Pushback with Aaron Mate

As Israel violates the ceasefire with relentless attacks on Gaza, The Grayzone’s Aaron Maté sits down with senior Hamas negotiator Basem Naim in Doha, Qatar. Naim survived the Israeli military’s attack on a gathering of Hamas officials in September. He discusses the UN-endorsed demand that Hamas disarm without a path to Palestinian self-determination; faltering efforts to unify Palestinian political factions; the bid to free political prisoners including Marwan Barghouti; the new Syrian government’s interdiction of weapons shipments to Hezbollah, and more. Guest: Dr. Basem Naim. Doha-based Hamas negotiator and former head of Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Transcribed - Published: 13 December 2025

The new President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka Mohammed al-Jolani, is in New York for what is widely being described as the first visit by a sitting Syrian president to the US in nearly six decades. But even more significant is another fact: it’s also the first state visit to the US by a leading veteran of Al Qaeda and ISIS. Just last year, al-Sharra/al-Jolani – the founding leader of Al Qaeda in Syria and a former deputy leader of ISIS -- was on the US terrorism list with a $10 million reward for his arrest. But after leading the overthrow of Syrian president Basher al-Assad, the US has removed that designation and welcomed Jolani’s ruling Al Qaeda offshoot government. After all, as Jake Sullivan put it at the outset of the dirty war in early, 2012, “Al Qaeda is on our side in Syria.” Because the US is on Al Qaeda’s side in Syria, that also means overlooking atrocities under its founding leader’s watch. Since al-Sharaa/al-Jolani took power, government forces have committed sectarian violence against Syria’s minority groups. In March, hundreds – possibly thousands – of Alawite civilians were massacred in Syria’s coastal regions. In July, hundreds more, mostly Druze civilians, were killed in Syria's Suweida region. The Grayzone’s Aaron Maté speaks to members of two Syrian minority communities about the ongoing sectarian violence at the hands of a ruling Al Qaeda offshoot that the US and allies helped put in power. Guests: Dr. Morhaf Ibrahim, head of the Alawite Association of the United States. Hibbah Jarmakani, a Druze Syrian-American originally from Suweida province in Syria.

Transcribed - Published: 22 September 2025

Benoit Paré is a former French defense ministry analyst who worked as an international monitor in eastern Ukraine from 2015 to 2022. In his first interview with a US outlet, Paré speaks to The Grayzone's Aaron Maté about the hidden reality of the Ukraine war in the Donbas region, where the US-backed Kyiv government fought Russia-backed rebels following the 2014 Maidan coup. Russia now demands that Ukraine accept its capture of the Donbas as a condition for ending the war. When it comes to which party is responsible for the failure to implement the Minsk accords, the 2015 peace pact that could have prevented the 2022 Russian invasion, Paré says. "I will be very clear. For me the fault lies on Ukraine... by far." Paré also warns that Ukrainian ultra-nationalists, who violently resisted the Minsk accords, remain a major obstacle to peace. Paré worked as a monitor for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a predominately European group. He recounts his experience as an OSCE monitor in Ukraine in his new book, "What I saw in Ukraine: 2015-2022, Diary of an International Observer." Benoit Paré's book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Saw-Ukraine-2015-2022-International/dp/295986011X

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2025

International legal expert and ex-UN Office of Human Rights Commissioner whistleblower Craig Mokhiber joins the Grayzone's Aaron Mate and Max Blumenthal to discuss the ICJ's landmark ruling ordering Israel to prevent genocide by its forces in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Transcribed - Published: 27 January 2024

Norman Finkelstein, historian and scholar, joins Aaron Maté for a live discussion about Israel's war on Gaza, the meaning of Hamas' atrocities, the question of genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and U.S. complicity. Recorded live in NYC on Nov. 7th, 2023.

