The John Batchelor Show

Thursday 15 October 2015

Air Date: 
October 15, 2015

Photo, left:  Nazareth, whither the Infinity Bible Church in a ten-day tour in February 2016 . The complete adventure is, amazingly, for $2,500; Pastor Bill Devlin and Pastor Dimas Salaberrios searched for months for an excellent tour company that will keep the costs unusually modest.
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents.
 
Hour One
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 1, Block A: Daniel Henninger, WSJ, in re: Bernie Loves Hillary
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 1, Block B:  Bruce Webster, And Still I persist.com, in re:  Clinton has maintained the system had “numerous safeguards,” without specifying exactly what those measures were. The discovery of the remote-access configuration is a rare glimpse into the server’s security measures, or lack thereof. Cybersecurity experts said the oversight is a rudimentary mistake, one that professionals should not make. "I suspect her system was hacked,” said Ron Gula, chief executive officer of Tenable Network Security, by email. [more]
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 1, Block C: Molly O'Toole, Defense One, in re: in the recent Democratic debate, Mrs Clinton's "relatively hawkish" stances. Attacked by others on stage for her Iraq war vote.  "Syria will be a popcorn event on American TV."  No-fly zone: Russian incursion or refugee crisis - everyone proposes "doing something" nonspecific; Mrs Clinton calls for a "safe zone" – which she well knows wd have to be a no-fly zone.  "I'm trying to find a practical way to get the Russians to the table." "Diplomacy is a balance of risk." Mrs Clinton spoke of "smart diplomacy" anent Libya.  Her smart diplomacy in Libya did not work! ISIS and other groups have gained a disastrous foothold in the wake of [other powers' bugging out].  . . . The post-Vietnam generation. We're asking the same questions about the current war, esp Syria, as we were in Vietnam – what is the US role in the world? This is what Mrs Clinton is talking about even if she's not the same as  Jim Webb – the guy who threw a grenade at me may not like me,, but he's not around any more.   Hillary Clinton Defends Hawkish Record in First Democratic Debate
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 1, Block D: Pastor William Devlin, Redeem!  & Infinity Bible Church (Bronx); in re: Ministers t flocks in need of charity; just returned from Cuba's third-largest city, from were he spoke on this program; before that, we spoke when Pastor Bill was in Gaza, and before that in Kurdistan. Gaza: a lot of fear and anxiety;  work with the thousand Christians left in Gaza out of 1.8 million people. Two groups among the Christians: one says, We have to leave, but Raffa and Erez Crossing are closed. The younger ones say, We've been here from time out of mind and we're not leaving.  There were elements of ISIS there – a multiple car bombing of Hamas officials by SIS, so now the Gazan Christians are grateful for Hamas. The Salafists and others continue to lob missiles into Israel. While 72% of Gazans are in parlous conditions with no food and no employment, Haniyeh spends his time and money digging tunnels and creating misery.
Pastor Bill and Pastor Dimas lead a tour to Israel from  February 12 through 20, 2016, and into Nazareth, a completely Palestinian city.  Among the Palestinians, of whom many are bus drivers and tour guides, many oppose the current [sub-intifadah].  . . .  We'll go to the Arabs Christians in Nazareth, who maintain the churches.  Travel:   nts@travelwithus.com
IDF deploys to Gaza border towns In preparation for Hamas's declared 'day of rage,' IDF sends infantry companies to the Gaza border despite assessment that direct fighting with ...  Will Pipeline Deals with Israel Be the Key to Energy Independence?  Gaza Strip: The wounds that divide
 
