Photo, left: King Lear's Lake, Watermead Country Park, Leicester.
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Thaddeus McCotter, WJR, The Great Voice of the Great Lakes
 
Hour One
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 1, Block A:  Bill Roggio, Long War Journal and FDD, in re:   Afghan Army abandons another district in Helmand  In addition to Musa Qala, the Afghan National Army withdraw from its base in Now Zad. Afghan officials said both districts are now fully under the control of the Taliban.
Islamic State claims killing Algerian soldiers  Despite facing a large crackdown from the Algerian military, the Islamic State's branch still claims sporadic attacks in the country.
Afghan military abandons district in Helmand The Afghan Army commander in charge of the fighting in Helmand characterized the Army's withdrawal from Musa Qala as a redeployment of forces.
Another town in southern Yemen reportedly falls to AQAP  AQAP reportedly seized the southern Yemeni town of Ahwar earlier today. Press reports indicated that Ahwar was under the jihadists' control earlier this month, but it appears operations were still ongoing at the time. The fog of war often makes it difficult to determined which towns and villages are truly in al Qaeda's possession, but AQAP has begun to advertise its implementation of sharia law and provision of social services throughout southern Yemen. (1 of 2)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 1, Block B: Bill Roggio, Long War Journal and FDD, in re:   Afghan Army abandons another district in Helmand  In addition to Musa Qala, the Afghan National Army withdraw from its base in Now Zad. Afghan officials said both districts are now fully under the control of the Taliban.
Islamic State claims killing Algerian soldiers  Despite facing a large crackdown from the Algerian military, the Islamic State's branch still claims sporadic attacks in the country.
Afghan military abandons district in Helmand The Afghan Army commander in charge of the fighting in Helmand characterized the Army's withdrawal from Musa Qala as a redeployment of forces.
Another town in southern Yemen reportedly falls to AQAP  AQAP reportedly seized the southern Yemeni town of Ahwar earlier today. Press reports indicated that Ahwar was under the jihadists' control earlier this month, but it appears operations were still ongoing at the time. The fog of war often makes it difficult to determined which towns and villages are truly in al Qaeda's possession, but AQAP has begun to advertise its implementation of sharia law and provision of social services throughout southern Yemen. (2 of 2)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 1, Block C: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com and The daily beast, in re:  New Possible Chinese Radar Installation on South China Sea Artificial Island Could Put U.S., Allied Stealth Aircraft at ..  A Jan. 24, 2016, image of Cuarteron Reef in the South China Sea with what is likely a high ...
Satellite images show China may be building powerful radar on disputed islands
Paracels build-up a pointer to China's broader South China Sea ambitions
China signals no South China Sea backdown as foreign minister goes to US  China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on ...
Navy's 7th Fleet commander: South China Sea isn't a battle against China
China Foreign Minister to Talk South China Sea on US Visit
China's aggressive posture in South China Sea  The South China Sea disputes are rapidly descending into a quagmire, with potentially ...
Paracels build-up a pointer to China's broader South China Sea ambitions
South China Sea: Julie Bishop says missile launchers shouldn't deter flights
China's top leaders are too proud--and perhaps too unaware--to seek to seek what they need most, help from the G-20 this month. http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2016/02/21/chinas-last-chance-the-g-20-in-shanghai/#1a257bbc618d
 
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 1, Block D: Francis Rose, francisrose.com, in re: VA will let embattled executives keep their jobs  Veterans Affairs St. Paul Regional Office Director Kimberly Graves listens at a Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Nov.
Two controversial VA directors back on the job ; Two Scandal-Plagued VA Execs Just Returned to Their Cushy ... ; VA Lets Execs Who Exploited Relocation Program Keep Jobs ; 2 Controversial VA Directors Back on the Job ; VA: Phila. director gets to keep her job
 