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2023

A new report offers the most thorough exposé to date of the OPCW’s Syria cover-up scandal, in which the world’s top chemical watchdog manipulated an investigation to baselessly accuse Syria of a chemical weapons attack in the town of Douma. In April 2018, after dozens of dead victims were filmed at the scene, the US, UK, and France alleged that the Syrian government had dropped gas cylinders on Douma and launched airstrikes in purported retaliation. But leaks from inside the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons show that international inspectors found no evidence of a chemical attack, raising the possibility that the incident was staged by the insurgents who controlled Douma at the time. The OPCW team’s findings were suppressed and replaced with unsupported conclusions that aligned with the US-led narrative. When two veteran OPCW inspectors who deployed to Syria for the probe challenged the manipulation, they were silenced and later publicly defamed. The report is authored by the Berlin Group 21, which is comprised of founding OPCW Director General Jose Bustani, former senior UN official Hans Von Sponeck, Princeton law professor Richard Falk, and academic Piers Robinson of the Organization for Propaganda Studies. Its release follows the Brazilian government's recent public shift in support of accountability over the OPCW's cover-up scandal. The report was submitted to members of the European Parliament as a contribution to discussions around the OPCW. Aaron Maté speaks to Von Sponeck and Robinson about their new report, as well as the ongoing effort to challenge the OPCW's Douma deception and seek justice for the Douma victims. Guests: Hans von Sponeck and Piers Robinson. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 19 September 2023

John Mearsheimer, the eminent political scientist who has warned for years that NATO's Ukraine policy would lead to disaster, joins Aaron Maté to assess the state of the Ukraine proxy war and the dangers ahead. Guest: John Mearsheimer. R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 30 July 2023

Former Ukrainian government official and diplomat Andrii Telizhenko joins Aaron Maté to discuss how, in his view, powerful US figures including Joe Biden have used Ukraine for personal corruption and the geopolitical aim of bleeding Russia -- all to the detriment of Ukrainians. Telizhenko worked for the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office in Kyiv before moving to Ukraine's US Embassy in 2015. He went on to work for Blue Star Strategies, a Democrat-run lobbying firm that represented Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company that appointed Biden’s son Hunter to a lucrative board seat. Telizhenko, who cooperated with Rudy Giuliani's effort to dig up information about the Bidens' alleged corruption in Ukraine, has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for "having directly or indirectly engaged in, sponsored, concealed, or otherwise been complicit in foreign influence in a United States election." Guest: Andrii Telizhenko. Political consultant who was previously a Ukrainian government official and diplomat. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 13 July 2023

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

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2023

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

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2023

In a geopolitical shift, Brazil has come out in favor of accountability for the OPCW's Syria cover-up scandal. At a meeting of UN Security Council members on March 23rd, Brazil criticized the OCW's “poor” handling of the issue and rebuked the UK and other states for blocking the testimony of veteran Brazilian diplomat Jose Bustani, the OPCW’s first Director General. In response to remarks from The Grayzone's Aaron Maté, Ambassador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil, said: "You are clear, you are logical, and you come here with data." The Ambassador then asked Maté for suggestions on how to address the OPCW's Douma controversy. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Links: Video: "Aaron Mate at UN: OPCW cover-up denies justice to Douma victims" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1BCtPgyxY Aaron Mate: "Burying key evidence, new OPCW report covers up Douma’s unsolved deaths" https://thegrayzone.com/2023/03/27/burying-key-evidence-new-opcw-report-covers-up-doumas-unsolved-deaths/ Aaron Mate: "In Douma cover-up, OPCW’s new smoking gun backfires" https://thegrayzone.com/2023/02/03/opcw-smoking-gun-backfires/

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2023

Speaking to the United Nations Security Council, Aaron Maté of The Grayzone calls out the OPCW's ongoing cover-up of its investigation into the alleged April 2018 chemical attack in Douma, Syria. Aaron also debunks the latest efforts by the OPCW, in a new report put out by the watchdog's Investigation and Identification Team (IIT), to whitewash the scandal. Audio: Aaron Maté's opening remarks to UN Security Council members, March 24 2023. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2023

Seymour Hersh joins Aaron Maté to discuss his report on how the Biden administration bombed the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which blew up not only a vital Russian-German infrastructure project but a key off-ramp to peace in Ukraine. Guest: Seymour Hersh. Pulitzer-winning journalist who writes at https://seymourhersh.substack.com/. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 2 March 2023

