Loud & Clear

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Trump on Syria: “U.S. Troops Will Remain…Where They Have the Oil” Oct 23, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
President Trump made a statement from the White House today in which he said lauded the deal on Syria between Russian President Putin and Turkish President Erdogan. Trump added that US combat missions have ended, the Kurds are “safe and have worked very nicely with us,” and that ISIS prisoners have been secured.
Ambassador Bill Taylor, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, testified on Capitol Hill yesterday and made explosive charges against President Trump, including that the President directed officials to withhold aid to Ukraine over demands that the Ukrainian government open an investigation of the Biden family. Taylor said that he was convinced in July that the White House was withholding aid for electoral purposes. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent article is “The Empire Steps Back,” which is at Counterpunch and thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Chile is bracing today for more protests and a general strike, despite President Sebastian Piñera’s pleas for forgiveness and announcement of ambitious reforms to quell unrest that has rocked the country and left 15 people dead. Piñera is promising a guaranteed minimum wage, a hike in the state pension, and the stabilization of electricity costs. But the demonstrations show no sign of abating. Brian and John speak with Patricio Zamorano, academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill is in limbo as the European Union is considering a delay in the UK’s withdrawal. Meanwhile, there’s lots of talk about a new election in the UK once the extension is granted. The Labour Party supports that, but it looks like Brexit supporters would win a race. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
Protests continued today across Lebanon today as protestors took to the streets to demand a wide variety of economic reforms. Meanwhile, the country is headed for a cash crisis, as banks remain closed a week into the protests. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

Syrian Government to Regain Control of Border After Putin, Erdogan Meet Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan met in the Russian city of Sochi today to discuss Turkey’s ceasefire in Syria, which expired today. Erdogan said that Turkey would immediately resume military operations against Syrian Kurds.
U.S.diplomat William Taylor is testifying in the House’s impeachment probe today, as a new media frenzy emerges over the fact that President Trump met with Hungarian President Viktor Orban in May, and that Orban is thought to hold “anti-Ukraine” views. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Picket lines and mass rallies continue to take place as Chicago teachers enter the fourth day of their strike. Stacy Davis Gates, the Vice President of the Chicago Teachers Union said that negotiations with the city are not going well, that no progress was made in talks yesterday, and that the two sides are “stuck.” Brian and John speak with Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement who has been organizing community support for the strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Reuven Rivlin that he was unable to form a government in the aftermath of Israeli elections. Rivlin, then, asked Blue & White Party leader Benny Gantz to begin work to form a coalition. The jury is out on whether Gantz can do so, and it is still possible that Netanyahu could lead a minority government or new elections could be called. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
As mass opposition to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro mounts, major new breakthroughs on the legal front appear possible for ex-President Lula da Silva. Lula’s imprisonment and subsequent banning from the 2018 election was essential to the extreme right wing Bolsonaro’s victory, and it has become even more obvious in recent months that Lula is in fact a political prisoner innocent of the crimes he is charged with. Natalia de Campos, performance artist and activist, co-founder of the Defend Democracy in Brazil Committee in New York City, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

Mass Uprising Shakes Chile Oct 21, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Andrea Alvarado, a member of the central committee of the Social Convergence Party and has been active in the demonstrations.
Chile’s government declared a state of emergency and brought the military out onto the streets for the first time since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990 in response to the most intense wave of demonstrations the country has seen in decades. The uprising was triggered by an increase in subway fares but has tapped into deep-seated discontent with economic inequality. A general strike is taking place today.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that he will pull the vote on Brexit if parliament passes any amendment “which would render it meaningless.” But parliamentary speaker John Bercow will not even allow a vote in the first place. Meanwhile, Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange was in a London court today, where he was denied a delay in his extradition to the United States. That hearing will now take place over five days in February. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed last Thursday in a press briefing that the President had sought a quid pro quo with the government of Ukraine when he sought to withhold military assistance until Ukrainian President Zelensky began an investigation of the 2016 election. Mulvaney also said this kind of thing happens all the time and he told Democrats to “get over it.” Over the weekend, however, he backpedaled mightily, denying that he ever admitted to a quid pro quo. Democrats, meanwhile, are treating the interview as one more nail in the President’s impeachment coffin. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist at www.rall.com.
Early election results in Bolivia show President Evo Morales leading, but not by enough to avoid a runoff in his race for a fourth term. Morales has 45 percent to 38 percent for conservative former president Carlos Mesa. Meanwhile, protestors in Ecuador appear to have won their fight to force President Lenin Moreno to back down from his proposed cuts to fuel subsidies. Demonstrations had grown so large that Moreno temporarily moved the government from Quito to the coastal city of Guayaquil. Alina Duarte, a journalist whose work is on Twitter @AlinaDuarte_, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the unfolding crises for the Trump administration, the uprising in Chile, Brexit, the Canadian election and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.

