Uh, as long as America keeps fighting these wars on other people's turfs, they're always implicitly winning in a sense because you can't really bring it you can't really uh, neuter the the military-industrial complex.
0:14>> Uh, we have special guest with us. We got a uh, uh, Richard Medhurst is here. He's a British-Syrian independent journalist who focuses his reporting on the Middle East, US politics, international relations from an anti-imperialist perspective. In 2024 he became the first journalist arrested under section 12 of the UK's Terrorism Act 2000 after being detained at Heathrow Airport for allegedly expressing support for a proscribed organization. In December, British authorities dropped all charges against him, but they they transferred their investigation files to Austrian prosecutors, where Medhurst, a resident
0:50of Vienna, now faces a separate ongoing investigation related to doing journalism on Gaza. Please welcome back to the show, Richard Medhurst. Hey, Richard.
1:01>> Hey, Jimmy. Thanks for having me. It's great to see you.
1:03>> Great to see you. And uh, so I just wanted to really quick let people know that uh, August 15th, 2004, you got arrested at the London Heathrow Airport and you were uh, for under the section 12 of UK's Terrorism Act 2000.
1:19And this section criminalizes inviting or expressing support for a proscribed organization.
1:27They took your So, so um, tell me about that. So, tell me tell me uh, what what it was they said you did and why they uh, did this to you and uh, where is it at now?
1:40>> Yeah, so they wouldn't explain to me first of all what happened. So, you got to imagine they came on the plane like um, and it was a it was a a proper arrest. So, most people that you hear about being stopped at the airport is usually they detain them.
1:56But I didn't even grasp it like I I've been properly arrested. I mean, I was in handcuffs, so that that should have been, you know, clear. But, they came on the plane, like six of them, and and you know, they just said terrorism act. And I had to wait like from 6:30 p.m. till about 2:00 p.m. the next day till they finally questioned me, till I actually knew what was going on.
2:16Um and yeah, it was just it was just my journalism. And um you know, they spent like 2 hours questioning me about pretty much everything, you know? Like, uh why why did you come back to England? And you know, um what what kind of a you know, what would you describe your politics as? And and and then the police were basically asking me, you know, reading my tweets to me and playing my my YouTube videos, my reports, and then asking me if this is the right way to do journalism.
2:44And um >> Really?
2:46>> Yeah, I swear to god. Yeah.
2:49Of course, I no commented the whole interview, so yeah. I I didn't really answer, but it was all about my journalism.
2:55>> If anybody knows how to do journalism, it's definitely cops.
2:59Uh they Right? Um And and so uh so now so they dropped the case kind of in December, but tell me what's going on now.
3:11>> Yeah, so so when they when they dropped it, I mean, I don't really know what to say because officially they they passed it on to Austria. They didn't drop it because they uh I mean, first of all, they never charged me. So, you you got to imagine they kept me on bail.
3:26I I was out on bail for over a year.
3:29And and 5 months after the Heathrow thing, I get uh raided, detained, and my residency threatened, all in the same at the same time in Austria.
3:40And my immediate reaction was like, "The UK put you up to this."
3:43You know, and they denied it, of course.
3:46And so, they don't talk to the UK, and it's it's separate. But then, the UK, you know, gave them the case. And it's not even the same case because in Austria they bumped it up from quote unquote supporting a terrorist organization, which is basically me saying that, you know, resistance is legal under international law. Oh my god. Um and they bumped it up to me being a Hamas member. And I tried to explain to them that they don't allow Catholics in Hamas, and they didn't really seem to understand that.
4:13So Yeah, like it's it's that level of craziness. So I don't even know what the UK is helping them with if the allegation is not even the same. But yeah, it's been over a year now in Austria as well. I haven't been charged with a crime.
4:26Um and it's again all about my journalism. That's the only quote unquote proof they have.
4:31>> Is is there this kind of What's the atmosphere in Austria right now when it comes to journalism about Israel, Syria, Iran? What what Is there Is there a Is it oppressive?
4:47>> Yeah, I mean, you got to You got to imagine that in France and in in the German-speaking world and in most of Europe really, it's kind of like they copy-paste what what our crappy mainstream media are saying in the UK and in the US.
5:01It's literally just copy-pasted. So like you might as well have someone, you know, Washington writing these press releases.
5:07But I I don't really I'm not I don't I'm not really interested in in um you know, uh I kind of just do my own thing. That That's That's basically what I'm trying to say. So I never really bothered with anyone or or like stirred any kind of trouble. So my only conclusion is that they you know, the Israelis put them up to this or the UK put them up to this or maybe the even the US, who knows. You know, maybe they didn't like my Assange coverage, I don't know. But you know, it's it's like so out of the blue. And and the legal opinions that I got was that this came from the highest levels of government, you know. I mean
5:42You You have to remember that I I I'm from a UN family. Like that's the whole reason we're in Austria right in the first place.
5:49Um, I I don't fit the quote unquote profile. Like even if you wanted to stereotype someone as a terrorist, like I mean, sorry, you know, Catholic in Hamas is absolutely ridiculous. And in in the military wing, like they accused me of being in the military wing of Hamas specifically. Well, it's just, you know, it's it's beyond comical.
6:05So, it it's obviously political, you know, and um yeah, for me that's oppressive.
6:11Uh and in general, I would just consider the atmosphere toxic because when it comes to Syria, you know, how they talk about the regime change war, um when they talk about Iran, it's copy-paste the same crap we're hearing in in English. So, it's yeah, it's pretty bad.
6:27>> And so, does that not So, are you are you not operating from a position of uh fear? Are you afraid of what might happen? And um what kind of have they taken down like your Have they deplatformed you from social media?
6:45And and what are some of the effects?
6:49>> Well, um like a few months before I got arrested in in the UK, they uh my YouTube got demonetized. It's been 2 years now, almost it's still demonetized.
