1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Good night. Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: director of talk show host Michael Brown. Brownie, no, Brownie, 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: You're doing a heck of a job. The Weekend with 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: Michael Brown. Hey broadcasting life from Denver, Colorado. It's the 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Weekend with Michael Brown. Glad to have you joined the 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: program today. You know, we got rules of engagement normally 7 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: it typical thing as usual. If you want to tell 8 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: me anything or ask me anything a TMA or an AMA, 9 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: the text line is always open. The number of the 10 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: text line on whatever message app you use is three 11 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: to three one zero three three three one zero three, 12 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: keyword Mike or Michael. Just tell me any thing or 13 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: ask me thing, and then be sure and follow me 14 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: on social media, whether it's ex formally Twitter, Face Graham, 15 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: of Face Graham, Blue, Facebook, or Instagram. They're all at 16 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: Michael D. Brown, at Michael D. Brown. I'm want to 17 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: start out today with Operation Epic Theory, and then we're 18 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: going to get over to for a minute and eventually 19 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: get to this reopening of the government and what really 20 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,959 Speaker 1: happened to what really didn't happen, because I think there's 21 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: a lot of misinformation about it. But let's start with 22 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: with what's going on in the Middle East. Right now, 23 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: here's what you're not getting from the mainstream media coverage 24 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: from the cabal about Operation Epic Fury. And I think 25 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: it's the truth. And it's not because I believe the 26 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: reporters are lying to you, which they do, but I 27 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: don't think they are. Some will, some won't, but because 28 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: most of these reporters are doing what journalists do when 29 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,919 Speaker 1: they've already written the story in their heads. It's confirmation biased. 30 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: They're confirming what they believe in their heads already. And 31 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: the story they've written is that Donald Trump is flailing, 32 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: that he's desperately looking for an exit, that he and 33 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, are each other's throats. 34 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: And I think that the whole operation is a catastrophic miscalculation, 35 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: hurtling towards some sort of quagmire. There's just one problem 36 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: with I think with that narrative. The people actually running 37 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: this war don't recognize that narrative. Now, General Jack Keane 38 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: is not a name that you invoke lightly. He's a 39 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: four star general. He's a former Vice chief of Staff 40 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: of the United States Army, and that guy who, along 41 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: with Fred Kagan, essentially designed the Iraq surge strategy that 42 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: salvage the war that everybody already written off. Well, he's 43 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,519 Speaker 1: not an idealog, and neither is General King a cheerleader. 44 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: He's an analyst with direct daily access to both Sentcom 45 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: Central Command, who's running the operation, and more importantly, not 46 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: just the Scentcom generally, but the Sentcom commander, Admiral Bradley Cooper. No, 47 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: not the movie star Bradley Cooper, and to I think, 48 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: just as importantly, the senior leadership of the Israeli Defense Forces. Now, 49 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: when Jack Keane tells you something about how a military 50 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: operation is going, you weigh that differently then you weigh 51 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: say something that a Pentagon or Department of Wars spokes 52 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: person might tell you, or what some think tank fellow 53 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: with a subscription to James Defense Weekly might tell you. 54 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: So I want to walk through what came Jack Keane 55 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: has been actually saying, and most importantly, I think what 56 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 1: it means. First, this operation is ahead of schedule, probably 57 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: the single most important thing that General King said. And 58 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: when I say he said, this is a compilation of 59 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: everything that he said on He's a he's an analyst 60 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: for Fox News. He is, he gets interviewed by other 61 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: radio programs. He has, he has the Institute for the 62 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: Study of War. They put out different information. So this 63 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: is a compilation of everything that I've been able to 64 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: find that he's reporting or saying, or in questions from 65 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: reporters or talking heads, pundits, whatever it might be. This 66 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: is a compilation of all of that. So the single 67 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: most important thing that he has said, erically speaking, is 68 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: the thing that received the least media attention, and I 69 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: think it's this. The operation is exceeding expectations. We're not 70 