The John Batchelor Show

Monday 15 April 2019

Air Date: 
April 15, 2019

 
Photo:
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Thaddeus McCotter, WJR, the Great Voice of the Great Lakes
 
Hour One
Monday 15 April 2019/ Hour 1, Block A:  Bill Roggio, Long War Journal and FDD; in re:  War fighting; ISIS in Somalia.  Less dangerous than Shebaab, which is al Qaeda’s arm in Somalia. Islamic State in Mali: 750 French plus 150 Malian troops in central Mali.  Talks with Taliban in Doha: Zalmay Khalilzad trying to negotiate US withdrawal.
Monday 15 April 2019/ Hour 1, Block B: Henry Miller, Hoover; in re: “Inefficient and top-heavy” FDA goes to war on vaping.  Oxycodone and Fenatnyl.  Transplants.
Monday 15 April 2019/ Hour 1, Block C: Gordon Chang, Daily Beast, in re: China’s massive investment in the Caribbean, and three listening posts in Cuba (sigint). Bldg a container port in the Bahamas, 55 mi from Florida. Linkages: Cubans control Venezuela, Chinese are much invested in Venezuela; Russians in Venezuela, Russians in Cuba.
Twitter: Chinese people can jump over the Great Firewall only with a VPN. China punishes those who do.  China’s Social Credit Score: if you behave perfectly, you have a high score; if not, you have a lower score and may not be allowed to use all sorts of governmental facilities, including domestic airplanes.
Fiftieth anniversary of DPRK seizure of the Pueblo. Moon in DC, gets naught. Starting to appear desperate – nothing from Trump, and heavily ignored or, recently, dissed by Kim.
Monday 15 April 2019/ Hour 1, Block D: Andrew C McCarthy, Fox News, in re: Allegation that Trump campaign tried to collude with Russians. No espionage conspiracy of the type we heard about – Putin hacked the 2016 election; and the Carter Page FISA warrants. Logical inconsistency: that Russians hacked, then gave info to Assange, but Assange isn't charged with anything like that. Rather, have charged a conspiracy with (then-)Bradley Manning; it's time-barred, so Feds tried to save themselves under a statute of limitations extension: eight years if it’s an act of terrorism, which not relevant here. When Mueller indicted a dozen-odd members of Russki intell officers, knowing no one would appear in the US (although one did respond legally) – perhaps to close discussion of the Russians allegations; now, they can mount real charges against Assange, but they don’t.  Big oddity: FBI and DoJ never claimed the relevant computer eqpt from Mrs Clinton, which was requisite, so now they’d have a hard time persuading a jury. Had I accused the president of [serious charges], I’d have been delighted to present the reasons. These guys don't seem to want to at all.
 
Hour Two
Monday 15 April 2019/ Hour 2, Block A:  David M Drucker, Washington Examiner, & John Fund, NRO, in re: Mueller: have the Democrats lost momentum, or is this the calm before we’re hit? Ho much now will this shift to investigating the investigators?
Monday 15 April 2019/ Hour 2, Block B:  John Fund, NRO, & David M Drucker, Washington Examiner, in re: The border, et al.
Monday 15 April 2019/ Hour 2, Block C: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: President of Israel is charged with meting with the heads of parties to see whom they’d like to vote for in order to form a coalition government. Netanyahu has 35 votes? Looking at a border alliance; has reached out to Sunni countries.  Is one of the few world leaders with good relations with both Putin and Trump.  Most nations in the region are facing turbulence, except Cyprus and Israel. Sinister new IRGC facility near Damascus; IAF has hit it. Nether Russia nor Assad/Syria wants the Iranians to take over Syria, so no complaint from them.  Christians in Iraq: we being massacred by ISIS, and so driven out, Now, Iran has taken over many of their homes and are making life impossible for Christians in their own villages. Not welcome, forbidden to rebuild, tales of terror.  Europe is silent, as usual.  Egyptian parliament: will vote on constitutional amendments to extend el Sisi’s term to 2032. “A done deal” – stability is the first, critical criterion.
Ilhan Omar — see: The Atlantic, where David Frum identifies her as a major problem for the Democratic Party with her predatory remarks and aggression.  She conducts  herself as a provocateur,  a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.  Can't Congress deprive her of her staffing? Yes, if they chose to. Here remarks are intended to provoke, to augment notoriety. Democrats pretend she’s the victim and is normal in her views.
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 2, Block D: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re:  Deep mines and caves.  Lot’s wife in salt . . .
 
Hour Three
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 3, Block A:   Richard Epstein: Chicago Law, NYU Law, Hoover Institution; in re: Rights of indigenous peoples; Dakota Access Pipeline.  Natl Envtl Policy Act (NEPA). UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights. 
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 3, Block B:   Richard Epstein: Chicago Law, NYU Law, Hoover Institution; in re: Pipelines
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 3, Block C:   Mary Anastasia O’Grady, WSJ, in re: Venezuela
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 3, Block D:   Mary Anastasia O’Grady, WSJ, in re: Venezuela
 
Hour Four
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 4, Block A: The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA, by Scott C. Johnson
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 4, Block B: The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA, by Scott C. Johnson
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 4, Block C: The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA, by Scott C. Johnson
Monday 15 April 2019 / Hour 4, Block D: The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA, by Scott C. Johnson