Shows
Rania Khalek DispatchesMinneapolis Erupts, Protests Spread Nationwide After ICE Killing of Alex PrettiJoin Rania Khalek and Zoe Alexandra for a special live show as Minneapolis erupts after Border Patrol agents killed nurse and legal observer Alex Pretti, just hours after a historic general strike shook the state. Zoe will report from Minneapolis as protests surge nationwide and fury at ICE and federal occupation explodes. With special guests, Rania and Zoe will discuss the Democrats’ weak response, the connections between imperial violence from Gaza to Minnesota, and the rising calls to defund ICE and a national general strike against ICE terror. Special Guests:-Craig Mokhiber, Human Rights Lawyer -Meg...
2026-01-271h 23Rania Khalek DispatchesIs Trump’s Chaos Good or Bad for the Ruling Class? w/ Ben Becker & Rania KhalekTrump’s people are reshaping the US political system, gutting institutions, while selling scores with all enemies foreign and domestic. But is their push for mass deportations, and the abolition of DEI, the Department of Education, USAID and other soft power institutions really in the ruling class’s long term interests. Are we witnessing the collapse of an empire, or simply a reactionary reconfiguration of power? And how should those of us who oppose U.S. imperialism make sense of these contradictions?To break it all down, Rania Khalek is joined by Breakthrough News edit...
2025-03-0843 minRania Khalek DispatchesHow Lebanon’s Sacrifices for Gaza Will Be Remembered w/ Ghadi Francis & Rania KhalekRania Khalek hosts a special live episode of Dispatches with Lebanese journalist Ghadi Francis.
2024-11-2759 minRania Khalek DispatchesFrom Palestine to Lebanon, Resistance to Israel Will Never Surrender, w/ Ghadi Francis & Rania KhalekRania Khalek hosts a special live episode of Dispatches with Lebanese journalist Ghadi Francis.
2024-10-221h 06Rania Khalek DispatchesIsrael Unmasked: A Serial Killer Society High On Hate, w/ Abby Martin & Rania KhalekTo discuss Israel’s holocaust in Gaza, Rania Khalek was joined by journalist Abby Martin, creator and host of The Empire Files. Watch the extended version of this interview on our Patreon. Become a member at https://www.Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews to access the full episode and other exclusive content.
2024-06-1259 minRania Khalek DispatchesIsrael’s Genocide in Gaza at Fever Pitch & Potential for Regional War w/ Ali Abunimah & Rania KhalekAs Israel’s war on Gaza heats up with the potential to escalate into a regional fight, Rania Khalek hosts a special live episode of Dispatches w/ Ali Abunimah, executive director of the @TheElectronicIntifada and author of The Battle for Justice in Palestine.Link to Ali Abunimah's article discussed in the interview:https://electronicintifada.net/content/israeli-forces-shot-their-own-civilians-kibbutz-survivor-says/38861
2023-10-191h 32Rania Khalek DispatchesOn the Ground In Donbas: Ukraine, Russia & ‘Unworthy Victims,’ w/ Fergie ChambersWhen most people in the West think of the war in Ukraine, they think of February 24, 2022 when Russia launched its invasion. But for 8 years prior, there had been a war raging in the eastern part of the country that received little attention because its reality was inconvenient for mainstream Western narratives.In the Donbas region, an estimated 15,000 people had died following what many there described as a US-backed coup in 2014 that gave rise to an anti-Russia government and helped empower far-right sentiments across Ukraine. To discuss the war in the D...
2023-03-281h 03Rania Khalek DispatchesGuilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange | New Book by Kevin GosztolaTo discuss the war on whistleblowers, the U.S. government’s prosecution of Julian Assange and how the case against him poses a threat to journalism everywhere, Rania Khalek spoke to Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof, co-host of the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast and author of the newly published book “Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange.” You can purchase Kevin’s book here: https://www.project-censored.org/shop/p/guilty-of-journalism-the-political-case-against-julian-assange Follow Kevin’s work at Shadowproof: https://shad...
2023-03-241h 07Rania Khalek DispatchesForeign Fighters and the Ukraine Blowback — Lessons from Syria and IraqWhatever happened to Ukraine’s foreign fighters? What are the parallels between Syria and Ukraine? And where does the Cold War against China fit into it? To discuss this and more, Rania Khalek was joined by investigative journalist Seth Harp, a contributing editor for Rolling Stone and author of the forthcoming book The Delta Force Murders, which will be published by Viking Press.Seth’s articles discussed in the episode:https://theintercept.com/2022/06/30/ukraine-azov-neo-nazi-foreign-fighter/htt...
2023-03-1759 minRania Khalek DispatchesChallenging Anti-Iran Propaganda In the Middle East, w/ Denijal JegicThe Middle East is drowning in anti-Iran propaganda emanating from Western, Gulf and oligarch-funded outlets that seek to turn the populations in the region against Iran and other institutions deemed to be “backed by Iran.” In Lebanon this plays out in a sectarian narrative that portrays Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy and depicts Shias as agents of an Iranian occupation of the country. This pattern has also been replicated in neighboring countries in an attempt to turn people against the regional forces that challenge U.S. imperialism. To understand the phenomenon, Rania...
2023-03-0758 minRania Khalek DispatchesBombshell w/ Seymour Hersh: US Blowing Up Nord Stream Was ‘Act of War’Award-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh joined Rania Khalek on Dispatches to discuss his latest bombshell on how the Biden administration destroyed the Nord Stream pipeline using remotely triggered explosives with the help of the CIA, US Navy divers, and NATO member Norway. This means the US targeted the critical energy infrastructure of its most important European ally, a major violation of sovereignty in what essentially constitutes objectively an act of war against Germany. But Germany is looking the other way. Hersh’s article: https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream
2023-03-0258 minRania Khalek DispatchesUkraine War, China and the Decline of US Hegemony Under BidenTwo years into his presidency, Biden’s foreign policy has been defined by the war in Ukraine and a weakening American hegemony, one that also characterized Trump’s time in office. Some argue the American empire is in decline no matter which party is in control. So where will U.S. foreign policy go from here as the new Cold War era drags on? Does it even matter which party is in charge anymore? How are anxieties of a U.S. decline playing out in the media and in popular culture? And where does that leave the left?
2023-02-231h 01Rania Khalek DispatchesUS Eyes Resources In Latin America, Escalates Against China, w/ Ben NortonWith the United States hyper focused on Russia and China, it’s easy to forget that the empire is still up to its old tricks in the rest of the Global South. What does the insatiable U.S. imperialist appetite mean for the resource-rich countries of Latin America? After all, that copper, gold, zinc, silver, lead, iron, and natural gas in Peru, the lithium in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, and the oil in Venezuela isn’t gonna steal itself. How is the Cold War with Russia and China playing out throughout the region as the United States dusts off...
