Loud & Clear

Latest Episodes:

The Fundamental Weakness of the Mueller Report Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, historian and investigative journalist, to discuss his forthcoming article for Truthout where he lays out his analysis of the Mueller report, its impact on U.S. society, and implications for geopolitics.
For the past two weeks, a group called the Embassy Protection Collective has been guarding the Venezuelan Embassy here in Washington DC against illegal seizure by representatives of coup leader Juan Guaido. Members of the collective, who are invited tenants of the legitimate government of Venezuela, held a rally today to talk about why they are there protecting it, and producer Nicole Roussell went down to report on the protest. Linda Winter, an activist who flew here from Chicago to protect the Venezuelan Embassy, and producer and Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, 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.
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.

US SEALs Chief Accused of War Crimes in Iraq: Was There a Cover-Up? Apr 24, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tarak Kauff and Kenneth Mayers, activists with Veterans for Peace who were unjustly denied permission to return home to the United States pending a trial on charges stemming from an anti-war protest at Shannon air base.
Controversy continues to engulf the case of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who is awaiting trial in May for stabbing a captive teenager to death in Iraq, spraying civilian neighborhoods wildly with machine gun fire and rockets, and other illegal acts. New reports point to a potential coverup as high-ranking officers discouraged their troops from officially reporting the war crimes.
Although the UK has secured a so-called flexible extension to its deadline to leave the European Union, intense political pressure is still mounting on the government of Prime Minister Theresa May. The rise of the new Brexit Party, dissent within her own party, and an upcoming visit by President Trump pose sharp challenges. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins 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.
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. Today they discuss Joe Biden’s preparations for his presidential campaign announcement and the escalating campaign by the Trump white House against against Iran. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s regular segment called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson is included in today’s Wednesday show, though it usually airs every Tuesday. 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, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

George Papadopoulos: “I Was Targeted by US, UK Intelligence Agencies” Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by George Papadopoulos.
On October 2017, George Papadopoulos plead guilty for making false statements to the FBI in what was the first guilty plea of those charged in the Russia probe. During the past two years, George Papadopoulos has become a household name. A former volunteer foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, he came to the attention of the FBI regarding his contacts in 2016 related to US-Russian relations. In the end, he took a plea to the throwaway charge of making a false statement. He now has a book out called “Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump.”
Sri Lankan officials today are continuing their investigation into a series of deadly bombings on Easter Sunday that killed at least 321 people, mostly in churches and hotels. A virtually unknown group, the National Tawheed Jamiah, has taken responsibility and 40 people so far have been arrested. The Islamic State this morning also claimed responsibility. The Sri Lankan government, meanwhile, says that the group is loosely affiliated with the Islamic State and carried out the bombings in retaliation for the killing of 50 Muslims last month in New Zealand. Brian and John speak with Bhavani Fonseka, a human rights attorney and senior researcher at the Center for Policy Alternatives, a prominent think tank.
Just as the U.S. government was ratcheting up economic sanctions, Google joined in the anti-Iran campaign and blocked the accounts of Iranian media outlets Press TV and HispanTV. This includes the outlets’ YouTube channels, an essential platform to promote their content. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Democratic presidential candidates have begun taking sides on impeachment just as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was taking impeachment off the table. But House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said that if obstruction of justice is proven during the course of his committee’s investigation, President Trump should be impeached. Will the Democrats’ new aggressiveness hurt the president or rally his supporters? Dennis Bernstein, an author, poet, activist, and co-host of the political news show Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Today they address the claim that the costs of Social Security will become higher than the income from it in 2020. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.

Chelsea Manning, Political Prisoner, Is Denied Freedom Apr 22, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
A federal appeals court ruled this morning that Chelsea Manning must remain in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. Manning had argued that the Justice Department was trying to weaken her credibility as a defense witness, rather than to punish her for refusing to testify.
The U.S. government announced today that it would not be issuing any further waivers on sanctions imposed on the Iranian oil industry. In its effort to isolate Iran economically, the Trump administration may now take action against traditional U.S. allies that do not go along with the sanctions regime. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
People across the country and world were shocked as video surfaced of a group of far-right vigilantes holding undocumented immigrants at gunpoint along the U.S.-Mexico border. The FBI arrested Larry Hopkins, a leader of the militia, on Sunday and charged him with federal gun violations, which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of eight years in prison. Kidnapping charges are expected to be added soon. But will violent far-right groups continue to grow? Brian and John speak with Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the anti-fascist organization One People’s Project.
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.
Ukraine has a new president. President Petro Poroshenko conceded last night to television comedian Volodymir Zelensky, who won more than 70 percent of the vote in what was seen as a referendum on corruption and poverty. Zelensky has no political experience, but he plays a president on television. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
House Democrats lined up over the weekend to announce the start of new investigations into allegations that President Trump obstructed justice during the Russia investigation, while one Fox News contributor complained that the Mueller Report was a “how-to manual for impeachment.” Some Democrats argue against impeachment, however, because the Senate is unlikely to take up the issue and because impeachment proceedings could rally Republicans. And new questions are being raised as journalists dig into the content of the report, including about the role of Joseph Mifsud and western intelligence agencies in the initiation of the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian interference. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” and Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa 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 joins the show.