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 1: meeting expectations, We're exceeding expectations. Admiral Cooper, again, the man 71 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: who's actually running the operation in the area of operations, 72 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: actually running it from the Middle East, is, in General 73 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: King's words, quote, so confident about what we have achieved 74 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: and what we will achieve that there is again to 75 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: quote him, no doubt in his mind that he will, 76 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: that Bradley Cooper will meet President Trump's expectations. And the 77 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: casualty numbers bear this out in a way that is 78 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: frankly extraordinary. After three weeks of active combat operations, the 79 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 1: United States has suffered seven killed in action and six 80 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: killed in accident, one serious combat injury. Since day one. 81 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: The Israeli Defense Forces, they're at fourteen kia killed in 82 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: action on the Arab coalition loaded up double digits. Well, 83 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: let's not cross over the numbers. Think about that combination. 84 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: I just told you there's the United States, Israel, and 85 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: an Arab coalition, the Golf Council, the Golf Cooperating Cooperation Council, 86 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: the GCC comprised of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the United 87 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:43,679 Speaker 1: Arab Emirates, the others. They're all in this now also 88 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: and actively engaged. So I want you to sit with 89 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: those numbers for just a moment, because I think that 90 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: the context matters. We're three plus weeks into an offensive 91 00:05:55,440 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: military operation against a nation state with a standing military 92 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: ballistic they had ballistic is Dishungree, still have some ballistic 93 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: missile capability, drone warfare capacity, and one of the most 94 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: heavily fortified nuclear programs on the entire planet. And we 95 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: have lost fewer people than we do in some training exercises. 96 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 1: That is not an accident. That is the result of 97 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: two deliberate strategic choices. First, systematically degrading Iran's ability to 98 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: launch large scale retaliatory salvos before the shooting even started, 99 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: and deploying defensive strategies including counter drone technology pioneered by 100 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: Eric Schmith's perennial autonomy that are killing Iranian drones at 101 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: a fraction of the intercept costs of the early days 102 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: of of the early days of the conflict. That's where 103 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: we're at right now, that is where we started. And 104 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: I think General King's timeline assessment maybe three maybe four 105 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: weeks to complete all assigned objectives. And as he always says, 106 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: some flexibility may take less time, may take more time. 107 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,559 Speaker 1: Total operation, he thinks maybe under fifty days. That would 108 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: represent the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capability, it's offensive 109 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: missile ndrone capacity, it's future manufacturing infrastructure for those very 110 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: same weapons, and the opening of the straight off here 111 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: moves by force. Now, if that happens, we can argue 112 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: about the politics all we want, but the military achievement itself, 113 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: the military achievement alone, would be historic. Now, the straight 114 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: of Horror moves, Let's go to it. It's harder than 115 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: it sounds, but I think it's doable, and I want 116 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: to be precise about what opening the strait may actually mean, 117 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: because I think the shorthand, hey, we're going to open 118 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: the straight off her moves, I think that obscures the 119 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: complexity of what's going on because the Iranians didn't close 120 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: the Strait of Her Moves with a naval arm model. 121 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: They did it largely through intimidation. While was that intimidation, 122 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: they were hitting enough merchant ships, rattling enough insurers and 123 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: the shipping companies that the commercial traffic itself just stopped moving. 124 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: The physical closure of the strait was achieved with relatively 125 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: minimal direct military force. That's actually a more insidious problem 126 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: than you would consider a conventional naval blockade, because you 127 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: can't simply solve that by sinking a fleet. You've got 128 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: to restore confidence in the entire ecosystem of global shipping, 129 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: and not just in the Strait of Her Moves, but 130 00:08:55,600 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 1: throughout the entire world. And King's answer to how you 131 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: do that, that's coming up next. It's the Weekend with 132 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: Michael Brown. Text line is always opened three three one 133 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 1: zero three keyword Michael Michael go follow me on x 134 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: atche at Michael D. Brown pain tight. We'll be right back, 135 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Weekend with Michael Brown. Glad to 136 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: have you with me. I appreciate you tuning in. We're 137 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: talking about General Jack Keane's assessment of where we're going 138 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: in Operation Epic Fury and how it's going, and we 139 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: were just swerving into the strait of her moves. You know, 140 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: I would encourage you that if you if you enjoy 141 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: what we talk about on the weekend, and you enjoy 142 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: this program, I'd encourage you to listen to the weekday program. 