Securing America with Frank Gaffney Podcast

With Amb. John Bolton, Harold Rhode, Ryan Mauro, Bill Gertz During the U.S. President's tour of the Middle East, many have been surprised at how his rhetorical performance has hit the right notes.  The surprise is due to prior absence of policy and strategy to back up strong words for Iran and kind words for Israel.  Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. JOHN BOLTON of the American Enterprise Institute discusses the consequential realities that remain for heads of state after the televised events. Gatestone Institute Senior Fellow and former Department of Defense Middle East expert, HAROLD RHODE, walks through the complexities in Israel as well as those playing out in Syria and the broader Middle East in relationship to Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and to U.S. policy. Global threat expert RYAN MAURO of the Clarion Project uncovers another failure of vetting by the State Department this time in respect to the newly appointed Prime Minister of the Syrian opposition.  He also reports on the activities of Hezbollah in Syria and their long term strategic objectives, EU hesitation to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, and the formation of religious enforcement militias in Egypt. Washington Free Beacon Editor, BILL GERTZ, reports on the administration's down playing of Russian strategic nuclear bombers increasing flights near the U.S. and its allies unchallenged.  The administration has simultaneously completely canceled the SM3 Interceptor missile defense capability in Europe which is also a concession to Russian wishes.  This took place last week as the headlines reported a seeming reversal in the administrations actions to diminish American missile defense while claiming strategic enhancement.  The strategic enhancement was perhaps meant to be interpreted as better relations with Russia.  Such an interpretation would be shown nullified by these aggressive nuclear bomber flights unprecedented since the end of the Cold War.

The Washington Freebeacon editor in chief, MATTHEW CONTINETTI explains the structural conundrum of the Republican party and their failure to attract groups who share their values. Professor HENRY NAU of the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University illustrates the myriad correlations between the Obama administration’s foreign policy and increasing global unrest. Former Ambassador to the Organization of American States, ROGER NORIEGA, just back from his testimony before Congress, reports on the strategic position of Hezbollah in the Americas. FRED FLEITZ, director of the Langley Intelligence Group Network, spends his weekly visit with Frank discussing key new, unique, and significant developments in both the North Korean and Iranian nuclear threats.

With Joseph Klein, Elaine Donnelly, Paul Kengor, and Diana West. Author JOSEPH KLEIN discusses President Obama’s trip to Israel and the rhetoric of Red Lines concerning Syria and Iran. ELAINE DONNELLY of the Center for Military Readiness contrasts data and policy in light of alarm increases in sexual assault in the U.S. Military. Historian PAUL KENGOR reflects on the international relations context of the invasion of Iraq on this 10nth anniversary as well as the anniversary the Strategic Defense Initiative and it’s relevance to the present North Korean missile threat. Author DIANA WEST discusses the context of the attempted assassination of free speech activist Lars Hedegaard in Europe.

With Ted Bromund, Joel Hirst, Lars Hedegaard, Christian Whiton. TED BROMUND of the Heritage Foundation draws important distinctions between rhetoric and impact concerning the Arms Trade Treaty currently at issue for the U.N. and challenges assumptions about the possibility of it's application in the U.S. without Senate ratification. In the absence of U.S. leadership in Latin America the drama plays out in Venezuela in the wake of the passing of Hugo Chavez.  JOEL HIRST, the Human Freedom Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and a Principal for Cordoba Group International, explains the state of play, who the players, and what is at stake between now and the snap elections soon to take place in Venezuela.  He also discusses his novel, The Lieutenant of San Porfirio, which will be released soon in Spanish prologued by Ricardo Lopez Murphy and with praise from former Peruvian president, Alejandro Toledo. In an attempt to enforce Shariah law globally with the threat of death, an unknown assassin attempted to shoot the Danish free speech activist, LARS HEDEGAARD in the face in February of 2013.  Mr. Hedegaard survived and shares his account in an interview on Secure Freedom Radio here. Former Senior State Department official, CHRISTIAN WHITON of DC International Advisory, lays out an indicting history of the Obama administrations ideological campaign against strategic missile defense which provides context for the current backtrack urgently initiated to counter a real North Korean threat.

