The John Batchelor Show

Thursday 4 October 2012

Air Date: 
October 04, 2012

 

Photo, above: Turkish-Syrian border troops

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Co-host: Malcolm Hoenlein

Thursday 905P Eastern Time:  Mona Charen, NRO, and Jim McTague, Barron's Washington, in re: Intense interest in the first presidential debate last night; Mitt Romney is widely said to have won. (The biggest rout since Agincourt. – C Krauthammer.) Wall St  is in the back pocket of the president: he did nothing to investigate the causes of the many crimes that caused the conflagration that destroyed our economy. Friends of Angelo [Mozillo]. Treasury was filled with Goldman Sachs people. All hoping Obama is re-elected.  Republicans couldn’t believe that Americans would re-elect a president who was so clearly a failure; last night changed all that, see life in the Romney campaign.  Did he plan it al this way – Napoleon at Austerlitz?  We saw a CEO on making a turnaround for IBM – the real Mitt Romney. Had to act like a Tea Party conservative to [get through the nomination]. Corporations are about meeting objectives. 

Thursday 920P Eastern Time:  Larry Johnson, No Quarter, and Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, in re: Romney camp the day after: buoyed by success. It was a massacre: obvious immed that Obama hadn't shown up at the debate. If it had been a Little League game, they would have invoked the mercy rule.

Thursday 935P Eastern Time: Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover, in re: Last night was a victory – a no-contest victory – by one of the candidates is unusual.  Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal.  Romney wasn't spectacular – he was just Romney, and he can do it again and again. Obama wasn't terrible; he was just Obama, and he can do it again and again. Unanimity that he was blown away.  "Let me make myself perfectly clear," "make no mistake about it," "me," "my," "I," the fake accent – all these typical locutions simply wouldn't have worked there.  Over the last weeks, the Obama administration faked Benghazi, which is part of a larger story – this adm has misunderstood and misplayed the Arab Spring.  His foreign policy was acknowledged even by his supporters as having not succeeded. Amazing that Susan Rice faced a camera and lied about the death of the US ambassador in Libya.  The president has not been obliged to explain ht black al Qaeda flag. Can’t refer to killing bin Laden now because people will ask, what was the meaning of that?  Now, overflights and convoys from Iraq into the depraved Iran.  Administration in chaos.  I don’t think Obama has ever met anyone who's as smart as he is, has more facts, and is not afraid of him.  Seems to be saying to Obama, "Your whole world is adolescent."  Obama didn’t counterpunch: we’ve never seen him other than give a teleprompter speech, or the odd press conference. "He whom the gods would destroy, they first raise up."

Thursday 950P Eastern Time: Bill Whalen, Hoover; David Drucker, Roll Call, in re: Obama: what was wrong - were we expecting too much, or was he underperforming? Is this the "real" Obama?

Thursday 1005P (705P Pacific Time):  Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: Iran. Hezbollah.  Iranian rial is collapsing (33,500 to the dollar); bazaaris are demonstrating  - "Death to the dictator! We don’t need nuclear weapons!"  - but Basiji aren’t intimidated. Regime is selling oil and collecting in dollars. Britons say they have a new sanctions package while Germans are selling military technology to Iran.  Enrichment to 60%. Using locations known only to the top leaders hip. Bravado is a sign of insecurity inside the regime Blocked Voice of America. Threatened the US president.  Announced they’re bldg a heavy-water reactor in Iraq, online in 2013.  Aleppo is the city where Turkey thinks it has a gateway in.   Mass Hezbollah graves in Lebanon.  Moving people away from the Golan.  Turkish exchanging gunfire with Syria, large mortars.  Iran can turn Nasrallah on at any moment – and he must obey.  Today, Hezbollah is part of the govt.   US Congress demanding that Hezbollah be on terrorist list.  There are 250,000 combat Turkish soldiers on the Syrian border now.

Thursday 1020P (720P Pacific Time): Mohsen Sazegara, Unity for Democracy in Iran; was a founder and leader of the student movement against the Shah; during the 1979 revolution, he returned to Iran and served as a founder of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the managing director of the National Radio of Iran (1979–1981). His reformist policies clashed with the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, eventually resulting in his arrest; currently lives in the US; in re: Khamenei, Supreme Leader, says, "During the last 33 yrs, Iran faced sanctions and [opposition; has merely grown more powerful]" – means: encourage people to join him in resisting the results of the sanctions and the economic crisis in Iran. Tsunami coming at him.  Bazaari demonstrations will continue; Teheran, Mashhad and ___ on Thursday; however, as the middle class becomes more miserable, it will react.  Unfortunately, Secy Clinton said yesterday, "If Iran negotiates and cooperates, we'll immed lift the sanctions."  Bad timing!