Hour Two
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 2, Block A: Amb Dennis Ross, Washington Institute, in re: his new book, Doomed to Succeed; Iran, Syria. . . . In the past, when we've seen differences between presidents and prime ministers; between Congress and the president, in the aftermath of the differences we've also seen the relationship improve, and I think will again here.  On security issues, Pres Obama was committed to Israeli security. More pronounced in the second term than the first, tendency to see Israel as strong and Palestinians as weak, so holding that peacemaking is the responsibility of Israel.  Wave of terrorism and violence being carried out mostly by 15- to 25-year-olds. Fuelled by incitement and social media.
Iranian parliament, missile test.  In the upcoming visit, PM Netanyahu will want at least the appearance of the US standing with Israel, both to illustrate to Palestinians that this [witless] violence won't work out well, and also because US Dems will want that. The Iran deal and Russian in situ: Putin wants to establish a rality wherein: anythng htat happens in theMiddle East, you need to go to him.
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 2, Block B: Mohsen Sazegara, Iranian journalist and pro-democracy political activist; in re: Iran tested a missile two nights ago and the IRGC missile center was pictured on Iranian TV. "Long-range missiles are ready, on platform, awaiting the Supreme Leader's instrux to shoot to the enemies [Israel and US]."  . . . Hardliners, led by the son of the ayatollah, believe that the agreement has given them immunity on every front – Houthis, Syria, et al. They strongly believe that the US has committed not to intervene. I worry about escalation between Iran and Saudi Arabia; exacerbated; recent deaths in the hajj – where Iran said Saudis shouldn't be allowed to be in control. Right now, Iran has air force problems, so will avoid a classic war but press forward in proxy wars. 
US has seen a 159-page document from the  Iran deal; the Majlis, however, speaks of a 1,000-page doc; which, btw, was passed in twenty minutes yesterday in the Majlis while the leader, who'd received 200-plus suggestions on changes, refused to allow any discussion. It's been bruited about that there are other,  highly relevant documents that almost no one  has seen. The Guardian Council has approved the deal [whatever it actually is]; a top intell advisor met with head of parliament.  Stock market down 15% thereafter: Iran's main economy doesn't relate to the sanctions, and no money has yet been released – when it is, it sure won't be spent for the benefit of the Iranian economy.
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 2, Block C: Jonathan Schanzer, FDD, in re:  Palestinians, Turkey, Russia/Syria/Saudi Arabia . What do Ankara and Turkey want? Turkey would be glad if Russia would just go away.  Opened it border to thousands of jihadis, who took a toll on Assad, who retread to Alawistan.  Enter Russia, Assad on the march with Russian jets covering.  Turks looking fr a gas pipeline to circumvent the Euros. Russians putting radar locks on Turkish jets; Turkey runs to NATO asking for protection. Turkish population seeing that things are worse, including economically. Bombings were close to a police station and Turkish intell (MIP), that Erdogan wants Turks to be afraid to come out and vote.  Hotline between Russia and Israel??  Israel wants to take out Hezbollah weapons, which it's been doing for several years, but with Russian s on the ground, need very careful coordination.  If Israel were to ask Russia to withhold fire as Israel moved against Hezbollah, might Moscow tell Assad who'd let Hezbollah know? Bolder moves by Iran after Iran deal. Hezb has 8,000 fighters, battle-hardened, will look for new enemies, to apply  the skills they've learned in Syria. Anti-Russian activities:  remember what the Saudis did to Russia in Afghanistan – 14,000 Russians killed; and Saudis call for Assad  go.   Russian clergy now call this a holy war. Cd be re-igniting of a war we thought was over in 1989.  Manpads, Russian helos, ISIS.
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 2, Block D: Malcolm Hoenlein, in re:  . . . UN Res 2231 prohibits ballistic missiles and launchers to be used by Iran – and in mere weeks, here they go.  Secy John Kerry in Boston presented a formula out of date and inconsistent with facts, said that the knife attacks and murders are the result of settlements.  Hunh?  Did he click the wrong briefing paper? No one anywhere says it's about settlements, it's overtly about religion. And White House draws a moral equivalency to the amazement of the world press.  Social media showing how to attack, and Abbas pays the attackers's families, and the Palestinian Authority honors killers.  They see that Israel is paying a price as firefighters and arsonists are hailed as the same.  Abbas, PA president, holds a presser to say the Israeli authorities killed a child. The dead child appears; he's in hospital having amost killed a 13-year-old Israeli child, held his own presser from hospital.  Parents celebrate the death of their children for killing Israelis. 
 
