Securing America with Frank Gaffney Podcast

Roger Noriega, Avi Jorisch, Patrick Poole

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.

Yoram Ettinger, John Bolton, Peter Pham, Jim Hanson

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.

David Satter, Ryan Mauro, Reza Khalili, Gordon Chang

What is the meaning of Putin’s  Russia United party’s unapologetic and blatant rigging of parliamentary elections?  Who are the groups responding to the perhaps over ambitious power play?  David Satter of the Hudson institute weighs in. Ryan Mauro of www.worldthreats.com reports on the state of play in Syria and Iraq.  Then Reza Khalili explains Iran’s relationship with Al Qaeda.  Finally Gordon Chang stakes out the parameters needed for North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un,  to consolidate power.  If he doesn’t, would a desintegrating North Korea invite Chinese military intervention.

Nina Shea, Ned May, Diana West, Clare Lopez

Are we failing to understand the nature of our enemies and blinding ourselves to the threats that they pose?  Today’s guests address this issue beginning with Nina Shea of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute.  Nina first explains the situation in Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood is not being open about its agenda for the new Egyptian government.  It is likely though that broad restrictions and punishments for any expression against Islam will continue to be instituted.  These will target women, religious minorities, and political reformers, and further hinder the discussion about freedom of speech in Egypt by essentially taking it off the table.  This perverse agenda is only being exacerbated here in the United States with the recent State Department conference with the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.

 

Ned May, blogger at the Gates of Vienna and Big Piece contributor, addresses the issue of Sharia law. Court cases in Europe have proven that Sharia law is being upheld and thus the question is can the imposition of Sharia happen here too?  In Austria, an activist by the name of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff has been found guilty of hate speech.  Her case highlights the point that Muslims can defame Christians and Jews without facing prosecution, but under Sharia law all other faiths are prosecuted for exposing Islam.  Similarly in the United Kingdom, the courts have upheld Sharia law by forcing a Muslim mother to give her child up for adoption in order to prevent the mother’s father from carrying out honor killings.  It appears that Sharia law is taking precedent over the common law of European countries.

 

Next Diana West, columnist at the Washington Examiner and author of The Death of the Grown-Up, examines how the doctrine of Sharia law is being enforced in the United States.  This submission to Sharia doctrine stems from US counterinsurgency doctrine in which our goal over the years has been to convince the Islamic people, in Afghanistan for example, that we are the “good guys”.  Unfortunately this concept has led to increased sensitivity to and accommodation for Islamic norms and practices that have saturated our military training.  This has also led to directives such as at the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that dictate adherence to Islamic law and provide a means for the regulation of American freedoms.

 

Today’s show concludes with Clare Lopez, Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy and former CIA intelligence officer.  Clare explains some recent court cases and documents that point to the connection between the Iranian government and Al-Qaeda.  First, a judge ruled in favor of several family members of 9-11 victims because of proven evidence that Iran and Hezbollah provided support to Al-Qaeda for the terrorist attacks.  Law firms have joined together to assemble evidence that show this connection too.  The U.S. people have a right to know the truth about 9-11 and the U.S. government has the responsibility to hold these members of Iran’s political leadership accountable for their actions.

Lt. Gen. Nicholas Kehoe, Claudia Rosett, Gal Luft, Jim Hanson

Retired Lieutenant General and President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, Nicholas Kehoe joins Frank to commemorate the 150^th Anniversary of the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Kehoe discusses what exactly this award represents as well as the type of people who receive it.  The best description of the award, which comes from the book Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty, is that soldiers “earn it at the intersection of happenstance and hell”.  It embodies characteristics that apply to people in their everyday lives and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation works to spread these ideals through their development programs.

 

Claudia Rosett, journalist-in-residence at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and former writer for The Wall Street Journal, joins Frank to discuss the topic of Kim Jung Il.  His only legacy is that of a missile proliferator who ran a repressive regime and engaged in drug-trafficking and the counterfeiting of American currency.   It would be a mistake for Obama to perpetuate his regime by striking deals with his successor.  In addition, it appears that Hillary Clinton is mimicking such behavior by allowing the advancement of the agenda of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the United States, after the recent State Department-OIC conference in Washington. 

