Trump Goes to War with Iran (Pod Save the World podcast)

In a bonus episode, Tommy and Ben discuss Trump’s decision to assassinate a top Iranian official named Qassim Soleimani. What happened? How did we get here? Who is Soleimani and why is he so influential? What happens next and how should the 2020 Democrats respond?
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/trump-goes-to-war-with-iran/

Humiliating footage resurfaces of Trump with no clue who Iran's Soleimani is

Interview:
https://youtu.be/w7Viw22Z7Ow

Why Soleimani’s killing is different from other targeted attacks by U.S. - The Washington Post

The strike was much more consequential than those that killed Osama bin Laden or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, analysts said.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/01/04/why-soleimanis-killing-is-different-other-targeted-attacks-by-us/

With a War Against Iran Brewing, Don’t Listen to the Hawks Who Lied Us Into Iraq – Mother Jones

Shortly after the news broke that a US airstrike in Baghdad ordered by President Donald Trump had killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Quds Force, Ari Fleischer went on Fox News and proclaimed, “I think it is entirely possible that this is going to be a catalyst inside Iran where the people celebrate this killing of Soleimani.” Here we go again.....
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/01/with-a-war-against-iran-brewing-dont-listen-to-the-hawks-who-lied-us-into-iraq/

Trump on Iran: Locked and Bloated (Pod Save the World podcast)

Tommy and Ben talk about the growing risk of war with Iran in the wake of the attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, the Israeli elections, Rep. Adam Schiff’s claim that the Director of National Intelligence is suppressing a whistleblower, Trump’s favorite dictator, the death of Hamza bin Laden, Indian Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US, how to build an international coalition to fight climate change, and storm Area 51 gets cancelled. Then Tommy talks with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) about why he thinks a military attack on Iran is insane and the humanitarian disaster in Yemen.
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/trump-on-iran-locked-and-bloated/

Iranian president asserts 'wherever America has gone, terrorism has expanded' - The Hill

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday accused the United States of being the main instigator of terrorism in the Middle East...
https://thehill.com/policy/international/462897-iranian-president-wherever-america-has-gone-terrorism-has-expanded-in

The Secret History of the Push to Strike Iran - NYTimes

Hawks in Israel and America have spent more than a decade agitating for war against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Will Trump finally deliver? https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/magazine/iran-strike-israel-america.html

Addison Frei - Future Speak

Lyrics:
Climbing up the mountain,
Sailing cross the sea,
Look beyond tomorrow,
Tell me what you see.

(What do you see?)

I see a world where black lives matter.
Stories told without the stain of guns.
Peace, love, serenity, compassion, understanding.

When you feel weak just let the future speak.
When the world’s stuck on repeat
We fight to let the future speak.

Can you hear imagination’s triumphant sound?

Will we learn to value thought before it’s too late,
Or let the pulpit guide us into thinking we are great.
Great? Wait, they’re preying on hate, ordained by so-called fate,
So we retaliate against the t.v. station that’s feeding the nation
On the sensation of savior adulation spitting on education.
Preaching the promise of eternal life,
But love from above turned a blind eye to strife.
But we’ve got fighters integrating institutions,
Believing in inclusion, rejecting the illusion of a foreign intrusion,
Shining light amidst confusion, and giving this nation
A new blood transfusion.
We’re resolute, anchored by firm roots,
Facing attack we can’t compute ‘cause
We speak a different language in a world that’s filled with fear,
Calibrate to communicate, ‘cause future speak is here.
When you feel weak just let the future speak.
When the world’s stuck on repeat
We fight to let the future speak.

https://youtu.be/VDaBRG2muLQ

Trump administration lays broad legal grounds for military strike on Iran - The Washington Post

Administration officials have invoked al-Qaeda and said any conflict will be limited and would not involve ground troops.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-lays-broad-legal-grounds-for-military-strike-on-iran/2019/07/03/739c3ef8-9d0d-11e9-b27f-ed2942f73d70_story.html

George Soros and Charles Koch team up for a common cause: an end to “endless war” — Vox

The controversial billionaire philanthropists are launching a new anti-interventionist think tank.
https://www.vox.com/2019/7/1/20677441/soros-koch-end-interventionist-wars-military

Trump Almost Started a War with Iran: A Closer Look

Seth takes a closer look at President Trump creating a bunch of problems and then turning around and pretending he “solved” those problems...
Interview:
https://youtu.be/nPr_P2OEsjg

Obama's Former National Security Spokesperson Explains Near-Conflict With Iran | Pod Save the World

Last night the New York Times reported that Donald Trump was 10 minutes away from launching a military strike on #Iran but changed his mind. Tommy Vietor answers your questions about what this all means.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/vbhf1SfVz18

On Fighting In A War That Has No Clear End (Diane Rehm, On My Mind)

Elliot Ackerman served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. His new memoir is a reflection on his experiences, the region and a war that refuses to end.
Interview:
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/national-public-radio/wamufm-wamu-the-diane-rehm-show-podcast/e/61847546

SECRET Recording of Trump Official Goes Public

There has been another leak in the Trump Administration. Ana Kasparian, Maytha Alhassen, and Nando Vila, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down...
https://youtu.be/1ImQjrr2WUk

Please Don’t Bomb Iran (Pod Save the World podcast)

Tommy and Ben talk about the escalating trade war with China, the drumbeat for real war with Iran, how the Pentagon is hiding how badly things are going in Afghanistan, and (an)other fascist visits the White House. Then Tommy talks with author and historian Michael Beschloss about his book Presidents of War.
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/please-dont-bomb-iran/

Lindsey Graham proposes invading Venezuela to oust Maduro - Vox

Graham believes the threat of an invasion could check what he says is Cuban influence in the country.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/5/26/18640654/lindsey-graham-trump-invade-venezuela-reagan-grenada

House Dem: Trump could start war with Iran to thwart impeachment - The Hill

A House Democratic lawmaker said Wednesday that President Trump could launch a war with Iran for a purely political reason: to deter Democrats from impeaching him.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/445086-house-dem-trump-could-start-war-with-iran-to-thwart-impeachment

Russia Slams U.S. 'Warmongering' in Iran As Rouhani Vows No Surrender - Newsweek

"Washington is deliberately provoking Iran," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-iran-us-war-mongering-maria-zakharova-donald-trump-hassan-rouhani-1434901

Senator Disputes Trump Administration's 'Twist' on 'Defensive' Iran Moves - Newsweek

Senator Chris Murphy said "dumb wars start when each party mistakenly believes that the other party's defensive or reactive actions are actually offensive and proactive."
https://www.newsweek.com/senator-murphy-trump-war-iran-1430863

John Bolton Has Wanted War With Iran Since Before You Were Born - Mother Jones

Fourteen months into his tenure as national security adviser, John Bolton has become a central figure in the run-up to what could be the most extensive American military offensive since the invasion of Iraq...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/john-bolton-has-wanted-war-with-iran-since-before-you-were-born/