In a new four-part series for the Columbia Journalism Review, veteran journalist Jeff Gerth documents US media's journalistic malpractice in covering Russiagate. Guest: Jeff Gerth, journalist who spent three decades as an investigative reporter at the New York Times, where he won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize. His new four-part series about US media’s Russiagate coverage in the “Columbia Journalism Review” is called “The press versus the president.” Read “The press versus the president" by Jeff Gerth https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-1.php Aaron Maté's new article on the NYT and Durham investigation: https://mate.substack.com/p/unchastened-by-russiagate-the-ny Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 16 February 2023

Author and scholar Norman Finkelstein on how the Left undermines class politics from within; the legacy of Barack Obama; censorious culture within US academia and his new book, “I'll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It." Guest: Norman Finkelstein. Author and scholar whose new book is “I'll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It." https://www.sublationmedia.com/product-page/i-ll-burn-that-bridge-when-i-get-to-it-print-edition https://www.normanfinkelstein.com/ Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 11 February 2023

Matt Taibbi joins The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal and Aaron Maté to discuss his reporting on internal Twitter files exposing US government pressure on the social media giant to validate Russiagate propaganda — and censor dissenting voices. Guest: Matt Taibbi, https://taibbi.substack.com/. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 15 January 2023

Scholar Nicolai Petro discusses the overlooked influence of Ukraine's far-right nationalist movement and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent admission that the Minsk Accords -- the international formula for ending the post-2014 Donbas civil war -- "was an attempt to give Ukraine time" to prepare for a conflict with Russia, rather than make peace. Petro is the author of the new book, "The Tragedy of Ukraine." Guest: Nicolai Petro. Professor of political science at the University of Rhode Island, and author of the new book: "The Tragedy of Ukraine: What Classical Greek Tragedy Can Teach Us About Conflict Resolution." Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 19 December 2022

After a 12-day visit, UN expert Alena Douhan calls for the lifting of US-led sanctions on Syria, where 90% of the population lives below the poverty line, 12 million grapple with food insecurity, millions are internally displaced, and electricity is scarce. The impact of the sanctions are compounded by a US military occupation of areas containing Syria's oil and wheat. Guest: Alena Douhan. UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 23 November 2022

After accusing Russia of firing missiles into Poland -- and triggering calls from Ukraine for direct NATO military intervention -- US officials are now acknowledging that Ukrainian air defenses were likely responsible. Douglas Macgregor, a retired Army Colonel and former senior Pentagon adviser, says the Poland scare underscores why the US top military officer, Gen. Mark Milley, has split from White House bureaucrats to call for diplomacy with Russia in order to end the Ukraine war. Guest: Douglas Macgregor. Retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 16 November 2022

As Russia escalates attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine following the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines and the Ukrainian attack on the Kerch bridge, diplomacy is nowhere to be found. Scholar and author Richard Sakwa on the latest in the Ukraine crisis. "The human losses are appalling," Sakwa says. "And yet, the language of peace cannot find an adequate expression." Guest: Richard Sakwa. Emeritus Professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent. His books include “Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands” and his latest, “Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War.” Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 1 November 2022

Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Dennis Kucinich, who led Congressional opposition to the Iraq war, reacts to the Congressional Progressive Caucus retracting a letter calling for diplomacy with Russia. "If we don't believe in diplomacy," Kucinich asks, "then where do we go as a country?". Guest: Dennis Kucinich. Former Congressmember (D-Ohio) and former Mayor of Cleveland.

Transcribed - Published: 29 October 2022

Jeffrey Sachs joins The Grayzone's Aaron Maté and Max Blumenthal to discuss escalating nuclear rhetoric in Ukraine proxy war, the bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines, and why a diplomatic off-ramp is more urgent than ever. Sachs also addresses the investigation into the origins of Covid-19. Guest: Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has also served as chair of the Lancet COVID-19 commission. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Aaron Mate on Substack: https://mate.substack.com/

