Securing America with Frank Gaffney Podcast

Diana West, Amb. John Bolton, Rep. Doug Lamborn, Roger Noriega

Part of the new Afghan strategy is to not just minimize civilian casualties, but also completely eliminate them. Obama focuses more on civilian deaths at the hands of US troops than civilian deaths at the hands of the Taliban. US forces account for 7% of civilian deaths while the Taliban are responsible for 93% yet no one talks about this. Diana West tries to explain why the US government only focuses on American faults instead of triumphs and why they hold their own troops accountable while giving the Taliban a pass to do as they please.

Space is the final frontier and America needs to play a dominant role in that frontier. Former Ambassador John Bolton claims the Obama Administration is doing their part to ensure that not only does America not play a role in space, but also allow our enemies use space to their strategic advantage.

Congressman Doug Lamborn details how the Chinese are corning the market on rare earth minerals. These minerals are used in electronics such as flat screen televisions and military equipment. China owns about 95% of these minerals, so what is the Obama Administration going to do about this monopoly?

Hezbollah is active in Latin America, Iran is pushing for more influence in the region and more and more democracies are crumbling. What is the future of Latin America and can the United States help mold this important region into a thriving democracy? Roger Noriega gives his take on the sad future of America’s front-yard.

Mark Krikorian, Rep. Mike Turner, Riki Ellison, Jim Hanson

The DREAM Act was established to provide citizenship to people who came to the United States at a certain age, mostly younger ages, stayed a certain period of time and have either received a college education or provided military service. The problem today though, is that people are applying this act to a wide range of illegal immigrants not just the ones it was designed to benefit. Also, shouldn’t our armed forces be compromised of American citizens and not illegal immigrants who are just serving because they have a hidden agenda? Mark Krikorian also explains the E-Verify program, which is a database at employer’s disposal that allows them to screen out illegal immigrants who may have forged their application; problem is Congress is sitting on legislation that would make this voluntary program mandatory. Finally, has naming our naval ships become less of an honor and more politicized?

In order for the Senate to approve the new START Treaty, President Obama had to make certain promises about our nuclear deterrent; so far he has walked away from those promises. Rep. Mike Turner and his colleagues are working on legislation that would force Obama to stand by the promises he made to the Senate and the American people. America has not adequately taken care of its nuclear arsenal; we have not upgraded the technology or modernized the infrastructure that supports the weapons. In order to be a nuclear power we must have a creditable deterrent, not something that is based on decades old technology or hasn’t been tested in over 20 years. It is unbelievable that the president is even considering reducing our nuclear arsenal by 80%; we are the only country that is reducing its nuclear weapons program. Our missile defense shield is the only system that can protect America from an Iranian or North Korean attack and Obama has continually cut that capability.

Riki Eillison educates us on the Israeli “Iron Dome” system that protects civilians from incoming missile attacks. This past week, it withstood over 200 rocket launches with only two scratches and no heavy damage or civilian death. The system detects and intercepts rockets with its own rockets and only targets the ones heading for civilian regions. The US has a three-prong missile shield, first is the GBI (Ground Based Interceptors) that protects homeland America from North Korea or Iran. The second is comprised of 15 battalions of Patriot systems and 23 Aegis ships, which protect our armed forces worldwide.

Finally, there is the European shield, which protects our European allies from an Iranian attack. Obama has clearly stated that his priorities are to protect the homeland, our forces then our allies yet he gives more money to protect our allies than he does our homeland. Europe doesn’t even contribute o this shield, yet they benefit from it and the American people wont stand for it much longer. Obama has also cut the sea based X-Band radar system, which puts a huge hole in America’s missile defense shield. This system has cost the taxpayers $1.5 billion but it is now being used less and less. The president has tested fewer systems in the past three years than under the entire Bush administration.

Is America still a major player in Afghanistan? Are our enemies becoming emboldened by the idea of an American withdrawal? Al-Qaeda and the Taliban will use American withdrawal as a victory and a recruiting tool; Obama does not want to win in, he just wants to leave. Obama is ignoring the fact that America is facing real threats and therefore hollowing out the military is a good idea. Jim Hanson explains that Obama feels any future problems can be solved with the use of SpecOps yet they shouldn’t be used in place of a strong conventional military deterrent.

