A War Within a War: Iraqi Forces Seize Kirkuk from Kurds

Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by journalist Mojtaba Masood and Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network.
Iraqi pro-government forces have swept into the disputed region of Kirkuk, taking Kirkuk city from Kurdish peshmerga soldiers. As the fight over the shape of post-ISIS Iraq ensues, could another war be on the horizon?
In a surprise turn of events in Venezuela, pro-government candidates won the vast majority of governorships in yesterday's elections. The opposition is crying fraud, but the government says that the election shows that the momentum is with the country’s Bolivarian Revolution. We are joined by Carlos Ron, the Charge D’affairs leading the Venezuelan embassy in the United States, and by Lucas Koerner, a journalist with Venezuelanalysis.com
The Supreme Court will hear a major case on about e-mail privacy. Does the government’s ability to subpoena personal e-mails extend to every corner of the globe? Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and news analyst Daniel Sankey join the show.
Next, tension is growing as as the Spanish government threatens to invoke a controversial article of the constitution to dissolve the regional government of Catalonia while left-wing pro-independence forces press him to declare independence. Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly, joins the show the discuss these developments.
The right wing surged in yesterday’s election in Austria, and the far-right Freedom Party is expected to enter the government following a stinging defeat for the ruling Social Democrats. Ilona Pfeffer, Sputnik News analyst, joins Brian and Walter.
European Union Foreign Ministers gathering for a summit in Luxembourg have taken a strong stand in support of the Iran nuclear deal in the latest sign of friction between the EU and the Trump administration. Brian and Walter are joined by Catherine Shakdam, independent journalist.