Author: Conflicts of Interest

On COI #159, Kevin Gosztola joins Kyle Anzalone to discuss the people who were right about the Afghan War all along, among them Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who cast the sole ‘no’ vote against the 2001 authorization to attack Afghanistan. Lee correctly predicted that the bill would be exploited to justify an endless war, and has continued to fight to repeal the 2001 AUMF. 

Kevin recounts the story of Matthew Hoh. Working as a State Department official, Hoh realized Obama’s Afghan surge would be a deadly failure. He, therefore, blew the whistle on the administration’s propaganda campaign, which insisted the ‘surge’ approach employed in Iraq could be exported to Afghanistan. While Hoh was largely ignored, he gained key backing for his claims, which have since been proven correct. 

Like Hoh, Daniel L. Davis also blew the whistle over the disastrous Afghan surge. Years after Hoh, Davis reported to Congress – and the American people – that the country’s leaders were lying about their non-existent successes in Afghanistan. 

Kevin talks about the importance of journalist Micheal Hastings, who penned an explosive 2010 Rolling Stone profile that resulted in the firing of Stanley McChrystal, the “Runaway General.” Hastings also exposed the absurdity of the US counter-insurgency campaign pushed by the disgraced General David Petraeus. 

The horrors and failures of the Afghan War were also published by Wikileaks, thanks to leaker Chelsea Manning and journalist Julian Assange. Kevin explains why Manning passed the Afghan War Logs to Wikileaks and updates Julians Assange’s extradition appeal. 

Daniel Hale is another persecuted whistleblower, who released important information showing the massive number of civilians murdered by the US drone program. Hale appeared in the documentary ‘National Bird,’ but was not prosecuted for leaking the information until years later. 

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Kevin Gosztola is managing editor at Shadowproof, host of the “Dissenter Weekly,” and co-host of the podcast “Unauthorized Disclosure.”

On COI #157, Connor Freeman – writer at the Libertarian Institute – returns to the show to discuss Biden’s Israel policy. Biden entered office with a prime opportunity to revive the Iran nuclear deal, but has instead caved to the demands of Tel Aviv. Now the deal is nearly dead and Israel is plotting more actions against Iran with US support. Returning to the deal could help Washington disengage from the Middle East, but Biden is sticking with an ‘Israel First’ policy. 

In the occupied territories, the Palestinians continue to suffer under a brutal military regime. In recent weeks, Palestinians – including children – were gunned down and others had their homes destroyed by the Israeli forces. The behavior of the occupying forces is unsurprising as Human Rights Watch recently reported Israel likely committed war crimes by bombing apartment buildings in Gaza. 

Connor updates recent news from Afghanistan. With the American exit, the Taliban now control nearly the entire country, including all of Kabul. While the militant Islamist movement is now the government of Afghanistan, the US is refusing to recognize the Taliban as a legitimate state. The US denying recognition to the new ‘Islamic Emirate’ could have negative consequences for ordinary Afghans. 

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On COI #156, Kyle Anzalone discusses the departure of the last US soldiers in Afghanistan. After 20 years, the occupation has finally ended. However, the US war in Afghanistan may not be over as Biden has vowed to continue drone strikes in the country. The latest strike left seven children dead. The Biden administration says soldiers left after a “successful” withdrawal of over 100,000 people. 

Kyle breaks down a recent article in the Washington Post by Max Boot. The war hawk argues the American people are the ones responsible for 13 soldiers being killed in Afghanistan. Boot is attempting to shift blame because he is among the few truly responsible for the deaths of those soldiers and hundreds of thousands of other human beings over the past 20 years. If we don’t hold people like Max Boot to account, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the Afghan War. 

Kyle talks about two recent articles on policing from Reason. One article exposes how cops are teaming up with FedEx to conduct constitutionally questionable raids. Officers deploy dogs to training facilities where any package “hit” on by a dog can then be used to raid the recipient’s home. Immigration police are also abusing their powers by targeting immigration activists. 

Kyle updates the US relationship with North Korea. After placing the North Korea issue on the back burner, the Biden administration is concerned the pot is now boiling over. The IAEA believes North Korea has restarted its reactor that produces weapons-grade nuclear material. The US will now scramble to prevent Pyongyang from advancing its nuclear program, after missing clear opportunities for diplomacy at the start of Biden’s term. 