In light of Secretary Hagel’s announcement to enhance missile defense for the first time under the Obama administration in response to the North Korean threat, the chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, RIKI ELLISON joins Frank for a detailed assessment of our current missile defense capability. Breitbart News Executive Chairman STEPHEN K. BANNON discusses his promotion of diverse viewpoints on national security among the Uninvited conservatives at CPAC 2013. Dr. EMMANUELE OTTOLENGHI of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies outlines the issues and consequences of engaging Iran without calculating for strategic surprise. GORDON CHANG of Forbes.com covers the power change in China and their role in arming North Korea.

Broadcasting from CPAC: Frank is Joined by Rosemary Jenks, Fred Grandy, Bill Gertz, and Rick Santorum.

With Ann-Marie Murell, Mark Krikorian,  Alice Linahan, and Rep. Lamar Smith. National Director and Editor in Chief of Politichicks.com, ANN-MURIE MURRELL discusses the silencing of leading counter-terrorism experts at CPAC. Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, MARK KRIKORIAN explains the pending immigration legislation in the Senate and predicts the consequences of granting amnesty to the 11 million illegal immigrants already in America. ALICE LINAHAN, founder of Voices Empower and Womenonthewall.org, exposes the cheap tricks the administration uses to implement political and ideological material into the backdoor of the school system. REP. LAMAR SMITH, from Texas's 21st District, analyzes the failure of the Obama administration to uphold the law in regards to immigration policy and what is being done in the military to prevent and defend against cyber attacks. [display_podcast]

BARRY RUBIN, the Director of the GLORIA Center, predicts that President Obama's policy for dealing with Syria will clash with Israeli opinions in his upcoming trip to Israel, and explains why the Obama administration tried to award Samira Ibrahim the International Women of Courage Award despite her anti-American views. Executive Director of the Center for a Secure Free Society, JOSEPH HUMIRE, explains how President Nicolas Maduro will try to live up to Hugo Chavez's legacy as a socialist, totalitarian head of state, and explores Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa's ambitions to become the next socialist leader in Latin America. DIANA WEST, syndicated columnist and author of upcoming  American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation’s Character, analyzes Rand Paul's filibuster of last week explaining how it could spearhead a new debate in America concerning how best to confront the spread of the Shariah doctrine. From blackfive.net, JIM HANSON explains the buildup in arms that the Department of Homeland Security has recently required and laments the fact that the Obama administration is not going to recognize the upcoming anniversary of the Iraq War or the sacrifice of the men and women who fought in that field.

NINA SHEA, Director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, reports that Christians are the most persecuted religious group worldwide, exposing which regimes are guilty of persecuting or not defending Christian minorities, and criticizes the Obama administration's silence on the issue but outspoken support for other religious groups. CHRISTIAN ADAMS, former attorney at the Justice Department and author of Injustice, critiques President Obama's choice for the next Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, exposing how he has used the power of government to "advance a far-left progressive agenda" in numerous cases over his career. Washington Free Beacon writer, ADAM KREDO reports on recent violence in Jerusalem and predicts that more violence is forthcoming pending the arrival of President Obama as the Palestinians' attempt to draw attention to the peace process during the President's first trip to Israel. ANDY McCARTHY, an editor with National Review Online and author of Spring Fever: The Illusion of Islamic Democracy, analyzes Rand Paul's filibuster discussing the constitutionality of killing American citizens in America, and exposes how the civilian trial of Abu Ghaith is the Obama administration's attempt to undermine the commission system.

With Cliff May, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, Paul Kengor, and Gordon Chang. President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies CLIFF MAY analyzes US/Afghanistan relations, Iran's imperialistic goals, and Syria's continuing collapse. ELISABETH SABADITSCH-WOLFF, free speech advocate and president of the ACT! for America Austrian chapter, reports on her experiences at the recent conference held by the UN Alliance of Civilizations, an organization working closely with the OIC to limit freedom or speech supposedly in the name of religious acceptance. Professor PAUL KENGOR of Grove City College reflects back on the importance of Ronald Reagan's "evil empire" speech 30 years later, and explains the importance that it still has today. Namely, that like communism, radical Islamism is committing evil and democracies should not be afraid to point it out. GORDON CHANG, from forbes.com, explains how China is playing double games between the US and North Korea and how they are hoping to force the US out of Asia to intimidate Japan into surrendering contested territory.