7:00Um you know, there's all that kind of censorship, but really what they did was they physically crippled my ability to report. Like they, you know, they came in here in this room, um like these just, you know, Gestapo agents, and just uh took all of my stuff. Like, you know, down to even cable adapters, like like stuff that has no, you know, value in terms of data. So, they they basically robbed me, you know, like 20, 30,000 dollars worth of equipment. So, so the And and the same thing in the UK, they took stuff that like analog microphones.
7:31What What data are you going to find on on a bag, you know, or an analog microphone? So, the intent was just to the reporting. So, so that was the way that they did it with me. Uh and and yeah, there was very clearly uh you know, a message being sent and uh yeah.
7:45>> And so has has it forced you because the the game a lot is to force us into self-censorship.
7:52And and how do you fight against that?
7:56>> Yeah, it's difficult because like you like you're saying Jimmy, they they want you to live in this climate of fear and kind of just do their job for them. Um they might think that that worked with me because I for for a couple of months or for the you know, better part of a year I wasn't streaming as much but actually what I was doing is working on a book on cybersecurity and cuz they took my computers and stuff and I never talked about this publicly so I wouldn't give them like any help about what I'm using. Uh you know, indirectly but since they took the devices I figured I might as well help other people now so I started
8:29writing this book. Um and uh yeah, that that's really the only thing that kept me from streaming as much but uh I think we have to actively remind ourselves that you know, we are not criminals.
8:42Uh we are not terrorists. We are simply reporting the truth. This this is utterly absurd that you're equating someone with a microphone and a camera with you know, uh the foreign office or the State Department who are real terrorists and um you know, it's they are they are the ones that are breaking the law. You know, freedom of speech is enshrined in the US Constitution. It's enshrined in the Human Rights Act in the UK and in the European Convention of Human Rights and I know they like to you know, wipe their butts with it with international law and with our laws. But we we should remind them that actually we have these
9:14rights and we're not doing anything wrong. So yeah, even if we have to do it consciously regularly we have the law on our side and it's they who have it's them who are behaving like criminals. We should always say that publicly and remind ourselves of that and I think it will help us to you know, stop also censoring.
9:31>> So as someone who was arrested and put out on bail with a uh under the terrorism act in the UK. I was wanting to get your your reaction to this. So, this is the former head uh head chopper. He was the chief head chopper uh Al-Qaeda leader in Syria.
9:51And this was from the US State Department. They put out a reward for his arrest and they called him a terrorist and they're going to give you $10 million for his arrest, right? And this is who he is and then why they did that was because that's who he is, right? And and so just uh last week or was it this week? Uh here he is. There's that same guy. He's now he put on a blue suit. He traded in his terrorist garb and he puts on a blue suit and let's watch him let's what let's let's see where he's going to go.
10:22Where is he walking? It's I wonder where that is. Huh, I wonder it looks like a nice neighborhood. And it certainly is a nice suit. And I wonder who he's going to meet with. Oh, look. Oh my gosh.
10:33That's there's the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. And there they are.
10:37They're buddy buddies now.
10:39Isn't that something?
10:41And uh I just wanted to show you this.
10:45Uh on the left is uh is Robin Alduwain an NHS doctor arrested and charged over alleged verbal support of Hamas. And on the right here is the Al-Qaeda leader.
10:57Um and of course here he is in the United States meeting with President Trump.
11:03This is this is literally the We still have Guantanamo Bay open, right? We still We still think that they're the ones responsible for 9/11. They're the ones we thought we were fighting in Iraq and Syria. And it turns out no no, we were always on the same side. Uh in fact, we were funding them and we were installing this guy as the leader of Syria as everybody uh said not everybody as people like you and me and others had said that if uh if Assad is overthrown, the people who will take over will be the people we consider to be terrorists.
11:36But, it turns out that's exactly who we wanted to be terrorists. And by the way, here's the state Here's the US Embassy in Syria. The core of HTS is is Nusra, a designated terrorist organization. This designation applies regardless of what name it uses or what group So, there it is There they are saying, "Okay, this this is They're terrorists no matter what you call them." And then, you know, there they are uh meeting with Trump and meeting with the UK Prime Minister. What's your reaction when you see that?
12:08>> I think we have to laugh or you know, we start crying, Jimmy. And and again, I want to I want to underscore like how hard you worked and consistent you were for years and years and years during the Syria dirty war uh in calling out this this nonsense. Like before, you know, people even had caught on to what was happening. And even now, many of them refuse to correct themselves or or correct the record. And you know, it is I mean, it's it's beyond parody, right?
12:33It's It's really beyond parody. I I should also underscore something that the the section 12 they arrested me um under.
12:40You know, it it it criminalizes opinions and beliefs. It's It's You saw it. It's shockingly short. It's like one sentence.
12:47And of course, there's a whole uh brand or or type of journalism that is literally opinion journalism. So, you know, you're already criminalizing that kind of journalism with that law. And that that's why it was so shocking that it they arrested me as a journalist uh under that law. But, I want to point out something that when he took over Syria in that same exact period, I saw the former head of MI6 on Sky News calling HTS resistance fighters. Now, if you said that same thing about Hamas, you'd be arrested.
13:18You would be arrested.
13:20>> That That's all it takes in the UK is to refer to Hamas as resistance fighters, and that's considered a criminal of act?
13:28>> Yeah, it's they say that you're inviting support.
13:32Cuz you're making them look good. That's basically the idea.
13:34>> And and and what is and and so what do you make of the lack of outrage in the current establishment media over meeting of this guy meeting with Keir Starmer, this guy meeting with Donald Trump, and this guy being the head of Syria in and working with Israel?
13:54>> I mean, I don't even know where to begin, Jimmy. I feel like I'm going nuts sometimes.
13:57>> Yeah.