Iranian people assumed that the US wants to keep this regime in power, They hope nonetheless that the world at large is with them. One of the leaders of resistance vs the Supreme Leader , chief commander of the Revolutionary Guard - will he surrender?  for power and money, some of the leadership would indeed trade the nuclear dvpt. The Khost Force ahs sent 2,000 men to Syria to organize a Syrian Revolutionary Guard of 60,000 total. If Bashar has to go, they want another Lebanon. 

Thursday 1035P (735P Pacific Time): Vanessa Neumann, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, specialist in Latin America and terrorism; in re:  Venezuela. October elections: Chavez is facing an attractive rival, Henrique Capriles Radonski – does Chavez have enough money to buy this election?  Depends on the source of the money – legit govt sources and natl oil co has been run into the ground; but a lot of finds coming in from secret sources. Says he's selling $3.2 million barrels a day.  In fact, it’s about 2 million; so 1.2 million are illicit.   Stores are almost empty, people stocking up on food in anticipation  of violent intimidation by Chavez forces at election. Giving thousands of ID cards to Hezbollah terrorists.  Iran has joint ventures, oil and banks, in Venezuela.  Can transfer money from Iran to Venezuela and into Ecuador, and launder them there.  By all reports, Chavez is seriously ill, is visibly lower on energy; irresponsible to be running under this circumstance.  His opponent is in his forties, vigorous, attractive. The head of the Army, indicted for drug trafficking, has said he'd refuse  to support an opponent's victory and would shoot.  Army has heavy ties to Iran, FARC, drugs.  Capriles is charismatic.

Thursday 1050P (750P Pacific Time):   Ehud Yaari, Israel's Channel Two television Middle East commentator,  in re: Israel and the Middle East. Jordan: Islamist coalition calls for major demos tomorrow; the moment of truth will probably occur at the departure of Assad. In the event of trouble on the Turkish-Syrian border, will Nasrallah obey Iran and launch a brockets barrage into Israel to distract the world? He'd do anything to keep Assad in power. Doubt that Turkey will go into open confrontation w Syria. Commander of the Quds Force , Suleimani:  ________. For this moment, Hezbollah is not committing because of domestic Lebanese considerations.  Hezbollah is losing support among Shia in Lebanon because they're divided on the topic of Syria – many want Assad to go  –  a major constraint for Nasrallah.   Big difference between Hezbollah launching a small barrage of missiles and entering full-scale war vs Israel.   Were Israel decide on attacking Iranian nuclear installations, wd also have to decide on obliterating Hezbollah's extremely dangerous armamentarium.   Morsi and Sinai:  Operation Eagle, supposedly the Egyptian Army to have embarked on it in Sinai, is an eagle with clipped wings  - doing almost nothing, A mechanized brigade in NE Sinai, but accomplishing almost naught. Don't even go after the terrorists – and we know exactly where their strongholds are.. Egyptian army traditionally never wanted to take responsibility for the Sinai Peninsula.   Army says it merely support the Interior Ministry – which is the police, and has totally collapsed.   Salifi jihadist Council of the Jihad Warriors in the Envt of al Quds [Jerusalem] is mainland Egyptian, converted Bedouin, and Palestinians fro Gaza connected via the tunnels, etc.  Son: attacks vs Suez Canal, Gulf of Aqaba – they have all the eqpt there [listed on air by Ehud Yaari].  Egyptian, Bedouin, Palestinian Salafi.

 

Thursday 1105P (805P Pacific Time): Jonathan Schanzer, FDD, was counterterrorism analyst for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; in re: the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan, a beautiful country. King struggling for over a year with small protests, persistent and nipping at his h eels.  Demanding democratic reforms – but if this reform is enacted, would be the end of the monarchy in Jordan  as king was marginalized and the parliament strengthened – for a rise of the Islamic Action Front (the Muslim Brotherhood) . In 1993, then-king made it more difficult for Islamists to regain power. Young king has now dissolved the parliament  for elections; 80% of the Jordanian population is Palestinian. Hashemites make up 15% of the country and are targetted.  MB calls itself the loyal opposition  - small and contained protests, but pressure is bldg.  Now they expect tens of thousands to come on the street with pressure from Islamists.  Fayyad, Palestinian Authority: successor to Abbas?  Abbas may nit soon leave, but people are incr unhappy with economy. However, Fayyad is not part of PA, Fatah, the power structure – and he's a genuine reformer. Lacks guns, money, machinery.   Barghouti, Haniyeh, Abbas, are all at the top of the polls; Fayyad, the accountant, in effect, has less than 1% of support.  US aid is contingent on him because he's the only one who's honest. Without him, could Abbas continue to govern?