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2022

Former Swiss intelligence officer and NATO adviser Jacques Baud on the next phase of the Russia-Ukraine war and new allegations that the US and UK undermined a peace deal that could have ended it. The West's aim "is not the victory of Ukraine, It's the defeat of Russia," Baud says. "The problem is that nobody cares about Ukraine. We have just instrumentalized Ukraine for the purpose of US strategic interests -- not even European interests." Guest: Jacques Baud. Former intelligence officer with the Swiss Strategic Intelligence Service who has served in a number of senior security and advisory positions at NATO, the United Nations, and with the Swiss military. Corrections: In his Sept. 21 speech, Putin did not make an explicit threat to use nuclear weapons. He vowed to "make use of all weapon systems available to us," in the event of "a threat to the territorial integrity of our country and to defend Russia and our people." On nuclear weapons, the US did not have a "No First Use" policy. On the 2020 campaign trail, Joe Biden said that he supported the idea of "No First Use." He abandoned that in his presidential nuclear posture; but that was reversing his campaign stance, not official US policy.

Transcribed - Published: 27 September 2022

Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate A recent article in The Guardian parroted a US state-funded group's evidence-free allegations that The Grayzone’s Aaron Maté -- who has reported extensively on the OPCW’s Syria cover-up scandal -- is "the most prolific spreader of disinformation" about Syria among a "network" of "conspiracy theorists." Aaron called Guardian reporter Mark Townsend on the phone to ask him to substantiate these defamatory claims, and why he didn’t reach out before printing them. Guest: Mark Townsend. Reporter for The Guardian who wrote the story, “Network of Syria conspiracy theorists identified” — now updated with Aaron Maté’s response. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/19/russia-backed-network-of-syria-conspiracy-theorists-identified Note: to reduce repetition, the recording of the phone call between Aaron and Mark Townsend has been shortened. Townsend was contacted for comment prior to publication of this segment, but did not respond.

Transcribed - Published: 19 July 2022

Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate In a live interview with CNN, former senior US official John Bolton admitted that he has "helped plan coups d’etat" in a number of foreign countries, including Venezuela. Fulton Armstrong, a former senior US intelligence official, has a unique perspective on Bolton's coup confession. In 2002, Bolton unsuccessfully tried to have Armstrong removed from his post after the US intelligence community refused to back Bolton's allegations of an advanced Cuban biological weapons program. Armstrong joins Aaron Maté to discuss his personal experience with Bolton and perspective on the legacy of US coup plots that Bolton candidly admitted to. Guest: Fulton Armstrong. Former National Intelligence Officer for Latin America -- the U.S. Intelligence Community's most senior analyst. Also a former CIA analyst and senior staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Currently a Lecturer at American University's School of International Service.

Transcribed - Published: 15 July 2022

The Grayzone's Aaron Maté and Max Blumenthal interview Michael Tracey live from Madrid, where NATO meets to plan a major escalation in the Ukraine proxy war and admit Sweden and Finland as members. Guest: Michael Tracey. https://mtracey.substack.com/ Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2022

In this live stream, Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss The Grayzone's report exposing UK journalist Paul Mason's collusion with a shady intelligence contractor to enlist the UK state in a plot to destroy this outlet and neutralize the British grassroots left. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Read more: https://thegrayzone.com/2022/06/07/paul-masons-covert-intelligence-grayzone/

Transcribed - Published: 11 June 2022

Historian and author Dr. Gerald Horne joins The Grayzone's Aaron Maté and Max Blumenthal for a live stream on the political and historical context behind the recent wave of mass shootings in the US; new revelations of the imperial plunder of Haiti; and the state of US hegemony amid a spiraling proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Guest: Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston. Author of more than three dozen books, including "The Counter-Revolution of 1836: Texas Slavery, Jim Crow and the Roots of U.S. Fascism."

