Episodes
Tuesday Nov 13, 2012
Barry Rubin, Avi Jorisch, Gordon Chang, Andy McCarthy
Tuesday Nov 13, 2012
Tuesday Nov 13, 2012
Barry Rubin, Avi Jorisch, Gordon Chang, and Andy McCarthy
Barry Rubin of the GLORIA Center sifts through the lies and cover-ups behind the Benghazi attack to try and explain what really happened and how the Obama Administration froze when it meant the most. He also looks at Israeli security in light of a recent Syrian mortar attack and an impending Yemen civil war.
Avi Jorisch of the Red Cell Intelligence Group analyzes America’s “frienemy”, the United Arab Emirates. The UAE financially supports Iran and other rogue entities, while claiming to be an ally of the United States. Avi analyzes the implications of not responding to the UAE’s financial indiscretions.
Asian analyst Gordon Chang looks at the upcoming transition inside the Chinese Politburo and how the Conservatives on trying to hold on to a Soviet model, while the people call for political and economic reform. Gordon explores the impending collapse of the Chinese government if drastic changes don’t occur and soon.
Former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy explains how the liberal media either downplays or ignores important national security issues such as the Benghazi attack and the intelligence leaks that came our of the Petraeus scandal.
Tuesday Mar 27, 2012
Gal Luft, Avi Jorisch, Rep. Mike Turner, Andy McCarthy
Tuesday Mar 27, 2012
Tuesday Mar 27, 2012
Dr. Gal Luft, the Executive Director for The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, explains how Methanol is an important form of fuel for our transportation system and our economy. Gal explains how this form of fuel can increase our national security and boost our economy yet the president seems opposed to both.
SWIFT is the international banking telecommunication company that connects banks around the world. If money is to be transferred from one bank to another, SWIFT is in the middle to either approve or deny the transfer. Avi Jorisch explains how SWIFT has put 13 of Iran’s 30 banks on their blacklist, meaning those banks cannot send or receive money outside of Iran. This will seriously disrupt the Iranian business sector and strain their economy, but what about the other 17 banks? According to the SWIFT bylaws, they will not work with any bank that is engaged in illegal activity yet the United States has proven that all 30 of Iran’s banks are in some way connected to criminal activity. Why is SWIFT still working with those 17 other banks? What affect will this blacklist have on Iran’s nuclear program?
Who is to blame for the weakening of our national security? Congressman Mike Turner believes that decision rests solely on the shoulders of the Commander-in-Chief. The president is vehemently working to denuclearize the United States as well as cut our conventional forces which signals to our enemies that it is open season on America. The president has decided to play politics with America’s security, but this is a game that we will ultimately lose. Obama is putting trust in countries that have routinely showed themselves to be untrustworthy. His radical liberal ideology not only puts lives at risk, but the sovereignty of many of America’s allies.
Andy McCarthy explains the repercussions of President Obama’s slip when he was caught yesterday on a live microphone asking the Russian president for more “space” regarding missile defense. “This is my last election” Obama continued, “after my election, I have more flexibility”. What else is the President Obama putting on hold until after the elections? Is there something else he’s willing to put aside that will risk the safety of our country? Is now getting re-elected more important that the security of the U.S.? what message does this send to the rest of the world, especially our allies?
Thursday Mar 01, 2012
Claudia Rosette, Avi Jorisch, Kori Schake, Andy McCarthy
Thursday Mar 01, 2012
Thursday Mar 01, 2012
Freedom of the press is one of America’s most precious rights and not only the ability but also the responsibility to the press to report the truth to the American people, especially in connection to their elected officials. It seems President Obama, before he was president, had a special relationship with certain news outlets that helped to hide important information about the Mr. Obama from the American people. On a separate front, it seems North Korea is willing to suspend their nuclear program in hopes to elicit food aid from the United States and other nations. Which side is lucking out on this deal? Claudia Rosett provides her take on this development.
SWIFT, Society for Worldwide Interback Financial Telecommunications, is the “lubricant that the global financial system rests on.” SWIFT’s function is to allow banks to communicate with one another, allowing bank A to give permission to bank B to offer credit to an individual or company etc.… If one bank cannot communicate with other banks then that bank and its investors are not able to move money, and this segregation from the rest of the financial sector is what is currently happening to Iranian banks. Congress has pressured SWIFT to cut off Iranian banks from the rest of the global market, but only now are they actually starting to take action. SWIFT has claimed it will only cut off the Iranian banks that have been blacklisted by the EU. Financial expert Avi Jorisch explains the impact to Iran’s economy if these banks are cut off from the rest of the world.
