The John Batchelor Show

Thursday 29 November 2018

Air Date: 
November 29, 2018

Photo: The notroious "little green men" in Ukraine; actually Russian Spetsnaz (Special Forces) troops in a form of mufti, pretending to be Ukrainians..
Photo title: Unidentified gunmen on patrol at Simferopol Airport in Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. The AK-74 carried by the rifleman on the right does not have a magazine inserted. Author:  Elizabeth Arrott / VOA.  Voice of America website http://www.voanews.com/content/us-britain-no-zero-sum-game-for-ukraine/1859367.html > .jpg
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Permissions: This media is in the public domain in the United States because it solely consists of material created and provided by Voice of America, the official external broadcasting service of the federal government of the United States.
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JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-hosts: Sebastian Gorka, Fox; and Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents
 
Hour One
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 1, Block A: Sebastian Gorka, Fox News and soon-to-be broadcaster on Salem Radio Network, in re: Ukraine, Russia’s closing the Kerch Strait Bridge.  In the past several days, the bridge became the location of the 2018 Kerch Strait incident, in which the Russian navy claimed that three Ukrainian vessels had entered Russian territorial waters. Russian forces seized the vessels and arrested their crew. During this time. passage through the Strait under the bridge was blocked by a tanker. In response, Ukraine declared martial law in some regions of the country for 30 days.
NATO has no response, of which Putin is entirely aware. 
When a dictatorship makes a large-scale decision of this nature, often there are domestic reasons for the deed. For a decade, Russian Special Forces have been deployed in civilian clothes to conceal the military actions; when they’re sent home in body bags, they can’t be given proper honors, to the increasing distress of the bereaved families.
Afghanistan:  H R McMaster’s continual effort to double down on US forces in Afghanistan; the president intuitively knew that a much larger American footprint was not the correct answer. 
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 1, Block B: Sebastian Gorka, Fox News and soon-to-be broadcaster on Salem Radio Network, in re:,
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 1, Block C: Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover, in re:  The presidency. President Trump’s sometimes-astonishing candor, offensive to, inter al., snobs.  With his comments, he has a cunning that gets right to the point.  More effective than playing by the Marquis of Queensbury’s rules.  . . . He cancelled the Intermediate Range Treaty with Putin; told Xi that the Spratleys are in international waters. There are 350,000 Chinese students in the US, many of them transferring technical information back to China. 
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 1, Block D: Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Washington, recounts the excitement of Formula One racing in Baku and Abu Dhabi.  The best drivers in the Solar System in fabulous-looking cars.  The Abu Dhabi organizers did and excellent job; the track was terrific; there was one crash, an accident; thank God, the driver was fine. Our track in Baku, one of the most widely-viewed in the world, according to the UK Independent, goes through and around our downtown; it's called the Baku City Circuit. Quite a new experience for Azerbaijan, very exciting. It highlighted the touristic potential of Azerbaijan, and showed that Baku can quite successfully entertain a major international event.
Lewis Hamilton won – again. He’s a great driver, on two different tracks. Great that he could maintain his lead in both.  Oops – Mercedes beat Ferrari. 
The contested election in the Republic of Georgia: Salome Zurabishvili.   We have very strong relations with Georgia, a strategic partnership that we value. There’s a significant Azerbaijani population living there.   The US has the same views of Georgia. 
The Christian Broadcasting Network sent a reporter, the Rev Johnnie Moore*, to Baku to interview Amb Suleymanov, and he learned that Azerbaijan sis ecumenical, open, tolerant. Every faith is welcome, every person can easily practice his faith. Muslims, Christians. Jews pray together.
The Muslim word is diverse, moving forward.
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*Why Rev. Johnnie Moore Is Praising This Muslim-Majority Nation as a 'Model' for Other Countries /  http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2018/november/why-rev-johnnie-moore-is-prais...
          Rev. Johnnie Moore, founder of the interdenominational Congress of Christian Leaders, is singing the praises of Azerbaijan after wrapping up a multi-day visit to the Islamic nation. Moore says he was encouraged by how people of various faiths and backgrounds seemed to peacefully co-exist in the country, which boasts a more than 90 percent Muslim population. "I met Sunni and Shia young people who pray together, orthodox and evangelical Christians who serve together," he wrote in a statement. "And I observed the valued and indispensable role a thriving Jewish community plays in a country whose population is over 90 percent Muslim but whose people have celebrated a longstanding relationship between their nation and the State of Israel."