 

Frank’s next guest today is Gal Luft, Executive Director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security and senior advisor to the US Energy Security Council.  Mr. Luft addresses what he calls the “energy security paradox” in which we have significantly reduced our dependency on foreign oil over the past seven years, yet we are becoming poorer and deeper in debt.  This is because even with self-sufficiency, we do not have control over the price of oil.  Luft suggests that we can only regain control by introducing new competition to offset the oil monopoly. 

 

Today’s show concludes with former U.S. Special Forces operator Jim Hanson speaking with Frank about the 150^th Anniversary of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Joe Biden’s ineptness as Vice President, and Bradley Manning. In the wake of the anniversary of this award for service to our nation, some recent events are unsettling.  Joe Biden recently commented that the Taliban are not our enemy.  This comment reflects our poor national security policy regarding Afghanistan.  Similarly, the release of classified military information by US Army soldier Bradley Manning highlights the issue of how this administration turns a blind eye to certain security issues.

Mvemba Dizolele, Senator Rick Santorum, Andy McCarthy

Mvemba Dizolele of the Hoover Institute provides his take on Congo elections. The Democratic Republic of Congo hosts the Holocaust of our time. 6.9 million deaths since 1998. Will unrest from this year’s election lead to civil war in what is already the most deadly and unstable region on the planet? Hoover Institute fellow Mvemba Dizolele walks Frank through the state of play and helps us begin to get a picture of the world’s most complex and dangerous place. Presidential candidate Senator Rick Santorum spends time with Frank to speak about his fellow presidential candidate Ron Paul’s ridiculous notion that America and the world will be safer if America just concedes to field to the Russians, Chinese or Islamists. Congressman Paul is advocating complete isolation and even goes so far as to blame America for the world’s problems. The world has never been as dangerous as it is now and therefore now more than ever America needs to exude influence and maintain a global presence. Why should America be surprised that a federal judge issued a statement citing Iran as an accomplice in the 9/11 attacks? Iran has been hostile towards the U.S. since the 1970s and has worked to kill more U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan than the Taliban and the Iraqis. Iran is using their oil revenue to attack and undermine U.S. presence in the Middle East as well as going after America’s ally, Israel. Finally, Senator Santorum touches on the Law of the Sea Treaty which he feels is in complete violation of American sovereignty and another attempt to create world governance. Senator John Kerry is pushing an agenda to diminish American sovereignty and power, but the world is a better place when America is in the lead and taking a proactive role. Who do you want to be in control of the seas, America and our values or these despots and their values which are in complete opposition to freedom and liberty? Andy McCarthy joins Frank to give his analysis on Secretary Clinton’s meeting with the OIC. When good sits down with evil, it is never a good thing. There is nothing to be gained from this meeting because what the OIC wants is to impose Sharia on to the American landscape. The best thing that can come out of this meeting is nothing, the status quo which is not what the Obama Administration wants. Secretary Clinton announced that the government would not infringe on freedom of speech, but will try to use “naming and shaming” to condemn those who speak ill of Islam. Is it right that the American government tries to shame its citizens for speaking their mind? Instead of serving for the common defense, the government will now be trying to teach Americans how to behave. Year after year the Muslim Brotherhood as been trying to infuse Sharia into American life and every year they fail, so now they are trying the same tactic but are using a different rhetoric. The Brotherhood is trying to use the incitement laws in America in conjunction with Sharia blasphemy laws to claim that speaking ill of Islam will incite violence and therefore must be outlawed. This is the new tactic being used in order to impose the Sharia blasphemy laws here in America. Same story, new tricks but will the Obama Administration give in to the wishes of the OIC and the Muslim Brotherhood? Another trick of the Muslim Brotherhood is to buy their way into American culture. Powerful positions in the media, institutions of higher education such as Harvard as well as social networking sites are just a few ways in which Islamists are trying to infiltrate the West and impose Sharia on all freedom loving people.

