The John Batchelor Show

Thursday 11 December 2014

Air Date: 
December 11, 2014

Photo, above: In 1972, William E. Colby, then the Executive Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, suggested the creation of an Agency museum. He directed the Agency's components and its Fine Arts Commission to identify items of historical significance to create "a very selective accumulation of truly unique items."

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Co-hosts: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents

Hour One

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 1, Block A: Larry Johnson, No Quarter, in re:  DiFi on CI report.  Michael Hayden lied : page 41 says he instructed on e of his assts to lie to Congress about the number of persons detained. Inherent here is a total lack of accountability by the CIA.  Start reading the report from p 29-40. Abu Zubaida gave up info on Padilla as well as the ID of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to Ali Soufan, the CI interrogator.  Then they put Abu Zubaida in isolation for 47 days – clearly this was not a time-urgent matter. Nuts.  Incompetence! CI rewards incompetence and promotes fools. Coincidence that DiFi releases a report that doesn’t contain the name of the DCI?  . . . They absolutely had a way to do it – and didn’t.  We faced far greater threats from the Nazis and the Japanese and we faced them [much better then]. Did the DCI tell the truth to the American people today?  LJ: No.  Vide: "The Torture Report and American Values" by Max Boot.  We're signatories to an intl convention swearing not to use torture. Hypocrisy is no excuse for engaging in criminal activity.  The DCI's hands are as dirty as was Eichmann for the Holocaust

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 1, Block B: Ed Hayes, criminal defense attorney par excellence, in re: the Eric Garner dispute; demonstrations.  NUPD is looking at a contract that pays them less than most other cops in the US – n fact is a decrease; also, the Ferguson case was clearly presented accurately. and it's clear that the cop in Staten Island did not have his arm over Eric Garner's throat. Btw, NY cops shot fewer citizens than do police in many other cities.  See Daily Beast article saying that the New York protest movement has direct ties to City Hall, links to people in high places.    Can we repair this? No – there's a chasm between deBlasio and the NYPD.

. . . NYPD morale and the contract negotiations...and deBlasio and Bratton leadership

De Blasio Settles with Eight Uniformed Unions - WNYCwww.wnyc.org/story/de-blasio-settles-eight-uniformed-unions/

NYC Budget Director Dean Fuleihan, Mayor de Blasio, union leaders ... and Detectives, reached new contracts with the de Blasio administration. ... him of throwing the NYPD “under the bus” for his comments after the grand . . .  Cops feel "thrown under the bus" - CBS News   New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's reaction to grand jury decision in Eric Garner case ... Eric Garner fallout: Cops feel "thrown under the bus," union says ... Eric Garner decision: Defense attorney on NYPD chokehold case ... Twelve of the 23 jurors needed to be in agreement for any charges to be filed

Thursday  11 December 2014   / Hour 1, Block C: Kori Schake, Hoover, in re: Keeping the Public in the Dark  Yes, the Bush administration did go too far. In the fearful days after the 9/11 attacks, the administration made choices, putting our security ahead of our values. They worried enemies we knew little about were poised to strike again – and they were right. They worried we were unprepared for the nature of a jihadi challenge – and they were right. They worried new means would have to be quickly developed to defend ourselves against terrorists – and they were right.

Where they were wrong was in not trusting the American people to understand the nature of the challenge, debate the alternatives and take ownership of what was being done in our name. On interrogations, warrantless wiretapping, drone warfare and a range of other counterterrorism measures, both the Bush and the Obama administrations have tried to avoid a public conversation about the means they are using to protect us. That is a grave mistake in a free society.

