Now shift is a crook and he's a corrupt politician and just grace and because of the fact is in Congress he's got immunity she can't do anything but he went out there you know that he made a totally false statement that whistleblower wrote a totally false statement so it's a fraud. Meanwhile Trump who stands poised to be the 1st impeach President to run for reelection today insisted impeachment may be a political win for him his campaign manager Brad Pasquali added the baseless sham impeachment is just out of control partisan politics and the American people are rejecting it the Supreme Court said today it will hear President Trump's pleas to keep his tax bank and financial records private a major tussle between the president and Congress that could also affect the 2020 presidential campaign the justices are poised to issue decisions in June amid Trump's bid for a 2nd term rulings against the president could result in that quick release of personal financial information that Trump has sought strenuously to keep private that court also will decide whether the Manhattan district attorney can obtain 8 years of Trump's tax returns as part of an ongoing criminal investigation arguments will take place in late March making it almost certain the court won't hear the cases until after a Senate trial over Trump's impeachment has ended Trump sued to prevent banks and accounting firms from complying with subpoenas for his records from 3 committees of the House of Representatives and Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr in 3 separate cases he has so far lost at every step but the records have not been turned over pending a final court ruling now it will be up to a court that includes 2 trump appointees. Yes This is Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to decide a landslide victory in Britain for the British Conservative Party the conservatives won 364 parliamentary seats the main opposition Labor Party 2 or 3 conservative prime minister Boris Johnson said his party's victory paves the way to get breakfast done pulling Britain out of the European Union by January 31st with this Monday and this majority will at last be able to do what. They attention. All the time by the 31st of January if they but they may he's leaving the European Union as one united kingdom. Taking back control of all those borders money trade immigration system face this election means that getting Britain sit down is not the fear of future bulls resistible all dog. Decision. Of the British people he will get. It was a disaster for a left wing Labor leader Jeremy Corben who faced calls for his resignation even as the results were rolling in I will not lead the party in any future general election campaign I will discuss with our policy. To ensure there is a process now of reflection on this result and on the policies that the policy will take going forward the result delivered the biggest conservative majority since the days of Margaret Thatcher's rule and the 1980 s. And the Labor Party's lowest number of seats since 1935 the Scottish National Party won almost 50 of Scotland's 59 seats up from 35 in 2017 Scotland generally opposes Breck's it s. And p. Party leader Nicola Sturgeon said the Conservative Party victory will drive demands for a new referendum on Scottish independence. And you know I don't pertain to every single person that your city will necessarily support independence but that has been a strong indorsement in this election Scotland having a choice over their future have no having to put up with a conservative government that we didn't vote for and not having takes it as a nation state the European Union so that independence referendum that is very much at the heart of the same case campaign that is I mean huge recession strengthened Monday for the. President Trump placed a congratulatory telephone call to Boris Johnson who had run with Trump's endorsement trumps hoping to replicate Johnson's strength next November himself Simon marks reports on the day Democrats send off signals of impeachment to the full House of Representatives for a vote next week President Trump saw is with firmly on London I want to congratulate Boris Johnson on a terrific victory and he said like the breaks that referendum before rate he hopes the conservatives election win indicates that he'll succeed in his quest for another 4 he is in the White House I think that might be a harbinger of what's to come in our country it was West and the president also pledged to begin trade negotiations with Downing Street as soon as possible Simon marks reporting a limited trade deal that the trumpet ministration and Beijing have announced means Americans will a volley Day holiday tax increase on imported toys clothing and smartphones u.s. Farmers can sell more soybeans and pork to China and American companies should face less pressure to hand over trade secrets to Beijing but what the administration gained from the so-called phase one deal that President Trump celebrated phones will short of the demands the president issued when he launched a combative trade war against Beijing 17 months ago reporter Kate Fisher has more fun trying has a lot. Taken to Twitter to exclaim how happy he is about this saying that this was an amazing deal for all of he called it a very odd face. The Chinese would now make massive purchases of our products energy and manufactured goods and this includes own intellectual property rights and technology transfer which are 2 of the biggest sticking point. Washington you're listening to the. Berkeley k.p.s. . Online. Or. The trumpet ministration has signed an order intended to open up more than 1000000 acres of land in California from the Central Coast to the San Joaquin Valley to fracking and conventional oil drilling the decision and a 5 year moratorium on public land fracking and drilling the Bureau of Land Management plan allows for leasing smaller plots outside of existing industry sites including at the edge of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the Sierra and the Carrizo plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County as well as within 10 miles of Yosemite National Park in the lead up to yesterday's decision federal officials held