Gordon Chang

Asian analyst Gordon Chang spends an entire hour with Frank for a review of 2011 as well as a look ahead to 2012. In light of Kim Jun Il’s demise, what will become of North Korea? It seems that many in the North Korean government oppose the successor, Kim Jun Un and therefore destabilizing the country. China will most likely support the military in taking over the government which would allow the Chinese to establish military bases in country. What will become of American aid to North Korea in terms of food and medicine? Aid to North Korea will most likely be held until it is clear what direction the country will go in. The Chinese economy is suffering which is leading to insurrection throughout the country. Providences throughout China are revolting against the local governments and these revolts were once peaceful, are now turning violent. What will become of the Chinese economy? Will it collapse? How will the Chinese government respond to these protests? China is now cracking down on social networking in order to curb protests. China is working hard to control speech within the country, but the citizens are finding new ways to connect and speak out against this repressive regime. China could potential have 3,000 nuclear warheads hidden in underground tunnels and with their military growing in influence, what does this mean for American security? Obama has signed an arms treaty with the Russians limiting American warheads to 1,550 and if the Chinese and Russians get together then America will be at a significant disadvantage. Will the military take over the government in China? What influence does the Chinese military have in the use of space and how could their push into space impact American security? Did China help Iran bring down the American drone?

Bill Gertz

Frank spends an hour with Washington Times columnist Bill Gertz for a year in review. Bill first speaks on the Arab Spring, U.S. military aid to Egypt as well as the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood. Bill then moves onto the idea that not speaking about a certain threat makes it disappear. The Obama Administration fails to characterize the Islamic Extremist threat properly, even in a historical context, which is detrimental to fighting this enemy. The Department of Homeland Security is even reaching out to the Muslim community for training guidelines.

Bill then moves onto Iran and its nuclear program. What will the Israelis do the curb this growing threat? Bill and Frank next speak on the end of the Iraq War and how America is leaving the country in a fragile security state. Will Iran move in and take control? Will American troops have to go back in the future to reinstate security and order?

Next, Bill explains the rise of the Chinese threat and how America has let China become a growing threat when we decided to turn a blind eye to their nefarious activities for the past two decades. Now that Obama is doing a pivot towards China, will America be able to control the red Dragon?

Finally, Bill touches on the subject of defense cuts and how America’s aging military needs to be upgraded to meet today’s growing threats. Our military resources cannot be upgraded or expanded without any money. Obama has pledged to veto any bill that tries to circumvent these cuts, what will the state of American security be in the future?

Dr. Phillip Karber, Rep. Ted Poe, Rep. Mike Rogers, Andy McCarthy

Georgetown University professor Dr. Phillip Karber speaks with Frank on the topic of Chinese underground tunnels. Dr. Karber and his students have worked tirelessly to expose China’s underground tunnel system that has been built by China’s Strategic Rocket Force. It is referred to as China’s Underground Great Wall and this program has been going on since 1985 and consists of 3,000 miles of underground tunnels designed to hide their nuclear arsenal. How many weapons are stockpiled in this underground maze? This significantly increases the risk from the Chinese and therefore must be dealt with by the U.S. government. China has more tunneling underground than the rest of the world combined, what are they trying to hide? Will America now see China as a security threat and not just a nuisance?    

Representative Ted Poe joins Frank to give his take on the Eric Holder drama. It seems that Attorney General Holder can’t get his story straight nor can he get control of his own house. He claims to not know the answer too many of Congresses questions which leads people to believe he either has no control over his house and is incompetent or he is a liar. Congressman Poe also explains a development in a DEA operation where money might have been given to the drug cartels in hope of tracking the money up the ladder. Is this another Fast and Furious type case? It seems the money has been lost and now the cartels have large sums of money given to them by the U.S. government. Representative Poe also talks about technology from the military in Iraq will now be used on the border since troops are coming home and this technology will no longer be needed overseas.  Finally, Congressman Poe sent a letter to Secretary Clinton to ask her to explain to the OIC in their meeting, that any anti-blasphemy law is a violation of American free speech and therefore there should not be laws that prohibit any criticism of religion. Did Secretary Clinton make this point clear to the OIC?

