Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Bjartmar Oddur Þeyr Alexandersson, John Helmer July 15, 2021

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition, recorded on the dates, July 10th and 11th, 2021.

Crusading publisher and founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange spent his 50th birthday last week just as he had his 49th and 48th, in solitary at London’s Belmarsh Prison. Assange was snatched by British authorities from Ecuador’s London Embassy April 11th, 2019, the place he’d been granted sanctuary in 2012. He said back then he feared extradition to the United States to be punished for WikiLeaks’ release of the infamous Collateral Murder video and other revelations of U.S. criminality. Nearly ten years later, Assange waits in stir as America prepares an appeal of Britain’s dismissal on humanitarian grounds of its first attempt to have him delivered to Washington.

A major element of America’s case against Assange rests on the testimony of Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson, a controversial figure who in a recent interview with Stundin, an Icelandic news site, admits to providing false testimony to the FBI. Bjartmar Oddur Þeyr Alexandersson co-wrote the article that has Assange allies hopeful for his release at long last.

Bjartmar Alexandersson in the first half.

And; it was an international sensation in 2018 when, as like in a Hollywood thriller; a Russian hit squad attempted to rub out a former double-agent in an audacious, broad daylight “military-grade” chemical attack in the heart of Salisbury, a town known more for its Early English Gothic cathedral than international intrigue.

Tensions got so high for a time, it was thought L’Affaire Skripal could even lead to war! And no-one perhaps was a more sympathetic character in the story than Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, collateral victim of the deathly, Novichok chemical agent. Imagine everybody’s surprise then when the now former Detective Sergeant inadvertently revealed he’d never actually been exposed to Novichok!

John Helmer is a journalist, author, broadcaster, former political advisor to government, and principal behind the news website, Dances with Bears. Among Helmer’s many books titles are, ‘The Lie That Shot Down MH-17’, ‘The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia’, and his latest, ‘Hitler Didn’t Die in Berlin – He Moved to Melbourne Where He Runs the State Government of Victoria: A True Covid-19 Thriller’. He’s also the author of ‘Skripal in Prison’ a compendium of his many articles on the Skripal case. His latest on the matter at Dances with Bears is, ‘DETECTIVE SGT NICK BAILEY HAS ANNOUNCED NOT ANOTHER WORD ON NOVICHOK AND THE SKRIPAL CASE‘.

John Helmer and the curious and curiouser case of the once talkative and now silent detective in the second half.

But first, Bjartmar Oddur Þeyr Alexandersson and ‘Key Witness in Assange Case Admits to Lies in Indictment‘.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Steve Poikonen, Karl Grossman January 7th, 2021

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition recorded on this date, January 4th/5th, 2021.

Today, Magistrate of the Crown, Vanessa Baraitser stunned Assange case followers, delivering a finding refuting American demands for the WikiLeaks publisher’s extradition to that country to face espionage charges. Despite the ruling, Julian Assange is still held in London’s Belmarsh Prison. Outside the court, Assange’s partner, Stella Moris told reporters now is not the time to celebrate saying, “I had hoped that today would be the day that Julian would come home…Today is not that day, but that day will come soon.

Steve Poikonen is a columnist, broadcaster, and host of the ‘Slow News Day‘ podcast available on Patreon.com. Steve’s also an organizer with Action4Assange, and co-host of the #FreeAssange Vigil. He and a retinue of activist have returned to Washington, D.C. to make again as public as possible in the American Capitol the miscarriage of justice being perpetrated in England against Julian Assange and all he represents.

Steve Poikonen in the first half.

And; A hundred years old is great for a bottle of fine cognac; okay for a stately home; and fairly good for a collector’s piece of furniture but when it comes to nuclear reactors like romantic interests, you’re probably best to keep them under ninety, and certainly less than a century old. It seems something that needn’t be said but tell that to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission who’re currently toying with the idea of extending the operating licenses of atomic power plants from the previously stretched 80 to 100 years.

Karl Grossman is professor of journalism at State University of New York/College at Old Westbury, and author of, ‘The Wrong Stuff: The Space’s Program’s Nuclear Threat to Our Planet’, and ‘Cover Up: What You Are Not Supposed to Know About Nuclear Power. He’s also an associate of the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), whose articles too appear at CounterPunch.org, where I found his latest, ‘Inviting Nuclear Disaster’.