2023-02-131h 13Rania Khalek DispatchesCrypto Convulsions: the Highest Stage of Capitalist SpeculationBitcoin, Stablecoin, Tether, Blockchain, Coinbase, Binance, Etherium, Luna, Celsius, Circle, FTX, NFTs: What’s all this crypto jargon really about? What stage of capitalism does it mean we’re in? How has digital currency been impacted by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine? What are the geopolitical implications for the US cold war with China? And what’s the significance of the downfall of Sam Bankman-Fried? Could we see an even more dramatic unraveling in the crypto world in the future, one that spills over into the rest of the economy, or will it bounce back?
2023-01-2757 minRania Khalek DispatchesWestern Media Distorts Overall Success of China’s Fight Against Covid-19, w/ Tings ChakAccording to Western media, China can’t do anything right. First it was doing too little to address COVID, then it was doing too much and needed to reopen, and now it’s wrong to open up as it is. But if you look at things objectively, and take off the Western-colored glasses, is all the criticism really warranted? While the rest of the world rushed to fully reopen, it took three years to study and trace the virus, build medical infrastructure, train workers, and wait until a much less deadly strain emerged before the inevitable reopening. It also...
2023-01-191h 07Rania Khalek DispatchesWill US Aggression Stop Eurasian Integration or Accelerate It? w/ Vijay PrashadWhy is the US willing to risk a nuclear apocalypse to weaken Russia and China? Our leaders say it’s about protecting the international rules based order from an authoritarian axis of evil. But this is just a guise. It’s actually about maintaining US unipolar hegemony over the world, which requires preventing or at the very least delaying the integration of Europe and Asia, an integration that is logical, both economically and geographically. To discuss this and more Rania Khalek was joined by Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Resea...
2023-01-0357 minRania Khalek DispatchesCold War Terror Against the Left: The Jakarta Method & Why It Still Matters, with Vincent BevinsThe US-dominated unipolar world has rapidly eroded, and the recent victory of Lula in Brazil provided a new lift for those struggling against imperialism in the Global South. Are imperialist powers less able to impose themselves on the Global South with past tools of invasion, coups, assassinations? To discuss the past and present tools used by the United States against popular movements and revolutionary struggles seeking self determination, Rania Khalek was joined by Vincent Bevins, author of the Jakarta Method and a journalist who has worked in Asia and Latin Am...
2022-12-1653 minRania Khalek DispatchesUS & Europe Want to Make Africa a Cold War Battleground Against Russia & China, w/ Mikaela Nhondo ErskogThe US and Europe have tried to make Africa a battleground in their Cold War against Russia and China. They‘ve even labeled Africa as NATO’s “Southern Neighborhood” and are using AFRICOM as a mechanism to control the continent under the guise of protecting it from malign Chinese and Russian influence.What does this mean for sovereignty and independence across Africa and how are African countries pushing back? To help break it all down Rania Khalek was joined by Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, a researcher at the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research...
2022-11-3043 minRania Khalek DispatchesIran Protests: What’s Happening and What Comes Next, w/ Prof. Mohammad MarandiIran’s protests have been more enduring than previous waves. Some call it a CIA-backed color revolution while others say it is a popular movement. There have been significant incidents of armed violence. And there is no doubt that Iran’s enemies will take advantage of any sign of weakness as they do in all countries deemed rogue. To better understand what's going on and what we can expect, Rania Khalek was joined by Mohammad Marandi, professor of english literature and orientalism at the University of Tehran....
2022-11-231h 15Rania Khalek DispatchesUS Sets Anti-China Trap for Europe — Will They Fall In? w/ Arnaud BertrandThe US is trying to reshape NATO into an anti-China alliance while demanding that the EU join in. So far the US has been somewhat immunized from the consequences of cutting economic ties with Russia. For Europe though, the outcome of sanctions has been much more dire as winter approaches. A decoupling from China would be even more devastating to Europeans, as indicated in the recent meetings with Macron and Scholz. Is the EU really willing to commit economic suicide for the US as it’s already doing with its Ukraine policy?T...
2022-11-1653 minRania Khalek DispatchesReviving the Left in the Post-9/11 Era: New Movements & Constant Turmoil w/ Brian BeckerHow did 9/11 change the direction of the US left? What about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the election of Obama and then Trump, the Arab Spring, Russiagate and now the war in Ukraine? How has the new Cold War against Russia and China created new lines of differentiation and what is the path forward?Brian Becker, host of The Socialist Program, joined Rania Khalek to talk about this and more in part 2 of their discussion about the US left. You can watch Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/Hf-lS...
2022-11-081h 11Rania Khalek DispatchesCensorship, Weaponizing Anti-Semitism & Getting Fired for Criticizing Israel, w/ Katie HalperKatie Halper joins Rania Khalek to talk about the aftermath of her getting fired from The Hill for criticizing Israeli apartheid as well as the ongoing cynical weaponization of anti-Semitism to discredit advocacy for Palestinian human rights. The segment that got Katie fired from The Hill: https://youtu.be/_3xLOxx1ggQListen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts.Apple: https://apple.co/3zeYpeW Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3za9DRK...
2022-11-0149 minRania Khalek DispatchesUS Brings World to Brink of Nuclear Armageddon As Europe Self Destructs, w/ Ali AbunimahAs the U.S. pours a seemingly endless amount of weapons into Ukraine to weaken Russia, Western officials and pundits are very casually setting us up for a potential nuclear war that would be catastrophic for humanity. Meanwhile European hardship continues to skyrocket as sanctions on Russia destroy its economy and cause gas shortages while European leaders and media demonstrate shocking levels of racism and hypocrisy.To help make sense of it all Rania Khalek is joined by Ali Abunimah, director of The Electronic Intifada and author of “The Battle for Ju...
2022-10-221h 18Rania Khalek DispatchesHow Italy Elected a Fascist Admirer, Faking Populism While Backing NATOHow can we comprehend the victory of Giorgia Meloni, an admirer of Mussolini, in Italy's recent elections? Is she a fascist? Does this represent a surging far-right trend in Europe? How has the war in Ukraine impacted Italian politics? And where is the Italian left in all of this? To discuss this and more Rania Khalek was joined by Maurizio Coppola, a member of the international office of the Italian political party Power to the People!.Listen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches a...
2022-10-1956 minRania Khalek DispatchesReality vs Propaganda: Understanding Iran’s Protests, w/ Navid ZarrinnalNavid Zarrinnal, a Columbia Univ. PhD and Iranian scholar at Stanford University, joined Rania Khalek to help make sense of the unrest in Iran over the morality police or guidance patrol amid the death of Mahsa Amini and the way Western governments are using a legitimate grievance to promote instability in Iran. They also discuss the way the protests have been exaggerated by Western anti-Iran media, the role of hawkish exiles in promoting false narratives about a “revolution” and the actual conversation about the hijab mandate taking place inside Iran. Navid welco...
