GoingUndergroundTV

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to the Iranian Ambassador to the UK Mohsen Baharvand. He discusses why comparisons between the Taliban and Iran are not credible, talks between the Taliban militants and Iran, the Afghan refugee crisis which has seen 3 million Afghans flee to Iran, the NATO legacy in Afghanistan and the ‘mess’ the United States has left behind, the new Iranian government’s position on negotiations to restore the Iranian nuclear deal (JCPOA) and much more! Finally, we speak to the Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency Matthew Saltmarsh. He discusses what Western countries, many involved in the war, should do to aid the plight of Afghan refugees, the lack of funding for the UN mission to aid Afghan refugees, the urgency of the right to asylum being upheld and much more!

We speak to Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds, author of ‘A Treatsie on Possibility: Perspectives on Humanity Hereafter’. He discusses how his book tries to intrigue a younger audience rather than to bludgeon them with ideological dogma, how so many of society’s ills stem from neoliberalism and the primacy of the profit motive, the climate crisis and how governments haven’t grabbed big oil and the fossil fuel industry ‘by the balls’, Extinction Rebellion and the crackdown on protests by Boris Johnson’s government and much more!

On this online exclusive edition of Going Underground, Social Media Producer Farhaan Ahmed speaks to Pablo Vivanco, a Chilean journalist and the former director of TeleSUR English for the 48th Anniversary of the US-backed, CIA-facilitated coup in Chile which saw the death of democratically-elected socialist President Salvador Allende and the beginning of an era of neoliberal fascism. He discusses the events on the day of the coup, the US’ campaign with Chilean allies to sabotage the Allende government and foment economic chaos, the Pinochet regime’s transformation of Chilean society into one modeled off of the Chicago Boys’ neoliberalism, conditions for the working class during the Pinochet regime and the rise of a continent-wide purge of the left through the US-organised Operation Condor, Britain and the US’ role in supporting the Pinochet dictatorship, the 2020 referendum which saw Chileans reject the Pinochet constitution and the Chilean general elections in November!

We speak to Jimmy Dore, host of the Jimmy Dore Show. He discusses why the Afghanistan withdrawal is window dressing to shift divert attention from a refocusing of US imperialism, the West’s concerns for women’s rights in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, the Afghanistan war as a big win for military-industrial complex, the arguable irony of the West helping overthrow the Soviet-backed communist government that protected the freedoms that the Taliban now threatens, US President Joe Biden’s refusal to enact a $15 minimum wage, why he calls for a US military intervention in Los Angeles, the climate crisis and the role of the US military in worsening it and much more!

We speak to Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems summit. She discusses how our current food systems are creating biodiversity loss and contributing to climate change, the effort to upgrade Africa’s farming capacity and the aim to increase Africa’s farming yields, the involvement and promotion of the private sector in building agricultural capacity for developing nations, the involvement of billionaires such as Bill Gates and giant multinational corporations in the monopolisation of the world’s food supply and much more!

We speak to award-winning journalist and Frontline Club founder Vaughan Smith. He discusses the US, UK and NATO’s withdrawal from the Afghanistan conflict, why Britain and the US have almost nothing to show for after 20 years of conflict, the difference between the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the NATO occupation of Afghanistan, how journalists have failed the public in their reporting of the Afghan War, why the Taliban have prevailed despite 20 years of conflict with the world’s most powerful militaries, the Biden Administration’s attempt to extradite Julian Assange and much more!

We firstly speak to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram. He discusses India blocking Pakistan joining the discussion at the UN Security Council between countries in the region over the Afghanistan crisis, the speed of the collapse of the Afghan government, Pakistan’s operations with regional countries to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan, Russia’s initiatives in the Afghan peace process, Pakistani PM Imran Khan’s comments on the Taliban ‘freeing Afghanistan from slavery’ and much more!

We speak to Senator Sherry Rehman, the Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan’s People’s Party. She discusses the structural challenges Pakistan faces as Independence Day celebrations sweep the country, reports of a PPP-PTI alliance in the next elections, allegations of Pakistan’s backing for the Taliban, the failure of US neoconservative nation-building ventures and why it is not just Pakistan’s responsibility to help resolve the crisis, the possible role of China in helping stabilise Afghanistan and much more!

