Sunday, December 23, 2018

The Real Problem Is the US-Saudi Relationship, Not Just Crown Prince MBS


Peace activist Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK says US support for the Saudi monarchy must be fundamentally challenged. Some American officials want a cosmetic change, simply replacing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but the problem runs much deeper.

Friday, December 21, 2018

Can the US Be a Dependable Ally? l Inside Story


Retired general James Mattis was seen as a measure of calm and stability in a White House swirling with chaos and unpredictability. Now, he's resigned as US Secretary of Defense, after disagreements on foreign policy with the president.

His departure comes as Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal of US forces from Syria and suggestions he'll pull thousands out of Afghanistan too.

In his resignation letter, Mattis said he believes in treating allies with respect. Trump’s announcement certainly took the US's friends by surprise and left many wondering if the US is a dependable ally.

So with Mattis gone, who will now try and control an unpredictable president?

Presenter: Imran Khan | Guests: David DesRoches, Professor of Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University and Former Director of NATO Operations at the Pentagon; Habib Wardak, Founding Member of Transparency Afghanistan and National Security Analyst; Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor at the Defence Studies Dept., King's College London and Specialist on Jihadist Groups in the Middle East.


Jim Mattis Resigns as White House Unravels from Within | Morning Joe | MSNBC


Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced his resignation Thursday afternoon, sending President Donald Trump a letter that implicitly criticized the president's military judgment. The Morning Joe panel discusses Mattis' resignation and the other major news of the week.

Clapper: Americans Are Less Safe with Mattis' Exit


Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says Americans are less safe after Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced he is stepping down.

Don Lemon: If You Are Worried, You Should Be


CNN's Don Lemon reacts to the announcement that Secretary of Defense James Mattis is stepping down from his role.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Tucker Carlson Begs Advertisers To Stay, Declaring “I Like Immigrants!”


Tucker Carlson went on an angry tirade on Friday evening about immigrants, saying that they make American “poorer, dirtier, and more divided.” This incredibly racist statement has caused advertisers to flee his program, but now he’s begging them to stay by proclaiming that he actually loves immigrants and that he believes the caravan travelers all have good intentions. This is too little, too late, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains.

The Rogue Crown Prince & the Dangerous US-Saudi-Israel Alliance


Col. Lawrence Wilkerson and Paul Jay discuss the US Senate resolution condemning Mohamed Bin Salman for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi; there is concern amongst the neocons of both major parties that MBS is undermining the strategy to weaken Iran

Imam Tawhidi: The TRUTH About Islam


In this interview with Imam Tawhidi, the Imam discusses his 2018 book The Tragedy of Islam, as well as the debate surrounding the religion’s history, doctrine, stance on women’s rights, Mohammed, and its connections to terrorism and extremism.

Friday, December 14, 2018

Trump 'Seething' after Cohen Sentencing


President Trump's public silence belied his rising fury over longtime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who the President still insists is not telling the truth, after he turned against him and was sentenced to three years in prison. CNN's Jim Acosta reports.

Cohen on Trump as President: 'He's a Very Different Individual'


Trump's former attorney told ABC News in an exclusive interview that he thinks "the pressure of the job is much more" than what the president thought it was going to be.

Senate Votes To End US Support For Saudi-Led War In Yemen | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC


In a stinging rebuke of President Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the US Senate voted to end military support of the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Theresa May Tries to Salvage Brexit Deal in Brussels


Theresa May is ending the worst week of her political life in the place where she now looks more comfortable than Westminster.

This is her second visit to Brussels in three days and now that she has clung on to her job she came hoping to get her deal across the line in Parliament.

Her fellow EU leaders were long on admiration for her tenacity but came short on the kind of concessions that could save her deal and perhaps her government.


Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Lord Michael Heseltine on Brexit, Theresa May and Fighting Poverty


Lord Michael Heseltine is a veteran of politics. He served as Deputy Prime Minister under Margaret Thatcher and was crucial in her removal from power. He now sits on the Conservative benches of the House of Lords and has strongly argued against Brexit and to remain in the European Union.

