The John Batchelor Show

Monday 29 December 2014

Air Date: 
December 29, 2014

Photo, above: Mt. Sinjar, Iraq.  See Third Hour, report by Murad Ismail from Kurdistan.
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Hour One
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 1, Block A:  Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re:  the ISIS war (1 of 2)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 1, Block B:  Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re:  the ISIS war (2 of 2)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 1, Block C: Nathalie Angier, NYT, in re:  giraffes.
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 1, Block D:  Katya Kazakina, Bloomberg, in re: art auction
Hour Two
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 2, Block A: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal. Josh Rauh, Hoover. Stephen Haber, Hoover. Tim Kane, Hoover. (1 of 4)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 2, Block B: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal. Josh Rauh, Hoover. Stephen Haber, Hoover. Tim Kane, Hoover. (2 of 4)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 2, Block C: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal. Josh Rauh, Hoover. Stephen Haber, Hoover. Tim Kane, Hoover. (3 of 4)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 2, Block D: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal. Josh Rauh, Hoover. Stephen Haber, Hoover. Tim Kane, Hoover. (4 of 4)
Hour Three
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 3, Block A:  Murad Ismael, Yazda.org, in re: calling from Yazidi land in Kurdistan, northern Iraq;   anent his travel to Sinjar mountain yesterday to deliver emergency food supplies.  We went from Duhoq to Sinjar with Yazidis who formerly were in [Kurdish] Peshmerga]. Saw no civilians in the are for 150 km. All abandoned even by Sunnis; no civilians, clearly a war zone.  No one live except a few people defending the roads, which are not that safe.  Still, the advances of the Peshmerga, Yazidi forces and YPG are holding. The city of Sinjar on the southern side of the mountain are still recaptured by [our side] but ISIS still has snipers in the town, has left IEDs where it could.  Da'ish controls Mosul , parts of Tel Afar, and Ba'aj.  We saw many abandoned, burned cars, tanks, by the side of the road; had been attacked by air strikes.  When Yazidis left the mountain between August 5 and 10, ISIS was shooting at Yazidis as they fled.  Found at least three mass graves; evidence of killing: people's clothes alongside the road, bodies gone, probably as they were fleeing.  This is a long-lasting road; will take at least a year or more to clear Da'ish from the southern side of the mountain. We understand that Da'ish will be sending men to kill everybody, I went to my town, Khanasour, just to see what it’s kike to have to abandon your home – the town is burned, with writing oin the wall. It’s heartbreaking to see the homeland of Yazidis – many dead in side the houses, we cannot go into the homes to look.  American forces clearly are controlling the air strikes. I passed through a point where I saw no foreigner, but it’s said tha Americans may in some way be guiding the air strikes.   Heard that when the American strikes took place, US mil was nearby. About 45 air strikes took place before . . .   the US military is the only thing that ensures any advance – without airstrikes [all would be los]. Our forces are very brave, but ISIS is very strong – and all the Sunni tribes in Sinjar are supporting ISIS, especially in face of Baghdad's Shia militias. 
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 3, Block B: Parris Chang, Taiwan DPP, in re: VP Annette Lu's hunger strike to have Pres Chen Shui-bian released from prison by the Kuomintang politicos.
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 3, Block C:  Andrew Lawler, in re:    (1 of 2)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 3, Block D:  Andrew Lawler, in re:    (2 of 2)
Hour Four
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 4, Block A:  Monica Crowley, Fox, & Washington Times Online opinion editor;   (1 of 2)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 4, Block B: Monica Crowley, Fox, & Washington Times Online opinion editor;   (2 of 2)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 4, Block C:  Thomas Goltz, author, Chechnya Diary, and filmmaker on Central Asia and the Caucasus; in re: Shevardnadze (1 of 2)
Monday  29 December  2014  / Hour 4, Block D: Thomas Goltz, author, Chechnya Diary, and filmmaker on Central Asia and the Caucasus; in re: Shevardnadze (2 of 2)
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