Representative Mike Rogers spends time with Frank to explain what happened to the drone that landed in Iranian hands. The drone was actually more banged up than previously thought and the Iranians put it back together for propaganda purposes.  Representative Rogers also comments on the Homeland Security policy pertaining to how American agents are trained on terrorist threats. Political Correctness does not make a situation right; an FBI agent who is only taught about half the problem can only be half affective. Our government needs to give both sides of the equation, not all Muslims are extremists, but there are radicalized Islamists who seek to destroy this country and that needs to be taught to American agents. Allowing them to hear all sides of the problem makes them more affective and can better protect this nation. Finally, Congressman Rogers speaks on having some level of American force needs to stay in Iraq to help ensure security and help the Iraqi security apparatus grow and function on their own. How can we adequately train our law enforcement if we cannot talk openly about the threat?

Regular guest Andy McCarthy speaks with Frank about Sen. John Kerry’s appeasement with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. His praise of the emergence of the Brotherhood is something that Americans should take note of. America is the biggest contributor to the IMF and therefore when the IMF sends money to Egypt to support the Brotherhood, it is sending American taxpayer money. Is John Kerry just carrying the banner of the Obama Administration? It is obvious that the Muslim Brotherhood’s civil arm is no different from its military arm. When will Americans wake up and acknowledge this threat? Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and that is an acknowledged terrorist organization.  What are the implications for American liberty is Secretary Clinton and the Obama Administration concede to the demands of the OIC? What can Congress do the stop the transfer of a war criminal and terrorist

 

David Rivkin, David Wise, Jim Hanson

David Rivkin joins Frank to talk about Ali Musa Daqduq, a Hezbollah fighter that was dispatched to Iraq on behalf of the Iranian government and in 2007 he kidnapped, brutality tortured and killed five American soldiers. U.S. forces have since apprehended him and the Obama Administration is ready to hand him over to the Iraqi government who will undoubtedly give him to the Iranians where he will be hailed a hero.  At first, Obama wanted to bring him to America and try him in a civilian court and when Congress denied that request, the president wanted to try him in a military court in South Carolina, but for obvious security reasons that was quickly dismissed. Obama will not send him to Guantanamo Bay and therefore is willing to release him instead of upsetting his liberal base. Where is the logic in releasing an enemy combatant instead of sending him to a military detention center? Obama is so against Guantanamo Bay that he is willing to release a man who tortured and killed five American servicemen, what are Obama’s priorities?

Author David Wise spends time with Frank to explain a recent article of his pertaining to Chinese spies. China has been scarily successful in their intelligence operations against the United States. China has been able to gather the blue prints to the most advanced U.S. nuclear warhead, the W88 which is deployed on the U.S. Trident submarine. China has also obtained information on the Neutron bomb which they obtained from a scientist inside the very laboratory that was used to design the weapon. What else does China know about America’s arsenal? When will the American government wake up to the Chinese threat and start taking proper precautions? The American government has already discovered high level Chinese agents, some in the CIA and some in the FBI but how many assets do the Chinese have in America? The Chinese government has now shifted their intelligence operations into the cyber world, although they claim to not be hacking into American government servers. The government has such a tight grip among the populous how could they not have direct knowledge of such activities? What will China do with access to the recent U.S. drone that has landed in Iran?

Former U.S. Special Forces operator Jim Hanson speaks with Frank on Obama’s recent victory lap in reference to Iraq. Since his campaign or Congress, Obama has been calling Iraq the ‘Wrong War” and really has been working to end the war in Iraq as quickly as possible, but now he is claiming success in Iraq and is taking credit for the American victory. Obama has lost the future of Iraq to the Iranians because he has not adequately secured a place for American troops in country and therefore security will not be established and foreign influence will be imminent.  Why hasn’t the American government adequately acknowledged the fact that Iran has been involved in killing American soldiers in Iraq either directly through the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) or their proxy Hezbollah? How can having an American drone in their possession, increase Iran’s own security?