Podcasts about chemical weapons opcw

  The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which prohibits the manufacture, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons, entered into force in 1997. It is now the most widely adopted international arms control treaty, with 193 states parties. The CWC is a clear example of a treaty that works. Since its adoption, all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed, including those of the United States last year. Its broad acceptance has also reinforced international norms against chemical weapons use. When such weapons were deployed in Syria in 2013, the atrocity prompted Russia and the United States to pressure the Assad regime to join the CWC and allow investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to oversee the destruction of Syria's remaining stockpile. This effort earned the OPCW the Nobel Peace Prize that same year. The CWC is fulfilling its purpose. Joining me to discuss how the treaty was created, its success in shaping state behavior, and what lies ahead now that all declared stockpiles have been eliminated is Paul Walker. He is the chair of the Chemical Weapons Convention Coalition, vice chair of the Arms Control Association, and a former weapons inspector. We begin with the history of efforts to ban chemical weapons before exploring how the CWC has transformed the global approach to these weapons of mass destruction. This episode is produced in partnership with Lex International, a philanthropic fund dedicated to strengthening international law to address global challenges. It is part of a series showcasing how treaties make the world a safer place. To access the transcript of this episode and others in the series, visit GlobalDispatches.org    

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Ahmet Üzümcü discuss the vital role of Turkey in advancing peace and prosperity in a time of economic distress; strained relations between Ankara and Washington over Turkey's acquisition of Russian air defense systems; disagreements over US support for Syrian Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS in Syria; and concerns about Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's authoritarian tendencies and his support for the terrorist organization Hamas, on Wednesday June 26, 2024. Join former director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Ahmet Üzümcü, and Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster in a deep dive into the current state of US-Turkey (Türkiye) and NATO-Turkey relations. In this episode of Battlegrounds, Ambassador Üzümcü, who has previously served as Turkey's permanent representative to the United Nations and NATO, Turkish ambassador to Israel, and deputy undersecretary of state for bilateral political affairs, shares his expert insights on the evolving dynamics between Ankara and Washington, Turkey's controversial acquisition of Russian air defense systems, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's authoritarian policies and support for Hamas, and the broader implications of all these aspects for NATO and stability in the Middle East. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Ahmet Üzümcü served as director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from 2010 to 2018. Ambassador Üzümcü accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 on behalf of the OPCW for the organization's extensive work toward eliminating chemical weapons. Prior to serving this role he was Turkey's (Türkiye's) permanent representative to the United Nations, its permanent representative to NATO, Turkish ambassador to Israel, and deputy undersecretary of state for bilateral political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Üzümcü holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from Ankara University. He currently serves as a senior network member for the European Leadership Network and as a senior advisor for the Council on Strategic Risks. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. ​

Dr. Robert Kristovich, Ph.D. is Director of the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO), at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency ( DTRA - https://www.dtra.mil/ ), an integral component of the United States Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP). As Director of DTRA JSTO, Dr. Kristovich leads an office of 200 professionals including eight divisions of scientists, researchers and administrative staff. He manages the execution of over US$505 million focused on transforming science and technology (S&T) to prepare for current and emerging chemical and biological (CB) threats to better protect the Joint Force, our allies, and the nation. Prior to assuming his current position, Dr. Kristovich served as Chief of the Threat Agent Sciences Division of the U.S. Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC). In that role, Dr. Kristovich directed a team of CBC experts who evaluate emerging chemical threats facing the Joint Force and the nation. Among his responsibilities, he headed the Forensic Analytical Center, one of only two U.S. laboratories accredited by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Dr. Kristovich previously served as a senior adviser to the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Chem Bio Defense, in providing a strategic vision for how the CBDP can use science and technology to help the warfighter win in a CB-contested environment. In 2022, Dr. Kristovich was appointed as the U.S. representative of the OPCW Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), providing science and technology guidance in overseeing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) treaty. OPCW ( https://www.opcw.org/ ) is a global body of 193 member states, including the U.S., which seeks to eliminate the production and use of chemical weapons. The SAB is a consortium of 25 preeminent experts chosen from the state parties to the CWC treaty. It provides scientific advice and support to the Director General and the state parties regarding implementation of the treaty and deterrence of chemical weapons use. Dr. Kristovich received a B.S. in Chemistry from Fairmont State University, and a PhD in Chemistry from Ohio State University. Support the show

Many of us are familiar with lab safety and the precautions we take when doing simple experiments in school laboratories. But how does this safety look different on a larger scale and how do we avoid the potential danger of large amounts of chemicals? On this episode of Let's Talk Chemistry, hosts Yeongseo Son and Olivia Lambertson talk about their interview with Dr. Syeda Sultana Razia, a Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering, at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and has served as the Head of the department for two terms. She also has served as the Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), The Hague, Netherlands for two terms and has collaborations with Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Centre, Texas A&M University System. We talk about chemical security threats and how to address them, the importance of chemical safety and risk prevention, and new technology to create products with safer materials. We hope you enjoy it! If you would like to know more about Dr. Syeda Sultana Razia, you can check out her research or reach her by email at syedasrazia@che.buet.ac.bd. About us: ChemTalk is a small student-led and ad-free non-profit working to become the top chemistry education platform in the country. Please support us by following our social media channels, sharing our content, and donating if possible. You can access our website for videos, articles, and tutorials on general, organic, and biochemistry. We also have a VERY cool interactive periodic table, articles about the elements and their properties, and experiment demos. ChemTalk is on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter which you can access here. Thank you for listening and see you next time!

In closing remarks at a United Nations meeting, Aaron Maté of The Grayzone notes that no one disputes the fact that a probe by the Organisation For the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of an alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria was censored. Yet powerful states, including the US and UK, oppose any effort to address the suppression, including hearing from dissenting inspectors on the OPCW's Douma team. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

At a United Nations meeting that addressed a Syria cover-up scandal at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Aaron Maté of The Grayzone responds to a challenge from British diplomat Thomas Phipps. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Season 5, episode 5. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has posed an existential crisis for numerous multilateral institutions, worsening several ongoing global issues such as food insecurity while also upending the architecture of European Security. Few organizations understand that or deal with that more than the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. For this week's episode, we chatted with Allison Hart, Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid. She shared how the organization operates, the unique challenge of having one of its member states upend the issue they are most focused on, how they worked to ease tensions between Russia and Ukraine before the invasion, and how they can be part of the solution to the current crisis.    Allison Hart is the Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid. She took up this role in Vienna in February 2022. Prior to joining the OSCE, Allison served in a number of roles at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, including as Special Advisor to the Deputy Secretary General, Executive Officer of NATO's Public Diplomacy Division, and most recently as Head of the Human Security Unit. Allison began her career as an entrepreneur in Chicago where she launched and managed two successful businesses before pursuing international relations. In Washington, she coordinated a foreign policy team for a major political campaign and spent several years at The Brookings Institution on projects related to national security and transatlantic relations.    Allison holds a Bachelor of Arts in Middle East Language & Civilization from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in European Studies & International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.   NOTE: Any views expressed are strictly her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the OSCE or any member state.   And as a special treat for this episode, the interview was conducted by ISD Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow Nathanial Haft. Nate Haft is a career Foreign Service Officer. He most recently served as a senior policy advisor on the U.S. delegation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. Nate's prior overseas assignments include covering rule of law and counternarcotics issues in Pakistan, human rights in Albania, and consular affairs in Taiwan. In Washington, he served as a multilateral affairs officer in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs. Nate is a recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship in Foreign Affairs. Prior to joining the State Department, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru as well as a research assistant at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Haft graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and earned an MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.   NOTE: While Nate is a career U.S. diplomat, his views are also his own and do not reflect the view of the U.S. State Department or the U.S. government.   Episode recorded: March 3, 2023   Produced by Daniel Henderson   Episode Image: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits among his counterparts on December 8, 2016, as he attends a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. U.S. State Department on Wikimedia Commons   Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs   Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.    Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.    For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Experts from FDD's Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program were scheduled to attend the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) annual conference at The Hague when they learned their attendance was blocked. Iran, Syria, and/or Russia – all known rogue proliferators—managed to veto the attendance of FDD observers. What are the chemical weapons and proliferation concerns associated with each of these rogue states and North Korea? What can Washington and allied nations do to hold them to account? FDD hosted an on-the-record event to discuss the state of global nonproliferation efforts, the role each of these proliferators play individually and in coordination with each other, and recommendations for addressing these issues.The event featured keynote remarks by Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation C.S. Eliot Kang followed by a panel discussion with Michael Allen, former Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for Counterproliferation Strategy; Anthony Ruggiero, Senior Director of FDD's Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program and former Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and NSC Senior Director for Counterproliferation and Biodefense; and Andrea Stricker, FDD Research Fellow and Deputy Director of FDD's Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program. The conversation was moderated by Vivian Salama, national security reporter for The Wall Street Journal.

Syria's Chemical Weapons Declaration Cannot Be Considered Accurate, Complete, Disarmament Affairs Chief Tells Security CouncilSeveral Members Question Meetings Frequency Given Lack of New DevelopmentsSyria must fully and urgently cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to close all outstanding issues regarding its chemical weapons declarations, the detection of a Schedule 2 chemical at the Barzah facilities of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre in November 2018, and the unauthorized movement of the two cylinders related to the chemical weapon incident in Douma in April 2018, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today.

"Kabrena Rodda is the group leader of Analytical Chemistry and Instrument Analysis which supports the Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Technologies division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). As a forensic toxicologist, Rodda leads PNNL's capability strategy to combat emerging chemical threats. She holds a Ph.D. (Medicine) in forensic toxicology.Rodda served in the United States Air Force for 22 years prior to coming to the Laboratory. During that time, she managed a $30M nonproliferation program, advised on chemical issues at the National Counterproliferation Center, and commanded at the Detachment, Squadron, and Group levels before retiring as a colonel. She was a United Nations Special Commission inspector and laboratory chief in Iraq in 1995 and 1998 and advised Australian officials on consequence management in preparation for the Sydney Olympics. In 2012, she published a book-length policy paper against synthetic drugs titled, Legal Highs: US Policy for the New Pandemic. In 2017 and 2018, she led chemical threat response workshops at the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and headed the writing team for the American Chemical Society (ACS) policy statement, “Preventing the Reemergence of Chemical Weapons."Rodda is a recipient of the OPCW Director General's Medal, the Secretary of Energy Appreciation Award, and the Secretary of the United States Air Force R&D Award. She is a member of ACS International Activities Committee, the American Academy of Forensic Science, and the International Society for the Study of Emerging Drugs."Disciplines and SkillsChemistryMulti-drug interactionsPharmacodynamicsForensic and analytical toxicologyEducationDoctor of Philosophy, Medicine, Monash UniversityMaster of Science, National Security Strategy, National Defense UniversityMaster of Science, Chemistry, University of WashingtonMaster of Science, Project & Systems Management, Golden Gate University–San FranciscoBachelor of Science, Chemistry, United States Air Force Academy

En este nuevo episodio del ciclo Abogados Argentinos por el Mundo conversamos con Silvina Coria, contadora argentina que reside en La Haya, Países Bajos, y es Director Office of Internal Oversight for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). "Aprendí muchísimo", confiesa Silvina. Describe a La Haya como una ciudad multicultural que la recibió de una manera única, la cual puede ser, para los abogados, una meta excepcional y un ámbito en el que pueden sentirse contenidos dentro de la profesión: una sorpresa muy agradable. Silvina Coria se describe como una persona nómade, inquieta, curiosa y, sin dudas, disruptiva. Un ejemplo de animarse, abrirse al mundo y buscar comenzar nuevos desafíos. Conoce su experiencia profesional y personal, y los desafíos, temores, esfuerzos y barreras que debió sortear para alcanzar su sueño. Producción: abogados-inhouse.com Edición: Oriana Barquet

Back in 1957, the same year the Soviets put Sputnik — the world's first artificial satellite — into orbit, and Elvis Presley's “All Shook Up” hit the top of the Billboard charts, the UN established the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The goal was to promote peaceful uses of atomic energy, provide assistance on nuclear safety, and prevent nuclear materials from getting into the wrong hands. How has that worked out? FDD Research Fellow Andrea Stricker has taken a hard look at the IAEA and written a chapter about it for FDD's recently published monograph: “A Better Blueprint for International Organizations.” Andrea also has been keeping track of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), another UN offspring. She joins Foreign Podicy host Cliff May — as does FDD Senior Fellow Anthony Ruggiero, who has served on the National Security Council advising the White House on a range of issues including weapons of mass destruction. Participating in the conversation, too: Richard Goldberg, senior advisor to FDD, who has served in the National Security Council and in both houses of Congress. A senior advisor to FDD, he's the editor of the monograph on international organizations.

Back in 1957, the same year the Soviets put Sputnik — the world's first artificial satellite — into orbit, and Elvis Presly's “All Shook Up” hit the top of the Billboard charts, the UN established the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The goal was to promote peaceful uses of atomic energy, provide assistance on nuclear safety, and prevent nuclear materials from getting into the wrong hands. How has that worked out? FDD Research Fellow Andrea Stricker has taken a hard look at the IAEA and written a chapter about it for FDD's recently published monograph: “A Better Blueprint for International Organizations.” Andrea also has been keeping track of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), another UN offspring. She joins Foreign Podicy host Cliff May — as does FDD Senior Fellow Anthony Ruggiero, who has served on the National Security Council advising the White House on a range of issues including weapons of mass destruction. Participating in the conversation, too: Richard Goldberg, senior advisor to FDD, who has served in the National Security Council and in both houses of Congress. A senior advisor to FDD, he's the editor of the monograph on international organizations.

This week, Clare and Mick posed questions to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) over whistleblower reports of a cover-up around the chemical weapons investigation in Douma, Syria in 2018. On the podcast they discuss the Douma whistleblower testimonies and the need for the OPCW to meet with the dissenters. They're also chatting about French MEP Nathalie Loiseau's reactions to their questions on the Douma report and the attention this all got in the Irish media.Finally, there's football… Mick talks about the cancelled Super League and we learn about how governments use football teams as “sportswashing.”

Irakli Beridze is the Head of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). With a Master's Degree in International Relations and National Security Studies, and a law degree, Mr. Beridze has more than 20 years of experience in leading multilateral negotiations, developing stakeholder engagement programs with governments, UN agencies, international organizations, private industry and corporations, think tanks, civil society, foundations, academia, and other partners on an international level. Mr. Beridze advises governments and international organizations on numerous issues related to international security, scientific and technological developments, emerging technologies, innovation and disruptive potential of new technologies, particularly on the issue on crime prevention, criminal justice and security, and is now actively focused on supporting government's worldwide on the strategies, action plans, roadmaps and policy papers on Artificial Intelligence. Since 2014, Mr. Beridze has initiated and managed one of the first United Nations Programs on AI, initiating and organizing a number of high-level events at the United Nations General Assembly, and other international organizations, finding synergies with traditional threats and risks, as well as identifying solutions that AI can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. Beridze is a member of various international task forces, including the World Economic Forum's Global Artificial Intelligence Council, the UN High-level panel for digital cooperation, and the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence of the European Commission. He frequently lectures and speaks on subjects related to technological development, exponential technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics and international security, has numerous publications in international journals and magazines and is frequently quoted in the media on the issues related to AI. Mr. Beridze is an International Gender Champion supporting the IGC Panel Parity Pledge. Prior to joining UNICRI he served as a special projects officer at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) undertaking extensive missions in politically sensitive areas around the globe, and contributed to global anti-terrorism efforts to fight against chemical terrorism and was recipient of recognition on the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. 

