Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at Background Briefing.org, I'm Ian Masters,

and today we'll examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with the war in the Middle East expanding as jitters rattle Wall Street and the global markets,

with Trump announcing today that it's too late to talk to Iran's leaders,

adding that, quote, most of the people we had in mind are dead.

Joining us to discuss how Trump is torn between wanting to avoid another endless war,

while needing to keep the war going to justify invoking the Insurrection Act

to rig the midterm elections, is Sidney Blumenthal,

the former assistant and senior advisor to President Bill Clinton,

and senior advisor to Hillary Clinton.

He has been a national staff reporter for the Washington Post, Washington editor and staff

writer for The New Yorker, and his books include the bestsellers, The Clinton Wars,

the rise of the counter-establishment, and the permanent campaign. His latest book is All the

Powers on Earth, The Political Life of

Abraham Lincoln, 1856 to 1860, and his latest article at The Guardian we will discuss is

Trump has cornered himself with his war in Iran. Then we'll look into Trump's absurdly cynical call

for Iranians to take over their government, inviting them on a suicide mission to take to the streets after thousands were

recently gunned down by the same government now more fanatical than ever.

Joining us is Senatusi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy.

He writes on U.S.-Iran relations, Iranian politics and society, and nuclear proliferation.

And he has an article at the nation we will discuss, The Iranian Voices, America Isn't

Hearing.

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