Moore was joined by Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Both men are frequent collaborators on interfaith initiatives worldwide and Moore said he was impressed by the multiculturalism he witnessed during their visit.
"No doubt, Azerbaijan has its imperfections as well," Moore acknowledged. "But I came to specifically assess firsthand the spirit of multiculturalism that undergirds Azeri society, which should be celebrated and which can be a model for many countries in the world."
He indicated this was particularly poignant given Azerbaijan's history as a former Soviet republic.
"It was profound to sit these last few days with Muslim, Jewish and Christian citizens who haven't forgotten the mutual suffering they endured together as devoutly religious under the atheistic, Soviet era," Moore said. "They cherish what they have now knowing what little they had, then.”
He noted that Azerbaijan lies in stark contrast to nations like Iraq and Afghanistan, where religion is wielded like a weapon against the people by terror groups like the Islamic State. It's a brutal phenomenon he hopes to help bring to an end.
"Having witnessed firsthand the devastation wrought by the alternative in 2014 by Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq, I decided I would work with all my might to prevent future extremism by finding good partners, encouraging moderation, identifying best practices and building trust through friendship between many religious communities throughout the world, especially between Muslims, Christians and Jews," Moore wrote.
"The fact is that we have allowed our world to become a place where religion is too easily weaponized," he observed. "Rather than being a blessing to the world that God intended, religion has been used as a tool to sow chaos, division, and worse. Even in our most developed and enlightened societies, we are losing the ability to get along with those different than us."
"For the sake of our children, we must find another way, where the name of God is revered, not defiled by our mistreatment of others who are also made in His image," he concluded.
Hour Two
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 2, Block A:  Danni Dayan; in re: Anti-Semitism. Sudan & Chad. Yes, anti-Semitism is growing across Europe.  Blatant anti-Semitism, hatred of the Jew for his religion, appearance, profession, is familiar.  Now add to the two forms: yesterday, we saw the second in Columbia University, where a professor entered her office to find large, red swastikas on the Wall; and in the UN, with Prof Lamont Hill of Temple University. The third is that which disguises itself as anti-Zionism.  The third form is the Islamic form.  . . . Turns out that the West infected the Middle East with anti-Semitism, which unfortunately has spread. Today, alone, there were attacks against Jews in Brooklyn, and recently in LA. 
Consider also Louis Farrakhan.
·         https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-envoy-said-to-meet-with-sudan-officials-offer-aid-in-bid-to-renew-ties/
·         https://www.timesofisrael.com/meeting-israeli-leaders-chad-president-says-he-wants-to-restore-diplomatic-ties/
·         https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/27/europe/anti-semitism-analysis-ward-intl/index.html
·         http://www.comresglobal.com/polls/cnn-anti-semitism-in-europe-poll-2018/
·         https://www.adl.org/blog/anti-semitic-stereotypes-still-hold-sway-across-europe
As of August 2016, Dani Dayan officially assumed the post of Consul General of Israel in New York. As Consul General, he represents the State of Israel to communities from throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Delaware. Amb. Dayan’s nomination by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was publicly welcomed, including by the Israeli opposition. Dayan was Chairman of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria from July 2007 until January 2013. He was instrumental in pushing through multiple reforms and policy changes to strengthen the image of the organization and advocate on behalf of its 400,000 citizens. He then acted for two additional years as the Council's Chief Foreign Envoy. His role included advocacy trips to the major seats of government worldwide as well as regular meetings with foreign diplomats and journalists based in Israel to explain the facts on the ground.
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 2, Block B:   Anna Borshchevskaya, Russia. The annexation of the Sea of Azov, the Kerch Bridge. Ukraine is no longer a successful state, being cut of from its industrialized zone, and the Rada has declared martial law.  At the very least, Russia has scored a lot of points.  No longer little green men. This has been building up for months.