Dr. Jehan "GiGi" El-Bayoumi, professor of medicine and founding director of the Rodham Institute at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and Dr. Yolandra Hancock, a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, come together to discuss health care workers throughout the US getting the country's first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials on Monday. The vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and the first to be approved for use in the US, was shipped out in vials Sunday, with nursing home residents slated to be amongst those first in line to receive doses. The vaccination campaign is reported to be the biggest since polio shots were distributed in the 1950s.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss the latest version of Russiagate. The Washington Post is blaming Russian hackers for a "broad espionage campaign" that has allegedly "compromised" US agencies, including the Treasury and Commerce Departments. On Sunday, the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, responded to the allegations, calling them "baseless. Once again, no evidence to support the accusations has been provided.James Carey, editor and co-owner of Geopolitics Alert, joins us to weigh in on last week's Grayzone article outlining leaks from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) regarding Syria. According to the report, the OPCW executives "privately criticized the manipulation of a Syria chemical weapons probe, and supported a dissenting veteran inspector," exposing "the public whitewash of the Douma cover-up, and [undermining] the ongoing attacks on the whistleblowers who challenged it."Charles Simmons, international fellow at Columbia University, professor emeritus of journalism at Eastern Michigan University and co-director of the Hush House Museum & Cultural Center in Detroit, Michigan, joins us to discuss the Electoral College activities. Members of the Electoral College meet Monday across the country to formally vote for Joe Biden as the country's next president. Charles also talks about Michigan's legislative offices being closed down on Monday due to credible threats of violence. According to Amber McCann, a spokeswoman for Republican state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, the Senate shuttered its facilities "based on recommendations from law enforcement."Elisabeth Myers, lawyer, former editor-in-chief of Inside Arabia and democracy lead for Democrats Abroad, joins us to discuss a Sunday article in Haaretz, entitled "Morocco Agrees to Normalize Ties With Israel in exchange for US Recognition of Western Sahara Sovereignty." According to the report, the deal "will include direct flights between the two countries." It was also noted that Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi learned about the agreement from Americans, not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, returns to discuss the reports that the construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, which has been halted for a year, has resumed. On Friday, "Germany's Authority of Waterways and Shipping Management published a notice to seafarers on the resumption of building works on the final few kilometers of the pipeline," according to AFP. The resumption of construction to complete the final section of the project comes despite US protests and was halted for over a year following Washington's imposition of sanctions on the companies involved with the pipeline. Author and activist Miko Peled joins us to talk about a recent report issued by several human rights groups in occupied Palestine that detailed 413 Palestinian abductions by Israel soldiers in the month of November. Details included "that the number of Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel is about 4400, including 41 women, 170 children, and 380 who are held under the arbitrary Administrative Detention orders, without charges or trial," according to the International Middle East Media Center.George Koo, journalist, social activist, international business consultant and chemical engineer; joins Teri Mattson, activist and writer for Code Pink, to discuss a Reuters investigation published earlier Monday, outlining China's increased control over areas "once seen as the United States' political backyard." The research, "including interviews with current and former officials and advisers, and analysis of trade data, found that under [US President Donald] Trump, China has left the United States trailing in terms of power and influence across most of Latin America."

In a Grayzone exclusive, José Bustani, the former head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, speaks out in support of two veteran OPCW inspectors who challenged a US-backed cover-up of their investigation in Syria. Bustani also reacts to the recent US-UK-France-led effort to prevent his testimony at the UN Security Council about the OPCW's Syria cover-up scandal. And Bustani reveals new details of how he was targeted in the lead-up to the Iraq war, when the Bush administration engineered his ouster for impeding its plans to invade. Bustani discloses for the first time that his office was bugged – and that the OPCW's then-head of security, a U.S. citizen, vanished right after this was discovered. It's a case of history repeating itself, with the world's top superpower once again trying to silence a veteran diplomat from the Global South, whose courage and principle challenges a pro-war deception. Guest: José Bustani, veteran Brazilian diplomat and the first Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Despite seemingly torpedoing talks on a stimulus relief bill in a Tuesday tweet, the president "began backtracking on Tuesday night, saying on Twitter that he would sign a stand-alone bill to send Americans $1,200 stimulus checks," the New York Times reported Wednesday. "On Wednesday morning, he urged [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi to 'move fast' on the proposal." What are we to make of this?California prosecutors announced Monday that they would reopen the case of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer in 2009 at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. What are the details?A Tuesday headline in the New York Times read: "Trump's Return from Walter Reed Leaves White House in Disarray as Infections Jolt West Wing." The subhead noted,"The West Wing was mostly empty, cleared of aides who were sick or told to work from home, and staff in the White House residence were in full personal protective equipment." COVID-19 appears to be running through the White House like Sherman's March to the Sea. The Kremlin issued a new appeal for an end to hostilities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday after Moscow's foreign intelligence chief said the mountain enclave could become a launch pad for Islamist militants to enter Russia," Reuters reported Tuesday. Remember early on in this conflict, when we were wondering how big of a problem this could become? A very good article ran Wednesday in AntiWar.com, entitled “Washington as Wannabe Dictatress of the World: Targeting Newly Democratic Sudan.” It opens, "The Trump administration apparently sees America as dictatress of the world, which John Quincy Adams warned against two centuries ago. The people of Sudan are emerging from decades of dictatorship, but the Trump administration is treating the country as a puppet state." Is this dictate of the Trump administration a new approach, or is it America being America?"Reps. Tulsi Gabbard & Thomas Massie Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Defending the Free Press & Call For Charges Against Julian Assange To Be Dropped," read the headline of an October 2 news release from Gabbard's office. What are we to make of this, and what are the chances of success?"On Monday, at the UN Security Council, the US, the UK, France, and allies blocked testimony from a former director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)," Antiwar.com reported Tuesday. "Jose Bustani is a Brazilian diplomat and was the first director-general of the OPCW, which was formed in 1997." Why did this happen?"In his first visit to Miami in more than a year, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday attacked President Donald Trump's hard-line policies in the Americas, saying his opponent's tough talk and steep sanctions have only entrenched Cuba's communist government," the Miami Herald reported Monday. Is Biden's policy any different than Trump's?Guests:Dr. Linwood Tauheed - Associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas CityJohn Burris - Civil rights attorneyDr. Yolandra Hancock - Board-certified pediatrician and obesity specialistDanny Sjursen - Retired US Army major and author of "Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War"Dr. Gerald Horne - Professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian and researcherNiko House - Political activist, independent journalist and podcasterPiers Robinson - Co-director of the Organization for Propaganda StudiesCharles Simmons - Attorney, international fellow at Columbia University, professor emeritus of journalism at Eastern Michigan University and co-director of the Hush House Museum & Cultural Center in Detroit, Michigan