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2022

In this livestream, former CIA officer and longtime antiwar activist Ray McGovern joins Aaron Mate and Max Blumenthal on new revelations of Hillary Clinton's direct involvement in Russiagate lies, the demise of DHS Minister of Truth Nina Jankowicz, how Bernie Sanders backed a giant giveaway to the arms industry in the form of Ukraine aid, and the latest on the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Transcribed - Published: 25 May 2022

The US House has approved another $40 billion for the proxy war in Ukraine, all while the realities on the ground are being concealed. Seth Harp, an investigative journalist and US Army veteran who recently reported from Ukraine, on the hidden realities of the dangerous conflict. Guest: Seth Harp. Journalist, contributing editor at Rolling Stone, and US Army veteran who served in Iraq. Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 13 May 2022

As the Russia-Ukraine war opens a new phase in the Donbas, scholar Richard Sakwa on the absence of diplomacy; the Western media's veneration of Zelensky; the European Union's self-implosion over the war; and the crackdown on dissent in both Ukraine and Russia. Guest: Richard Sakwa. Professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent. His books include "Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands” and his latest, “Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War." Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Links: "'One less traitor': Zelensky oversees campaign of assassination, kidnapping and torture of political opposition" https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/17/traitor-zelensky-assassination-kidnapping-arrest-political-opposition/ "Siding with Ukraine's far-right, US sabotaged Zelensky's mandate for peace" https://mate.substack.com/p/siding-with-ukraines-far-right-us?s=w "'Al Qaeda Is on Our Side': How Obama/Biden Team Empowered Terrorist Networks in Syria" https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2022/04/20/al_qaeda_is_on_our_side_how_obamabiden_officials_helped_create_a_safe_haven_for_terrorists_in_syria_827477.html

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2022

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters a new phase, former Swiss intelligence officer, senior United Nations official, and NATO advisor Jacques Baud analyzes the conflict and argues that the US and its allies are exploiting Ukraine in a longstanding campaign to bleed its Russian neighbor. Guest: Jacques Baud. Former intelligence officer with the Swiss Strategic Intelligence Service who has served in a number of senior security and advisory positions at NATO, the United Nations, and with the Swiss military. Jacques Baud's article on the Ukraine war: https://www.thepostil.com/the-military-situation-in-the-ukraine/ Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2022

Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate speak live with ex-UN weapons inspector and military expert Scott Ritter about the Russia-Ukraine war. Ritter provides a detailed analysis of the battlefield that stands in stark contrast to the rose-colored perspective of most Western analysts, and offers his perspective on the political follies that drove the conflict. Guest: Scott Ritter. Former UN Weapons Inspector and Marine Corps Intelligence Officer.

Transcribed - Published: 23 March 2022

Support Pushback: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Chas Freeman, a retired senior US diplomat, analyzes Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US role, and the geopolitical fallout. "Everything we are doing, rather than accelerate an end to the fighting and some compromise, seems to be aimed at prolonging the fighting," Freeman says. Guest: Chas Freeman. Veteran U.S. diplomat and public servant who has served in many senior positions, including as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and as the principal US interpreter during President Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972.

Transcribed - Published: 22 March 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Former senior advisor the Secretary of Defense Col. Doug Macgregor joins Max Blumenthal and Aaron Maté for a live discussion of the Russia-Ukraine war and his time in the Trump administration when an Afghan withdrawal was sabotaged and conflict with Iran and Syria continued. Guest: Douglas Macgregor, retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor.

Transcribed - Published: 15 March 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate As the wife of key Russiagate figure George Papadopoulos, attorney Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos had a front-row seat to the Trump-Russia saga. Mangiante discusses the role of Russiagate in sabotaging diplomacy with Russia and fueling the post-2014 proxy war in Ukraine, as well her new documentary film, "Ukraine: The Everlasting Present." Guest: Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos. Attorney and former EU legal advisor. Join Aaron on Callin today, Sunday March 13, at 5pm ET: https://www.callin.com/room/16-us-russia-trade-dangerous-allegations-in-QtoGDesQtZ Aaron's article discussed in this segment: https://mate.substack.com/p/as-durham-closes-in-fbis-trump-russia?s=w

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Russia has accused the US of waging 'economic war' as it faces crippling sanctions, the seizure of its foreign reserves, and an exodus of Western corporations. Ben Aris of bne IntelliNews discusses the economic consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, inside Russia and around the world. Guest: Ben Aris. Founder and editor of bne IntelliNews. www.bne.eu

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2022

After eight years of civil war in the Donbas triggered by the US-backed, far-right-led Maidan coup and fueled by US weapons, Ukraine is now under a catastrophic Russian assault. Scholar Nicolai Petro on the tragedy of Ukraine. Guest: Nicolai Petro. Professor of political science at the University of Rhode Island, editor of "Ukraine in Crisis," and the author of the forthcoming "The Tragedy of Ukraine." He is also a member of the board of the American Committee for U.S.-Russia Accord.