public meetings in Bakersfield St Louis abysmal and Santa Barbara those meetings drew hundreds who turned out to protest any new drilling or fracking officials also received thousands of written comments from concerned parties the decision drew protests from environmental advocacy groups including the Center for Biological Diversity in a statement Claire Lockwood an attorney at the center said her organization will not let California's Public Lands be Frakt and drilled without a fight like wood said that the center is looking into all of our options when it comes to responding to the federal decision the trumpet ministration move comes less than a month after Calif California Governor Gavin Newsome announced that his administration would crack down on fracking projects with a moratorium on new high pressure steam injection wells and a scientific review of all fracking permit applications reporter Suzanne Potter has more the chop administration check the final step to allow well and gas drilling on more than $1000000.00 acres of federal public land on California's central coast and San Joaquin Valley on Thursday despite a flood of public comment in opposite. Ition the Bureau of Land Management will now allow for new lease sales in 2020 on land that stretches across no current Kings Maghera San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara to Larry and Ventura County Rebecca August with a nonprofit Los Padres Forest Watch calls fracking a very toxic process. Tracking certainly carders impacts to local water supplies here air quality there's a lot of associated truck traffic there are toxic chemicals that are known to cause cancer can be forced through mortar suppliers August also complains that fracking waste water creates a disposal issue and notes that drill sites emit methane a potent greenhouse gas linked to climate change that be a lems environmental impact study declared that fracking will pose no significant impacts to wildlife water public health or the environment the b.l.m. Had not approved a new oil or gas lease in California since 2013 when a judge ruled that prior leases had violated federal environmental law a guest says they only live in that area poses a particular threat to air quality and the Central Coast is some of the dirtiest oil most our folks you will encounter are going and considered Well you know that they're in generally requires a good. Morning noon and conjures up a lot of the mission a separate office of the b.l.m. Opened up more than $725000.00 additional acres to drilling around the Monterey area in October conservation groups are already suing over that decision and are expected to challenge these new lease sales in court as well for public news service I'm Suzanne Potter officials from almost $200.00 countries hunkered down for another night of talks late today as the United Nations climate meeting in Madrid Spain when into over time without reaching any agreement on key issues she lay which is chairing the talks said to go shaders would continue working on 2 fronts trying to get deals on aid for poor countries affected by climate change and international carbon markets Jennifer Morgan with Greenpeace told Al-Jazeera the fossil fuel industry is still driving the process but governments here are not listening. What the scientists are telling them what their people are telling them there's a text on the table that just does not show the urgency that people are facing and the situation. In the final hours before the international climate talks wrapped up the nations that are the most vulnerable to climate disruption least responsible for global warming stepped up their call for action. This report I want to say it's not just a fight for a future it's actually a fight for our present. Is the climate envoy for the Marshall Islands 3 weeks ago it suffered 16 foot swells washing across its capital stag he said her own nephew is among those hospitalized on her small island nation which has experienced a months long outbreak of dengue fever push north by climate change she spoke on behalf of other members of a group of nations calling themselves the high ambition coalition demanding concrete action to address the climate emergency we are concerned that the framing ambition of ambition in the current text remains on satisfactory it puts us at the risk of leaving here without a clear call to enhance ambition next year in line with the best available science . We stress that the science is not negotiable and should guide our work in this form. Ambassador Mohamed Nasr chairs the group of African nations the continent is the lowest contributor to global carbon emissions and yet hardest hit by cycle flooding and drought Africa is very much impacted by. Climate. Impacts across the African continent. The 5 subdivisions. Governments which will. Go a lot of funding for adaptation to African governments up to 9 percent of the g.d.p. For adaptation. So there's still some damage then you would do with difficulty nice to skate over the effects all the climate impacts on the African continent at climate talks 4 years ago and dust realized nations pledged to contribute 100 $1000000000.00 a year by 2020 to help the least developed nations cope with mitigating the scale of the climate emergency in areas such as food security or coastal protection but Nasr says the continent needs help above and beyond that to deal with the loss and damage caused by climate induced disasters the issue of compensation by the developed world to poor nations is one of the thorny issues at the climate talks when President Trump announced he would withdraw the u.s. From the Paris climate accord there were fears other recalcitrant nations would follow the u.s. Lead none did although many government leaders are failing to do their part in reducing global warming and their shins Laurence to be on it was a key architect of the Paris accord she said while there's resistance at the national level some regional governments and cities are stepping up to be honest said they should be included in the next round of climate talks in Glasgow Scotland next year those talks will be held immediately following the next Us presidential election so there are obstacles in our