We speak to artist Samson Kambalu who won permission to design the statue for Trafalgar Square’s 4th Plinth. He discusses why he picked anti-colonial Baptist preacher John Chilembwe to be the figure for the 4th plinth on Trafalgar Square, how the statue and commemoration of the uprising brings detail to the horrors of the black experience under colonialism, how the reception of the statue is a litmus test for how welcome he is in Britain and much more!

Going Underground Social Media Producer Farhaan Ahmed speaks to former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on the persecution of Julian Assange and the US’ attempts to extradite him for 175 years in a supermax prison. Jeremy Corbyn discusses what he would say to Boris Johnson regarding the case, what kind of pressure needs to be applied for Assange to be freed, the wider war on whistleblowers and press freedom and much more! If you are affected by any of the issues in this video including suicide and mental health, contact Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

This clip is from our special episode with Retired US Army Major Danny Sjurson where he discusses the neoconservative strand of imperialism, which figures such as Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush belong to and the liberal strand of US imperialism which he argues figures such as Hillary Clinton belong to. He discusses the differences between the two.

We speak to CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling. He discusses the growing tensions between US, Israel and Iran in the Persian Gulf, official leaks vs unofficial ‘frowned upon’ leaks, the weaponisation of the Espionage Act against himself and Daniel Hale, the man who revealed the shocking civilian casualties of the US drone program, the conditions Daniel Hale is likely to face in prison and much more!

We speak to award-winning author Alex Wheatle MBE, he discusses why he argues Boris Johnson’s government is stoking racism and xenophobia among the British public, the prospect of another uprising similar to the uprising after the killing of Mark Duggan, Boris Johnson calling the use of stop and search ‘loving’, arguably impunity for British police officers who kill black people, the history of police brutality against black people in the UK and the backlashes the brutalities have caused, the younger generation’s lack of awareness about subjects of racism abroad, why Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party has decreased his hope for the future and much more. #BorisJohnson #Racism #UKpolitics UKIP spokesperson: “For Alex Wheatle to use what is a serious accusation of UKIP and “racist” so lightly - with no evidence, no substance, and no policy grounds is quite shocking. It demeans the nasty reality of racism, racial violence and hatred that is abhorrent to all fair thinking people. There is not an ounce of evidence that UKIP has policies or ever would have policies that are racist. UKIP is unafraid to say the politically unsayable which is why we have such a strong stance on things like illegal immigration into the UK, but that doesn’t make us racist. It’s simply not about race - it’s about space, visit www.UKIP.org if you need proof of that.”

We speak to Phillip Lacôte, director of the film ‘Night of The Kings’, a film about life inside one of West Africa’s most notorious prisons ‘La Maca’, which is located in Ivory Coast. He discusses the film’s goal to portray the longstanding West African tradition of griots passing on history; poems and stories orally, his own mother being incarcerated at La Maca, how society operates in prisons, the colonial rule of Ivory Coast by France and how France still continues to dominate Ivory Coast’s economics and politics and much more!

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Shashi Tharoor MP, one of India’s most renowned authors and a heavyweight of the Indian National Congress. He discusses the Pegasus Spyware leaks that have showed 40 journalists, the leader of the Indian National Congress Rahul Gandhi and two serving union ministers were on a list of potential targets and the serious implications these have on an India arguably turning increasingly authoritarian under Narendra Modi and the Hindu-nationalist right-wing BJP. He also discusses India’s Coronavirus catastrophe, the paradox of a slow vaccination drive despite India being the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world and relations with the People’s Republic of China. NSO Spokesperson: “Enough is enough! “In light of the recent planned and well-orchestrated media campaign lead by Forbidden Stories and pushed by special interest groups, and due to the complete disregard of the facts, NSO is announcing it will no longer be responding to media inquiries on this matter and it will not play along with the vicious and slanderous campaign. “We will state again: “The list is not a list of targets or potential targets of Pegasus. “The numbers in the list are not related to NSO group. “Any claim that a name in the list is necessarily related to a Pegasus target or Pegasus potential target is erroneous and false. “NSO is a technology company. We do not operate the system, nor do we have access to the data of our customers, yet they are obligated to provide us with such information under investigations. “NSO will thoroughly investigate any credible proof of misuse of its technologies, as we always had, and will shut down the system where necessary. “NSO will continue its mission of saving lives, helping governments around the world prevent terror attacks, break up pedophilia, sex, and drug-trafficking rings, locate missing and kidnapped children, locate survivors trapped under collapsed buildings, and protect airspace against disruptive penetration by dangerous drones.”

