February 20 – An Advisor to the Greek Government on the Latest Bailout; Syria’s Divided Opposition; Mexico’s Latest Drug War Disaster

Full Program
 

Part 1
 

We begin with the Greek economic crisis and speak with Richard Parker, an economic advisor to the last Greek government of Papandreou and the current Greek government of Papademos. We discuss the second E.U. Greek rescue package that is close to agreement and whether or not it will prevent further instability in the Eurozone where austerity measures have slowed growth.

Part 2
 

Then we get an analysis of why the Syrian capitol Damascus has so far escaped the Syrian civil war that has raged in the countryside, with other cities such as Homs facing destruction. Bilal Saab, a Visiting Fellow in Non-proliferation Studies at the Monterrey Institute of International Studies joins. He has an article at CNN, “Why Damascus Remains Eerily Calm”.

Part 3
 

Then finally we examine the latest outrage in Mexico’s war against drug cartels that has so-far killed over 47,500 Mexicans. The author of “El Narco: Inside Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency” Ioan Grillo, joins us. He is a correspondent for Reuters who is covering the drug war in Mexico and we discuss the prison riot in which 44 members of the Gulf cartel were bludgeoned and stabbed to death in a massacre that was a cover for a breakout escape of 30 prisoners from the ultra-violent Zetas drug gang.