Photo, left: Tombs of Madain Saleh, a pre-Islamic city in present-day Saudi Arabia that reached its peak in the First Century.
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-hosts: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board & host of Opinion Journal on WSJ Video. Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents.
 
Hour One
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block A: Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover, in re:
We're in a global storm -  The Gulf, China, South China Sea, global markets, North Korea -  but in the US we're in perhaps the safest place. Essay on HateAmerica.com: do the constant critics of the US see that it's because of the structure and ethos and principles of the US that they have the luxury of criticizing? No – they constitute a tiny elite – they're not fixing plumbing all day or ploughing in the back forty – plus a small group of persons who have a personal fight against Americans.   Not much of the world has as good a space as a constitutional democracy in a multiracial society that actually works.  . . .  Then, you borrow $10 trillion and don't have much [elbow-room] left. Chickens come home to roost [quotation from Malcolm X].  Kids have $60,- 80,000 in school debts but are wholly inept in the real world, lack basic skills.  The best alternative to the US is the EYU – and not great; the rest of the world is totalitarian, misogynist, opaque in governance.  You'd think the La Raza profs would beat the border shooing immigrants back:  "It's horrible here – unfair, racist, ghastly." But no; they encourage more immigrati0n. Why?  I see the world disorder continuing.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block B:  Edward Hayes, Esq., criminal defense attorney par excellence, in re:  Current NYPD Commissioner is Mr Bratton – Medal of Honor from Boston police dept); former is Mr Kelly, a Marine Corps Colonel.  Bratton may be the best police leader in a century, r Kelly is totally excellent.  Their current disagreement is ad rem, not personal.  Criminality isn't only shootings –it's homelessness, which has massively increased under DeBlasio.  Statistics records are ridiculous. Commissioner Bratton has advised women to travel in pairs or greater because of an increase in sexual assaults on women.  What??   Kelly feels that he's been treated with disrespect . . . "We have a mayor who will not speak facts about events."--JB
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block C:  Claudia Rosett, FDD, in re:  we don't know for sure if it was an H-bomb or not, but we don't know that North Korea knows it can advertise that it has an H-bomb, and probably will sell it.  Totalitarian state that mass-murders its citizens, steal everything, mfrs methamphetamine, prints foreign currencies, engages in human trafficking,  closed down Sony Pictures for a spell last year.  I think we'll be lucky if  we get through the next years without Iran breaking out of its very slight disguise of pretending not to have nuclear weapons.  "Gee, if we break the nuclear deal, what happens to us?  Nothing.  / DPRK officials have been advertising an upcoming nuclear bomb test for years. What to do? Risky, but not as much as letting this continue: we cannot be safe as long as the North Korean regime exists.  It's an unstable regime; also with murder, mayhem, sadism.   South Korea so far has been much to low-key.  US could enter a resolution to kick DPRK out of the UN – where it does not belong. What's the end-game of the sanctions? In the past, it's to build terrible deals, but it should be to get rid of the regime.  We probably have a bag of nasty tricks somewhere. The banker for the horrifying Kim regime is China (and partly Russia); China controls the ports.  DPRK is becoming ever more adept at avoiding sanctions. What we really need is backbone in the US political leadership.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 1, Block D:  LouAnn Hammond, DrivingTheNation, in re: at consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, I was exhausted and needed Lyft, which GM just bought.  GM makes its money in rural areas.  A sideless mirror: a camera on the car's outside, about 3" long so it doesn't whack you. Everything is becoming more sophisticated - "evolving mobility."  Toyota research Institute (one member just left Google Robotics to join Toyota).  Truck-to-drone agreement: a DJI Drone hooks up with Ford and UN; can put a drone in ht back of afford truck, surveille an area, and return to the truck whithersoever the truck may have gone to.  As for elders who can't drive any more: can use an autonomous vehicle. Will be on the road in 2017 or 2018, won't be in showrooms for an additional few years.
