The John Batchelor Show

93: The Green Belt and Rethinking Liberty 30 Years Later. Matthew Longo reflects that thirty years after the Iron Curtain fell, the border site is now an unremarkable "green belt." Researcher Longo considers the meaning of freedom, contrasting Isaiah Berlin's

93: Panic, Pioneers, and the Moral Choice at the Border Picnic. Matthew Longo recounts that by August 19, 1989, hundreds of thousands of East German refugees were camped near Sopron, terrified of Stasi informers. Nemeth's government used the chaotic Picnic as

93: Young Activists Plan the Audacious Pan-European Picnic. Matthew Longo describes how in late June 1989, young activists Fedins and Maria in Debrecen conceived an audacious plan to throw a protest party—The Picnic—at the Iron Curtain near Sopron. They aimed

93: Elite Politics and the First Crack in the Iron Curtain. Matthew Longo details the July 1989 Warsaw Pact meeting where reformer Nemeth faced off against old-guard Ceausescu. Nemeth had received Gorbachev's "green light" to dismantle the Iron Curtain's dead

92: Craig Unger discusses Den of Spies, investigating the "October Surprise"—hostages released minutes after Reagan's inauguration. The timing suggests the Reagan campaign made a secret deal with Iran. No facts have been challenged since publication. He views

92: Craig Unger describes his 2014 visit to Iran's "Den of Spies" embassy museum, where he interviewed Moshen Rafi Duce, Iran's arms procurement head, who seemingly made an accidental admission about meeting "the Republicans." Former Iranian president Abolhas

92: Craig Unger confirms the Madrid meeting in July 1980, where Bill Casey met with Iranian cleric Mehdi Karoubi, establishing the parameters of the October Surprise by asking Karoubi to delay the hostage release until after the presidential election. The all

92: Craig Unger reveals that Bill Casey operated through the Safari Club, an off-the-books intelligence group. Casey utilized Iranian arms dealers, the Hashim brothers, who were secretly double agents working for him since the mid-1970s. Casey's best friend,

92: Craig Unger describes his high-profile investigation at Newsweek, which surprisingly resulted in three articles denying the October Surprise occurred, a result Unger called a great disgrace in the history of American journalism. The subsequent Congression

92: VCraig Unger explores rumors of an "October Surprise"—a Republican deal to delay the hostages' release—which gained credence when former NSC official Gary Sick published an op-ed. Unger spoke to rogue Israeli operative Ari Ben Mashi, who alleged Bill Case

92: Craig Unger examines Ronald Reagan's hiring of Bill Casey, an OSS veteran and dazzlingly brilliant spy, to manage his campaign. Casey quickly established a secret intelligence network, meeting with Israeli intelligence and arms dealers globally. Although

92: Craig Unger investigates the "October Surprise" following the 1979 seizure of 52 American hostages in Tehran. Iran's revolution overthrew the Shah, installed by the US in 1953, creating an anti-American Islamic Republic. The failed Desert One rescue missi

92: Paul Gregory argues that Lee Harvey Oswald's primary motive was a profound belief that he was special and destined for greatness, fostered by his mother. Gregory insists Oswald is often underestimated, highlighting his achievements as a master manipulator

92: Paul Gregory visited Dealey Plaza to assess the assassination, concluding the shot was fairly easy as the presidential limousine slowed down to turn. He emphasizes that the route was chosen only four days prior, undermining long-term conspiracy planning.

92: Paul Gregory chronicles Lee Harvey Oswald's burial at Rose Hill, which was quiet, with reporters carrying the coffin. Marina, in a daze, performed Russian rituals when viewing the body and was deeply impacted by watching the Kennedy funeral on television.

92: Paul Gregory describes events on November 23rd when Margarite Oswald called Pete Gregory seeking shelter after she and Marina were essentially abducted by Life magazine. Pete notified Secret Service agent Mike Howard, who moved Marina, Margarite, and the

92: Paul Gregory reveals that in April 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald, agitated and shaken, confessed to Marina that he attempted to assassinate General Edwin Walker in Dallas. Marina found a note giving her directions if he failed to return. Though she realized he

92: Paul Gregory describes his observations during the summer of 1962 while taking Russian lessons from Marina, noting Lee and Marina's poverty; Marina even lacked a baby carriage for infant June. Lee presented himself as an intellectual but was secretive abo

92: Paul Gregory recounts how his father, Pete Gregory, first met Lee Harvey Oswald in June 1962 after being contacted by the Texas Employment Office. Oswald, recently returned from three years in Minsk, sought work utilizing his Russian language skills. Pete

92: Paul Gregory discusses his book, The Oswalds, focusing on his father, Pete Gregory, a Russian-speaking oil engineer. On November 22, 1963, Pete was near the Texas Hotel in Fort Worth when President Kennedy departed. Later that afternoon, Paul, a stud