Syria: The Turkish Ceasefire That Wasn’t Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Clashes continued on the border between Turkey and Syria, despite the fact that the two sides were supposed to have come to a five-day ceasefire agreement yesterday. Kurdish officials said that the Turkish military continues to shell civilian targets along the border, and that the Turkish army bombed a hospital in Ras al-Ain.
A strike by Chicao teachers entered its second day today, and there are no prospects for a quick resolution. Teachers aren’t looking just for a pay raise. They’re looking for bold, transformative changes, including more affordable housing in the city for students and teachers. The city, however, says that the teachers’ demands are too much, and that it prefers to address some issues outside the bargaining process. Chicago Teachers Union member and activist Nick Stender joins the show.
The British Parliament will be in session tomorrow, its first Saturday session in 37 years, to debate and vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and selected amendments. If the plan passes with no amendments, the UK will leave the EU. If it passes with amendments, Johnson will have to ask for an extension to negotiate a new deal. If the plan fails, Johnson will have to ask for an extension to head off a no-deal Brexit. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
A general strike in the semi-autonomous Spanish region of Catalonia has brought Barcelona and its environs to a complete stop. Tens of thousands of protestors are marching in opposition to a Spanish Supreme Court decision to incarcerate the leaders of Catalonia’s independence movement. Are Catalonians headed for another standoff with the Madrid government? Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Turkish invasion of Syria, the impeachment probe, and the possible breakthrough in UK-EU negotiations over Brexit. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent article is “The Empire Steps Back: Trump Withdraws From Syria – Impeachment Now Possible,” and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.

Trump White House Faces Multiplying Crises Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book “How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton.”
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union is testifying in Congress behind closed doors today. A copy of his opening statement indicates he may be turning on President Trump. And yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham showed Senate Republicans a PowerPoint on the mechanics of a potential impeachment trial in the Senate.
Vice President Pence announced today that the United States and Turkey reached an agreement to implement a temporary ceasefire in Northern Syria. President Trump met last night with Congressional leaders from both parties, after the House voted overwhelmingly, by 354-60, to condemn the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. A bizarre letter from Trump to Erdogan was also made public, adding to the confusion over the situation. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film Killing Gaza, joins the show.
The UK and the European Union made a breakthrough agreement today over the terms of Britain’s exit from the bloc. However, the likelihood of its passage by the British parliament appears slim, setting the stage for a dramatic last-minute political and legal battle before the October 31 deadline. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Over 25,000 Chicago teachers and school staff went on strike today and schools are closed. The Chicago Teachers' Union along with SEIU Local 73 are demanding better benefits, reduced class size, and that measures be taken to address injustices students and their families face outside the classroom, like a lack of affordable housing. The Chicago Teachers' Union pointed out in a tweet yesterday, “we have nearly 17,000 homeless students in CPS [Chicago Public Schools].” Frank Chapman, an organizer with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
The Trump administration is engulfed in multiple crises on the domestic and international fronts. As nearly the entire political and military establishment unites in condemnation of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, the impeachment inquiry moves forward and President Trump’s mental state shows signs of serious strain. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Lee Camp, a writer, actor, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight” on RT America, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.