143 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: And it's really easy to do on your iHeart app. 144 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,199 Speaker 1: All you have to do is search for a station 145 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: with the call letters KOA KOA. It's at eight fifty 146 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: AM ninety four to one FM on your on your app. 147 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: Just set that as a preset, So Monday through Friday 148 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: from nine to noon mountain time, you can listen to 149 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: the situation with Michael Brown broadcasting just like I am 150 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: right now live out of Denver, Colorado. So set that 151 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: preset for KOA eight fifty A ninety four one FM. 152 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: So let's go back to the straight offord moves from them. 153 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 1: So Iran didn't strike, they didn't shut it down with 154 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 1: the naval armada. They didn't send a bunch of ships 155 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: and literally block ate it. They hit enough merchant ships 156 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: that rattled the insurers, that rattled the shipping companies and 157 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: so the commercial traffic. Because they didn't want to assume 158 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,559 Speaker 1: that risk, they didn't want to take any risk, they 159 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: stopped themselves. Now King's answer, General King's answer to how 160 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: we get that entire shipping ecosystem moving again involves three 161 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: simultaneous tracks, three things. At the same time. We have 162 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: to continue to degrade the Iranian capability to threaten the shipping. 163 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 1: We have to deploy and we are deploying countermeasures on 164 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: both warships and merchant vessels. And critically, we're assembling a 165 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: coalition escort mission that the United States cannot and should not, 166 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: in my opinion, staff alone. So much of what goes 167 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: through the strait of her moves is not destined for 168 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: the United States. Yes, a lot of it is, but 169 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: a lot of it's headed to other countries, our NATO allies, 170 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: to the Indo Pacific, all over the world, to India, everywhere. 171 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: So assembling a coalition escort mission is one of the 172 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: key things. Now the Brits, if they can find a 173 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: naval vessel that actually works. They've agreed to send some 174 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: and we're already doing the other thing that he said, 175 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 1: and that is deploying countermeasures on both warships and merchant ships. 176 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: We have and I forget what they're called, but we 177 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 1: now have these types of almost like water borne drones 178 00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: like speedboats that can now be used to attack any 179 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: Iranian ships or any Iranian speed boats that are deployed 180 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: from the coastline to attack any shipping going through. They're 181 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: not very costly. We're talking tens of thousands of dollars, 182 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: not millions of dollars, and we can deploy, we can 183 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: deploy those and they can literally catch up to and 184 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: blow the Iranian speed bloat speedboats out of the water. 185 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: And yes, we do have ships in the region, but 186 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: they are already allocated to both offensive and defensive mission missions, 187 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: so you can't pull them to escort duty without compromising 188 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 1: the entire offensive and defensive operations. So we do need 189 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: the Europeans and the Arab Gulst states to step up. Now. 190 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: On the Europeans, General Keane relayed a conversation with NATO 191 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: Secretary General Mark Root that I think is worth us 192 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: hearing an understanding Root told the General directly, and I 193 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: quote since World War or two, America calls sometimes we 194 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: answer reluctantly, but we always answer the call for one 195 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: indispensable reason. We meaning NATO, absolutely need you. So I 196 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: think the Europeans will come around. Then the Europeans will 197 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: start showing up. Of course, Yes, they're coming late. Of 198 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: course they are. They're always late, and they're coming unhappy. 