Philip Giraldi, contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine and columnist for Antiwar.com, discusses the collusion of Congress, AIPAC and the media in agitating for war with Iran, how the media’s repetition of a single false premise shapes public opinion toward war, a proposal for an “X Street” lobby that advocates for U.S. national interests and why the CIA and the National Endowment for Democracy need curtailing.
Philip Giraldi is a former CIA and DIA counter-terrorism officer, member of the American Conservative Defense Alliance and contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine. His “Smoke and Mirrors” column is a regular feature on Antiwar.com.
The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer, professor and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses the conviction of 23 CIA agents in absentia by an Italian court for their participation in extraordinary rendition, the widespread assertion of U.S. governmental immunity from the law, Ray Durham’s slow-brewing torture investigation for the DOJ, why the rule of law is bound to be flaunted without an engaged citizenry and recent courtroom setbacks for the state secrets privilege.
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.
