Photo, above: impending apocalypse

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Co-hosts: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal editorial page; Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents

Iwo Jima, February-April, 1945, preparing for the Invasion of Japan.

Thursday 905P Eastern Time:  Eli Lake; Newsweek/DailyBeast.com, in re: Benghazi attack, who knew what and when? Tripoli Embassy staff evacuated.

Thursday 920P Eastern Time:  Mary Kissel, in re: Elizabeth Warren vs Scott Brown in Massachusetts Senate race. 

Thursday 935P Eastern Time:  Tom Switzer, Spectator Australia editor, at the University of Sydney, in re:  Wayne Swan is protecting Julia Gillard; has put a big tax on mining and supports carbon tax; quotes Bruce Sprinsteen.  Why is Swan defending Gillard?  Is Kevin Rudd still planning to unseat Gillard?

Thursday 950P Eastern Time:  David Drucker, Roll Call, in re: the letter demand by McCain, Graham and Ayotte over the Susan Rice remarks on Benghazi.

Iwo Jima, February-April, 1945, preparing for the Invasion of Japan.

Thursday 1005P (705P Pacific Time):  Malcolm Hoenlein, in re: Bibi Netanyau showed an image of the degree of progress the Iranians have made in developing a nuclear bomb: we need to stop them before they get to 90%, because after that it’s too late and the whole world will be held hostage by the ayatollahs.  He likened allowing Teheran to get  the bomb is similar to allowing al Qaeda to get the bomb. Bibi emphasized that what he's saying  is in the public domain, is available from the IAEA.

"Iran deliberately provided false information to us" – IAEA  Unemployment is up, the riyal is down, food and other subsidies are being removed, which creates internal opposition. Bibi says that we need to work not from timetables but by achieving results. Head of Iran Revolutionary News Agency was arrested while Ahmadinejad was here – is his main advisor – and jailed for six months.

A number of European leaders agree that neither the US not  the entire West has been strong enough.  Drawing red lines is not dangerous – it's the way to peace.

Thursday 1020P (720P Pacific Time): Malcolm Hoenlein, in re: Mohammed Morsi, president of Egypty, disappointing at home and abroad, the New Mubarak, a pious sharpie?

Iwo Jima, February-April, 1945, preparing for the Invasion of Japan.

Thursday 1035P (735P Pacific Time):  Ambassador Marc Charles Ginsberg, US amb to Morocco, 1994–98, in re: Americas who risk their loves every day are shaken by the assassination of Am Stevens. The Libyan govt is supporting a demonstration against the militias that have been ruling the streets since the revolution, incl members of the al Q network. Libya is the Las Vegas  Teheran was no doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood will have major influence from Egypt to Tunisia and then Syria when that falls – and antidemocratic emergence of an Islamic puritanical politics in he Arab world  Look at the Arab monarchies that have turned away, disappointed, from the US ineffectiveness. Enormous ramifications for US policy. Just as the US needs support from them vs-a-vis Iran. Middle East policy has been adrift in this administrations – individuals who frankly don’t understand he Middle East and are stuck with formulating policy. An east-west line between the Free Syrian Army and the Assad regime. Looks almost like the Spanish Civil War: Russia/China/Iran on one side, Turkey/Qatar/___ on the other. This administration can’t even provide humanitarian support to Syrians without the Chicago campaign fretting that that would takes a few votes away. The Qataris, Turks, Egyptians, Lebanese and others all believe that Washington has no policy there.  State and NSC objectively miscalculated ability to affect Russia at Security Council; Putin will support Syria indefinitely. As long as Assad has a few flow of funds and weaponry, and o huge defections of his army, this war will go on indefinitely.