199 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: You know why they're unhappy because they weren't consulted. But 200 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: the President and the entire operations team out of the 201 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: Pentagon sent Coom, his national security advisors, and the IDEF 202 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: Benjamin net and Yahoo kept all the operational plans tightly 203 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: nitly close hell, so that we had the full element 204 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: of surprise. Can you imagine talking to NATO. Of course 205 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: that would have gotten out. So they're all upset because well, 206 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: we weren't insulted. Yeah, we weren't consulted because we can't 207 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: trust you, just like they didn't consult a bunch of 208 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: members of Congress because we can't trust them. So they're 209 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:09,839 Speaker 1: going to come. They're going to show up. They'll be 210 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,079 Speaker 1: unhappy about not being consulted, but they're still going to 211 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: show up. Now, King's blood assessment of the consultation controversy. 212 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: He says, we didn't tell our own Congress, not all 213 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: of them, anyway, We told enough. We didn't tell parts 214 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: of our own military, open democratic systems leak. He says, 215 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: the secrecy was operationally necessary. Get over it. I love 216 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: that because he's absolutely right, and the Arab guld states 217 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: they're already helping. Which have you been following? This is 218 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: in and of itself a hugely significant development because they 219 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: were publicly opposed to the war before it started. Now, 220 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: let's dissect that just a little bit. They were publicly 221 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: opposed to the war before it started because they wanted 222 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: to maintain both for their neighbors and for the Iranians, 223 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: at least the appearance of impartiality, at least the appearance 224 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: of neutrality. There's no doubt in my mind that the Crown, prints, 225 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: NBS and the others were, you know, in diplomatic channels, 226 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: in private conversations, telling both Net and Yahoo and telling 227 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: President Trump, we've got to make around a normal neighbor. 228 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: We can't continue tolerating the way it is. So publicly 229 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: they were saying one thing. Privately they were saying another, 230 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: and we shouldn't be upset about that. That's the politics 231 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: of the Middle East. But then we have something else 232 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: going on, and that's the negotiation track. It's real, but 233 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: I think it's being viewed with enormous skepticism as it 234 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: should be. Negotiating with the Iranians. How's that worked out 235 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: in the past? Not very well. And here's where it 236 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: gets complicated and where I want to be careful to 237 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: represent what General King says accurately, because I think the media, 238 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: the cabal has mangled this in its entirety. Yes, there 239 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: are talks happening. Yes, Steve Whitkoff is involved. No, this 240 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that Trump is looking for an exit ramp 241 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: where that the military operation is winding down. Kim is 242 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: very explicit in what he said, and I want to 243 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: quote him. He said, the President is very much aware 244 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: of all of that. He doesn't trust them, he knows 245 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: their liars, and he is still all in on the 246 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: military operation. Make no mistake. He had the opportunity to 247 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: go to a ceasefire and the decision was no cease fire. 248 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: See that is General King's words, word for word. So 249 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: the military operation, when you think about it, is being 250 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: used as leverage for the diplomatic track going on over here. 251 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: It's not me replaced by it. It's two separate, parallel tracks. 252 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: And that's actually conventional strategic logic. You negotiate from a 253 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: position of strength, you don't negotiate from weakness, and you 254 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: keep the pressure on while you're talking. But here's King's 255 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: bottom line on the negotiation, and I think it's the 256 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: most analytical, honest thing said in any of his interviews. 257 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:31,199 Speaker 1: He's highly skeptical it will produce a deal. Why and 258 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: we all are, I think because the terms of any 259 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: acceptable deal are essentially the terms of surrender, and we're 260 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: simply not going to do that. We've started it, the 261 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,400 Speaker 1: mission is going well, it's ahead of time, and we're 262 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: going to finish the mission and then we'll see what 263 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,719 Speaker 1: the Uranium people can do. The terms of any acceptable 264 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: deal would be terms of surrender, and we're not going 265 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: to do that. I'll be right back the night. Michael 266 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: Brown joins me here, the former FEMA director of talk 267 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: show host Michael Brown. Brownie, No, Brownie, You're doing a 268 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: heck of a job. The Weekend with Michael Brown. Hey, 269 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: welcome back to the Beakon with Michael Brown, glad to 270 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: have you with me. I appreciate you tuning in. Text line, 271 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: of course is always open. Numbers three three one zero 272 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: three on your message app three three one zero three. 