Inside-America

Twenty years ago, this month, the US invaded Iraq with 130,000 combat troops and a terrifying air campaign — shock and awe. Last month President Biden declared in Warsaw: “The idea that over 100,000 forces would invade another country —since World War II, nothing like that has happened.” Two decades after the Iraq war, no regret, no apology —and no accountability for what Noam Chomsky says was “a textbook example of what was called at the Nuremberg Tribunal ‘the supreme international crime of aggression'.” In Part 2 of “Iraq: 20 Year on”, I speak with a Pentagon whistleblower and a top advisor to US Vice President Cheney, one of the war's key architects.

Twenty years ago, this week, the US invaded Iraq with devastating consequences for the country and the region. We look at the legacy of the war — its human cost and long-lasting legal and political ramifications. To date, no US or British official has apologised, let alone been held to account for launching a war that then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called ‘illegal'. I speak with the first Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and ask him if Iraq did not deserve international justice, and whether the ICC's arrest warrant for President Putin on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion did not show the politicization of the Court.

Prosecutors in New York move closer to a possible indictment of Donald Trump as he refuses to testify this week before a grand jury. Trump could become the first former president in US history to be indicted, following the decision by the Manhattan District Attorney to invite him to testify this week over an alleged hush-money payment and falsification of payment records, in the lead-up to the 2016 election. Trump, who is running for president for a third time, called it a “political Witch-Hunt”, saying the aim is to “take down the leading candidate, by far, in the Republican Party”.

New legislation to ban TikTok moves through the US Congress, as lawmakers accuse the Chinese social media app of threatening US national security, while civil liberties activists warn the move could violate the constitutional rights of millions of Americans. TikTok, which is used by over 100 million Americans, including two thirds of American teenagers, has been called a “security threat” by Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill and top US intelligence officials.

President Biden is calling on Congress to tackle America's opioid crisis, as fentanyl-related deaths in the US surge to more than 70,000 a year. Republican lawmakers are blaming the Biden administration for not doing enough to curb the production, sale and trafficking of this lethal synthetic opioid at the US' southern border. Mexican drug cartels are increasingly manufacturing fentanyl for the US market, using chemicals imported predominantly from China.

The US government rejects a bombshell report by Pulitzer Prize veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh entitled “How America Took Out the Nord Stream Pipeline”, which alleges that the United States, with Norway's assistance, blew up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in a covert operation last September. The attack on the Nord Stream pipelines was carried out by the US Navy and the CIA under direct orders from President Biden, according to Hersh's piece which was published on February 8th on Substack.com. Seymour Hersh joins Ghida Fakhry on this week's episode to discuss his report.

As Ukraine pleads for more heavy weapons, the US considers the scope of its military assistance following President Biden's decision last week to supply Kiev with 31 Abrams tanks. This move by the White House marks a reversal in the US' earlier decision not to send one of its most advanced offensive weapons used in ground combat to the Ukrainian government and could lead to a new escalation in the conflict.

He was Trump's Secretary of Defense, during 18 months of heightened political tensions in the United States. He was fired, by tweet, just days after Trump lost the 2020 election. On today's program, Mark Esper joins me to discuss his new book ‘A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times'.

With almost 50 African leaders gathered in Washington last week, the Biden administration promised to invest billions of dollars in their countries' economies in an effort to reset US-Africa relations. But after years of tense relations and neglect, can Washington sway African leaders with $55 billion of economic, health and security support over the next three years? How will America's rivalry with China and Russia shape US-Africa relations and can Africa leverage its growing economic potential?

The Biden administration eases some sanctions on Caracas, allowing oil giant Chevron to start producing and shipping Venezuelan oil to the United States. Chevron, the second-largest US oil company, is expected to begin shipping oil from Venezuela to the United States later this month, following the Biden administration's decision to ease some of the sanctions imposed on the Venezuelan government.

As Democrats in Congress hold their leadership election this week, two of the top three positions will go to the next generation of Democrats. Earlier this month, Nancy Pelosi, the 82-year-old Speaker of the House of Representatives, announced that she will step down as the top House Democrat after nearly two decades in leadership positions. Her decision, which comes after her party lost its majority in the House in the midterms, paved the way for 52-year-old Congressman Hakeem Jeffries to become the first Black house minority leader. As the Democratic Party leadership undergoes a generational shift, Joe Biden who turned 80 last week became the first octogenarian president of the United States.

Since his takeover of Twitter late last month, Elon Musk has faced growing criticism. Last week, he reversed Twitter's decision in 2021 to ‘permanently suspend' Donald Trump's account following the January 6th insurrection ‘due to the risk of further incitement of violence'. Does the decision to reinstate Trump's Twitter account amount to a reckless move by the company's new CEO, as some Democratic lawmakers and civil rights organizations argue —or does it represent a victory for free speech?

