The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer, professor and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses the conviction of 23 CIA agents in absentia by an Italian court for their participation in extraordinary rendition, the widespread assertion of U.S. governmental immunity from the law, Ray Durham’s slow-brewing torture investigation for the DOJ, why the rule of law is bound to be flaunted without an engaged citizenry and recent courtroom setbacks for the state secrets privilege.

MP3 here. (28:26)

The other Scott Horton is a Contributing Editor for Harper’s Magazine where he writes the No Comment blog. A New York attorney known for his work in emerging markets and international law, especially human rights law and the law of armed conflict, Horton lectures at Columbia Law School. A life-long human rights advocate, Scott served as counsel to Andrei Sakharov and Elena Bonner, among other activists in the former Soviet Union.

He is a co-founder of the American University in Central Asia, and has been involved in some of the most significant foreign investment projects in the Central Eurasian region. Scott recently led a number of studies of abuse issues associated with the conduct of the war on terror for the New York City Bar Association, where he has chaired several committees, including, most recently, the Committee on International Law. He is also a member of the board of the National Institute of Military Justice, the Andrei Sakharov Foundation, the EurasiaGroup and the American Branch of the International Law Association.

Independent journalist Dahr Jamail discusses the Ft. Hood massacre, repeated deployments that are breaking military morale, high veteran suicide rates, the blowback from waging a civilizational war against Islam and how the political value of dead soldiers decreases in relation to their distance from home.

MP3 here. (23:49)

Dahr Jamail, an independent journalist, is the author of The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches From an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq. Jamail reported from occupied Iraq for nine months as well as from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Turkey over the last five years.

Investigative reporter Greg Palast discusses the domestic political motives behind the war posturing of Venezuela and Colombia, Obama’s embrace and expansion of Plan Colombia, the demonization of Hugo Chavez and Ecuador’s escape from vassalage to the U.S. and big oil.

MP3 here. (28:09)

Greg Palast is the author of Armed Madhouse and The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. He is best known in his native USA as the journalist who, for the Observer (UK), broke the story of how Jeb Bush purged thousands of Black Florida citizens from voter rolls before the 2000 election. He has reported for Harper’s Magazine, BBC ’s Newsnight, Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now! and Britain’s Observer. Palast won the George Orwell Courage in Journalism Award for his BBC documentary, Bush Family Fortunes.

Malalai Joya, author of A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice, discusses the absence of democracy in Afghanistan after eight years of “humanitarian” occupation, how the U.S. and NATO treat Afghan warlords like political moderates instead of war criminals, humanitarian aid that enriches the politically connected instead of helping ordinary Afghans and the continuing assault on women’s rights.

MP3 here. (30:55)

Malalai Joya is a (suspended) Member of the Afghan Parliament. She was elected to the 249-seat National Assembly, or Wolesi Jirga in September 2005, as a representative of Farah Province. Malalai won the second highest number of votes in the province.

Malalai rose to fame in December 2003 when, as an elected delegate to the Constitutional Loya Jirga, she spoke out publicly against the domination of warlords (Watch her remarks). Since then she has survived four assassination attempts, and travels in Afghanistan under a burqa and with armed guards.

She is the daughter of a former medical student who was wounded while fighting against the Soviet Union (which invaded and occupied Afganistan from 1979 – 1989). Malalai was 4 years old when her family fled Afghanistan in 1982 to the refugee camps of Iran and then Pakistan. She finished her education in Pakistan and began teaching literacy courses to other women at age 19. After the Soviets left, Malalai Joya returned to Afghanistan in 1998 during the Taliban’s reign. During that time she established an orphanage and health clinic, and was soon a vocal opponent of the Taliban.

Malalai heads the non-governmental group, “Organisation of Promoting Afghan Women’s Capabilities” (OPAWC). She is married to a Kabul-based student of agriculture and has six sisters and three brothers.

The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer, professor and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses Bush administration torture documents just released to the ACLU, the DOJ’s embarrassing 8-30 losing record in Guantanamo habeas hearings, how Gitmo was filled up courtesy of Pakistan’s bogus “terrorist” roundup after 9/11, Dick Cheney’s culpability in allowing Pakistan’s ISI to evacuate Taliban and al Qaeda leadership from Afghanistan, the Cheney family’s frantic pre-emptive defense against possible DOJ prosecution, the British High Court decision to disregard the CIA request for secrecy in the Binyam Mohamed torture case and the inspiration FOX’s 24 has been to torturers around the world.

