Russian S-300 air defense system may make Syria "untouchable," but Israel seems ready to test it, according to writer Whitney Webb at MintPress News. After the Russian Ministry of Defense held the Israeli Air Force solely responsible for the recent downing of a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane in Syria, Russia has announced that it will move forward with a long-standing Syrian government request for more advanced air defense systems, namely the Russian-made S-300. Syria purchased the S-300 in 2013, but, at the request of Israel, the system was never delivered. How will this impact the political and military landscape in the region? With the US support for Israel unwavering under the Trump administration, will Israel risk sparking a larger war in Syria knowing that the Americans will likely back them — no matter the cost?
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday. We initially thought that Rosenstein had verbally submitted his resignation to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. An Axios source said Rosenstein was "expecting to be fired," so he planned to step down. We now know that at least for the moment, that's not the story. There was a lot of time and mental horsepower spent on this "story" this morning by the networks only to find out we won't have a story until Thursday. The statement came after nearly three hours of confusion this morning about Rosenstein's status at the Justice Department. This demonstrates a huge problem with Washington, DC, reporting, especially regarding stories happening in Washington itself. The desire to get the scoop has eclipsed the desire to get the scoop right.
A second woman has come forward alleging sexual misconduct by embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and exposed himself to her at a party while they were classmates there. What does this mean for his nomination going forward, and what about the defenses of Kavanaugh by his supporters — he was only 17 (in the case of the first allegation by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford); it has not happened since; oh, these were just hormone-crazed adolescents? While several details, including whether Republicans will use an outside lawyer to question Dr. Ford before the Senate Judiciary Committee, remain unsettled, a spokesman for the committee said its chairman, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, considers the negotiations over, and Dr. Ford's lawyers said the hearing will go on no matter how those details are resolved.
GUESTS:
Dr. Gerald Horne — Award-winning author and Moores Professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston.
Carmine Sabia — Journalist and writer for CitizenTruth.org.
Sherry Hamby, Ph.D. — Psychology of violence director at Life Paths Appalachian Research Center, founder and co-chair of ResilienceCom and research professor of psychology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
Leslie Proll — Civil rights lawyer advising the NAACP on judicial nominations, and former NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund policy director.
We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com