Hour Two
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 2, Block A:  John Fund, NRO, and David Drucker, Washington Examiner, in re:   Clinton in command!  The Associated Press and the television networks have projected that Hillary Clinton has won the Democratic caucuses in Nevada. The New York Times has a good look at her expected margin of victory.
Trump in command of three out of ten — and he isn't one of them:  “I really don’t even know what I mean, because that was a long time ago, and who knows what was in my head.” — Donald Trump, in an interview with NBC News, when asked about a 2002 Howard Stern interview in which he voiced support for the Iraq War.
New York Times: “For the past year, party leaders who had pleaded with Mr. Bush to run and armed his campaign with a record-shattering war chest of $100 million had consoled themselves with assurances that Mr. Trump’s popularity in the polls would never translate into victory at the ballot box.” “Mr. Trump, it turned out, knew their voters better than they did. Mr. Trump’s commanding back-to-back primary wins in two disparate regions of the country have forcefully shaken the Republican firmament out of a prolonged state of self-denial.” Rick Klein: “Donald Trump now owns the Republican party.  The only question left is whether what’s left of the GOP establishment can winnow the field fast enough to take it back.”  (1 of 2)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 2, Block B: John Fund, NRO, and David Drucker, Washington Examiner (2 of 2)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 2, Block C:  Richard Epstein, Chicago Law and NYU Law; Hoover Institution; in re:  . . .wondered whether the difficulties with political faction required a more aggressive stance to curb federal power. Just as the discussion got more intense, an aide came up to Meese and announced that the President urgently wanted him to go to the White House. Meese promptly left the table, and Scalia’s nomination to the Supreme Court was announced shortly thereafter…   http://www.hoover.org/research/antonin-scalia-most-memorable-friend (1 of 2)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 2, Block D: Richard Epstein, Chicago Law and NYU Law; Hoover Institution (2 of 2)
 