MP3 here. (50:58)

The other Scott Horton is a Contributing Editor for Harper’s Magazine where he writes the No Comment blog. A New York attorney known for his work in emerging markets and international law, especially human rights law and the law of armed conflict, Horton lectures at Columbia Law School. A life-long human rights advocate, Scott served as counsel to Andrei Sakharov and Elena Bonner, among other activists in the former Soviet Union.

He is a co-founder of the American University in Central Asia, and has been involved in some of the most significant foreign investment projects in the Central Eurasian region. Scott recently led a number of studies of abuse issues associated with the conduct of the war on terror for the New York City Bar Association, where he has chaired several committees, including, most recently, the Committee on International Law. He is also a member of the board of the National Institute of Military Justice, the Andrei Sakharov Foundation, the EurasiaGroup and the American Branch of the International Law Association.

Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses Iran’s counter-proposal to the IAEA enrichment deal, the ambiguous meaning and political sensitivity of nuclear “breakout capability,” continued defense of the 2007 Iran NIE by U.S. intelligence agencies, a new generation of efficient uranium centrifuges intended for use at the Qom facility and how the ever-increasing sanctions imposed on Iran by Congress are tantamount to declaring war.

MP3 here. (27:39)

Gareth Porter is an independent historian and journalist. His articles appear on Counterpunch, Huffington Post, Inter Press Service News Agency and Antiwar.com.

Internationally syndicated columnist Eric Margolis discusses the low quality of traditional media news available to U.S. audiences, how the Afghanistan election runoff is shaping up to be just as fraudulent as the first go-round, U.S. support for mujahedeen between the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and 9/11, broad realization that even the best laid plans could end in defeat in Afghanistan and allegations that Ahmed Wali Karzai is yet another “made man” CIA asset.

MP3 here. (55:04)

Eric S. Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist. His articles appear in the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Times of London, the Gulf Times, the Khaleej Times and Dawn. He is a regular columnist with the Quebecor Media Company and a contributor to The Huffington Post. He appears as an expert on foreign affairs on CNN, BBC, France 2, France 24, Fox News, CTV and CBC.

As a war correspondent Margolis has covered conflicts in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Sinai, Afghanistan, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, El Salvador and Nicaragua. He was among the first journalists to ever interview Libya’s Muammar Khadaffi and was among the first to be allowed access to KGB headquarters in Moscow. A veteran of many conflicts in the Middle East, Margolis recently was featured in a special appearance on Britain’s Sky News TV as “the man who got it right” in his predictions about the dangerous risks and entanglements the US would face in Iraq.

Margolis is the author of War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet and American Raj: Liberation or Domination?: Resolving the Conflict Between the West and the Muslim World.

John V. Walsh, frequent contributor to Counterpunch.org and Antiwar.com, discusses Democratic Left leaders’ frequent visits to Kabul, the inability of a puppet government to be representative, China’s preference for international trade over military confrontation and how the USSR was felled by an unworkable centrally planned economy.

MP3 here. (36:45)

John V. Walsh is Professor of Physiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He frequently writes for Counterpunch and Antiwar.com.

Charles Goyette, our long-lost former co-contributor to Antiwar Radio and author of The Dollar Meltdown: Surviving the Impending Currency Crisis with Gold, Oil, and Other Unconventional Investments, discusses the enormous costs of maintaining a world empire – especially these last few wars, how the general public is mesmerized by CNBC and ignorant of economics, why keeping government out of the money creation business is essential to maintain liberty, the U.S. dollar’s weakening role as reserve currency despite decades of post-Bretton Woods hegemony, China’s attempt to limit exposure to U.S. government debt while stockpiling commodities and the danger that the endgame of the current U.S. monetary system could be a command economy.

MP3 here. (79:12)

Charles Goyette is an award winning morning drive-time radio host from Phoenix, AZ. He is a libertarian commentator, who is noted for his outspoken anti-war views, his opposition to the war in Iraq, and his economic commentary. He is the author of the book The Dollar Meltdown: Surviving the Impending Currency Crisis with Gold, Oil, and Other Unconventional Investments.

Muhammad Sahimi, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Southern California, discusses the co-opting of Jundullah by the CIA and Saudi Arabia to destabilize Iran, Congress’s generous $300 million outlay to terrorist groups who participate in covert actions against U.S. enemies, Jundullah’s likely participation in the Afghanistan-to-Europe heroin trade and the global struggle over Central Asian petroleum pipeline routes.

MP3 here. (23:56)

Muhammad Sahimi is NIOC Professor of Petrolium Engineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Southern California. He has written extensively on Iran’s nuclear program and its political developments. His article “Jundallah and the Geopolitics of Energy” is available on Antiwar.com.