Photo, left:  Brussels Explosions & Terrorist Attack (full video compilation: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4e6lRyd3oXc/hqdefault.jpg)
 
Mon, November 16, 2015  Belgian Government Admits It Has Lost Control of No-Go Zone  The neighborhood of Molenbeek in Brussels has become a jihadist hotspot connected to a string of major terror atrocities, including the Paris attacks.  . . .
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Thaddeus McCotter, WJR, The Great Voice of the Great Lakes
 
Hour One
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 1, Block A:  Bill Roggio, FDD and LongWarJournal, and Tom Joscelyn, FDD and LongWarJournal, in re:  No. Russia is not primarily attacking ISIS; rather, still killing anti-Assad regime fighters. 
Christians under attack at Easter celebration in Lahore. Pakistani military reacts to mass killings, to little effect.  All rubbish talk.  . . . 
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 1, Block B:   Bill Roggio, FDD and LongWarJournal, and Tom Joscelyn, FDD and LongWarJournal, in re:  Shishani dead?  ISIS says not.  / Yemen. 
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 1, Block C: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com and Daily Beast; and Jerry Hendrix, CNAS & advisor to Sen Cruz; in re: It’s March 2018; the new president has abjured (“disentangled”) all US treaties with Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand.  Now what?  Japan: no US fleet at Yokohama, nor US defense.  Japan will weaponize its Pn stockpile, will have 4,000 nukes. Same in S Korea; two nuclear states on the eastern PacRim at the edge of China.  Also damage US economy: integration among trade ad US strategic defense.  Guaranteed US decline. At present (2016), China is militarizing the Paracels and Spratlys.  US Navy has no easy way of responding to Chinese aggression, bit closer to war. Hugo Grotius (XVIeme Dutchman) spoke of the open sea.  US amphibious carriers forward keep us from having to deploy many more ships.  As nukes proliferate, entering those seas become much more dangerous. AS the US withdraws its mutual defense umbrella from South Korea: great joy in Pyongyang, which can then credibly threaten South Korea; forget minor provocations and look to a real invasion by the Kim regime.  Conflict will swiftly spread regionally.  Potential implosion of the Chinese Communist regime; a multiplicity of individual decisions by multiple nations – multiplies the likelihood of mass [violence]. China will move past the First Island Chain; watch out Guam, then Oahu, then the US West Coast. All vulnerable: “a cascade failure of the international system.”  China starts to looks north to Siberia and south to Australia. This is what led up to both World Wars in the Twentieth Century. Regret that Candidate Trump doesn't seem to grasp this.   
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 1, Block D: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com and Daily Beast; and Jerry Hendrix, CNAS & advisor to Sen Cruz; in re: how do you keep trade war from turning into real war? Remember: when goods don't cross border, armies cross borders. GC:  “We’ve passed the point of a happy outcome. What remains is which of the terrible options is least worst.”  We're already in a trade war with China –predatory and mercantilist conduct to which the US doesn’t respond. If Trump put on a 45% tariff, serious consequences in the US. Can’t separate economics and security.  Even a 10% or 15% tariff could tank the Chinese economy right now.  It desperately needs exports to transition to a stable economy. It's unstable now as people call on Xi to resign.  It just lashed out against its best friend, Indonesia, ten days ago.  Signs of disorganization and lack of coherence in Chinese foreign policy.   JH: Freedom of navigation sorties in the South China Sea; at some time, push will come to shove; Chinese vessels will try physically to force US vessels out of the way, force US Navy to train guns, and then claim that China is he victim. Meanwhile, need free navigation on the high seas.  China used pseudo-civilian fishing ships to invade Indonesian waters – desperate to get momentum on its side while it perceives US policy as still weak.  TGM: Open the door to a desperate nationalist, expansionist regime [China].  JB: We enter our time machine, return to March 2016. All happy again.
 