273 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: Keyword Mike or Michael go follow me on x formerly 274 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: Twitter at Michael D. Brown at Michael D. Brown. So 275 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: we're talking about the negotiation track, and I think we 276 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: should view the negotiation track with the Ranians with great skepticism. 277 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: And I think the most important thing that he said 278 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: about the negotiations was that he is highly skeptical that 279 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 1: it will produce the deal because what the Iranians want 280 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: until we finish the operations the military offer operations in 281 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 1: terms of negotiations, that they just want to surrender. They just 282 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: want us to go away and leave them alone. That's 283 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: not going to happen. So what the United States and 284 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: Israel are demanding diplomatically is exactly what they are physically 285 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: taking away through the military operations. They're taking away all 286 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: they're literally taking away all of their physical military operations, 287 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: their capability, their nuclear capability, all of which is a 288 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: guarantee against future development and the strait kept open. So 289 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: he asked appointed question, is there an Iranian leader willing 290 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: to formally concede all of that, and his answer implicitly 291 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: in everything I've read is probably not. And if that's true, 292 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: that means the military, the military tract has to run 293 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: out to completion. So operationally, what we discussed so far 294 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: is operationally, we're ahead of schedule. We're we're obtaining everything 295 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: operationally that we wanted to and we're on schedule for 296 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: another three four five weeks, just depending on how will 297 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:24,360 Speaker 1: things go and negotiations. The diplomatic track is continuing along 298 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:28,400 Speaker 1: the same line, and the strait of her moves, we're 299 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: now putting together the coalition to reopen that. As I've 300 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: said in other programs, and I think I said last weekend, 301 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: I'm not so sure that Trump is in a hurry 302 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: to open the strait for a whole host of reasons 303 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,159 Speaker 1: that have to do not with the Middle East, but 304 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: have more to do with Russia and China. And then 305 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:53,639 Speaker 1: we get to what everybody wonders about regime change, and 306 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: I think that there is an honest answer here about 307 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: regime change. The official position of both the United States 308 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: and Israel is that regime change is not one of 309 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 1: the military objectives, and General King confirms this, and he 310 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: explains the reasoning very clearly. If you want to change 311 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: a political order, you need ground forces, You need to 312 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: physically take and hold territory and install new governance. And 313 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: we're not doing that. I don't think we have the 314 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,399 Speaker 1: appetite for that. And frankly, given our track record in 315 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 1: Iraq and Afghanistan, the argument for avoiding it that's not 316 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,919 Speaker 1: crazy at all. But and this is the part that 317 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: I think gets obscured, israel Is systematically, Remember there's two operations. 318 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:48,239 Speaker 1: We're working together and separately with the Israelis. We have 319 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:52,640 Speaker 1: one objective. Sometimes it overlaps, but we have one objective 320 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: and they have one objective. And Israel Is systematically targeting 321 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: the organizational infrastructure that keeps the regime in power. What 322 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: is that The IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, that's 323 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: the internal security forces, and the Baiji military, the militia. 324 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: They're not just killing the leaders, they're also killing members 325 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: by the hundreds, and that's creating morale problems throughout the 326 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: entire security apparatus that keeps the population punkered down, and 327 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 1: according to Israeli intelligence, it's creating chaotic decision making at 328 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: the top. The explicit Israeli objective is to, according to 329 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,119 Speaker 1: General King, is to set the conditions for a potential 330 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 1: regime collapse, not to trigger it directly, but to leave 331 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: the regime so hollowed out that it becomes possible for 332 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 1: it to collapse. Now everything again, this is a compositive everything. 