government such willing to go there but we seize a site he moving in and those are directions but not moving fast enough the Global Carbon Project reported last week that the world continues to increase the amount of heat trapping carbon dioxide it pumps into the air carbon production grew by Ciro point 6 per cent it was a smaller rise than the previous couple of years but one climate scientists called the numbers grim and said there was no reason to be optimistic the world is turning the corner on emissions young a climate activists who have turned out in the streets all over the world to. Mandating action spoke out at them they dread summit 2 and said their demands need to be taken seriously this is they get from Sweden. We're not here for your entertainment with activists are not animals at a soup for you to look at and go off you know I suddenly have hope that the future . Guess what if you want a future you better act to message me preaching and not just listen to climate justice now. For k p s a Pacifica Radio I'm Eileen else in Derry faced with strong bipartisan opposition to offshore drilling some oil companies are finding success by tapping deeper into Florida's little known on shore oil drilling industry reported Tamil Gomez has the story the Sunshine State has been producing oil from wells in southwest Florida and the panhandle for decades the controversial practice has been a challenge with numerous lawsuits for operating in some of the state's most pristine natural areas Georgia Ackerman with the group Apalachicola River Keeper says she wants Governor decentest and state regulators to reverse course on allowing drilling in the op a logical River Basin the same way they fight offshore drilling we understand that that bring to our coastal waters and shoreline on shore drilling closer to rivers near where when and flood plain prevent some of the same type of risk regulators in the oil and gas program at Florida's Department of Environmental Protection gave the green light to dollars space chola petroleum to drill 6 exploratory wells which environmental scientists argue could put water supplies throughout the panhandle at risk a spokesperson for the environmental agency said oil and gas permits including exploratory are carefully evaluated under Florida law to ensure that all aspects of the operation will follow the law and are protective of the environment but Command says even minor accidents. Be harmful during high and low tides you can imagine oil contaminants or types of chemical that are associated with drilling getting mixed into our wetlands and waterways start a challenge the e.p.a. Also approved Spooner petroleum of Mississippi conducting exploratory drilling in Gulf County the Cantar real estate group recently won approval to drill an exploratory well in the Everglades ecosystem after a legal battle that started in 2015 while those plans move forward over the objections of environmental groups all drilling within 125 miles of the Florida coast has been banned since 2006 that moratorium is set to expire in 2022 for public news service I'm tryna go home Ok here we go. For often we get asked here on the evening is how come you never do any good news out where's the good stories and in fact the Get ask that question so often it begins to infect the mindset of the people here in fact my co-anchor here in for a moment shall remain and a dentist by x. Me don't care any good stories tonight. The nature of news is such that most all of it is. Bad news it's just the way it is although it can be unrelenting it can drive you crazy you can make you irritable It can even make you lose your spirits and realize that especially on a night like this in the. Northern California where it is raining and it is drawn and the. Moisture just kind of like clings to fill Ikey and you wish you could. Cuddle up under the covers with something hot like a hot toddy or. Pop a. Cup of cocoa or so they like that. Go to a movie or you know. That's the problem of a Friday night and it is once again Friday night here k. P.f.a. And off of all this grim news I'm still expected to raise the money because we are ending our as week of fund raising here we've will have just the weekend in the couple of days in the new week to raise the amount of money that this radio station needs to stay on the air. And it's tough on a Friday night so I'm going to hope I'm going to rely on those of you who. Are core listeners perhaps maybe even a touch. Out there who are still with us tonight who can come through with us last Friday evening that will be seeking your support we have been challenged by an anonymous listener in Warneke create perhaps he or she has a whistle blower type at their neck I just say that they actually listen to the evening news on K.B.'s day on a Friday night but they are willing to give $480.00 of their. Personal wealth to encourage those of you who are for whatever reason listening to us tonight. Encouraging you to match some of their $480.00 In other words not to be so convoluted your contribution will be doubled if we're able to raise an aggregate of $480.00 here in the final Friday night that will be seeking your support the number to call is 180-439-5732 or online at k p f a dot org And the truth is if I can remember where I started this out we do have a good news story. And if you know you are good. If you are good for some cold cash if you give us a call here at 180-439-5732 or online at k p f a dot org I'll bring you that story now perhaps this is what bribery extortion. Quid pro quo. 180-439-5732 k.p.s. They dot org Do you understand what I'm trying to get I'm trying to get at the fact that this is a listener sponsored radio stations know and the good news is there is no corporate influence here there's no big corporations there's no big big supporters there's no federal money there's no commercials there's no underwriting money there's no foundation money 90 percent of our expenditures are paid for you the listeners and that's why we have to go through this what Cham charade 180-439-5732 or k p f a dot org We are now matching period I am going to bring you this good news story I hope it's a good news story I actually haven't. Looked at the script yet 