2022-10-141h 16Rania Khalek DispatchesHow the US Used Saudi Arabia to Fuel Fanaticism & Fight Progressive Movements Worldwide, w/ As’ad AbukhalilTo discuss the history of the Arab Gulf states as Western imperial outposts and the damage they have done and continue to do to the left and progressive movements around the world, Rania Khalek was joined by As’ad Abukhalil, a Lebanese-American professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus.Listen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts.Apple: https://apple.co/3zeYpeW Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3za9DRK
2022-10-131h 17Rania Khalek DispatchesRound 2: Lula vs Bolsonaro, What’s At Stake In Brazil?To understand what Brazil has gone through in recent years, the significance of the recent election results and what it could mean for the country and the world, Rania Khalek was joined by Michael Fox, a freelance journalist based in Latin America, former editor of NACLA and host of the new podcast Brazil on Fire. Michael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mfox_us Michael’s podcast Brazil on Fire: https://nacla.org/brazil-on-fire-podcast Listen to ever...
2022-10-071h 12Rania Khalek DispatchesCulture Wars, Fake Populism & the Reactionary Rabbit Hole, w/ Chapo’s Matt ChristmanWith the Democratic Party hopelessly incapable of doing anything to address our many crises, the far-right has managed to brand itself as subversive using oligarch funding for anti-woke and pseudo-populist campaigns. The result is to send more and more lost and alienated people down the reactionary rabbit hole. How do we understand and navigate our way through this dystopian political scene? To discuss this and more Rania Khalek was joined by Matt Christman, co-host of the popular podcast Chapo Trap House.Listen to every e...
2022-10-051h 20Rania Khalek DispatchesHow Empires Die: The Lesson of the British for the End of the ‘American Century’, w/ Sina RahmaniThe British Queen’s death has given rise to conversations about the crimes of colonialism as well as defenses and denials of it. Meanwhile the US can’t impose itself on the Global South the way it used to, it appears both at home and abroad to be an empire in decline. To discuss empires, both dead and dying, why colonialism still matters and the anti-imperialist struggle around the world, Rania Khalek was joined by Sina Rahmani, creator of East Is A Podcast.Sina on Tw...
2022-09-211h 13Rania Khalek DispatchesWar on ‘Russian Disinformation’ is the New ‘War on Terror’ and Equally Fake w/ Ben NortonTo discuss the disinformation industry and how it's contributed to the collapse of foreign reporting in the West, Rania Khalek was joined by Ben Norton, a Latin America based journalist and founder of Multipolarista. Ben’s article discussed in the episode: https://multipolarista.com/2022/04/14/new-york-times-attack-propaganda/Listen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts.Apple: https://apple.co/3zeYpeW Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3za9D...
2022-09-161h 17Rania Khalek DispatchesImperialist West Digging Its Own Grave As Global South, China Rise, w/ Bikrum GillAre Russia & China imperialist like the US? Will the decline of the west lead to more fascism in the global north? What is sovereignty? Is every country entitled to it? Where do sanctions fit in? What does it mean that the Global South is refusing to get on board with them? And what are the alternatives to the current so-called rules-based international order? To discuss this and more Rania Khalek was joined by Bikrum Gill, who teaches at the department of political science at Virginia Tech. Follow Bi...
2022-09-141h 28Rania Khalek DispatchesAfrica Stands Up to US Cold War Bullying Against China & Russia, w/ Kambale MusavuliWhat does the US Cold War with China and Russia mean for Africa? Can China’s rise benefit the continent, providing it leverage and another partner to rely on? Or is the State Department correct that China is engaging in neocolonialism and that African countries should be cautious and prioritize their relationship with the US? To discuss this and more, Rania Khalek was joined by Kambale Musavuli, an activist, writer, and analyst with the Center for Research on the Congo-Kinshasa. Kambale’s organization: http...
2022-09-031h 08Rania Khalek DispatchesRussia Sanctions Backfire on Europe As Proxy War Destroys Ukraine, w/ Tarik Cyril AmarTo discuss the censored reality of the war in Ukraine and its horrific consequences, Rania Khalek was joined by Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany, who is currently associate professor of history at Koc University in Istanbul, working on Russian, Ukrainian, and generally East European history.Listen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts.Apple: https://apple.co/3zeYpeW Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3za9DRK
2022-09-011h 29Rania Khalek DispatchesIsrael vs Axis of Resistance: A New Era of Mutually-Assured Destruction, w/ Ali Abunimah & Rania KhalekThe occupation of Palestine continues with no end in sight, and this remains the primary political struggle in the region as America’s client states normalize with Israel. But now there’s a new backdrop: the war in Ukraine exposing Western double standards alongside the US-China New Cold War. Fundamental to US geostrategic aims in the region is taming the “axis of resistance” stretching from Iraq to Iran to Syria to Lebanon and Palestine. This played out in yet another Israeli bombing campaign against the besieged Gaza Strip.
2022-08-201h 19Rania Khalek DispatchesNATO Expands Into Africa As US Bullies the Continent Over Ukraine, w/ Vijay PrashadNATO expansion might have provoked the war in Ukraine, but surrounding Russia isn’t the organization’s only pursuit. NATO participated in the US “war on terror” in Afghanistan, NATO destroyed Libya and today NATO is expanding into Africa. To help break it all down, Rania Khalek was joined by Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and author of many books, including “Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations."Vijay’s articles discussed in the episode: Th...
2022-08-1258 minRania Khalek DispatchesMinority Rule: The US Is Not a Democracy, with Prof. Aziz RanaHow is it that judges arbitrarily chosen by presidents who didn't even win the popular vote are appointed for life and can overturn our most cherished rights? What’s with the veneration of the US constitution, which was written by slave owners? Is America really a democracy?To discuss this and more, Rania Khalek was joined by Aziz Rana, a professor of law at Cornell University and author of the book “The Two Faces of American Freedom.”Follow Aziz’s work here: https...
2022-07-291h 25Rania Khalek DispatchesWhat’s Behind Inflation & the Coming Recession? Corporate Greed & Russia Sanctions, w/Eugene PuryearA few months ago Democrats bragged that Americans were so supportive of President Biden's "unprecedented" Russia sanctions turning the ruble into rubble, that they couldn't wait to pay higher gas prices. But now that prices are higher with no end in sight, Americans are irate with high costs eating into their earnings, and Democrats and Republicans are pretending the sanctions they enacted have nothing to do with it. Meanwhile mainstream economists are warning of a possible recession and saying the only way to get inflation down is to raise interest rates a...
2022-07-151h 15Rania Khalek DispatchesAmerica’s Descent Into Madness, w/ Chapo’s Felix Biederman & Rania KhalekFrom his perch at the Chapo Trap House podcast, Felix Biederman has been an acerbic observer and commentator. He joined Dispatches with Rania Khalek for a wide-ranging discussion about America’s cultural and political decline. Listen to every episode of Dispatches with Rania Khalek anywhere you get podcasts.Apple: https://apple.co/3zeYpeW Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3za9DRKTIME CODES: 0:00 Intro 1...