The intelligence agencies have a strong and understandable organizational bias toward secrecy: They never want to reveal anything. In their profession, fragments of information always help to build a picture of understanding. Showing adversaries as little as possible of our sources of information and methods of operation is good intelligence practice. But elected leaders have a responsibility to build a broad foundation of support in the public for their policy choices. These are hard calls, judgment calls and the public deserves a say.  [more]

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 1, Block D:  Francis Rose, Federal News Radio, in re: the CROmnibus vote.  Passed, 219 to 206 votes.  There was a split today: Roll Call reported at 8P that the Minority Whip was splitting with Nancy Pelosi; Mr Hoyer voted yes, giving cover to many Dems to vote with him. Apparently the White House was whipping the Dems to follow the Republicans. It may be that the WH thinks not all is lost in dealing with the GOP in 2015.   In February, Messers Boener and McCarthy will have 246 votes. Dems: Let's not be the party of shutdown.     Ms Pelosi  . . .   WaPo: The Omnibus Appropriations Bill – credit default swaps and the like available to the parent of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae . . .

Hour Two

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 2, Block A:  Ambassador Dennis, Washington Institute, in re: Prospects for US and other powers to create a final deal with Iran: nor promising. misdiagnosis of Iran – that economic pressures alone would be enough to persuade the Supreme Leader, who sees the world though a powerful ideological lens.  He'd need to see the cost of failure of diplomacy as simply too high.    That does not obtain at present.   Current plunge of oil price?  the equivalent of new sanctions.  However, they'd have to see that the US is prepared to compete with them regionally, and that they could lose the entire investment Iran has made in nuclear dvpt.   Coordination between US and Iran in bombing in Syria.  When the US bombs effectively, Assad can double his bombing of non-ISIS forces in Syria – raises huge questions anent, inter al, the subjugation of Sunnis.  Where we have a conjunction  A nuclear deal with Iran will force the West to re-evaluate its positions. French proposals? French in the 5+1 discussions the French have been the most demanding to meet a certain standard where Iran will not be able to reach a breakout time. US works toward a one-year time lag for breakout. Were that to occur, we’d need to say explicitly what the consequences wd be. In the last week: Iran and heavy water.  I’d like to see Congress authorize use of force if Iran has nuclear=bomb capacity. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-nuclear-deal-with-iran-will-require-the-west-to-reevaluate-its-presumptions/2014/12/04/b58748a2-7b30-11e4-b821-503cc7efed9e_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-united-states-has-no-good-options-on-syria/2014/11/21/7faf8e50-70eb-11e4-893f-86bd390a3340_story.html

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 2, Block B:  Danielle Pletka, AEI, in re: CIA Report, Iran, SyriaIranian air force operating in same air space over Syria as does Iran, US allies believe that they’re coordinating and cooperating. Obama White House + Kerry + IRGC clearly are coordinating, Dumbest strategic idea. Kerry's endorsement shows how little they've thought this through. The Iranian planes happen to be American-made – F4s that Iran has managed to keep functioning.     View is that there's a US-Shia conspiracy.  Storage places for advanced missiles being transported from Iran into Syria, about to be flown and trucked to Hezbollah; Israel bombed the caravan.  The Syrian air force continues to exist because the US refuses to hit the air fields, which are the heard of resupply from Russia and Iran to Assad regime.  . . .  Joe Biden made a deal with the Turks [effectively to support Assad].

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 2, Block C:  Ilan Berman, VP, American Foreign Policy Council (Washington), in re: Violent Grozny attack. Russian security brought tanks in right away, opened fire in the middle of the city. Ferocity of the contest between Islamists & Moscow.   Russia facing a resurgent strain of Islam, in Dagestan and around the North Caucasus. . . . Coming: one of five Russians will be Muslim at the same time that Russian nationalism is rising.  Grozny attack of last week thought to be perhaps from ISIL  Russia enjoys excellent relations w Iran and Syria; Russia's 20 mil Muslims are 90% Sunni.   Russia trying to improve its Sunni image by befriending Egypt.  As the Russian footprint in the Middle East is called into question – more by oil price – Russia will rely ever more on proxies like Assad. Lots of Chechens are fighting along with ISIS in Syria; Russia prefers that have Assad fight for them. Russian officials like Dmitry Rogozin speak of reclaiming Russian lands – a Greater Slavic State. End goal is demographic to dilute the Muslim minority. Baltics are in the cross haira - - and the latter are investing in military buildup. Abdullah spoke of the Stans: everyone in Asia agrees hat he worst problem is return of Taliban as  a regional player as the US leaves now. Will therefore depend more of n Russia to protect them from Taliban and its kindred.  How long does Putin have to be effective?  Maybe, unh, worry that the economic situation puts Kremlin on defensive; Putin may be seen as a liability – if so, all bets are off.