180-439-5732 or k p f a dot org We'll see we'll see if a good news story works we'll see if you're good about your response if your response is good when 804395732 k.p. F.a.a. Dot org Here we go. California has reached a goal set in 13 year old legislation of installing 1000000 solar roofs throughout the state former governors Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat Jerry Brown were honored in the Central Valley for their leadership in advancing the use of solar power they could do in reports from Buchanan High School in Clovis former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the 1000000 solar roofs and issued it into law in 2006 the goal was to build them on homes schools farms and businesses throughout the state at the time it was considered a bold move and unlikely to succeed it started out the middle what anyone says the day about how easy it was and the people threw around a 1000000 sort of idea. But it came with the idea of 100000 you know politicians. Of the big because doable always tell them is it doable make history 2 goals are good for you go in a campaign speech out there so you can get a victory very quickly but then the drooly having that much impact says it let's think big. And then we started booking together so this is a Republican and a Democrat working together the goal was reached this year the bill s.b. One was sponsored by then Democratic state senator Kevin Murray of Culver City who said that visionary ideas can be realized this is one of those things where in 2004 we had this idea it took us a few years to get it through the legislature it took some nasty fights and some lost friendships but we got there and now we have a 1000000 solar roofs we really sat in a room and said hey let's do a 1000000 today those 1000000 rooftop solar panels are creating 9 gigawatts of energy that's equal to the output of 6 natural gas plants they generate more than 13000000000 kilowatt hours of clean energy each year eliminating $22000000.00 tons of carbon dioxide and $16000.00 tons of air pollutants solar energy has also stimulated a vibrant small business market and more than $77000.00 jobs former governor Jerry Brown was an early proponent of the renewable energy path of the state you know so little is part of the future back in the ancient days when I was 1st elected in 1974 people want really taking salinity seriously we passed a bill to give people 55 percent tax credit if they put solar on the roof 55 percent was the government was going to have to built more than half so that was a good start but then that kind of faded and nothing you can do a lot of well go did was do a lot but I don't think you had that vision a 1000000 roups that was very bold and without the boldness we'd be here today the demand for rooftop solar keeps growing with Valley cities leading the state in systems deployed the next goal for solar entrepreneurs is to build 1000000 batteries so that homes and businesses can store energy created by solar panels. To use after sundown or during blackouts it would also relief pressure on the electrical grid Victorian reporting for the k p f a news and K.F.C.'s in Fresno Today's the deadline for California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign off on a 13 and a half $1000000000.00 settlement between p.t.s.d. And victims of catastrophic fires blamed on its equipment it's substantially more than the 7 and a half 1000000000 p Gini had originally earmarked for fire victims p.g. And e. Said late yesterday it has filed for an amended bankruptcy reorganization plan bankruptcy court judge Dennis month Tali has until December 20th to agree p.g. And e. Has an overall deadline of next June to exit bankruptcy. Well we. Don't know whether the good news is gambit is going to pay off or not no word from the phone room no sign of any donation yet it's that could mean that the fun room is so busy answering the flood of calls that have come in they. Are unable to communicate with me or is a matter of fact there has been a drop of calls and none at all. At any rate as we still have yet to match that 1st dollar of the $480.00 conditional. Gift to k.p. Have a to keep us on the air from an anonymous supporter in Walnut Creek 180-439-5732 is the number to call k p f a dot org whether or not you like the solar roof top story or not we're still here and thought up to being here if we're able to get to our financial goals 180-439-5732 k p f a dot org We're still going to bring you the news good news bad news is neutral now . From t.p.s. Keep us if I read you in Los Angeles This is rising up it's on Ali and I'm your host son on legal hot Gar we're online at rising up what's on on e dot com In today's news headlines the House Judiciary Committee began debating its articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Wednesday night kicking off a contentious an argumentative rhetorical battle as the minority party remained of determined to throw up as many roadblocks as possible ahead of the committee's vote the ranking Republican on the committee Doug Collins of Georgia complained that his party had no rights even though they were fully participating in the proceedings before reporters ever media and people who watch this body and the institution that I'll be. Love all of my life and watch this as I was in turn up here being destroyed day after day is the minority has no rights and one day this majority will be back in the minority and they will be crying and crying and screaming for minority rights to be availed and I'll just point back to 2000 Nazi and say this is the year you put a dagger in minority rights there's a bit continued on Thursday morning and Democratic congresswoman from California a loft question was dissipated in the last 3 presidential impeachments raised the issue of Trump's affair with Stormy Daniels in the context of the Clinton impeachment argument that somehow lying about a sexual affair is an abuse of presidential power but the misuse of presidential power to get a benefit somehow doesn't matter if if it's of lying about sex we could put Stormy Daniels case head of us we don't believe that's a high crime in a woman you know and it is not before as an age would not be for us because it's not