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Porkins Policy Radio episode 183 Kevin Gosztola on Julian Assange and Criminalizing Journalism

April 25, 2019 – 7:35 pm

This week friend of the show Kevin Gosztola of Shadowproof.com joined me to discuss the latest developments with Julian Assange. Kevin explained the charges that have been brought against Assange and the spin they have received in the media. He talked about the use of term “hacking” and why that is, in fact, an incorrect definition of what Assange has actually been charged with. Kevin also talked about Chelsea Manning who is still in jail after losing a recent appeal. Kevin also talked about the 2017 FBI affidavit which is the theory for the government’s case against Assange, should he be extradited back to the US. Kevin talked about the language used in the affidavit and its similarity to the Espionage Act. We also talked about the government’s theory that Assange aided the enemy through the publication of the Afghanistan War Logs. We discussed how this could set a dangerous precedent for all journalism. Later Kevin and I explored the larger implications of the US government’s attacks on Assange and journalism in general. We touched on the criminalization of basic journalistic practices like eliciting information from sources and protecting sources. We also talked about how this could be used against foreign and Americans journalists across the world. We closed out the first hour by talking about Ecuadorian president Moreno.

In the second hour, I talked about CIA director Gina Haspel’s recent speech and Q&A at Auburn University. I talked about Haspel as the director of the CIA and how she has differed from recent directors. I also touched on the doublespeak and doublethink used throughout her speech encouraging young people to join the intelligence services. Later I talked about comments made by the moderator Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess regarding Guantanamo Bay.

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Show Notes:

@kgosztola

Shadowproof.com

Justice Department Charges Julian Assange With Computer Crime But Alleges Conspiracy To Abet Espionage

FBI Affidavit In Assange Case Shows Government Is Criminalizing Publication Of Afghanistan War Logs

In Rejecting Chelsea Manning’s Appeal, Court Essentially Ignores All Arguments For Release From Jail

2017 Affidavit in support in support of criminal complaint and arrest warrant

CIA Director Gina Haspel Speaks at Auburn University

CIA Director Gina Haspel speaks at Auburn University (full video)

Remembering CIA’s Heroes: Johnny Micheal Spann

Secretary Pompeo Participates in Q&A Discussion at Texas A&M University

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged Afghanistan War Logs, aiding the enemy, auburn university, chelsea manning, CIA, Ecuador, espionage act, FBI, FBI affidavit, gina haspel, Guantanamo Bay, hacking, journalism, Julian assange, kevin Gosztola, leaker, lenin moreno, Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, mainstream media, national security, new York times, Pentagon, propaganda, rafael correa, Ronald Burgess, security state, shadowproof, UK, US, whistleblower, wikileaks | Comments (0)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 163 The Watchdogs Didn’t Bark with Ray Nowosielski and John Duffy

October 30, 2018 – 5:12 pm

Documentarians Ray Nowosielski and John Duffy joined me this week to discuss their new book, The Watchdogs Didn’t Bark: The CIA, NSA, and the Crimes of the War on Terror. Ray and John talked about their earlier work covering 9/11. They discussed how they first got involved, and the subsequent hurdles that this sort of journalism presented. They spoke about the CIA’s threats against them after completing their second documentary Who is Rich Blee? John and Ray talked about why they decided to write The Watchdogs Didn’t Bark and what separates this from the numerous books on 9/11 already out there. They spoke about about the legacy of the 9/11 and some of the major figures involved in the cover up who went on to more prominent positions within the government. We touched on CIA director Gina Haspels career which took off when she oversaw the infamous black site known as Cat’s Eye. We also spoke at length about the impact that Michael Scheuer has had on the war on terror. We talked about his role setting up Alec Station and the cult like devotion that his staff had for him.