Democratic Candidates Seem to Be In Love with War Hawk John McCain Oct 16, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at www.popularresistance.org.
12 Democratic presidential candidates squared off last night, with 10 trying to set themselves apart from frontrunners Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. Political observers in the media are declaring Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and even Bernie Sanders the winners. There’s no telling what will happen in the polls in the coming days, and the race is still wide open.
Fighting continues to rage in Northern Syria as Turkish forces face a newly formed alliance between the Kurdish YPG and the Syrian government. Meanwhile, pressure grows on the Trump administration to reverse course and maintain the U.S. occupation in the country. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
Chicago’s teacher’s union is meeting today and it will almost certainly vote to strike effective tomorrow. Classes already are canceled, and negotiators are not optimistic about any breakthrough. Both sides say they are facing multiple issues, including teacher pay, staffing, and the duration of the contract. Brian and John speak with Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
As Brexit negotiations go down to the wire, the UK’s Brexit secretary has indicated that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will send a letter requesting an extension if there’s been no deal by this Saturday, as the legislation that was recently passed designed to prevent a no-deal Brexit requires. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Carrie Lam, the head of Hong Kong’s government, was unable to deliver her annual speech to the city’s legislative council today after opposition lawmakers shouted her down. As the United States prepares to intervene more forcefully and the central Chinese government remains determined to stand strong in the face of increasingly violent demonstrations. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analyst & producer Walter Smolarek joins the show.

Syrian Government & Kurds Forge New Alliance as Turkey Invades Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
A major realignment has taken place in the Syrian war as the Turkish invasion of northeast Syria enters its sixth day today. US troops are out of the immediate area and a new alliance between the Kurdish YPG and the Syrian government. President Trump has put economic sanctions into place against Turkey for their military actions.
Fiona Hill, an aide in the White House, testified yesterday for nine hours about her interactions with former National Security Council John Bolton. She testified that Bolton asked her to notify the chief lawyer for the National Security Council about the pressure that several of the administration’s officials were putting on Ukraine. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” joins the show.
Ecuadorian protestors succeeded in forcing President Moreno’s government to withdraw the IMF-imposed austerity package on Sunday. The move ended strikes across the country and created a new commission to design a new set of measures. The commission includes representatives from the indigenous movement as well as the government and will be mediated by the United Nations and the Catholic church. Meanwhile, leftist leaders were arrested and accused of instigating the protests. Brian and John speak with Arnold August, author and journalist currently on an international speaking tour on the theme "US-Venezuela-Cuba-Canada: The Geopolitics.”
As tensions grow and alliances shift rapidly in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is making an official visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The crisis in Syria, the global energy trade, and security cooperation in the gulf are at the top of his agenda. Mindia Gavashelli, the Editor in Chief of Sputnik News’ D.C. Bureau, joins the show.
A Spanish court handed down harsh prison sentences for Catalan political leaders for their role in a push for independence. The sentences, which include a 13-year prison term for the Vice President of Catalonia, have caused widespread outrage in the region and militant demonstrations. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Special guest and creative activist Eleanor Goldfield, host of the podcast Act Out!, which is on Free Speech tv, and whose work is at ArtKillingApathy.com; Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

Trump Happy to Make Impeachment the Centerpiece of 2020 Campaign Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment probe, the Turkish invasion of northern Syria and resulting controversy over the U.S. military occupation in that country, and the strike by workers at General Motors.
President Trump gave a fiery, angry, vulgarity-filled 102-minute-long speech in Minneapolis last night in which he called the impeachment inquiry “a brazen attempt to overthrow our government,” while two close associates of Rudy Giuliani were arrested at an airport while trying to leave. They are facing campaign finance violation charges. Meanwhile, one of the last Democratic holdouts in the House of Representatives said that she will now support impeachment. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu today had a high stakes meeting at the White House in a bid to avoid new tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods set to go into effect on Tuesday. What’s the big picture behind the U.S.-China trade war? Brian and John speak with Richard Wolff, he is a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.
A mounting sense of chaos is permeating the Turkish and Syrian border on day three of the Turkish military invasion of the region. Tens of thousands of Kurdish civilians are fleeing the area, abandoning a major hospital along the border. And experts fear an imminent return to the region of fighters from the Islamic State. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno last week ended fuel subsidies. That act drew so many protestors, led by indigenous people, trade unions and progressive political parties that he had to move the government out of the capital of Quito to the coastal city of Guayaquil. Meanwhile, 10 police officers were taken hostage and were forced to carry the coffin of an indigenous activist who had been killed the day before. They were later released. Patricio Zamorano, academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

