Secure Freedom Radio Podcast

Former Congressman PETE HOEKSTRA offers his perspective on the Russian annexation of Crimea, and Senator Dianne Feinstein's allegations against the CIA.

ROGER NORIEGA, former US Ambassador to the Organization of American States, discusses the protests in Venezuela. He argues that the United States is not taking appropriate actions against President Nicolas Maduro in order to curb the rising violence the country is experiencing.

BILL ROGGIO, of the Long War Journal, analyses the jihadist threat against the US and Russia, specifically looking at the Immigrants' Army, a prominent multi-national Jihadist group inside Syria.

SEBASTIAN GORKA, author of "Fighting the Ideological War," examines how the historical roots of Russia and Ukraine are reflected in their current conflict.

DIANA West, author of "American Betrayal," discuses Switzerland's recent vote capping the number of immigrants from the European Union.

Dr. LUIS FLEISCHMAN, senior adviser to the Menges Hemispheric Security Project and author of "Latin America in the Post-Chavez Era," weighs in on the political underpinnings behind the ongoing protests within Venezuela.

BILL ROGGIO, of the Long War Journal, discusses the characteristics of the Taliban in Pakistan and Syria, and what unique threats they pose to the US.

Managing editor of The Long War Journal BILL ROGGIO analyzes whether targeted drone strikes against a rapidly expanding Al Qaeda movement are successful in preventing terrorism. He also explains why the evidence is against the argument that Al Qaeda terrorists were not affiliated with the 9/11/12 attack in Benghazi, Libya.

FRED FLEITZ of Lignet.com, talks about a recent New York Times report that blames fury against a video, rather than a planned terrorist operation, for the September 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi.

MATT LEWIS, a senior contributor at the Daily Caller, continues the discussion on the NYT report and the evidence surrounding Benghazi. Lewis also predicts whether President Obama will focus more on domestic or foreign policy in 2014, particularly in light of his fondness for discussing income inequality.

GORDON CHANG of Forbes.com and World Affairs Journal discusses the increasing tensions between Japan and South Korea, and argues that there is a great need for the US to build a tripartite alliance with them to counter China.

BILL ROGGIO, managing editor of The Long War Journal, joins guest host JIM HANSON, to discuss the Navy SEAL-led raids in Libya and Somalia over the past weekend, and how secure the US is against terrorist attacks similar to the Westgate mall attack in Kenya.

MIKE BASTASCH, of the Daily Caller, explains the flaws of the United Nations' climate change panel.

GORDON CHANG, of Forbes.com, discusses the lapse in American foreign policy in Asia throughout the years and what impact it is now having on the world today.

CLARE LOPEZ, a senior fellow at the Clarion Project, talks about the recent assassination of an Iranian cyber-warfare official, as well as the latest updates in Iran's developing nuclear program.

CAROLINE GLICK, of The Jerusalem Post, reports on a recent Israeli air-strike near the Syria/Lebanon border, exposes how the Obama administration unsuccessfully meddled in the Israeli election, and wonders why America would willingly arm its potential enemies in Egypt.

BILL ROGGIO, from the longwarjournal.com, offers his gloom prediction of what will happen if the United States military leaves only a token force behind in Afghanistan. Namely, territory that Americans fought and died for will be swiftly retaken by Al Qaeda. The small number of remaining American soldiers will also be a constant target for jihadist attacks, yet unable to adequately defend themselves.

FRED FLEITZ, managing editor of Lignet, predicts what form retaliation from Syria and Iran for Israeli's air-strike will take, and explains Al Qaeda 3.0, the new more-mobile and adaptive form of Al Qaeda operating all over the world.

JIM HANSON, from blakfive.net, takes a more optimistic view on pending budget cuts for defense organizations, and hopes that Americans will rally behind their second amendment right to bear arms.

· New York Times journalist ERIC SCHMITT talks about the recent elimination of al-Qaeda’s #2, Abu Yahya Al-Libi and what that drone strikes mean for the US intelligence community.

· BILL ROGGIO of The Long War Journal explains how eliminating terrorists is good, but keeping them alive to gather information is much better.

· MARK HELPRIN from the Claremont Institute sheds light on why Americans prefer a drone war, rather then sending in actual troops to possible capture these terrorist leaders.

Iranian cell-phone carrier obtained banned US tech

· Former Special Forces operator JIM HANSON discusses how Obama is taking the easy rode by eliminating “tangos” instead of capturing them because he no longer allows the US to interrogate and gather information.

Obama Administration: Remember when “Top Secret” actually meant something?

