The John Batchelor Show

Monday 6 June 2016

Air Date: 
June 06, 2016

Photo, left: 
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Thaddeus McCotter, WJR, The Great Voice of the Great Lakes
 
Hour One
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 1, Block A: Tom Joscelyn, Long War Journal senior editor & FDD,  and Bill Roggio, Long War Journal senior editor  & FDD, in re:  State has a meme. “There are only 50 to 100 Taliban left; they're seriously degraded.”  This is patently, obviously, completely not true.  It's getting to be annoying to see the US govt issue fraudulent statements.
Al Qaeda in Sirte and Derna in Libya; kicked out ISIS from some areas.  How hard-line are some of these groups? / Beach front: US mil air strikes in Yemen – whom is the US bombing?  AQAP — aQ official crew in Yemen. 
JB: Tom and Bill are the eyes we have in this battlefield, where the US is not winning.
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Al Nusrah Front and allies launch new offensive in Syria’s Aleppo province
Jaysh al Fateh, a coalition co-founded by Al Nusrah Front, launched a new offensive in Syria's Aleppo province in the past two days. The assault is designed to extend Jaysh al Fateh's control over the territory surrounding the town of Khan Tuman, which was seized last month. 
"We remain committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe haven regardless of its location," CENTCOM said while announcing three previously undisclosed drone strikes
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 1, Block B: Tom Joscelyn, Long War Journal senior editor & FDD, and Bill Roggio, Long War Journal senior editor  & FDD, in re:  . . .Fallujah has been in ISIS hands for a year, but the Iraqi govt plans to capture Fallujah – with the Iranian IRGC top guy - Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour's presence in Fallujah alongside Qassem Soleimani underscores the importance of operations in Iraq to the IRGC's leadership - on the ground in Iraq. Militias are getting antsy, commanders want to move fwd, fear a deal is being cut.    LongWar will soon publ the fact that a member of IRGC was recently on vid bragging about fighting in Fallujah.  IRGC ground commander isn't speaking about al Qods Forces.   Maybe about a thousand fighters in Fallujah – seems small to hold a whole city; maybe core Iranians with associated fighters around.
Aleppo Provence in Syria: al Nusrah is al Qaeda in Syria. Jaysh al Fateh–Army of Conquest – a coalition co-founded by Al Nusrah Front, launched a new offensive in Syria's Aleppo province in the past two days. The assault is designed to extend Jaysh al Fateh's control over the territory surrounding the town of Khan Tuman, which was seized last month. Islamist groups under an umbrella. Ahrar al Sham:  US govt advocates working with it – but it says openly that it models itself after Taliban. Is openly jihadist and connected to al Qaeda.  Westerners, even Ryan Crocker, say the US shd reach out to it and work with it. This is appalling. 
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Footage surfaces of Iranian IRGC fighter embedded with Iraqi forces near Fallujah   http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/06/footage-of-iranian-irgc-f...
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 1, Block C:  Gordon G. Chang, Daily Beast & Forbes.com, in re:  About a million students and others in Tien An Men Square on June 3 and 4, the PLA fought its way to there, killed between a few hundred and four thousand people.  Deng Xiao ping wanted to teach the people that the CCP would kill to protect its interests; his successors have been embarrassed and hidden it.  Young people have never heard of the butchering of Tien AN Men when the students haled Jefferson and Madison.
The response of the West, esp the business community, was hard; G H W Bush – who clearly didn’t share the high principles of Reagan - was trying to bring China into the intl community, so only the US Congress took measures but the president sent Scowcroft to Beijing to say, “No problem.’ What he US needed to have done was stand with the Chinese people. Westerners knew; in China, news travelled only by fax and phone Soon thereafter, here was a nationwide manhunt to gather dissidents trying to flee Beijing , within a year, everyone was liquidates Tanks tracks removed with removal of he cobblestones.   It would have been easy for the US to liberate one-quarter of humanity but the US Beltway elite chose not to.
Today, young people have no way to see what the CCP is – youth have a whitewashed view of their govt.  The new president of Taiwan on Facebook brought up Tien An Men, said, “Do not fear democracy.”  Tsai Ing-wen does not believe that Taiwan is part of China. The US has done a great deal to strengthen the Chinese Communist Party since Tien An men.   US has rationales: “Chinese people don’t want democracy.”  What??
On May 16, sixtieth anniversary of the Cultural Revolution – horrendous; CCP is trying to bury that, too.  “How can you bury the past when you have nothing but a bleak future?”
Chinese citizens are forbidden to say, “June 4,” so Chinese people call it,  “May 35.”
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PJMedia: The Rosett Report   Democracy is nothing to fear, Taiwan tells China on Tiananmen anniversary  Tsai also said in her Facebook post about the Tiananmen crackdown's anniversary that . . .  https://pjmedia.com/claudiarosett/tiananmen-at-27-and-the-china-dream/#
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 1, Block D: Noah Rothman, Commentary, in re:
 
