February 6 – Bail Out Banks or the Sinking Middle Class?; Syrian Blood Flows After Russia’s U.N. Veto; Israel and the Helpless Superpower

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Part 1	We begin with the proposed $25 billion settlement of the mortgage mess expected at any moment and whether the Obama Administration will step up in a showdown with the banks. Robert Kuttner the co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect joins us to discuss this crucial election year issue for the Obama Administration, given that one in four American households are underwater and so-far the banks, who have committed massive and systemic fraud, have not been held to account.
Part 2	Then we look into the deepening humanitarian tragedy in Syria where, since the Russian and Chinese veto in the UN, the Assad regime has rained down shells, rockets and mortars on civilian populations, especially in the restive city of Homs. An important member of the Syrian opposition, Radwan Ziadeh, joins us to describe how the regime is taking advantage of the window provided by the Russian veto to try to eliminate the lightly armed opposition fighters and the civilian population they are defending.
Part 3	Then finally we examine the President’s freezing of all Iranian Government assets held or traded in the U.S. and his recent answers on NBC where he was asked if Israel could launch a preemptive strike on Iran. The president said “I don’t think Israel has made a decision on what they need to do”, but when asked the direct question whether Washington would be consulted first about an Israeli strike, the president declined to answer saying only that the U.S. and Israel “have closer military and intelligence consultation than they’ve ever had”. The former Senior Director of Middle East Affairs at the National Security Council, Flynt Leverett joins us to discuss mixed signals from the White House as the screws tighten on Iran.
	MUSIC: Shabazz Palaces – Echo to the Hosts That Profess Infinitum; Africa Hitech – Out In The Streets