Secure Freedom Radio Podcast

SETH CROPSEY of the Hudson Institute and former Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy, weighs the increasing threats and instability in the Pacific with the corresponding sequestration cuts to Naval forces.

Dr. PETER PHAM of the Atlantic Council enumerates the failure of the U.S. to compete for economic, political, and military influence in Africa in terms of accelerated Chinese influence in that space.

HANS VON SPAKOVSKY of the Heritage Foundation discusses a ponderous report by the Justice Department’s inspector general with allegations of misconduct by Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez who is the President’s current nominee for Labor Secretary.

ANDREW MCCARTHY, author of Spring Fever, explains the strategic blunder by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in yielding to pressure by the U.S. president to apologize for enforcing a legal naval blockade barring aid to terrorist group Hamas.

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With Diana West, Peter Pham, Roger Noriega, and Jim Hanson

DIANA WEST, author of Death of the Grown-up, discusses the growing proof that former CIA Director Petraeus lied to Congress, as well as the shocking attendance by an Obama official at a “Defamation of Islam” symposium hosted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

PETER PHAM of the Atlantic Council explains how African nations are falling to Islamist rule and what that means for the non-Muslims in the country as well as the interest of many Western nations.

AEI scholar ROGER NORIEGA warns about what could happen to Venezuela and its socialist system after the demise of President Hugo Chavez—an event that the newly re-elected Chavez’s government is already preparing for. Noriega also talks about the need for Congress to take the lead in dealing with the asymmetric warfare that Venezuela and Iran are waging against the US from Latin America.

Former Special Forces operator JIM HANSON speculates on the likelihood of an Israeli ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, and how such an action would make it easier for Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

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FRED GRANDY of the Center for Security Policy gives his weekly wrap-up, highlighting the intelligence leaks and the possible infiltration of Muslim Brotherhood operatives into the US government.

Author GEORGE NEUMAYR explains Obama's war on the Christian faith and religious freedom more generally.

African analyst DR. PETER PHAM discusses the conflict in Southern Sudan and how the UN is ignoring the problem while other nations are adding to it.

Journalist ROWAN SCARBOROUGH analyzes how the defense cuts will prohibit American troops from receiving life-saving equipment.

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With Peter Pham, John Yoo, David Limbaugh, and Jim Hanson

·         PETER PHAM from the Atlantic Council provides insight into China’s interests in Africa for natural resources, in addition to the current conflicts in Somalia and Nigeria.

Ethiopia Says Troops to Stay Longer in Somalia

·         JOHN YOO, law professor at UC Berkeley, discusses the Arizona Supreme Court decision and Obama’s executive overreach.

Executive Overreach

·         Lawyer and author DAVID LIMBAUGH highlights the major points of his new book The Great Destroyer: Barack Obama’s War on the Republic. One of his subjects includes how the Obama administration has repeatedly, almost systematically, violated the Constitution to achieve its goals.

The Great Destroyer: Barak Obama's War on the Republic

·         Absio Corp’s JIM HANSON’s theme this week is “political correctness” in the military. He offers his opinion on topics such as gay pride at the Pentagon, the place of women in Ranger School, and the FBI investigating violent extremism in the armed forces.

FBI Tracking 100 Suspected Extremists in Military

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With Greg Jones, KT McFarland, Peter Pham, and Jim Hanson

·         GREG JONES of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center discusses Iran’s current progress with its nuclear weapons program.

Greg Jones on Iran's Enrichment Process

·         Fox News National Security Analyst KT McFARLAND analyzes why the current White House leaks differ so greatly from leaks in the past, and why they pose such a huge threat to U.S. national security.

Obama Administration Playing Dangerous Game With Intelligence Leaks

·         PETER PHAM of the Atlantic Council takes a look at what led to Islamist rule in Mali, and what consequences the chaos there is having for the rest of the region.

Mali 'Terror Threat' Warning Given to Africa

·         JIM HANSON, the Director of Business Development at Absio Corp, talks about how the influence of organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood over military training in the US has helped lead to changing rules of engagement that put American soldiers at deep risk in the Middle East.

Upholding the Law or Kowtowing to Karzai?

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Peter Pham analyzes the situation in Somalia with regards to the presence of African Union troops in Mogadishu, and the professional turnaround of fighting a counter insurgency.  Will Somalia overcome Al-Shabab with assistance from the African Union troops or should the U.S. and NATO play an active role in the region? Pham touches on the issue of Boko Haram in Nigeria and their alliance with Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabab to over throw the government and create a Christian free zone in the north. Will we start to see a persecution of Christians in Nigeria?

The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 as a result of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to prevent criminals and terrorists easy access to driver’s license and IDs which would conceal their identities. Janice Kephart sheds light on the REAL ID Act and why it has been difficult to implement. The Department of Homeland Security is taking no responsibility or part in the REAL ID Act and the states are receiving no guidance from DHS; should they be involved and fund states to help them implement this program effectively? Janice also talks about the pilot program between West Virginia and a private company, TechSack, which offers an extra incentive to the states to implement the REAL ID Act.

Robert McDowell, the commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, explains that the United Nations is set to discuss internet governance in Geneva on Feb. 27, which could lead to an increased regulation of the internet by the International Telecommunications Union (created to regulate and facilitate international communication). McDowell holds that this would be a dangerous step toward censorship and cautions that it could inhibit web innovation. Shouldn’t it worry us that countries such as China and Russia are leading the charge for tougher internet regulations?