13:58>> I really feel like I'm going nuts because this guy is such an obvious stooge. It's like he doesn't even try to hide it. You know, the first year that he's been in power, he's been pimping out Syria's infrastructure to the UAE, to Qatar, to Saudi Arabia. You know, this is so funny like immediately after he took charge, Saudi Arabia and I think it was Qatar as well, they paid off Syria's IMF, you know, outstanding foreign debt so that they would qualify for an IMF loan. And Syria's foreign debt was something farcical like $18 million, which is nothing for an actual country, you know? And and just the the
14:32way that they they proceeded to like, you know, start carving up Syria and making money out of it. And he gave the electricity grid, for example, to Turkey. I mean, yeah, Syria was independent with all these things and self-sufficient. And in addition to that, what has he done to Israel or about Israel? He handed them the the highest peak in Syria.
14:52You know, if you look at what's happening right now in Lebanon, that that vantage point lets you see all of Palestine and all of southern Lebanon and all the way into the Bekaa Valley.
15:02So, they're literally using that right now, the Israelis, to to observe, to spy, and to bomb, you know, people in Palestine and Lebanon and Syria. And he gave them an area twice the size of Gaza inside of Syria. So, I don't know how, you know, we can we can talk till the cows come home about how bad Assad is and and and, you know, people who supported this regime change will do.
15:24But, now that their guy is in charge, they they just have no criticism all of a sudden, you know, no matter what he does. It's It's extraordinary.
15:31>> So, uh right now, uh well, this is from Craig Murray.
15:37Um he says Al-Jolani allowed the IDF to pass through Syria territory to attack Hezbollah from the east around Mount Hermon.
15:47The Syrian That's the Mount you're talking about, right?
15:49>> Exactly.
15:50>> Uh the Syrian government gave the Israelis logistics support. There are no words sufficient.
15:56Uh so, what do you It's obvious to me, but what do you How would you explain this to people that the the the head the chief head chopper Al-Qaeda, the people who overthrew Assad, uh and are supposed to be sworn enemies of Israelis, are actually working with Israelis. And what What does that A tell you, and what do you tell other people about that?
16:22>> I mean, look, just ask yourself why have Al-Qaeda and ISIS never attacked Israel?
16:27>> Ever.
16:27>> It's a bit weird. Right?
16:30It's a bit weird. I mean, the his mentor, Jolani's mentor, um Zawahiri, was also Bin Laden's mentor, by the way.
16:38And that guy almost killed me, actually, when we were stationed at the UN in Pakistan. Like, my my school was stuck like adjacent to the Egyptian embassy, and he had beef with the Egyptian government cuz they imprisoned him and so on.
16:52And that was the first time that Al-Qaeda, cuz this is the early '90s, so I was a kid, this is the first time they did a double suicide bombing, you know, like a double tap strike, which is which is the Israeli MO, you know, funny coincidence.
17:04>> Yep.
17:04>> Um and uh you know, he basically trained Jolani and trained Bin Laden, and and they claim that they've taken him out 10 times already, and he keeps coming back from the dead. So, you know, God knows what whether the guy is is gone or not, but yeah, I find it so insulting that they they they almost kill you and then they come come around and have the nerve to call you the terrorist, you know, like it's just it's just astonishing really.
17:28And just to underscore Craig's point, uh it's it's really really important to understand that Syria had the best air defense system in the Middle East. And it's not me saying that. You can go and read the Jerusalem Post or Times of Israel. They were saying this well when when the government fell in 2024 and they were saying this 10 15 years ago as well. So, this these right these couldn't get past the Syrian airspace.
17:52Now, it's completely open and they've cleared a path to bomb Iran and they're using that every single day to to kill people in Iran. And just as Craig was pointing out, they also went through, you know, like around Lebanon and tried to surprise Hezbollah from the rear in Nabi Sheet is the area. That's the helicopter raid. So, you know, they couldn't have done this with Assad in power. No matter what criticisms you want to levy against him, it's just a fact of logistics that the Israelis didn't have that kind of sway or pull in the region and now they're allowed to run wild and no one seems to care.
18:28>> And and so, what what what do you think the longevity of Al-Julani is going to be in Syria? Do you think that there's there will be a unifying force and to bring Syria back together to overthrow this and be or do you think it's it's too late and the horse is out of the barn?
18:50>> I I really don't know, Jimmy. I you know, I I'm very grateful that you had me on when when all of this was happening cuz we got to do this this really extensive um you know, postmortem, if you want to call it that, about Syria and we went through the whole war.
19:05But if it if it taught us anything, I I think it's that we shouldn't hold out too much hope because I think psychologically and materially Syrians are probably just like devastated and exhausted from the war.
19:17And you know, I mean, if you look at people in Lebanon and Palestine, you know, how can how can anyone complain compared to them? But Syria is is also a target of this you know, Western Israeli American British aggression. So, I think for the time being no one is going to do anything about Julani and I think if he goes, when he goes, it's going to be like the mafia, like the mob, you know, they're just going to in Washington or in in you know, Kier Starmer or whatever in Whitehall will just say, well, you know, he's a loose end. He's served his purpose and now we'll just we'll tie up the loose end and get rid of him. I
19:49think that's what's going to happen.
19:51He'll He's just an errand boy, really.
19:52So, if he goes, I think it's going to be that way. Um you know, we're we're a long way off from seeing Syrians rise up and get rid of him now. I just I just don't see it happening.
20:05>> And and so in Lebanon, um you know, China has made a threat uh to towards Israel. Is that toothless or do you think that has any uh any heft behind it?
20:19>> Well, I mean, the the thing the thing with Lebanon and I and I see Lebanon of course as part of the like Iranian uh war, right? Like it's it's it's an additional front in the same war.
20:34You know, it's I've been working on this this documentary, Jimmy, and it I'm going to put it out tomorrow or something like that. So, I'll send it to you.
20:42Um and I hope people watch it because the Iranians and Hezbollah they're humiliating the Israelis right now. Uh you know, there's no question about it.
20:49They're humiliating the US.
20:51But I think I think what's been going on in the background and this this pertains to China and Russia is that the Americans the US have been you know, in the background quietly taking out uh or attempting to take out China's oil supply and gas supply.
21:05And you know, just like they took out Nord Stream under the cover of the Ukraine war, they you know, conveniently 30% of China's gas, which comes from Qatar, is now you know, down is out the window and down the toilet. And Australia having disruptions, quote unquote.