A humanitarian group in London is seeking an ICC investigation into war crimes committed in Yemen. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, US and UK are all among those accused of killing over 100 Yemenis in violation of the laws of war. The most horrific of the crimes include bombing a school bus, killing at least 34 children. 

Last, Kyle breaks down increasing tensions with China. On a recent trip to Singapore and Vietnam, Vice President Kamala Harris rallied support against China. The VP offered aid and vowed to increase the presence of US warships in the Indo-Pacific region. As Harris wrapped up her trip, the US sailed a destroyer and Coast Guard ship through the Taiwan Strait.

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On COI #155, Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter update the situation in Afghanistan, including the aftermath of a deadly suicide bombing outside the Kabul airport on August 26.

President Joe Biden authorized two separate retaliatory drone strikes on what the government claims were ISIS-K targets in Afghanistan. The first was launched Friday in Nangarhar province and was said to have killed two militant “planners” and injured another. A second strike on Sunday hit a neighborhood in Kabul itself, reportedly killing nine civilians, including six children, in addition to at least one jihadist fighter in a vehicle carrying explosives.

Will and Kyle take on a steady stream of bad arguments from war hawks of all stripes, including the likes of Paul Wolfowitz, an architect of the War on Terror and an unrepentant cheerleader for the invasion of Afghanistan.

The DC police officer who murdered Ashli Babbitt – who was fatally shot after entering the Capitol on January 6 alongside a mob of Trump supporters – has given his first public interview. Identified as Lieutenant Michael Byrd, the officer insists he was right to shoot Babbitt, who was unarmed, arguing she posed a threat to US representatives.

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Connor Freeman – writer at the Libertarian Institute – returns to the show to discuss the dual suicide bombing at the Kabul airport. As of the recording, at least 60 Afghans and 13 American soldiers were killed in the blasts. ISIS-K – a group of mostly non-Afghans that have pledged loyalty to the Islamic State – claimed credit for the attack, which came after several terrorism alerts from US and Taliban officials in recent days. 

In response to the bombing, American hawks have exploited the tragedy by spinning lies about the situation in Afghanistan, many claiming Washington could easily take Kabul under control with a few soldiers. Others have suggested that America commit war crimes and wipe Afghan cities off the map in response, often conflating the Taliban with ISIS-K. Kyle Anzalone and Connor debunk the most popular myths being pushed. 

Connor breaks down how Israel is terrorizing the Palestinians. In the West Bank, Tel Aviv is increasing the use of night raids, seeing IDF soldiers storm refugee camps in the middle of the night. Israeli forces have responded to Palestinian opposition to the raids with increased violence. During a recent raid, Israeli forces murdered a Palestinian teenager. 

Kyle and Connor update ongoing protests in Gaza. The situation for Palestinians in the blockaded enclave is even worse as IDF snipers recently opened fire on demonstrators, injuring over 40 people, including 24 children. A Palestinian gunman shot one of the snipers in the head. In response, Israel has bombed Gaza City. 

Along with bombing Palestinians, Israel has also been targeting Syria. While Syria and Russia have announced they would attempt to prevent the strikes, Israel has so far been undeterred. The strikes add to the instability in the region that could be exacerbated as Israel pushes Biden to leave the JCPOA. Connor explains how Israel’s reckless bombing is driving tensions in the Middle East.

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On COI #153, Kyle Anzalone updates events in Afghanistan. The Pentagon and State Department are working to remove some privileged Afghans and Americans from Afghanistan. The US claims it has evacuated tens of thousands so far,  but it is still unclear how many will be left behind. Despite the speed with which the Afghan government collapsed and ongoing chaos at the airport, the American people have been unpersuaded by a relentless effort by war hawks in the corporate press to turn the public against the withdrawal. New polls show almost two-thirds of Americans support ending the occupation. 

Kyle breaks down recent tragedies in Haiti. After a presidential assassination last month, an earthquake and tropical storm left over 2,200 dead. USAID seized on the opportunity to increase the empire’s reach in Haiti, with hundreds of troops set to deploy for a relief operation led by the agency. However, USAID has a history of supporting regime change efforts through its “charity.” Aid operations after the last major earthquake in 2010 left the country worse off by squandering billions and creating a cholera epidemic. 

Saudi currency manipulation is wreaking economic chaos as there are now two exchange rates in Yemen. The Saudi-backed government has dumped new dollars into Yemen, causing a spike in inflation in those areas. The Houthis have banned the newly minted bills, preventing the erosion in the currency’s value.

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