As Donald Trump announced that he is running for president in 2024, the Republican leadership in the US Congress continued to grapple with the results of the midterm elections —with Democrats retaining control of the Senate and Republicans expected to gain a very slim majority in the House of Representatives. While some Republicans blamed Trump for their poor performance in the midterms, the former president refused to accept any responsibility and vowed to “make America great and glorious again”.

Millions of Americans voted in the midterms on Tuesday, to elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and over a third of the 100 members of the Senate. President Biden called the election “a defining moment” for the United States, warning that democracy itself was on the ballot and that the US could be “on a path to chaos” if Republican candidates refuse to accept the election results —as law enforcement agencies forecast a rise in threats posed by domestic violent extremists.

The US shields Israel from renewed international scrutiny and criticism after several UN Special Rapporteurs highlight in their latest reports to the UN General Assembly the growing consensus over Israel's apartheid policies in the Occupied Palestinians Territories. We speak with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, about her latest report to the UN and why Israel's illegal occupation is “indistinguishable from settler-colonialism”.

As Republican governors from southern states defend their policies to bus and fly thousands of migrants to Democratic-run cities, including the nation's capital Washington DC, Democrats accuse them of political stunts — less than two weeks before midterm elections that will determine which party controls the US Congress. Guests: Dylan Fernandes, Massachusetts State Representative representing Martha's Vineyard; Clint McDonald, Executive Director of Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition and former Sheriff of Terrell County, Texas

Joe Biden threatens to take action against Saudi Arabia, as Democrats in the US Congress warn Riyadh to change course or face a freeze on all US arms sales following the recent decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production —raising gas prices just weeks before crucial midterm elections. Guests: Gerald Feierstein, former US Ambassador to Yemen; Elgie Holstein, former Chief of Staff at US Department of Energy

An explosion that damaged a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea raises questions about possible US covert action against Russia and prompts accusations — without evidence — from all sides. Guests: Admiral Mike Rogers, Former Director of the National Security Agency; Stephen Bryen, Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense

The president of the World Bank faces mounting pressure to resign amid accusations of climate change denial, as members of Congress call for his immediate removal from office. Guests: Mark Hertsgaard, Executive Director of Covering Climate Now and Environment Correspondent for The Nation; Daniel Runde, Center for Strategic and International Studies and Author of "The American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership through Soft Power"

Donald Trump has faced countless lawsuits over the past three decades. There have been reportedly thousands of legal actions involving Trump and his businesses, in federal and state courts, ranging from real estate to personal defamation lawsuits. Last week, the Attorney General of the State of New York brought new charges against the former president and three of his children, alleging massive fraud. Guests: Michael Cohen, Former Personal Attorney to Donald Trump, Author of “Revenge”; Jake Auchincloss, US Rep from Massachusetts

As world leaders convene in New York for the 77th United Nations general assembly, the ongoing war in Ukraine is likely to be at the fore. But will any progress be made? Guests: Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for UN Secretary General; Andrejs Pildegovics, Latvian Ambassador to the UN

Since World War II, the US and the UK have enjoyed what Winston Churchill labeled a ‘special' relationship. Could the end of the Queen's decades-old reign which cemented the special relationship, bring about change between the two allies? GUESTS: Tara Sonenshine, Former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; James Vaughn, Professor of History at University of Chicago; Elizabeth Norton, Historian

As the US Department of Justice considers its next move in the criminal investigation involving the former president, Joe Biden and Donald Trump continue to trade accusations as tensions run high. Guests: Jeffrey Clark Former US Assistant Attorney General Coleen Rowley Former FBI Special Agent and 9/11 Whistleblower

Despite warnings from both members of the US government and foreign leaders that such a move would be ‘provocative,' House speaker Nancy Pelosi included Taiwan on a visit to Asian countries last week to reaffirm the US relationship with the country. Guests: John Fleming, US Congressperson from Louisiana from 2009-2017; Lt Gen Daniel P. “Fig” Leaf, Former Deputy Commander and Acting Commander, United States Pacific Command

Donald Trump returned to Washington last week for the first time since he left office, as the Justice Department's criminal investigation into the attack on the US Capitol now looks at Trump's actions and the extent of his involvement in trying to overturn the 2020 election results. Guests: Sam Nunberg, Advisor to Former President Donald Trump William Banks, Chair of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security

Faced with roadblocks in the US Congress and record-high temperatures in much of the United States, President Biden signaled his willingness last week to invoke emergency powers to address the climate crisis. Guests: Mark Sanford | Governor of South Carolina from 2003-2011and former Republican Presidential Candidate and Congressman Benjamin Zaitchik | Professor of Earth and Planetary Science at Johns Hopkins University Jean Su | Director of Energy Justice Program at the Center for Biological Diversity

Joe Biden's four-day trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia last week has been widely criticized in the US for failing to achieve its objectives, as the President continued to face questions about what his visit had accomplished. Guests: Joseph W. Westphal, Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia | Richard Albright, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary and Coordinator for Foreign Assistance in the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs | Huwaida Arraf, Co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), an organization using non-violent protests and international pressure to support Palestinians and candidate for Michigan's 10th congressional district