333 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 1: I tried to read about him this week to get 334 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: what I think is an objective assessment with someone who 335 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 1: has a clear channel of communication with the decision makers 336 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: both within the IDF and within Syncome. His preferred endgame 337 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 1: is more aggressive. General Keanes is is more aggressive than 338 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: the official policy. He wants to take carg Island, which 339 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: is the Iranians primary oil export terminal through which I 340 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 1: don't know, I think upwards of ninety percent of their 341 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 1: oil revenues flow through that island. Well. General Keen wants 342 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: to take that as the final act of the military operation, 343 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 1: and his logic to me seems to be pretty straightforward. 344 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: If we destroy their offensive military capability, but then leave 345 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: the Iyatolas, the regime, the IRGC, and the Baiji militia, 346 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: if we leave them with economic means to recover and rebuild, 347 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 1: we haven't solved the problem. We've just reset the clock, 348 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:02,959 Speaker 1: so to speak. If we take carg Island force an 349 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: economic collapse, and you've taken away not just their weapons, 350 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: but their ability to even reconstitute their weapons, the regime 351 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 1: doesn't just lose the war, it loses its future. Now. 352 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: I don't know whether that option gets exercised, whether it's 353 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: a presidential decision. I don't know whether Trump's made that 354 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: decision or not made the decision. I don't think any 355 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 1: body except Trump knows that. And maybe some of the commanders. 356 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: King says that most of the people he talks to 357 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 1: they do want to execute that. But whether or not 358 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 1: President Trump pulls that trigger, that remains to be seen. 359 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: And then there are the larger states, and what does 360 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:51,680 Speaker 1: this mean beyond Iran? I know, I'm looking at some 361 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: text messages about you know, these are from earlier in 362 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: the week, a couple of them from today about you know, 363 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: we shouldn't have done this, we shouldn't have started this. 364 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: I think that's missing the larger picture. And King makes 365 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: a point near the end of a bunch of these 366 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,680 Speaker 1: interviews that I think deserves its own moment of reflection, 367 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: because I think it reframes the entire operation in terms 368 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: that go well beyond the boundaries of the Iranians. General 369 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: King argues that successfully completing this operation, taking down Iran's 370 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: military capacity, opening the Strait of Hormos, potentially forcing regime collapse, 371 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: that returns the United States of America to a position 372 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 1: of global strategic credibility that we have not occupied in decades, 373 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 1: and that credibility isn't just about the Iranians. That'll change 374 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 1: the calculus in Ukraine. It changes what ggene Ping calculates 375 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: about Taiwan, it changes what every a this area we 376 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: have around the entire world, and quite frankly, every ally, 377 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 1: it changes everything about what they think about America's resolved 378 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:16,959 Speaker 1: and American capability. I think there's also a historical lesson 379 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: embedded in this operation that Keen addressed directly, whether he 380 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: meant to or not, The intelligence that poured in after 381 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:29,679 Speaker 1: the Twelve Day War last June that revealed that Iran 382 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:35,159 Speaker 1: had immediately begun rebuilding underground storage sites, new ballistic missile 383 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: program that had extended range capabilities, they were actually working 384 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: toward ICBM capabilities, a new financial network fundling hundreds of 385 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,160 Speaker 1: millions of dollars to their proxy terrorist organizations throughout the world, 386 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 1: not just in the Middle East, not just the whois, 387 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: not just hasbal Law, but all over the world. Central America, 388 00:26:54,160 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: South America, Indo Pacific, Europe, DUH Europe Zoom, nuclear enrichment 389 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:06,160 Speaker 1: preparation at new sites. Does that tell me? What should 390 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: it tell you? The Iranians were never going to stop. 391 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: The only question was whether the United States and Israel 392 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:18,200 Speaker 1: we're going to make them stop. The answer, I think 393 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:23,920 Speaker 1: three weeks in or so appears to be yes. That 394 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: causes I think many people to kind of feel repulsed 395 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: by the idea that the United States of America is 396 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: the world's dominant superpower and that without a constitutional republic 397 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: based on the freedoms that we're still hanging on to. 398 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: Let's set aside domestic politics for a moment. That what 399 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: we represent and the rules based order, the constitutional system, 400 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: the Constitutional Compact, the social compact, everything that we represent, 401 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 1: free markets, all the things that we talked that are 402 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: good about the United States. Again, setting aside the stupid 403 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: things going on in our politics right now. That creates 404 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: a stable world. It helps maintain a stable world. It 405 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that it won't be future conflict. It doesn't 406 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: mean that there will be peace for the you know, 407 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: for the foreseeable future, but it keeps rogue nations in check. 