Photo, above: King Hussein of Jordan with troops.  See Hour 3, Block B,  Dr. Ronen Bergman, senior correspondent military & intell,, for Yedioth Ahronoth; . . .  In Sept 1970, King Hussein of Jordan attacked Palestinian compounds as they were trying to overcome the kingdom, Hafez al Assad sent tanks to support Palestinians; US (under Nixon) said: if even one tank crossed over the border, Israel (with the help of the US and the Almighty) would take over Damascus.

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Co-hosts: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal editorial board & host of OpinionJournal.com.  Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents.

Hour One

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 1, Block A:  Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal editorial board & host of OpinionJournal.com; in re:   At a moment like this, why does the US Secy of State say that climate change constitutes the major natl security threat to the US?  Why do an end-run around Congress to impose a climate-change package?  The president represents the same people who voted in the Congress.  George Russell, Fox News, on this matter over years.  "Even Democrats wouldn’t support what we want to do; nor does it support our history of making law through regulation." Executive branch now accusing the Legislative branch of being "dysfunctional" – although it represents the will of the American people. 

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 1, Block B: Edward W Hayes, criminal defense attorney par excellence, in re: NEW YORK CITY VOTERS WANT THEIR BROKEN WINDOWS FIXED, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS; ‘NO EXCUSE’ FOR GARNER DEATH, VOTERS SAY ALMOST 3-1. This sort of policing not only arrests obvious criminals, but cleans up urban messes, which tends to discourage crooks from upping the ante.  Many arrested persons are mentally ill, which is what makes Rikers Island so dangerous.  Eric Garner was said to be selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island: 51% say police should ignore this activity, while 41% say it should be enforced.   The largest single group entering the NYPD is Hispanics.  In New York City, lots of panhandlers, indigent people on the streets, visibly mentally ill persons.    EH: My ofc is betw Madison and Park, two obvious junkies sitting out side my ofc this morning. 

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 1, Block C: John H Cochrane, Hoover & University of Chicago, in re:  the mysteries of Jackson Hole.  . . .  Will interest rates go up on their own?  We rediscover that the Phillips Curve makes no sense.  "Secular stagnation" – hah. My view is that the govt is the sand in the gears. We could be on a very discouraging, long, slow growth path.  It’s stagflation till we get inflation, which we don’t have yet.

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 1, Block D:  Sean Trende, Real Clear Politics chief pollster, in re:  Wave:  in this instance, six seats for the GOP – defeat three incumbents - would be a wave year. "The canonical wave midterm elections."

Hour Two

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 2, Block A: Malcolm Hoenlein,  in re: "UN [UN disengagement observer force ] peacekeepers abducted by jihadists [al Nusrah Front, an al Qaeda affiliate] as Hizballah tries to remove the UN observers. Most countries, when their troops are assaulted, pull their troops out.  Meanwhile, "IDF is on high alert in Golan Heights"  Pres Obama explains that he has no strategic plan or he tumult in the Middle East.  Chaos is fuelled by Western indecision and Pres Hollande's kibosh on cooperation with Syria. Note that beheadings are becoming commonplace.  Rather than cause revulsion, it's increased recruiting!   The failure in Raqqah raises the question of [whither].  Yesterday, Raqqah killed 160 Syrian soldiers.  Also: UN says it'll investigate Gaza.  Israel says [that's ridiculous under the circumstances and it won’t cooperate. Appointees are lifelong opponents of Israel; 80% of attacks were within 3 km of the Israeli border; less than 5% of Gaza was affected.

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 2, Block B: Ambassador Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, in re: ("A target-rich environment for commenting on foreign policy") the new and extremely violent ISIS using terror to recruit. Pres Obama today: "People are getting a little further ahead than where we are" i.e., wait an When ISIS captured Mosul lots of US eqpt, and the bank of Mosul with $500 mil in cash and gold; then the offensive against h north an Irbil. US strikes have ISIL could develop because of Assad and Maliki : deep alienation, with the main effect of ISIL begin able o capitalize. Need to turn the Sunni tribes to fighting ISIL, need to give them incentive and reason to fight.  "Key Sunni states need to play a major role." 

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 2, Block C: Jonathan Schanzer, FDD & Foreign Policy, in re:  Turkey, Gulf States, Abbas. Takfiri jihadists: the extreme violence and apocalyptic vision of the Islamic state wrapped in black robes and flying the black flag.  Ankara and Doha are supporting some aspect of the Islamic state at Mosul, as well as historically of the Muslim Brotherhood. Base camp of ISIS is all along the Turkish border ("a permissive policy of Ankara"); Turkish middlemen buying oil from ISIS and refining it in Turkey.   Ahmet Davutoğlu called far more radical than Erdoğan.  . . .  Not only the Iranians, but Assad and the Turks are all fighting on many levels but doing commerce among each other.  Iran and Syria appreciate the fact that ISIS makes them look moderate.  Salah Arouri, founder of Qassam Brigades in the West Bank; was seconded (so to speak) to Turkey.  Gulfies have HQ in eastern Turkey, funding Islamist.  Arms sale pending. Turkey needs to be held to account.

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/will-president-erdogan-run-turkeyhttp://defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/schanzer-jonathan-lying-down-with-dogs/

http://defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/schanzer-jonathan-turkey-hosting-at-least-12-hamas-operatives/

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 2, Block D: Eric Schmitt, New York Times senior writer, terrorism & national security; author of Counterstrike;  in re: the failed state Libya.  UAE and Egypt joined together to bomb Libya.   The importance of the attack was also  the symbolism of the US not being informed.  Washington was fuming at having been excluded from the information. US is disengaging from the region; therefore, if countries want to exercise their sovereignty and rights, they need to step up.  UAE have a "very capable" air force.  Did Libya threatened retaliation?  Only after the second strike did Navy finally determine who was flying/bombing.  Amman & Cairo's militaries, plus Gulfie air force: were there to be airstrikes carried out in Syria probably mostly the US & probably the UK and France.  UAE has an important base; Kuwait is important as a base.  Obviously a heated rivalry 'twixt the Turks on one side and the UAE and Saudis on the other. 

