The John Batchelor Show

Thursday 31 January 2013

Air Date: 
January 31, 2013

 

Photo, above:  Eddie Hayes, Hour 1, Block B. Theodora Richards, daughter of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, enters Manhattan Criminal Court with her attorney Edward Hayes where she faced graffiti and drug possession charges. Source: AP

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW Co-hosts: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal editorial board, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents

Hour One

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 1, Block A:  Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Lara M Brown, Villanova, in re:  Chuck hagel's infelicitous hearing today at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 1, Block B:  Eddie Hayes, criminal defense attorney par excellence, in re: the play, Lucky Guy, opening on Broadway

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 1, Block C: . Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover, in re:  Chuck Hagel fails his Senate questioning. He still believes that the urge in Iraq was an error. He agrees with 51% or more of the people; flip-flops to correspond with whatever the conventional opinion is at the moment. No judgment.

 

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"Are they gonna Susan-Rice Chuck Hagel?" – JB

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Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 1, Block D:  Debra J. Saunders, in re:  Ploy of Voter Preregistration California state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson has introduced a bill to allow 15-year-olds to preregister to vote. 

Hour Two

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 2, Block A:  . Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal editorial board, in re: Sen Hagel at the Senate  Foreign Relations Cee interrogation: unprepared – by the Administration, buy his handlers; he looked as though he wasn't up to the task. Sen Mccain today wanted to give Sen Hagel a chance to speak well; Hagel cd have said, "Iw wrong at the surge" but Hagel was either stubborn or ignorant in failing to acknowledge he success of the surge. Sen Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, said, "I think Sen Hagel is more comfortable asking than answering questions."

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 2, Block B:  . Fouad Ajami, Hooever, in re:  "Better sixty years of tyranny than one day of anarchy."  Gaddaphilia – yearning for stability, fearing the capricious nature of tyrants.; second anniversary of the Arab Spring: a misplaced faith in the dictators of yesteryear.  Gaddafi's arsenal has been sold all across the Mahgreb, the Mashriq, and sub-Saharan Africa,  incl to the Tuaregs.  Gaddafi spoke of stability but was himself a source of instability – a regular ploy of these Arab rulers.  People need timee [to sort out their revised  societies and build their lives].  Two places to watch in the Arab world; 80 mil Egyptians, and Syria and its fate and borders.   Syria is the cruelest Arab rebellion – sectarian religious fault lines, Sunni Shia. Rebels can’t win, Assad can’t dispatch them. No end in sight.  Obama rules out any rescue for these people; offered blankets and some medicine – they yearn for foreign intervention that would level the killing fields. Baghdad, once the sea o a gra caliphate, changed hands. Beirut, Sunni ascendant for a long time – now the Shia. All become a sectarian schism.

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 2, Block C:  . Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, and Chemi Shalev, US correspondent for Haaretz, in re: Israeli elections and coalition formation.   How will the recent realignment affect Israel's future? More conflict than last time.   Big Israeli budget deficit, people expect reductions; but many people feel they’re not getting a fair shake; tensions. The Peace Party.  Mr Lapid: a complete novice, very popular Israeli journalist (Oprah Winfrey times ten).  Always was middle-of-the-road, then a year ago ran a disciplined campaign and did very well. While Lapid may move upward, some say that Netanyahu has alternatives.  Palestinians may go to Intl Court of Justice, will wait to see how things go; Abbas wants to meet Lapid – while Netanyahu is not happy with that. Air strike in Syria: changed the atmosphere, more pressure on the parties to get this over quickly.  Lapid's demands are difficult to meet.

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 2, Block D:  Eric Trager, the Next Generation Fellow at The Washington Institute, is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Pennsylvania, where his research focuses on Egyptian opposition parties; in re:  Mursi said of Israelis: "Bloodsuckers and war-mongers."  Now Mursi is in Germany, keeps saying, "Out of context."  Doesn’t seem to know that uncut video can't be taken out of context.  Mrs Merkel publicly rebuked him, not pleased w his responses. Murso got no commitment on aid, loans, loan forgiveness. US will look odd to cut him slack. The F-16s are mil-to-mil (keeping Suez Canal open; Egypt is failing in its obligation to come down on terrorism, and to keep Sinai safe).  The civilian stuff is a White House visit and such. Egypt: in some ways, the state not only is weak  but doesn’t exist!  Mil not eager to take control or restore order – had a negative experience in governance.  A year from now, Muslim Brotherhood may hold more formal power –Ministries – but the state itself will probably be weaker. Irresponsible of Mursi to take an overseas trip right now.  He's slowly freezing the peace treaty with Egypt. Has outsourced all contact w Israel to intell.

Hour Three

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 3, Block A:  Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: IDF/IAF acknowledged they bombed the Russian-Syrian military convoy headed toward Israeli border.  The SA17s.  Arsenals; past transfers. Hezbollah seeking missiles, radar, SCUDS from North Korea- carry 1,000 kg explosives, can be used also w chem. agents.  Teheran accelerating enrichment program, no intention of stopping bad behavior [paying for terrorism literally worldwide]; Ali Akhbar Valayati ran the bombing in Argentina that killed 85 people, now discussing Argentina's absolving Velayati [Interpol arrest warrant still in effect] so he can be Iranian president.  Kushner has got money from Iran, both for her election campaign and for other expenditures. Surface-to-air missile from Iran into the Gulf; North Africa, Syria – Iran is generating death all around. There exists no Obama Administration plan to prevent a nuclear Iran.

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 3, Block B:  .Michael Eisenstadt is a senior fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program, a specialist in Persian Gulf and Arab-Israeli security affairs; in re:  Syria and Iran. Strike in Syria was on Russian and al Quds commanders?  Israelis said it was a column if mil eqpt incl SAM 17s. However, the report makes sense, but you gotta wonder why Syria wd be sending missiles outbound now? Maybe to be set up in Bekaa for use against Syrian rebels. . . .  But we know that Syria has been training Hezbollah.  Syria says the strike was on a chemical R&D site. Iran launches monkey into space to look nonthreatening while dvpg technology to hit Europe and the US. 

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 3, Block C:  . Sid Perkins, Science Magazine, in re: Fossils of Enigmatic Sea Creature Surface

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 3, Block D:  Tyler Rogoway, Aviation Intel, in re: on U-2 at 58.  U-2 and the Cold War battle for the high ground.

Hour Four

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 4, Block A:  John Bolton AEI, Chuck Hagel nomination in doubt   Hagel’s Views Come Under Harsh Scrutiny by Republicans  Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s nominee to be secretary of defense, met with sharp and sometimes angry questions on a wide range of issues at his Senate confirmation hearing.

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 4, Block B:  Benjamin Wittes, Brookings, in re:  transnational threats that do not have an address or a solution for national security

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 4, Block C: Dennis Berman, WSJ, in re: lessons from Davos

Thursday  31  Jan 2013 / Hour 4, Block D:  Lou Ann Hammond, Drivingthenation.com, in re: Ford generosity to Smithsonian, Ford shortfall in number because of Europe and sluggish global economy

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Music

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