2022-07-121h 13Rania Khalek DispatchesUkraine Crisis Proves EU is Imperialist Trap Subservient to US, w/ former Greek MP Costas LapavitsasTo understand why the European Union exists and how it is changing due to the financial crisis and the war in Ukraine, Rania Khalek was joined by Costas Lapavitsas, a professor of economics at SOAS, author of “The Left Case Against the EU” and a former Syriza MP. He also has a forthcoming book out in 2023 called “The State of Capitalism” published by Verso Books. Listen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts.Apple: https://apple.co/3zeYpeW Sp...
2022-07-051h 20Rania Khalek DispatchesWhy So Many Pakistanis Believe the US Backed a Coup Against Imran Khan, w/ Azhar ImranWhether or not there was a U.S.-backed coup against Pakistan’s deposed leader Imran Khan is a point of great debate. On a recent episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek spoke with Pakistani professor Taimur Rahman, who argued that it was not a coup: https://youtu.be/nA5UCTz4oys But judging by the crowds in the street, many Pakistanis believe that there was in fact a coup and that the US played a major role. To understand why so many Pakistanis are demonstrating in support of Imran Khan, Ran...
2022-04-301h 13Rania Khalek DispatchesUkraine War: Europe Shackles Itself to America's Reckless Foreign Policy, w/ Prof Wolfgang StreeckTwo months into the war on Ukraine, why have Europeans allowed the US, which is of course not part of Europe, to dictate reckless policies against Russia over what are purely European issues? Is this a desperate last ditch effort to halt American and Western decline?To discuss the future of Europe and the Western-dominated order, Rania Khalek was joined by Wolfgang Streeck, a sociologist and emeritus director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.Listen to every episode of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts.
2022-04-281h 01Rania Khalek Dispatches‘Russian Agent!’ McCarthyite Attacks on Anti-Imperialists, w/ Justin Podur & Rania KhalekMainstream media are whipping up a frenzy against leftists who oppose US imperialism and NATO, smearing them as “Russian agents” for trying to analyze this conflict and its causes with nuance rather than emotion or jingoism.With Western media exclusively focused on Ukraine, simply reminding people that Afghanistan is being starved due to U.S. policies, that Yemen is still being bombed and besiged, and that Syria, Cuba, Iran and Venezuela are still being sanctioned leads to accusations of “whataboutism.” And daring to point out the NATO and US role in setting the stage for Russ...
2022-03-291h 34Rania Khalek DispatchesHow Ukraine War Affects the World Order & the Global Power Balance, w/ Vijay Prashad & Rania KhalekThe impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine isn’t isolated to Europe. As the US and NATO pour weapons into a Ukrainian insurgency, the risk for confrontation between nuclear-armed power is rising. Does this mark the end of unipolarity and the beginning of a multipolar world? If so, what does that mean? How will support for a Ukrainian insurgency feed into the rise of the global far right? What will be the impact of the war and sanctions on Russia, which are already causing wheat, fertilizer and gas prices to skyrocket? And what should be the anti-imperialist left...
2022-03-141h 23Rania Khalek DispatchesUkraine War Exposes US Hypocrisy, Double Standards & Racism, w/ Ali Abunimah & Rania KhalekIt’s not for nothing that the US has been called the “United States of Amnesia.” The same leaders who invaded Iraq and killed a million people, who are starving Yemenis and Afghans, who label Palestinians "terrorists" for throwing rocks, and who took every opportunity to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine since 2014, have suddenly dusted off their international law books with regard to Russia and are celebrating and promising to arm the Ukranian resistance.To discuss the government and media hypocrisy and dangerous escalation by the West and Russia, Rania Khalek is joined by Ali Ab...
2022-03-021h 24Rania Khalek DispatchesMeet the U.S. Students Studying Medicine For Free in CubaBT’s Rania Khalek paid a visit to the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, also known as ELAM. Cuba’s socialist government foots the bill for students, who come from all over the world to study medicine for free. Tuition, accommodation and board are free, and they even throw in a government stipend for students to live on. The one condition? Graduates have to return to serve in low-income communities.A testament to Cuba's commitment to internationalism, ELAM is one of - if not the largest - medical schools in the world, with tens of thou...
2022-02-0315 minRania Khalek DispatchesHow Cuban Socialism Survived Against the Empire Next Door, w/ Prof. Helen YaffeThe U.S. government has tried to destabilize the tiny island nation of Cuba for 60 years all as punishment for Cuba daring to have a revolution and forge a path independent of U.S. capitalism. Yet Cuba has survived, and even thrived, most recently developing its own highly effective COVID vaccine while dispatching doctors around the world.How did Cuba keep the revolution alive even as socialist projects in other Global South countries failed with the collapse of the Soviet Union? What was the role of individuals like Che Guevara in laying the foundation...
2021-12-031h 38Rania Khalek DispatchesHow China Is Taking On Billionaires and Big Tech to Combat Inequality, w/ Tings ChakChina is imposing harsh regulations on private education, big tech, and billionaires. The new Cold Warriors in the U.S. government and media call these moves authoritarian, leftward tyranny, and bad for business. But Chinese president Xi Jinping calls it part of a “common prosperity” agenda to create a more equitable society on the road to building socialism.To help understand the Chinese point of view, Rania Khalek was joined by Tings Chak, a writer and researcher with Dongsheng News and the Tricontinental Institute.
2021-12-011h 00Rania Khalek DispatchesHow U.S. Media Whitewashes TPLF Atrocities to Push Regime Change In Ethiopia, w/ Jemal CountessWhy is the coverage of the war in Ethiopia so one-sided? What’s really happening on the ground? And how does it compare to the narrative being presented in U.S. media? Rania Khalek is joined by Jemal Countess, a photojournalist with Getty Images and Redux Pictures who was formerly based in Ethiopia and has reported from around the country since the war started. He is currently based in the United States.
2021-11-231h 06Rania Khalek DispatchesThe Hybrid War On Lebanon Is All About Weakening HezbollahLebanon has endured constant attacks and pressure from Israel, America and their allies for decades, sometimes in the form of direct military confrontation and more recently through a hybrid war involving sanctions, propaganda, violent provocations, social media, western NGOs and embassies -- all to weaken Hezbollah. To discuss all of this Rania Khalek is joined by researcher and journalist Julia Kassem, who has a masters degree from the American University of Beirut and is a contributor to the Al Akhbar, a widely circulated Lebanese leftist newspaper.
