Claim OwnershipGoing Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi
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We ask the questions mainstream media avoid. Current affairs and geopolitics. Produced independently from Dubai, UAE. Hosted by award-winning journalist Afshin Rattansi.
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272 Episodes
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On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. He discusses Israel’s bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus and Israel’s attempts to drag the US into a war with Iran, how US protection allows Israel to ‘get away with anything’ in international politics, how the Gaza genocide is paving the way for a Donald Trump victory in November, the Israel lobby’s grip on US foreign policy, the deliberate failure of the Minsk Agreements in Ukraine leading to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch the Special Military Operation, why the US and Europe have lost the proxy war against Russia and the risk of direct conflict between NATO and Russia, and much more.
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On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Israel’s former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin. In a heated exchange, Afshin Rattansi challenges him on Gaza’s mass-slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, the parallels between Palestinian resistance and Nelson Mandela’s ANC resistance, dubious evidence surrounding October 7th and evidence of Israeli friendly fire, and Israel’s support for jihadists in Syria. Furious at the direction of the interview, Yossi Beilin would abruptly end the interview. Finally, in tribute to the award-winning writer, poet, and celebrated anti-racist and anti-colonial trailblazer Benjamin Zephaniah who passed away this Thursday, we play for our audience our last interview with Benjamin Zephaniah which first aired on the 27th of May 2019.
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On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Philip Pilkington, Senior Research Fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and Author of ‘The Collapse of Global Liberalism’. He discusses how the Ukraine proxy war has completely upended the Western economic and geostrategic calculus, the failure of the West’s logic in military procurement as proven in Ukraine and the Israel-Iran war, the collapse and dysfunction in Western European cities, the failure of markets and capitalism to solve the West’s problems, the origins of liberal capitalism and the evolution of imperialism, the rediscovery of civilisational roots among the non-Western powers, the dark future Europe faces as it sits in the chaos of the collapse of liberalism.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Richard Spence, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Idaho. He discusses what is and what defines a society and the importance they have on elite decision making, the origins of the infamous Bohemian Grove and the influence it has had over Western politics, the Bilderberg Group and the who’s who of important members and the vetting of future holders of political office, the Trilateral Commission and its role as the elite foreign policy secret society, the Western hostility against Russia dating back to the Middle Ages and the role of secret societies in enforcing it, the efforts to bring back in some form the Roman Empire, the origins of Jeffrey Epstein and how he rose into the highest circles of elite power, the risk to Donald Trump’s life for going against these elite circles, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Max Blumenthal, Editor in Chief of The Grayzone. He discusses the Trump Administrations’ fabrications of left-wing terror plots to justify further repression, the Bondi Beach massacre in Australia and how Israel is exploiting it for furthering its aims of cracking down on anti-Zionist activism and pursuing a second war on Iran, how Israel’s campaign to portray itself as the global voice of Judaism has fuelled anti-Semitism as the Gaza genocide continues, the Epstein Files scandal and its damage to Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and the neocon wing trapping Donald Trump in escalation in Venezuela and Syria, President Nicolas Maduro strategy of defying the US media and Trump Administration, why Russia and China are not taking more action to stop the looming US regime change war on Venezuela, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou. He discusses why the CIA is involved in drug trafficking and the purposes it serves, how the CIA works with Hollywood and the media to ensure the CIA is portrayed in a positive light, the mass control of the media by just 5 corporations and its effects on the American people, why there is no Gaza Peace Deal or even peace in the Middle East with Israel continuing its region-wide warfare, why US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee needs to be urgently fired, the CIA’s program of torture which he exposed and the outsourcing of torture and abuse, the fact that the CIA does not spy on Israel and everything the US does in Israel having to be approved by Mossad, the lack of arrests or indictments of any deep state officials under Donald Trump such as John Brennan, the looming war on Venezuela and the war in the Republican Party between neoconservatives and America First Republicans, the US’ warped view of Latin America which leads to continuous foreign policy failures, Venezuela’s military still being on the side of President Nicolas Maduro and the obstacles this poses, the CIA’s bases in Ukraine and whether there is a risk of escalation as Russia advances, why we may never see a full release of the Epstein Files, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Carlos Ron, Former Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister for North America. He discusses the mood in Venezuela as the threat of regime change attack from the US looms over the country, the new type of warfare being used against Venezuela by Washington, the lies being told by the Trump Administration and the media about Nicolas Maduro being the head of a narco-trafficking cartel, the exclusion of Venezuela from BRICS reportedly by Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva, the right-wing governments of Latin America being sustained by the US’ financing and repression, the prevailing strength of