Late on Thursday evening, it was announced that Trump had been diagnosed with COVID-19. He was flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on Friday. Since that time, it has been a challenge to get accurate information on his condition. What are we to make of all of this?Taiwanese and the US officials and military experts will meet over video conference for the 2020 US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference, which began Monday, "to discuss which weapons would be best for the island's self-defense as tensions escalate between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," the South China Morning Post reported Monday. Is this just another conference, or should we be paying closer attention to what's going on here? Initially it was rumored, and now it is being reported that it has happened. "Iraq's prime minister on Saturday confirmed at least 2,500 US soldiers have withdrawn amid increasing 'annoyance and concern' from Washington over repeated attacks on assets in the country," The New Arab reported Sunday. What are we to make of this?"Venezuela's gasoline shortages look like they're going to be relieved, at least for now," Antiwar.com reported Sunday. "The third of Iran's three fuel tankers that were dispatched has entered Venezuelan waters this weekend, and the first two tankers have already docked and begun delivery." Is this a signal that the US is not willing to directly engage with Iran on this issue? "Two days ago Columbia College undergraduates voted overwhelmingly to divest from companies that profit from or engage in the State of Israel's acts towards Palestinians under 'apartheid' law," Mondoweiss reported Saturday. "The university's president Lee Bollinger promptly repudiated the vote saying it was a 'complex' issue on which no campus consensus exists." Rashid Khalidi, a professor of history at Columbia, is quoted by Mondoweiss as noting, "There was a similar vote at Barnard College in 2018 and another recently at University of Illinois [Urbana-Champaign]." What's going on here?"The international chemical weapons watchdog said on Friday that two investigations into alleged attacks in Syria could not establish whether or not chemicals were used," Antiwar.com reported Friday. "The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) released Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) reports on two alleged attacks, one in Saraqib, Syria, on August 1, 2016, and one in Aleppo, Syria, on November 24, 2018." What are we to make of the fact that the findings are inconclusive? Russian intelligence alleged that Hillary Clinton backed a plan in 2016 to tie then-GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails, according to a letter last week from US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, which Democrats have dismissed as a smear. What else is alleged?"The United States and Russia will hold a round of nuclear arms control talks in Finland's capital, Helsinki, on Monday to follow up on negotiations in Austria this summer, the Finnish president' office said," the Associated Press reported over the weekend. Is this substantive or window dressing?Guests:Dr. Jehan "Gigi" El-Bayoumi - Internal medicine specialist and founder and executive director of the Rodman Institute of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesGeorge Koo - Journalist, social activist, international business consultant and chemical engineerSeyed Hossein Mousavi - Former Iranian nuclear negotiator and current researcher at Princeton UniversityYves Engler - Montreal-based writer, author and activistNino Pagliccia - Venezuelan-Canadian statistician, author and activistMiko Peled - Author and activistAlexander Mercouris - Editor-in-chief of The DuranRay McGovern - Former CIA analyst and co-founder Veteran Intelligence Professionals for PeaceMark Sleboda - Moscow-based international relations and security analyst

The wonderful Nabila Jamshed is an international security and global governance professional currently working with the United Nations. Her assignments with the inter-governmental sector have included Public Policy Specialist with the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in India, Political Affairs Specialist with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and more... stay tuned for our live Panel with her that will be recorded next week. 