What options are left to the West?  Much tougher sanctions, e.g., freezing personal accounts.  Training the Ukrainian military; and being clear and forceful in rhetoric, which so far has been overall positive but wishy-washy. Putin has a lot of [fights] on his hands at present. Primarily, it’s about weakening the US , and the West at large, in the global order. Also, Putin’s regime cannot survive without constant crises.   
    Moscow and Beijing have been in close contact these last years.  Does upsetting the Buenos Aires meeting help Beijing? –Perhaps destabilizing Ukraine was more important. Also, Putin sees that the West always reverts to dialogue.
Several days ago the US acted against a scheme of Iran and Russia trying to bypass the sanctions.
The Great Game in the Twenty-first Century.
·         https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ready-resume-attacks-syria-deal-turkey-risk-1235641
·         https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/11/26/americans-and-russians-have-exchanged-gunfire-in-syria-more-than-once/
·         https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-is-moscows-guinea-pig-1543447350
·         https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/world/europe/russia-ukraine-kerch-strait.html?module=inline
·         https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm553
·         https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/us-increases-pressure-on-iran-warns-other-players-not-to/article_0b931718-ff93-528c-bf69-fb4bb7e2698b.html
Anna Borshchevskaya is a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on Russia's policy toward the Middle East. She is also a Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University. In addition, she is a fellow at the European Foundation for Democracy. She  was previously with the Atlantic Council and the Peterson Institute for International Economics. A former analyst for a U.S. military contractor in Afghanistan, she has also served as communications director at the American Islamic Congress.
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 2, Block C:  David Makovksy, in re: The peace process, the Trump peace plan.
·         https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/why-has-netanyahu-reversed-course-on-early-elections
·         https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-envoy-calls-on-pa-to-release-us-citizen-arrested-over-land-sale-to-jews/
·         https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/flare-up-in-gaza-part-1-israeli-political-implications
David Makovsky is the Ziegler distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process. He is also an adjunct professor in Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In 2013-2014, he worked in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State, serving as a senior advisor to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations.
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 2, Block D: Michael Rubin, in re: Regime change in Iran, Yemen. Yes, the sanctions are biting in Iran.  Time is running out not because of a magical rgime change, but the Supreme Leader is 79, treated for cancer, partially paralyzed; will not live forever.  When Ayatollah Khomeini had stature to appoint  replacement, which Khamenei does not. Who knows if the IRGC will follow a [smooth path]? 
Khoshoggi - one can criticize MBS for kidnapping Hariri, but the Iranians killed his father.  Zarif’s role is to pull the wool over foreigners’s eyes. In Iran, people see him for what he is: window-dressing, French and German companies are responsible to their stockholders and [dasn’t fool around with sanctions].  Trying to predict what Trump will do is difficult. MBS consolidated control at home, imprisoned he opposition, and [thereby diminished] his support. MBS had a rapid rise to the top; tht could occur again.  Our goal should be to  have a stable regime in Saudi Arabia.
Iran has developed a huge military industry, Panjir Surface Missile System: does Russia want Iranians to reproduce them? The Persian Gulf is narrow and small, not good for aircraft carriers, which Iran swarms with small boats. We could anchor in the Indian Ocean, out of reach of Iran, and be within easy missile distance.
Iran is not a status quo power; it's an ideological one. Willing to fight not only to the last Iranian, but to the last Pakistani and Afghan.
Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he researches Arab politics, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Iraq, the Kurds, terrorism, and Turkey. He concurrently teaches classes on terrorism for the FBI and on security, politics, religion, and history for US and NATO military units.
·         https://www.wsj.com/articles/france-and-germany-step-in-to-circumvent-iran-sanctions-1543251650
·         https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/it-or-not-regime-change-coming-iran-36157
·         https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/28/we-are-desperate-economic-crisis-hits-ordinary-iranians
·         http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/impeaching-the-foreign-minister-won-t-solve-iran-s-woes
·         https://thehill.com/opinion/international/416498-its-time-to-move-the-us-embassy-to-yemen-out-of-saudi-arabia
 
Hour Three
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 3, Block A:  Malcolm Hoenlein, in re: Breaking news: Israel reportedly strike pro-Iranian sites in Syria, near Damascus and along the Damascus-Beirut highway Also southern southwestern points of Damascus, and in Kuneitra province. Syrian forces trained by the IRGC, tow units each of 10,000 men – one to go to the Golan. Hezbollah has been laying IEDs and other munitions. UNIFIL does naught [as ever—ed.]. Agreement to be 50 km from the border, but have Iranians wearing Syrian uniforms while reporting to Iranian. 