In the second hour we dive into some of the minutia of the 9/11 attacks. We looked at the strange case of Abu Zubaydah and his interrogation. John and Ray discussed the information that Zubaydah allegedly gave up which linked him to several members of the Saudi Royal family. John and Ray also spoke about the odd deaths of Saudi Prince’s Ahmed, Sultan, and Fahd all within days of one another. We also touched on the role that the NSA played in in covering up key information related to the 9/11 hijackers. We finish off the episode by looking at the current state of the 9/11 research movement.

Download PPR episode 163

Show Notes:

WatchdogsBark.com

@WatchdogsBook

Ray Nowosielski

Buy The Watchdogs Didn’t Bark

Who is Rich Blee?

9/11 Press For Truth

PPR bonus podcast ep 22 Who is John Duffy?

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged 2002 al qaeda summit, 9/11, 9/11 truth, Abu Zubaydah, alec station, alfreda frances bikowsky, bandar bush, bill binney, cats eye, CIA, FBI, gina haspel, john duffy, john kiriakou, Khalid al-Mihdhar, Malaysia, mark rossini, Michael scheuer, Nawaf al-Hazmi, NSA, omar al bayoumi, Ray Nowosielski, rich blee, Saudi Arabia, saudi royal family, the watchdogs didnt bark, thomas drake, tom wilshire | Comments (0)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 144 Jon Gold We Were Lied to About 911 The Interviews

May 30, 2018 – 2:02 pm

9/11 activist and researcher Jon Gold joins me once again to discuss his new book We Were Lied To About 9/11: The Interviews. Jon explains what the book includes and why he decided to compile the book and make it freely available. Jon and I discuss the current state of the 9/11 truth movement and then move onto a few under-reported aspects of 9/11. We look at the strange contradictions and facts about what was happening in San Diego just before September 11th. Jon and I talk about the activities of hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi in San Diego. We talk about the reports that they entered the country before the FBI claimed they did, and the allegations that Prince Bandar was funneling money to them. Jon elaborates on this by describing Omar al-Bayoumi and his possible role as their Saudi intelligence handler. We also touch on their landlord and FBI informant Abdussattar Shaikh. I briefly talk about how this connects to several strange people in Denver Colorado connected to the 9/11 attacks.

Later Jon and I talk about Gina Haspel’s confirmation as CIA head and her legacy as a torturer. We talk about her role destroying CIA torture tapes and why Kahlid Sheik Mohammad wanted to offer his analysis of Haspel. We discuss the idea that this is the CIA’s way of telling the world that they will continue to torture. Jon and I also rant about Rudy Guliani and Michael Scheuer’s role in the 9/11 cover-up.

Download PPR episode 144

Show Notes:

We Were Lied To About 9/11: The Interviews

Jon Gold YouTube

@911JusticeNow

May 14, 1994: Future Hijackers’ Landlord in San Diego Becomes FBI Informant

August 1994-July 2001: Possible Terrorist Front Man with Saudi Backing Settles in San Diego

November 1999: Hijackers Said to Lease Apartment in San Diego, Two Months Before Alleged First Arrival in US

October 9, 2002: FBI Agent Handled 9/11 Hijackers’ Landlord

1994: Bin Laden Front Establishes Secure Communications through Denver Using US Army Lines

9/11 Planner, Tortured by C.I.A., Asks to Tell Senators About Gina Haspel

In Blow to Kingdom, Judge Rejects Saudi Effort to Escape 9/11 Suit

May 19, 2004: 9/11 Commission Reaches Self-Confessed ‘Low Point’ in Giuliani Questioning

Rudy’s Ties to a Terror Sheikh: Giuliani’s business contracts tie him to the man who let 9/11’s mastermind escape the FBI

Saudi 9/11 Support Still Classified: Who is Qualid Benomrane

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in 9/11, Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged 28 pages, 9/11, 9/11 truth, Abdussattar Shaikh, alec station, alfreda frances bikowsky, anwar al awlaki, CIA, denver, FBI, gina haspel, Guantanamo Bay, history commons, jon gold, Khalid al-Mihdhar, Michael scheuer, Nawaf al-Hazmi, omar al bayoumi, Osama Basnan, prince bandar, Rudy Guliani, San Diego, Saudi Arabia, the looming tower, we were lied to about 9/11, we were lied to about 9/11 the interviews, World Trade Center | Comments (0)