Hour Two
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 2, Block A:  John Fund, NRO, and David M Drucker, Washington Inquirer, in re:  Mr Trump spoke for 20 minutes with a radio host, Mr Sykes, a member of the Never-Trump crew, and Mr Trump appeared not to be prepared for this interview. Chapter 1 of Campaigning for Dummies: don't do this.  Trump wound up reverting to basic talking points and constant repetition. Responding with non sequiturs. Former Trump staffer (Stephanie) publicized, “I’m sorry I ever worked for him.” . . .  How does a candidate unwittingly do this to himself?  “If you're so smart, why aren’t you the front-runner?”   Trump didn’t know that Sykes is a Trump opponent, has a minuscule staff, doesn't seem to know how to use google. 
Trump has swung through brilliantly so far; however, he was always on top because he was on top; then  the polls turned against him. Seems that there’s just air under him.  Let's see what happens in Wisconsin, and in states between Wisconsin and California.  A truly nontraditional campaign.  Sue Louisiana because of ten delegates??  Can’t really sue a private organization for tis internal rules, However, Wisconsin electorate is especially unsuited to Mr Trump’s charms.    TINO: Trump in name only.  After the first ballot, those delegates are liberated.  “Steal” isn't quite the right verb – on the second ballot, devil take the hindmost. “If it's free, it ain’t stealing.”
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 2, Block B: John Fund, NRO, and David M Drucker, Washington Inquirer, in re:  What does Bernie Sanders want? Power? Money” – hey – he has more power now tan he’s ever had in his life.  No – he wants Democratic Socialism and a lifetime supply of Ben and Jerry’s.  AS long as he keeps raising enough money to stay relevant, he’s going nowhere.  He cares about his issues, has for decades. Has obliged Clinton to move farther left than she ever would have.  Clintons see Sanders as a hernia that must be endured.  Mrs Clinton “won't debate with him again until he improves his tone.”  David left out a major reason people follow the Grateful Dead or Bernie Sanders . . .  DMD: Very Trumpian – a candidate with the most aggressive tones says, Hey, it's the other guy.  . . .  Overshadowed by the GOP circus, its circular firing squad.
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 2, Block C:  Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re:  Iran. . . . Willful ignorance to acknowledge the threat when Iran says happily that it's the number-one financier and exporter of terrorism in the world?  JCPOA debate last summer; Secy Lew now says the US won’t block some funding but will block others.  – This is meant to assuage the Iranians, who demand more benefits.  /   Jerusalem and Ankara have been talking about resuming acceptable retains, but Israelis warned about danger in Turkey .  last week three Israelis were killed in a bombing outside a restaurant – the suicide bomber stalked them after hearing them speak Hebrew. Israel now orders that all Israelis leave Turkey immediately, ISIS announces it intends to blow up a Jewish school.  Six bombings, four by ISIS, and two by the PKK.  Dozens of plots in England thwarted, often with the help of Israeli intell.  TGM: Will we ever see the end to anti-Jewishness?  MH: It seems to be endemic; subsides for a while then rises again.  Rise of right-wing parties – saw in Belgium yesterday with Sieg Heil and raised fists. 
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 2, Block D: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: Druse in Israel, villages in the Golan.  . .  . Head of IDF Administration was a Druse form near the Golan; has just dies in a plane crash.  Other Druse are now seeing how Druse rise to power in Israel and increasingly are choosing Israeli citizenship.  A Canadian named Michael Lynk has a lifelong history of vicious, vitriolic speech, and the UN Human Rights Council has asked him to join.  Canada today said that it had not been consulted in the appointment, that he’s not Canada’s nominee and asked the HRC to withdraw his name.     UN Congress is delaying $159 million payment to the Palestinian Authority because of it's amazingly consistent incitements, verbal attacks, verbal violence.  This is a clear violation of rules.  The PA gets a billion dollars in aid. If European withheld funds as it's obliged to do, we'd see rapid changes of conduct.
      Syria: Islamic State Driven from Ancient Palmyra - 
Syrian government forces backed by Russian airstrikes recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State militants on Sunday, the Syrian army announced. (USA Today)
    See also Russian Special Forces near Palmyra Assist in Its Recapture - Joshua Nevett
A spokesperson for the Russian military said: "An officer of Russian special operations forces was killed near Palmyra while carrying out a special task to direct Russian airstrikes at Islamic State group targets....The officer died as a hero, he drew fire onto himself after being located and surrounded by terrorists." Last week IS-linked media said that five Russian special forces were killed near Palmyra. (Mirror-UK)
    Dozens of Terror Plots Thwarted across Europe.
In the UK, at least seven terror plots were stopped. In Germany, at least one was thwarted. Belgian authorities foiled numerous plots, and French authorities tell NBC that they have foiled dozens more, including one Thursday. But these efforts by European officials since the rise of ISIS two years ago have far from curbed the terror group's threat on the continent. (NBC News)    
    Canada Urges UN to Rethink Appointment of Anti-Israel Professor to Key Mideast Post
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion is calling on the UN Human Rights Council to review the appointment of Canadian law professor Michael Lynk as its special rapporteur on human rights in Palestine. The minister's office said Dion is concerned about past statements Lynk has made and that "this candidate was not put forward by Canada and does not represent the views of this government."
    Canada's Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs issued a statement Thursday condemning Lynk's appointment, and Conservative MP Tony Clement noted that Lynk has called for the prosecution of Israel for war crimes. (Canadian Press-Huffington Post)
 