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate After weeks of US claims that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was imminent, Vladimir Putin instead recognized the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk. The decision has triggered a new round of US-led sanctions while bringing attention to rebel-held areas, where, according to UN figures on the Donbas war, 80% of civilian casualties have occurred since 2018. Professor Richard Sakwa analyzes the factors behind Putin's move, and its likely consequences. Putin's decision, he says, comes after Kiev refused to implement the 2015 Minsk accords, which could have ended the conflict, and a longstanding US-driven project to expand NATO to Russia's borders. Guest: Richard Sakwa. Professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent. His books include “Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands” and his latest, “Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War.”

Transcribed - Published: 23 February 2022

Aaron Maté and Max Blumenthal speak with Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitri Polyanskiy, on escalated tensions on the Russian-Ukraine border, US accusations of an imminent Russian invasion, and the context missing from a US media that refuses to interview Russian officials. Guest: Dmitri Polyanskiy. Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations.

Transcribed - Published: 15 February 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate As a 2020 candidate, Joe Biden vowed to "end the sale" of weapons to Saudi Arabia "murdering children" and other "innocent people" in Yemen. As president, Biden has continued US support for the Saudi-led war and pushed through new weapons sales. Last week, at least 90 Yemenis were killed in a Saudi attack using a Raytheon-made bomb. Shireen Al-Adeimi discusses Biden's Yemen betrayal and how Congressional opposition to the Saudi-led war has declined since he took office. Guest: Shireen Al-Adeimi, assistant professor of education at Michigan State University.

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate The US is pouring more weapons into Ukraine amid bellicose threats against Russia and the US-backed Saudi war on Yemen continues to massacre civilians. But not everyone sees a downside: “I fully expect we’re going to see some benefit from it,” Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes said this week of these and other flashpoints. Andrew Cockburn, Washington editor of Harper’s Magazine and author of “The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine,” discusses the US arms industry’s role in promoting and profiting from today’s global conflicts, from Ukraine to Yemen to Syria. Cockburn also looks back on his groundbreaking 1988 PBS documentary, made with his wife Leslie Cockburn, “Guns, Drugs, and the CIA,” about the agency’s role in the global drug trade. Guest: Andrew Cockburn. Washington editor for Harper’s Magazine. His latest book is “The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine.”

Transcribed - Published: 28 January 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate The US and UK are ramping up threats to Russia over Ukraine by sending more weapons, vowing more sanctions, and lodging evidence-free claims of a Russian plot to install a pro-Kremlin leader. But comments by Germany's navy chief that Russia "deserves respect" -- leading to his resignation -- underscore that not everyone is on board with Washington and London's war fever. Scholar and author Richard Sakwa discusses the latest in the Ukraine crisis. Guest: Richard Sakwa. Professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent. His books include “Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands” and his latest, “Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War.”

Transcribed - Published: 24 January 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate After defeating the US and its allies' decade-long dirty war, Syria is finding ways to rebuild under US military occupation and crippling sanctions/economic warfare. Author Tim Anderson discusses Syria's post-war recovery under sanctions and occupation; routine Israeli bombings and Russia's failure to stop them; Syria joining China's Belt and Road Initiative; and, in the wake of recent New York Times exposes on deadly US airstrikes that were covered up in Syria, how the US used ISIS as a tool for regime change while claiming to fight it. Guest: Tim Anderson. Writer, academic, and Director of the Sydney-based Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies. His books include "The Dirty War on Syria" and "Axis of Resistance." Discussed in this segment: Tim Anderson: "Syria: Why the US massacre at Al-Baghouz?" https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/analysis/syria:-why-the-us-massacre-at-al-baghouz Aaron Maté: "To keep troops in Syria, US leaders are lying like in Afghanistan" https://mate.substack.com/p/to-keep-troops-in-syria-us-leaders

Transcribed - Published: 21 January 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Douglas Macgregor, a retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor, analyzes the US-Russia standoff in Ukraine; the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan; Trump's failure to act on 2016 campaign anti-interventionist rhetoric, only to surround himself with neocons; and the ongoing, overlooked US military occupation of Syria after the decade-long CIA dirty war. "The Military Industrial Congressional Complex," Macgregor says, "seems to be more powerful than anyone who occupies the office of the presidency." Guest: Douglas Macgregor, retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor.

