Secure Freedom Radio

America’s Energy Security

2012-02-22T19:57:43Z

With Ambassador John Bolton, Jim Hanson, Sara Carter, and Rep. Fred Upton

“The United States is more afraid of an Israeli first strike against Iran, than it is of an Iranian nuclear weapon.” - Former UN Ambassador John Bolton weighs in on the risks and perils of an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran and the backlash that could resonate throughout the Middle East. The current administration believes that it can contain and deter a nuclear Iran therefore they are focusing on preventing an Israeli first strike. If we let Iran arm itself with nuclear weapons are we giving a license to other countries in the Middle East to build nuclear weapons? Ambassador Bolton then moves on the possibility of negotiations with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, who are still holding American hostages. Should the United States negotiate with Sharia adherent organizations?

Jim Hanson gives his read on the apology the U.S. is delivering to the Karzai government and the Afghani people over the incident of burning Qurans, which were being used to send messages between prisoners. Does this apology send a message of weakness to the Taliban and other radicals? What message does this send to the soldiers on the ground? Jim then points out the gravity of the consequences of the sequestration cuts that the current administration is planning to implement on the defense department as well as the general morale of the troops that will have to work under these constraints.

Sara Carter enlightens us on the situation in Iran. The bank sanctions against Iran are failing to deter Iran from becoming a nuclear power and just recently the IAEA is no longer welcomed within Iran for nuclear inspections. How is the administration reacting to this growing threat? Sara also speaks about the threat of a pre-emptive strike from Israel against Iran and how it would change the dynamics of the Middle East. Obama feels he can control a nuclear Iran easier than an Iran that has just been attacked by Israel. According to NATO the Taliban is poised to rule Afghanistan after the U.S. troops leave. Should we have given our exit strategy away to the Taliban?

Representative Fred Upton analyzes the Key Stone Pipeline and the steps that are being taken to keep the pipeline alive. This privately built $7 billion pipeline between Canada and United States would create more than 100,000 jobs indirectly and over 20,000 jobs directly; then why has the President pulled back his support from this project? Congressman Upton then directs his focus on the issue of cyber security and how we are on trying to prevent an EMP attack.

Protecting The Skies Above

2012-02-21T18:31:10Z

With Gen. Tom McInerney, Diana West, and Andy McCarthy

How important is air superiority? Since 1950, the enemy, from the air, has never attacked US forces. The F-15 has never been shot down in air-to-air combat and the F-22 is by far the most dominant plane in the skies. As a result of these defense cuts, the US will be left with around 100 combat capable planes over the next three years. The Obama Administration has decided to scrap the Global Hawk UAV system, which can stay on target for upwards of 32 hours, and instead wants to use the 50-year-old U-2, which can only stay on target for approximately 8 hours. General Tom McInerney (USAF Ret.) gives his analysis on the future of America’s air prowess.

Diana West joins us today to give us her analysis on the FBI’s meeting with the Muslims Brotherhood in the United States. The FBI claims to have purged their files of hundreds of reports that negatively characterize the Islamist movement. Is America one step closer to becoming a Sharia compliant nation?

Should the FBI be meeting with potentially anti-American organizations that fund terrorism? The Muslim Brotherhood has won, for now, in their effort to suppress free speech that portrays Sharia law as a radical Islamist doctrine that oppresses democracy. What is achieved by allowing this to happen? Andy McCarthy gives his take on this frightening development.

Who Is Really In Control?

2012-02-20T18:16:48Z

With Dr. Barry Rubin, Mark Gembicki, Rep. Sue Myrick, and Gordon Chang

Is President Obama so weak that he is willing to give more aid to Egypt even though they are holding Americans in jail on trumped up charges? The Muslim Brotherhood sees the president as weak and therefore knows they can act with impunity towards America. The Muslim Brotherhood though faces an important decision that will affect their future in Egypt; will they risk the support of the populous in order to promote Sharia? The people of Egypt revolted against Mubarak and supported the Muslim Brotherhood because they wanted a freer society with more opportunities. Dr. Barry Rubin explains how our enemies are saving us because their mistakes are negating our own.