Michael O'Hanlon, Mackenzie Eaglen, Rep. Ed Royce, Andy McCarthy

Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institute puts the fundamentals of Afghanistan in perspective in the light of the recent tragedy involving a massacre perpetrated by a U.S. soldier.  This latest event combined with the surging trend of Green on Blue attacks, that is Afghan military on NATO attacks, is devastating for moral and U.S. resolve.  Why should we stay the course?  Are these events telling of a broader story or blurring the important realities.

Do most Americans have a concrete picture of just how devastating the sequential rounds of defense cuts hurt the U.S. strategically? Mackenzie Eaglen of the American Enterprise Institute makes the numbers come to life.  “A 15% cut in military pay; a 20% cut in weapons systems; and a 25 % cut in training and operations for the combatant commanders…”  These are but a hint of the costs to our readiness, strategic advantage in the world, and to the personnel who defend our country.

The Obama administration has been blind to the growing threat posed by Iran in the Western Hemisphere. The president has been so neglectful that Congress is now taking action in order to prevent an Iranian attack inside the United States. HR 3783 is designed to counter Iran’s presence in the Western Hemisphere by forcing the president to take defensive action to stop any Iranian aggression. Iranian intelligence has already conducted operations in Latin America and Ahmadinejad has been cozying up to some staunch anti-American governments within the region. The question that Rep. Ed Royce contends with is what will be needed to get this bill passed in the Senate. He is confident it will go through the House with ease, but the Democratic Senate could pose a problem. Turning to the Muslim Brotherhood, what is it their doctrine is similar to Hamas yet we do not classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization?

Afghan security is not going to prevent terrorists from trying to attack America. These are transnational, secretive organizations that do not need government support or one single location to call home. Obama is pleading with the Taliban to come to the negotiating table and he is even offering to release men from Gitmo that have been deemed to be a clear and present danger to the United States of America. Does he have any regard for US security? On the other hand, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta went before the Senate and claimed that Congress is irrelevant and that the president can use the military however he sees fit when it comes to Syria. Andy McCarthy explains how the Secretary of Defense feels the president does not need to consult the people’s representatives as long as he has international approval. Obama cares more about international permission, than permission from the American people. Who does he work for?

Peter Brooks, Rep. Duncan Hunter, Mackubin Owens, Gordon Chang

As tragic as the recent blood-letting by an American soldier was, we must keep sight of the big picture. Peter Brooks said it best, “this is a snapshot of the whole movie and the movie has to come out with a happy ending for the United States.” America must prevent the reformation of al-Qaeda and other groups that want to attack America.  Therefore Afghanistan needs to remain a national security priority.

Switching to the Law of the Sea Treat, Peter tries to explain why the Navy supports such an endeavor when America has triumphantly sailed the seas for centuries without being a member of LOST. This treaty concedes American sovereignty to a UN organization that will hinder US economic and energy prosperity. Finally, Iran calls for more international talks, which is obviously not a result of their new found diplomacy, but rather a stall tactic so they can finish their nuclear capabilities.

We ask our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to be nice to the Afghan populous, while trying to kill the enemy and it is hard for a 20 year old who has spent 10 months in country, watching his buddies get killed, to have that dichotomy in his mind. Not all the evidence has been collected pertaining to the shootings by a US soldier, but in reference to handing him over to an Afghan court, In Congressman Duncan Hunter’s words, “we are still Americans even if we are fighting in Afghanistan and our rights are protected by the Constitution.” We do not just hand over Americans to foreign governments, no matter what the charge is. This is the time when we need to turn Afghanistan into a counterterrorism mission because our soldiers cannot be scared that the Afghan’s they are training will shoot them in the back when they turn around. If we do not trust our partners, we cannot accomplish our objective.

The president claims he may or may not notify Congress before applying military intervention to Syria, and he would only do so after international approval. Since when does the American president seek approval from the UN over Congress? This is a matter that flies in the face of the Constitution and Rep. Duncan Hunter and his colleagues will not allow it to stand. Rep. Hunter is also fighting for Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta to receive, posthumously, the Medal of Honor for protecting his men in Fallujah by jumping on a live grenade. The Medal of Honor committee denied Sgt. Peralta this award because there wasn’t sufficient evidence; Congressman Hunter has found new evidence.