…   …   …

"Bir halek, ya Fayyad" is not a catchy tune. But the popularity of Palestinian singer Kassem Najar's song, which translates to "Get a Grip, Fayyad," is an indication that Salam Fayyad, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, may be on the way out. Najar, however, is the least of Fayyad's problems.

In recent weeks, protesters in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, and beyond have surrounded and threatened him, burned him in effigy, and thrown shoes at his likeness. "Yalla irhal ya Fayyad" ("Let's go, Fayyad; get out") was a recurring chant.

…   …   …

Thursday 1120P (820P Pacific Time): Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: 2,500 years after Alexander and the Persian Empire, Persian ambitions till frighten. Syrian border: 120mm mortar fire into Turkey; also Turkish artillery fire into Syria. Lead to provocations and an exchange of missile or gunfire along the Syrian-Israeli border? Wd be secondary, but is escalating.  After the exchange several days ago, everyone's trying to backpedal. Key issue is the massive outflow of refugees into Turkey and Jordan. Potential for an October Surprise: humanitarian corridors under the doctrine of Responsibility to Protect. Cd move out of control very quickly. And what will the Russians do?   Making money selling arms to Syria, but evacuating their personnel from Tartus right now as it may be overrun. Their last base outside the USSR.  Abbas is still a sinister figure pressing for lawfare of UDI (unilateral declaration of independence)'  Probably 29 Nov will be their critical date; Iran, as head of the Nonaligned Movement, may help. No action till after US election?  Many armed incidents in Gaza. One in four Palestinians is paid to carry a gun.  Region is a tinderbox. Christians being forced out of Sinai!

Thursday 1135P (835P Pacific Time): Robert Zimmerman, behind the black,  in re:  Space X and Soyuz and Sky diving record, in re:

Thursday 1150P (850P Pacific Time): Robert Zimmerman, behind the black,  in re: polar bear fraud

Thursday/Fri 1205A (905 Pacific Time): Mona Charen, NRO, and Jim McTague, Barron's Washington, in re: Intense interest in the first presidential debate last night; Mitt Romney is widely said to have won. (The biggest rout since Agincourt. – C Krauthammer.) Wall St  is in the back pocket of the president: he did nothing to investigate the causes of the many crimes that caused the conflagration that destroyed our economy. Friends of Angelo [Mozillo]. Treasury was filled with Goldman Sachs people. All hoping Obama is re-elected.  Republicans couldn’t believe that Americans would re-elect a president who was so clearly a failure; last night changed all that, see life in the Romney campaign.  Did he plan it al this way – Napoleon at Austerlitz?  We saw a CEO on making a turnaround for IBM – the real Mitt Romney. Had to act like a Tea Party conservative to [get through the nomination]. Corporations are about meeting objectives.

Thursday/Fri  1220A (920 Pacific Time): Larry Johnson, No Quarter, and Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, in re:

Thursday/Fri  1235A (935P Pacific Time): Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover, in re: Last night was a victory – a no-contest victory – by one of the candidates is unusual.  Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal.  Romney wasn't spectacular – he was just Romney, and he can do it again and again. Obama wasn't terrible; he was just Obama, and he can do it again and again. Unanimity that he was blown away.  "Let me make myself perfectly clear," "make no mistake about it," "me," "my," "I," the fake accent – all these typical locutions simply wouldn't have worked there.  Over the last weeks, the Obama administration faked Benghazi, which is part of a larger story – this adm has misunderstood and misplayed the Arab Spring.  His foreign policy was acknowledged even by his supporters as having not succeeded. Amazing that Susan Rice faced a camera and lied about the death of the US ambassador in Libya.  The president has not been obliged to explain ht black al Qaeda flag. Can’t refer to killing bin Laden now because people will ask, what was the meaning of that?  Now, overflights and convoys from Iraq into the depraved Iran.  Administration in chaos.  I don’t think Obama has ever met anyone who's as smart as he is, has more facts, and is not afraid of him.  Seems to be saying to Obama, "Your whole world is adolescent."  Obama didn’t counterpunch: we’ve never seen him other than give a teleprompter speech, or the odd press conference. "He whom the gods would destroy, they first raise up."

Thursday/Fri  1250A  (950P Pacific Time): Exeunt. John Bussey, WSJ, in re: what’s wrong with the China miracle, concentration of wealth in the hands of power.

..  ..  .. 

Music (using New York City broadcast times)  

9:00 hour:    Air Force One; Sentinel.

10:00 hour:   Crysis; John Carter; Assassins' Creed.

11:00 hour:   John Carter; V for Vendetta; Starship Troopers.

midnight hour:    Air Force One; Sentinel; Flight of the Phoenix.