2021-11-191h 31Rania Khalek DispatchesWhy Capitalism Needs Imperialism To Drain Wealth From the Global South, w/ Marxist Economist Utsa PatnaikWhy does capitalism need imperialism? What is the magnitude of colonial and imperial theft of resources from the Global South? How did global capitalism adapt after World War II and in the neoliberal era? And how is it fueling neofascist movements today? Rania Khalek was joined by renowned Marxist Economist Utsa Patnaik. She is co-author of "A Theory of Imperialism" and the more recent "Capital and Imperialism: Theory, History, and the Present," with Prabhat Patnaik.
2021-11-161h 40Rania Khalek DispatchesHow Neoliberal Capitalism Fortifies Israel’s Occupation of PalestineWhen we think of Palestine we think of the struggle for liberation against occupation, settler colonialism, and brutal military oppression. What often gets left out is how this fits into neoliberal capitalism. Adopting private development and neoliberalization under Israeli occupation not only failed to promote Palestinian sovereignty but instead it led to further subjugation to israel.To delve into this topic, Rania Khalek was joined by Kareem Rabie, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois and author of the book, “Palestine is Throwing a Party and the Whole World is Invited: Capital and State Bu...
2021-11-1149 minRania Khalek DispatchesDebunking the Media Lies Fueling War in Ethiopia, w/ Journalist Hermela AregawiNovember 4 is the one year anniversary of the TPLF attacks on the Ethiopian government's Northern Command base, kicking off a brutal war. The TPLF is now advancing towards Addis Ababa, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. The U.S. government has continued to condemn Ethiopia for fighting back against the TPLF insurgency, leading many Ethiopians to believe that Washington is supporting a violent coup in their country. Hermela Aregawi is an Ethiopian-American journalist of Tigrayan descent who has been relentlessly attacked and smeared for calling out biased media reporting on the conflict. She joined R...
2021-11-061h 00Rania Khalek DispatchesDebunking the Media Lies Fueling War in Ethiopia, w/ Journalist Hermela AregawiNovember 4 is the one year anniversary of the TPLF attacks on the Ethiopian government's Northern Command base, kicking off a brutal war. The TPLF is now advancing towards Addis Ababa, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. The U.S. government has continued to condemn Ethiopia for fighting back against the TPLF insurgency, leading many Ethiopians to believe that Washington is supporting a violent coup in their country. Hermela Aregawi is an Ethiopian-American journalist of Tigrayan descent who has been relentlessly attacked and smeared for calling out biased media reporting on the conflict. S...
2021-11-0512 minRania Khalek DispatchesReckless U.S. Provocations Over Taiwan Risk War with ChinaAs tensions heat up over Taiwan, everything the U.S. does is depicted as defensive while everything China does is framed as menacing, aggressive and authoritarian. But the island’s history has been totally left out of the coverage.How did Taiwan come to be? Is it part of China? How has the U.S. used Taiwan as a weapon against China both historically and today? Is there a similar situation with Tibet? With Xinjiang? With Hong Kong? Is this really about supporting self-determination and independence or part of a strategy by...
2021-10-281h 08Rania Khalek DispatchesIs a Multipolar World the Answer to U.S. Imperialism? w/ Vijay PrashadIs there a growing resistance to the unipolar imperial order? Is the US an empire in decline? Will the future be a multipolar one? If so, what does that mean ans how should the left in the imperialist core respond? To discuss this and more, Rania Khalek was joined by Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and author of “Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations.”
2021-10-261h 01Rania Khalek DispatchesCrisis In Ethiopia: Breaking Through the Propaganda, w/ Eugene PuryearThe U.S. and EU have accused Ethiopia of every atrocity imaginable and now they’re preparing sanctions. The Ethiopian government insists that it’s legitimately fighting a separatist group, the formerly ruling TPLF, which is attempting to regain power through violence and terrorism.Who’s telling the truth? What explains the one-sided media coverage? How do Eritrea and Sudan fit into it all? What’s driving Washington’s destabilizing policies in the Horn of Africa, which have alienated a longtime U.S. ally?To help cu...
2021-10-151h 59Rania Khalek DispatchesHow U.S. Meddling Distorted Russian Politics, w/ Leftist Alexey SakhninIn the American mind, Russia is associated with the Soviet Union — the red menace — and long standing Russophobia clearly echoes in the coverage of Putin today. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) officially received 19 percent of the vote, but the KPRF claims their vote totals were suppressed. What explains the recent election results, does Putin remain popular, and how does American interference influence Russian politics? Rania Khalek was joined by Russian leftist, journalist and activist Alexey Sakhnin, whose work has appeared at Jacobin and New Left Review.
2021-10-111h 47Rania Khalek DispatchesKilling Modernity: How the US & Britain Destroyed the Afghan Left, w/ Vijay PrashadIt’s been 20 years since the US invaded Afghanistan. As the US finally withdrew, Taliban control over Afghanistan has been portrayed as inevitable. But what happened to the other political forces in the country?The war on Afghanistan didn’t really start in 2001. US meddling goes back to the 1970s and British meddling even further. Most people don’t know that there have been liberal, secular nationalist, and communist Afghan forces who tried to transform their country but were prevented from doing so by Western imperial powers who supported religious and tribal...
2021-10-0558 minRania Khalek DispatchesVoices from the African Left: China vs the US & the New Cold WarWestern governments along with their loyal media and think tanks warn that China is colonizing, exploiting, and forcing Africa into a debt trap. Is this true? Or is it Cold War propaganda? What is China’s actual role in Africa and how does it compare with the West’s? To help us understand what's really happening, Rania Khalek was joined by two leading African leftists: Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, an educator and researcher with Pan Africanism Today, a researcher at the Tricontinental Institute, and a member of the organizing committee of No Cold...
2021-09-281h 26Rania Khalek DispatchesMarxist Epidemiologist Calls Bullsh*t on Antivaxxers, Details COVID's Capitalist RootsAnti-scientific conspiracy theories are spreading, not just among the right, but even among some segments of the left. To address this issue from a Marxist perspective, Rania Khalek spoke with Rob Wallace, an evolutionary epidemiologist at the Agroecology and Rural Economics Research Corps in St. Paul and author of “Dead Epidemiologists: On the Origins of COVID-19.”
2021-09-201h 13Rania Khalek DispatchesRed Yemen: From Socialist State to Bombed-Out Neoliberal RuinThe Saudis, backed by the Americans, have been waging a war against Yemen since 2015, causing massive civilian casualties as well as famine and a cholera epidemic. How did Yemen get here? Yemen’s modern history is fascinating and overlooked, and few are aware of the Marxist republic that existed in South Yemen from 1967 to 1990. To help place recent events in their historical context, Rania Khalek was joined by Helen Lackner, a research associate at SOAS, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and the author of several books, including, “Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War.”...
2021-09-171h 04Rania Khalek DispatchesLost History: When Europeans Fled to the Middle East. Plus, Myanmar And China, w/ Michael VatikiotisRania Khalek spoke with writer and conflict mediator Michael Vatikiotis about his latest book exploring the lost history of Europeans fleeing to safety in the Middle East over a century ago. Vatikiotis discusses recent developments in Myanmar, China and Southeast Asia. He is the Asia director at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a leading conflict resolution organization.