21:23So, you know, you've got two of the largest the second and third largest LNG suppliers who are basically out of action and that's very good for Uncle Sam who's eating up their market share now. Um and you know, no one is paying attention to that. When when it was the Iraq war, we were all talking about oil. I think it was very obvious back then that it was about oil. And right now it's it's not just about oil, it's also about the LNG.
21:46You know, the Ukraine war it just gave them that taste for blood. And I think that they're not just trying to take out Iran, they're trying to take out Russia and China at the same time. And China can't afford to be making toothless threats because if they don't stand up for themselves the way Iran are doing right now, I really think that is it's, you know, it's going to be checkmate.
22:06Not necessarily tomorrow, but ultimately they really need to stand up for themselves.
22:11>> And um so, do you have any insight into how strong Hezbollah is and how much they can fight back against what's happening right now? I mean, they they've said they want to turn Southern Lebanon into Gaza, right?
22:25They're going to make it look the same way. Um what what what's your assessment?
22:32>> Um well, I'm probably going to get in trouble for just, you know, doing journalism, but uh it it really in my professional opinion, if you know, if I may say so, Hezbollah right now they're the most effective guerrilla fighting force on the planet. There's there's no doubt about that. If if you thought they were tough in 2006 when they kicked the Israelis out of South Lebanon in 30 days, 33 days, or that they were tough, you know, 2 years ago, no, no, they are completely, completely different beast altogether right now. Um you know, they they are taking on the Israelis. I mean, I've been covering the the I've been building
23:06my own maps and covering the daily uh front actions every day.
23:11And the Israelis can barely get through, you know, they they they've been they've been toasting their tanks by the dozens.
23:19So, whatever, you know, the way we see Iran humiliating the US Air Force, for example, you have to just imagine that times 10 on the ground with Hezbollah.
23:26It's just that you don't hear about it in the news that much.
23:30But, it's it's really unbelievable. And, you know, it's not just a question of them taking out tanks.
23:36They're just stopping the advance, period. And, I was watching uh in French news, for example, they were going and interviewing Israeli soldiers. Um, and that's again something you wouldn't hear in the English media, but they are you know, they're tapped out, completely tapped out. And, the situation for them they're completely exhausted, these Israeli soldiers. You know, they're just they thought that they killed Nasrallah, they thought that the pager attacks were, you know, like a stroke of genius, and that they had crippled uh Hezbollah as an organization and as a fighting force. And, they've not only stuck around, but
24:08they've come back 10 times stronger. So, their ability is now expanded to them using um Iranian-made surface-to-air missiles to take on helicopters and planes. And, you know, that's a very important because the Israelis' main weapon is aerial power. They just bomb indiscriminately from the sky, and there's nothing you can do about it.
24:26And, in addition to that, they're using fiber instead of the Israelis being able to jam those uh with uh RFI or EMF uh generators, you can't jam fiber optical cables, right? So, they're taking these things that they've seen in Ukraine and and building on them, and they did it right under the Israelis' noses, which is, you know, you got to remember this is one of the most surveyed areas in the world. And, they were still able to pull that off. So, uh it is it is considerable from a purely objective point of view.
24:58>> And so you think that I also yeah but I was I was almost surprised when I saw Israel start this Lebanon front in this war because we had been reporting that exactly as you said that the Israeli military is collapsing and they're losing their will to fight. And so then they went into Lebanon anyway and you know they're there seems to be inflicting some good damage in Lebanon but you're you contend that Hezbollah will be able to get them out again do you think?
25:36>> Yeah.
25:37Yeah absolutely.
25:38>> That's fantastic well that's great that's good news there's a little good news.
25:41And and so um so now so now you got Yemen bombing you got the Houthis bombing Israel you got Lebanon you got the Hezbollah fighting them.
25:55Um you got China threatening them and you know we there was there's reports that we reported about the his Russian soldiers vowing to fight if we send ground troops into Iran so this does seem like you know just a half tick away from a world war.
26:15Um it's not quite there yet but um do do you think they'll be Hezbollah be able to get them out before this turns into a world war?
26:27>> Honestly Jimmy I know like a lot of people throw around throw that time around a lot but you're not throwing it around like you know this really is the closest I think that we've come to an actual world war and you know I I would I would just draw a parallel with the US and Japan in World War a lot of people think that you know Pearl Harbor just like happened out of the blue. Now I'm not justifying it I'm not justifying it but I'm just giving some critical context that the US imposed an oil embargo on on the Japanese and that led to Pearl Harbor.
26:59Um and and what's happening right now with Iran, you know, we're all focused on Iran and rightfully so because that's where the the brunt of the Western force is being directed, but in the background they they trying to basically place an oil embargo on China and Russia and and in my opinion, just to answer your question, I think that is really the the dangerous spark in this this whole combination. I think that could lead to an actual world war in addition to everything that's happening because when you play with countries energy supply and you have to remember that Venezuela was taken out in December December
27:34January.
27:35That's 4% of China's oil supply and 4% doesn't sound like a lot, but for them it was a strategic supply and it was a form of debt repayment. And it's a heavy crude that they use in their teapot refinery. So it's not just like any kind of uh uh crude oil.
27:51And then Russia, I mean, just in the last week the the Ukrainians allegedly is obviously NATO and the US have taken out 40% of Russia's oil export capacity and it's not even in the news.
28:03Um you know, they're they're sinking Russian tankers off the coast of Senegal in the Arctic in the Indian Ocean in the Mediterranean. It is absolutely insane.
28:12This this narcotics anti-narcotics mission in the Caribbean is a worldwide blockade. And those tankers are usually headed to China.
28:20So that's 17% of China's oil supply also threatened and then Iran another 11%.
28:25You're you're playing with fire here threatening, you know, 1/3 of uh a country's oil supply and especially a country like China where they can't get this type of heavy medium uh crude and at that discount. So this is really in my opinion the biggest risk that that, you know, could lead to a world war.