Dr. Mackubin “Mac” Owens has analyzed how the defense cuts will ultimately benefit the Navy because the first round of cuts will focus on the Marine Corps and Army, but the second round of cuts will damage the Navy’s capabilities which the president claims will be at the forefront of his pivot towards the Pacific. Is Obama undercutting his own strategy by reducing the resources of the Navy while using them to spearhead his Pacific policy? The president isn’t listening to his own Secretary of Defense who says that these cuts will be disastrous to national security. Strategies without resources are nothing more than just words and so far the president is all talk but no action. At its height, the military only made up 20% of the federal budget while most the money went to entitlements. The president is still trying to expand Entitlements at the expense to our national security.

The Chinese military is getting a larger share of China’s federal budget, an 11.2% or $100 billion increase. As a result of China’s “Great Firewall,” nobody can hack foreign governments without Beijing’s knowledge therefore their denial of knowing about cyber attacks doesn’t hold water. China is trying to control space by forcing the US into arms control treaties that the US will abide by, and China will not. Gordon Chang explains how the Secretary of the Communist Party sent the military to surround the American consulate in order to apprehend a defector, which was his “top cop.” As a result of this hostile action, chances are Bo Xilai will not be promoted to a seat on the Politburo’s Standing Committee, which could be beneficial to the US considering he is one of the more radical anti-Americans in the Communist Party. China may create foreign military misadventures in order to blind the populous from face their economy is faltering. This economic slowdown could lead to more civil unrest as well as a shaky future for the Communist regime.

Sean Parnell

“How do we explain what happened to our family? How do we tell our story?” When you spend 485 days, or 16 months, on the frontlines where 80% of your brethren are wounded, these are the first questions that go through your mind as you step across the parade deck at your homecoming. This is a wounded rate that has not been seen in the military since the Battle of Gettysburg having 32 of the 35 men in the legendary 10^th Mountain Division receiving Purple Hearts for wounds sustained in combat. Captain Sean Parnell, US Army Ranger (ret.), eloquently details the experiences of these 34 men under his command as they engage Taliban soldiers on the Pakistani border. His new book “Outlaw Platoon” gives a heroic account of the hell that he and his men went through going toe-to-toe with highly skilled foreign fighters in which his unit killed 350 opposition forces without one civilian casualty. Before being dismissed after their tour in Afghanistan, Capt. Parnell promised his men he would tell their story, the story of heroism and brotherhood. How has the war in Afghanistan changed since Capt. Parnell and his “outlaw platoon” have left the battlefield?

Barry Rubin, Christian Adams, Jim Hanson

On today's show Frank spends two segments with Barry Rubin. Barry  is the director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal.  He is also the author of the definitive book on the global Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood. (The Muslim Brotherhood: The Organization and Policies of a Global Islamist Movement) His interpretation of Obama's AIPAC speech as a distinct change in U.S. policy makes for lively debate on the harbinger's of a strike on Iran's nuclear program.  In the second segment Barry guides us through the consequential developments in Egypt's new political system.  Has the United States propped up a new Islamist state? In segment 3, Christian Adams, a former attorney for the Voting Rights Section of the Department of Justice details the history of the new third in command at DOJ, Tony West.  West was an advocate for American Taliban member John Walker Lynn.  West's law firm represented among others, the 20th hijacker of the 9/11 attacks.  The same firm used lawfare to sue a company for access to the CIA's logistical operations at GITMO.  West is now in charge of detainee policy at DOJ.  Christian then breaks news on Chinese and Cuban agents of influence acting to have the U.S. naval presence ordered out of Guam. Former Army Special Forces weapons expert, Jim Hanson, wraps up the show with with a glowing grade on Eric Holders case for a pro-assassination policy by the administration.

Yoram Ettinger, Mitch Silber, Peter Berkowitz, Andy McCarthy

In Today's show:

Segment 1

• Was U.S. President Barack Obama’s emphasis on the Israeli perspective in his address to AIPAC code for, “I don’t share your view but it’s quite understandable.”? Former Israeli ambassador, Yoram Ettinger measures the words of both Presidents, Obama and Netanyahu. He also asserts a challenging paradigm that the Palestinian and Israeli peace process is not the central issue in the Middle East as a driving force of policy or the true source of anti-American sentiment.