Chief Information Officer for the Newt Gingrich campaign sheds light on the misguided notion that Obama is invulnerable on the national security front. The process to capture or kill Usama bin Laden began years before Obama took office therefore he cannot solely take credit for the takedown. People need to realize that he has and is continuing to fail to protect American defense and American business from cyberattacks. Then again, are we allowing China to penetrate our defenses and businesses in order to feed them false information? Mark Gembicki explains that very notion as well as Newt’s ability to speak the truth on America’s threats while the president tries to downplay them.

Fred Grandy goes inside the Cloakroom with Representative Sue Myrick in order to drill down on the failure of both the DOD and DOJ in adequately providing clarity to Congress as to their training practices. The president has made it clear he does not want the US government to use any terminology that might offend the Muslim community, but how can we train our agents to combat a threat if we cannot openly and truthfully talk about the threat? Are our agents getting the proper training and if so how come Attorney General Holder and Secretary Panetta wont come clean as to how their agents are being trained? Congress controls the purse strings, not the president, therefore his ideas for future aid to Egypt even in light of the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, can only be allocated by Congress who is less willing to give taxpayer money to promoters of Sharia law.

China is blatantly engaged in cyber warfare with the United States, yet our government seems to lack a clear understanding of this threat. Even though China might be going after American intellectual property, there is a strong power struggle within the Communist party. Military officials are trying to defect to the United States only to be denies asylum. Does the US want to keep these dissenters in China so they can continue to add to the instability of the regime? Gordon Chang explains that very notion.

Understanding the Threat

2012-02-20T19:58:55Z

With Fred Grandy, Steve Coughlin, Rep. Louie Gohmert, and Bill Gertz

Fred Grandy reviews the week in national security with Frank from Boko Haram in the oil critical nation of Nigeria to the President’s national security and foreign policy record to date. Counter-terrorism expert Steve Coughlin gets into the nuts and bolts of how our federal counter-terrorism professionals are trained and how terrorism supporting groups in the U.S. influence that training. Then Congressman Louie Gohmert takes the same topic to a legal and policy level. Such terrorist supporting influence groups have been meeting with FBI officials at the highest level despite legislation which passed last year forbidding the FBI to meet with so-called civil rights groups who have been identified by the Department of Justice as having given material support to terrorists. Bill Gertz ends the hour with breaking news on severe cuts to our nuclear deterrent.

Losing The Nuclear Deterrent

2012-02-20T19:54:20Z

Josh Levotin, Michael Cutler, Rep. Mike Turner, and Cynthia Farahat with Fred Grandy hosting

Josh Levontin, a defense contractor with CAMERO Tech in Israel, reveals the latest defense technologies in Israel. CAMERO Tech has developed a product called ‘Xaver’ which is a product line that can see through walls and other various structures. Will this piece of technology change the battlefield? How can “Xaver” help the IDF to combat enemies such as Hamas and Hezbollah?

Former INS agent Michael Cutler considers the gravity of the lack of agents at the INS. There are approximately 5 to 10 million visa violators who enter the United States legally and go ‘missing’ in the country nowhere to be found. What does this mean for our national security? Does this grant the terrorists and other nefarious characters a ticket into the United States?

Congressman Mike Turner joins Frank to explore the repercussions of President Obama’s attempt to drastically reduce our nuclear weapons by 80%. Obama agreed to upgrade the weapons we have currently as a stipulation when signing the START Treaty, but now he is walking away from that plan. Are we serious about maintaining a nuclear deterrent? If the United States does reduce its nuclear deterrent capacity, will that leave us defenseless against attacks from rogue countries such as North Korea and Iran?

Cynthia Farahat provides us with a behind the scenes look into Egypt and the Arab Spring. Essam el-Erian chairman of the Egyptian Parliaments Foreign Committee, and a member of the Muslim Brother, says that “if you presume to cut any military aid to Egypt, then we will have to change the accord of the Camp David Accord.” Farahat talks to Fred about whether or not the U.S. and Israel take such a threat seriously. The president has added $800 million in aid for the Arab Spring, but what organization would actually be getting that money? Farahat details the support the Muslim Brotherhood has with Hamas which is designated as a terrorist organization. Is the U.S. supporting and funding the wrong regime in Egypt?

