Securing America with Frank Gaffney Podcast

Gordon Chang, Barry Rubin, Mackenzie Eaglen, Andy McCarthy

Gordon Chang explains China’s “Zero Sum Game” with the United States. The Chinese view towards relations with the U.S. is that one side must win and one side must lose. America sees relationships as win/win for both parties, whereas the Chinese feel that only one party can win and dominate the international system. What can America do to “win” this game? China has becoming more aggressive in their rhetoric towards America. Chinese Flag Officers have claimed that China will engage America in war within the next 5-10 years. How can the American government ignore claims such as that? There are now signs that the Chinese economy is declining and becoming smaller. What does this mean for the Communist Party? Economic tribulations for China will result in them becoming more belligerent towards their neighbors in order to keep the peace within the populace. What will happen if China starts to breakdown? With the EU collapsing, what does that mean for the US and China? The U.S. is in the best position to weather the storm because America has the largest domestic economy, but China will suffer greatly.

Dr. Barry Rubin gives a history lesson on the Muslim Brotherhood. He explains where they came from and how they collaborated with the Nazis during World War 2.  It is reprehensible for the Obama Administration to work with the Muslim Brotherhood and their subsidiaries. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is leading U.S. policy in the Middle East; this is equivalent to the U.S. using Fidel Castro as their advisor to Latin America. How can this policy possibly have a positive outcome? The Obama Administration has claimed that they support the new governments of the Arab Spring and this is part of his Muslim outreach program. If Obama works with the Muslim Brotherhood, what would that mean for American security? The Muslim Brotherhood claims to be moderate, which they are not, and if they gain power then they will follow the Turkish model and slowly take over every aspect of society, not with force, but through controlling the government and legal institutions. This takeover will be slow and take time so as not to arouse suspicion from the international community. What does this mean for Israel, the Middle East and the United States of America?

Mackenzie Eaglen joins Frank to give the truth behind the defense budget cuts. In 2011 the White House Budget Office reported the Defense Budget at $730 billion and President Obama requested that in the next fiscal year it be cut to $703 billion; this was before the debt ceiling deal. The year after that the Defense Budget will be cut by another $26 billion and in 2013 President Obama has requested the Defense Budget be capped at $652 billion. It would be 2016 before the Defense Budget would be able to grow back to 2011 numbers. Since Obama has been president, $700 billion have been cut from defense. Unlike Entitlements, Defense does not have a clear base line for which to cut money. So why is everyone looking to cut Defense when it is much easier to cut Entitlements? What impact will these cuts have on our national security? America’s Navy is the smallest it has been since World War 1 and these cuts will make it the smallest since the 19^th century; what ability will they have to protect the world’s waters? With these cuts the Air Force will be the smallest it has ever been in history and already it is small and aging.

Weekly guest Andy McCarthy gives his analysis on the future Defense cuts and what that means to American security. Andy explains the need to make cuts to defense, especially with a mounting debt, but the government needs to keep in mind their priority and responsibility to protect the homeland.  Why aren’t there cuts to Entitlements? Protecting the nation is a responsibility enshrined in the Constitution, not Entitlements yet they are not on the cutting table. It is necessary that America has a clear goal and direction for its defense and then come up with an intelligent budget to allow the DOD to achieve those objectives.  

 

Peter Schweizer

What is Crony Capitalism and what impact does it have on America’s national security? Peter Schweizer, author of “Throw Them All Out’” spends an entire show with Frank to explain how Crony Capitalism is putting this country at risk. Lobbyists, special interest groups as well as government officials with interests in particular businesses are not helping to improve the American economy, but are in fact working to destroy competitors and thus put people out of work. Businesses need to be put on an equal playing field and let the consumers decide which companies grow and which fail based on the quality of their products. The Obama Administration is full of people who are working to help particular businesses grow in order to advance their own interests instead of working to provide jobs and help the economy grow. What does it mean for American security if certain companies get the big contracts and government benefits? Certain politicians, such as former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, are engaging in a legal form of bribery because they are given special access to stocks in exchange for favors down the road. How is this fair and legal and what can the American people do about it? There is a double standard between the political elites and normal citizens which must stop.