Tareq Haddad was a (recently hired) reporter for Newsweek who was repeatedly rebuffed when trying to cover the emerging story of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) report on Syria. He eventually resigned. Tareq discusses how the US authorities pressured the OPCW to change the report to fit their desired narrative, and how powerful groups control the media narrative. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Tareq's post (https://tareqhaddad.com/2019/12/14/lies-newsweek-and-control-of-the-media-narrative-first-hand-account/) giving the history of his time at Newsweek, and how the media narrative is controlled. The YouTube video (https://youtu.be/PKZfP31LnoU) of this interview. Jonathan Steele's Counterpunch article (https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/11/15/the-opcw-and-douma-chemical-weapons-watchdog-accused-of-evidence-tampering-by-its-own-inspectors/) on the OPCW scandal. Tareq's new podcast (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt6WN0T8X6d62wJkgwl8lGA) , "Conversations." Tareq's Patreon account (https://www.patreon.com/tareqhaddad) . Background on Operation Mockingbird (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird) . Help support (http://bobmurphyshow.com/contribute)  the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by  Podsworth Media (http://podsworth.com/) . Support this podcast

Members of Trump's team Pat Cipollone and personal Trump attorney Jay Sekulow told some untruths. Two examples: Cipollone at one point complained that “not even [House Intelligence Committee chair and impeachment manager Adam] Schiff's Republican colleagues were allowed into the SCIF,” or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, which is basically the secure facility that members of Congress used to review classified information pertinent to the impeachment inquiry. Not only did Republicans involved in the impeachment have access to the SCIF, but many of them also used it.During Sekulow's opening statement he claimed House Democrats delayed transmitting the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a longer period of time than was actually the case and mischaracterize the impeachment process (he said Trump “was denied the right to cross-examine witnesses” during the House inquiry when, in fact, the White House declined to do so).We know that the president won't be found guilty and removed by the Senate but this is really about the court of public opinion. Will this, in the long run, hurt the president's case in the court of public opinion?A former lead investigator from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has spoken out at the United Nations, stating in no uncertain terms that the scientific evidence suggests there was no gas attack in Douma, Syria in April 2018.What's the significance of this? In Whitney Webb's recent Mint Press News article she writes, “Since the U.S. killed Iranian General QassemSoleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandisearlier this month, the official narrative has held that their deaths were necessary to prevent a vague, yet allegedly imminent, threat of violence towards Americans, though President Trump has since claimed whether or not Soleimani or his Iraqi allies posed an imminent threat “doesn't really matter.”While the situation between Iran, Iraq and the U.S. appears to have de-escalated substantially, at least for now, it is worth revisiting the lead-up to the recent U.S.-Iraq/Iran tensions up to the Trump-mandated killing of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in order to understand one of the most overlooked yet relevant drivers behind Trump's current policy with respect to Iraq: preventing China from expanding its foothold in the Middle East.GUESTS:David Schultz — Professor of political science at Hamline University. Joe Lauria - the Editor-in-Chief of Consortium News.Mark Sleboda — International affairs and security analyst. Whitney Webb — Staff Writer at MintPress News.

Another apparent false-flag attack used in an attempt to stampede Western populations into another war is unraveling. And yet, despite the emergence in recent weeks of even more leaked documents exposing the fraud surrounding the supposed chemical attack in Syria, the establishment media has remained almost completely silent about it. The implications are enormous.  It appears that following the alleged “chemical weapon” attack in Douma in April of 2018, Western governments and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) falsely accused Syrian authorities of gassing their own people. Documents released by WikiLeaks late last month, which follow other revelations just weeks earlier, suggest there may not have even been a chemical attack in the first place. Read the article here!

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan welcome the new year with new OPCW leaks courtesy of Wikileaks. The mainstream media's lack of unbiased coverage of the OPCW, Assange, and the wars in Iraq and Syria continues.Guests:Maram Susli - Political Commentator and Geopolitical Analyst | Will 2020 End the Syrian War?Maj Toure - Founder of Black Guns Matter, Former NRA Member, Running for an At-Large seat in Philadelphia's City Council | Would More Guns Save Lives?Elijah Magnier - Veteran War Correspondent | What's Really Behind the US Strike on Iraq?Medea Benjamin - Co-Founder of Human Rights Group Global Exchange and Peace Group 'CODEPINK' | The War in Iraq Never EndedAnnette Bosworth - Internal Medicine Physician and former South Dakota senatorial candidate | How to Use a Keto Diet to Help AllergiesPatrick Henningsen - Founder of independent news website 21st Century Wire | OPCW UpdatesOver 250,000 people have fled from their homes in the Idlib region in northwestern Syria in just the past few weeks. The Syrian war has led to hospitals and schools being bombed, including yesterday nine people, including five children, killed in a school being used for sheltering displaced people. Geopolitical analyst Maram Susli gives her opinion on whether the new year will bring peace to the region.Earlier this week, on Sunday, an active shooter open fired inside a Texas church. A volunteer member of the church's security team was armed and fatally shot the active shooter. Founder of Black Guns Matter Maj Toure makes the argument that this incident proves more armed, sane citizens make America safer.So far this week, Iraqi militiamen and their supporters attacked the US Embassy in central Baghdad in response to US airstrikes on five compounds. Fires, stones, tear gas, and violence from the protestors towards the US made the mainstream media finally give the war in Iraq some coverage. Veteran war correspondent Elijah Magnier outlines what led to this incident. Co-founder of CodePink Medea Benjamin explains why the war in Iraq never ended and how the mainstream media has been misleading us.New year, new goals. Internal medicine physician Dr. Annette Bosworth joins the guys for the first show of the year to make the case for the ketogenic diet. She explains how to follow the diet and the many ailments that can be cured with the change.Western media has blatantly ignored the leaks concerning the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Journalists are being barred from reporting the latest release of internal emails that prove the OPCW doctored its April 2018 report and covered up contradicting evidence. Patrick Henningsen, founder of 21st Century Wire, explains what the new documents reveal.