Thursday, December 06, 2018

Will Trump Change His Mind on Khashoggi Killing? l Inside Story


Six senior US senators from across party lines have introduced a resolution holding the Saudi Crown Prince personally accountable for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

It directly contradicts statements from President Donald Trump who has insisted repeatedly there is no definitive evidence connecting Mohammed bin Salman with the crime.

But will the senators force Trump to drop his defence of the Saudi royal?

The resolution also criticises Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen, the blockade of Qatar, and a crackdown on dissent in the Kingdom. It's a testing time for the US president.

Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: John Jones, former senior congressional advisor during President Obama's term; Sigurd Neubauer, a Middle East analyst with expertise in Gulf affairs; and Chris Garcia, former deputy director of the US Department of Commerce under President Trump


Sunday, December 02, 2018

Can Macron Survive the Biggest Challenge to His Presidency? l Inside Story


The Arc de Triomphe daubed with graffiti. The Champs Elysée cloaked in clouds of tear gas. It's becoming a familiar story in Paris. The famous sights of the French capital turned into a battle ground for the third successive weekend.

‘Yellow Vest’ protesters again venting their fury at the rising price of keeping their cars on the road; and increasing calls for President Emmanuel Macron to resign.

Facing the biggest challenge to his 18 month presidency, he flew home from the G20 summit in Argentina for an emergency government meeting.

It's not just next month’s proposed fuel tax rise which is infuriating many, falling living standards are too; so, how can Macron calm the rising anger?

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Anne Giudicelli - Chief Executive, Terrorisc Consultancy; Remi Bourgeot -Economist, French Institute of International & Strategic Affairs; David Lees - Lecturer in French Studies, University of Warwick


Saturday, December 01, 2018

Does Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) Care about New Khashoggi Revelations? l Inside Story


’The Wall Street Journal’ says the Saudi Crown Prince was in contact with the team that killed Jamal Khashoggi.

The CIA has reportedly concluded the order to kill Jamal Khashoggi was given by Crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

‘The Wall Street Journal’ says its obtained details of the highly classified CIA document. The newspaper says bin Salman sent at least 11 messages to his closest adviser, Saud al-Qahtani.

He reportedly supervised the so-called 'hit' team.

The CIA says al-Qahtani was in direct communication with the team’s leader in Istanbul - in the hours before and after the journalist was murdered.

The Saudi team was reportedly assembled from the Crown Prince's top security men in the Royal Guard.

The judgment on Bin Salman's likely culpability is based on the prince’s personal focus on Khashoggi who had criticised him - as well as the Prince authorising the same team to target other opponents.

The Saudi leader is reported to have told associates in August last year that if efforts failed to persuade Khashoggi to return to Saudi Arabia, he would be lured somewhere else.

Do the latest revelations make any difference because bin Salman continues to enjoy Donald Trump's support?

Presenter: Richelle Carey | Guests: Imadaldin al-Jubouri -Writer & Academic; Ahmed Al-Burai - Writer, Middle East Eye & Daily Sabah; Jacob Parakilas - Deputy Head, U.S. and the Americas Programme, Chatham House


Friday, November 30, 2018

G20: May in Argentina to Sell Brexit around the World


The Prime Minister arrived in Argentina for the G20 summit keen to sell the benefits of Brexit.

World leaders met against a backdrop of crisis in Crimea and the Saudi Arabian murder of a dissident journalist, but the European Council President Donald Tusk took the opportunity to say the EU stands ready for "no deal or no Brexit at all" if MPs reject the deal. We speak to Theresa May.


Ivanka And Don Jr. Are Mueller’s Next Targets


According to reports, special prosecutor Robert Mueller is now setting his sights on Ivanka and Donald Trump, Jr.’s involvement in a real estate deal that may have been used as a political tool for Donald Trump. The deal revolves around the talks for Trump Tower Moscow and the planned delivery of a $50 million penthouse to Vladimir Putin. The pieces of the puzzle are now out in the open, the only question is whether or not they actually fit together. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.