Jim Hanson, Jon Adler, Andy McCarthy

With Jim Hanson, Jon Adler, and Andy McCarthy Happy Thanksgiving!  Today's show starts with Frank's take on the debate.  You've just got to listen.  You won't find a better analysis on the GOP CNN national security debate that cuts to the heart of matters like Frank does. Jim Hanson of Blackfive.net brings his own brand of boots on the ground GOP national security debate analysis as well.  He also lays out the economics of good intelligence collection weighed against the costs of war especially in the Middle East. Jon Adler of the he Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association raises the sadly ignored issue of what the budget cuts mean for those protecting us on American Soil.  He also has some choice words for politically correct counter terrorism training policies.

Baroness Caroline Cox

Baroness Caroline Cox of the British House of Lords spends an hour with Frank in order to shed light on how the British government has handled, or not handled, the silent jihad in the United Kingdom. Baroness Cox tells the story of a woman living in a Muslim community in London who dressed in western clothes and then threated for it because the community lives under Sharia law. Even memebers of the British government are not allowed in these communities because it is seen as their territory. The United Kingdom tried so hard to accomodate the Muslim people, that they now find themselves adhering to laws and regulations that are against English law and norms. Will this atrocity fall upon the United States?

Michael Mukasey, Fred Grandy

Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey spends two segments with Frank to give his insights into the silent jihad and the Muslim Brotherhood’s successful influence operations here in America. Michael Mukasey recaps his speech on Veterans Day at the Federalist Society, in which he spoke about the motivation for jihad, Sharia and how political correctness is handcuffing officials from openly discussing this situation. The Obama Administration is bending over backwards for these militant groups and leaving the moderate, freedom-loving Muslims without a voice.

Fred Grandy explains how the president is artfully blaming the Republicans for the Supercommittee failure.  An endeavor that was designed to fail, is now forcing the Pentagon to make drastic cuts to our national security.  The president and the Democrats had no intention of ever conceding to any of the Republicans ideas for cutting the budget and therefore it was inevitable that the committee would fail. Is there another way to avoid the hollowing out of our national defenses? Which theaters of operations will get the limited resources that the Department of Defense will have left? We will be pinning the Middle East against Asia, which threat do we work against?

Bruce Klingner, Robert Zarate, Cynthia Farahat, Gordon Chang

What is the status between the United States and their allies in reference to North Korea’s nuclear program and how does China fit into this situation. Bruce Klingner of the Heritage Foundation explains that the older generation sees it as a socialist buffer-zone between them and the West. The younger generation sees it as a trouble maker and wants more dialog between China and South Korea. Bruce then explains the presence of the US in South Korea and in the region and how the defense cuts will hinder the region’s security.

Robert Zarate speaks on the defense budget and how the Department of Defense has spent less than their budget every year for the last five years and non-defense programs have exceeded their budgets during that same timeframe.  A deep cut in defense spending will have disastrous effects on our security, not just today or tomorrow but years down the road. In a time of uprisings in the Middle East, aggression in Asia and general hatred for America and democracy overall throughout parts of the world, how can America handcuff itself through these cuts? How can our diplomats push American interests and democracy if they are not protected by their military? These cuts will not only affect our military capabilities, but our diplomatic capabilities as well.

Egyptian Coptic writer and activist, Cynthia Farahat, recently escaped violent religious persecution of the Egyptian domestic security forces.  Today she joined Fred Grandy in the Secure Freedom Radio studio and is reporting in English on that persecution, the nature of the forces taking power, and up to the day events on the ground.  The U.S. government policy makers and media are not getting the whole story and are especially missing the most important intelligence requirements of the political and human rights state of play.  The U.S. government is in fact currently arming and funding the violent persecution of religious minorities in Egypt including moderate Sufi Muslims.

Is the Obama Administration tired of China’s games or are they playing politics and are employing a campaign strategy?  Gordon Chang explains the change in U.S. policy towards China. The Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal does not include China, the Pentagon’s Air-Sea Battle Concept which is directed to containing China, Taiwan being named a major security partner as well as the recent East-Asia Summit, the U.S. has taken a stance to China’s South China Sea claims are just a few examples of the shift in Obama’s policy towards China. Will China back off from their aggressive endeavors within the region or will this new shift make them more hostile? Post Cold War, the U.S. policy towards China was to work with them and provide them with assistance even when they went against American principals. We rewarded them for being bad, so what incentive does China have to work with us instead of against us?