Rage Comes to Russia

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 2, Block D:  Dr. Farzin Nadimi, Washington-based analyst specializing in military & geopolitical affairs of Iran and the Persian Gulf region; in re: Iran's missiles and negotiations. Iran's role in Iraq. Satellite pix of elaborate, deep bunkers throughout Iran with hardened site for missiles.  Can withstand any first strike perceived as likely.  Dangerous; but Iran believes  . . .   variety of missiles: from 150 to 2000 km ranges.  Khamenei wants to hit not only Israel but continental US.  Some of these missiles may go 5,500+ km.  It’s 10,000 km to Washington.  Has missiles that rare highly similar to ICBMs.  Payload not determined, but all these missiles are capable of holding nukes.  Has Iran dv pd mobile missile technology? Yes, lots on transporters. They may be working on SLBMs, even though they have no subs.  Can be fired from tubes or silos.  North Korea has looked like Iran's R&D since the 1980s; but now Iran has surpassed DPRK. Hardened sites, mobile launchers and an underwater element – replicates the US Cold War triad.  JPOA (joint agreement that governs P5+1) – we can persuade Iran to act now in anticipation of a harder US Congress coming.

Hour Three

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 3, Block A: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: Lawfare emerges as Switzerland, under pressure from the Palestinian Authority, to review the Fourth Geneva Convention – and we find that he agenda is to attack Israel, ignore the PA's criminal culpabilities. Abbas is working to pressure the UN accept the PA as a state.  Paying the PA's bills: Qatar, Europe and the US! The money is used to drive this lawfare.  . . . Syria dasn't let its air force attack Israel.  New campaign in Iran enlisting youth: "We love fighting Israel."

 Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 3, Block B: Yoni Ben Menachem, Jerusalem Center, in re: Tzipi Livni temporarily aligned with Herzog; a brief honeymoon. Livni has a big ego. labor n and Likud used to control Israel most years; now they're weak, and Livni briefly increases Labor's power.   . . . Two attacks in northern Sinai by Ansar Beit el Mahdi (?) affiliated with ISIS.  Killed Egyptian soldiers; were assisted by Hamas coming through tunnels into Sinai with explosives.  Sisi has maede a big security border along Gaza-Egypt, demolished 1,000 hourses andx began the search for tunnel.s

Hamas vs. Sisi, Hamas rethinking politics? PA and Israel stopping security cooperation? Israeli elections.

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 3, Block C: Robert Zimmerman, behindtheblack, in re:

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 3, Block D:  Sebastian v Gorka, Breitbart, in re: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/12/10/A-Professional-Opinion-on-Torture-What-the-CIA-Report-Ignores-About-Interrogation

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/12/10/Breitbarts-Gorka-Torture-Undermines-Everything-America-Stands-For

Hour FourThursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 4, Block A: Daniel Henninger, WSJWONDER LAND, in re:  Mobs of New York

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 4, Block B: Ken Croswell, Physics World:   &Science magazine, in re:  http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2014/dec/10/asteroids-not-comets-gave-earth-most-of-its-water

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 4, Block C: Richard A Epstein, Hoover & Chicago law, in re: For the past two years, I have taught a course in criminal procedure at the University of Chicago Law School. A key component of that course dealt with police behavior leading up to an arrest. In the class, I pointed out that relations between the police and the public have improved from the bad old days, and that much of the credit should go to the increased professionalization of police departments in controlling police abuse. In retrospect, my explanation seems hopelessly naïve. In the eyes of most people, recent events in Ferguson and New York have torn that picture to shreds . . . [more] (1 of 2)

Thursday  11 December 2014 / Hour 4, Block D:  Richard A Epstein, Hoover & Chicago law (2 of 2)