Hour Two
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 2, Block A:  David Drucker, Senior Congressional correspondent, Washington Examiner; and John Fund, NRO, in re: June 6, 1944, CBS radio, middle of the night, German radio reports invasion; London: Seem to have RAF over the French coast, Seine estuary to Cherbourg. Dwight David Eisenhower, then a staff general, announcing on shortwave, heard at 3:30 AM: Flash - London: Ike announced landing in France. Allied troops began landing this early morning, supported by strong air forces. 
The Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force: A landing was made this morning on the coast of France, in conjunction with our great Russian allies. . . .”   Tonight not one GOP pol will defend Trump for comments he made about a judge from Indiana.  Party thrashing around with how to deal with routinely inacceptable words  . . . Even Gingrich has carefully backed away.
Priebus and crew are fearful, want to see if they can find someone to do an “intervention” with the impossible Trump.   GOP often painted as insensitive or worse to the interests of minority parties; when someone comes along and heavily reinforces that , and _ worse – is the nominee – that exacerbates the problem.
Press is widely calling Trump “racist” and not ne politician has come forward to defend him.  Thaddeus’s father was Mexican-American, fought for the US in WWII.  His wife is Mexican-American.  Lindsay Graham has profoundly condemned Trump; many pols have condemned him; Trump on a conference call today was secretly recorded in a series of indefensible statements.  Blame the GOP that allowed the vacuum.  The only power the party has is to deny Trump the nomination – but the leadership doesn't know how he voters feel.  Trump has no motivation to back down – pols dcnounce him, then cousin up to him rather than elect Hillary Clinton.
In a conference call today Trump ordered his surrogate to call journos “racist.”    Yike. Cost-benefit analysis: more Republicans stay home to avoid Trump than . .  . Ergo, delegates need to say, “We demand your tax returns.” Trump then will have a choice; if he doesn't, delegates can abstain Trump won't prevail in the Second ballot.   GOP can't take five more months of this. He’s a 12-year-old emotionally. 
GOP shd be talking about the lousy jobs report and other matters; couldn't because Trump was yelling about a judge as being biased.  Trump’s pattern is to reach an apex of [hysteria/madness], then pull back for a few days or weeks, and then launch again.  Due Diligence is required in all relationships; the Party needs to obtain tax returns or act accordingly.
"lazy/dishonest" redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/20… pic.twitter.com/FJelURbx8p
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/after-endorsement-trump-puts-ryan-to-the-test/article/2593025
After endorsement, Trump puts Ryan to the test     http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/after-endorsement-trump-puts-ryan-to-the-test/article/2593025
Top 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2016: hill.cm/yRgfc9T pic.twitter.com/swtPm9X1kL
Democrats feel better than ever about taking back the Senate in 2016: hill.cm/L0t7cXn pic.twitter.com/XL6YZfSjiT
New Clinton ad features clips of Republicans blasting Trump over attack on judge: hill.cm/ySYImGQ pic.twitter.com/IqQwc2B6t6
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/after-endorsement-trump-puts-ryan-to-the-test/article/2593025
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 2, Block B: David Drucker, Senior Congressional correspondent, Washington Examiner; and John Fund, NRO, in re:  The GOP delegates are pledged, but not bound to a candidate.  No delegate is forced to vote for someone s/he doesn't want, not is any adjunct delegate.  Hugh Hewett at MSNBC: A mutiny en route.  In a conference call today Trump ordered his surrogate to call journos “racist.”    This is genuinely nuts.  Party won’t throw Trump overboard as long as it thinks Trump is Teflon. There’s a minor disagreement about how bound a delegate is – first ballot, each state as a bloc, no individual votes.  Rules committee meets a week before the convention.  What are the odds for a revolt?  To have the secretary call the state results, have to pass a rule for that. With 400 Trump delegates not supporting him, so mutiny odds are 25%.  I disagree, right now see it as 5%.
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 2, Block C: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: Springtime in Paris – boulevards are filled with shoppers, five-star hotels glisten,  and lovely restaurants abound.  Another meeting on “what's to be done about the Palestinians and Israelis?” No soluti0on; must meet at restaurants again later.  In a practical sense, since Palestinians refuse to meet any Israelis, the whole thing is obviously doomed form the start.    The mtg lasted a total of three hours! [and you paid for it.] This was designed by the former PM, Laurent Fabius, but current PM is a bit dubious.  UNESCO renamed all Christian and Jewish holy sites as exclusively Muslim; France voted in favor then backtracked.    El Sisi of Egypt has been asked to lead forward.   Now 43%of French Jews are speaking of leaving; Hollande sees it, too. Huge Muslim population isnot integrated into French society.  Sixtieth anniversary of Six-Day War: Arab nations closed straits, Jordan began to bomb Jerusalem; Israel eliminated the Egyptian air force in the first day; fought Saudis Iraq, others, and won.  Israel gave beck he Sinai, gave land to Jordan – took every opportunity to be forthcoming,.  Barak offered 97%of land to Palestinians – who refused it.  / Terrorist attack in Jordan – which has delicate balancing act In a refugee camps five people were killed; fear a spiral of violence.  One guy just captured.  New; a pro-Jordanian movement in Hebron – flags, signs. No PA signs; instead, are idcntifying Jordan as their [affiliated home nation].  Jordanians spoke of putting up live streaming on the Temple Mount to show who’s starting and committing violence – Abbas managed to cancel it and humiliated the Jordanian King Also, demonstrators were barred from going on the Temple Mount, one including top Jordanian clerics. Displeasing.   / Extremely young, rich, active French people are pouring into Tel Aviv – success of Israel and failure of France. 16,000 French Jews have left, most under age 30, educated. The Florida of he Mediterranean.  Overloading some of the schools.
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 2, Block D: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: NYS Exec order No, 157:  No state agy may promote economic activity to further the BDS movement.  Apparently the majority of US states will adopt such legislation.  Gov Andrew Cuomo spoke movingly (and without notes) explaining why this is necessary - to repudiate the BDS> Mayors, and declarations by 31 European nations on  anti-Semitism but BDS is at core anti-Jewish,  Cuomo: If you boycott Israel, we’ll boycott you.”  Over 1,00 complaints filed annually about trade letters demanding illegal anti-Jewish practices.  BDS is failing; who’s driving/funding it?  True.  Money from Arab countries, possibly Iran. Used to include the Palestinian Authority. Groups not only advocate anti-Jewish actions but engage in violent on university campuses.  Fourth mtg between Putin ad Netanyahu:  cultural and economic deals, but above all political discussions. Disintegration of US relations with Israel? No – US and the Russian reset button that didn’t exactly work. 
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Israel Dodged a Bullet at French Middle East Summit
– Herb Keinon  
Israel dodged a bullet on Friday when the French Middle east summit concluded with a communique that did little more than pledge allegiance to a two-state solution. There were concerns that the conclusions would include a firm deadline for the talks between Israel and the Palestinians, that it would place all the onus of responsibility on Israel, and that it would set new parameters for peacemaking.
    In the end - thanks largely to U.S. efforts - the participants reaffirmed "their support for a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." That's not exactly revolutionary. Fears that the meeting would put into motion an effort that would result in the international community imposing a solution on Israel never materialized.
    The communique that emerged Friday would not have been as neutral and bland as it was without U.S. efforts to water down the language, and Israel was in close coordination with Washington over the last few weeks on this matter.(Jerusalem Post)    
Why U.S. Diplomacy Can't Fix the Middle East - Aaron David Miller
  For much of my 24-year career as a State Department Middle East analyst, negotiator and adviser, I held out hope that a conflict-ending peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians was possible. I had faith in negotiations as a talking cure and thought the U.S. could arrange a comprehensive solution. I believed in the power of U.S. diplomacy. But by the time I left government in 2003, I was a disillusioned diplomat and peace processor with serious doubts about what the U.S. could accomplish in the Middle East.
---- Iran showed off parts of its new Russian S-300 missile defense system during National Army Day on April 17, Reuters reported. During an event in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani said the country's armed forces and its missile defenses were no threat to neighboring countries, but would defend Iran. Russia delivered the first part of the S-300 missile defense system — which can engage multiple aircraft and ballistic missiles around 150 kilometers away — to Iran last week. Russia has said it canceled a contract to deliver S-300s to Iran in 2010 under pressure from the West. But President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban in April 2015, after an interim agreement that paved the way for a full nuclear deal with Iran that ended international sanctions. Since then, Iran's hard-line conservative Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has carried out four ballistic missile tests, upsetting the United States in part to undermine Rouhani and his economic reform efforts that could disrupt Iran's political system.
 