Segment 2

• Mitch Silber is the director of the NYPD's intelligence division's analytic and cyber units as well as the author of The Al Qaeda Factor: Plots Against the West.  He joined Frank today to discuss the recent thwarted suicide attack against the US capitol, the ideology behind the radicalization of those who choose to commit terrorist attacks, and the religious component of Al Qaeda type ideologies.

Segment 3

• Peter Berkowitz of the Hoover Institution believes Israel has the right to defend itself against the threat posed by Iran. Berkowitz claims, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is a rogue state,” and that Israel should be treated accordingly. Frank discusses the following issues with Berkowitz: Does Israel have the permission under the International law to attack Iran, under the current circumstances? Is Iran affected by M.A.D. policy calculations as the U.S. and Russia were during the Cold War? Would Iran implement a self defense strategy against Israel and the U.S. under the international law? Berkowitz explains in detail what the possibilities of the future relationship between Iran and Israel.

Segment 4

• Andy McCarthy, who successfully prosecuted one of the conspirators of the 1993 World Trade Center attack, gives his assessment of Eric Holder’s apologia for the administration’s assassination policy. If one sets the administrations past political rhetoric aside, it could be understood from Holder’s testimony before Congress that, in a practical sense, the administration has accepted the Bush doctrine of fighting terrorism according to the rules of war.

Caroline Glick, Ariel Cohen, Clare Lopez, Gordon Chang

It would be criminal for Israel to leave their fate in the hands of another country therefore how can they allow Obama to handle the Iranian situation? The president has pressured Israel not to attack Iran until after the presidential elections and he assured Israel that he would deal with this situation and that Israel would be safe. This is coming from a man who was kicking and screaming in order to avoid sanctioning Iran, and only did so after Congress and the European Union pressured him. Obama’s track record for trust when it comes to Israeli security is lackluster at best. Vice-President Biden warned the American Jewish community that they should not make Israel an election topic because Obama would be re-elected and he would remember this, is that a threat? Israel cannot afford to wait until after the presidential elections to attack Iran because Iran is already moving critical nuclear components into a fortified military instillation, thereby making an attack more difficult. Caroline Glick gives further analysis to troubling situation.

Vladimir Putin’s recent “victory” is a bad sign for both Russia and the United States. Putin claimed 63.4% of the vote, after he essentially forced government employees and companies receiving government contracts to vote for him. Russian protests did not mobilize enough people to show Putin that he does not have the support of the populous. Putin’s vision for Russia is “state-capitalism” which means there is a level of free enterprise among the smaller businesses, but the major sectors such as gas and transportation, are in the hands of Putin’s cronies which are former KGB officers. Putin is not playing ball on missile defense, Syria or Iran and in his victory speech, he claimed that he defeated those who want to see the destruction of mother Russia. This statement is made in reference to the United States support for opposition candidates in Russia. Ariel Cohen gives his analysis on the future of Russia and the security implications for the United States.

President Obama has profusely apologized to President Karzai and the Afghan people over the accidently burning of Qurans at a US military base in Kabul. These Qurans were mistakenly burned and when the soldiers realized what was happening, they reached into the flames to pull the books out, yet our president still denounces their actions. These books were used to transmit messages among prisoners, which in Islam is a sin because no one is allowed to write or defile the Quran. These prisoners, who claim to be fighting for Allah, are disrespecting their own holy book yet no one wants to mention this. Also, no one wants to mention that throughout the Muslim world Bibles and Torahs are burned everyday on purpose but when a few Qurans are accidently burned and saved from the fire it causes a huge uproar that results in protests and killings. Now our president is even talking about possibly holding those soldiers criminally responsible and turning them over to a Sharia court; what group of people does Obama work for the Afghan people or the American people? Clare Lopez fills us in on the disturbing details.

What would happen if the Chinese economy collapsed? Recently, the Chinese Premier has lowered China’s growth from 8.0% to 7.3% which is the lowest it’s been in a decade. Gordon Chang claims “china is slowing down fast” and so far this year their growth has been limited to 0-1% which is causing civil unrest. The Communist party has based their legitimacy on economic growth and what fueled that 35 year growth is no longer there. The global market is no longer benign and the work force that propelled China’s economy has aged and is a tax on the economy is helped build. As a result, China has closed of their automotive market to foreign manufacturers forcing the populous to buy domestic cars. This has hurt foreign manufacturers who had bet on the Chinese market, but even Chinese manufacturers are hurting because people aren’t buy cars anymore do to the economic slowdown. Unfortunately, China’s military might resort to misadventures in order to deflect attention away from a possible economic collapse.