Hour Three
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 3, Block A:   Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board & host of Opinion Journal on WSJ Video; in re:  Opinion Journal: The Obama Antiterror Doctrine   Editorial Page Editor Paul Gigot on the White House response to terrorist attacks stretching from Brussels to Pakistan.
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 3, Block B:  Michael Ledeen, FDD, in re: Giving Hope to Evil   As President Barack Obama was expressing his gratitude for Cuban criticism of the United States, terrorists were killing innocents at the Brussels airport and at subway stations, including one very close to the headquarters of the European Union. . . .
http://www.defenddemocracy.org/about-fdd/team-overview/michael-ledeen/#sthash.X4w90NhT.dpuf
Forbes/ https://pjmedia.com/michaelledeen/2016/03/20/guilt-and-the-immigrants/
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 3, Block C:  Gil Doctorow, EastWestAccord.com; in re:  Belgian governance and the Brussels tragedy.   “Possibilities of preventive detention of suspects in terrorism are not used. And whole communities are no-go zones for the police.  While Belgium, like most other Continental states, has draconian laws on the books regarding registration of residence going back to the Code Napoleon, they are not enforced.  In communes like Molenbeek, whole buildings are said to be occupied by unregistered foreigners living in hostel-like conditions without proper papers.  All of this will have to change if the city and the country is to be made safe from a repetition of what we  . .  .”
http://usforeignpolicy.blogs.lalibre.be/archive/2016/03/27/belgian-political-culture-and-the-terror-attacks-in-brussels-1150356.html (1 of 2)
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 3, Block D:    Gil Doctorow, EastWestAccord.com; in re:  Belgian governance and the Brussels tragedy.   “Possibilities of preventive detention of suspects in terrorism are not used. And whole communities are no-go zones for the police.  While Belgium, like most other Continental states, has draconian laws on the books regarding registration of residence going back to the Code Napoleon, they are not enforced.  In communes like Molenbeek, whole buildings are said to be occupied by unregistered foreigners living in hostel-like conditions without proper papers.  All of this will have to change if the city and the country is to be made safe from a repetition of what we  . .  .”
http://usforeignpolicy.blogs.lalibre.be/archive/2016/03/27/belgian-political-culture-and-the-terror-attacks-in-brussels-1150356.html (2 of 2)
 
Hour Four
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 4, Block A:  Harry Siegel, New York daily News, in re:  Nine months after descending a very classy elevator and entering the presidential arena, Donald J. Trump has made one thing plain: You sell him short at your own risk. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/17/the-moment-that-created...
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 4, Block B:  Francis Rose, NationalDefenseWeek.com and francisrose.com, in re: “Today Chairman Miller released the below statement following VA’s announcement that no employees will be seriously disciplined for the biggest construction failure in VA history as well as a separate $400,000 relocation scandal.”
“Nearly every day we are reminded that accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs is almost non-existent. Today’s announcement from VA that no one will be seriously disciplined for wasting more than $1 billion on a failed construction project and that a few executives might receive a weak slap on the wrist or a temporary written warning for a relocation scandal that cost taxpayers more than $400,000 is more proof of this sad fact. One thing is clear: this dysfunctional status quo will never change until we eliminate arcane civil service rules that put the job security of VA bureaucrats ahead of the veterans they are charged with serving. The House acted to do just that last summer with passage of the VA Accountability Act, which would give the VA secretary the authority to swiftly fire or demote any VA employee for poor performance or misconduct while protecting whistleblowers and limiting the agency’s ability to place misbehaving employees on paid leave. If the Senate doesn’t follow suit with similar legislation to do the same thing, it is illogical to think VA’s many problems will ever be fixed.” – Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 4, Block C:  John Tamny, RealClearMarkets & Forbes.com, in re:  Probably more now than most presidential election years, voters and politicians would like a do-over in 2016.  Arguably the biggest barriers to last minute political fixes are funding related, but the Stanford professor Steve Hilton may have a market-oriented solution with his CrowdPac concept.  
Unhappy tith Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? Let the Political Markets Solve the Problem
Asked recently about the role he'll play assuming a brokered Republican convention, Paul Ryan said he would like to be "Switzerland." The House Speaker's answer was probably the correct one considering ongoing certainty as to the eventual GOP nominee.
Monday 28 March 2016 / Hour 4, Block D:   Hotel Mars, episode n.  David Livingston and Anatoly Zak; in re: Vostochny.
 
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