 
Hour Two
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block A: Mark Dubowitz, FDD, in re: Iranian ballistic missiles sanctions.   JB: "The Iran deal remains the overarching threat to the region".   Pres Obama has referred to sanctions – an odd delay, almost a cringing.  Breakdown between State and NSC?  Nope; State announced sanctions to Congress, then pulled the press release: the White House swiftly backed up after Iranian anger.   Many Congresspersons initially supported the Iran deal on basis that there'd be sanctions if [dreadful things] happened; the WH has left them out to dry; Congress is furious.  WH will probably reach yet another side deal with Iran, again give away the store.  Iran's economy barely exists: IRGC keeps everything that's not private black-market.   WH is about to give Iran not $100 bil but hundreds of bil!  Invite Iran back into energy markets, every possible escape hatch from economic pressure to immunize themselves from future pressure and move forward with aggression.  Payment schedule? Get most of the money quickly I a massive windfall.  . . . WH has turned it s  back on the Saudis, Emiratis, Kuwaitis, who now have to go their own way. The 2015 summer notion that the Iran deal would clamp down on sectarian warfare was delusional – has created the opposite.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block B: Congressman Daniel Donovan (NY-11: Staten Island and part of Brooklyn); in re:  Iran, terrorism, Capitol Hill.   The Iran deal was bad for the entire world – and not Iranian leaders calling for death to America and Israel firing rockets at US aircraft carriers; holding Americans hostage – and this Administration has repeatedly come to he said f Iran.  Bizarre  Security of our own citizens at stake. I visited Israel or the first time this summer – it w3as astounding, I met leaders there, learned an enormous amount. Heard Israel's concerns about why this WH couldn't explain its position. WH has first to assess what it's done. Secy Kerry said the sanctions have to be lifted because others were doing so. Odd. We're to release $50nbil in the first go-round – Iran could just buy a nuke for that We haven't restricted Iran's ICBMs.  Beyond belief what we've agreed to and in return received nothing.  This Adm seems to believe that if you're good to your enemy they'll be good to your heart. We've been good to Iran and been slapped in the face. / New York is 48th or 49th least-business-friendly state.  In Canada, Tim Horton bought Burger King with thereby saved billions in taxes. Yike.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block C: Simon Henderson, Washington Institute, Baker Fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program; in re: The predator states: Teheran-Pyongyang connections.  Some links are obvious – the missile link, where the Iranain Shehab 3 is a copy of DPRK Nodon missile. Variation of the Shehab was on Iranian TV this week in a tunnel complex somewhere in Iran, being inspected by Ali Larijani.   North Korea  has HEU from centrifuges, learned from Pakistan; Iranian eqpt also from Pakistan. Iran develops technology, DPRK works on praxis.  Iranian missiles display on TV occurred a few hours before the North Korean test.  In Saudi Arabia, where the elderly king suffers from mild dementia, affairs run by his son, Prince Salman.  Saudis concerned about Iran's intent to take over Saudia, and also Bahrain. Saudis executed 47 persons last weekend incl three  Shia, of whom one was Sheikh Nimr – called him a terrorists, which he probably was not.  Shi Iranians infuriated, so they burned down the Saudi embassy in Teheran.  Even relations between the Pahlavi shah and the Saudi monarchy was a bit strained but sort of workable.  Iran today is in deep competitions with Saudis, and detest the Sunni Saudis, and so on.  Oil, missiles, nuclear capability.  Saudis prosperity has just dipped with the lowered oil price ($37 Bbl).  Iran ahs started a rebellion in Yemen, which also eats up Saudi financial reserves.  Iran wants the US entirely out of the Middle East. Syria: nastiness will continue; diplomatic efforts going nowhere.  Recent mtg where both Iraniams and Saudis were in the same room – but didn't have to see each other.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 2, Block D: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents; in re: Uyghurs, the ancient ethnic group in Xinjiang ("New Territories") province of westernmost China; they're Muslim with rather theological casual practices.  Uyghurs seem to be joining Islamic jihadist in Indonesia, incl a Uyghur with a suicide vest.  Meanwhile, China blames Saudis for Wahhabist support to the Islamist Uyghurs – the East Turkestan Independence Movement.  Israel and Egypt so long have been at odds that it's striking for Egypt now to send an ambassador to Egypt – arrived in Jerusalem this week.  El Sisi's new face; trying to change public opinion in Egypt.  Recent attack in Egypt against a tourist bus: seems to have been not jihadist but criminal.  The bus carried Israeli Arabs; targetted security people nearby.  All not clear.  Tension with ISIS in Sinai, as it grows very close to Hamas. 
 
Hour Three
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block A: Dr. Aykan Erdemir, FDD, in re: Turkey is going through a rough foreign policy period; increasingly isolated because of Pres Erdogan's policies since 2002 – a cul-de-sac in foreign policy. Electorate divided almost down the middle, so he enjoys support of about 50% of the society. Turkey's crisis with Russia is one of the most challenging matters Turkey has experienced – a major economic and energy challenge, as Turkey depends 60% on Russian gas, feels [alarm]; is why Turkey is trying to be friendly with Israel.  Intl observers fixated on the last 14 years of Erdogan; but it was he first Muslim-majority country t recognize Israel and has usually had robust relations, Erdogan's Ikhwan tendencies have generated anti-Semitism, crises on crises.  Erdogan has taken over or at least censored almost all independent media.  His designs on Syria have failed; Turkey feels alone in the matter. Probably sidelined, esp with Russian presence, returned Euro engagement post-Paris attacks.   Erdogan arrested a score of generals; has started making amends with the military.  In the instances of Erdogan and Israel, or Erdogan and Turkish military, trust is weak.  Note current crackdown on dissidents [very violent].   Also big economic problems.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block B: IDF Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael (Mickey) Segall, expert on strategic issues focused on Iran, terrorism, and the Middle East; senior analyst, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and at Alcyon Risk Advisors; I n re  . . .  Israel sees a partial containment of Iran along its northern border, esp as Russia intervenes in Syria .   . . .  Granddaughter of the Prophet.  Dip breakdown in the Gulf:  heading to a major confrontation between Sunni and Shia, follows US lack of decisive action vis-à-vis Iran as it became a greater regional threat. Till now, fought by proxies; but today, Iran rockets Saudi oil installations from Yemen. Look for worse in the Gulf (where Iran also fires rockets vs US assets.  Sunni –Shia is a repetition of history.  Escalation.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block C: Mary Anastasia O'Grady, WSJ, in re: Showdown in Caracas.  Venezuelan President Maduro tries to steal the election his party lost in December. On Tuesday, Venezuela’s newly elected legislature, the national assembly, is scheduled to begin a five-year term. It’s not likely to be your run-of-the-mill inauguration. The country will be lucky to avoid violence brought about by desperate pro-government militias, aided by the Cuban intelligence apparatus.
