Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, John Helmer, Roger D. Harris September 18, 2022

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded September 17th and 18th, 2022.

This week past, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency officially demanded Russia relinquish control of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, or (ZNPP), and “all nuclear facilities within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders” into the hands of “competent Ukraine authorities“. The Russian-held nuclear plant has been repeatedly shelled and was too the target of a Kiev commando-raid. The IAEA’s investigation on the status of the plant, and now this report, are precedent-setting for the agency, but not a departure from the recent trend toward politicizing international agencies to serve the interests of America and NATO.

John Helmer is a journalist, author, and principle behind the web news site, Dances with Bears. He’s a past professor of political science, sociology, and journalism and has served as advisor to governments at the highest level. Helmer has spent decades living in and reporting from Russia, and among his many book titles are: ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17,’ ‘Skripal in Prison,’ ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia,’ and his latest, ‘The Jackals’ Wedding: American Power, Arab Revolt’.

John Helmer in the first half.

And; even as the UN’s IAEA and OPCW are co-opted against their mandates into the service of the war-state, so too countries big and small are strong-armed to bend their laws to suit the aims of the United States. Witness Great Britain’s abandonment of the Magna Carta in the Assange case, or Canada’s deplorable political arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and two-plus year torturing of logic and jurisprudence required to keep her imprisoned. What chance then do smaller countries like Sweden, or Iceland, or Cabo Verde have when their leadership receives a call from Uncle Sam?

In the latter’s case, that phone rang when Venezuelan diplomat and businessman, Alex Saab’s plane landed for refueling in the tiny African nation, en route to Iran. Today, Saab languishes in an American prison cell for the crime of challenging imperial power.

Roger D. Harris’ long civil rights activism career encompasses the teaching political science at a Historical Black College in Mississippi in the 1960’s and community organizing in East Harlem, New York City.

Today, Roger’s a Wildlife Biologist and conducts eco-tours with the Oceanic Society, but he still has an oar or two in the activist waters; sitting on the board of the human rights organization, Task Force on the Americas, and serving on the executive committee of the US Peace Council, among others. His political essays feature online at CounterPunch, Dissident Voice, Mint Press News, Popular Resistance, and at the Task Force on the Americas site, where I found his recent article, ‘Possible Prisoner Exchange in US Hybrid War Against Venezuela‘.

Roger Harris and freeing Alex Saab in the second half.

But first, John Helmer and the IAEA’s use as an instrument of one party in conflict.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing since 1999; in Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: cfuv.ca.  Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Liked it? Take a second to support Chris Cook and Gorilla Radion on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!

Author: Chris Cook

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. The show is archived at: www.gorilla-radio.com. The GR blog is at: gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com, and you can find and support the program at GRadio.Substack.com. Financial support is also possible through the Patreon site: https://www.patreon.com/PacificFreePress. He's too the past contributing editor to the web news site, www.pacificfreepress.com, (now defunct) and tweets at @paciffreepress. G-Radio is dedicated to social justice, the environment, community, and providing a forum for people and issues not covered in the corporate media. Some past guests include: M. Shahid Alam, Joel Bakan, Maude Barlow, Ramzy Baroud, David Barsamian, William Blum, Luciana Bohne, Helen Caldicott, Noam Chomsky, Paul Cienfuegos, Yves Engler, Laura Flanders, Denis Halliday, Julia Butterfly Hill, Sam Husseini, Robert Jensen, Dahr Jamail, Chalmers Johnson, Malalai Joya, Kathy Kelly, Ingmar Lee, Dave Lindorff, Andrew Gavin Marshall, Stefania Maurizi, Greg Palast, Michael Parenti, John Pilger, Kevin Pina, Ted Rall, Paul Craig Roberts, John Ross, David Rovics, Joan Russow, Danny Schechter, Vandana Shiva, Norman Solomon, David Swanson, Andy Worthington, Mickey Z., Howard Zinn and many others.

One thought on “Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, John Helmer, Roger D. Harris September 18, 2022”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *