Securing America with Frank Gaffney Podcast

Gen. Jack Keane, Claudia Rosett, Bill Gertz

“We must insist our Representatives and members in Congress do what the Constitution tells them to do, which is to provide for the common defense. It is the first duty of government and one that we must insist they perform.” Frank kicks off today’s show reflecting on what is occurring on Capitol Hill. Leon Panetta and Martin Dempsey warned Congress of the dire impact of major defense cuts. Congress is in process of undoing the most formidable military, as the world is becoming even more dangerous.

Will President Obama’s decision to remove the surge forces in Afghanistan put the remaining 3,000 American forces at risk? General Jack Keane examines the administration’s proposed pull out of 30,000 troops by next September. Although the Taliban has been largely defeated in southern Afghanistan, the operation in the east continues to face threats. It is not a matter of the Taliban having endeared themselves in the hearts and minds of the people in the east, but rather that these people live in continued fear of the militant forces. General Keane argues that once all members of the Taliban have been killed, the Afghan people will be automatically on our sides. Since General Allen has taken over control of the US forces in Afghanistan, he has started an assessment of the situation. In his assessment, he has laid out an unacceptable level of risk associated with the current plans for troop withdrawal. However, the President continues to ignore the council of generals who argue that 3,000 troops will not be enough to secure the nation.

Should Turkey try to confront Iran for its hostilities in the region, rather than ignore the nation like the United States has done? Journalist-in-residence at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Claudia Rosett shares with Frank her recent experiences attending a pro-free market conference in Turkey. The situation in Turkey today paints a dark scene for democracy in the state. The ascendance of the AKP Islamic Part in 2002 saw the beginning of a sinister takeover of the country by Islamists. Turkish citizens are becoming more and more concerned due to many journalists being arrested after the publication of articles criticizing the government. The former narrative of a Turkey was that of a country ruled by a Muslim majority who believed in having a moderate, democratic, and free market nation. After the neutering of the Turkish military, the country has started on the path towards the revival of the Ottoman Empire.

National Security Editor at the Washington Times and weekly Friday guest here on Secure Freedom Radio, Bill Gertz concludes today’s show talking Panetta, Dempsey, and the Air Sea Battle concept. Security of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey appeared before the House Armed Services Committee this week to warn of the serious effects that $450 billion of defense cuts would have on our nation’s national security. The US’s ability to provide protection in regions overrun with terrorists such as countries in Northern Africa will be eliminated with these proposed cuts. Many members in Congress are trying to avoid the slash and burn approach taken in relation to defense cuts. Moreover, Gertz discusses his recent article about the Air Sea Battle concept, where air forces are used to protect naval ships from a possible future conflict with China.

Clare Lopez, David Brog

Why would Iranian Special Forces such as the Quds force carry out a strike against a Saudi Ambassador in the United States, especially when the current Obama administration is the most amicable administration towards Iran for the past thirty years? Could the elite Quds force, responsible for networking within foreign terrorist organizations, be the driving force behind the attack? Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy and former CIA officer, Clare Lopez shares with Frank her doubts about the legitimacy of Iran’s involvement in the recent assassination plot against the Saudi Ambassador to the US. Lopez says that the plot played out between the plotter, Manssor Arbabsiar and the FBI. No concrete proof of contact by phone between Arbabsiar and the Quds force has surfaced. In addition, the plot seemed sloppy for a government such as that in Iran, which prides itself on sophisticated operations. Anyone who had complex intelligence collection would have realized that the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington, DC are “armed camps,” incapable of destruction merely by plastic explosives.

Clare Lopez continues today’s Secure Freedom Radio examining the motivations and intents behind the attacks. Given that there has always been a deep rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, why would they choose this moment to conduct a strike? As previously noted, the elite Iranian security forces are not known for carrying out careless operations. They have successfully covered their tracks in their involvement in the 9/11 attacks and their connections with al Qaeda networks. According to their historical record, why would they now leave behind traces of their work? Lopez argues that it simply makes no sense and that another force is certainly behind the plot. Statements from the Obama administration have become harsher and more critical of Iran since news of the attack. Perhaps the administration is finally realizing the serious national security threat posed by Iran?

There has been no doubt in the minds of many people that President Obama has made many negotiation and tactical mistakes in regards to Israeli policy. The real question in the debate is how did the United States allow a bid for Palestinian statehood to be submitted to the United Nations? Executive Director for Christians United for Israel answers the question of the role that Judeo-Christians play in the Israeli statehood debate. Brog clarifies that Christian support for Israel is simply based on recent historical record and not on US foreign policy. However, the administration has certainly been too submissive in the matter. Because Obama has mostly abandoned Israel, he has invited further aggression into the region.

David Brog concludes today’s show discussing how faith is being abandoned at an alarming rate among young adults. The percentage of unaffiliated young people is twice the rate of the Baby Boomers. He wonders whether the post-Christianity era is a generation or two in the future. Thus, Christians definitely need to reach out to kids on college campuses and stress the need for faith in their lives.

Michael Rubin, Roger Noriega, Mario Loyola, Jim Hanson

Has Iran reverted back to its cocky tricks due to the failure of the Obama administration’s policies in the Middle East? Resident Scholar at AEI, Michael Rubin joins Frank today at Secure Freedom Radio to examine the failed assassination attempt of the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir and the role that Iranian forces had in the plot. Reports are stating that the unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the Quds Force, whose mission it is to export Iranian ideology is at the forefront of many of these terrorist attacks. Rubin states that this is not the first time that an Iranian hit team has come to the United States to carry out a killing. In 1980, Iran sent a squad to Bethesda, MD and successfully killed an Iranian dissident. Unfortunately, US diplomats have continued to dismiss Iranian rhetoric and ignorantly believed that such attacks are just rouge operations. Instead of upholding such ignorance, the United States should have a frank discussion about an Iran regime change and seriously evaluate whether the current regime has US interests in mind.

Is Iran contracting with the drug cartels in Mexico to kill people in the United States? Weekly commentator at Secure Freedom Radio and Visiting Fellow at AEI, Roger Noriega offers his insight on this topic, among other Latin American issues. What is of paramount concern to Noriega is that there is an expanding network of Hezbollah activities in Venezuela that have been linked to Iranian sponsorship. This network continues to grow throughout Central and South America. As the realistic possibility of Hugo Chavez’s death looms over the nation, sources within the country believe that tension will continue to increase. Chavez’s cronies are trying to hold onto power any way they can. This includes arming themselves with weapons in preparation for a civil war that might break out after the death of Chavez. Additionally, they have partnered with Russian, Chinese, and Iranian arms organizations to supply continued arms to the leadership. A majority of these arms have ended up in the hands of narcotraffickers in South America. The US Department of State seems completely oblivious to these actions.

Mario Loyola of the Texas Policy Institute reflects on his lecture at the semi-weekly Center for Security Policy’s Capitol Hill luncheon in which he discussed the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East and beyond. Over the past half century, there has been a turn towards extremists and Islamists like those in the Muslim Brotherhood who have no interest in modernization. These groups turn to the past and see progressive democratic governance, such as that practiced in the United States as the enemy of Islam. They have divided the world into part of the world conquered by Muslims and the part of the world that has yet to be conquered by Muslims. This division into Muslim and non-Muslim territories can be seen in the events unfolding in Egypt. Egypt is looking for legitimacy for its new government in the streets and mosques.

Concluding today’s show is resident expert on military affairs and the “boots on the ground” perspective, Jim Hanson comments on his involvement at the US Army’s Annual Convention. At this conference, Hanson and his company presented a new product that allow smartphones to be used in military operations abroad. The features of these phones include an application that would allow a solider to conduct fingerprint and retinal investigations on the field. This would help our solider combatants more successfully identify who are a friends and foes.

Dean Cheng

What is Communist China up to these days and what does a secretive Beijing mean for its people, the United States, and its neighbors in the region? Research Fellow of the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation, Dean Cheng joins Frank for the entire show to delve into specifics about the role China is playing in the international community. According to Cheng, Communist China functions quite differently from the former USSR. While China now boasts the second largest economy in the world, the Soviet Union had a smaller economy than originally believed. Moreover, the Chinese leadership observed the failures of the USSR and kept the PLA a primarily local force, while making the economy functional on a global scale. This was a carefully crafted move by the Chinese, says Cheng, who put methodical thought into the process of military and naval expansion and the modernization of its capabilities. Thus, there will not be a sudden break out capacity of the Chinese military, but rather they will have developed a military adept at carrying out a long war against its enemies.

In his second segment at Secure Freedom Radio, Cheng touches on the mechanics of the Chinese economy. The importation of iron ore from Australia, food from the United States and Canada, and oil from Iran fuels the economy. It is a country completely dependent on foreign trade in order to function. Although the United States has enacted military restrictions on the Chinese military, the Chinese leadership continues to learn from the observation of our government. Through these observations, the Chinese have been able to quickly learn and implement how other countries behave and function. Thus, they function like parasites, growing on the backs of other countries’ innovations. Furthermore, the Chinese have started to implement policies in order to differentiate themselves from Russia and even the United States. This includes participating in UN peacekeeping missions and dispatching military aircraft and a naval warship to Libya to help in evacuation missions.

How does the United States deal with the threats caused by the rise of the Chinese? It is of paramount importance that the United States recognize what China is doing politically. While the leadership is not instigating an encirclement policy, it is putting psychological pressure on its neighbors in the region. We must understand their motives and develop a method to counter their actions. The United States can protect itself by first building military defenses against the Chinese. By asserting our military prowess, the United States would send the message that if conflict arises in the international waters surrounding China, the United States does not just reign supreme, but could stop Chinese military expansion right in its tracks.

Dean Cheng closes today’s show reflecting on the Chinese situation through the eyes of the Chinese themselves. Beijing is merely concerned with how to stay in power and pays no attention to the frustrations of the growing middle class. The next election in 2012 will be the first time since the establishment of the PRC in 1949 that the leaders coming to power were neither handpicked by revolutionary leaders or part of the revolutionary generation. This will bring the question of legitimacy to the forefront of Chinese politics, as candidates duel it out for the support of the Communist leadership.

Ambassador John Bolton, Jim Lafferty, Rep. Ed Royce, Gordon Chang

Have the past two years of leadership under President Obama led to the ultimate decline of the influence that the United States has in the international community? Former UN Ambassador, John Bolton kicks off Columbus Day here at Secure Freedom Radio with a discussion of Obama’s foreign policy, or lack thereof. The administration has recently made claims that it has done well with US foreign policy under President Obama. However, Ambassador Bolton argues that the administration’s focus on restructuring domestic policy has led to the degradation of US national security policy. Thus, the administration is trying to build up a narrative of good foreign policy based on a small number of successes such as the deaths of Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Alwaki. Although they parade such successes, the administration in reality does not have much of a Middle East or even, foreign policy. This indecision and weakness by the administration has only caused problems and furthered the decline of the United States. An example of such ignorant policy decisions can be found in Libya, where the administration participated in the removal of Qaddafi without a clear plan for a successor. Instead of ignoring the apparent decline of US power, the administration and NATO should be embarrassed by Libya, states Bolton. Next, head of the Virginia Anti-Sharia Taskforce, Jim Lafferty shares the microphone with Frank to enlighten us on the unsavory activities occurring in an academy in Virginia. The Islamic Saudi Academy, which is connected to the Saudi Embassy in DC, was founded in 1984 in Virginia in order to teach children about Sharia law while using Sharia principals. Residents in Northern Virginia who feared the impact it was having on children by teaching radicals ideals stopped a proposed expansion of the academy. Lafferty says that by stopping the expansion anti-Sharia groups like his own now have the opportunity to take a closer look to see how the academy actually operates. Additionally, Lafferty comments on the backlog of security clearances within the US government. Since many contractors have a quota that they must fill per day, many applications are being “express-lined” through the system. This process is creating problems as many individuals with shady connections are being granted security clearances. US Congressman for the 40^th district of California and the Chairman of the Sub-committee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, Rep. Ed Royce continues today’s show discusses the prosecution of a man in Pakistan accused of giving assistance to the CIA in finding and confirming the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Rep. Royce states that the situation on the ground in Pakistan is worsening by the year. Thus, the United States has amped up Predator drone strikes. The main issue in Pakistan is that the ISI Pakistan intelligence services refuse to support the US in its operations targeting senior Pakistani leaders who have participated in anti-American activities. The corrupt Pakistani intelligence services have only led to more and more instability in the region and undermined US-Pakistan cooperation. This instability has also expanded the upheaval of the country and thrown more control to Islamist groups. In regards to the killing of al-Alwaki, Rep. Royce states that the Supreme Court ruled 60 years ago that a US citizen who has participated in enemy belligerent activities does not exclude him from the consequences of these treasonous acts. Finally, resident China expert and writer at Forbes.com, Gordon Chang concludes today’s show touching on a bill being put through Congress to penalize China for its currency manipulation. Chang believes that the legislation will glide through the Senate, but will meet resistance in the House because Republicans are mostly against it. The bigger issue, however, is that the global imbalances caused by the downturn in 2008 were the result of China’s mishandling of its currency. Additionally, there is a trade war occurring between the Chinese and the United States. The reality of the matter is that China needs us more than we need them. Over 149.2% of trade surplus in China is due to trade with the United States.

John Lenczowski, Lt. Col. Robert Schaefer, Bill Gertz

With John Lenczowski, Lt. Col. Robert Schaefer and Bill Gertz

The president of the Institute for World Politics, John Lenczwoski, brings to light the failure of the State Department in properly engaging in the use of soft power and public diplomacy.  The Broadcasting Board of Governors has decided to eliminate the Voice of America in Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Portuguese, Hindi and Arabic. This means that it will not be engaging the citizens of China, Russia, Brazil, India or Iraq because the State Department instead, wants to use that money for internet outreach.  Mr. Lenczowski articulates the ramifications of such a move and goes on to use the Cold War as a prime example of the benefits of such a program. A prime reason America won the Cold War, was because the Soviet people were on America’s side and stood up to their oppressive government. We must engage the populous of other nations in order to garner support from their governments.

Next, Lt. Col. Robert Schaefer of the U.S. Army’s Central Command spends two segments with Frank dissecting the insurgency in the Caucasus’s and Russia’s failure at countering such a threat from the Jihadist movement. Lt. Col. Schaefer explains this very topic in his new book “The Insurgency in Chechnya and the North Caucasus: From Gazavat to Jihad.”  He explains how this threat is getting little play in the media because the Russian government has done a good job of silencing this movement and claiming it is simple acts of terrorism as opposed to an insurgency against Russian oppression.  America can use the events in the Caucuses’ when fighting our own opponents. Lt. Col. Schaefer elaborates by saying that if we listen to our opponents, and not just have an egocentric approach of talking them and hoping they see our side of things or opening economic ties and showing we are nice people, but actually listening and finding the individuals who are not the ideologues then we can start to defeat them.  Organizations such as the Caucasus Emirate are made up various groups of people, some of whom are fighting just for money and power and those are the ones that can be influenced if we just listen to them and figure out that they are not motivated by ideology.

Finally, Washington Times correspondent and regular guest to Secure Freedom Radio Bill Gertz joins Frank to explain how the North Korean nuclear talks are just a delay tactic in order to develop their nuclear arsenal. South Korea is trying to fortify their power grids in fear that the north is working on an EMP weapon. South Korea is also planning on building a naval base off the Korean Peninsula which is angering China because they claim the Yellow Sea as their maritime territory, will the Obama Administration kowtow to the will of the Chinese? The Obama Administration also blocked a conference at CIA headquarters last August, which was designed to train agents to combat radical Islamic ideology.

 

Bruce McQuain, Bill Ardolino

Jim Hanson of BlackFive.net sits in for Frank today and is joined for two segments with fellow BlackFive.net contributor and member of another military blog, QandO.net, Bruce McQuain. Bruce explains what the ramifications would be to America’s national security if the Obama Administration goes ahead and hacks that defense budget to pieces.  There are many more threats to not only American security, but global security and the American military needs to able to meet those threats head on and deter these aggressors. Peace through strength only comes from actually having strength and the willingness to use that strength as a deterrent.

Next, The Long War Journal’s Bill Ardolino sheds light on America’s counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, or lack thereof.  The Afghan people need to realize that America is not their police force, state troopers, National Guard or any other protective force that they might desire. The Afghan people must understand that one day, sooner rather than later, America will back out and hand over security to the Afghan government and the people must embrace that government. The people must respect the security forces more than they fear the Taliban; and this will allow the security forces to garner support from the local populous. A silver lining is that the Afghan police are getting a better reception in local villages than the Americans which is proving that the security forces can be successful on their own.

Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, Reggie Littlejohn, Lt. Col. Bob Lawler, Andy McCarthy

How will the hallowing out of the US military by the Obama administration impact the future of American military operations abroad? Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney and the founder of the organization, Government Reform Through Technology, sparks conversation with Frank about the recent defense budget cuts. Lt. Gen. McInerney recounts his experiences during the Carter administration, where he served as a special assistant to Ambassador Robert Komer, as well as served as a wing commander in the Philippines. During his time in the Philippines, he says that the military buildings had no electricity in the summer and that the power would go on and off during the rest of the year. His soldiers’ dorms did not even have air conditioning. Thus, he saw the lowest moral ever amongst those men serving under him. While the Carter administration gutted daily operations, the Obama administration is going one step further and gutting the US’s industrial base. They have already canceled production of the F-22 and are looking to reduce the budget by an additional $350 billion. The real problem of these cuts, argues Lt. Gen. McInerney, is that the administration does not have a clear strategy on how to build the US budget. Therefore, they are cutting whatever they can.