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 3, Block D: Robert Zimmerman, BehindTheBlack, in re: Starliner schedule shapes up  The competition heats up: The schedule and launch plans for Boeing’s manned Starliner spacecraft are now becoming solidified.
For Boeing, Starliner will first launch on an uncrewed test flight to the Station via the “Boe-OFT” mission in April or May, 2017 – on a 30 day mission, ending with a parachute-assisted return. Should all go to plan, the second mission will involve a crew on a mission designated “Boe-CFT”, launching sometime between July and September, 2017, on a 14-day mission to the ISS.  The article also outlines the launch procedures Boeing intends to follow, some determined by the company and some by NASA’s complex safety rules. One interesting tidbit about Starliner revealed here that I was unaware of previously is that the capsule is made of separate top and bottom units that are only fitted together late in the launch process, allowing for easier access.
 
 
Hour Four
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block A: Gregory R. Copley, Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs,  in re: Saudi Arabia Throws Down the Gauntlet, But to Whom? Cui Bono and Cui Patitur?  Saudi Arabia’s theater of mass executions on January 2, 2016, was designed to reinforce the authority of its leadership. It may bolster short-term objectives, but it also ended chances for an early end to the Yemen war; it further damaged relations with the US; and it bolstered Turkey’s and Iran’s prospects. But the tinder has been lit. Who benefits? And who suffers?
Analysis. Saudi Arabia’s Sudeiri-line leadership of the House of Sa’ud began 2016 by a major push to save its position and control of the Kingdom. It was also a bid to solidify regional power as the Kingdom moved well beyond the shadow of the major power relationships which had dominated its existence since the creation of the State in 1932.  Saudi Arabia’s execution of Shi’a cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, 56, on January 2, 2016, along with 46 other political dissidents also sparked a divide between Iran on the one hand and Saudi Arabia and several of its allies on the other.1 It was a salvo in a geopolitical war, which is far more deeply-constructed than the seemingly intra-Muslim sectarian war which the surface noise — or carrier wave — which is characterized by symbolic actions and rallying calls.  (1 of 2)
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block B:  Gregory R. Copley, Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs,  in re: Saudi Arabia Throws Down the Gauntlet, But to Whom? Cui Bono and Cui Patitur?  Saudi Arabia’s theater of mass executions on January 2, 2016, was designed to reinforce the authority of its leadership. It may bolster short-term objectives, but it also ended chances for an early end to the Yemen war; it further damaged relations with the US; and it bolstered Turkey’s and Iran’s prospects. But the tinder has been lit. Who benefits? And who suffers?
Analysis. Saudi Arabia’s Sudeiri-line leadership of the House of Sa’ud began 2016 by a major push to save its position and control of the Kingdom. It was also a bid to solidify regional power as the Kingdom moved well beyond the shadow of the major power relationships which had dominated its existence since the creation of the State in 1932.  Saudi Arabia’s execution of Shi’a cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, 56, on January 2, 2016, along with 46 other political dissidents also sparked a divide between Iran on the one hand and Saudi Arabia and several of its allies on the other.1 It was a salvo in a geopolitical war, which is far more deeply-constructed than the seemingly intra-Muslim sectarian war which the surface noise — or carrier wave — which is characterized by symbolic actions and rallying calls.  (2 of 2)
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block C: Peter S. Behroozi,  Space Telescope Science Institute, in re: On the History and Future of Cosmic Planet Formation.
Peter S. Behroozi,  Molly Peeples: Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3280786/Earth-one-habitable-planets-UNIVERSE-form-sun-burned-6-billion-years-say-scientists.html  ; http://arxiv.org/pdf/1508.01202.pdf (1 of 2)
Thursday  7 January 2016 / Hour 4, Block D: Peter S. Behroozi,  Space Telescope Science Institute, in re: On the History and Future of Cosmic Planet Formation.
Peter S. Behroozi,  Molly Peeples: Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3280786/Earth-one-habitable-planets-UNIVERSE-form-sun-burned-6-billion-years-say-scientists.html  ; http://arxiv.org/pdf/1508.01202.pdf (2 of 2)