Hour Three
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 3, Block A: David Horovitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel; in re: Violence, stabbings. Attack launched against Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, after two weeks of random knife and even fork attacks by teenagers. Not random; not orchestrated precisely, but people are being incited by their political an spiritual leadership, and above all by social media; have been told inaccurately that Jews are threatening Al Aqsa, are attacking anyone they consider to be Jewish. Abbas said Jews and Christians have no rights there, and that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is his.  For years Abbas assured the world that he wouldn't peddle violence, but he now alleges that Israel allows extremists into al Aqsa, then said that Israelis had killed a Palestinian teenager – who now is in an Israeli hospital having his life saved by Israeli medics after he'd almost killed an Israeli child*. A Palestinian woman with a knife at the bus station. An Israeli Arab in the West Bank. Large proportion of East Jerusalem Arabs. Escalation? One hesitates to think. Defense Minister Ayalon says that there's no infrastructure of orchestrated terrorism in the West Bank so things won't devolve into the horrific suicide bombings of 14 years ago.  A woman was stopped for driving in the wrong lane; she then tried to explode some gas canisters in her car; turns out she was heading to explode a major target.   We need to hew to the line between destroying the freedoms we cherish while protecting our safety.   Some Knesset members are calling for reciprocal attacks; thers say, "Our democracy is strong enough to withstand this."  Israel could use social media much more effectively!  We need to track down those putting up the incendiary material. There have been over 250K people killed in Syria – a stain on the region and the world.
...  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ...
Wall Street Journal:
 In the past two weeks Palestinian assailants have attacked more than 50 Jews, killing eight. Among the wounded: a 2-year-old toddler, a 13-year-old boy riding his bike, a 70-year-old woman boarding a bus.
...  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ...
 
* . . . It’s no longer just the media that at times clings to he-says-she-says evenhandedness. (Most absurdly, The New York Times recently treated as a legitimate “narrative” the denial of the historical existence of two Jewish temples in Jerusalem.) Now it’s political officials, too. The concept was again on display Wednesday when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech that Israeli security forces “executed” an innocent 13-year-old boy, Ahmad Mansara, “in cold blood.”
The story has fueled Palestinian anger for days. A photo of a bleeding Mansara, lying on the ground, filled social networks and gave birth to endless angry tweets. It also, apparently, informed official statements, including at the State Department, denouncing “excessive use of force” by Israel.
Then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared it a lie.
So two competing narratives, right?  Not quite. Far from innocent, Mansara, along with his 19-year-old brother, was on a knifing rampage. Video footage from closed-circuit security cameras shows them stabbing an Orthodox Jew and then a Jewish child who left a store on his bicycle. Only later, when Mansara tried to attack two policemen, was he shot down.
Oh, and Mansara was far from “executed.” On Thursday, the government issued a photo of him being treated in an Israeli hospital.  
. . . Arabs are convinced that Israel is set on destroying, desecrating or “Judaizing” Haram al-Sharif, the Jerusalem compound that includes al-Aqsa, Islam’s third-holiest site. As Abbas indelicately put it in a mid-September speech, the Jews are trying to “defile al-Aqsa with their filthy feet,” and must be stopped. Israel points out that the arrangements that have existed since 1967, when it seized control of the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, are intact, and will remain so: A Jordanian trust, the Waqf, maintains the Mount. Jews may visit, but not pray there. . . . 
–Benny Avni; in New York Post, 2015 X 15
 
...  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ...
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 3, Block B: Chief Inspector Mickey Rosenfeld, foreign press spokesman for the Israeli police; in re: Young teenagers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and across Israel, wielding knives,  have killed four and more in hospital. Now we look for orders for larger-scale attacks coming from Hamas.  No change whatsoever in status quo of Temple Mount – Muslims pray there five times a day, tourists visit. The Palestinian Authority is aggressively distributing lies to cause young people to carry out terrorist attacks. Heightened security: 3,500 police officers in Jerusalem watching. Jerusalem is built so you can walk to Temple; it];s a walking-around city.  Police at every entrance to the gates to the Old City, 24 hours a day. Any individual who look s suspicious is ID'd. Using airport security metal detectors.  
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 3, Block C: Jeremy Carl, Hoover, in re: The Freedom Caucus Is a Rebellion That Could Change the GOP's Future Its rise represents the frustration of Republican voters.
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 3, Block D: Claudia Rosett, FDD, in re: Shocked! Shocked! Former Head of UN General Assembly Charged in $1.3 Million Bribery Scheme
 
Hour Four
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 4, Block A: Niall Ferguson, Hoover, in re: The Real Obama Doctrine
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 4, Block B:  Marcus Weingerber, Defense One, in re:With Russia in Mind, BAE Revives Light Tank from the ’90s ; Top Pentagon Weapon Buyers Say Budget Gridlock Threatens Hundreds of Projects
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 4, Block C:  Gregory Copley, Defense and Foreign Affairs, in re:  Africa update
Thursday  15 October 2015  / Hour 4, Block D:   Ann Marlowe, Hudson, in re: Human trafficking in Libya
..  ..  ..