2021-09-131h 20Rania Khalek DispatchesKurdistan: Iraq’s Unknown Dictatorship, with Kamal ChomaniThe Game of Thrones politics of Kurdistan is fascinating and neglected, involving family and tribal dictators, international intrigue from the likes of Turkey, Iran and Israel, and the elusive PKK. Rania Khalek spoke with Kamal Chomani, a political analyst from Iraqi Kurdistan. They discussed the nuances of the political parties that make up the leadership in Iraqi Kurdistan, their relationship to the Iraqi government and its neighbors, the plight of the Yazidis, the Kurdish issue in other parts of the Middle East and more.
2021-09-101h 37Rania Khalek DispatchesHow China Lifted 850 Million People Out of Extreme Poverty, w/ Tings ChakIn February, the Chinese government celebrated the eradication of extreme poverty within its borders. This would be a massive achievement for any country, but for China it’s even more so as it is home to some 1.4 billion people and is considered a developing country. China is credited with lifting over 800 million people out of poverty, which accounts for 70 percent of the world’s total poverty reduction. This is an incredible feat and it’s worth understanding how China did it. To discuss this and more, Rania Khalek was joined by Tings Chak, a researcher at the Tric...
2021-09-081h 17Rania Khalek DispatchesXinjiang, Hong Kong, Media Lies and the War On China, w/ Daniel DumbrillRania Khalek was joined by @Daniel Dumbrill , a political commentator on China-related issues who is based in Shenzhen, to speak about his experiences in Hong Kong, his recent trip to Xinjiang and how it relates to America's new Cold War.
2021-08-311h 26Rania Khalek DispatchesFormer Ethiopian Diplomat Blasts TPLF As Tools of Imperialism In Horn of AfricaAs the situation in Ethiopia continues to escalate, the war over narratives is in full force. Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? Is it even that black and white? Is the TPLF fighting a war for liberation of the Tigrayan people against a cruel government or is it executing a war of aggression to regain power after losing it? And what should we make of recent developments such as the Oromo Liberation Front joining the TPLF in its fight against the state? What does it all mean for the greater Horn region?
2021-08-201h 30Rania Khalek DispatchesView from Iran: US Withdrawal From Afghanistan Reflects A Weakened Empire, w/ Mohammad MarandiAll eyes are on Afghanistan as the Taliban has rapidly taken over the entire country. Most coverage is focused on what this means for the US. But in reality, the West is removed and distant, Iran, on the other hand, is Afghanistan's neighbor and hosts about 2 million official or unofficial Afghan refugees and will likely absorb even more. Iran had a bad relationship with the Taliban in the 90s, which killed its diplomat. Iran now has to deal with this new reality on its border.To discuss this and other developments in and around Iran, including sanctions...
2021-08-181h 38Rania Khalek DispatchesBiden’s Imperial Foreign Policy in the Age of American Decline, w/ Daniel BessnerRania Khalek was joined by Daniel Bessner, associate professor of international studies at the University of Washington and co-host of the podcast American Prestige, to talk about US foreign policy under Biden. What’s changed? What hasn’t changed? Is the US empire collapsing? And what should a progressive foreign policy look like?
2021-08-141h 00Rania Khalek DispatchesFlint Cover Up, Evictions, Nina Turner & Left Media Meltdown, with Jordan CharitonRania Khalek was joined by Jordan Chariton, journalist and co-founder of Status Coup, to discuss the massive cover-up of the toxic water scandal in Flint, the ongoing eviction crisis in spite of the moratorium, corporate Democrats tanking Nina Turner’s campaign, and the crisis in left media, where censorship and underhanded algorithms suppress content that challenges the corporate media line as the left media ecosystem has descended into a bickering match between personalities.
2021-08-131h 08Rania Khalek DispatchesOne Year After Beirut Port Blast, Who’s Really Behind Lebanon’s Collapse?It's been one year since the Beirut port exploded, killing over 200 people and wounding thousands. And it's been almost two years since Lebanon's Ponzi scheme economy started crashing.The West often blames the devastation that has befallen Lebanon on government mismanagement, sectarianism, bureaucratic incompetence, internal corruption, and their favorite boogeyman, Hezbollah. But you can't speak honestly about Lebanon's problems without mentioning the constant US, Saudi, and Israeli meddling, western imperialism, the neoliberal dystopia that was imposed on Lebanon, and US sanctions. And you can't isolate Lebanon from destructive US policies in the countries surrounding it, from Syria...
2021-08-051h 32Rania Khalek DispatchesEthiopian Journalist Dismantles One-Sided Western Coverage of TPLF & War In TigrayThe situation in Ethiopia has continued to escalate, with accusations of genocide, warnings of famine, and threats of sanctions. What began as a war between the TPLF in Tigray and the Ethiopian government is spilling into neighboring areas as the TPLF appears to launch more offensives in the Afar and Amhara regions. The growing violence threatens to destabilize Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country, and the greater Horn region should it continue unabated. To help us understand what's happening inside the country and to address the one-sided Western media coverage that p...
2021-07-301h 13Rania Khalek DispatchesWas There a Coup in Tunisia? Expert Fadil Aliriza Breaks it DownTunisia is where the Arab uprisings erupted in December 2010, spreading east and ushering in 10 years of change, chaos, and wars. It’s also the only “Arab Spring” country that could claim some success in transitioning to democracy. That’s why many were shocked to see Tunisia’s President Kais Saied oust the government and freeze parliament, using the army. Some Tunisians are celebrating what has been denounced as a coup by the ruling parties, and there are allegations of Emirati assistance. Is this a minor constitutional crisis, an economic uprising, or a coup against a Muslim Brotherhood government...
2021-07-271h 03Rania Khalek Dispatches10 Years of South Sudan: How the West Created A Predatory RegimeJuly 9th marked the 10th anniversary of the creation of South Sudan. The US State Department lamented that the young country has “seen much suffering” and “the promise of peace and prosperity that independence represented remains unfulfilled.”To help us understand why the optimism of the West and South Sudanese in 2011 remains unfulfilled, Rania Khalek was joined by Joshua Craze, an anthropologist who spent many years researching in South Sudan and has taught in various universities. He's also a research fellow at the London School of Economics.
2021-07-271h 22Rania Khalek DispatchesCrisis In Ethiopia: What the Media Isn't Telling You About the War In TigrayEthiopia has been in the headlines in recent months as the TPLF, a Tigrayan rebel group that ruled the country for three decades, violently seized the northern Ethiopian state of Tigray from the government. As of this recording, the Ethiopian government had declared a ceasefire. However, the TPLF has continued fighting to expand its control over Tigray's border areas and threatening to push the war into neighboring countries. The Western media has largely cheered on the TPLF and demonized the Ethiopian government and its allies, with allegations of ethnic cleansing, intentional famine and even genocide. The US h...
