Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Iran. The signatories of the Iran nuclear deal met in Vienna on Tuesday, and there are signals that the US is considering a return to the agreement. Also, Israel is voicing its fury at the prospect of a renewed deal, and are suspected to be involved in attacks on Iranian merchant marine vessels.
Neil Clark, journalist and broadcaster, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. Eleven years after Wikileaks released the collateral murder video which documented US war crimes in Iraq, the publisher of the information languishes in Belmarsh prison and the perpetrators walk free. Also, Caitlin Johnstone writes that the persecution of Julian Assange exposes the West's moral high ground claims as fraudulent and hypocritical.
Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss domestic politics. The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the upper chamber may use the reconciliation process at least two more times this year. This allows the ruling party to bypass the filibuster and pass legislation with a simple majority. This process may be used to pass both infrastructure and tax reform bills with no republican votes.
Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss the Nordstream 2 pipeline project. Germany is caught in an international tug of war as they fight the Biden administration over their right to self-determination. Recently, anti-Russian forces in the US and EU have upped the ante as they have started sending ships and submarines to disrupt Germany's energy infrastructure plan. Many suspect that the US is interfering in German politics and supporting the Green party.
Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, professor at College of William & Mary and daughter of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, joins us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. Five US states, New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are currently accounting for 44% of new covid positive cases in the last week. Also, the issue of vaccine passports is emerging as the next partisan divide in the US.
Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations and security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. The Eastern European nation has plunged the continent into a tense standoff by threatening war with Russia. Many are comparing Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky's ham-fisted military maneuvers with those of Georgian politician Mikheil Saakashvili, who led his nation into a disastrous confrontation with Russia in South Ossetia.
James Carey, editor/co-owner of Geopoliticsalert.com, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. President Biden is not revealing whether he will pull the troops from Afghanistan before the May 1st deadline agreed upon in previous negotiations. Many international security analysts point to his hawkishness and militaristic Secretary of State Antony Blinken as an indicator that he will most likely continue, and possibly intensify the twenty-year conflict.
Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss Haiti. In his latest article, Berthony Dupont argues that "our country has been and still is the victim of what must be called the war of American imperialism against Haiti." He believes that the nation is "sinking into violence and institutional crisis" that was established by the former colonial powers of America, France, and Canada.
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