Background Briefing: March 27, 2023

 

Netanyahu Postpones Power Grab in the Face of Massive Demonstrations and a National Strike

We begin and go to Israel to examine the massive demonstrations across Israel on Sunday in response to Netanyahu firing his Defense Minister who called for a pause in the far-right government’s efforts to pass laws by majority vote to overturn rulings by the Supreme Court. Joining us is Avraham Burg, the son of holocaust survivors who has been active in Israeli politics as a leader in the Israeli Labor Party and the One Israel party. He was Speaker of the Knesset from 1999 to 2003 and is the author of The Holocaust is over; We Must Rise from Its Ashes and the chairman of Molad, the Center for Renewal of Democracy. We discuss Monday’s general strike which has paralyzed the nation and Netanyahu’s postponement of his judicial overhaul legislation until after the Passover recess.

 

Putin Threatens Nukes in Response to Ukraine Getting 14 British Tanks with Depleted Uranium Ammunition

Then we assess the importance of Putin’s announcement that he is deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in response to the British sending 14 tanks to Ukraine with armour-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. We determine whether this is a pathetic propaganda bluff or a sign of desperation. Joining us is Dr. Tatsiana Kulakevich, a researcher on Eastern Europe who was born and raised in Belarus. She is a permanent instructor in Research Methods and Quantitative Analysis at the University of South Florida’s School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies and a research fellow and affiliated faculty at the University’s Institute on Russian, European and Eurasian Studies. Her research focuses on international political economy, migration, and protest politics.

 

New Revelations of a CIA Coverup of Saudi Hijacker’s Activities in US Before 9/11

Then finally we look into revelations from unredacted FBI court filings from Guantanamo that indicate the CIA may have been trying to recruit some of the 9/11 hijackers which is why they did not share information with the FBI about the Saudi hijacker’s activities in the US until it was too late. Joining us is Seth Hettena, an award-winning journalist who was a long-time investigative reporter for the Associated Press where he covered numerous stories of political corruption and American war crimes. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Feasting on the Spoils: The Life and Times of Randy “Duke” Cunningham, History’s Most Corrupt Congressman. His latest book is Trump / Russia: A Definitive History and we discuss his article at SpyTalk, “FBI Agents Accuse CIA of 9/11 Coverup.”