28:42Um and of course they're not talking about it in the media because, you know, how can you explain um away any of this or justify any of this?
28:50>> Well, what's First of all, it's I never had made that parallel between how World War with Japan started and and the current situation, which it now I now it's obvious that it's a great parallel.
29:03You know, Trump is it's he seems at most of the time he seems desperate to end this war, right?
29:11And um he in fact he took the sanctions off of Russian oil. And so because of, you know, how we screwed up the world economy by starting this war with Iran and now Iran has shut off the Strait of Hormuz and so Trump is desperate to get that back open and he's desperate to get oil spread around the world again and so he So it's kind of crazy. We're in a proxy war with Russia and we're in a hot war with Iran and at the same time Trump has taken off the oil sanctions off of both of those countries. And so when you tell me that they're they've been quietly sinking the Russian tank tankers, oil tankers, and you know, crippling a
29:54big percentage of their oil exports, doesn't that seem like completely contradictory for Trump to want Russia to get their oil out and then continuing to their oil exports? Well, make sense of that.
30:08>> also struggle with this when I when I was I was trying to understand what the hell's going on because these people they look like lunatics. But it it's actually it's it's meant as a pressure valve. That that's the the only reason that, you know, Wall Street or or Trump, if you will, do any anyone any, you know, any good. It's not doing out of the kindness of their hearts.
30:26By doing these 30-day sanctions waivers, the goal is just to allow some oil to get back on the market. It's it's not to do Iran or Russia any favors at all. And that's also why they allowed the The only reason they let that tanker to go to Cuba was because it wasn't meant for China, right? Like they they're trying to starve off Cuba and they're doing a good job at it.
30:47Uh you know, uh and I say that of course in a in in a cunning evil way, not not not in a actually good way, but um we have to we have to remember that the US right now, you know, closing the Strait of Hormuz, it it feels like something that should automatically crumble the West, but the the thing is the US today is number one in oil production, uh number one in refined products, number one in LNG exports. You know, if you look at the shares of Chevron and ExxonMobil and and Shell, they are at their highest levels right this second, Jimmy. They have never made this much money, ever. So, even if oil prices go up at the pump in
31:23the US, you know, you're you're paying high prices, but that money stays inside the US. So, from the empire's point of view, it's a win-win. And Asia and Europe are always going to pay higher oil prices. So, you know, it's it's exactly like we saw with the LNG that just tightening their control over uh Europe and Asia. And if they get a uh you know, people disgruntled in the US, it's worth it to take over the world's oil supply. That's how these people think, of course, you know, it's it's completely Machiavellian.
31:51Um and with LNG prices, with natural gas, it doesn't even go up in the US.
31:55It's kind of funny, you know, it's just like stays static. Whereas here in Europe and in Asia, it's skyrocketing.
32:02>> What and yeah, I mean, I I I I I I wondered and I've asked lots of people what could possibly be in it for Europe to keep going along with the United States uh hegemony, warmongering, the Ukraine war. What is it possibly I mean, when they blew up the Nord Stream pipeline, that uh you know, that doubled or tripled the price that Germany, which is the economic engine of Europe, had to pay for their energy, which screws every Well, so so it's like they're screwing themselves, and I don't get what they get out of it. Do you?
32:36>> I I ask myself this question every day and the only conclusion I came to is that they're just CIA agents. They have to be CIA agents.
32:44There's no other way, Jimmy.
32:45May- maybe it's also like this subservience that they they they've bought into like, "Oh well, America is number one and you know, if we play along and do it America says then we'll be all right, you know." I I don't know what it is. I I haven't found an answer to it, but it's definitely sabotage.
32:59Like they're they're definitely screwing uh Europe's future because you have to remember when energy gets expensive like you said, it shuts down the industries.
33:07So, you you see the US benefits on several levels because they're not only making money from the higher gas and oil prices, but they get to you get all these companies moving like Siemens and Toyota and a BMW, Mercedes investing in the US which would be crazy like 20 years ago, but the the the prices are so expensive here they have no choice. So, you know, the the US deindustrializes Asia and Europe and the EU are just like, you know, groveling at their feet and slobbering over them like, "Oh, thank you so much for for destroying the continent." I I can't make sense of it.
33:40>> And you know, I I don't understand that uh how how the the people of Europe can go along with the I don't Yeah, I I I get that they might have uh you know, corrupted leaders and see CIA infiltrated governments, but you think the people uh would be in the street and outraged. Are they?
34:02>> No.
34:03>> No.
34:03>> No, no, Jimmy. To me it's too bad like especially with the Ukraine with the Ukraine war, everyone like most people here have drank the Kool-Aid.
34:11Even people who understand the Gaza genocide, you'll find that when it comes to Ukraine, they are completely like, you know, Ursula von der Leyen clones.
34:19Like it's really bad, you know. It feels like you're in the twilight zone.
34:23It's that bad.
34:24>> I mean, you know, in the United States where we have we have you know, social media and we have you know, people like Tucker Carlson who is now independent telling the truth about Ukraine war, and we have, of course, Grayzone Glenn Greenwald. We have this show. We have lots of shows. We have lots of people being informed this way now, and people don't seem to turn to establishment. Do they have the same thing kind of social structure in Europe?
34:52>> I mean, it's actually funny that you bring that up because because um now that you mention it, I I I really don't think there is the same kind of I don't know what you want to call it, scene or or market or whatever, you know, a term you want to use. There there there isn't. Of course, you have like, you know, a podcast scene or whatever, but it's it's usually going to be stuff that isn't this serious, not like this. And I think it's a it's more of a US-UK thing, you know, like I'm I'm basically an outlier with this job in in in Europe. It's it's not as common in the US, and you're absolutely right to bring up the fact
35:24that, you know, we've got your show, we've got Glenn, we've got Tucker, you know, it really is something that is is uh you know, basically a blessing in a way because you keep consuming mainstream media, it's going to turn your brain into, you know, into into mush. That is honestly, it's poison.