We firstly speak to Claudia Webbe MP. She discusses how the killing of Mark Duggan by the police revealed the extent of institutional racism in the UK, the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, being the Chair of Operation Trident at the time when Mark Duggan was killed, the cover-up of the actual events surrounding the killing of Mark Duggan, whether Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick should resign and much more!

We speak to Prof. Peter Smith of Scotland’s Climate Change Centre of Expertise. He discusses the agenda of this year’s COP 26 climate change summit, the meteoric rise in carbon emissions and the urgent need to reach an emissions peak before drastic reductions, the need for urgent action this decade on the climate crisis, fossil fuel industry lobbying against climate action, the potential industry of CO2 removal from the atmosphere and much more!

Going Underground’s Deputy Editor Charlie Cooke speaks to BAFTA-winning director Mark Jenkin about his film ‘BAIT’, which explores how gentrification under neoliberalism has completely changed the iconic British city of Cornwall, brining cultural and economic hardships for the people of the area. Mark Jenkin discusses how the experiences of the characters of the film reflect the lives of many in this economic climate.

We speak to Prof. Richard Murphy, co-founder of the Tax Justice Network. He discusses why the Boris Johnson government is ‘rotten to the core’ with numerous accusations of corruption throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, why the Treasury Committee exonerated David Cameron and why he believes it was a decision to protect the former Prime Minister, the appointment of a member of the notorious Bullingdon Club to a key oversight position, why Johnson’s decision to lift nearly all Coronavirus restrictions is a catastrophic mistake, why the UK has become one of the lucrative tax havens and much more!

We speak to Arsalan Ifthikar, author of ‘Fear of a Muslim Planet: Global Islamophobia in the New World Order’. He discusses the rise of right-wing ethno-nationalism from Trump, to Orban to Le Penne, the causes of Islamophobia in areas such as the southern United States, the perception of Islam as monolithic as opposed to Islam in different regions being very different, Islamophobia not just being a Western problem and much more!

We speak to Haiti’s Ambassador to the UK Euvrard Saint Amand. He discusses the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse who was killed in his private residence, what is known about the perpetrators such as the fact that many are Colombian and Haitian ex-military personnel, some with US training, the current status of the investigation into the assassination the upcoming hurricane season that is predicted to devastate Haiti, Haiti’s reliance on foreign aid and the geopolitical implications, US influence in Haiti and much more! STATEMENT FROM THE EU: · In relation to the broad waiver proposed by a number of WTO members, the European Commission, while ready to discuss any option that helps end the pandemic as soon as possible, is not convinced that this would provide the best immediate response to reach the objective of the widest and timely distribution of COVID-19 vaccines that the world urgently needs. The EU’s proposals to the WTO (4 June) aim at achieving that objective in a swift and effective manner. · We would need to have more information to assess the US position and how it compares to the proposal already made by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization. · The priority for the EU is to ramp up production of COVID vaccines to achieve global vaccination. The EU is at the forefront of deliveries of effective vaccines to the rest of the world: so far, more than 500 million doses have been exported outside the EU. As many as have been delivered to Europeans (by mid-July). · In the short term, we maintain that it is key for all vaccine producing countries to allow export immediately and to avoid measures that disrupt the supply chains. · Vaccine production requires complicated biological processes, involving know-how, technology, skilled personnel and infrastructure. It is not by simply waving intellectual property rights that safe and effective vaccines can be produced, but rather by collaboration between those that have the knowledge and those that have the capacity. · If voluntary solutions fail and intellectual property becomes a barrier to treatments or vaccines against COVID-19, the necessary mechanisms are already available under the TRIPS Agreement. This is why the EU presented specific proposals on how to facilitate the use of compulsory licencing in the context of a pandemic. This is a practical response to the specific concerns related to potential difficulties for making use of this existing TRIPs flexibilities. · The EU is engaged in a text-based process in the TRIPS Council to ensure that the IPR regime supports efforts to enhance access to COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. · This is also why Europe committed EUR 1 billion to create with our African partners and our industrial partners manufacturing hubs in different regions in Africa.