Transcribed - Published: 5 January 2022

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate New reports explore how the OPCW suppressed findings that undermined US-led allegations of a chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria in April 2018. Dr. Piers Robinson and Aaron Maté discuss the latest revelations on how the OPCW censored science. Senior OPCW officials doctored the original report; erased the conclusions of expert toxicologists who ruled out chlorine gas as the cause of death; and thwarted the key investigate area of forensic pathology, which could have helped determine how the dozens of civilian victims in Douma lost their lives. Instead of explaining the extensive suppression, OPCW Director General Fernando Arias has avoided questions; offered false excuses; and smeared the veteran scientists who challenged the cover-up from within. Guest: Dr. Piers Robinson. Co-Director of the Organisation for Propaganda Studies, and convenor of the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media. Working with the Berlin Group 21, led by veteran diplomats Hans von Sponeck and Jose Bustani to seek accountability for the OPCW cover-up. Links: Berlin Group 21: https://berlingroup21.org/ Piers Robinson: “The OPCW Douma Investigation: Manipulation of Key Toxicology and Related Information Regarding Alleged Victims between the Original Interim Report and the Final Report” https://syriapropagandamedia.org/1200-2 Aaron Maté: "Corrupting Science" series at The Grayzone Part 1: “In Syria probe, OPCW erased experts’ inconvenient findings” https://thegrayzone.com/2021/11/22/corrupting-science-in-syria-probe-opcw-erased-experts-inconvenient-findings/ Part 2: “Shunning forensic expertise, OPCW left Douma murders in Syria unsolved” https://thegrayzone.com/2021/12/06/corrupting-science-part2/

Transcribed - Published: 14 December 2021

At the Vienna talks on restoring the Iran nuclear deal, the US and EU are accusing Iran of refusing to compromise. Mohammad Marandi, a University of Tehran professor advising the Iran delegation in Vienna, says that the compromise was the nuclear deal itself, and the problem is the US refusal to abide by its own commitments and lift the sanctions that target Iranian civilians. Guest: Mohammad Marandi. Professor at the University of Tehran and adviser to the Iran delegation at talks on restoring the JCPOA in Vienna. Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2021

Russia is seeking a legally binding pledge that NATO will stop expanding east, including to Ukraine. If the US refuses, is war next? Scholar and author Richard Sakwa analyzes the growing Russia-Ukraine conflict and how Russiagate fueled it. Guest: Richard Sakwa. Professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent. His books include "Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands" and his latest, "Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War." Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2021

Brian Jackson, a keyboardist, flautist, singer, composer, and producer, put out a string of legendary albums with his music partner Gil Scott-Heron, in the 1970s. Jackson discusses the duo's prolific, influential run and some of their most famous songs, including "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "The Bottle", and "Winter in America." He also talks about current projects, including a new album on the label Jazz is Dead. Guest: Brian Jackson. Keyboardist, flautist, singer, composer, and producer. Former music partner to Gil Scott-Heron. His new album is "Brian Jackson JID008." https://www.brianjackson.net/ https://jazzisdead.co/Brian-Jackson-JID008 https://twitter.com/brian__jackson Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Transcribed - Published: 28 November 2021

One year ago this month, a conflict broke out in Ethiopia when the TPLF -- the country's former ruling party -- attacked government forces in what it claimed was a preemptive strike. Thousands have been killed and millions have been displaced. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has accused the US of backing the TPLF to overthrow his government. Hermela Aregawi, an Ethiopian-American journalist of Tigrayan descent, argues that Western media has distorted the Ethiopian war in support of sanctions and regime change, at the cost of many lives. Guest: Hermela Aregawi. Independent journalist focusing on the conflict in Ethiopia. https://twitter.com/HermelaTV

Transcribed - Published: 18 November 2021