In 1997 pretty much all countries in the world decided to get rid of chemical weapons and together formed the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague - Netherlands, as the organization that sees to that. OPCW investigated the April 7th 2018 incident in Douma Syria and reported that: “chlorine, or another reactive chlorine-containing chemical, was likely released”. An internal OPCW Email in response however said that the report: “is highly misleading and not supported by the facts”. London based author and journalist Peter Hitchens has closely followed the Syrian conflict and Douma incident. He’s recently visited the OPCW whistleblower and now discusses with Rico Brouwer in café Weltschmerz what actually happened in Douma and what’s at stake with this misleading OPCW report not only in Syria but also with our governments, the international rule of law and the validity of the OPCW. Links: · Peter Hitchens blog Mail on Sunday https://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2019/12/this-is-peter-hitchens-mail-on-sunday-column-i-stood-outside-the-safe-house-in-a-road-i-cannot-name-in-a-major-europ.html · Quoted Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douma_chemical_attack · The OPCW website https://www.opcw.org/ · OPCW on Syria https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/featured-topics/syria-and-opcw · Leaked OPCW Email https://wikileaks.com/opcw-douma/document/Internal-OPCW-E-Mail/ · Courage foundation https://couragefound.org/2019/10/opcw-panel-statement/ · Countries signed to the CPC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_the_Chemical_Weapons_Convention · Russian envoy on OPCW press conference https://youtu.be/vQEoN0TPIVQ?t=534 · Dutch press conference on preventing Russian OPCW hack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMBdN1n2uBI · follow Peter Hitchens on Twitter https://twitter.com/@ClarkeMicah

A whistleblower from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is accusing top officials of tampering with evidence collected at the scene of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma in April 2018. The official, a senior scientist who collected samples at the scene, is the second with the OPCW's Douma team to allege that evidence was suppressed. His testimony raises new doubts about the claim that the Syrian government carried out a chemical attack in Douma, which led to US-France-UK airstrikes -- and with it, new concerns that the world's chemical weapons watchdog is politically compromised. We discuss the whistleblower's findings with award-winning MIT Professor Emeritus Theodore Postol, whose scientific studies have also raised doubts about allegations of chemical weapons attacks by the Syrian government. One of his studies was recently at the center of an academic controversy, as we also address during this interview. Guest: Theodore Postol, award-winning Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy at MIT. Pushback on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pushbackshow Aaron Maté on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronjmate Pushback on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lu7MGQ Pushback on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/pushbackshow Pushback on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2mpwIQm Pushback on Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=465855 Find transcripts and more at https://thegrayzone.com/pushback ||| The Grayzone ||| Find more reporting at https://thegrayzone.com Support our original journalism at Patreon: https://patreon.com/grayzone Twitter: https://twitter.com/grayzoneproject Facebook: https://facebook.com/thegrayzone Minds: https://minds.com/thegrayzone

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss how increasing online censorship is limiting the scope of views that are available to the public to help them understand what is happening in the news. What should people do to avoid being manipulated by the media, and how is social media influencing what people see?Guests:Dr. Piers Robinson - Co-Director of the Organization for Propaganda Studies | Understanding Propaganda and the Manipulation of Opinions Mark Sleboda - International Relations & Security Analyst | Analyzing Yesterday's Oil Tanker Attacks in the Strait of HormuzTom Luongo - Geopolitical Analyst and Publisher of the Gold Goats 'n Guns Newsletter | YouTube Censorship and the Controlling of Speech The inability of modern-day mainstream media outlets to accurately report on major global events and critically analyze official government narratives has made understanding the news more difficult for members of the public. Dr. Piers Robinson, Co-Director of the Organization for Propaganda Studies, joins today's show to talk about the information that has been revealed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) about events in Syria, the systemic problem with propaganda and the manipulation of opinions, the importance of questioning mainstream media reporting, and why the public needs to become more engaged with questioning major domestic and world events. Yesterday, a pair of oil tankers sailing near the Strait of Hormuz were attacked in what appears to be a series of bombings, but fortunately zero casualties have been reported. International Relations Analyst Mark Sleboda returns to 'Fault Lines' to provide analysis on this incident, how both US and Russian media have reported on this story, and the history of provocative actions being done in a deceptive manner to try to bring about a major military conflict. For the final two segments of the show, Garland and Lee are joined by Geopolitical Analyst Tom Luongo for a discussion about recent censorship and demonetization actions taken by YouTube and how Silicon Valley tech firms such as Google are attempting to set the standard for what is considered appropriate speech. How are ambiguous terms of service being used to deplatform certain individuals, how can major events be used to enact more censorship, and how is this trend pushing content creators into using new outlets?