Busted: Giuliani’s Associates Arrested on Eve of Impeachment Hearing Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose latest article on the subject is on CounterPunch and thepolemicist.net, titled “Dead Man's Hand: The Impeachment Gambit.”
Two donors to a pro-Trump fundraising committee who helped former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani investigate Joe Biden in Ukraine were arrested yesterday and charged with campaign finance law violations. Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman will be arraigned in Virginia today. Giuliani in May described them both as clients. Meanwhile, President Trump said that he would cooperate with House impeachment investigators “if the process was fair.”
Turkish forces have secured an area 20 miles into Syrian territory and running the length of the Kurdish region. Turkish President Erdogan said that his country may set up a permanent buffer zone in Syria, and that it could run the length of the entire Turkish/Syrian border. Erdogan, meanwhile, threatened Europe with a flood of refugees if EU countries continue to refer to the Turkish move as “an occupation.” Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
The Dow Jones Industrial Averages jumped 160 points after being down 300 points, when President Trump tweeted this morning that he would meet on Friday with China’s Vice Premier Liu He. Trade talks between the two countries have been bogged down over tariffs. A principal in the trade negotiations this morning called the situation “very fluid.” Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
Last week we told you about a march on the White House that will take place tomorrow and Saturday as part of the Rage Against the War Machine movement. The event is in protest of the absolutely insane amounts of money spent on war and weapons, which then leaves little to nothing to spend on healthcare, education, clean water, and more, to say nothing of the human cost to life and limb. Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War, and one of the organizers of the March on the Pentagon, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
The Turkish military said today that its ground offensive so far has been successful, with media reports indicating that more than 100 Kurdish fighters have been killed and buried in ditches. A Pentagon official said that Turkey may continue its offense and may take an area along the entire Turkish/Syrian border, not just the part in Kurdish territory. Meanwhile, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Moscow may try to mediate between the Turks and the Syrians. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.

Turkey Moves Into Syria: What’s the Next Move for the Kurds? Oct 09, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
The Turkish Army today attacked Syrian Kurds across the border between the two countries. The military move was not unexpected, since President Trump gave Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Ergogan the green light to attack the Kurds two days ago. Meanwhile, war hawks both Democratic and Republican alike are trying to take advantage of the situation to justify a de facto permanent, illegal U.S. military presence in Syria.
The White House has sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying that it would not cooperate in any way with the House’s impeachment inquiry. Saying that the inquiry was “unprecedented and unconstitutional,” White House attorneys said they would not provide any documents and would not allow witnesses to testify. The President, meanwhile, accused Democrats of trying to undo the 2016 election. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
A new poll by RealClearPolitics and an aggregate poll of polls shows Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for the first time with a national lead over former Vice President Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primaries. With Senator Bernie Sanders slowed by a recent heart attack, how is the Democratic landscape changing? Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, the editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation whose livestream is on every week Facebook and Youtube.
The situation in Baghdad calmed overnight after more than a week of protests left more than 110 people dead and more than 6,000 injured. Protestors are demanding better jobs, higher wages, a return of basic services and an end to government corruption. As security forces pressed on against demonstrators in the streets, the central government has ordered the release of more than 800 people so far. Ali Mamouri, the editor of Al-Monitor's “Iraq Pulse,” joins the show.
A crisis is developing between China and the National Basketball Association because of a tweet published by the owner of the Houston Rockets saying that the team stood with protestors in Hong Kong. The league forced him to take down the tweet, but not before the Chinese government protested this meddling in its internal affairs. Now, a day before a scheduled NBA game to be held in Shanghai, everything is postponed and the crisis is no closer to a resolution. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the Turkish invasion of northern Syria and controversy over the U.S. troop presence, the latest in the impeachment probe, and the Democratic 2020 presidential primary. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

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