Hour Three
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 3, Block A:  Patrick K. O'Donnell: Dog Company: The Boys of Pointe du Hoc--the Rangers Who Accomplished D-Day's Toughest Mission and Led the Way...
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Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 3, Block B:   Patrick K. O'Donnell: Dog Company: The Boys of Pointe du Hoc--the Rangers Who Accomplished D-Day's Toughest Mission and Led the Way...
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Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 3, Block C:   Paul Gregory, Hoover, in re:
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 3, Block D:   David Shedd,  in re: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2A1N8lF259HdzI4S294a2JqNUk/view?pref=2&pli=1
David R. Shedd is a retired U.S. intelligence officer whose final post was as the acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He is a former Central Intelligence Agency operative. According to Obama's Wars, a 2010 book by investigative journalist Bob Woodward, CIA Director Michael Hayden used Shedd, then Deputy Director of National Intelligence, to physically demonstrate to President-elect Barack Obama the mildness of enhanced interrogation techniques, softly slapping and shaking him..
 
Hour Four
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 4, Block A:  John C. McManusThe Dead and Those About to Die: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach  ( of )
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 4, Block B:  John C. McManusThe Dead and Those About to Die: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach  ( of )
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 4, Block C:  John C. McManusThe Dead and Those About to Die: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach  ( of )
Monday 6 June 2016 / Hour 4, Block D:  John C. McManusThe Dead and Those About to Die: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach  ( of )
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