Next, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, Reggie Littlejohn comes to the microphone for the first time here at Secure Freedom Radio to give us an insight into the horrific implications of the One Child Policy in China. Women’s Rights Without Frontiers is an international coalition that works to combat abortion, sexual slavery, and gendercide in China. It is estimated that over 400 million babies, mostly female, have been aborted since the start of the 1978 One Child Policy. Littlejohn’s institution is the leading organization in terms of documenting and spreading the word about the truth of China’s One Child Policy. They have exposed the coercive policy through true reports of the forced abortion and sterilization of Chinese women. As an attorney, Littlejohn represents a majority of these Chinese refugees who have suffered greatly under the policy. The policy not only violates basic human rights, but also has created 37 million more marriageable men unable to find wives.

Retired Lt. Col. Bob Lawler, ITT Corporation’s Business Development Manager, continues today’s Secure Freedom Radio to discuss ITT’s Common Infrared Countermeasures Program. Lt. Col. Lawler stresses the need for the military to implement a system that would provide helicopters with a defense against air missiles. Not only does the military depend on these helicopters to move supplies, but they are also the most effective means of transporting combat soldiers. By using this Common Infrared Countermeasure Program, the US would help our soldiers better survive military attacks in the future. The problem posed by most small man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems is that they are hard to detect, but easy to deploy. Therefore, the military needs to first implement a method of detecting these missiles. ITT Corporation’s system first detects the missile’s launch and then induces into it tracking errors that make it fly off course. A major factor in the widespread implementation of such a system is the high costs. However, as more and more commercial technologies develop, the cost for such systems will decrease.

How consequential is al-Awlaki’s death and was it Constitutional? Contributing Editor for National Review Online and weekly guest at Secure Freedom Radio, Andy McCarthy concludes today’s answering these questions. Al-Awlaki’s death was enormously consequential, argues McCarthy, as he was the inspiration and motivation for many of the past terrorist attacks in the United States. Those who contend that he was at most a cheerleader for the organization do not fully understand how Islamist terrorism works. Al-Awlaki was the person within the terrorist organization who spearheaded the religious rational. Additionally, anyone who is a serious scholar of Constitutional law would understand that his killings in wartime adhered to Constitutional principals.

Caroline Glick, Ken Timmerman, Gordon Chang

What impact does Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta’s comments that Israel is “increasingly isolated” and has not down enough to reach out to other nations mean for Israel and its neighbors in the region? After his speech at the UN, President Obama’s approval rating amongst Israelis soared. They believed that he was finally going back on his hostile policies towards Israel and would firmly support a veto of a Palestinian state. Caroline Glick opens today’s show commenting on the Secretary of Defense’s remarks and how Turkey has a new desire to sabotage Israeli interests.

What does it mean that top Republican taxpayer advocate, Grover Norquist is mixing with some unsavory people including those with ties to Muslim Brotherhood front groups? One of the top investigative journalists, Ken Timmerman, joins Secure Freedom Radio for two informative segments about his experiences with Grover Norquist and his Muslim protégé. In the late 1990s, Norquist became interested in the Middle East and Iran, and thus, set up the Islamic Free Market Institute in Washington, DC. He founded this institute with money and support from various Muslim Brotherhood front groups. Additionally, he founded the institute with the Palestinian-born Kuwaiti, Khaled Saffuri who also served as the executive director of the American Muslim Council along with the financial terrorist, Abdulrahman Alamoudi. After reports were published in the Washington Times detailing the shady background of many of Norquist’s associates, he stormed into the Washington Times’ offices and demanded an immediate retraction.

What does Grover Norquist gain from aligning himself with such distasteful people? Timmerman believes that Norquist is busy running an influence campaign. He is using his associations to try and push his agents forward into the limelight. One of these agents, David Ramadan is currently a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates. Ramadan immigrated to the US from Lebanon at a time when Hezbollah was still in control of the nation. His parents sent him to the United States to gain a better education. However, due to financial reasons, he married a Shia woman in 1994, whose father worked as a general in the Lebanese intelligence services. These sort of personal connections are not random occurrences, argues Timmerman, but are planned way in advance in order to further an agenda.

Resident China expert here at Secure Freedom Radio and writer at Forbes.com, Gordon Chang discusses the slowing down of the Chinese economy and the problems it will create for international trade. Chang describes how the Chinese economy continues to grow slightly on a year on year comparison, but is flat-lining when compared on a month to month basis. In order to absorb all of the new people entering the workforce, the Chinese economy needs to grow by at least eight or nine percent. The nation’s economy is currently facing not only local debt, but also the reduction of cargo exports to the United States. If the economy does not continue to grow, China will face an upswing of violent anti-government protests as people foster more and more resentment towards the Communist government. Although the media portrays China as the engine of the world’s economy, it actually leeches on other nations’ economies, especially the United States. According to reports, the United States has lost over 2.8 million jobs to China’s trade policies. How can we continue to allow our economy to suffer under the hands of the People’s Republic of China?