Rep. Frank Wolf, Sylvia Longmire, Debra Burlingame, Bill Gertz

Representative Frank Wolf from Virginia explains what he saw on his most recent trip to Sudan. He visited a refugee camp 20 miles from the Sudanese border where more than 25,000 people are living with the mission of recommending policies and creating awareness to the barbaric situation the country has found itself in.

“Nearly 40,000 people have already lost their lives in the drug war south of the border and now Mexican cartels are moving their operations into the United States.” Sylvia Longmire who specializes in the War on Drugs as well as the cartels claims, “The Mexican drug war cannot be won, but is a conflict that can only managed.” This is not a war with one clear enemy therefore who can raise the white flag and call an end to the conflict? There is always be drugs and there will always be cartels or gangs that vie for more territory, money and power. There are drugs and violence in the United Sates therefore what can be done to make the violence in Mexico more manageable, to a level where people don’t fear leaving their homes or see corpses outside their children school?

The NYPD and namely Commissioner Ray Kelly are under attack for doing exactly what they are paid to do which is protect the citizens of New York City. Commissioner Kelly has worked tirelessly to investigate radical Muslim organizations that may be breeding terrorists, yet he and the NYPD are coming under fire by those very organizations and the liberal media. How can the police protect citizens and communities if they are not allowed to investigate potential threats to those very citizens and communities? Debra Burlingame gives her analysis of this sad and shocking development.

As a result of the president’s budget cuts, health care for our military veterans is increasing, while health care for the rest of the population is either being decreased or unaffected. What type of gratitude is President Obama showing our veterans and our country when he forces the men and women who have defended this country to pay more for their health care? In another story, the White House is mulling over the idea of becoming involved in the Syrian revolution. Is there an upside to American involvement and can the Obama Administration stay out of Syria? Bill Gertz gives his take on these ideas in his Inside the Ring column.

Claudia Rosette, Avi Jorisch, Kori Schake, Andy McCarthy

Freedom of the press is one of America’s most precious rights and not only the ability but also the responsibility to the press to report the truth to the American people, especially in connection to their elected officials. It seems President Obama, before he was president, had a special relationship with certain news outlets that helped to hide important information about the Mr. Obama from the American people. On a separate front, it seems North Korea is willing to suspend their nuclear program in hopes to elicit food aid from the United States and other nations. Which side is lucking out on this deal? Claudia Rosett provides her take on this development.

SWIFT, Society for Worldwide Interback Financial Telecommunications, is the “lubricant that the global financial system rests on.” SWIFT’s function is to allow banks to communicate with one another, allowing bank A to give permission to bank B to offer credit to an individual or company etc.… If one bank cannot communicate with other banks then that bank and its investors are not able to move money, and this segregation from the rest of the financial sector is what is currently happening to Iranian banks. Congress has pressured SWIFT to cut off Iranian banks from the rest of the global market, but only now are they actually starting to take action. SWIFT has claimed it will only cut off the Iranian banks that have been blacklisted by the EU. Financial expert Avi Jorisch explains the impact to Iran’s economy if these banks are cut off from the rest of the world.

“The Iranians have not yet decided to develop a nuclear program,” is exactly what came out of the mouth of DNI James Clapper as he testified before Congress last week. Iran’s behavior obviously contradicts that assessment and the IAEA even disagrees with that statement because they feel the enrichment facilities are being housed inside military bases thereby making this a military project, not civilian. Iran seems to be above the 20% threshold in their enrichment process and at 20%, uranium can be used in creating a nuclear weapon. If Iran is creating a nuclear program for civilian use, which DNI Clapper seems to believe, then why wont they open their facilities to IAEA inspectors? Kori Schake provides her analysis on this growing threat.

Andy McCarthy, former United States Assistant Attorney expresses his concerns over the possible release of the “Blind Sheikh” who was responsible for killing Americans and seeking to kill many more and was captured in 1993. According to Al-Arabiya President Obama has agreed to release the Blind Sheikh along with other 40 Egyptian prisoners. Should the administration negotiate with Islamists on such terms?