Hour Three
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 3, Block A:   Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs, in re: Kurdish Sources Outline Some of the Strategic Terrain in the Turkey-Kurdish War   From GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs sources in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. Turkish Govern-ment attempts to write a narrative around the major car-bomb attack in Ankara on February 17, 2016, in order to rationalize its domestic and regional strategic policies may have not have gained traction, but the reporting around the incident raised questions about the overall Kurdish movement, its war against the Turkish Government, and its ability to act in a unified manner to pursue its goal of an independent Kurdish state.
The February 17, 2016, incident involved a car bomb which killed 28 people and injured a further 61. Responsibility was claimed by the Kurdish movement TAK [(Kurdish: Teyrênbazê Azadiya Kurdistan) Kurdistan Freedom Falcons), which may (or may not) retain links with the Turkish Kurdish group the Kurdish Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan: PKK). Turkish Prime Minister Dr Ahmet Davutoğlu claimed that the attack had originated with the Syrian Kurdish group, the YPG [People's Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Gel)], but that the Turkish government held the Russian government equally responsible. TAK claimed on its website that the bomber was Abdulbaki Sönmez, 26, a Turkish national born in Van in eastern Turkey. The government had earlier claimed that it had identified the bomber as Saleh Necar, 24, a Syrian national with ties to the TPG. Significantly, the Turkish government has been anxious to link the YPG with Russian support, and to force a confrontation with Russia to enable a Turkish closure of the Bosphorous to Russian naval traffic under terms of the 1936 Montreux Convention. See “US Prepares to Back Turkish Military Confrontation in Syria as Ankara Stares Strategic Defeat in the Face”, in Defense & Foreign Affairs. The relations among the various Kurdish militant and political groups, as well as between the various Kurdish tribes, however, remains complex. (1 of 3)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 3, Block B:   Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs ; in re: secret plan by Qatar, Saudis and Turks to invade Mosul – for oil.   Note that Turkey’s support for ISIS backfires.  If a Sunni group can control oilfields in Iraq, that’ll countervail Iran.  Kurdish insurrection has moved into the heartland of Turkey, so Erdogan probably wants to move swiftly against PKK and YPG.  Turkey claims it’s been fighting ISIS (Daish) but in fact has been ISIS’s strongest friend, supplying weapons, food, and oil transport and purchase.  Qataris, Saudis, Turks and US have helped form and maintain ISIS.  There may be 20,000 PKK fighters in Turkey, and many more in Syria. . . .  Ankara will fight a tactical war in Turkey, and drive Kurds to Syria, then fight, and dismantle Assad’s regime.   Probably have a war plan that intends to take Mosul, but that’s a long shot.  Iran might help in that.  Putative ceasefire next week; in practice, will only help Turkey and US to consolidate before rushing forth again. (2 of 3)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 3, Block C:   Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 3, Block C:   Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs in re:  Nowruz coming soon – New Year’s, the great spring holiday; Kurds inside Turkey will get up their strength and hit esp govt and tourist spots. Have 12,000 fighter; use terrorist tactics against Turkish cities, initially, incl Istanbul and Ankara; then the Turkish armed forces will battle wherever they can; each side working to keep the other on the defensive.  Turkish economy is exceptionally vulnerable: a massive outflow of capital for the last five years offset only by heavy borrowing.  Now it's harder to get loans and foreign direct investment is drying up.   After Turkey shot down the Russian SU-34 the Russian embargo has pulled out billions from Turkey; and Russia is also stopping the flow of O&G from the Black Sea to Turkey,  expect shortages in Turkey.  Obama pressured Israel to supply, but that’s not blossoming.  What Turkey visited on Syria is blowing back into Turkish mainland. Turkey may be dismembered. Does Ergdogan have an exit strategy?  Nope; he has an astounding ego, never backs down, merely redoubles his efforts to collapse Assad’s govt – good luck, with Russia there. Meanwhile, the Kurds are starting to get wide support — Israel and Iran, inter al.  PJAK – Iranian Kurds – want to join a pan-Kurdish state but Teheran doesn't care for that at all, so Iran may support outside Kurds to scotch domestic break-up.  (3 of 3)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 3, Block D: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: Saudi Arabia puts Shia on trial for spying for Iran ; Veteran nuclear expert: Iran deal could make things worse;   Iranians want the US to know that they're e mocking Americans as they burn US flags on social media in connection with the naval kidnapping, Also, Hasan Rouhani  and Iranians dressed in mock-US mil uniforms with their hands tied as they knelt; all posted on twitter to humiliate American. Also displayed their new missile (1,700 km range, can reach Israel and Europe).  Poll: 79 % have an unfavorable view of Iran and two-thirds oppose the Obama deal.  Khamenei gave awards to Iranian sailors for capturing Americans: need to humiliate your enemy and show that you're dominant.  Also relates to a domestic beef between hard-liners and less-hard-liners. Recall 2009 Green Movement that brought the strong state crackdown.   / See a split between Assad and his Russian backers: several mil victories led Assad to demand that they take back the whole country. Russians declined – too awful; they try to rein him in, but it’s not smooth. Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s amb to UN, spoke of peaceful settlement for Syria; “taking back the entire country would be a futile exercise,” while Assad refuses to meet any opposition. Huge toll for Russia. / ISIS has cut salaries in half; oil price now too low to maintain all operations. ISIS charging $500 for families to redeem their relatives. Also kidnapping farmers; no longer paying double what the Free Syrian Army pays.  Juniper Cobra: 1700 US mil in a bi-annual joint drill with Israel.  /  Important change in Egyptian textbooks: new texts that actually recognize the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, say that the agreement ended their state of war. In the Arab world, this is a revolutionary development. 
 
Hour Four
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 4, Block A:  The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606, by James Shapiro, Part Two of Two (segment 5 of 8)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 4, Block B:  The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606, by James Shapiro, Part Two of Two (segment 6 of 8)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 4, Block C: The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606, by James Shapiro, Part Two of Two (segment 7 of 8)
Monday 22 February 2016 / Hour 4, Block D:   The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606, by James Shapiro, Part Two of Two (segment 8 of 8)