Hour Three

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 3, Block A:  Pinhas Inbari, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, in re: Did Hamas finally lose? Militarily Hamas is defeated, but politically not, Kahled Mashaal spoke last night on al Jazeera; expect renewed hostilities: political Islam throughout the Middle East. In Golan, Kinetra falling to Islamist group; is this a new base for Hamas affiliates?  Yes.  Nusrah is a Hamas of Syria, of the Muslim Brotherhood.  It was established by bodyguards of Khaled Mashaal, and close to Abdullah Assam Groups and others.   Al Sisi hates Hamas and Mashaal; Egypt perceives Hamas differently from other Muslim Brotherhoods, understands that it may be worse, but they think of what might be in Gaza once Hamas is gone  - Egypt fears another Somalia.aer t have Hamas under control than to destroy it knowing that Abu Mazen can't control Gaza; that'd be a joke – so Egypt holds that a weakened Hamas is better than a devil they don’t know   Hams moves to West Bank?  Discovered recently a large underground infrastructure of Hamas – maybe ere are more, and they’ll try again in the future with Iran and Islamic Jihad and stupid Fatah, as well.  This could be a real danger.  Everybody speaks f a Fatah element in Gaza, but there's a real Hamas element in West Bank; it'll in effect collaborate with Fatah.  In Qatar, trying to coalesce Ahmad Jibril, and Marwan Barghouti in jail, and Khaled Mashaal. 

Is Jordan next in the sights of ISIS, and will Jordan fight?

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 3, Block B:   Dr. Ronen Bergman, senior correspondent military & intell,, for Yedioth Ahronoth, in re: Conditions of cease fire, evaluation of what happened, and moving forward?  Worrisome events on northern border of Israel.    Whenever anything is fired from Syria into Israel, including by accident Israel returns fire.  For the time being these are internal Arab affairs.  If ISIS poses a threat to the Hashemite Kingdom - not a remote scenario – then this is a main issue for Israel.  Israel should carefully attend to its eastern border, with Jordan, and no other. Jordan is the next target for ISIS, being access to Saudi Arabia?  Distinction between tyrants and kingdoms: not one kingdom fell under the Arab Spring.  In Sept 1970, King Hussein of Jordan attacked Palestinian compounds as they were trying to overcome the kingdom, Hafez al Assad sent tanks to support Palestinians; US (under Nixon) said: if even one tank crossed over the border, Israel (with the help of the US and the Almighty) would take over Damascus.

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 3, Block C: Daniel Henninger, WSJ WONDER LAND, in re: It's Not a Videogame  After ISIS, can the Democrats be trusted with national security from 2016 to 2020?

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 3, Block D:   Paul Gregory, Hoover, in re: http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2014/08/28/western-sanctions-and-rising-debts-are-already-strangling-the-russian-economy/

Hour Four

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 4, Block A:   Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re: Mainstream libertarians—and this is where I break with them—harbor doubts about the use of military force overseas, invasions of privacy done in the name of security, and, most recently, the use of police power in places like Ferguson, Missouri. It is not that I entirely part company with modern libertarians on all issues relating to the police. It is that I would like to see libertarians of all stripes slow down their denunciation of public authorities, without whom we cannot enjoy the ordered liberty that we all prize. The correct attitude on the police force is to see it as a regrettable necessity, but a necessity nonetheless . . .   [more]  (1 of 2)

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 4, Block B: Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re: Mainstream libertarians—and this is where I break with them—harbor doubts about the use of military force overseas, invasions of privacy done in the name of security, and, most recently, the use of police power in places like Ferguson, Missouri. It is not that I entirely part company with modern libertarians on all issues relating to the police. It is that I would like to see libertarians of all stripes slow down their denunciation of public authorities, without whom we cannot enjoy the ordered liberty that we all prize. The correct attitude on the police force is to see it as a regrettable necessity, but a necessity nonetheless . . .   [more]  (2 of 2)

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 4, Block C:  Raymond Stock, Diplomatist, in re: http://www.diplomatist.com/articles/article011.html

Thursday 28 August  2014 / Hour 4, Block D:   Robert Zimmerman, behindtheblack.com, in re:  SLS first launch officially delayed one year   In a press conference today to tout the development of the SLS rocket, NASA finally admitted that the rocket’s first flight has been delayed a year until 2018, as had been rumored for months.  The cost? $7 billion more from now until that first launch, a number that does not include the billions already spent. I once again note that the entire commercial program, both manned and cargo, has cost less than that, from start to finish, and includes the entire manifest of actual cargo flights to ISS.

Russian military abandons Rokot   Beginning in 2016, the Russian military will stop using its Rokot launcher, switching to Soyuz and Angara rockets instead.  The reason? Rokot relies on some imported parts, while Soyuz and Angara are build entirely in Russia.  It is interesting how fast the Russians are moving to stop their dependence on foreign parts, compared to the United States. Rather than try to build Russian-built parts for Rokot, they have taken the simplest and fastest approach and simply switched rockets.  In the U.S. Congress is instead demanding that a new rocket engine be build for Atlas 5 to replace the Russian engine, an expensive and time-consuming process. Wouldn’t it make more sense to say buy-buy to Atlas 5 and just switch to the Falcon 9?