Ethiopian Forces Gain Ground; German Minister Issues Threats; Assange Closer to Extradition

Julian Assange at risk of extradition as judge sides with the US. How the US prosecutes whistleblowers under the pretext of national security.

Nebiyu Asfaw, co-founder of the Ethiopian American Development Council, joins us to talk about the ongoing situation in the conflict in Ethiopia, as the Ethiopian National Defense forces have been able to make gains against the Tigray People's Liberation Front and have now recaptured Kombolcha and Dessie, along with a host of other towns across the Amhara state, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site called Lalibela. We talk about the work that the Ethiopian diaspora in the US has done to reveal the truth about the conflict despite widespread media disinformation that has sided mostly with the TPLF narrative, the importance of independent voices to understand the situation on the ground, and what needs to be done to ensure that peace is achieved in this conflict.

Peter Oliver, journalist and RT correspondent in Berlin, talks to us about inflammatory policy statements by the new German government about current tensions related to NATO, nuclear weapons, Russia, Ukraine, and China, with the incoming Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stating that there would be a high price to pay for any invasion of Ukraine, that Germany was considering boycotting the Beijing Olympics, and contemplating a nuclear-armed Germany in the future. We also talk about the certification of Nord Stream 2 under the new German government, and whether this project will languish in this new government, as well as Biden’s phone call with President Putin and whether there is any real possibility of an invasion of Ukraine and a regional conflict.

Kevin Gosztola, journalist, writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber to discuss the case of Julian Assange, which now sees him closer to being extradited to the US over hacking allegations and violations of the Espionage Act after a UK judge sided with the US in an appeal over concerns of his mental health and potential imprisonment in the US, and how this is a reality check of the US government’s commitment to free speech and a free press as the Biden administration holds a democracy summit at the White House.

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