Karl Grossman and the NRC playing doorman to an atomic apocalypse in the second half.

And; sad news to relay: CFUV Radio broadcaster and host of Plant Powered Radio, Janine Bandcroft will no longer maintain the Left Coast Events Bulletin, heard here weekly since 2002. But, you can still catch her show, Plant Powered Radio every Tuesday at 11am pacific time right here at CFUV.ca.

But first up, Steve Poikonen from Washington, D.C. and staying on the Assange case.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, David Swanson, Ron Ridenour, Janine Bandcroft November 12, 2020

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s home edition, recorded live-to-tape via Skype on this date, November 10th, 2020.

It’s that week again, when the citizenry is bidden to bow in remembrance to sacrifices made at the various altars to empire and nationalism of this terrible last century of slaughter. For some that observation is a sombre duty, for others an opportunity to propagandize a pyramidal power construct relegating those at its base to suffer penury, servitude, systemic oppression, and to be periodically pitched into the maw of mechanized warfare.

This vicious cycle may seem eternal, even the natural order of things for we who have no living experience of Peace. But that is the lie of our time, and the abomination we’re called to celebrate on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of this eleventh month.

David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and broadcaster. He’s the executive director of World BEYOND War, campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org, and a past Nobel Peace Prize Nominee whose book titles include: ‘War Is A Lie’, ‘When the World Outlawed War’, and ‘Leaving WWII Behind’. David blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org, and he’s the host of Talk Nation Radio.

David Swanson in the first half.

And; while last week’s election carnival is yet to come to a head, what happens over the months following is anyone’s guess; there’s less uncertainty for the Julian Assange extradition hearings in London’s Old Bailey where presiding magistrate, Vanessa Baraitser adjourned proceedings saying, “One way or another, my decision is likely to go after the US elections.

The hearing will resume January 4th, and Baraitser will assuredly rule as bidden to by whomever will reside on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ron Ridenour is a journalist, author, editor, and peace and social justice activist. Some of Ridenour’s many book titles include: ‘The Russian Peace Threat: Pentagon on Alert’, ‘Cuba: Revolution in Action’, ‘Backfire: The CIA’s Biggest Burn’, and his latest, still in progress, ‘Winding Brook Stories’. Ron’s articles feature at numerous online sites, including on This Can’t Be Happening.net, where his ‘A Horror Story in Two Parts: Will England Send Assange-the-Messenger to America’s Dungeons?’ and ‘A Travesty of Justice: UK Caters to the US Government’s Desire to Crush Assange’ appear.

Ron Ridenour and coming out of the trenches for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks in the second half.

And: CFUV Radio broadcaster and host of Plant Powered Radio, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things to be gotten up to in and around our town, and virtually too, in the coming week.

But first, David Swanson and rejecting war as business as usual.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Ron Ridenour November 2, 2020

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s home edition, recorded on this date, November 2nd, 2020.

This week America’s election carnival will come to a head. What happens over the months following is anyone’s guess, but there’s less uncertainty for the Julian Assange extradition hearings in London’s Old Bailey where presiding magistrate, Vanessa Baraitser adjourned proceedings saying, “One way or another, my decision is likely to go after the US elections.” The hearing will resume January 4th, and Baraitser will assuredly rule as bidden to by whomever will reside on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ron Ridenour is a journalist, author, editor, and peace and social justice activist. The ex-pat American has lived and worked in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia and currently calls Denmark home. He’s worked too as a special correspondent and freelancer for numerous publications in Europe the US, and Latin America, and served as press aid to Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales and the governments of Cuba and Nicaragua. Some of Ridenour’s many book titles include: ‘The Russian Peace Threat: Pentagon on Alert’, ‘Cuba: Revolution in Action’, ‘Backfire: The CIA’s Biggest Burn’, and his latest, still in progress, ‘Winding Brook Stories’.

Ron’s articles feature at numerous online sites, including on ThisCantBeHappening.net, where his ‘A Horror Story in Two Parts: Will England Send Assange-the-Messenger to America’s Dungeons?’ and ‘A Travesty of Justice: UK Caters to the US Government’s Desire to Crush Assange’ appear.

Today, Ron Ridenour and coming out of the trenches for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/