35:43And and I feel like we should be smarter now with the internet, with social media, even if we don't have the scene.
35:48And yet, people are just getting more and more you know, I I I I just don't know how to describe it. We need some sociologists to come and do this.
35:56>> No kidding. Yeah, it's it's like it's like it's like another COVID psyop that people are falling for and not pushing and internalizing. And and so what So what I hear you saying is that even though the Ukraine war is an ultimate loser, uh Russia's going to end on Russia's terms, and even though right now Iran is pummeling the United States militarily, they've knocked out all 13 of our bases in the Gulf States, and they've Now they control the Gulf the Strait of Hormuz and and now they're targeting American companies which is a you know, raising everyone's hair is getting on fire inside the the tech
36:39community here over that. But in a sense, even though we're losing the Ukraine war and we're going to we're losing the war with Iran, it's still benefiting the United States economically. So so that kind of takes away an incentive to end it, right?
36:57>> Yeah, exactly. Of course, of course Jimmy and and I mean we've always known like war is a racket. There's a reason that's a phrase in English, but but I want I want to just kind of draw another contrast with World War II. You know, we all know that the UK won that war or the allies won that war, but it bankrupted both World Wars bankrupted the British Empire. So from if you look at it from, you know, if you zoom out it it it was actually you know, it was a military victory, but not an economic one. And and my point with that is that despite the US being humiliated in Vietnam for example, you
37:29know, it it still stuck around for 50 years. It's still here, right? Doing the same kind of thing. And so my point with Iran is not to say that what they're doing isn't significant. I don't want people to misunderstand that. It's very significant. We've never seen anything like this even in Vietnam. But my point is that as long as the US industrial base and I need to I need to watch how I phrase this.
37:50But the United States as an empire on the other side of the planet is is shielded from all of its wars, right?
37:56Like you don't have the Blitz for example in in the US like, you know, you don't have people running to shelters and you know, thank God because I don't wish that on anyone. But just from a strategic or a game theory point of view as long as America keeps fighting these wars on other people's turfs, they're always implicitly winning in a sense because you can't really bring it you can't really neuter the the military industrial complex. And and these companies, especially what the US is doing now, this is this is what I'm the point I'm making the documentary is that they're moving the energy corridor away from the
38:31Middle East. It's no longer going to be in the in the Strait of Hormuz or in Saudi Arabia. They're going to throw all of these Gulf kingdoms under the bus.
38:40They're going to get rid of the bases and what they're going to do is transition to a pirate strategy. You saw Hexaf just saying, you know, death and destruction and uh, you know, what we're going to kick you while you're down and how they sunk that ship um, in the Indian Ocean. So, I think what the US are going to do now is is just like they parked their fleet outside Venezuela and it's still there. I think they're going to start doing the same thing where they have a fleet in the Arctic. They have a a fleet parked outside of uh, not they don't need to get into Hormuz. They need to just stay outside in the Indian Ocean
39:10and harass the trade. And then that's going to unfortunately, it's going to uh, you know, any attempts to de-dollarize or and I think this is actually America's response to BRICS basically, you know, from a military from a hawkish point of view.
39:23And so, if Iran, you know, Iran can get rid of the bases and that is significant, but as long as the US is able to exert force through its navy and air force, that is going to be a problem. So, that's what Iran needs to tackle ultimately from a strategic point of view. If they can that, then the whole game is over. You know, then all these plans to take over the gas and oil supply and become a pirate state just won't work cuz they they can't project force.
39:48>> And so, it almost is the the story could be how you know, how the United States wins by losing wars in in a sense, right?
39:59>> Yeah. Yeah. The Wall Wall Street, let's say.
40:02>> No, if if this all seems very clear to people like you and me and um, you know, I've always said I'm not the brightest guy in the world. So, if I can see this, I know that everybody else who's in power must also know what I know. And so, how does Saudi Arabia, Qatar, how do they not see what you and I both see and that that the United States is 100% throwing them under the bus and what what is in it for them, you know, the these Arab countries to go along with Israel and the United States?
40:33>> Well, they they simply you know, they bet on the wrong horse.
40:38That that's really what happened. They tried to play both sides. They joined BRICS because they thought, oh, it might take off. But then at the same time they opened an economic corridor for Israel cuz Yemen were blocking the the Red Sea.
40:49So, what they did is they offloaded the cargo in the UAE, drove it into Saudi Arabia through Jordan and then just like, you know, help them out that way. But now they're finding out that Israel and the US are not going to return that favor for them.
41:04And I mean, again, we should remember that these these kingdoms they were basically created not even 100 years ago by the by the UK.
41:12And the whole point was to exert or project power over India in that region.
41:17So, you know, Saudi Arabia is not even a real country. It's just named after this crime family. The UK basically picked out corrupt families, put them in power, and then, you know, gave them a throne made of, you know, some some some imaginary throne and said, you you host our bases and give us the the you know, the oil and we will give you military protection. And a lot of a lot of people understand that this is the US relationship, but it was actually a British engineered system first. And you know, they're finding out that US protection doesn't really account for much. They they gave them all this oil
41:52for what?
41:54>> For nothing, right? I mean, we we we you know, so we helped them bomb the the people of Yemen whenever the whenever Saudi Arabia asked us to, but that seems to be about it.
42:04And so, what what do you think the where do they have to go what what what's their options? What what do the Gulf States what are their options right now?
42:13And you would think their options would be to to join with China, Russia, and Iran. You think that that would seem to be the logical thing, and then that would end this right away. What what what do you think they're going to do and and how this will end up for them?
42:29>> Uh I honestly, Jimmy, like exactly what you said, that is the strategic and logical thing to do. But if they had any sense about them, they would have, you know, done that in the first place 20 years ago. Uh I I think it is it's kind of ironic they bought all of these US weapons and they they boast about, you know, how great their pilots are, and they they all they're good for is, you know, bombing uh Yemen and bombing defenseless people. But, you know, they're not they're never going to stand up to Iran, and they're never going to stand up to Israel or America. They're spineless, really. Uh they have no strategic sense
43:02about them, and I and I think that, you know, it's um when people say that Iran is decolonizing the region, it's absolutely correct. I mean, really, all of these countries were all of the borders we see today in the Middle East, you know, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia, they were all drawn by someone in London and in Paris.