Thursday 1050P (750P Pacific Time):  Aaron Y. Zelin, Washington Institute, in re: Islamist extremism in the Middle East. Aaron Y. Zelin, Washington Institute, in re: Islamist extremism in the Middle East. Sigint connects al Ansar al Sharia [Supporers of Islamic Law] in Libya with al Qaeda in the Mahgreb; this version of the group is based in Benghazi led by someone imprisoned by Gaddafi. This year in attacks vs Sufi mosques. Unlike other jihadi violent groups, they're also involved in social services, such as helping at the local hospital. The most prominent Ansar al Sharia is in Yemen; another in Tunisia – they've more focused on education and  social svcs. but some of their members may have been in Libyan attacks. One recently created in Morocco, hasn’t done anything visible but put out a statement.  So far seem to be locally funded. Individuals either involved in terrorism or, in Libya, vs Gaddafi. The night of the attack in Libya the put out a statement: They weren't directly involved; ambiguous.  Seems to be a msg to the US: you're in our backyard and not welcome; please leave now.   Any of these forces now in Syria? No specific evidence, but some that some of he lading figures  the Tripoli brigade have helped establish the Ummah Brigade in Syria. 

Iwo Jima, February-April, 1945, preparing for the Invasion of Japan.

Thursday 1105P (805P Pacific Time):   David Makovsky, director, Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project on the Middle East Peace Process, in re: Iran. At what point do you lose control? If prevention is to be a reality, not a slogan, there need to be parameters. Under what conditions created would Israel attack?  See our twenty-page paper. Iran: if you don’t take yes for an answer, we'll take actins. The only way to hold the coalition together is to [speak with Iran} We should cut to the chase and give Iran our best offer. My point is, let's not waste time here; if we try for a peaceful solution and it’s refused, then I think we can unite our allies.  MH: We’ve given them so many opportunities; perceived as weakness; Gulf states talking about striking.

Thursday 1120P (820P Pacific Time): Diego Arria, former Venezuelan ambassador to the UN and chief spokesman of freevenezuela.org, in re: Venezuela and the US

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Key election issues:

 -- Will Venezuela Become a Friend of the United States, Instead of an Enemy?  The Chavez government is the biggest ally in Latin America of anti-American regimes like Iran and Syria. Chavez's links with Middle Eastern radicals have long been a worry for the United States. But with an opposition victory looking more likely with each day, the U.S. could find that an enemy with the largest crude oil reserves in the world is transformed into a friend.

Iwo Jima, February-April, 1945, preparing for the Invasion of Japan.

-- Will Chavez Steal the Election?  As John Walsh of the Washington Office on Latin America recently argued, "Henrique Capriles is the toughest opponent President Hugo Chavez has ever faced." Throughout August, Capriles made huge strides in closing the gap with Chavez, and some pollsters believe he can now win the election. Chavez has responded by deploying his more violent supporters to attack Capriles campaign rallies and meetings. There is a widespread fear that he will try and manipulate the election, by intimidating Capriles supporters or even rigging the result.

-- Can the Opposition Prevent Venezuela's Economic Meltdown?  Over the last few years, Venezuela has looked more and more like the Latin American equivalent of Zimbabwe. Poverty rates have skyrocketed, while a plague of violent crime has turned the country into the murder capital of the world. But Venezuela is rich in oil resources -- petroleum exports account for 95 per cent of the country's revenue -- and the Capriles campaign plans to use oil wealth to launch an ambitious program of economic reform.

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Thursday 1135P (835P Pacific Time): Robert Zimmerman, behindtheblack, in re:  space engineering from Spaceship Two to NASA

Thursday 1150P (850P Pacific Time): Robert Zimmerman, behindtheblack, in re:  Curiosity finds evidence of water flow in Gale Crater; climate change facts on Earth are challenged

 

Thursday/Fri 1205A (905 Pacific Time): Red Blood, Black Sand: Fighting Alongside John Basilone from Boot Camp to Iwo Jima by Charles W. Tatum; 1 of 2

Four of the Flag Raisers (Bradley, Hayes, Sousley & Strank) appear with their jubilant buddies. Strank, Sousley and many of these boys would soon be dead.

Thursday/Fri  1220A (920 Pacific Time): Red Blood, Black Sand: Fighting Alongside John Basilone from Boot Camp to Iwo Jima by Charles W. Tatum; 2 of 2

Thursday/Fri  1235A (935P Pacific Time):

Thursday/Fri  1250A  (950P Pacific Time): Exeunt. Sid Perkins, in re:  Greenland icecap darkening and shrinking

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Observed Greenland Ice Sheet retreat.

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