2021-07-221h 17Rania Khalek DispatchesInside Look at Afghanistan As US Withdraws, Taliban Gains & Media PanicsAfter seemingly forgetting Afghanistan for years, Western media has rediscovered it in time to provide panicked and hand-wringing coverage of the US-led coalition's withdrawal, as well as the apparent rapid gains made by the Taliban. Is the country on the verge of collapse? What will happen and what do Afghanistan’s people want? To help make sense of this, Rania Khalek is joined by Obaidullah Baheer, a lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan and Kardan on peace and conflict resolution-related subjects. He is also an expert on negotiations with the Taliban and a prolific writ...
2021-07-1643 minRania Khalek DispatchesCruel US Blockade Causing Misery and Unrest in CubaUS officials and their corporate media mouthpieces were elated at the sight of protests in Cuba in recent days against deteriorating living conditions that are a direct result of the US blockade, which Trump increased and Biden has maintained during the pandemic to deliberately heighten suffering at a time when Cuba was sending doctors around the world to fight the disease.As is often the case when an adversary country experiences protests of any kind, it was immediately weaponized to push for a regime change narrative against Cuba. There's so much to unpack, from the protest double...
2021-07-1457 minRania Khalek DispatchesWhy is Biden's Iran Policy the Same as Trump's?Assal Rad, a Senior Research Fellow at NIAC (the National Iranian American Council) joins Rania Khalek Dispatches to discuss the ongoing suffering of Iranians from US sanctions, the return to the Iran nuclear deal, and how little has actually changed under Biden as his team seems to escalate.
2021-07-131h 17Rania Khalek Dispatches"Capitalism in Africa has failed": Meet the Socialist Running for President of ZambiaFred M’membe, leader of the Socialist Party of Zambia, is running for president in the upcoming August election. Can he win? He joins Rania Khalek Dispatches to discuss the failure of capitalist policies on the African continent and how his party's platform can fix it
2021-07-0937 minRania Khalek DispatchesPalestine Update: Ali Abunimah on Israeli Ethnic Cleansing in SilwanRania Khalek is joined by Ali Abunimah, director of The Electronic Intifada and author of The Battle for Justice In Palestine, to discuss developments in Palestine and regionally following the formation of a new Israeli government and Israel’s war on Gaza. From Israel’s ethnic cleansing through forced demolitions in Silwan to the Palestinian Authority acting as puppet to the occupier, Israel’s war on Palestine hasn’t let up. How are Palestinians resisting? Who is supporting that resistance? Does the new Israeli government make a difference for better or worse? And how is it impacting other cou...
2021-07-081h 12Rania Khalek DispatchesOnly Anti-Imperialism Can Save Us From Climate Catastrophe, With Max AjlThe Green New Deal has become a popular slogan among progressive Democrats in recent years. But we need to be wary of the capitalist class co-opting the energy around climate change to maintain the imperialist global order they benefit from. To discuss this and more, Rania Khalek is joined by Max Ajl, a post doc at Wageningen University and a researcher with the Tunisian Observatory for Food Sovereignty and, relevant to this discussion, he is the author of the new book “A People’s Green New Deal” published by Pluto Press.
2021-07-061h 28Rania Khalek DispatchesWhy Must Palestinians Pay for Germany’s Crimes Against European Jews? Plus, PinkwashingGerman support for Israel appears to be unshakable no matter what the Israelis do to Palestinians. The irony of course is that much of this support for Israel is justified as necessary to make up for the German Holocaust against European Jews. It seems Palestinians are paying for Europe’s crimes. To discuss this phenomenon Rania Khalek is joined by Denijal Jegic, German author and post doctoral researcher at the Lebanese American University with a PhD in American studies who wrote about this topic for TRT in a piece titled, “Palestinians must suffer so Germany can feel bette...
2021-06-2848 minRania Khalek DispatchesIran After the Elections: Debunking the Propaganda with Mohammad MarandiBreakthrough’s Rania Khalek was joined by Professor of English Literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran Mohammad Marandi on her program Dispatches to discuss the results of the Iranian presidential election and some of the simplistic and misleading media portrayals of Iran that have come with that coverage.
2021-06-241h 27Rania Khalek DispatchesWestern Sahara: The last African territory awaiting decolonization. Plus Algeria’s civil war & LibyaIn December outgoing president Donald trump pulled one more shocking foreign policy decision when he recognized Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. Western Sahara has been disputed since the Spanish withdrew in 1975 and the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario front, an armed liberation movement, continued until the 1991 ceasefire. Last year the Polisario Front, which is backed by neighboring Algeria, declared the ceasefire over. Most recently, the Moroccans expressed fury after the leader of the Polisario Front was given medical treatment in Spain, and the Moroccans retaliated by u...
2021-06-2357 minRania Khalek DispatchesInside Iran: Elections, Democracy, Sabotage, Sanctions and ResistanceAs Iran prepares for presidential elections, Rania Khalek is joined by Iranian scholar at Columbia University Navid Zarrinnal on her program Dispatches to discuss developments in Iran, from the coming elections to the tumultuous Trump years, relations with the Biden administration, Iran’s role in the region and more.
2021-06-181h 13Rania Khalek DispatchesRenowned Marxist Economist Prabhat Patnaik: Capitalism Cannot Exist without ImperialismWhat is imperialism? Is it a stage of capitalism, as Lenin described it, or was it always essential to capitalism? Can capitalism exist without imperialism?Prahbat Patnaik, professor emeritus at JNU, joins Rania Khalek on her program Dispatches to discuss the argument he lays out in his book A Theory of Imperialism, which argues that capitalism was always a function of imperialism. But today’s imperialism takes a subtler less visible form than during colonialism , keeping large parts of the world in poverty through mechanisms like income deflation so that the wealthy nations can maintain access to th...
2021-06-161h 33Rania Khalek DispatchesFormer Hostage of Al Qaeda in Syria Rejects Jolani’s PBS Makeover: “They Are Lunatics with Guns”PBS Frontline released a long anticipated documentary featuring Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, formerly the head of Jabhat Al Nusra, the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, which is now called Hayat Tahrir al Sham, or HTS. Jolani is attempting to rebrand himself and his organization in an effort to be removed from the US terrorism list so he can be legitimized as the leader of Idlib in northern Syria. Has Jolani and his group’s allegiance to al Qaeda really changed? Or is this a sinister charm offensive to maintain and even gain more power with the backing of the...
2021-06-111h 14Rania Khalek DispatchesCorporate Tyranny: How Chevron Conspired with US Courts to Destroy a Human Rights LawyerHuman rights lawyer Steven Donziger has been thrust into an epic battle with one of the biggest oil companies in the world. He helped win a multi billion dollar lawsuit against the Oil Giant Chevron for polluting the Amazon in Ecuador and poisoning the indigenous community who lives there. Ever since then Chevron has waged a relentless and global campaign to avoid accountability and to punish Doziger. In what reads like a Hollywood thriller, a US judge with ties to Chevron has conspired with the oil giant to destroy Donziger’s life. As a result of the cas...