The Ochelli Effect: Fire Fury Fuels Fact Check

May 16, 2018 – 7:42 pm

From Ochelli.com

This Tuesday night we decode the current mosaic of geopolitical scattershot that is the New World Landscape. The Iran deal is still part of the calculus as Israel continues to justify it’s response to Palestine. Does Trump know what is happening all around him? Mike Swanson talks about the latest version of Neo-cons thoughtless tanks. At the end of the first hour, Chuck and Mike agree that it is tough to prognosticate the many outcomes. Pearse Redmond joins us in hour 2; The conversation seems to continue where it left off before the break. Is The Ochelli Effect good for your mental health? Seems to work for Pearse. What about North Korea? Why is Ollie North the new showrunner at the NRA.? Have we as a nation faced the issue of torture? Fatigue seems to be setting in as people normalize the man of no principles that occupies the White House at the moment. Pre-tense no longer required in the newest abnormal under POTUS Agent Orange.

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By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged chuck ochelli, diplomacy, Gaza, George w bush, Iran, iran deal, Israel, kim jong un, moon jae in, neocons, norht korea, Ochelli Effect, oliver north, Palestine, south korea, trump | Comments (0)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 74 Tom King, the CIA and Comic Books with Ryan Carey

December 28, 2016 – 12:55 am

Writer and comic book reviewer Ryan Carey joins me for an in depth discussion of the comic industry and its relationship with the CIA. We begin by looking at the early days of comic books and their first forays into politics during WWII. Ryan talks about the overt left leaning politics of the original Superman comics and how this evolved into a nationalistic pro-US series during WWII. Next we move onto ex-CIA agent Tom King who’s charmed life has led him to the pinnacle of comics, writing the latest Batman comics. Ryan explains how King went from being a clandestine office in Iraq and Afghanistan to moving quickly up the ladder within the industry. We talk about King’s earlier work such as Omega Men and Vision and how shades of his past bled through with the writing. Ryan also talks about The Sheriff of Babylon which is loosely based on his own experiences inside Iraq. Ryan also points out the bizarre circumstances surrounding Kings career and how he continued to move up despite poor comics sales.

Later we discuss the significance and influence that Batman has with the comics industry and why it is so important. Ryan and I talk about why the CIA would gravitate to Batman and seek to influence it and its message. Ryan explains how several of King’s story-lines fit into the narrative the CIA is constantly putting out. We also talk about how the latest Batman comics have Bruce Wayne working indirectly for a shadowy arm of the government. Ryan and I also touch on the fact that CIA asset Ben Affleck is the latest actor to portray Batman and how this couldn’t just be a coincidence.

Download PPR episode 74

Show Notes:

Trash Film Guru

@TrashFilmGuru

Daily Grindhouse

How one man went from the CIA to writing Batman adventures

The spy who came into the comic book store

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged Afghanistan, ayn rand, batman, ben affleck, captain america, CIA, comic books, comics, DC comics, DOD, Iraq, marvel, Omega men, Pentagon, propaganda, ryan carey, spider man, stan lee, superman, the avengers, the sheriff of babylon, Tom King, trash film guru, vision, war, WWII | Comments (1)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 53 Brian Heiss on OJ Simpson: Veritas The Fuhrman Tapes

July 27, 2016 – 1:45 pm

Today I spoke with researcher Brian Heiss about his work looking into the OJ Simpson trial. We discuss Brian’s excellent film OJ Veritas: The Furhman Tapes, and the impact and role that Fuhrman played during the trial. Brian and I also discuss his comprehensive timeline of the murder, which plainly show how OJ could not have murdered Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. We also discuss some of our general theories on the case. We will be talking again with Brian soon to expand on these ideas.

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Support American Freedom Radio

Show Notes:

LAPD Interrogation of OJ Simpson

3 Things That Make You Go Hmmmm: LAPD Interrogation of OJ Simpson

OJ VERITAS – Timeline 12 June 1994

@BrianHeiss

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged american freedom radio, bloody glove, brian heiss, choke holds, eric garner, fuhrman tapes, laura hart mckinny, Mark Fuhrman, MAW, men against women, mezzaluna, n word, neo-nazi, nicole brown, oj simpson, OJ Simpson Veritas, philip vannatter, police state, police violence, racisim, ron goldman, tom lange | Comments (0)

The CIA and Hollywood episode 14 Zero Dark Thirty

July 24, 2016 – 2:08 pm

Robbie Martin is our final guest for this season as we dissect the 2012 docudrama Zero Dark Thirty. We discussed the difficulty in defining what kind of film this is – somewhere between a spy thriller, a documentary and a dry European art house movie. We get into the well-documented CIA support for the film and ask why this is the only major movie about the Abbottabad raid to get ‘Bin Laden’ and why it wasn’t particularly successful. Was the film meant to serve as a substitute for any real evidence of what happened in Abbottabad in 2011? Did the filmmakers even care whether what they were portraying was true or were they blinded by the excitement of the special access they were granted?

After summarizing the role of senior CIA and DOD intelligence officer Michael Vickers (who is portrayed in Charlie Wilson’s War) we discuss why so many CIA agents are portrayed in movies and TV. The conversation then zeroes in on ‘Maya’ – based on the real life CIA officer Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, who was critically involved in the 9/11 intelligence breakdown and the post-9/11 torture program. Getting back to the film we talk about the raid sequence itself which is very dry and realistic but we never actually see Bin Laden. We conclude that Zero Dark Thirty is like a rorschach test where you can bring your own expectations and prejudices to your experience of watching the movie. We round off talking about the portrayal of torture in the film and ask whether the controversies around the film were created as a smokescreen to avoid people asking the question: was it really Bin Laden?

Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 14

Show Notes:

Zero Dark Thirty

CIA Memo on Rewriting Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty the CIA and DOD files

The ‘Dynamite’ Pentagon Interview Behind ‘Zero Dark Thirty’

Bin Laden Burial took place on Top Gun ship

CIA Inspector General’s Report on Engagement with the Entertainment Industry

Who is Richard Blee (podcast)

Alfreda Frances Bikowsky

Alec Station

CIA’s Queen of Torture Married to Former CIA Official Who Urges War Between Sunnis and Shiites

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio, The CIA and Hollywood | Also tagged 9/11, abbottabad, alfreda frances bikowsky, bin laden raid, CIA, DOD, false memories, Kathryn Bigelow, Leon Panetta, mark boal, Maya, Michael scheuer, Michael Vickers, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, queen of torture, richard blee, Robbie Martin, The CIA and Hollywood, tom secker, zero dark thirty | Comments (0)

TOR Radio: Here’s What Will Set Newsbud Apart from Other Alternative Media Outlets (Pearse Redmond & Sibel Edmonds)

February 8, 2016 – 11:22 pm

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am no longer associated with Sibel Edmond, or BoilingFrogs/Newsbud. I think she is a con-artist and a petty and vindictive individual. If you want to know more about why I broke off all ties with Sibel you can find out more here:

From Traces of Reality:

On this edition of Traces of Reality Radio: Guillermo is joined by Sibel Edmonds, editor and publisher of Boiling Frogs Post, and Pearse Redmond, host of Porkins Policy Radio, to discuss the new media venture Newsbud. Sibel, Pearse, and Guillermo explain what sets Newsbud apart from the rest of the alternative media, and why a 100 percent reader-supported outlet is vitally necessary in today’s media landscape.