the Bolivarian Revolution and unification of the country behind defiance of Donald Trump’s threats, the treatment of Venezuelan migrants by the Trump Administration and the possible refugee wave that would come from a US attack on Venezuela, the brave history of resistance in Latin America and why the US will be surprised by the level of resistance shown by Venezuela, CIA Asset Maria Corina Machado’s close ties and links to Israel in contrast to the Bolivarian Revolution’s solidarity with Palestine, Corina Machado’s history of sabotaging Venezuela and representing the system of exclusion that impoverished most Venezuelans, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Ahmed Alnaouq, Co-Founder of We Are Not Numbers and Co-Editor of the We Are Not Numbers anthology. He discusses the purpose of the organisation to fight against the dehumanisation of Palestinians by the mainstream media, US-UK-EU-armed Israel’s slaughter of much of his family during the Gaza genocide, the mass destruction of Palestinian centres of culture and knowledge by Israel, why Israel killed Co-Founder of We Are Not Numbers Refaat Alareer, the lack of sympathy or empathy from mainstream media when interviewing him, whether ‘peaceful’ resistance against a genocidal Israel has failed, whether the Palestinian bourgeoisie is to blame for the fragmentation of the resistance, how the Gaza genocide proved the West’s values as hypocritical, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steven Simon, NSC Senior Director for Transnational Threats under President Bill Clinton and NSC Senior Director for Middle East and North Africa under President Barack Obama. He discusses his reaction to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee meeting convicted Israeli spy Jonathon Pollard responsible for the biggest breach of US intelligence in history, the lack of any real set compass for Donald Trump as regards foreign policy with constant u-turns, Russia’s standing in the Middle East following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, and Trump’s welcoming of Al-Sharaa/Al-Jolani to the White House. In the second half of the interview Afshin Rattansi challenges him on why the US had been meddling in Syria leading to more bloodshed and the infamous admission by Jake Sullivan that the US was on Al Qaeda’s side in Syria. The conversation then moved into Iran realising that negotiations with the US over its nuclear program are pointless and the threat of attack by the US and Israel again, how long Jolani/Al-Sharaa can remain in power, and more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Dmitri Trenin, Member of Russia’s Foreign and Defence Policy Council and Former Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. He discusses why the Ukraine proxy war is far more dangerous than the Cuban Missile Crisis with the world at the precipice of nuclear war, the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons should current negotiations with the US fail, whether there are splits in the approach to negotiations in the Russian and US leadership, the leak of the Ushakov-Witkoff phone call and who could be behind it, why Donald Trump keeps caving to demands from the European countries on Ukraine, Trump’s approach to pressuring both Russia and Ukraine into agreeing to a peace deal, Vladimir Putin’s aim to help the US distance itself from Ukraine, the tenets of the ‘28-point-plan’ and whether Russia is likely to accept it, the potential of Russian strikes against European targets in the event of Western provocations and false flags to torpedo a future peace agreement, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Susan Miller, Former Chief of the CIA’s Station in Tel Aviv. Afshin Rattansi asks her about the close relationship between the CIA, Mossad and Shin Bet, Israel’s level of influence over US foreign policy, Israel and the CIA’s involvement with ISIS and Al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria, Syria’s Al-Sharaa/Al-Jolani being welcomed to the White House by Donald Trump, the CIA’s role in the assassination of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani, whether the CIA’s policy of assassinations are actually successful in furthering US foreign policy objectives, the Trump Administration’s bogus pretext of narco-trafficking for pushing regime change against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, the CIA’s own history of being involved in drug trafficking, and much more.
1On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steve Keeen, Distinguished Fellow at UCL’s Institute for Strategy Resilience and Security. He discusses the ‘failed sideshow’ of the G20 and the non-attendance of the leaders of the big powers, the high levels of private debt crushing the poor and reducing demand across the West, the zero-sum games of FDI-led growth and war-led growth that the US is trying to pursue under Donald Trump, the short-sighted and ludicrous economic aims of our contemporary leaders, the elite increasing their wealth and power through war while ignoring growing private debt, the IMF being a major destabilising force causing economic misery in Africa, the US’ weaponisation of the US dollar and international commerce system against Russia, Iran, and others, the catastrophic economic impact of Europe cutting itself off from cheap Russian energy, the need for BRICS to create an alternative international financial system to replace the US’ authoritarian and flawed system, some of Donald Trump’s good economic instincts which are in tune with the demands of the working class, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Colonel Roxane Towner-Watkins, US Air Force Veteran and Host of the Colonel’s Corner podcast. She discusses the history of NATO’s Operation Gladio and the use of terrorism and false flags to suppress and keep socialist and communist movements out of power not just in Western Europe but all around the world, the real objective being to suppress and attack labour movements and strengthen oligarch power, how Gladio networks are still attacking anti-imperial leaders in the modern era from Gaddafi to Maduro now in Venezuela, Israel and Taiwan as a ‘strategy of tension’ for control of the Middle East and Asia’s resources, how Operation Gladio today uses student movements against designated enemy governments, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and how it fits into the historical pattern of assassinations of mass movement