Who Is In Our Backyard?

2012-02-20T19:47:32Z

Arthur Herman, Rep. Jeff Duncan, and Jim Hanson

Arthur Herman joins Frank to discuss the implications of the budget cuts on our men in uniform or the troops and the industrial capacityrequired to supports them. Also, it was recently discovered that our defense contractors were using fraudulent Chinese parts in American weapons systems. Why do we have any Chinese parts in our weapon systems? Arthur and Frank explore these topics and more.

Congressman Jeff Duncan introduces the “Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012” (H.R 3783) which comes a week after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s five day tour of four Latin American countries. Duncan’s legislation makes it clear that American policy is to counter Iran’s influence in Latin America by requiring a coordinated and targeted strategy that uses all elements of national power. Specifically, the legislation charges the Obama Administration to detail the presence of Iran in the Western Hemisphere.

Weekly commentator Jim Hanson weighs in on the impact the budget cuts are most likely to have on the U.S. military, which he predicts will leave our military second rate. Will the U.S. be able to effectively play the role of the global super power and fulfill its responsibilities? President Obama is actively considering cutting back on 80% of the nuclear forces, are these cuts advisable? Would other countries follow the United States path of nuclear disarmament or will this leave our enemies stronger?

Sharia Police

2012-02-20T19:48:17Z

Riki Eillison, Roger Noriega, Eric Schmitt, and Andy McCarthy

Riki Ellison explains the recent successful test of an Israeli missile that will help them to defend themselves against Iranian aggression. America needs to make sure there is enough money in the defense budget to ensure defensive and offensive missile capabilities as well as funding for Israel to increase their missile capabilities that are needed to defend their homeland. Are our current and future missile defense systems being adequately funded? Are we providing our greatest ally in the Middle East with the proper funding needed to defend its own territory?

Venezuela’s political opposition overcame years of division on Sunday as 3 million voters turned out in an impressive show of strength to choose a single candidate to take on President Hugo Chávez, in what is shaping up to be a bruising and potentially tight election campaign.

Roger Noriega provides us with his analysis of the Venezuelan primary elections. Even with a unified opposition behind Mr. Capriles, the opposition faces the steepest of uphill climbs running. He still enjoys strong support from important constituencies including the poor and employees of the government and state-owned companies who may feel that their jobs depend on Mr. Chávez remaining president.

Adm. William H. McRaven, who is in charge of Special Operations Command, is pushing for a larger role for his elite units. The plan would give him more autonomy to position his forces and their war-fighting equipment where intelligence and global events indicate they are most needed. It would also allow the Special Operations forces to expand their presence in regions where they have not operated in large numbers for the past decade, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Will the Pentagon grant the authority that Admiral McRaven is requesting? Eric Schmitt joins us today and provides his analysis as a senior writer on terrorism and national security for The New York Times.

Is the international police agency INTERPOL now enforcing Sharia blasphemy laws? Will this lead to countries such as Saudi Arabia using INTERPOL to round up critics of Islam from around the world? Former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy gives his take on the arrest of Hamza Kashgari in Malaysia and his expedited extradition to Saudi Arabia. Mr. Kashgari’s crime was his “inappropriate” tweets about the Prophet that caused the Saudi government to issue an arrest warrant under their blasphemy law. Could Americans be subjected to these types of warrants even though America does not practice blasphemy laws?

Expanded Role for Elite Forces

As the United States turns increasingly to Special Operations forces to confront developing threats scattered around the world, the nation’s top Special Operations officer, a member of the Navy Seals who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, is seeking new authority to move his forces faster and outside of normal Pentagon deployment channels.

Sharia’s Police?

Over the weekend, a drama with potentially horrific consequences for freedom-loving Americans played out half-a-world away. A Saudi newspaper columnist named Hamza Kashgariwas detained in Malaysia, reportedly on the basis of an alert by Interpol. “This arrest was part of anInterpol operation which the Malaysian policewere a part of,” Reuters quotes a Malaysian police spokesman as saying. The alert apparently was mounted in response to a “red notice” (or request for help apprehending an individual) issued by Saudi Arabia. Mr. Kashgari was then sent back to Saudi Arabia, where he faces almost certain death.

How Far Will They Go?

2012-02-20T19:36:51Z

With Rowan Scarborough, Lenny Ben-David, and Gordon Chang

With the defense cuts be put into place, it will make it more difficult for the military to keep up with its responsibilities to our allies and our nation. The US military will resemble its 1995 standards that many experts claimed, at the time, could not get the job done. The Navy is putting on a brave face to try and do more with less, unfortunately it will be much less than what is needed to combat present and future threats. What will the affect be if women start to serve in frontline roles? It is difficult for men to meet the standards to be in the infantry, what will that mean for women? If we lower the standards to enter into situations that could potentially lead to hand-to-hand combat, how prepared will they be? Rowan Scarborough gives his take on these issues.

Former Israeli senior diplomat, Lenny Ben-David, gives his take on the threats facing his nation and America. Is Iran attempting to assassinate Israeli diplomats around the world? Historically Iran has target Israeli government personnel, but will Iran turn to Hezbollah for attacks within Israel? At this moment Israel is not looking to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, but it is an option that remains on the table for down the road. Syria is disintegrating into its ethnic components and the world is realizing that what comes after Assad cannot be worse. People from Syria are moving in droves into Israel seeking safety and Israel is welcoming these refugees under these emergency conditions. With the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, what will be the future of the peace agreement with Israel?

What will the topic of conversation be when China’s vice-president comes to town? He is communist royalty, but his rise is showing signs of difficulty among communist infighting. Iran and cyberwarfare will certainly be on the agenda as topics to discuss, but does he really have the clout to make significant changes to the regime? Politicians are using the military to help regain or increase their power thus giving the military important political influence. Senator John McCain claimed the Arab Spring is coming to China and this caused a fury of responses from the Chinese government. They understand they have a serious problem with internal insurrection and have used state TV to make claims of stability and strength within the country. Will China see its own Arab Spring? Gordon Chang gives his take on this idea.

The Perils of Defense Cuts

2012-02-20T20:32:43Z

With Walid Phares, Lt. Gen. Jack Klimp, Gen. Jack Keane, and Jim Carafano

Walid Phares weighs in on the situation in Syria. What role does the Muslim Brotherhood, China, and Russia play in this conflict? The administration is adopting the “Istanbul Process” to avoid offending the Muslim Brotherhood here in the U.S. and abroad. What are the implications of coddling the Muslim Brotherhood?

How does the austere economic climate affect our men and women in uniform? The President of the National Association of Uniformed Services, former Lieutenant General Jack Klimp covers employment, salary, and healthcare issues from the perspective of our Military Services.

Retired General Jack Keane ponders whether we are on the verge of another war in the Middle East. Israel will strike against Iran if it feels threatened. Will the conflict between Israel and Iran pull the United States into another war? Is the United States making a noticeable effort to avoid this catastrophe in the Middle East?

Jim Carafano reviews crucial implications of the administration’s defense cuts. Is the White house revealing the impact of the cuts the Pentagon is obliged to start implementing by law? Jim discusses the Saving American Dream initiative to deal with such challenges along the way.

When The Flood Gates Open

2012-02-20T20:07:23Z

With Craig Shirley, Mark Krikorian, and Jim Hanson

Craig Shirley speaks with Frank about Ronald Reagan’s legacy on the heels of his 101^st birthday. Shirley then moves on to the current GOP nominees and recent elections, focusing on the future of Newt Gingrich and the Republican Party.

Mark Krikorian, a leading authority on immigration, speaks to Frank about immigration and its repercussions on national security. Mark deliberates about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its de-facto amnesty program. Should the immigration law enforcement officers follow it or honor the oath they have taken to uphold the immigration law? Mark then investigates into the failure of the investment visa and why it should indeed be failing. Are such immigration visas making the United States vulnerable to terrorists, mobsters, and drug lords?

President Obama announced early this year a new U.S. defense strategy, outlining a plan for a smaller military: “We need a smart, strategic set of priorities.” Is the Administration decision to cut the military budget jeopardizing our troop’s safety and lives? Jim Hanson talks about what could happen if the administration decides to condense the military budget and the threats that could come along with a decision such as this.