Also on the program: the curious case of Michael Scheuer and his marriage to the CIA’s “Queen of Torture” Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, the media’s overall silence on the issue, and why it matters.

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Show Notes:

BFP: Newsbud – Where Media Integrity Matters

Newsbud.com

Buzzfeed: CIA’s “Queen Of Torture” Married To Former CIA Official Who Urges War Between Sunnis And Shiites

BFP: Confirmed Identity of the CIA Official behind 9/11, Rendition & Torture Cases is Revealed

Join the Newsbud Mailing List: Sign Up

Join NEWSBUD list

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in newsbud, Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged alfreda frances bikowsky, alt-media, Boiling Frogs Post, CIA, Guillermo Jimenez, kickstarter, Michael scheuer, newsbud, queen of torture, Sibel Edmonds, traces of reality | Comments (0)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 44 Homeland Season 5 ep 11

December 19, 2015 – 5:42 pm

On this penulitamte episode of our Homeland series Tom and I begin by venting about our hatred of Alison. Next we move onto the shows continual use of women as negative characters. WE discuss the similarities between Alison and real life Russian spy Anna Chapman. We look at the parallels between these two characters and the notion that Alison will receive a hero’s welcome if she returns to Russia. Next we explore if the Russian government would actually let an attack happen, as Homeland suggests, in order to galvanize the West to fight ISIS. Tom and I lay out some of our theories as to why the Russian’s don’t talk about the Gladio operations (Boston, 9/11, Paris) that they clearly are aware of. We discuss the emergence of yet another evil female spy this time in the form of a German Foreign Office offical. Later Tom and I discuss one of the major takeaways from this season: that the CIA no longer engages in torture. Through out this season we have seen several distinct plot lines that lead us to believe that the CIA no longer uses this brutal tactic. Tom and I discuss the moral issues surrounding torture and the aspects of torture that are never brought up in the debate. We discuss how the show uses the character of Marwan to illustrate that torture doesn’t work, and how this is most likely a deliberate propaganda move to wipe clean the CIA’s hands. We also note how the show has routinely made the German’s look not only like torturers, but Nazi’s and Stasi as well. Tom and I also touch on Hollywoods false portrayal of strong female characters in movies such as Spy, and how this is really just more of the same. Later we move onto the portrayal of Laura Poitras in the show and how this may reflect the CIA’s various desires to portray her as hero and villain. We round off the conversation by discussing some very interesting listener emails and tweets.

Tom and I briefly talk about our participation in a brand new media project being spearheaded by Sibel Edmonds at the end of the podcast.

Download PPR episode 44

Show Notes:

Homeland Season 5 episode 11 Our man in Damascus

Laili Helms

Laila Helms could be a character in Homeland

Kathryn Bigelow Prepping Jihadi Recruitment Drama for HBO

First Look Media snags Comedy Central and NBC alum Lisa Leingang

First Look Media wants to make the next “Spotlight”

Music:

DMX – X Gon Give It To Ya

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged 9/11, Anna chapman, BND, CIA, feminisim, First look media, germany, Gladio B, Hollywood, Homeland, ISIS, Kathryn Bigelow, Laila Helms, laili helms, Laura Poitras, Nazi, Paris attack, propaganda, Russia, sarin, stasi, Taliban, The Intercept | Comments (0)

The CIA and Hollywood episode 3 The Recruit

April 20, 2015 – 1:00 pm

Aaron Franz joined in the conversation as we looked at the film The Recruit, which more than any other film we’re covering in this season was moulded by CIA entertainment liaison Chase Brandon. Like so many films, it tells the story of a young person inducted into a secret world with secret rules and codes of thinking and behaviour, and in doing so inducts the audience into that same world. We discussed this dynamic from various angles – black operations, secret societies, occult or mystery school philosophies – before studying Brandon’s appearance in the most fascinating ‘making of’ documentary ever made.