“The Iranians have not yet decided to develop a nuclear program,” is exactly what came out of the mouth of DNI James Clapper as he testified before Congress last week. Iran’s behavior obviously contradicts that assessment and the IAEA even disagrees with that statement because they feel the enrichment facilities are being housed inside military bases thereby making this a military project, not civilian. Iran seems to be above the 20% threshold in their enrichment process and at 20%, uranium can be used in creating a nuclear weapon. If Iran is creating a nuclear program for civilian use, which DNI Clapper seems to believe, then why wont they open their facilities to IAEA inspectors? Kori Schake provides her analysis on this growing threat.
Andy McCarthy, former United States Assistant Attorney expresses his concerns over the possible release of the “Blind Sheikh” who was responsible for killing Americans and seeking to kill many more and was captured in 1993. According to Al-Arabiya President Obama has agreed to release the Blind Sheikh along with other 40 Egyptian prisoners. Should the administration negotiate with Islamists on such terms?
Thursday Dec 29, 2011
Roger Noriega, Avi Jorisch, Patrick Poole
Thursday Dec 29, 2011
Thursday Dec 29, 2011
Roger Noriega opens the show with his take on the recent development that Venezuela may have more oil reserves than the Middle East. China and Russia are playing a bigger role in the country while America is sitting on the sidelines. America, along with the international community, needs to become involved in Venezuelan elections and make sure they stay democratic. It seems the military is getting ready to ensure victory for the candidate they support. What will this mean for Venezuelan security and regional security overall?
Avi Jorisch joins frank to explain how the sanctions on Iran are crippling its economy, yet it’s not a death blow. Inflation is between 17-19% yet they are still able to move funds internationally through the Central Bank of Iran. Citizens are scared to spend money and the government is putting as much money as they can back into society. America needs to go after Iran’s Central Bank and prevent money from being moved a globally, this would bring Iran’s economy to a grinding halt but as a result oil prices around the world would skyrocket. Is the reward greater than the risk? Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, which they have done many times in the past, but such an act is not feasible from a security standpoint. Jorisch then goes into al-Qaeda in Africa and how this new sect is kidnapping Westerners, trafficking narcotics and receiving financing from Islamists in Europe. According to Avi, stop the finances going to the group and you stop the group.
Finally, terrorism expert Patrick Poole spends two segments with Frank to go through his 2011 Top Ten list of follies on the part of the American government within the national security arena. Incidences such as giving bin Laden a proper Muslim burial at sea or claiming the Muslim Brotherhood is a secular organization. Is this based on faulty intelligence, misinformation being provided by the Muslim Brotherhood or the Obama Administration’s efforts to keep Americans in the dark, or is this just sheer stupidity on the part of the Obama Administration? How secure are we? Are we blinding ourselves to the real threats? Who is the administration appointing to positions within the national security community? These questions and more get answered by Patrick Poole.
Wednesday Nov 02, 2011
Avi Jorisch, Daniel Goure, Jeff Kueter, Jim Hanson
Wednesday Nov 02, 2011
Wednesday Nov 02, 2011
Are financial sanctions putting a check on Iran’s ambitions to obtain nuclear weapons? Additionally, are these sanctions successfully putting a stop to Iran’s underhanded banking methods? Founder of the Red Cell Intelligence Group, Avi Jorisch examines the issues surrounding the way in which the Iranian regime is moving money around in the financial sector. This includes establishing a banking regime and exporting commodities such as gas. Although the United States has gone after the Iranian banking sector by blacklisting them and cubing their movement of money, they still have yet to put the pressure on charities and other such organizations that help funnel money into Iran. By exerting more pressure over these organizations, will Iran finally feel the pinch and stop moving money into the international financial sector?
How will cutting $460 billion in the defense budget over the next ten years impact the modernization of the US military? Daniel Goure of the Lexington Institute touches on how US military equipment and even the morale of the all-volunteer force would be gravely damaged by these cuts. Additionally, will we be forced to go to adversaries such as China for modern military technology in the future when our military capabilities have been completely depleted?
Is today a red-letter day for China’s space program? President of the Marshall Institute, Jeff Kueter joins Frank to discuss the Chinese’s first attempt at the robotic docking of a rocket launcher. This docking is the first step by the Chinese in building a solely Chinese space station. Does this docking also mark the continued exploitation of space by the Chinese for military purposes? What will it mean for the United States if the Chinese gain operational abilities in space? There is no question that the growing Chinese space program would contribute to the Chinese ambition of expanding its national power. Will their advantages in space allow the Chinese to continue to engage in informationalization warfare?
Finally, weekly regular here at Secure Freedom Radio and our go to guy for the “boots on the ground” perspective, Jim Hanson discusses the visual and non-visual injuries sustained by our men and women in uniform. Many of these heroes are suffering from non-visual injuries such as PTDS and TBI and are misunderstood by those who find it difficult to understand their injuries. However, many therapies such as musical therapy are being offered at Walter Reed Hospital to treat these men and women of their pain.