an abuse of presidential power I yield back and this is a. Plan in general as time has expired food forbids the public and Representative mob gates of Florida was among those who continued to justify Trump's abuse of power in attempting to gain a political edge in the election by leveraging u.s. Military aid Thank you Mr Chairman and again it's important to analyze the burden of proof here it's the Democrats who are saying any question about the Biden situation. It could only be an abuse of power and I think this amendment really reflects how the president was using as a power power perfectly Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland countered that it was ludicrous to consider Trump and corruption crusader he reduced anti-corruption funding for Ukraine except he doesn't raise it anywhere else that we can find and what do you know you pick up the New York Times yesterday. President Trump had to pay $2000000.00 to charities because he ripped off his own charity for millions of dollars This is the anti-corruption crusader they wanted to believe in the guy who wouldn't pay 25000000 dollars to students at the phony Trump University which the attorney general of New York called a classic bait and switch operation this is. For my Tony General Eric Holder who served under President Obama ripped the current a.g. William Barr any scathing op ed in The Washington Post on Wednesday night calling Barr unfit for his office although accused Barr of making statements and taking actions quote that are so plainly ideological so nakedly partisan and so deeply inappropriate for America's chief law enforcement official that they demand a response from someone who held at the same office. In spite of the partisan battles playing out over impeachment the House of Representatives just passed a massive military budget in renewing the National Defense Authorization Act or n d a with bipartisan support the n.d.a. Increased the military budget by a whopping $22000000000.00 from the previous year and Democratic supporters of the Bill Moore did it as progressive California Representative rule Khana would against it ripped into the vote on the House floor. There are many things that you can call the bill but it's Orwellian to call it progressive this defense budget is a $120000000000.00 more than what President Obama left us with that could fund free public college for every American it could fund access to high speed affordable internet for every American but it's worse the bipartisan provision to stop the war in Yemen stripped by the White House the bipartisan amendment to stop the war in Iran strip by the White House the bipartisan provision to repeal the 2002 the George w. Bush authorization for the war in Iraq which is sending our troops overseas stripped by the White House at some time we can't just rhetorical e give standing ovations when the president says we're going to end was wars and continue to vote to fund them that's Congressman Roe Conn Now one of the few voices of opposition to the n.t. a Renewal which passed with bipartisan support the House is expected to pass the prescription drug bill that would bring down the cost of pharmaceuticals a strong and some Republicans have said they wanted to do but perhaps because the bill is sponsored by Democrats the White House has already indicated it will veto it meanwhile New York congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio Cortez ripped into health insurance industry tactics in a tweet on Wednesday evening pointing out that quote health insurance costs have gone up 20 percent in the past year Meanwhile Big Pharma and insurance lobbyists treat congressional staffers to spot weekends she linked to evidence of the 20 percent increase and the spa weekends that congressional staffers are treated to I love b.s. . The House on Wednesday passed the farm workforce Modernization Act which gives among other things legal status to thousands of undocumented agricultural workers across the u.s. The bill passed along party lines and was welcomed by agricultural industry representatives conservatives predictably slammed as a quote mass amnesty immigrants. As part of Trump's remaking of the judiciary Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell helped the president confirm his 5th 50 at circuit court judge this week by comparison President Obama confirmed 55 circuit court judges over 8 years of his presidency between Trump and McConnell there's more to come political explained that quote Now that he's filled virtually every vacancy in the powerful appellate court system the Senate majority leader will try and cram through 18 or level lifetime judges next week some of them supported by Democrats and finally voters in Britain are heading to the polls on Thursday any contentious election that was prompted by the never ending breaks at saga it is the 3rd general election in 5 years and voters will pick their reptile mentary Representatives for 650 seats the majority party will declare victory and polls have shown the conservative poori Party favorite to win but the Labor Party led by Jeremy Corbyn could make inroads as it casts itself as a defender of the nation's universal health care system and that does it for news headlines today will be back with the rest of the show after this break. Pacifica Radio this is rising up it's on Ali and I'm your host Sonali Kolhatkar you can watch this program on free speech t.v. And listen to it on Pacifica Radio stations and affiliates nationwide for 3 years the Washington Post fort a legal battle to obtained. Documents hundreds of the interviews with experts and government officials about the u.s. Was the longest war still being fought in Afghanistan the interviews were conducted by a little known watchdog group called the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction analyzing the documents in great detail journalist Craig Whitlock and his colleagues published a multi-part story that they're calling the Afghanistan papers expose a confirms what critics have been asserting for nearly 2 decades that there is no clearly defined goal or end point to the war to help determine when to stop fighting and that our efforts have been futile at best and deeply destructive