408 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 1: And that's something that you know whether you sometimes you're 409 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: thrust into a position in your life, in your work. 410 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: You didn't ask for it, you didn't want it, but 411 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: you got it, and then you have a choice. And 412 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 1: that choice is, am I going to take that opportunity 413 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna am I gonna use it for good? 414 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: And am I going to make certain that I changed 415 00:28:54,640 --> 00:29:00,600 Speaker 1: the organization? I change my family dynamics, I I change 416 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: whatever organization it is that I'm involved in. And I 417 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: don't want this, but it's been thrust upon me. I 418 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 1: think that's where we are in this country. But I've 419 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 1: got one omnious, one honest caveat that's coming up next. 420 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: It's the Weekend with Michael Brown. Text line three three 421 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 1: one zero three keyword Michael, Michael. I'll be right back. 422 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Weekend with Michael Brown. Glad to 423 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: have you with me. I appreciate you tuning in. Go 424 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: follow me over on next formerly Twitter, It's at Michael D. 425 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: Brown at Michael D. Brown. So here's the caveat. That 426 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: I want to give to everything. By the way, let 427 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: me read a text that just came in from zero 428 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: four zero one Mike as the father of someone whose 429 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: son went and did four deployments in Afghanistan and the 430 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 1: Middle East, dring combat operations. I believe that we should 431 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: take out Iron completely and utterly. I applaud the Israeli's 432 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: efforts in following in, in following out the infrastructure. I 433 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: think you mean following out the infrastructure of the IRGC 434 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: and the Iranian military and the Council of something that 435 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 1: I think Air National Defense Council. I think the speech, 436 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: the text isn't working too well. God bless America. Cooper 437 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: Gubert of zero four zero one. I think until we do, 438 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: I mean, for decades now, Republican presidents, Democrat presidents have 439 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: told us that the Iranians are the source of so 440 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,000 Speaker 1: much of the conflict, not just in the Middle East 441 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 1: but throughout the entire world, the number one state sponsor 442 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: of terrorism throughout the entire world. And every president talks 443 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: about you know, they've tried diplomacy, they've sent palots of cash, 444 00:30:55,320 --> 00:31:01,200 Speaker 1: they've entered into agreements, everything, nothing has worked, and nobody 445 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: else has. The ability except the United States and the 446 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: Israelis to do this. Now, you might say, well, where's 447 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: Russia and China? You think Russian China does? Russia and 448 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: China thrive on this chaos. They want the chaos because 449 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: they they may not call us the Great Satan, but 450 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: China wants to be the dominant power on the planet. 451 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: I don't want that. I don't want them influencing supply chains. 452 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: I don't want them influencing markets. I don't want them 453 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: influencing much of anything do. I don't want to destroy them, 454 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: but neither I don't want them to be the world's 455 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: only superpower. So let's get back to the caveat General 456 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 1: Keen is optimistic, but I don't think he's being unrealistic. 457 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 1: He acknowledges that the hardest part of this operation is 458 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,479 Speaker 1: still ahead because the Uranians are going to do everything 459 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 1: they can to hide, disperse, to do whatever they can 460 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: to protect whatever remaining asked that exists. So we're kind 461 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: of trying to get from the twenty yard line to 462 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: the end zone to use the football analogy, and that's 463 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: the hardest part. We're in the red zone because the 464 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: Rgians know what's at stake, and they're making the last 465 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: stretch as hard as possible. And Keen has raised a 466 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 1: concern that I think is probably the most strategically sobering 467 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: thing in the entire compilation that I've put together, what 468 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: happens after Trump? What happens after NAT and Yahoo, Because 469 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: the history of this conflict is a history of incomplete operations, 470 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 1: of