We firstly speak to one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history, former West Indies star Michael Holding. He discusses his new book ‘Why We Kneel and How We Rise’, the significance of football players and other sports players taking a knee before every game and the effect it has on anti-racism discourse, police brutality in the US and UK, accusations by Priti Patel that taking the knee is simply ‘gesture politics’, the Black Lives Matter movement and the effect of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of US police and much more!

We firstly speak to Anna Marriott of Oxfam GB and the People’s Vaccine Alliance. She discusses the Peoples Vaccine Alliance campaign for a patent-free global public Coronavirus vaccine, the G7’s ‘failure’ to help bring the pandemic under control as they have donated under a billion vaccine doses, the need for 11 million vaccine doses to bring the pandemic under control, how big pharma prioritising profit and governments refusing to lift parents on vaccines is damaging the developing world plunging millions into poverty and much more!

We speak to South Sudan’s Ambassador to the UK Agnes Oswaha. She discusses the first 10 years of South Sudan’s existence and the difficulties being posed by natural disasters such as floods and locusts, the Coronavirus situation in the country, the development of the oil industry, Chinese investment into South Sudan, the geopolitics of South Sudan with the US, UK and China competing for influence, alleged pressure from the US on South Sudan to stop deepening ties with China and much more!

We speak to Prof. Calum Semple, a member of the SAGE Committee that advises Boris Johnson. He discusses the changing pattern of hospitalisations with younger people including children filling up hospitals rather than the elderly, the growing threat of ‘long COVID’ causing additional health problems for those who have recovered from the initial infection and the damage caused by COVID to internal organs during hospitalisation, reports of the U.K. government considering rolling out vaccinations to 12-15 year olds and why the case for vaccinating children is growing stronger, whether we will see a new British variant as lockdowns restrictions have been lifted with much of the population still not fully vaccinated and much more! We contact Dr. Ahmed Elgazzar about the allegations made in this show about Ivermectin and he said: “1-Have you corresponded with Research Square about the retraction? My answer,yes I sent mail to Research Square on Jul 20 and received reply on Jul 21 from the site, regret and apologize for that. They informed me, the subject is under investigation. 2- Sentences in the introduction with very similar wording to other published work. My answer, It is a norm for researchers, when writing scientific papers, read each other’s publications. Often phrases are commonly used, including the whole sentence and referenced . Unless the whole long paragraph is copied, accusing plagiarism in a phrase or a sentence that is commonly used is lame. 3-- Raw data samples that appear to be duplicated (patients have identical data and initials) My answer , this is not mine,my raw data are coded, protected, kept under lock and key, and not allowed to be retrieved from electronic system, during and after the trial. The retrieval system is well protected. 4--The research was simply sent to research square for presentation on open digital platforms dedicated to the pre-print process. It is known (and surely the Guardian knows this!!!) that preprint sites are dedicated to presenting scientific research to the scientific community in order to take opinions, notes and comments in preparation for correcting errors and modifying the text and then sending it to a refereed journal in preparation for its publication. All preprint sites put on their homepage a notice “that the research published on the site is only preprint and did not take the status of the published research because it did not obtain accreditation and approval, which is issued by the peer review process and the editor-in-chief of a peer review journal.” The site adds that it warns the reader not to take remedial decisions and it is not correct to base any preprint research on any medical steps or procedures.”