at worst it also shows that officials have been lying about the war for years and there are billions of dollars spent there have little to show for it before we turn to our guest expert I want to play a short clip of a video produced by The Washington Post in its battle to obtain the documents these documents these 1st hand interviews from people who were involved in this material been suppressed for so long that this was an original way to tell the story of all the failures and. Basically fight the wrong way that you have in your view of the really really didn't know who we are and we are not really here to win in the fall of 2016 General Michael Flynn who at that time was a retired u.s. General intelligence director at the Pentagon was working with Donald Trump on his campaign and he was in the headlines quite a bit. Of America. We'd heard there had been an interview done a long interview done with Michael Flynn about the war in Afghanistan and that this interview had been conducted by an obscure government agency called the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan reconstruction since Flynn was in the news a lot we want to take a look at that interview and so then we had to file a Freedom. Information Act requests and this dragged on for weeks and Trump won the election and Trump was president now Flynn with his national security adviser in the White House Good afternoon everyone and ultimately they denied this the interview they said it wasn't a public record so the post had to file a lawsuit in federal court to obtain it basters you know local down that you don't doubt the local level everybody did a great job we're all doing a great job really so if we're doing such a great job why it was to feel like we were losing a microphone was you know just unsparing in his criticism of how the war was going then we found out that Flynn was only one of hundreds of people who had been interviewed by this inspector general for Afghanistan over the previous 3 and that's an excerpt of a video that The Washington Post created around the story that it has published in multiple parts called the Afghanistan papers Joining me to examine them is Matthew Hoh member of the advisory boards of expose facts Veterans for Peace and world beyond war in 2009 he resigned his position with the State Department in Afghanistan and protest of the escalation of the war there by the Obama administration welcome to the program Matthew I Sonali thank you for having me on I imagine that like me you pored through these Afghanistan papers and thought I remember when I warned against that oh yes that was predictable and we knew that Rumsfeld was lying etc Did this sect of documents overall of course there are some revelations in the details but overall reveal to you that you and other critics of the war have been right for nearly 2 decades for the entire almost entire time it's been fought and you know I don't think any of us needed reassuring particularly in light of the fact not just in Afghanistan but we've seen it happen in Iraq Libya Syria and Yemen Somalia. All throughout say subsaharan Africa that these wars or not just the moral and the legal but they're counterproductive and so I think that context has always reassured I think folks like myself and then you who you know you've been speaking about this war much longer than I have been actually sent an e-mail today to Barbara Lee's off as you know representative from California who was the only person who opposed the Authorization for Use of Military Force in 2001 in the United States Congress after the 911 attacks and I said to her office an e-mail because you know I just want to say you know I'm thinking of you guys and I you know I understand the sadness that comes with that I have not met any of us Sonali who have been speaking against the war who are expressing joy or some kind of affirmation or hey you know look we were right I think there's a general sadness among all of us because we know the human cost and as we know the suffering not just for the Americans and their families and their for their food neighbors who were involved in these wars but for the Afghan people who have just been through 40 some odd years of unrelenting suffering that has no end in sight as well as to again you know put this in a larger context all the people the 10s of millions of people who have suffered from American wars not just for these last 2 decades but you know going back you know really you could tip you can make a straight line back from these wars or all the way back through of course before the founding of the republic the the wars against Native Americans the institution of slavery the doctor discovery except all that ties in to gether and so I think what what for folks like myself there is sadness not any type of you know triumph one if the critical graphics in the washing. Post's coverage was the toll of the war which I think has to be central to any discussion around the longest war tens of thousands hundreds of thousands of human beings have died so the graphic which we've shown for our t.v. Audience shows that since 2001 an estimated 157000 people have been killed in the war in Afghanistan that includes 43000 Afghan civilians 64000 and some Afghan security forces 42000 polygon fighters and other insurgents and that includes 3814 u.s. Contractors 2300 u.s. Military personnel 111140 5 NATO and coalition troops 67 journalists and media workers 424 humanitarian aid workers So here's the swore that has been claiming so many lives and what will do you and I and other critics of the war knew that officials where lying about the war this set of documents proves it right so they told us when they thought that their words were not going to become public they told this watchdog group the special inspector general for Afghanistan Reconstruction s.-i g.