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss recent remarks by Vice President Mike Pence that suggest US foreign interventions and military actions are likely to increase in coming years. Why did VP Pence make these comments, and where is the Trump administration looking to assert its military power? Guests:Patrick Henningsen - Journalist & Founder of: 21stCenturyWire.com | The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Leak & Media Reporting on SyriaDanny Sjursen - Retired U.S. Army Officer and Former History Instructor at West Point | VP Mike Pence Tells West Point Cadets to be Prepared for WarNiko House - Political Activist & Broadcast Journalist | The Nature of Smear Attacks in the World of PoliticsGordon Dimmack - Independent Media Reporter | Julian Assange, Journalism, Theresa May's Resignation & EU Election AnalysisA document was recently leaked from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which contradicted the official mainstream media narrative about the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria in April of 2018. Journalist Patrick Henningsen returns to the show to discuss the importance of this leak from the OPCW, how this story has been covered over the past year, and why many mainstream and alternative media outlets have ignored these new revelations.Over the weekend, Vice President Mike Pence addressed the graduating class of Cadets at West Point, and during his speech he told them that they should anticipate seeing combat action during their time in the military. Retired U.S. Army Officer Danny Sjursen was also formerly a History Instructor at West Point, and he joins today's episode of 'Fault Lines' to analyze these remarks by VP Pence, the relationship between the Military Industrial Complex and members of Congress, and the influence Saudi Arabia and Israel have on the trajectory of US foreign policy and potential military conflicts.Political Activist & Broadcast Journalist Niko House recently came under attack by the 'Huffington Post' for some of his past political commentary as he has become an important fundraiser for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's Presidential Campaign. Niko joins Garland and Lee on today's program to talk about the nature of this online attack, why covering controversial stories is important, and how smear campaigns are to be expected in the world of politics.For the final two segments, the hosts are joined by Gordon Dimmack, an Independent Media Reporter, to talk about the importance of Julian Assange to the world of journalism and why Dimmack views many mainstream media personalities as actors performing for the public. Additionally, they discuss the results from the European Union Parliamentary Elections in the United Kingdom and what Prime Minister Theresa May's resignation means for politics in the UK moving forward.

Nikolai DiPippa, Clinton School Director of Public Programs, sat down with Jonathan Forman, Science Policy Adviser at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), whose mission is to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in order to achieve the their vision of a world that is free of chemical weapons and of the threat of their use, and in which cooperation in chemistry for peaceful purposes for all is fostered. The OPCW was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons

With the end of April being the deadline for Syria's President Assad to sacrifice his entire arsenal of chemical weapons, Tom Heap finds out the nitty-gritty of how they're going to be disposed of. This involves previously untried methods such as neutralising the most dangerous chemicals on board an American vessel, the MV Cape Ray. This, as we'll hear, presents its own problems. Other Syrian chemicals will be destroyed in Port Ellesmere in Cheshire, as well as in the United States, Germany and Finland. Tom puts these efforts of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into a historical perspective, exactly 99 years after the first recorded use of chemical weapons in Ypres during the First World War. Producer: Mark Smalley.

Chemical weapons Disposing of Syria's chemical weapons is a difficult task, both politically and technically. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), responsible for the decommissioning, has kitted out a special ship, the MV Cape Ray to hydrolyse "priority" toxic substances. Hamish de Bretton Gordon, a chemical weapons expert from SecureBio, explains why destroying chemical precursors on dry land is not an option and whether the job will be done on time.Tracking turtles Satellite tags have finally given researchers insight into the "lost years" of loggerhead turtles. After many failed attempts, researchers have worked out how to attach the tiny tags to the months-old animals during the uncertain period when they leave US coastal waters and head out into the Atlantic Ocean. The data suggests the loggerheads can spend some time living in amongst floating mats of Sargassum seaweed, in the Sargasso Sea.Technology for Nature The tools and gadgets available to remotely track animals and monitor populations and their habitats are getting better and more mechanised. Cameras mounted on birds can record where they fly; audio recordings capture bat calls; satellite images monitoring habitat change. However all this digital data needs to be analysed. Professor Kate Jones, an expert on biodiversity at University College London, thinks that this is where more technological advances are needed. She wants image recognition programmes to scan through millions of remote camera images, or sound recognition of hundreds of thousands of bat calls to be developed.Climate The recent extreme rainfall has left many asking, is this weather linked to climate change? A new project 'weather@home' 2014, aims to use a large citizen science experiment to answer this question. Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystems Science at the School of Geography and the Environment, and Dr Nathalie Schaller, both of Oxford University, explain that they aim to run two sets of weather simulations. One will represent conditions and "possible weather" in the winter 2014, and the second will represent the weather in a "world that might have been" if human behaviour had not changed the composition of the atmosphere through greenhouse gas emissions. By comparing the numbers of extreme rainfall events in the two ensembles, 'Weather@Home' will work out if the risk of a wet winter has increased, decreased or been unaffected by human influence on climate.Producer: Fiona Roberts.

When the Nobel Committee awarded this year's Peace Prize to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), its staff was on the ground in Syria overseeing the removal and destruction of the country's chemical weapons. Sarah Montague travelled to Oslo to speak to the Director General of the OPCW, Ahmet Üzümcü as he collected the prize. Does the work of his organisation mean peace is more likely in Syria?