43:20Uh you know, Sykes-Picot, Balfour, and Arabs actually and Muslims had no say in these borders.
43:27So, I don't even know why people are so attached to them in the first place, especially when, you know, there was no Arab Spring uh by some weird coincidence in all of these uh you know, shining democracies like Saudi Arabia.
43:38>> Right, yeah. The That's right. The Arab Spring seemed to be centered in Syria.
43:43>> Yeah. Um Uh And so, just any any Do you see this ending anytime soon, or how do you how do you see this all uh working out, or do you?
43:58>> Yeah, I mean, I I think Iran are going to keep dealing these tactical blows and humiliations. And the thing is that Iran need to understand that as long you can they can get rid of all the US bases in the region, but as long as there is a menacing aerial power or a naval power parked outside, even in the Indian Ocean, it doesn't have to be in the Strait of Hormuz.
44:21By the way, you know, Trump talks about taking Kharg Island. The the the pirate strategy it doesn't involve taking Kharg Island.
44:29They didn't take Russia's uh gas and oil. All they had to do is keep Russia out of the market for them to corner it.
44:35And and the same thing with Venezuela, they didn't invade Venezuela in the traditional sense. They have a fleet parked outside on their doorstep just to remind them, you know, to kindly suggest that they uh only send Chevron approved tankers. And And so, the US strategy is about minimizing the costs because this is a capitalist mindset anyway. You know, if you find the same way of of of doing something with less costs, you always take that route as a business, right? So, for them, they might even abandon the military bases and just rely on controlling everyone's economies by de-industrializing them because then
45:07they have to move to the US and they're invested in the dollar for their survival, right? And then those that don't obey, like Iran and like China and Russia, they will just harass them with naval blockades. So, it's really a pirate strategy. And I think that's the transition we're seeing now. It's going from an empire where there's decorum and you know, a stupid phrase rules-based order.
45:25>> Yeah.
45:26>> Now it's just death and destruction from the sky all day long. That's that's the the motto. So, you know, Iran need to understand that if um as long as the United States can harass them at a distance, they will technically win and the threat will not disappear. And yeah, so I need to I need to watch how I phrase that.
45:43But uh >> Uh I saw this video on uh X today and uh it's an Israeli politician and let's just listen and I want to get your reaction.
45:53Well, I guess I'll have to read it cuz he's speaking in uh He says, "We are not guests in our land.
45:58This whole land is ours."
46:01And now the one who we had to get along with him somehow because he also lived here and we have to be humane and all of course.
46:11He showed that he represents the deepest Islamo-Nazism.
46:18Hang on, there's more. And it is clear to us that we cannot live with as Hitler, may his name be erased, once said, "I cannot live in this world if there is one Jew left in it. We could not live in this land if even one such Islamo-Nazi remains in Gaza."
46:36And not before we return to Gaza and turn it into Hebrew Gaza. Do you want to turn Gaza into Hebrew Gaza?
46:43Unequivocally, yes, because if not, if Gaza will not turn into Hafa, then Hafa will turn into Gaza. Friends, oh, hang on.
46:54Hang on, let me back this up.
46:59Here we go. Friends, this is the whole story, he says.
47:05So, what he's saying is the way I hear that is that we have to wipe out everybody, all the Palestinians, right? Just just like just like Hitler wanted to wipe out all the We have to wipe out all the So, it's it's almost like they're admitting that they're Hitler. What what do you How do you hear that?
47:23>> I mean, there's there's nothing like, you know, calling others Nazis while you quote Hitler to prove a point. I mean, what >> That is >> Jimmy, I I you know, I just want to point out the irony of this because he's talking about turning it into Hebrew Gaza and and I I think a lot of people are not aware, even a lot of Arabs don't know this, that the Hebrew that Israelis speak is is completely fake, right? They they cooked this up in the 19th century. And and Arabic, like literally, the Arabic that Palestinians speak is closer to original Hebrew than what the Israelis are speaking. And not to mention, you
48:00know, genetically they they they the descendants like they're they're literally the Jews that the Israelis claim to, you know, have been descended from 3,000 years ago. It's actually Palestinians and Syrians and and Lebanese who who were originally there, right?
48:13And this is why DNA tests are banned in Israel. So, you know, in a sense, it's already Hebrew Gaza, if you if you will, you know, like these people are just colonizers, you know, I mean there's a reason why every Israeli Prime Minister went and changed their their family name from, you know, whatever German or or Polish thing it was to make it sound more Jewish.
48:31Um it the this is the real irony about this. It's like they talk about the Jewish state, but they're not even really Jewish in terms of ethnicity or or or religion or or, you know, culture.
48:42I mean, really you can take any random Palestinian or Lebanese or Syrian off the street and they have more in common with Moses uh than any Israeli in in the linguistic sense, the religious sense, um all of it. And you know, the the Israelis make fun of Arabs. They they try to like you know, they mock the pronunciation of like the guttural vowels in Arabic.
49:03But that these are actually these were present in Hebrew. It's just they don't know how to pronounce them. And I find this so so funny to hear him speaking in this fake Hebrew and saying he was to make Hebrew Gaza. The whole thing is just lunacy, you know? And and we haven't even got to the Nazi part.
49:18>> So, uh wasn't it that they Now, I'm not by any means uh I'm pretty ignorant on the the whole history of the Middle East and and it wasn't until October 7th that I really started to understand the whole Zionist project, where it came from, what it's about. And did they So, what was the original language of the uh Was it Yiddish? And then they switched it to the modern-day Hebrew? Is that what happened?