Dissecting Mueller’s Report & Media Spin: Russiagate Enters Next Phase Apr 19, 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 Mueller report that was released yesterday. It was more than 400 pages, and referenced hundreds of people - but what did it really say, and what does it mean? We talk about what evidence is in the report and what is not, the political implications of the report, and the way the corporate owned media is covering the report and its conclusions.
Former Vice President Joe Biden will formally announce his candidacy for president next week. Along with Bernie Sanders, Biden has consistently been at the top of early opinion polling, but has also come under harsh criticism for a wide range of positions he has taken over his long career in politics. But after three failed presidential bids and eight years as vice president, can the fourth time be the charm? Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist at www.rall.com, joins the show.
CIA Director Gina Haspel made a rare public appearance yesterday at Alabama’s Auburn University yesterday, ostensibly to discuss what she described as the “thrill” of her hiring more than 30 years ago. Instead, she was repeatedly interrupted by hecklers who demanded that she answer questions about her role in the CIA’s torture program. The hecklers were removed and arrested, and Haspel concluded by saying that the Agency had recently turned its focus away from terrorism and toward Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Within hours of the near destruction of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday, wealthy French citizens pledged more than $1 billion to reconstruct the landmark. But the backlash was almost immediate. French President Emmanuel Macron already is accused of being the “President of the Rich,” and the country’s yellow vest protestors are in the streets calling for social equality and higher wages and pensions. And at the same time, French police have cracked down on these protestors, causing scores of deaths and injuries. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Sudanese protest leaders today announced plans to unveil a civilian body to take over from the country’s ruling military council, although that council has resisted calls to step aside. The event will go forward on Sunday, however, with foreign diplomats and journalists invited. Producer Walter Smolarek 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.

Mueller Says “No Collusion” But Affirms Russian Interference Myth Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent whistleblower and TIME person of the year, Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer.
The long-awaited Mueller investigation report was released today. They dive into the 448-page document and that deals with both allegations of collusion and obstruction of justice, the claim that Russia intervened in the election, and how the media and establishment politicians are reacting to the collapse of the narrative they promoted since the 2016 election. The report states that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and while it does not make a recommendation on charges of obstruction of justice the report appears to leave the door open for those charges to be brought later.
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.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, Hector Lopez, the Director of Unified U.S. Deported Veterans, and Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became a prominent anti-war activist, join 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.

Why is Trump So Committed to Supporting the Saudi War in Yemen? Apr 17, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
President Trump yesterday vetoed a measure that would have cut aid to Saudi Arabia’s war against Yemen, saying that it was an infringement on his authority as President. The Yemen bill passed with healthy majorities in both houses of Congress, but not by enough to override the veto.
A redacted version of the Mueller report will be released tomorrow, but Democrats and their media allies already are downplaying the event. House Democrats announced that they will seek an unredacted version of the report on Friday. Meanwhile, CIA Director Gina Haspel apparently told the President that British intelligence officials told her that two children were injured and several ducks were killed in last year’s Novichok attack against a Russian dissident in the UK. There is no evidence, however, that this ever happened. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article on both Counterpunch and The Polemicist is "Investigation Nation: Mueller, Russiagate, and Fake Politics," joins the show.
The FBI affidavit used to charge Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange confirms that the US government targeted him for publishing information. Although he has not been charged with espionage, the affidavit, sworn by FBI agent Megan Brown, clearly accuses Assange of violating the Espionage Act and raises fears of a superseding indictment. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola, a journalist for Shadowproof.com and host of the Podcast “Unauthorized Disclosure.”
In a major reversal of US immigration and human rights policy, Attorney General Barr yesterday declared that detained asylum seekers who have shown that they have a credible fear of returning to their countries will no longer be able to ask a judge to grant them bail. The move will likely fill the country’s prisons and detention centers for refugees, even though they have been neither convicted of or even accused of a crime. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday gave a short and solemn speech in the aftermath of the fire that devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame. He used the speech, however, to draw parallels between the fire and the Yellow Vest protests. Macron had planned the speech for Monday, and it was supposed to be exclusively about the political uprising that has shaken France for five months. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins Brian and John.
Yesterday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tapped current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a governing coalition, after a majority of Knesset members supported him. Netanyahu will now continue talks with the goal of dividing up cabinet ministries among his coalition partners. The new government is expected to be the most right wing in Israeli history, and human rights advocates are sounding the alarm that even more restrictions on Palestinian citizens of Israel are imminent. Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell spent the week in Israel covering the election there. She had the opportunity to speak with Jonathan Kuttab, a leading human rights attorney in Israel and Palestine. He was born in West Jerusalem, but after the Six Day War, his family moved to the United States. After practicing law with a Wall Street firm for several years, he returned home to co-found the Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence, al-Haw (which is a group of lawyers and others who assist with human rights issues), and the Mandela Institute for Political Prisoners. He serves on the board of directors of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem.
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.

Bernie Sanders Makes “Big Impression” at Fox News Town Hall Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, founder of the organization Democracy at Work, and his latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
The audience at a Fox News Town Hall meeting in Pennsylvania with Bernie Sanders erupted in cheers and applause when the host asked the crowd if it supported Medicare for all, a signature Sanders campaign issue. The raucous response was despite the fact that the White House condemned the bill, with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling it “a socialist takeover of healthcare.” Sanders’ strong showing is being interpreted as evidence that he could win in states where Trump prevailed in 2016.
An indictment against Julian Assange in the Eastern District of Virginia was unsealed on Thursday, and the criminal complaint was released today, adding detail to the case against the Wikileaks co-founder. But even with the new detail, the government’s case is weak and limited and still accuses Assange only of a minor charge of conspiracy to access a government computer without authorization. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
London police last night arrested more than 100 climate activists who had blocked Waterloo Bridge in central London to protest the government’s failure to address climate change. As soon as police completed the arrests, more protestors arrived and either chained or glued themselves to the bridge. The protests are part of a global campaign called Extinction Rebellion, with demonstrations taking place in 80 cities across 33 countries. Brian and John speak with Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Guardian, and the author of many books, including “Disaster Capitalism.”
Huge demonstrations demanding “freedom, peace and justice” are continuing as the revolt that toppled Sudan’s long-time leader Omar al-Bashir are continuing. In the aftermath of last week’s military takeover in Sudan, the African Union has given the country’s military leadership 15 days to revert to civilian rule or face expulsion. Military leaders and opposition parties and civil society groups are currently in negotiations. Nisrin Elamin, a Sudanese PhD student at Stanford and an activist in the Sudanese diaspora, joins the show.
Secretary of State Michael Pompeo recently wrapped up a tour of countries with right wing governments in Latin America to build support for the U.S.-backed push to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Pompeo also prompted a strong response from China when he said that the country’s support for Venezuela is causing the disintegration of that country and chaos in Latin America. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, 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, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

The Imprisonment of Assange Seeks to “Kill Journalism” Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for John Kiriakou) are joined by Lee Stranahan, co-host of Radio Sputnik’s Fault Lines who traveled to the UK to cover Julian Assange’s arrest.
There were protests in London this weekend at the prison where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is being held, having been forced out of the Ecuadorian Embassy late last week despite receiving political asylum seven years ago. Meanwhile, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno signed a $4.2 billion loan with the US-backed International Monetary Fund at the same time.
The Justice Department said today that the Mueller report will be released this Thursday, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller is one of the officials working on the redactions from the memo. But the corporate media is already preparing to defend its two years of collusion accusations between President Trump and Russia, despite no evidence. 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 tweeted a video this weekend attacking Representative Ilhan Omar, ludicrously linking her with the September 11th terrorist attack. She has since received a wave of death threats. Brian and Walter speak with Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist, professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, and the author of the book “Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics.”
It’s tax day in the United States. While working people hand over a big share of their income, many huge corporations are paying hardly anything at all, a situation made even worse by the new Trump tax reform. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, joins the show.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Saturday that he is open to another summit with President Trump within 2019 if there are mutually agreed upon terms. Will the United States move forward with this offer and be willing to engage in bilateral negotiations? Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and Walter.
11 people were killed in Aleppo by rockets fired by opposition fighters in Idlib last night, an area dominated by the al-Qaeda affiliated HTS terrorist group. A final government offensive to recapture the province may be imminent. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, 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 Walter.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa 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 joins the show.

What the Arrest of Assange Means for the Future of Press Freedom Apr 12, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
The panel takes a look at the biggest stories of the week, including the arrest of Julian Assange, the overthrow of Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, the indictment of Greg Craig, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s trip to the White House.
After nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Julian Assange has been arrested by British authorities on behalf of the U.S. government. But the fight is just beginning to defend Assange, Wikileaks, and freedom of the press. Lee Stranahan, co-host of Radio Sputnik’s Fault Lines who traveled last night to the UK to cover the story, joins the show.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News, joins the show.
Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell has been on the ground all week covering the Israeli election. She was able to interview prominent political leader Dr. Yousef Jabareen. He is a member of the Israeli Knesset representing Hadash, a progressive party that draws its support primarily from the country’s Arab community. He discusses the pressing issues facing the Palestinian people as hardline right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears set to yet again lead the coalition coming out of the election.

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