taking the foot off the neck, of trusting agreements 471 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: that turned out to be lives. The reason we're here 472 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: now is partly that we should have kept going during 473 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: the Twelve Day War, but we did not. Future administrations, 474 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: future presidents, future leaders, future prime ministers, they may not 475 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: have the same resolve that we have right now, which 476 00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:00,240 Speaker 1: is why the argument for finishing the job completely, ourg 477 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 1: island and everything is not just military logic. It's an 478 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: attempt to make the outcome durable enough to survive the 479 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: inevitable political change that comes with democratic elections. So if 480 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: you strip away all the partisan noise that we get 481 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: bombarded with, if you strip away the journalists confirming the 482 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: stories that they already wrote that they had in their 483 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: head to begin with, if you strip away even the 484 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: administration's opponents, who simply cannot assess this operation on its merits, 485 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: because they are constitutionally incapable of crediting anything associated with 486 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: Donald Trump. What you're left with is this, We've got 487 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: a retired four star general daily access to the commanders 488 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: that are running this war, who is telling us that 489 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: the operation is ahead of schedule, the casualties are remarkably low, 490 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,959 Speaker 1: that every assigned objective will and can be achieved, and 491 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: that the President is not looking for an offer, if 492 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: the strait of hormones will eventually be reopened and it 493 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 1: will be kept open by force if necessary, and that 494 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 1: Iran's nuclear program will be eliminated by military operations. Now 495 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: you can disagree with the decision to go to war, 496 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 1: that's a legitimate debate. But the conduct of the war, 497 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: by every honest military measure that I can find that's available, 498 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,720 Speaker 1: is going better than the coverage would have you believe. 499 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 1: General King's been right before in circumstances where conventional wisdom 500 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: was very, very wrong. It might be worth listening to 501 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 1: General King. He's got the access, he has the experience, 502 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: and he has the ability to look at it objectively 503 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,319 Speaker 1: as a former military commander and say this is what 504 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: we need to do, and this is where we're going. 505 00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: I filled up with gas this week. Now, if you're 506 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 1: on the West coast or the East coast, the dollar 507 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,239 Speaker 1: man I'm going to give you. You may laugh spit 508 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: out your coffee. But I paid for premium unleaded. I 509 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:15,240 Speaker 1: paid four dollars and I think twenty nine cents or something. 510 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,800 Speaker 1: I thought it was horribly expensive, And as I watched 511 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: the dial spend, I understand why. I understand market forces. 512 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 1: I understand some of the stupid policies that we have 513 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: in place, domestic policies. I understand that we've got had 514 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,280 Speaker 1: a refinery fire in in Houston. I understand that California 515 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: likes to shut down refineries. I understand all of these 516 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,359 Speaker 1: forces are all coming together right now. But at least 517 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:46,440 Speaker 1: I have the ability to see beyond that, and I 518 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: know people struggle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying 519 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 1: to be cold hearted here. I understand that there's a struggle. 520 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 1: But where we're at today is still lower than where 521 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:59,680 Speaker 1: we've been before, and we're not looking at something that 522 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 1: I believe going to turn into a twenty year you 523 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 1: know what they call the endless Wars. I think it 524 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: has the opportunity to reshape the entire global political structure, 525 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 1: and in so doing, we will start charging you know, 526 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 1: for Iranian oil the Chinese, just like if they want 527 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:27,319 Speaker 1: to use Venezuelan oil. Yeah, you'll pay market rates just 528 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 1: like we the rest of us do. That will hurt 529 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:36,720 Speaker 1: the Chinese economy. That may result in some chain in China. 530 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 1: Maybe they won't attack Taiwan in twenty twenty seven. It 531 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: might just calm everything down. But we all have ADHD 532 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: and we want something to change right now. It's not 533 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,280 Speaker 1: going to hang on it. So begin with Michael Brown 534 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:55,799 Speaker 1: guests some news and spots will be right back. Let's 535 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: talk about this president being on the currency. I find 536 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 1: that weird. I'll be right back