John Weisman, Bill Roggio, Shaun Waterman

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?”

Fred Grandy, Matt Brodsky, Rep. Dan Burton

Former House member Fred Grandy, addresses a breaking story in which the valuable U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedoms will be forced to close its doors by the end of the week if Richard Durbin, the number two Democrat in the Senate, succeeds in holding-up reauthorization of the commission’s budget.  Grandy believes Durbin’s motivation for this could either be his own parochial interests or Durbin answering to a higher authority- the Obama administration or the radical Organization of Islamic Cooperation.  Either way this presents an issue area in which the Democrats should apply the transparency that they always preach.

 

Matt Brodsky of the Jewish Policy Center gives his overview of the situation in Syria. Syria has acted with Iran to oppose the United States therefore the U.S. needs to take the lead in undermining the regime and helping to establish a democratic government that will work with the U.S. to oppose Iran’s nefarious activities within the region.  If Bashar Assad is removed from power, who would take his place? Can America have confidence in a new Syrian government to help oppose Iran? America cannot allow Turkey to influence a future Syria because they are becoming more Islamist and could help push the Muslim Brotherhood into power.

 

Is Turkey headed down the same Islamist path as Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya?  Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) explains why it would be tragic if Turkey were to be lost to Islamist rule, seeing as how some countries in the Middle East are currently moving towards radicalization and Sharia law.  The Congressman also discusses President Obama’s cancellation of the U.S. missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.  Instead, the Obama administration has proposed a sea-based missile defense system in Eurasia.

 

 

 

Brett Decker, Rep. Louie Gohmert, Ambassador Yoram Ettinger

The editor of the Washington Times Editorial page, Brett Decker, joins Frank to elaborate on his book pertaining to the Obama Administration bowing down to the Chinese and hastening American decline and ushering a century of Chinese dominance. Is Barack Obama just anti-American or is there an emotional, self-loathing problem behind his subservient behavior? This behavior emboldens the Chinese to take advantage of what they perceive as American weakness. The president represents the United States of America and in doing so must convey a message of strength, yet Barack Obama conveys a message of weakness and compliance to foreign states.  What message do we want our leaders to convey and what message are they conveying? America is at war with China, it may not be with conventional forces but they are engaging America on the cyber battlefield and economic battlefield. China is stealing business secrets, buying American banks and undermining American exceptionalism and this is how they plan on overtaking the U.S. as the global leader. The military leadership of America has failed to take the Chinese threat seriously because all they see is current capabilities instead of future capabilities that the Chinese are working towards.

Fred Grandy is joined by Rep. Louie Gohmert inside “The Cloakroom” to discuss the Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of the American government. Rep. Gohmert grilled Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano about her nonchalance in regards to one of her advisors using his security clearance to take classified information and distributing it to a news outlet. Secretary Napolitano was not bothered by this event and has claimed that she will not take action against Mohammed Elibiary.  Why does the Secretary of Homeland Security feel it is not important to take action against someone who stole classified information? Why did she give a security clearance to someone who supports the Muslim Brotherhood? DHS is also refusing to use words such as Islamic Extremism because “it might offend those who wish to kill us.” A DHS report also calls for the federal government to work with people, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, to train agents to go after those extremists. How can America allow a fox to catch a fox?

Ambassador Yoram Ettinger explains what is happening within the Syrian regime. Up to 2009 many countries, including the United States, felt that Syria was moving into a new era with Bashar Assad at the helm. He was seen as a moderate leader who would help support the interests of the West and that is why America sent back an ambassador after a few years of absence. Obviously this was a miscalculation, now countries are calling for Assad to step down but who will take his place? Could the Muslim Brotherhood come to power in Syria? Just because there is a democratic process doesn’t mean that democracy will rule the country, example Germany in the 1930s. How will this affect U.S. security? Turkey has strengthened relations with Iran, how will this affect US security and influence in the region?

Peter Pham, Roger Noriega, Michael Mandelbaum, Gordon Chang

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.