leaders, the Jeffrey Epstein blackmail campaign and how it fits into the Operation Gladio strategy, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Ruthie Blum, Former Advisor to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. She discusses Syria’s Ahmed Al-Sharaa's visit to the White House and the resignation of Netanyahu’s Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer. Afshin Rattansi challenges her on Israel’s arming and supporting of Hamas, Ron Dermer advocating the use of economics to lower Palestinian birth rates and preserve an Israeli majority, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and his turn against Israel before his death, J.D. Vance’s embrace of the anti-Israel MAGA base, Donald Trump’s admission of Miriam Adelson’s significant influence over his administration, the exodus of Jews from Israel as the Gaza genocide continues despite the ceasefire, a potential second Israeli war on Iran, whether it’s time to wrap up the Zionist project, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Nick Maynard, a Volunteer Surgeon at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital. The failure of UK medical institutions to call out the Gaza genocide, why he decided to speak out in media interviews with the horrors of what he’s seen in Gaza, the media’s role in covering up the genocide and parroting Israeli propaganda, Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian children, British officials ignoring the clear photographic evidence he presented and choosing to believe Israeli propaganda instead, Israel’s blocking the entry of most doctors and medicine into Gaza despite the ceasefire, how he watched a baby named Zainab pass away from malnutrition after Israel blocked the entry of baby formula, the attempts by medical and academic institutions in the US and UK to silence him and others providing evidence of the horrors in Gaza, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Alastair Crooke, Former Middle East Advisor to the EU Foreign Policy Chief. He discusses Donald Trump’s resumption of nuclear tests after accusing Russia and China of covert tests, the US’ move towards a regime change war against Venezuela to topple Nicolas Maduro, the US financial crisis being the real reason for targeting Venezuela, the potential for the Supreme Court to declare Donald Trump’s tariffs as unconstitutional, the European Union’s and Britain’s push to keep funding the Ukrainian proxy war despite not having the money, China’s domination of trade talks with the US, Israel’s reliance on US hegemony to survive, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Arab Barghouti, son of Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti who has been imprisoned by Israel for over 23 years. He discusses the terror attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the illegally occupied West Bank and what life is like under Israeli occupation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed requests for an update on the potential release of his father, why Marwan Barghouti is a trusted and revered figure in the eyes of Palestinians who could lead a future Palestinian state, Israeli refusing to even allow him to hug his father for 23 years, the recent torture and vicious beating of Marwan Barghouti by Israeli prison guards under the orders of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the efforts of his father to educate Palestinian prisoners despite the horrific conditions he faces, his disappointment with the international community over the double standards over the Gaza genocide, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Jason Hickel, Co-Creator of the Global Inequality Project. He discusses the US’ historical and contemporary real motivations for supporting Israel to crush Arab national liberation movements and protect Western economic interests, the Gaza genocide being a mask-off moment for Western liberalism, the global apartheid of international law only applying to the global majority and not the West, the destruction of Gaza’s environment and the silence of the environmental lobbies and NGOs, the challenges the grassroots environmental movement faces, the need to rebuild institutions such as the UN Security Council to give the global majority more power, the profound anti-democratic nature of capitalism and it being the root of the major problems we face today, why the capitalist system does not address the threat of climate change, why China has been able to make huge strides in the development of renewable energy, the high level of trust of the Chinese people in their government compared to Western countries, the Trump Administration’s push for a regime change war on Venezuela and the devastating effect of sanctions, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Former US State Department Officer and Former Pentagon Official Matthew Hoh. He discusses how neocon officials appointed by Donald Trump such as Marco Rubio have sabotaged his plans for brokering peace with Russia in Ukraine, Marco Rubio’s push for war on Venezuela and his obsession with Latin America, the sidelining of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in favour of CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the lack of progress since the Trump-Putin Summit in Alaska, Trump’s threat to give Zelensky Tomahawk missiles, the need for a mechanism by China and Russia to punish the US if it goes ahead with a regime change war in Venezuela, the Trump Administration’s belief that regime change won’t be a disaster despite historical examples, the likelihood of a US-Israeli war on Iran, and much more.
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On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Mouin Rabbani, Co-Editor of Jadaliyya. He discusses Donald Trump forcing Israel to accept the Gaza ceasefire plan unlike the approach of the Biden Administration, the plutocratic system of the US and Miriam Adelson buying Trump’s policy towards Israel, why the US isn’t a colony of Israel as has been asserted over the course of the genocide, Israel waiting for the US to change foreign policy priority to sabotage the Gaza peace deal, the Palestinian Authority’s increasing irrelevance and shocking dereliction of duty, the future of Arab-Israeli normalisation efforts, the high likelihood of a second Israeli war on Iran, the MAGA movement’s increasing opposition towards Israel, and much more.
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