Iran is flying civilian aircraft directly Iran-Beirut, laden with missile and armaments. Pix of them being unloaded  in Beirut. Precise guidance systems, able to hit Ben Gurion Airport, Dimona, et al.
This is no longer ambiguous; this _is_ the War of the North. The forces are in place for a contest. Try to avoid war in the winter; spring comes as early as February.
Deutsche Telekom in Iran: it just cut off Bank Melli. Chad president visited Israel; Sudan and Mali perhaps met! Qatar announced that Israel will fully participate in the upcoming FIFA games.  PM Netanyahu may also visit Bahrain. 
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 3, Block B:  Eugene Kontorovich, in re: BDS and Airbnb in the West Bank. The City Council of Beverly Hills swiftly moved against Airbnb: of all the humans on Earth, it refuses only one kind, Jews living in the West Bank. Of all the territorial dispute in the world, of which there are hundreds, only Jews in Samaria are banned. Judenrein [from which Jews are excluded {originally with reference to organizations in Nazi Germany}].
 West Bank. It's only about a hundred listings at once, but the principle is important. Twenty-six states refuse to do bz with companies there, and a dozen won't invest. Airbnb has announced an ethnically discriminatory policy.
 How can you make a global policy and apply it to only one site? Airbnb will do business anywhere, but long were bullied by the BDS movement and capitulated.
●       https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-will-anyone-stand-up-to-airbnbs-anti-semitic-boycott
●       https://www.wsj.com/articles/airbnbs-anti-israel-hypocrisy-1543175767
●       https://www.aclu.org/letter/aclu-letter-opposing-revised-version-israel-anti-boycott-act
●       https://www.thelawfareproject.org/releases/2018/11/21/lawfare-project-cautions-airbnb-cancel-discriminatory-policy-or-face-legal-consequences
●       https://thefederalist.com/2018/11/28/airbnb-singles-jews-racially-targeted-ban-west-bank-rentals/
Prof. Eugene Kontorovich is Director at the Kohelet Policy Forum in Israel. Prof. Kontorovich is one of the world’s preeminent experts on universal jurisdiction and maritime piracy, as well as international law and the Israel-Arab conflict. He joins the Scalia Law School at George Mason University from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where he was a Professor of Law from 2011 to 2018 and an Associate Professor from 2007 to 2011.
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 3, Block C: Andrew C McCarthy, III, National Review and former Assistant Attorney for the Southern District of New York; in re: Cohen speaks of Moscow, the Trump Tower, deal negotiations. A few Russian officials connected to the Kremlin. Cohen deceived the Senate Intelligence Committee, whose transcript was received by Fed prosecutors;  about dates, esp December 2016.  Where’s the crime?  There’s absolutely no crime in this.  . . . Since the USSR collapsed, it's been the bipartisan goal of the US govt to regularize Russia, teat it the same as any other nati0n, including allies. In response to Romney’s saying that Russia was a danger, Obama chastised him and said, “The 1980s have called and they want their foreign policy back.” . . .
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 3, Block D: Andrew C McCarthy, III, National Review and former Assistant Attorney for the Southern District of New York; in re: Russiagate. June 9, 2016.
 
Hour Four
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 4, Block A: Jerome Corsi, in re: Jerry’s revealing interviews with the Mueller staff, who derided, mocked, and browbeat him for many hours in a sealed room where not a cellphone nor a sandwich could be brought in.
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 4, Block B: Jerome Corsi, in re: Jerry’s revealing interviews with the Mueller staff, who derided, mocked, and browbeat him for many hours in a sealed room where not a cellphone nor a sandwich could be brought in.xz
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 4, Block C:  The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War, by Ben Macintyre
Thursday 29 November 2018 / Hour 4, Block D:  The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War,
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