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has a strong weapon in his tough 2012 re-election campaign against a united opposition lead by Henrique Capriles: a multibillion dollar oil-for-credit deal with China. Chávez’s deal lets China secure oil supplies for its fast-growing economy and gives President Chávez a source of funds that he can use to fund politically popular programs and one that is free from omission; right in time when he is facing a strong opponent that threatens to end his dictatorship. Roger Noriega joins us today to provide clear analysis on the direction the Venezuelan government is taking and how dangerous this coalition between China and Venezuela is for the global democracy.

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Rebecca Heinrichs expresses her views on the repercussions of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s agreement on the European Union’s “Code of Conduct” relating the rules in space. Why would the United States join such a code of conduct? Could this make the U.S. vulnerable in space, and how?

John Bolton, former UN ambassador sits with Fred Grandy to analyze and discuss whether the U.S. is safer and more respected around the world. Is the United States stronger than it was under the last administration? If the U.S. is indeed a stronger and respected nation, why has Iran continuously disregarded the United States’ “no nuclear weapons” warning? Ambassador Bolton analyzes about the consequences of Iran’s threat to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. How will it affect the U.S.? Can the United States avert this threat?

Jim Hanson evaluates the situation in Afghanistan. Has the U.S. crushed the Taliban momentum? Will Afghanistan again become a leader in terrorism around the world? Will Afghanistan attack the United States? Hanson then examines the issue of Afghan security forces turning on and killing their U.S. and NATO trainers.

Dr. Peter Pham sheds light on the matter of an overwhelming onslaught of radical Islam in Nigeria and the terror unleashed by Boko Haram, an Islamist terrorist group in the country. Are there ties between Boko Haram and Al-Shabab? Should the U.S. and the world intervene and provide aid of any kind to Nigeria to deal with this problem?

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Will Russia and China become increasingly influential players in the Middle East? As the U.S. defers the strong horse role, how many bad actors will make their move? Ambassador Yoram Ettinger outlines the threat matrix of the Middle East where the Muslim Brotherhood  and others benefit from U.S. policy decisions from Egypt to Iraq.

It seems the Law of the Seat Treaty will be brought to a vote in the Senate by John Kerry in the coming weeks.  Ambassador John Bolton charts the implications for U.S. sovereignty.  (See the transcript below.)  Ambassador Bolton also weighs in on the Iraq withdrawal.  Then, Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council forecasts U.S. interest in Africa for 2012.  From Nigeria to Somalia and the hunt for Joseph Kony after the dust settles on the Congolese elections and the Sudan regime acts up again, Africa will become evermore important in U.S. foreign policy.  Finally Jim Hanson covers America's wars in a way that only he can.  You don't want to miss today's Secure Freedom Radio.

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Dr. Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council enlightens listeners on matters developing in Africa. The late Col. Qaddafi was a pack rat that spent most of his time as leader of Libya collecting arms, more than he could ever use. There are at least 20,000 Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs) missing as well as Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), anti-tank and anti-armor piercing weapons and other weapons. Neighboring countries are confiscating some of these weapons from rebels’ forces and mercenaries that are engaging in attacks on civilians and government personnel. Somali rebels fighting African Union peacekeepers are using many of these weapons that have disappeared from Libyan depots.  Is this a function of the new Libyan regime or is this a result of the chaos that has engulfed the African nation?

Latin American expert Roger Noriega joins Frank to shed light on recent developments within the region.  People are suspicious that a “cracker jack” police force in Venezuela was able to catch the kidnapping ring that abducted National’s catcher Wilson Ramos. Was the police in on the kidnapping in order to project the ability to go after kidnappers which has become a growing business? Hugo Chavez has not been responding well to his cancer treatment and therefore many feel he will be out of the picture within the next six months. What will happen to Venezuela once Chavez is gone? Who will take the reins of the country and how will that impact American security?

Dr. Michael Mandelbaum, professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, speaks on his book “The Frugal Superpower” and if it is possible for a superpower to be frugal.  Americans who are getting less from their government and giving more to it will become less receptive to America’s global role. Yet, in times like these it is important for America to project global influence and keep threats away from our shores and the shores of our allies. If America doesn’t take the global leadership role, who will and what implications will that have for American security and democracy overall?  America cannot close itself off and forget about its foreign responsibilities because the economy is slow. This type of nearsightedness will result in threats rising throughout the globe, threats to American interests and the security of our allies. America can continue with its global leadership by being smart about where we put our resources as well as the amount and type of resources we provide. Removing troops from Afghanistan and Iraq will enable America to more adequately counter the Iranian threat in the region. America must continue its global leadership.

Weekly Asian specialist Gordon Chang gives his insights on President Obama’s initiatives at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Honolulu. Countries within the region are turning to the United States and not China for economic partnership because the Chinese trajectory seems to be going in the wrong direction. This cooperation is between nine or ten nations embarking on a free trade agreement, without involving the Chinese. What does this mean for the Chinese economy? The Obama Administration seems to be finally taking notice of Chinese influence and is taking steps to counter that influence through this Free Trade Agreement. Is the Obama Administration’s posture towards China reliable?  The Air-Sea Battle Initiative is in response to the Chinese military buildup and the Pentagon now sees what the Chinese are trying to do and the comments they are making about engaging in war with America. The Pentagon is preparing conventional forces for any future conflicts with China, but how will slashing the defense budget affect that preparation? America needs to bulk up its military force in response to China’s claims of taking land they perceive as their own from countries that are allies with the United States. Cutting the Pentagon’s budget at this point is reckless. Australia has allowed the U.S. to establish a base in response to the Chinese threat.

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