2021-06-0338 minRania Khalek DispatchesHow Foreign Meddling Destabilizes The Horn Of AfricaWhile it’s not often in the news, the Horn of Africa is volatile and often the scene of violence and its countries are victims of international interventions and interference that has played a destabilizing role, from Djibouti and Eritrea to Somalia and Ethiopia. As western imperialism continues to prop up dictators while blocking any moves towards independence, the western-backed Gulf States are transforming the region into a battlefield against Iran and each other. Why is this region subjected to so much meddling? How is the new Cold War between the US and China playing out on the...
2021-06-0246 minRania Khalek DispatchesZionism, Imperialism & Why the Arab Uprisings Failed - With Joseph MassadJoseph Massad, Professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History at Columbia University, joins Dispatches with Rania Khalek to help break down everything from Israel’s value as an outpost of US imperialism and why the Arab uprisings failed to the recent victory of Palestinian resistance forces and why it’s crucial to incorporate anti-imperialism in our understanding of the Zionist project.
2021-06-021h 26Rania Khalek DispatchesThe Fight For Palestine With LowkeyLowkey joins Rania Khalek to talk Palestine and global resistance to Zionist apartheid.
2021-05-261h 09Rania Khalek DispatchesIsraeli dissident Amira Hass: ‘Without outside pressure’ Israel’s crimes will continueAs the violence continues across Israel-Palestine, to help make sense of how we got here and what happens next, Rania Khalek is joined by Amira Hass, an Israeli journalist at Haaretz who is based in Ramallah and has spent years reporting from Gaza and the West Bank. Hass provides an in-depth analysis on the radicalization of Israeli Jewish society, which is becoming increasingly right-wing as the religious settler mentality is exported from the West Bank into Israeli cities. “Settler colonialism is part of Israeli DNA” with Israeli settlers being “a privatized arm of Israeli state violence.” This is at the...
2021-05-1852 minRania Khalek Dispatches“Everyone is inciting against us!”- Israeli mobs attack Palestinians across the countryThe rising violence in Israel-Palestine has reached new levels of depravity, with roving gangs of Israeli Jewish mobs hunting for Palestinian citizens of Israel to attack while chanting for genocide, at times with the protection of the police. Suha Salman-Mousa, the executive director of the Mossawa Center, which advocates for Palestinian citizens of Israel, joins Rania Khalek on BT’s program Dispatches to help us understand the explosion of hate consuming Israel from within and the danger it poses to Palestinians.
2021-05-1744 minRania Khalek DispatchesGideon Levy makes sense of the violence consuming Israel-PalestineAs escalations continue across Israel-Palestine, from Israel bombing Gaza to Palestinian factions in Gaza launching rockets into Israel and the Israeli security apparatus escalating across the West Bank and even against Palestinian citizens of Israel protesting in their cities, to help make sense of all of it, Rania Khalek is joined by journalist and author Gideon Levy.
2021-05-1239 minRania Khalek DispatchesOngoing Nakba: Palestinian activist blasts Israeli violence at Al Aqsa and Sheikh JarrahWhat the hell is going on in Jerusalem? Has Israel totally lost it? Is this the beginning of a third intifada? Rania Khalek is joined by Ramallah-based activist Hadeel Shatara, coordinator of the Palestinian prisoner rights group Samidoun, to discuss Israeli violence in Sheikh Jarrah and Al Aqsa mosque, what’s driving Palestinian resistance, internal Palestinian political divisions, western media bias and how those outside of Palestine can help. In recent weeks Israeli settlers and police have escalated their violence in occupied east Jerusalem,. violently storming the al Aqsa mosque during Ramadan and attacking the neigh...
2021-05-1156 minRania Khalek DispatchesBehind Jerusalem violence is an Israel overtaken by religious zealotryAs Israeli violence against Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem heats up amid looming evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and Israeli police storming the al Aqsa mosque, Rania Khalek is joined by investigative journalist David Sheen from Haifa for insight into the Israeli side of the equation. Israeli Jewish extremism has been on the rise for years, explains David, with the religious Zionist movement gaining power in government and in the streets. Their messianic movement wants to demolish the Al Aqsa mosque and build a third Jewish temple in its place. They want to ethnically cleanse P...
2021-05-111h 04Rania Khalek DispatchesColombian state violence and its imperialist role destabilizing the regionWhat are Colombians protesting? Why are police gunning them down? And why is it being ignored? Rania Khalek is joined by Camila Escalante and Ollie Vargas, Bolivian-based journalists for the independent outlet Kawsachun News. They speak about the police killing protesters in Colombia, state-backed massacres of social activists, Colombia’s role as a US-backed destabilizing force in the region and how where ever the US meddles in Latin America, drug trafficking and right-wing violence follow. They also touch on the latest developments in post-coup Bolivia, what’s really behind the violence at the border between Colombia and Venez...
2021-05-0559 minRania Khalek DispatchesNew Woke CIA AdIntersectional regime change? Queer drone strikes? Katie Halper joins Rania Khalek to discuss the CIA’s latest recruitment video series “Humans of CIA,” which weaponizes identity politics and left buzzwords to woke-wash imperialism and advance the agendas of war and empire.
2021-05-0543 minRania Khalek DispatchesEnding the Forever War: What does the US withdrawal mean for Afghans?Is the US really ending the “forever war”? What does it mean for Afghans on all sides of the conflict? Rania Khalek is joined by Aziz Hakimi, an Afghan expert and researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute, who has done extensive field work throughout Afghanistan, for a comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan’s past and future in light of the American intervention and coming withdrawal.
2021-05-0455 minRania Khalek DispatchesGenocidal Israeli Mobs Attack Palestinians - Exclusive Ali Abunimah InterviewIn recent days, disturbing videos emerged of far right Israeli Jewish mobs roaming the streets of occupied East Jerusalem openly chanting for genocide and attacking Palestinians. Over 100 Palestinians were injured and at least 20 were hospitalized. Israeli police fired at Palestinians attempting to defend themselves with stun grenades, tear gas, skunk spray, and water cannons. They were also filmed brutality beating Palestinians. Meanwhile, mainstream media reports and US officials whitewashed the horrors as “clashes” faulting both sides.Rania Khalek is joined by Ali Abunimah, director of The Electronic Intifada and author of the Battle for Justice In Pa...
2021-05-0442 minRania Khalek DispatchesWhat’s really behind the nightmare at the border?In a special long-form mixed media edition of Dispatches, BreakThrough's Rania Khalek exposes a bipartisan crisis of imperialism decades in the making.
2021-04-3029 min