-r. Cigar they told a very candid terms that really didn't know what we were doing in Afghanistan and then publicly they claimed progress I mean that's shocking Yeah you know these metaphors of all these men and women should not be considered whistleblowers in any sense of the fashion that you would exclude to say a Chelsea Manning or an Edward Snowden or Thomas Drake these are men and women who as you said Sonali thought that their words that their truthful words were not ever going to see the public eye and if you've noticed that people have looked through the report and you're seeing where their post actually spoke to some of these men and women who who. Are documented in these reports almost all of them with the exception of one that I found Barney Rubin who has consistently spoken out against the war you know for the last 8 or 9 years at least all of them try and walk back or try and squirm out of it or say I don't recall saying that or you know or try and justify their comments so what I think that shows to people is that this type of lying this type of malfeasance it institutionalized and we have seen there is a book out by a West Point professor currently right now there is there have been reports put out by the various armed services including a major one in other 2010 or 2011 by the Army War College about the institutionalization of lying in the military as a way to one show loyalty and then of course to to advance advancement and secure you know a profitable career for yourself so I think that demonstrates the know the you know systematic and consistent lying demonstrates that you know that this this way of war the way of violence has to be propped up by a lie because it can only end in ruin there's no I mean and we know this going back to you know the Greeks wrote about this this is in the pages of the Bible I mean this is certainly not new human wisdom but it certainly is wisdom that we have as a nation and as a people in our institutions at least have forgotten now and I want you to had well as you say I want to say one thing about the human cost the numbers that you see in The Washington Post that you just recited Sonali as unbelievable as they are those should be only be looked at as the bare minimum if you look into what say like a journalist like Jonathan Steele writes about in his book from a number of years ago or his reporting from early in the war there in early 2000 you see. That the number of and from what I saw to being there the number of Afghan civilian dead is a bare minimum and the United Nations in its reporting says that I would say based upon my experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan that whenever a u.s. Helicopter or u.s. Marines or soldiers kill civilians we only hear about that one out of 5 times or one ad is 6 times possibly so much of the killing in these wars go on reported as well as the fact that the war takes place in the world Muslim population who is distrustful of the government distrustful of the foreign occupation barriers their dead quickly in. Observance of religious and cultural rights and then too it doesn't take into account so we don't know what the actual numbers are it doesn't take into account things such as you know the Afghan refugees or the 2nd largest refugee group in the world amongst the law world's largest refugee crisis since the 2nd World War So how many of these people have died while trying to get to safety at the same sure how many of them are lying dead in the mountain pass or at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea right now and then finally for the American casualties the rates of suicide are not in there you know so what we know from the figures of suicide is that more Iraq an Afghan better ins have killed themselves since coming home then were killed in Iraq or Afghanistan and I'm examining the Afghanistan papers which I assume was named to reflect the Pentagon Papers about the Vietnam War that Daniel Ellsberg had. Revealed as a whistleblower in looking at these clear distinction is drawn between the Bush administration's strategy in the Afghanistan war and the Obama administration's strategy you've resigned from the State Department over Obama's escalation of the war and I'm wondering if you can share just from looking at these stocks. And since seeing the internal assessments how you view what Obama did he basically threw troops and lot of money and then created this sort of artificial timeline so that the polygon you just awaited out. Of this war and was clearly a wrong strategy just from a pro-war perspective Right exactly exactly you know if I was still in the it in the military and I was still trying to like win victories for the empire you know I would not have you know you the strategy itself were both went against everything that we know about the war about the populace about the people and about the way of American war and what we're doing I used to get asked a lot what are the similarities between Iraq and Afghanistan and this is when President Obama's surge was happening in Afghanistan and at 1st I would fall into that trap and be like well you know if you know you're trying to parse the differences and then I realize you know what it doesn't matter because the United States military is waging war against the people in both places and the outcome is going to be the same it's going to be suffering and it's going to be absolutely counterproductive method of recruiting for those people that we are calling our enemies because what you're doing is by killing their family friends and family killing their neighbors you're just making their cause more worthwhile and more of a purpose driven cause now the other huge aspect of this was the amount of money that to a spent on the war and in the war as part of the war the several aspects of new load alluded to it earlier in the Washington Post as a whole section on what that money did it was about a trillion dollars of u.s. Taxpayers money that's my money your money every American taxpayers' money was poured into Afghanistan far more money than the entire Marshall Plan. Money that could have actually done some good in Afghanistan if it was put into the right pieces or used in the right way but instead so much of it went into the to fueling corruption one of the things that just shocked me and really angered me just a tiny little fact that was one of the new things that came out of the Afghanistan papers up the rush of Boston one of the most notorious Afghan warlords you know documented mass killer. Was receiving $100000.00 of u.s. Taxpayer money per month to behave