Drone strike kills No. 2 Al Qaeda leader in Pakistan

What does the death of Osama bin Laden mean for politics here in the United States and for our relations abroad?  Author John Weisman begins today’s show by discussing his new novel, “Kill Bin Laden: A Novel Based on True Events”.  Weisman combines fiction and hard evidence to create a story that delves into the process which resulted in bin Laden’s death while providing an emotional account that will win the hearts of readers.  Weisman made sure he was cleared to use the information from the operation’s official manuscript.  This ensures no one who was involved will be endangered and avoids adding more spin to the story than the White House has already contributed.

Today’s show concludes with Bill Roggio, managing editor of The Long War Journal, who addresses how the bin Laden raid and subsequent discussions have affected our relationship with Pakistan and our overall ability to operate in the AfPak theater.  Roggio believes this event has further eroded our relations with Pakistan and particularly our ability to gain valuable intelligence from the Pakistanis.  The resulting Obama administration policies have been counterproductive, resulting in more collateral damage and negative Pakistani public opinion of the United States.  We must reevaluate our relationship with Pakistan if we hope to continue successful operation in this theater.

Jim and Shaun Waterman of the Washington Times investigate the possibility of the Mexican drug cartels obtaining heavy weaponry in order to launch attacks on American buildings in Mexico City.  Shaun explains that a federal informant in Chicago was approached by members of the Sinaloa Cartel in order to procure heavy weapons from American servicemen returning from Afghanistan which would be used to attack embassies, consulates and American businesses in Mexico City. Although this tactic is far-fetched because servicemen do not bring those types of weapons home, just the thought that this is something the cartels want to pursue is disturbing enough. Has the War on Drugs taken a new and more deadly turn? What are the prospects of the cartels teaming up with terrorists to form an “unholy alliance?”

Today on Secure Freedom Radio, Jim Hanson of Blackfive.net sits in for Frank and sets out to determine the overall posture of the War on Terror.  Now that President Obama is back to the only job he’s good at, Campaigner-in-Chief, Hanson discusses the latest “trial balloon” announcement of dropping troop levels in Iraq to 3,000 to appease the Left and gain reelection support.  “Just because we’re a little tired doesn’t mean the bad guys are gonna stop their efforts—and they haven’t,” he says as he tries to discern the strategy for our wars.  “In the end we have nothing but a collection of Band-Aids put on the same gaping chest wound over and over and over again,” and now is the time for a cohesive strategy against an enemy that “thinks in terms of centuries and millenniums, not the next election cycle.”

Then, Bill Roggio, Managing Editor of the Long War Journal, joins Jim to discuss the state of al-Qaeda and if it is really “on the ropes,” as some government officials say.  Roggio asserts that the organization was “always bigger than Bin Laden,” with a “deep bench” that draws on its affiliates in Yemen and Somalia.  Roggio, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, examines al-Qaeda’s growth and how the Pakistani ISI at best turned a blind eye to Bin Laden’s move to Abbottabad.

Jim continues with Bill Roggio to discuss the intelligence problems in the years ahead in the fight against radical Islam.  Since most of the interrogations took place in the early stages of the war, “that intelligence is going to dry up at some point,” he explains, given that we have seemingly stopped detaining terrorists. “You can’t seize any documents with drones,” says Roggio, explaining how the politicization of Guantanamo Bay and enhanced interrogation has hampered our intelligence gathering.  The “fetishization” of the predator drones, he says, is safe, looks clean, and ironic, since it is now more humane to kill than to detain indefinitely.

Finally, JD Johannes, Documentarian and correspondent of Outside the Wire, just returned from the Sulaiman Mountain Ridge in Afghanistan and gives Jim the perspective of the war on the ground.  From what Jim calls a “lovely vacation spot,” with all the poppies and the land mines, JD surveyed the troop morale after Obama’s announcement of the Afghan drawdown.  “A lot of wind came out of the sails” as soon as the announcement was made, he says, after such great progresses were made in the surge areas of the Helmand province.   Johannes details the shift in the psychological momentum, and also looks to what’s next for Afghanistan.

The Long War Journal correspondent Bill Roggio, gives an update on the war in Afghanistan and the weak surety within the country. “They are united against the present way of life, but not necessarily a future way of life,” is how Dr. Michael Rubin describes the “Arab Awakening” and if it is a true fight for democracy of just unsavory characters vying for power. Christian Whiton analyzes the growing unrest in Syria and the Obama Administration’s lack of control of the situation. Weekly guest, Andy McCarthy explains Attorney General Holder’s lack of enforcing America laws within the Muslim community as well as the Department of Justice’s work with potential terrorists and the need for congressional investigations into this “willful blindness” on the part of the Obama Administration.