49:46>> Yeah, so so uh uh basically they they looked at Europe This is like the 19th century and they they saw that the formula in in Europe to make a country or a colony is that you need to have a a national identity and that includes a language. And Hebrew in the 19th century, I mean even if you would go back 500 years, you wouldn't find anyone speaking Hebrew because the only people that would speak it are the rabbis and they would use it just, you know, during prayer um a bit like Latin is used during mass, although Latin is not, you know, the best example, but yeah.
50:19Um You know, the original language is Aramaic and and Aramaic is is what, you know, led to Arabic and also Hebrew, okay?
50:29And their Hebrew is is so disconnected because as you said, they've taken Yiddish and they've mixed it with liturgical or like religious uh Hebrew which is which they can't pronounce on top of it. And then 40% of the words they took from Arabic because they just, you know, they they these words did not develop throughout time. Um in Hebrew because it's a dead language. So, it's just it's the most ridiculous mix and you'll hear them say Latin-based words like for example, if they want to say the word specific in Hebrew, they just say spitzifi which it I mean it's completely ridiculous. Like that's not
51:03the roots in Aramaic or how you would say it in Arabic. So, if they really wanted to be authentically like Semitic, they would just learn Arabic.
51:11I mean, this is the irony of all of this. Um and yeah, I mean >> Well, I think you know, the the silver lining is that more people um are waking up to exactly what the greater Israel project is, uh the origins of Zionism, the real goals of Zionism, um just the culture just the mindset of uh radical Zionist. A lot of people think they're Zionist because they think, "Oh, Israel is a nice uh country and with Israel should exist." Uh that is not even the half of it. You know, I have to explain to my Jewish friends in the United States, well then they go, well I'm I'm not for how they're treating the Palestinians. I'm
51:53not for them going into Lebanon. I'm not for the Iran war, but you know, I'm a Zionist. I believe Well, you're not a Zionist. That I have to explain that to them that you're not >> to choose.
52:03>> Yeah, you're not a Zionist then, right?
52:06Yeah. And so is that isn't that the silver lining that people like are are it seems like the days are numbered for the Zionist Israeli project. And it's fine I mean, the only thing that's keeping it is that they have 200 nuclear weapons and they have the Samson doctrine or the which means that they'll use them if they feel like they're going to go down.
52:28But do you feel like there's a silver lining and more people are waking up?
52:32>> Yeah, I mean, look, I don't know, you know, I don't want to guess myself and you up because of the work we've done, but but and and I don't think we did it in the first place so to you know, attack or to to subvert anyone, but we just wanted to talk about the truth about what's what's not being reported in mainstream media. And my point is just that I think we we did such a good job all of us in independent media that it's really the only field you know, public opinion is really the only theater where the Israelis actually suffered like a a crushing or total defeat. It's the it's really the only
53:03one where you can say like they lost.
53:05And and you know, of course you still have they they still have a political power and diplomatic cover and all these things and some people still support them, but you know, you can't compare the situation now to 10 years ago or or even 3 years ago. It's it's just it's over.
53:20Like they they can't hide those crimes and and it's thanks to the work that you've done, Jimmy, and all of the colleagues, you know, that you mentioned as well. It's it's a it's a group effort, combined effort, and all we did was just report the truth. So yeah, I really think it's changed. I think it's the it's the only one where it really really had had substantial results. Absolutely.
53:39>> What what do do you how much are you and people uh in the Middle East and Europe are aware of the Charlie Kirk assassination, why it happened, and that and what anything surround Do do they follow the Charlie Kirk because that was a very big deal here. In fact, a lot of people say he was the one who stopped the Iran war last June and he had turned the youth, the conservative youth, against the Israeli project cause.
54:07Uh So, tell me how how how how much are people aware of the Charlie Kirk assassination?
54:12>> Not not much here. It's it's kind of like in in mainland Europe, not much at all. But in the UK, um like I I I I I I think like before he was assassinated, no one really knew who he was. And then for some reason, I don't know why, but for some reason um they, you know, they started reporting on it a lot in in British media. So, I would say now a lot of people in the UK are aware of of who he is um and the assassination, but not mainland Europe.
54:36Um yeah. So, so it it's not as big a story in in the rest of Europe simply because it's not the Anglosphere. I think it's really the the main uh thing, you know. But um yeah, I don't I don't know what happened there. Like I I'm kind of I think it's definitely possible that they could have done it, you know. I mean, it's not beneath them. They These people kill babies on a daily basis. So, you know, it's it's not like it's it's, you know, beneath them or or or we could put it past them. But um the thing is that up until now, they have held off of killing Westerners on Western soil. Like if you go to Gaza or Lebanon, they, you
55:14know, all bets are off and they can get away with murder and the US State Department won't say a damn thing, right? And we saw with the World Kitchen workers and with, you know, you had British Army veterans helping out giving food in Gaza blown up with a drone, didn't give a crap, right? So, over there they have free reign. But usually here they've the maximum they've been able to do is like launch terrorism cases and, you know, get people deplatformed and this kind of stuff. So, it would it would definitely be an escalation if they if they were behind that. Um it's just like I the the reason I'm I'm hesitant is because by the time
55:45it happened, you know, most public opinion had already turned against the Israelis uh kind of really through their own actions. So, I don't know. But it's not I wouldn't put it past them. I really wouldn't put it past them. Like you know, whatever you think that they are capable of, it's not even the half of it.
55:59>> Yeah.
56:00Okay. Well, please keep us uh you know, in up-to-date on your new documentary.
56:05We're interested in that and your new book and uh we wish you all we wish you all Where should Where can people Where should people go to find you? Twitter or X or >> Yeah, so um on on X just type uh Richard Medhurst and uh on YouTube it's youtube.com/richardmedhurst.
56:21>> Okay. All right, Richard Medhurst. I really appreciate the work you do.
56:26Thanks for uh your courage sticking your chin out and thanks for making time for our show.
56:30>> Thank you.
56:31>> Come see me in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 7th. It's a Thursday special show in Burbank, California.
56:38Tickets going fast. And then we're going to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Spokane, and Tacoma. Go to jimmydore.com for a link for tickets.
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