Soleimani Invited to Iraq for Negotiations; Trump Killed Him on Arrival

Published: Jan. 6, 2020, 11 p.m.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Abby Martin, host of The Empire Files, at patreon.com/EmpireFiles and GoFundMe.com/keep-empire-files-going; Mike Prysner, the producer and co-host of the military podcast Eyes Left, hosted by two anti-war Army veterans; and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.


The Trump administration’s drive to full-scale war with Iran is moving forward as the president threatens to destroy Iranian cultural sites and the Iraqi Prime Minister reveals that Iranian General Soleimani was in the country on a diplomatic mission to deescalate tensions in the region. In the face of this grave crisis, thousands of anti-war protesters took to the streets in 90 cities and towns across the United States last weekend.



After two deadly crashes involving the Boeing 737 Max, the Federal Aviation Administration has now required Boeing to complete an internal audit on Boeing systems. Results of the internal audit, done in December, show that the 737 Max issues may extend past software problems and include the wiring of the plane. Mary Schiavo, the former Inspector General at the Department of Transportation, an aviation attorney, an aviation professor, and an on-air consultant on aviation matters for CNN, joins the show.



Juan Guaido has been ousted as president of Venezuela’s National Assembly after a year of stinging defeats in his U.S.-backed effort to overthrow the government and become the leader of the country. With new legislative elections on the horizon and the opposition to President Nicolas Maduro’s government deeply divided, what comes next for Venezuela? Brian and John speak with Leonardo Flores, a member of the peace group Code Pink, where he is a Latin America campaign coordinator.



Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.



In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including Iraq’s proclamation to expel US troops, the funeral and mourning of Iranian General Soleimani, the looming danger of a major regional and even global war, Harvey Weinstein’s trial today, the widespread Australian wildfires, strike negotiations in France, and the Taiwanese election. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.



Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.