himself and of course he became $1.00 of the 2 vice presidents in the nation as well just shocking that's $100000.00 of money that came from my pocket and your pocket in the pocket of every American taxpayer going into mass killers by way of the u.s. Government. Oh absolutely you can't eat can't underestimate that term of mass killers these men that we put in kept in power are as equally as bad as the Taliban that is one thing that was suppressed one thing that was just not allowed really to be spoken about in the u.s. Discourse about the war for the last you know 18 years is that the people that we put in power were the people who killed tens and tens of thousands of their fellow Afghan citizens by shelling Kabul these are the people who committed mass human rights atrocities these are the people actually a lot of people believe that the Taliban brought the burka to Kabul now the burka was brought the Kabul by the very men that we put back into power and either if they've passed away now their progeny are still in power I mean this is it is it is just a cruel thing to say to the Afghans that we made life better for you yes in some areas it has been made better there has been relative peace but in other where's there's been massive war and really most of the people who say that things are better in Afghanistan if they are Afghans very often are on the dole of the u.s. Government somehow or on the dole of the Afghan government I would refer people to the cost of war project at Brown University they have done really great work on how much this war is actually going to cost at the you know at the end of our lives because you know I am 100 percent disabled veteran I get all my health care for you know through the Veterans Administration and I have to get a lot of health care to take care of my problems stemming from these wars both physical and mental and so you have to pay for me until the end of my life it doesn't end until then and then there's all other costs that roll into it's what they say at around you. Versity and other studies at Harvard and other places are confirming this is that the war will cost at least $6.00 trillion dollars by the time it's all said and done 6 trillion dollars of that what the most incredible number is within it is that at least one trillion of that will just be simply in debt in interest payments while so it's a one trick this war is eventually going to be just a one trillion dollar profit for the banks and the trumpet ministration has restarted peace talks with the Taliban which if the Us leaves with the polygon in power we will have as I put it in my latest column about this story we will have gone from point a to point b. And back to point 8 by way of unimaginable death destruction and trillions of dollars wasted now just going back to the sushi of the way in which the money if you will to corruption in Afghanistan I just want to quote from the Afghanistan papers The Washington Post wrote it just because it's eloquently written us engaged in huge huge nation building effort in Afghanistan drenching the destitute country with more money than it could absorb it was so much excess that opportunities for bribery fraud and corruption became limitless One us advisor said that at the air base where he worked many Afghans reeked of jet fuel because they were smuggling out so much of it to sell on the black market meanwhile we're told there's not enough money for health care for free college education and of course this week Democrats joined Republicans many of them to pass the renewal of the n.d.a. The National Defense Authorization Act giving the military a $22000000000.00 bump from the year before taking out the bills that would have stopped the war in Yemen and Iran and that all should be very much these this Washington Post story should have been part of that discussion on the n.b.a. Renewal right but it wasn't I don't think it was. Even came up unless it was by one of the opposition Oh there's so much that that that plays into all of this that ties into it that this shooting that happened last week in Pensacola Yeah where that that that aviation. Student from Saudi Arabia you know killed 3 people he said you know that he is doing this not because he hates our freedom but because you know of our of United States bombing and killing of people and it's what they all say all these people who conduct these attacks against Americans the guy in Orlando the guy who tried to blow up Times Square those 2 young men in Boston none of them say convert or die they all say stop bombing my people stop killing Muslim people that's what they keep saying and matches gets that that doesn't even get recognized it's it's it's because they called us a nation of evil like they're they have some type of imbalance in their understanding of good and bad what's morally right more what's morally wrong but also to as you said with the n.d.a. For you know members of Congress to express outrage and then turn around and immediately give this organization that has so systemically lied not just about this but about Iraq and about Libya you know and everything else. To go ahead turn around and give them $735.00 or $38000000000.00 or whatever the final number was is just I mean I think everyone thinks of that famous scene in Casablanca you know where the police captain comes in the says I'm shocked gambling is going on here and then the the waiter comes up and says Here are your winnings sir you know I mean it's that type of who literally the one hand does not know what the other hand is doing in terms of members of Congress because how in your right mind could you say your one 1st of all say that you did know that things were going badly in Afghanistan is the 1st you'll. And that the u.s. Government and its military might be lying about something and to then turn around and give them $730000000000.00 when as you say Sonali there is so I mean that as people say all the time as a tagline you know Flint Michigan still does not have clean water. Finally Matthew although I was very impressed by the work that the Washington Post reporters did in putting this information out there and the legal battle be waged to obtain the secret interviews conducted by the ins.