MP3 here. (19:57)

Pepe Escobar is the author of Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving Into Liquid War and Obama Does Globalistan.

An extreme traveler, Pepe’s nose for news has taken him to all parts of the globe. 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. Two weeks before September 11, 2001, while Pepe was in the tribal areas of Pakistan, Asia Times Online published his prophetic piece, “Get Osama! Now! Or else …” Pepe was one of the first journalists to reach Kabul after the Taliban’s retreat, and more recently he has explored and reported from Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, US and China.

Anand Gopal

Scott Horton — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 04:48:24 +0000

Independent journalist Anand Gopal discusses the relationship between the Haqqani network and Pakistan’s military/government; why the lack of any Northern Alliance-type allies will make a US ground invasion of Pakistan much more difficult than in Afghanistan; possible CIA involvement in the Afghan heroin trade and with Hamid Karzai’s murdered brother; why the Taliban’s break with al-Qaeda is genuine, and the “safe haven” rationale for continuing the occupation is bogus; slow reforms in Egypt, as elections – if they ever happen – face popular boycotts; how the US works behind the scenes to promote faux democracy in Egypt, with a controlled election that enables a pro-Israel government to take hold; and why there is still no diplomatic settlement in the works for Afghanistan, despite the wide acknowledgement that no military solution exists.

MP3 here. (21:14)

Anand Gopal has reported in Afghanistan for the Christian Science Monitor and the Wall Street Journal. His dispatches can be read at AnandGopal.com. He is currently working on a book about the Afghan war.

Gareth Porter

Scott Horton — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:02:53 +0000

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses why the US seems to crank up the pressure on Pakistan every time the Afghan War takes a turn for the worse; the domestic national security reasons for Pakistan’s government/military alliance with the Haqqani network; why provocative and threatening pronouncements by US officials aren’t as persuasive as they used to be; and why the Obama administration has decided to run for reelection on a reckless foreign policy – one that may lead to a disastrous war in Pakistan.

MP3 here. (20:04)

The Other Scott Horton

Scott Horton — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:02:48 +0000

The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer, professor and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses his recent articles “Injudicious Judge Dismisses Civil Libertarians” and “Brennan Does Yemen;” why rising tensions in Pakistan may result in US forces being kicked out – if they will leave; how the AUMF is used to justify warfare anywhere, with nearly anyone; how the CIA transformed from a civilian intelligence gathering/analyzing agency into yet another clandestine military outfit; and the competing military doctrines of politicians and generals, respectively: waging a multi-front, constantly expanding, never-ending global war and fighting more limited engagements that can be defined, won, and used for self-promotion.

MP3 here. (20:07)

The other Scott Horton is a Contributing Editor for Harper’s magazine where he writes the No Comment blog. A New York attorney known for his work in emerging markets and international law, especially human rights law and the law of armed conflict, Horton lectures at Columbia Law School. A life-long human rights advocate, Scott served as counsel to Andrei Sakharov and Elena Bonner, among other activists in the former Soviet Union.

He is a co-founder of the American University in Central Asia, and has been involved in some of the most significant foreign investment projects in the Central Eurasian region. Scott recently led a number of studies of abuse issues associated with the conduct of the war on terror for the New York City Bar Association, where he has chaired several committees, including, most recently, the Committee on International Law. He is also a member of the board of the National Institute of Military Justice, the Andrei Sakharov Foundation, the EurasiaGroup and the American Branch of the International Law Association.