According to the US Department of Agriculture, more than 1 in 10 US households are food insecure. Other data shows that 1 in 8 Americans experience food insecurity. The problem was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation which soared to a 40-year high of 8.5% in March. GUESTS: Craig Gundersen, Chair at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty; Leah Penniman, author and proprietor of Soul Fire Farm

Full interview with Jeffery Robinson, founder of the ‘The Who We Are Project,' https://thewhoweareproject.org/

TRT World's ‘My America' takes us across the country to uncover some of the political, social and cultural stories often ignored by the mainstream media. We travel to Mississippi where the state has some of the most lenient gun laws in the country as America reels from gun violence. We meet Lorenzo Neal, a pastor and gun violence prevention activist, Larry McCluney, an historian, Chuck Boyer, a firearms safety instructor and Nick Bezzel, the founder of the Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt Pistol & Rifle Gun Club. #guns #secondamendment #AR15

Two rulings last week by the US Supreme Court one overturning a 50-year-old court decision that guaranteed a woman's national right to terminate a pregnancy, the other expanding the right to bear arms have thrown America's growing divisions into sharp relief, calling into question whether the Court truly represents public opinion in the US. Guests: Fred Hicks, Democratic Political Strategist; Stephen Stamboulieh, Attorney for Gun Owners of America Stephen Marche, Author of The Next Civil War - Dispatches from the American Future

While the US marks Juneteenth, a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, racial disparities and the struggle for justice in America continues. Guests: Jeffery Robinson, Founder and Executive Director of The Who We Are Project Rev Mark Thompson, Activist and Host of Make it Plain with Mark Thompson Minkah Makalani, Professor of History at Director of the Center for Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University

Boycotts and a public outcry over the Biden administration's decision to exclude Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the Summit of the Americas, amid growing signs of the United States' waning influence and regional decline. Guests: Earl Anthony Wayne, Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Jorge Heine, Former Chilean Ambassador to China Sheila Xiao, Coordinator of the 2022 People's Summit for Democracy

Washington deploys hundreds of US troops to Somalia and targets Al Shabab militants amid concerns over the goals and effectiveness of the Biden Administration's strategy in the Horn of Africa. Guests: Abdusalam Omer, Former Somalian Foreign Affairs Minister from 2015 to 2017 Sarah Harrison, Senior Analyst at the International Crisis Group

The Biden administration airlifts over a million baby formula bottles from Europe as it struggles to fill a nationwide shortage, amid a growing political and public health crisis and calls to address the systemic issues that caused the shortage in the first place. Guests: TiffanyAnn Goodson: Working Mother and Member of Mocha Moms; Peter Pitts, Former Associate Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration; JD Scholten, Senior Adviser to American Economic Liberties Project

A public health order known as Title 42 will continue to be used by US law enforcement to expel migrants at the southern border, following a court ruling last week that blocked the Biden administration's attempts to lift the restrictions imposed by the Trump administration at the beginning of the pandemic. Guests: Rodney Scott, 24th Chief of the United States Border Patrol from 2020 to 2021 Eddie Morales, Texas State Representative Tyler Mattiace, Mexico and Guatemala Researcher for Human Rights Watch

Shock, condemnation and calls for an independent investigation into the killing of a Palestinian-American journalist — as some members of Congress urge the Biden administration to hold Israel accountable. Guests: Adam Shapiro, Director of Advocacy for Israel-Palestine with Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) Laura Albast, Senior Editor at Institute for Palestine Studies Mitchell Plitnick, President of ReThinking Foreign Policy

With the US Supreme Court set to overturn Roe v Wade, a landmark ruling that legalized abortion across the United States fifty years ago, activists and lawmakers on both sides get ready for what comes next.

A special grand jury has been selected to look into Donald Trump's alleged election interference in Georgia, as another grand jury in New York ends its investigation into the former president's business practices — with no indictment.

Full interview of former US attorney general Alberto Gonzales from Inside America 4/20 - ‘The US and the ICC.'

As President Biden calls Russia's actions in Ukraine ‘genocide' and vows to hold the Russian President ‘accountable', a member of the US Congress introduces a resolution to end the ‘hypocrisy' of the United States by joining the International Criminal Court. Guests: Alberto Gonzales, Former US Attorney General from 2005 to 2007 John Bellinger, Legal Adviser for the US National Security Council and State Department from 2001 to 2009 Philippe Sands, Attorney and Law Professor at University College London and Harvard University

As President Biden calls for an investigation into Russia's military campaign in Ukraine which he called “genocide," some US lawmakers say the United States must join the International Criminal Court if it is serious about making Russia accountable under international law. Guests: Alberto Gonzalez, Former US Attorney General from 2005 to 2007 John Bellinger, Legal Adviser for the US National Security Council and State Department from 2001 to 2009 Philippe Sands, Attorney and Law Professor at University College London