In an interview with a prominent German newspaper, the commander of al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front in Aleppo, Syria claims that the US government and its allies are providing it with weapons and training. It may seem preposterous, but the US did the same thing with the mujahideen in Afghanistan after the 1979 Soviet invasion. And we all know what that led to… History repeats? Today on the Liberty Report:

Although we obviously take no position on who should be (or should not be) the next US president, the issues that we face in foreign policy, civil liberties, and monetary policy are of great concern to us. Last night’s debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is of interest because of what was said, what was not said, and what should have been said. Today’s Liberty Report looks at the issues rather than the candidates:

What would former Congressman, former Reagan Budget Director, successful investor, and leading advocate for US non-interventionism David Stockman advise a President Trump to do to fix the mess we are in? Stockman joins today’s Liberty Report to discuss his new book, “Trumped! A Nation on the Brink of Ruin… And How to Bring It Back.” Trump is known as a “deal-maker” — Stockman offers him a great “Peace Deal” he could make that would save us billions and keep us far safer than we are today. Sounds like a great deal!

After untold billions of dollars in US training and equipment, the Iraqi army is not capable of taking the city of Mosul back from ISIS control. Part of the problem is that the multi-sectarian Iraqi army is not so keen on fighting an ISIS that includes Sunni elements of the old Iraqi army among other things. What does that mean? The Pentagon has told the White House it needs even more troops as “advisors” in advance of the expected battle. Already more than 6,000 US troops remain in Iraq. This new infusion will make at least 6,500 and that many contractors as well. And if Mosul is “liberated”? Some warn that may be the beginning of the second Iraqi civil war. More today in the Liberty Report:

These days you will often see a particularly bad vote in the House of Representatives opposed by four or five Members. It used to be one, Ron Paul. Much of the credit goes to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who is building on Dr. Paul’s Congressional Liberty Caucus and adding Members. How is the fight for peace and liberty going on Capitol Hill? There are some surprising victories these days. Today’s Liberty Report sits down with Rep. Massie (who recently joined our Board of Advisors) for a look at recent victories, information on what is on the horizon, and how we can all make a difference by communicating our views to our Representatives:

The apparent attack on a humanitarian convoy in the rebel-held part of Aleppo seems to be the final nail in the coffin of the latest ceasefire in Syria. The US blames the Russians for what it calls an “airstrike” on the aid convoy, but the Russians deny that they or the Syrians bombed the convoy. Was it a rebel provocation, like the gas attack at Ghouta in 2013? How do the Russians or Syrians benefit by attacking a UN aid convoy just as the world is watching Aleppo? A briefing on three important events in Syria in today’s Liberty Report:

The Oliver Stone film “Snowden” is predictably being nit-picked by the denizens of the establishment, nevertheless those with a better understanding of what it means to live in a free society are calling it an important opportunity for average Americans to get a look at what living in a surveillance state looks and feels like. Thanks to NSA spying, the government collects virtually every bit of possible information on all of us, storing it for a later date so as to use against us if we run afoul of the powers that be. Today’s Liberty Report is joined by former State Department official and whistleblower Peter Van Buren to consider how dramatically the world has changed since 9/11 and what we can do to work against encroaching tyranny.

US National Security Advisor Susan Rice met with her Israeli counterparts yesterday to sign an historic aid deal that will see $38 billion dollars shipped from US taxpayers to the Israeli military. In a press conference, Rice claimed that, “[t]his MOU is not just good for Israel—it’s good for the United States. Our security is linked…” Today’s Liberty Report is joined by former CIA officer Philip Giraldi to discuss how closely “linked” is US national security with Israeli security. Also, we discuss what a huge boon this will be for US defense contractors, who will supply all the military items to Israel:

The “new” ceasefire in Syria seems a lot like the one from earlier this year. This time, according to John Kerry, the Syrian government has to ask permission from the US before it bombs rebels in the country. In exchange the US has agreed (or not, depending on which official you listen to) to finally demand that the rebels it backs and arms separate themselves from al-Qaeda. While any cessation of hostilities is good, especially for civilians caught up in the tragedy, this agreement does not tackle the real underlying issues in Syria. Can it hold? We consider the possibilities in today’s Liberty Report:

In a very special Liberty Report, today we speak with Benjamin Ahdoot, an Iranian-American of Jewish heritage who just spent three months in Iran. Are the neocons telling us the truth about Iran? Benjamin sets them straight! Don’t miss this interview!

Why should American citizens subsidize the R&D and manufacture of military materials only to have them sold overseas to the profit of the arms manufacturers? And why on earth would we send more weapons to Saudi Arabia with its abysmal human rights record and brutal war on Yemen? Very special guest Senator Rand Paul joins today’s Liberty Report to let us know what he’s doing to stop the arms floodgate:

Yesterday history was made, with the first commercial flight from the US to Cuba in more than 50 years. Here is one real foreign policy achievement of President Obama, but in fact you cannot oppose an idea whose time has come. In today’s Liberty Report we take a look at the benefits and pitfalls of the de facto normalization with Cuba: