1 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: Ah beat Force. If it doesn't work, you're just not 2 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: using enough. You're listening to Software Radio Special Operations, Military 3 00:00:25,600 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: news and straight talk with the guys and the community. 4 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: Software Radio on Time on Target. If you're watching on YouTube, 5 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: which we've been doing, you see Thomas up Cora in 6 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: the right frame of the screen. Really excited to have 7 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: you on. UM. For those who don't know, we were 8 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: referred to you by our friend del com Stock, who's 9 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 1: a mutual friend. Uh. Thomas is a twenty four year 10 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: c I, a security officer involved in Mogadishu, the resurgence 11 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: of Abu Saif in the Philippines, and also the hunt 12 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: for Osan bin Wad in Post nine eleven. He is 13 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: a book coming out which we'll get into, and we're 14 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: really excited more than anything just to have you on 15 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: and have this introduction to you. It's an amazing career 16 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: you've had. Thank you. We're really happy to be here. Absolutely. 17 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: So the book is coming out on May seven, so 18 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: it's uh, it's a while away, but the pre order 19 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: is up now on Amazon dot com. It's called Guardian 20 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: Life in the Crosshairs of the CIA's War on Terror. 21 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: You wrote it with John Land and Lindsay Preston. UM. 22 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: So I think it would be great to just get 23 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: started on, you know, your career from the inception. How 24 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: did you get involved in the in the CIA and 25 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: where did it all begin? Well, it started with an 26 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: ad in the newspaper and the Milwaukee Journal. Wow. Yeah, 27 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: it almost sounds like you're joking. I that's surprising. Yeah, 28 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: it's it's how it happened. I was I finished grad school, 29 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: I was coaching wrestling. I was trying to figure out 30 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: what I wanted to do with my life. I always 31 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: had an interest in federal service, UH, but I wasn't 32 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: quite sure. So I Andrew nad got an interview next you. No, 33 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 1: I was driving my A T two Toyota to sell 34 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: out to Washington, d C. Started a career and uh 35 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: had no real background in security UM, but that's what 36 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: they put me into UM and was definitely a good fit. 37 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: And from there things got interesting. I was first posted 38 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: to a field office doing background investigations, which UM is 39 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,679 Speaker 1: pretty boring work, quite frankly, but it's a good way 40 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: to test your metal. UM find out if you can 41 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: work independently, if you you know, tested integrity because you're 42 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: on your own doing backgrounds, checking neighborhoods, doing things with 43 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: very little supervision. But an opportunity came my way. That 44 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: was a life rope. Uh. From that boring existence, I UH, 45 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: there was an opportunity to UH go to a training course, 46 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: a brand new training course called the SPOCK which is 47 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: a special Protective Operations course. And it was a course 48 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: developed to provide protective operations training for people who are 49 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: going to protect our agency personnel overseas. And it was 50 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: in response to a couple of different incidents, one of 51 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: which was the the death of Colonel Row. It was 52 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: it was killed by by Harris in the Philippines and 53 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: then a threat against some of our people in Manila. 54 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 1: Fast forward about a year two this new course. I 55 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: was one of the first group to go through the 56 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: training course, the first official training UH running and it 57 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: was exciting. We had some very really good instructors from 58 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: a variety of different backgrounds UH special operations. We were 59 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: using UM theory and techniques from d A, you know, 60 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: law enforcement, because this was very much undercover. This was 61 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: going to be low profile protection, UH, something kind of new. 62 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: We're gonna be working in a foreign environment where we 63 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 1: cannot be flagged as protection. Um, and we need to 64 00:04:56,279 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: still provide eye level of h of security for our 65 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: people working. So I went through the training course um, 66 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: and then I was signed back into washing d C. 67 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: And this security Duty office, which was basically our nine 68 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: one one center. We answer all all the strange calls 69 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,239 Speaker 1: from people who want to talk to the CIA, especially 70 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: when they have weird things that they want to talk about, 71 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: a lot of conspiracy theorists. Oh, every every day and 72 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: every night. Um and Uh. I was during that time 73 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: that I really was exposed to terrorism. Uh. We had 74 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: a shooting at the CIA headquarters in the turn lane 75 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:48,679 Speaker 1: on January and I was on duty. I just finished 76 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: my first cup of coffee and our security Protective Service 77 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: that's our uniform division opened the back door, looked at 78 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: us and said shots fired main Gate at least two down. 79 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: That's his unprecedented type of communications. So I sat there 80 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: and thought for a second, this guy must be kidding, 81 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: and then I'm like, oh, no, he's not. So at 82 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: that moment, I hit the drop line to Fairfax County 83 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: Police started notifying them, and then the news started coming 84 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: in from our our ford deployed security personnel at the 85 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: gate and It turned out that several people were killed 86 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: and several people were wounded. And at first, uh, you know, 87 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: jumping forward, and we thought it was an active shooter, 88 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: a workplace violence issue. So we were scouring, started scouring 89 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: our records for disgruntled employees and all that. It later 90 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: turned out that that it was a Pakistani terrorists who 91 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: decided to attack CIA personnel and entering the building in 92 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: the morning and he um, and he's quite effective. He 93 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,159 Speaker 1: was wearing a bullistic vest. He parked his car to 94 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,799 Speaker 1: block the vehicles that were in and then he walked 95 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: backwards shooting the vehicles. And so that was a baptism 96 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: and fire for me in terms of terrorism, and uh, 97 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: it was a precursor to basically the rest of my career, 98 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: which was woven tightly around terrorism and responding to terrorism 99 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: all the way until I left. I think I remember 100 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: that incident. After that, they did a lot of things 101 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: to harden the CIA headquarters. Then at Langley, didn't they 102 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: as far as laps, making them go through checkpoints before 103 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: they even got that far. Um, different measures were taken. 104 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: As I recall, absolutely, it was a wake up call 105 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: for us. We had been relying on the Terrence and 106 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: UM maybe mystique a bit um. Now we had we 107 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: had good security, but it was alway inside are are 108 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: basically a compound, and we had nothing for those individuals 109 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: who were just sitting in that turn lane. And now 110 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: we have all kinds of different security measures there. So, 111 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: but that was a that was a wake up call 112 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: because we have a Pakistani terrorist and he disappeared into 113 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: Pakistan and between the Agency and the U and the FBI, 114 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: they were to track him down, lure him to a meeting, 115 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: captured and brought him back to the the United States who 116 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: was tried, convicted, and executed. Wow, there's uh. I was 117 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: wondering if you could talk a little bit more about 118 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: UM running security for the agency. I think it's really 119 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: interesting how this developed, and it sounds like you were 120 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: kind of at the beginning of it as far as 121 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: the mobile security aspect for the case officers and operations 122 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: officers UM way in the past. You know, back when 123 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: we had OSS and and Jedburg teams, we pretty much 124 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: sent these guys out completely by themselves, um parachuting them 125 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 1: in occupied territory and it occupied France and things like this, 126 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: and some of those guys a lot of those guys died. 127 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 1: I mean we had entire teams went out. I mean 128 00:08:55,679 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 1: it's important, important to mention that. Um. But then, as 129 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: you said, there's the incident with Colonel Rowe being killed 130 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: in the Philippines, um by I believe it was by 131 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: the n p A. I've actually been at the traffic 132 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: circle where that happened. Um and um. And you're saying 133 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: after that, they really came to believe that, you know, 134 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: our agency personnel need to start having some sort of 135 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: close protection detail and I guess high risk environments. Correct. Yeah, 136 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: it was. It was a new philosophy and UM we 137 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: embraced it, uh because of a couple of those incidents. 138 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 1: But the on the protective theory side, Um, they were 139 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: coming to this conclusion that what they called the iron 140 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: box does not work anymore. That's armored cars, lots of 141 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: guys with guns and just show a force. And the 142 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: real wake up call was the Harehousing assassination. And that's 143 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: where Alfred Herrhausen, who was the head of the Deutsche Bank, 144 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: was targeted by the Red Army fact with y I D. 145 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: And it was it was, uh, a futuristic version of 146 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 1: the I D in terms of at that time, nobody 147 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: had ever really done that. It was. It was a 148 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: platter charge on the back of a bike that was 149 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: placed along his route, and he had he had former 150 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: what what MO would consider delta force for us there 151 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: there German delta force was around him. He had a 152 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: fifty man detail, He had the best armored car Mercedes 153 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: Benz ever made, and that platter charge went through that 154 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: armored car like a hot night thruit butter and and 155 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: killed him and did not just minorly would the driver. 156 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: At that point, there were people in the really studying 157 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: protective operations said, m you know, uh, if these guys 158 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 1: are going to tear through our armor like this, the 159 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: amount of guys we have, the amount of guns we have, 160 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: it isn't gonna matter. So what is it that we 161 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 1: really need to be focusing on? And so they they 162 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 1: looked into counter surveillance and surveillance detection and that became 163 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: a big, big, um turning point in terms of protective operations. 164 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: When you combine that those those theories with a lower 165 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: profile protection detail, which makes it much harder for the 166 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 1: bad guy to spot you, you you've increased your security dramatically, 167 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: and that if you if you emerge those two. That's 168 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: kind of what the theory we went on at the agency, 169 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: and in fact, at one point I was on the 170 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 1: counter surveillance team for the director, the deputy director, and 171 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 1: the former director. At that time we had three, we 172 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: had gates, and so we were actually actively UM working 173 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: this UH, this process, this this new procedure. But on 174 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: the on the protection side, you're you're correct. In the 175 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: old days, UH, there were a lot of military people 176 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: in OSS. But in the CIA in early nineties we 177 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: were now h mostly college type people and with very 178 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: little experience, and the military are with weapons, and the 179 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: threat was changing. We were now dealing not what the 180 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: Cold War where maybe they'll they'll knock your teeth out 181 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 1: or throw you in the engine until we can do 182 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: a spy exchange. When you're dealing with terrorism and narco 183 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: traffic skers UM, which was another area we were kind 184 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: of dabbling in. UM, there's no negotiating. They don't care 185 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,599 Speaker 1: about what government you work for. They're just going to 186 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: get rid of you. So when you face that, you've 187 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: got to up your security posture so that the creation 188 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: of the spock actually the spot is the course that 189 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,439 Speaker 1: the actual UM and this is the first time I 190 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: know of that we were allowed to actually say this. 191 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: But the name of the unit was called the Park 192 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: and that stands for Protective Operations Cadre. And they used 193 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: the word cadre specifically because it wasn't a full time position. 194 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: What it was was, UM a group of individuals and 195 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: security but all staff we're training. UH. They go to 196 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: the spot course and then they would uh they would 197 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: wait in their normal jobs and when an deployment was 198 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: was initiated, they would UM asked to go and depending 199 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: on their manager you could free up that space, they 200 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: would go and they would deploy and UM. So we 201 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: were a cadre of part timers and that had that 202 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: worked until basically at nine eleven, we it was just 203 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: too much work and so we had to bring in contractors. 204 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: And that's where UM now in fast forwarding all the 205 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:44,079 Speaker 1: way to the protective operations world that we know of 206 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: UM with veng Ghazi and all that, where you have 207 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: a staff, offers and a number of contractors. Uh. And 208 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: that that came about in the late nineties early two thousands. 209 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 1: I don't know if you're allowed to say it or not, 210 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: but I mean we know today is that the g 211 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: RS program. The guys who do global security for the 212 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: agency today, as you mentioned, are mostly contractors through a 213 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 1: separate company oftentimes. UM and uh, you know, I know 214 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: a lot of those guys, you know, former Rangers, former Marines, 215 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: former part para rescue guys who have gone on to 216 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: work for g RS. UM, what was that shift? Like, 217 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: I mean, if you could take us a little bit 218 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: through nine eleven, and I mean the military and the 219 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: agency and obviously your corner of the agency where you 220 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: worked as well, I mean, I imagine it must have 221 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: been like drastic changes going from as you say, a small, 222 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: little part time mom and pop shop doing security for 223 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: the agency and now it's like industrial scale. You know, 224 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: you have case officers going into the wild lands of Pakistan, 225 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: the federally administrated areas and all kinds of crazy places. 226 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: I can imagine. Well, that's that's an interesting part. UM. 227 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: We were operating in those wild wally places in the nineties. 228 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: Nobody knew about us. We were completely clandestine in the 229 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: sense that, UM, with one exception an individual in Pakistan, 230 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: Ray David. Other than that, we really never came up 231 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: on the scope and which I mean, I'm going to 232 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: take a moment to brag a little bit, but the 233 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: members can back this up. When we are doing our mission, 234 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: which is mobile protective operations. The pock slash the other 235 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: acronym when i'm which I'm not allowed to mentioned the 236 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: one you did, ah, the that element has never lost 237 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: the protecting we had and we've only lost one actual 238 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: member during our primary mission. We have lost people during 239 00:15:55,440 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: a secondary stationary base protective mode, and that would be 240 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: Coast and that would be Benghazi. But in terms of 241 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: our primary in all those years and then we were 242 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: all you named the hotspots, we were there. Um we 243 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: are low profile. Operation techniques kept us out of the 244 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: crossers and so so the after nine eleven when we 245 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: started picking up a lot more work because we had 246 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: a lot more people going into the war zones, You're right, 247 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: it was. It was a massive influx and we had 248 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: to learn how to um uh incorporate non staff officers 249 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: into it. Now, mind you, they were bringing some incredible 250 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: skill sets in. I mean we were staffers before, back 251 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: when I was doing that kind of work. GPS for 252 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: three letters in the alphabet, and there was no qr 253 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: F or any of the other accordates. Quick reaction force 254 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: if UM. If you got into something, you either got 255 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: out of it or that was it UM. So it 256 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: was it was definitely a good thing to bring in UM. 257 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: This exceptional talent that we had. We had to deal 258 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: with some of the contractual issues that go with other companies. 259 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:25,239 Speaker 1: We we set up UM very strong vetting processes and 260 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,680 Speaker 1: that's why we had, you know, I think we had 261 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: some of the best guys in the business on the 262 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:33,439 Speaker 1: contract side, and I think they don't get enough credit 263 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: UM for for being there out out there putting their 264 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: lives on the line and getting really known recognition UM. 265 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: But if you don't vet correctly and you don't supervise correctly, 266 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 1: you can have some pretty catastrophic events. And if you 267 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: look at some of the other elements. I don't want 268 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: to put any puny fingers, but there's some other UM 269 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: or government or going zations that have had contractors working 270 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: for him that it didn't work out as well. Yeah, 271 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: I mean today they have what is it like a 272 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: three or four week or three or four week vetting 273 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: process if you want to go on the mobile contract, 274 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: and then there's one for the security guys or the 275 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: static security guys also, right they have. They have a 276 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: very strong vetting process. And also if if you know, 277 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: if you if something goes wrong and you do something, 278 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: then you shouldn't. You're you're not going to be invited back. 279 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 1: And I'll tell you, uh, you you want to be 280 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: on the A team. And we pretty much were the 281 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: A teams in terms of housing, transportation, UM, armor uh, 282 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: cutting edge armor. We're talking about the money spent on 283 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: armored cars. Uh. They spared no expense. Well did you 284 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,439 Speaker 1: see things change from what you were saying when you 285 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 1: were with the POCK to today's uh, you know agency 286 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: security where you know, you guys more clandestine, will profile 287 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 1: and I don't want to say the guys today or 288 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: high profile rolling around Iraq in Afghanistan, but I mean 289 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: it's a different ballgame. Correct. What what happened was, Um, 290 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,439 Speaker 1: I'm I'm kind of an unusual security officer. Uh. To 291 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: give you a quick snippet of what CIA security really is, UM, 292 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: it's it's a we use the term baked in, not 293 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:29,360 Speaker 1: bolted on. Our security operatus came into the into the CIA. 294 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: So we were int a girl to the entire growth 295 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: of the organization, but well we kind of edged more 296 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: into personnel security UM. As time went on, and the 297 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: counter intelligence when you say that the agency security apparatus 298 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: started in you know, the fifties, and it was that 299 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: more originally more of a counter intelligence UM capacity that 300 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: they were looking at a combination of the two. Yeah, 301 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: it was the security support, counter intelligence and vetting. Interesting, 302 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: but now we're very much heavy on personnel security. In fact, 303 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: that's that's really the main thrust. And then you've got 304 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,360 Speaker 1: some of these side elements that are in technical security, UM, 305 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: you know, the people who are in locks and alarms, 306 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: and then you have ah, those of us gunslinger types. 307 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: The protective operations side really was only the director's protection 308 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:32,919 Speaker 1: staff prior to UH and UM, and that was you know, 309 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 1: that's more of suits and going to nice places, not 310 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: not where we went UM. So it was it was 311 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: a dramatic change, and I'll be honest, the agency management 312 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: really wasn't really thrilled with it. They always thought we 313 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 1: were temporary. UM. The if you look at the way 314 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: you mentioned something earlier about the Cold War UM. Cold 315 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 1: War warrior type ci A officers did not carry weapons 316 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: and they believed that they relied on their wits. Now, 317 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 1: the threat level change, the threat dynamic changed, so UM, 318 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 1: we had to change with it. But a lot of 319 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: those guys who cut their teeth in the cocktail circuit 320 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: of Europe, they're senior managers now and they're not really 321 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: understanding this guy, you know, guns and running around and 322 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 1: so there's always been a rub. And UM, we barely 323 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: stayed in existence during that period up until and there 324 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 1: was a name change. And I won't go into the 325 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,360 Speaker 1: name change. But when I was a senior team letter 326 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: along with another gentleman, and that's when we started, our 327 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: numbers jumped. And because we were being worn out, we 328 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: were actually guys weren't getting enough training. They were basically 329 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: deploying all the time. Um. But there's a lot of 330 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: pride in the unit. Did you guys get any resistance 331 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: from the case officers as been throughout the nineties and 332 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: even after nine eleven, who are like, I don't I 333 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 1: don't want these these ex army guys following me around places? What? What? 334 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: What is this? Absolutely? Actually early on, UM, as I said, 335 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 1: I had an unusual security career. I jumped in and 336 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: out of security over over the twenty four years. I 337 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: actually was operational. UM. I worked in the CTC for 338 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: a number of years doing different jobs, one of which 339 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,360 Speaker 1: was in the counter terrorism unit, and that is an 340 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: operational unit that was targeting terrorists and specifically doing a 341 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: variety of different things. But one of the things that 342 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: I was involved in because of my security background was 343 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: looking for terrorists signature looking. So when I went to Khartoum, 344 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: we were tracking terrorists. Now cartoon is the club med 345 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,680 Speaker 1: of terrorism. Uh. When I went there, everybody was there, 346 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: including Osama bin Lad but he wasn't as big of 347 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: a fish back then. But then it was a Bunidao 348 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: and Carlos the Jackal, and I got to Sudan and 349 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: got to work with a guy who basically got Carlos 350 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: a legend and special Forces, a guy named Billy Walk. 351 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: So I arrived in just after after Billy scored on 352 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: that and his book Hunting the Jackal talks about It's 353 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 1: the only book besides mine that actually talks about that unit. 354 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:31,639 Speaker 1: And to give you a corollary, the British have a 355 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: unit similar fourteen Intelligence Debt, and and I've I've looked 356 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: at their literature on them. It's it's almost identical, doing 357 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: the same thing they would do. Color Surmanson surveillance, detection 358 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 1: and surveillance on I ra A bad guys for the 359 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: s A S SO. UM. So that's what I was doing. 360 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: So when I came back from that, I went back 361 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: into the to the park. I brought that UH information 362 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 1: and that training to the to the pock and we 363 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: started doing teaching our park officers how to be more clandestine. 364 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: And the first step is understand who your client is. 365 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: Your client is a clandestine officer. Their job is to 366 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 1: meet UH and recruit assets, um, and they use specific 367 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: tradecraft to do that. And if we don't we the 368 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: protectors don't understand that tradecraft. UM, we're not very effective 369 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: and they're not gonna like us much. You do you 370 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: have any stories about I mean, I know you couldn't 371 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 1: get into specifics about the one and the wear maybe, 372 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 1: but particularly Harry source meets or you know, any any 373 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: weird things like that that may have gone down. UM. Yeah, 374 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: there was. There was a situation in the country. I 375 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: had a very good working relationship with this was this 376 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: was when I was doing the counter terrorism unit stuff. UM. 377 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: We had and an asset was captured and killed actually 378 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: didn't he wasn't killed at that point, but he was 379 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: he was captured and um, we were going to try 380 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: to get some funds to his widow. And uh we 381 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 1: knew that the opposition was probably staking out her location. 382 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: So we had to get into position to provide counter 383 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: servants support for the case officer. Who um who got 384 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: completely dressed up. He was he looked like he was 385 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 1: covered head and toe. He looked like a woman and 386 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: uh and he hobbled down the street and picking up 387 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 1: trash and putting in a bag and then he ended 388 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 1: up throwing what he looked like an old crumpled can 389 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: over the wall into this residence and it was the 390 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:56,200 Speaker 1: crumpled can full of cash for for this widow. So 391 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: that was a pretty scary night because we we knew 392 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: that there was a real good chance that they were 393 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood watching for some type of activity. And 394 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 1: I think we completely bamboos with them on the protection side. Uh, 395 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: there was a lot. There was a lot of hairy 396 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: stuff we did. Um stuff that we came out of 397 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 1: and we're like whoa um and talked about in the book. 398 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,679 Speaker 1: I talked about one mission where we was the longest 399 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: drive in that country that we've ever done, um than 400 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: anything at dark was extremely dangerous UM. And we made 401 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: the run um to this other city and around the 402 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: route back. It took us longer because of traffic, and 403 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: we ended up in the dark and with all we 404 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: all of a sudden we came up on him on 405 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 1: two armored personnel carriers bristling with guns and these guys 406 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: are hunting terrorists and they're looking for anything and everything 407 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,679 Speaker 1: on the road and we come up on him and 408 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 1: it was one of those moments where are they going 409 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: to fire or not? And luckily they didn't, and and 410 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: it wasn't eventful, but it could have been not really 411 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: bad because you're working in a clandestine manner. You can't 412 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:15,359 Speaker 1: necessarily tell the government you're in. You can't deconflict necessarily, 413 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: like hey, we're going to meet with our secret source 414 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: over in this place. You know absolutely not a lot 415 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: of these places they had no idea we were operating 416 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,680 Speaker 1: in their in their midst none and um. So that 417 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,120 Speaker 1: was a lot of work trying to get logistics in 418 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: and and and cover our tracks, especially when you're there 419 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 1: a lot. So there was a lot of of different 420 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 1: rules as we used to get in country and do 421 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: what we did, and we and we hid in a 422 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,679 Speaker 1: lot of different other elements, you know. Um, we had 423 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 1: a lot of help from from our other government and 424 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 1: military sources. Yeah, it sounds like bringing things in and 425 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 1: diplomatic pouches, like out of a spy movie or something 426 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,199 Speaker 1: like that. It's cool, Um. I want to ask you 427 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 1: because I mean the other highlights here from your book 428 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: you talk about and you mentioned it briefly, So why 429 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: don't we start there um in Khartoum looking for Ben Laden. Yes, 430 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: and you said you you rolled in just as Billy 431 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: wahb was rolling out. Yeah. The it's it's funny, um 432 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:19,920 Speaker 1: my writers basically laughing. They say I'm the Forrest Gump 433 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: of security because I was around for so many things. Um. 434 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: Bin Laden and I uh rolled around the same mud often. 435 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: And for example, I was in Somalia and he sent 436 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: his his goons in and they we didn't know it 437 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: was him at the time. We just knew that an 438 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: element was going to come in and they were going 439 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: to up the anty and they did. They started out 440 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: by being active at night and pinpoint accurate with their 441 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: mortar fire. They gave the the the special Rangers that 442 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: arrived in Mogadishu, the black Hawk down group. They they 443 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: gave him a welcome their their second night in with 444 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: a pinpoint mortar, a brag right into their little birds 445 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: hangar area. And if you go back through our podcasts, 446 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: you'll hear George hand arrived in Mangad issue like the 447 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: day after or the day of that that happened. So, 448 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, it's interesting how these stories intersect. And 449 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: we didn't know till later that it was it was 450 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: bin Laden's guys. And then later on when I uh 451 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: when I was in cartoon, he was there operating UM 452 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: and uh so and and some of his prime UM 453 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: cohorts were involved in the Asian terrorists activities, and a 454 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: lot of people around the world don't understand because it 455 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: was never really highlighted how critical those operations were to 456 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: the worldwide threat. It was huge. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, 457 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: the the idea behind find planes and the things came 458 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: from Ramsay Useth who was working on that plan in 459 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: Minertle when he got discovered and disappeared. I mean, so 460 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: much of what was happening in the Philippines was at 461 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: that time was uh you know, the saudiast We're financing 462 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 1: a series of madrassas as I recall over there that 463 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 1: they were using the finance terrorist activity and UM, you know, 464 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 1: through through what you guys were doing in the agency 465 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: and through um a lot of hard work from the Filipinos. Um, 466 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: a lot of that stuff has been neutralized absolutely. Uh. 467 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: There were some when I was in the Philippines, we 468 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: found out that Humbali was the mastermind behind the failed 469 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 1: Singapore attack had actually been targeting Minil embassy. That was 470 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:45,480 Speaker 1: his backup plan. And we caught that guy, a famous 471 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: bomber named Father Gozi, and he was a prolific bomber. Uh, 472 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: I mean he was an expert. He's the guy who 473 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: blew up the movie theater in Manila. He set up 474 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: five bombs in Manila one day. They recalled the Result 475 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: Day bombings December twenty two thousand and I actually have again. 476 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: I was in Manila at the time doing a die 477 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: print with my brothers and we had to divert around 478 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: Manila because it was being blown up. And h when 479 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: he was caught, he was able to actually rig a 480 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: cell phone and back then that was that was new technology. 481 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: So very interesting guy. Uh. And he was he was 482 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: getting prepared to do the Manilea embassy when he was 483 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: quiet with a thousand pounds of commercial great explosive and 484 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: six pools of dead chord. And so there's all this, uh, 485 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,720 Speaker 1: it's all kind of interwoven. I mean going back to 486 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: um do you want to go back then to Somalia? Then? Um, 487 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: and and flesh that out a little bit because there's 488 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: actually I wanted to ask you too, now that it's 489 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: starting to jog my memory. There was a an agency 490 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 1: team or maybe well I'll let you elaborate if you can, 491 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 1: but there's a team of Americans that went over a 492 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: land mine back in I think before the black Hawk 493 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: down incident, the Battle of the Black Sea happened. UM 494 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: Delta Force a former Delta Force UM individuals killed Larry 495 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: Larry Friedman. Yeah, he had an interesting nickname, but uh 496 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: and uh Larry was part of a group of ground 497 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 1: Branch uh Special Activity Division personnel that we're doing route 498 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: reconnaissance in advance of the military and um when his 499 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 1: vehicle went over a landmine and he was instantly killed 500 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 1: and there were some wounded. The first Park Team provided 501 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: security for the evac. Okay, interesting yeah, and um uh 502 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: how how he Wassden wrote a book called Seal Team six, 503 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,479 Speaker 1: and in it talks about his adventures in Mogadishu, um, 504 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:07,200 Speaker 1: some of which were with us, and and he actually mentions, 505 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 1: UM my team and one of the one the incidents 506 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: that happened, uh, you know during my tour there after 507 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: that incident happened was that when you got you came 508 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: in with the team and began. I came in later. 509 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 1: I came in just before black Hawk down and I 510 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: was there for a couple of things that changed. The 511 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: environment changed dramatically. Um ah A Deed was a former asset, 512 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: so he kind of knew how we operated. And then 513 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: he got on the bad side of everybody. Yeah that's 514 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: not good. And then he decided he wanted to He 515 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 1: knew who his enemies were, so he put out a 516 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: reward for all of our heads, the park team. Holy shit. 517 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: Yeah and uh and so it was pretty hairy times 518 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 1: and and we were the only ones on the road 519 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: at one point in fact, Time Magazine had a little 520 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: burpabotis uh dusty SUVs running the pothole streaks of moby 521 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:08,799 Speaker 1: t shoot. Yeah, we were the only ones out there 522 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 1: at the time. Um, everybody else was was laying low 523 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:15,879 Speaker 1: or if they weren't they were like the CNN people 524 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,280 Speaker 1: who were getting killed. UM. So it was what happened 525 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: was the deed was turning the people against the UN forces. 526 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,799 Speaker 1: He was holding rallies and we could just see day 527 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: by day the population was turning against us, and he 528 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:33,319 Speaker 1: knew he had to get rid of us, you know, 529 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: the whole U N peacekeeping force. And what what's interesting 530 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 1: about that that was a major watershed event for peacekeeping. 531 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 1: The U. S military got a little bit of a 532 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: black eye on that, UM and UH that shaped how 533 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:57,840 Speaker 1: we dealt with force protection in Bosnia where I was involved. UM. 534 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: I was General Nash specifically asked for UM the counter 535 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:06,720 Speaker 1: terrorism unity that was to come in and protect basically 536 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 1: look look after his troops in Tuzla because of the 537 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:15,200 Speaker 1: threats that they had UM seen in Somalia. So UM 538 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: and not to get political, but there was a there 539 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:21,839 Speaker 1: was an event that happened after Somalia where Um the 540 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: sect Deaf was fired and that was Aspen and he 541 00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: was because the troops on the ground asked for tanks, 542 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 1: armor and he said, no, we don't want to have 543 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: that image. And then later on when people were killed, 544 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: he was fired. So he fight forward to beg Ghazi. 545 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 1: You can there's there's a corrollary with a different ending. 546 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: There's a you know, a number of different things and 547 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: a number of UM I think, different evolutions that were 548 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,399 Speaker 1: taking place at the time. For instance, around that same 549 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:58,200 Speaker 1: time in Mangadishu, we're also hunting down Pablo Escobar in Colombia, 550 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: and there's a number of UM botched operations UM and 551 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: the I mean, I shouldn't say botched, but failed operations 552 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:10,840 Speaker 1: because we came to realize we were telegraphing our moves 553 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,120 Speaker 1: that people could see, we're moving all these logistics in 554 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 1: the theater, etcetera, etcetera. And that became the criticism in 555 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,560 Speaker 1: Mangadishu as well. It's like, how many times are you 556 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 1: gonna air assault these targets? UM. But then of course 557 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:24,319 Speaker 1: there's only so many ways you're going to get there, right, 558 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: You're gonna fly in, you're going to um take jeeps in, 559 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:31,280 Speaker 1: and you guys operated in a in a clandestine manner, 560 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: which is I guess that's maybe the third option, is 561 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,520 Speaker 1: to use some sort of subterfuge to get to your target. 562 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: But it was it was real. Mogi issue was really 563 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:44,839 Speaker 1: a tough environment because um uh in Mark Bowen's book 564 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: Black Hawk Down, he talks about the Italians. The Italians 565 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:55,439 Speaker 1: were incredibly complicit with odeed checkpoint. Pasta was yeah, um yeah, 566 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:59,360 Speaker 1: and and that that figures into this. We we noticed 567 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,919 Speaker 1: that and Delta would start to rev up and fly out, 568 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: a little red light would start to flash out of 569 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 1: the out of the Italian camp at the airport, and uh, 570 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:15,760 Speaker 1: this was this was This was reported to the head 571 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 1: of the u N contingency at the airport, which was 572 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: an Egyptian general, I think, and he went and he 573 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: confronted the Italians and basically said, we're not going to 574 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:28,759 Speaker 1: see any more red lights. And this is part of 575 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: their They were the previous tenants you could say, of 576 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:36,920 Speaker 1: Somalia and they wanted it back. And we know from 577 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 1: intelligence reporting, et cetera, that the Italians were incou it's 578 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 1: with a deed and to the to give you an 579 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:47,840 Speaker 1: idea at the level and the and the lethality of this, 580 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 1: the Chess checkpoint passed up nearby. There was was a 581 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 1: post that the Italians gave up to the Nigerians. They 582 00:37:57,560 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 1: never told the Nigerians that they were paying off the 583 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 1: Smalley to leave them alone. So the Nigerians came in 584 00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: and they were slaughtered. I mean we're talking to a 585 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 1: couple of them are skin to lives. Their bodies were 586 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: dragged through the streets. This part was put on sne 587 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,760 Speaker 1: and they had to shielded, you know, down to their skivvies. 588 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 1: We ran into the edge of that ambush. Um and 589 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: that and which kind of explains why when we we're 590 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: running back out of there, trying to get to a 591 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:32,920 Speaker 1: hospital to save the life of our protect thee UM, 592 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 1: we weren't getting any any response from the checkpoint pasta 593 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:41,359 Speaker 1: Italian military. They did not react to the shooting. They 594 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:43,880 Speaker 1: did not react to our driving up. So we just 595 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,719 Speaker 1: carried on back to the un compound and we were 596 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:49,239 Speaker 1: lucky enough to get him back in time to save 597 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 1: his life. It was a case officer that had been shot. Yes, 598 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: the deputy. Yeah, at the time we were we didn't remember. 599 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 1: I was saying about how we had right armor. That 600 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:05,720 Speaker 1: was much later. We were not driving in armored cars 601 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: really and uh in Mogidishu at that time. UM we 602 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 1: had at one point we had two. Then we were 603 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: down to one and the one was so conspicuous that 604 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:18,879 Speaker 1: we just couldn't use it. It was a big white 605 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,320 Speaker 1: suburban and it was like the only suburban and country 606 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: and the Somalis knew it and they and they were 607 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 1: looking for it, and they called it the white whale, 608 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:34,080 Speaker 1: So we weren't going to use that. So yeah, it was. 609 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 1: It was a pretty pretty ugly moment. Since you mentioned 610 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,320 Speaker 1: it earlier. UM, and you're you know, uniquely qualified to 611 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 1: comment on this matter, and we've covered it a lot. 612 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:49,840 Speaker 1: Here is Benghazi, Uh what do you think happened there? 613 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: I mean there's been a tons and tons of debate 614 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 1: about um, the personnel station, they're requesting additional security, Um, 615 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: should they have gotten it, Should the temper emissions facility 616 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: been upgraded? Etcetera, etcetera. UM, but I was wondering what 617 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: your thoughts are on how all of that played out. UM. Uh, yeah, 618 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:13,200 Speaker 1: I have. I have a lot of opinions on it, 619 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:15,319 Speaker 1: and I'm going to start out with caveating this is 620 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,279 Speaker 1: this is my opinion based on but but based on 621 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 1: my knowledge. I've worked m in a lot of places overseas, 622 00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: and uh, the State Department RSL staff are are there. 623 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:31,200 Speaker 1: They're total troopers. They are they're they're given a really 624 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:34,640 Speaker 1: rough job and they're really not that supported. And in 625 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: this case, they knew they were understaffed, they asked for 626 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: um additional resources, they didn't get them. But I will 627 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:49,359 Speaker 1: tell you the State Department has a record of error 628 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:53,840 Speaker 1: on the side of not caution. Um. There I have. 629 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:56,880 Speaker 1: I have witnessed situations where they have made policy and 630 00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:02,280 Speaker 1: procedure based on expediency and convenient it's over real protection. 631 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:04,879 Speaker 1: Now my John biased, I'm you know, but I've also 632 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: worked in these environments and I know when you roll 633 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,799 Speaker 1: the dice like this, there's people's lives at stake, and 634 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:12,759 Speaker 1: they have a tendency to roll the dice in the 635 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: wrong direction. Um. And this this is one of those 636 00:41:15,719 --> 00:41:18,800 Speaker 1: ones where they roll the dice and they lost. Um. 637 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:21,359 Speaker 1: So that that was that was a clear cut In 638 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:25,840 Speaker 1: my book, there's no doubt that the State Department management 639 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 1: is complicit and it should have been held accountable when 640 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:34,399 Speaker 1: we just like the set death in Somalia, when when 641 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:38,439 Speaker 1: we had Evan Barlow on the podcast, I mean he 642 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,719 Speaker 1: his view and based on his experience, was that they 643 00:41:41,719 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: were forewarned that the ambassador was going to be killed, 644 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 1: and he was pretty vocal about that on the show, 645 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,359 Speaker 1: and that you know, nothing was done. Remember that During 646 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:51,799 Speaker 1: that I remember him saying he was trying to warn 647 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 1: the State Department. They essentially brushed him off. Um. But 648 00:41:56,640 --> 00:42:00,360 Speaker 1: but then, what did you think about the respons that 649 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:04,480 Speaker 1: night from the agency security contractors who it sounds like 650 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:07,560 Speaker 1: they really manned up um in a in a pretty 651 00:42:07,719 --> 00:42:14,239 Speaker 1: crappy situation. Yeah, let's start off with the responsibility. Just 652 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:18,799 Speaker 1: clear the water. Um. Our people are not responsible for 653 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:21,920 Speaker 1: State Department, right right. It was an informal agreement between 654 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:28,319 Speaker 1: the annex and the consulate, and that agreement is It's 655 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:32,600 Speaker 1: tough when you make informal agreements because you know that's 656 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: not the way to do business. But I fully understand 657 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,440 Speaker 1: because when you are in those environments, it is US 658 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:42,880 Speaker 1: that means them, and you know the State Department of 659 00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 1: US being the US people against them, meaning that the threats. 660 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:54,120 Speaker 1: So I totally understand. Um, you know why they were 661 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 1: compelled to respond, um, And I uh, I think it 662 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: was her role what they what in terms of what 663 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:04,200 Speaker 1: they did and the fact that they for sure they 664 00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 1: saved lives. Unfortunately they were there's no way they were 665 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 1: going to be able to prevent the death of the 666 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:14,640 Speaker 1: ambassador just timing wise. Looking at the timeline okay UM 667 00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:17,239 Speaker 1: where I may differ a little bit because I have 668 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 1: the perspective of not only being an operator, not only 669 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:27,120 Speaker 1: being a team leader, but also managing UM taketive operations 670 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:29,760 Speaker 1: in the war zones in a variety of different places 671 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:34,879 Speaker 1: where they worked for me the whole everybody, every pock 672 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:38,600 Speaker 1: person in Iraq worked for me when I was there, 673 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:43,319 Speaker 1: When I was in Southeast Asia or South Asia, they 674 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:48,800 Speaker 1: worked for me. So there's a decision making process UM. 675 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 1: So I have to say, with a little bit of 676 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:55,719 Speaker 1: a caveat that just jumping out and running to go 677 00:43:55,840 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 1: save those guys is a very dangerous procedure because if 678 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:05,600 Speaker 1: you don't know what you're running into ah and you're 679 00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:10,200 Speaker 1: and you're also your responsibility is the annex. So if 680 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,680 Speaker 1: you leave the annex unprotected and something happens in the 681 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:18,399 Speaker 1: annex while you're gone, these are huge factors UM, which 682 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 1: is loaded with classified information and other things that shouldn't 683 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:27,040 Speaker 1: fall into animil. It's your job, you're you're basically demanding 684 00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:30,440 Speaker 1: your job for another job that you're really not formally 685 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:35,400 Speaker 1: engaged in. UM. The other part of it is what 686 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:39,600 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't understand with foreign consulates and embassies. 687 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:42,720 Speaker 1: It is the host government's responsibility to protect those sites, 688 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:48,239 Speaker 1: not the US. Our security at embassies is miniscule. We 689 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:54,279 Speaker 1: rely on So if the situation becomes so dire that 690 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:58,120 Speaker 1: the local security cannot handle the threat, we need to 691 00:44:58,120 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 1: be out of there. So we should have been gone anyway. 692 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:06,040 Speaker 1: But there is local security, and the base chief, according 693 00:45:06,080 --> 00:45:09,600 Speaker 1: to reports, was trying to get that local security elements 694 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:11,799 Speaker 1: to come in. So, now if you think it's a 695 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:17,640 Speaker 1: dark of night and you have multiple converging armed groups, yeah, 696 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 1: very dangerous. The chances there's no deconfliction capable because there's 697 00:45:22,239 --> 00:45:29,560 Speaker 1: no real communications. So it was a real scary situation. Um, 698 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:32,799 Speaker 1: and it turned out, you know, it was heroically and 699 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:35,920 Speaker 1: um and you know, we saved they saved lives, and 700 00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:40,680 Speaker 1: but I can understand why the chief of base was 701 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:44,240 Speaker 1: hesitant to jump into that situation without all the facts 702 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:48,440 Speaker 1: that he could possibly muster. So yeah, no, that's a 703 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 1: that's an interesting perspective, especially because if you watch the 704 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:54,239 Speaker 1: film that was made of it, you know, he's the 705 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:56,400 Speaker 1: chief of base is really portrayed. Is it just a 706 00:45:56,480 --> 00:46:03,399 Speaker 1: huge asshole? Yeah, yeah, I think that. Well, I'll tell 707 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:06,719 Speaker 1: you now that I'm in the literary game. Um. The 708 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:12,360 Speaker 1: publishers and even some of the writers they want more drama, yes, 709 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:15,480 Speaker 1: and they wanted me to to to spice things up. 710 00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:17,920 Speaker 1: And I'm like, no, this is my book is not 711 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:24,959 Speaker 1: a tell all. It's uh, it's it's about um contributions 712 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:30,240 Speaker 1: that have been made by a group. Um and UM. 713 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:34,000 Speaker 1: There's no matter what bureaucracy work for you as always 714 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:37,760 Speaker 1: things you can complain about. And I decided to focus 715 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:39,440 Speaker 1: on the positives. I mean, I could tell you a 716 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:44,080 Speaker 1: bunch of horror stories that's not Thomas. Before we were recording, 717 00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:46,759 Speaker 1: you said to me, you know, I never set out 718 00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:49,600 Speaker 1: to write a book, and you know it's a long career. 719 00:46:49,760 --> 00:46:52,480 Speaker 1: Obviously there's a ton of stuff you could write about. 720 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:56,600 Speaker 1: What what was was there one like points or one 721 00:46:56,680 --> 00:46:58,520 Speaker 1: catalyst that made you say, you know what, I'm gonna 722 00:46:58,560 --> 00:47:02,080 Speaker 1: do this. I'm gonna write this book. Actually, as a 723 00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:06,160 Speaker 1: as an excellent question, Um, the Thirteen Hours book and 724 00:47:06,239 --> 00:47:12,880 Speaker 1: movie made me realize that the contractors, the guys that 725 00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:16,680 Speaker 1: were in that situation, they actually believe that the that 726 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:19,719 Speaker 1: the protective operations in the agency started at nine love it. 727 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:23,239 Speaker 1: They have no idea. That's what I call this the preak. 728 00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:28,040 Speaker 1: This is the origin story I'll protective operations in the Agency. 729 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:31,680 Speaker 1: My book is the prequel to the Thirteen Hours. And 730 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:35,520 Speaker 1: they don't know it. And in fact, I was the 731 00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:40,120 Speaker 1: unofficial historian for the unit for for years because I'm 732 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:45,640 Speaker 1: a pack rat, which is which was massive cold turkey 733 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:48,200 Speaker 1: when I left the agency because I couldn't keep my files. 734 00:47:48,719 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 1: But uh, I mean I had cable traffic, I had 735 00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:56,560 Speaker 1: everything I could find on our origins because I'm a 736 00:47:56,560 --> 00:48:00,279 Speaker 1: big believer in the history and I was involved jump 737 00:48:00,360 --> 00:48:02,760 Speaker 1: in and out of the of the park over the years. 738 00:48:03,040 --> 00:48:05,000 Speaker 1: And some of these guys don't even know who I was, 739 00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:08,239 Speaker 1: and they say it was this old dude because at 740 00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 1: one point I was one of the older guys in 741 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:15,080 Speaker 1: the unit. Um and uh, they didn't know the history. 742 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:19,040 Speaker 1: And it's too bad because it's it's a rich uh 743 00:48:19,719 --> 00:48:25,239 Speaker 1: very powerful yes, and and talk about successful. But if 744 00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:28,000 Speaker 1: you don't know that we've been operating since ninety since 745 00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:33,799 Speaker 1: not basically you're missing out on a whole lot of 746 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:38,520 Speaker 1: of interesting stuff. So so that was the reason why 747 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 1: I actually wrote the book. What do you think about 748 00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:46,560 Speaker 1: where the agency security operations are at today? I mean, 749 00:48:46,640 --> 00:48:48,920 Speaker 1: do you think they've kind of veered in the wrong direction, 750 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:53,560 Speaker 1: um and perhaps becoming too big, too fast. Um, are 751 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:56,520 Speaker 1: they too visible? I'm just curious what your thoughts are 752 00:48:56,560 --> 00:49:01,000 Speaker 1: about that three letter acronym grew today and where they're 753 00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:02,600 Speaker 1: a I mean, I mean, I'm sure there's a lot 754 00:49:02,640 --> 00:49:04,560 Speaker 1: to be proud of, but are there also areas that 755 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:09,680 Speaker 1: you think could be better? Yeah, I'll be honest with you, 756 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:13,239 Speaker 1: and this is stuff that that you can see when 757 00:49:13,239 --> 00:49:18,120 Speaker 1: you get specialized units, they have a tendency to um 758 00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:23,440 Speaker 1: to get almost incestuous. And what I mean by that 759 00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:26,960 Speaker 1: is they want to control everything. And if you don't 760 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:30,719 Speaker 1: have enough oversight, uh. And what I mean by that 761 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:35,040 Speaker 1: is um enlightened oversight, experience oversight, not just somebody they 762 00:49:35,080 --> 00:49:37,880 Speaker 1: put in as a manager, but somebody who understands that 763 00:49:38,440 --> 00:49:44,399 Speaker 1: you get into trouble. Um. There's some legal proceedings going 764 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:49,960 Speaker 1: on against a specific naval units right now, Okay, a 765 00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:53,719 Speaker 1: number of them, uh, that you could probably trace right 766 00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:59,319 Speaker 1: back to this this particular characteristic. UM. Would I think 767 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:02,319 Speaker 1: there's some that there's a there's a risk with that 768 00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:07,279 Speaker 1: within my my old unit, if you don't have people 769 00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:10,840 Speaker 1: who are strong enough to resist the natural urge of 770 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:15,160 Speaker 1: type A personalities in a type confined area of chemistry 771 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:19,879 Speaker 1: is strong coming off the rails. Yeah. Um. The other 772 00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:21,959 Speaker 1: part of it is you you mentioned something earlier about 773 00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:26,919 Speaker 1: the old days the low profile. Um. That is an art, 774 00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:31,800 Speaker 1: but it's and a skill. So you've got to find people. 775 00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:34,920 Speaker 1: Not everybody that can do the high profile can be 776 00:50:34,960 --> 00:50:37,719 Speaker 1: that can do the low profile. Six ft six guys 777 00:50:37,800 --> 00:50:44,600 Speaker 1: just don't blend um. But that's a specific training, UM 778 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:50,759 Speaker 1: activity that needs to be re reinvigorated because, um, the 779 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:53,239 Speaker 1: areas there is in the world where you cannot go 780 00:50:53,960 --> 00:50:59,960 Speaker 1: um you know, fifteen magazines m for you know, ballistic 781 00:51:00,040 --> 00:51:01,400 Speaker 1: best all that you just can't do it in that 782 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:05,360 Speaker 1: and operating the environment. So and we need people protection 783 00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:07,960 Speaker 1: for our case officers in areas where it's not the 784 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:10,960 Speaker 1: war zone, and we don't want to be relegated to 785 00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:15,000 Speaker 1: only the war zone. The last thing I'm personally wondering 786 00:51:15,080 --> 00:51:17,759 Speaker 1: unless Jack has anything else, and then I really appreciate 787 00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:20,200 Speaker 1: you going the full hour with us. Um. You know, 788 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:22,839 Speaker 1: as I said earlier, del Comstock was how we were 789 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:26,839 Speaker 1: referred to. UH with you, what's your relation with Dale 790 00:51:26,840 --> 00:51:28,759 Speaker 1: because he's a great guy. We've known for a long time. 791 00:51:28,880 --> 00:51:31,040 Speaker 1: Jack's known for a certainly a long time, and I've 792 00:51:31,080 --> 00:51:34,200 Speaker 1: probably known for about five years at this point. It's 793 00:51:34,239 --> 00:51:36,920 Speaker 1: a really strange little world we live in, those of 794 00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 1: us who have kind of worked in these areas. I 795 00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:43,840 Speaker 1: know a friend of his, I've known him for many years. UM. 796 00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:49,080 Speaker 1: His name is a Roue, Well, that's his nickname, and 797 00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:51,600 Speaker 1: he's UM. He's one of the I think it was 798 00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:55,759 Speaker 1: the first command Sergeant Major Delta, and he is good 799 00:51:55,760 --> 00:52:00,120 Speaker 1: friends with Dale. And so I met that. I was 800 00:52:00,120 --> 00:52:03,319 Speaker 1: having coffee with Ru in the Philippines and I met 801 00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:07,439 Speaker 1: Dale just this year. So and then we started talking 802 00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:10,040 Speaker 1: to found out that Dale was in logan issue at 803 00:52:10,040 --> 00:52:12,040 Speaker 1: the same time. I was, yeah, he he must have 804 00:52:12,080 --> 00:52:14,560 Speaker 1: been on the same like plane, even as with George 805 00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:17,439 Speaker 1: Hand because I believe it was a squadron that came 806 00:52:17,520 --> 00:52:20,359 Speaker 1: in after the Battle of the Black Sea UM as 807 00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:23,760 Speaker 1: reinforcements like my my company. I was in third Ranger 808 00:52:23,760 --> 00:52:28,480 Speaker 1: Battalion UM way after the event, but Bravo Company three 809 00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:31,480 Speaker 1: seven five got into that firefight in Manga diissue and 810 00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:34,920 Speaker 1: then my company Alpha Company came in afterwards UM to 811 00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:37,960 Speaker 1: to reinforce and help out UM but they didn't I 812 00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:43,600 Speaker 1: don't think they saw any action. Mhm. But yeah, that's Um, 813 00:52:43,640 --> 00:52:46,040 Speaker 1: thanks so much for doing this today. I mean, this 814 00:52:46,080 --> 00:52:49,319 Speaker 1: has been like a super enlightening interview for me, um 815 00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:51,160 Speaker 1: because like you said, I think a lot of us 816 00:52:51,160 --> 00:52:54,960 Speaker 1: have heard um, either through the grape vine, through our 817 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:57,719 Speaker 1: friends and so forth, or from the wider public is 818 00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:00,400 Speaker 1: aware of thirteen Hours and all of that, of course, 819 00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:04,000 Speaker 1: but like you said, I mean, there's not much knowledge 820 00:53:04,000 --> 00:53:07,720 Speaker 1: about what this organization really is, or where it came from, 821 00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:10,960 Speaker 1: or all these these colorful incidents that they've been involved 822 00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:14,200 Speaker 1: in over the decades. So you've sold me. I'm super 823 00:53:14,239 --> 00:53:19,520 Speaker 1: stoked to read this book. Now you guys having me. Yeah, 824 00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:22,399 Speaker 1: So the final uh you know, plug for the book here, 825 00:53:22,400 --> 00:53:23,759 Speaker 1: I'm sure a lot of you guys are gonna want 826 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:26,960 Speaker 1: to pick it up. Guardian Life in the Crosshairs of 827 00:53:26,960 --> 00:53:30,080 Speaker 1: the CIA's War on Terror. It is a little bit 828 00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:32,120 Speaker 1: until it comes out. It comes out May seven, but 829 00:53:32,200 --> 00:53:34,959 Speaker 1: it is up for pre order on Amazon dot com. 830 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:37,839 Speaker 1: And as uh, I know you've probably said in here, 831 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:40,520 Speaker 1: I know Brandon said many times that you know pre 832 00:53:40,680 --> 00:53:44,600 Speaker 1: orders really matter, So you know, pre order it and 833 00:53:44,880 --> 00:53:47,640 Speaker 1: May seventh, you know it'll it'll approach sooner than you think. 834 00:53:47,719 --> 00:53:50,320 Speaker 1: And I think that this is gonna open up, uh 835 00:53:50,520 --> 00:53:53,080 Speaker 1: some light into a lot of stuff that people don't 836 00:53:53,120 --> 00:53:55,400 Speaker 1: know about. As you said, Um, you know, and I 837 00:53:55,480 --> 00:53:58,040 Speaker 1: think especially anyone who's read Thirteen Hours is gonna want 838 00:53:58,040 --> 00:54:00,839 Speaker 1: to read this book now. Absolutely. It's a it's it's 839 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:03,480 Speaker 1: a good origin story and I'm good. I'm doing the 840 00:54:03,520 --> 00:54:06,600 Speaker 1: sneak peeks into the book every two weeks on the 841 00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:13,759 Speaker 1: Guardian Facebook page and on LinkedIn. Where can people find that? 842 00:54:13,760 --> 00:54:16,600 Speaker 1: If people want to check that on LinkedIn, just go 843 00:54:16,680 --> 00:54:21,920 Speaker 1: to my my LinkedIn page under Thomas Pecora and Guardian 844 00:54:22,239 --> 00:54:26,360 Speaker 1: is if you just put Guardian on Facebook, Um, it 845 00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:31,040 Speaker 1: should come up. It's a separate web page. And uh 846 00:54:31,080 --> 00:54:34,200 Speaker 1: the book is also out on Barnes and Noble. Cool. 847 00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:36,960 Speaker 1: So I'm down. Well, we'll have you back on as 848 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:39,520 Speaker 1: we get closer to the release date. Um, if that 849 00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:41,480 Speaker 1: works for you, and we can go and we'll go 850 00:54:41,520 --> 00:54:43,239 Speaker 1: in a little bit more in depth with it. Yeah, 851 00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:45,200 Speaker 1: maybe you can read the book and then and then 852 00:54:45,239 --> 00:54:47,839 Speaker 1: do a part two. Yes, that'd be awesome and it's 853 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:50,080 Speaker 1: a well way, so we'll do it for sure. Um. 854 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:53,080 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna wrap up this show with Jack Thomas, 855 00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:54,440 Speaker 1: but I was gonna tell you I'll have this up 856 00:54:54,480 --> 00:54:57,600 Speaker 1: tomorrow night. It's a really packed schedule this week with 857 00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:00,000 Speaker 1: Hurricane Group, as we have all these meetings and stuff, 858 00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:01,920 Speaker 1: so I would normally get it up a little earlier, 859 00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:03,600 Speaker 1: so you don't see it up tomorrow during the day. 860 00:55:03,840 --> 00:55:06,200 Speaker 1: We'll be up tomorrow night. I'll send it over to you. 861 00:55:06,520 --> 00:55:09,040 Speaker 1: And this was excellent, man, I really once a gonna 862 00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:13,040 Speaker 1: appreciate you going the full hour with us. Oh my pleasure. Yeah, 863 00:55:13,040 --> 00:55:19,160 Speaker 1: thank you here, guys, awesome, thanks Thomas. By right, that 864 00:55:19,239 --> 00:55:22,360 Speaker 1: was awesome, man, I mean I knew that was going 865 00:55:22,400 --> 00:55:26,000 Speaker 1: to be interesting. Yeah. And and when Dale shot you know, 866 00:55:26,040 --> 00:55:28,200 Speaker 1: the name of Hover, we were like, that's that's a 867 00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:31,680 Speaker 1: good one. And we saw his background, so that's gonna 868 00:55:31,719 --> 00:55:34,320 Speaker 1: be a great book. Pick it up. May seventh, Guardian 869 00:55:34,520 --> 00:55:38,240 Speaker 1: Life in the cross Hairs of the CIA's War on Terror. Um, 870 00:55:38,280 --> 00:55:40,600 Speaker 1: before we get into a bunch of stuff which I'd 871 00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:43,440 Speaker 1: like to be sure to check out, Create Club, the 872 00:55:43,520 --> 00:55:47,719 Speaker 1: long anticipated collaboration watch we did with NFW Watches. That's 873 00:55:47,719 --> 00:55:50,640 Speaker 1: in the way. This's premium create Uh. To my left, 874 00:55:50,719 --> 00:55:53,279 Speaker 1: I am looking at just a plethora of boxes here 875 00:55:53,640 --> 00:55:56,080 Speaker 1: of all different new Create Club stuff and it's a 876 00:55:56,080 --> 00:56:00,000 Speaker 1: lot of custom gear, really cool stuff between the web 877 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:04,560 Speaker 1: uponized pen that we have and the sunglass cases and uh, 878 00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:07,920 Speaker 1: I see the spear fishing tool. All different types are 879 00:56:07,920 --> 00:56:10,480 Speaker 1: really cool ships. So Scott Wittner from the load out 880 00:56:10,520 --> 00:56:12,960 Speaker 1: room and all those guys, uh and Brand and of 881 00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:17,719 Speaker 1: course are currently working on bringing you custom products like 882 00:56:17,840 --> 00:56:22,080 Speaker 1: that in um everything I mentioned really and a lot 883 00:56:22,160 --> 00:56:24,920 Speaker 1: of new stuff that I wasn't aware of that's on 884 00:56:24,960 --> 00:56:28,160 Speaker 1: the horizon. It's a club fore men buy men and 885 00:56:28,200 --> 00:56:31,200 Speaker 1: you can check that all out at Create Club dot us. 886 00:56:31,239 --> 00:56:34,920 Speaker 1: That's Create Club dot us. Hey, if you're a dog owner, 887 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:37,680 Speaker 1: many of you now know that we have a partnership 888 00:56:37,719 --> 00:56:41,120 Speaker 1: with Kuna. 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It's efficient for you. 898 00:57:08,960 --> 00:57:10,800 Speaker 1: Your dog is gonna love it as well as I said, 899 00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:14,000 Speaker 1: and check that all out CEU n A dot d 900 00:57:14,160 --> 00:57:17,240 Speaker 1: o G. And last, I wanted to mention the spec 901 00:57:17,240 --> 00:57:22,200 Speaker 1: Ops Channel. That's our channel that offers the most exclusive shows, interviews, 902 00:57:22,400 --> 00:57:27,000 Speaker 1: documentaries covering the most exciting military content today. Also, all 903 00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:30,320 Speaker 1: those episodes we did of training sell that's all available. 904 00:57:30,400 --> 00:57:33,640 Speaker 1: So if you're into that action packed stuff like shooting 905 00:57:33,640 --> 00:57:38,800 Speaker 1: school's defensive driving jungle and winter warfare, climbing and all 906 00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:40,920 Speaker 1: sorts of cool stuff, you can check that out at 907 00:57:40,960 --> 00:57:45,560 Speaker 1: spec ops channel dot com. That's spec Ops channel dot com. 908 00:57:45,600 --> 00:57:47,200 Speaker 1: And I don't know what you're waiting for, because you 909 00:57:47,200 --> 00:57:49,320 Speaker 1: can get all of that great content for only four 910 00:57:50,080 --> 00:57:53,320 Speaker 1: a month. Check out our app, Software Radio, because I 911 00:57:53,320 --> 00:57:56,040 Speaker 1: still have people tweeting me that are like, where are 912 00:57:56,040 --> 00:57:58,959 Speaker 1: the new episodes? Because they're using the old software ap app, 913 00:57:59,200 --> 00:58:01,600 Speaker 1: which is kind of slete at this point. So use 914 00:58:01,680 --> 00:58:03,920 Speaker 1: the software up radio app. Just like news Rap has 915 00:58:03,920 --> 00:58:06,439 Speaker 1: its own app, now, software radio has its own app. 916 00:58:06,520 --> 00:58:09,760 Speaker 1: Everything kind of has its own thing. Um with that, 917 00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:13,880 Speaker 1: I was extremely excited as Nick Coughmen pointed out last 918 00:58:13,960 --> 00:58:16,800 Speaker 1: night to see that Alex Hollongs did this great article 919 00:58:16,920 --> 00:58:20,680 Speaker 1: about Russia's space program and some of the weird stuff 920 00:58:20,720 --> 00:58:23,600 Speaker 1: going on, and that is up on Drudge Report. And 921 00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:25,760 Speaker 1: there's probably only been a handful of times that a 922 00:58:25,800 --> 00:58:29,360 Speaker 1: news rapper softwrep article has been on Drudge Report. I 923 00:58:29,400 --> 00:58:32,160 Speaker 1: remember your article on the disappearance of bin Lad's body 924 00:58:32,200 --> 00:58:34,320 Speaker 1: and the reasons behind it that was on Drudge Report. 925 00:58:34,680 --> 00:58:37,160 Speaker 1: This is probably the first time I've seen an article 926 00:58:37,240 --> 00:58:40,160 Speaker 1: from our guys on Drudge Report in years, and it's 927 00:58:40,560 --> 00:58:43,800 Speaker 1: it's a big deal, millions of hits daily. Yeah, it's 928 00:58:43,880 --> 00:58:45,959 Speaker 1: nice of Drudge to, you know, link to us. Most 929 00:58:45,960 --> 00:58:48,640 Speaker 1: outlets just kind of like steal the stuff we published 930 00:58:48,680 --> 00:58:50,560 Speaker 1: and write it as their own and then say we 931 00:58:50,640 --> 00:58:53,000 Speaker 1: came up with this all on our own, and like, well, 932 00:58:53,160 --> 00:58:56,720 Speaker 1: I mean Drudge Drudge is really like an aggregate, but 933 00:58:57,080 --> 00:58:59,800 Speaker 1: that's that's what it is. Yeah, and they knew that 934 00:58:59,840 --> 00:59:04,320 Speaker 1: it was our story, so you know, yeah, it's cool. Yeah, 935 00:59:04,360 --> 00:59:08,640 Speaker 1: I'm excited for Alex. So check out that article. Um 936 00:59:08,680 --> 00:59:12,040 Speaker 1: I saw this piece of news today which is uh 937 00:59:12,480 --> 00:59:16,520 Speaker 1: really disappointing. Um a ji wad veteran which I believe 938 00:59:16,680 --> 00:59:19,400 Speaker 1: Duncan Hunter Jr. You guys might remember in the Republican 939 00:59:19,440 --> 00:59:24,360 Speaker 1: primary in two thousand eight, Duncan Hunter's father, Duncan Hunter Senior, 940 00:59:24,800 --> 00:59:27,240 Speaker 1: ran for President UM. He got knocked out in the 941 00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:30,480 Speaker 1: Republican primary pretty early on. But while he was campaigning, 942 00:59:30,800 --> 00:59:34,120 Speaker 1: his son was in I Raq, And I believe Afghanistan 943 00:59:34,240 --> 00:59:37,880 Speaker 1: as a Marine Corps um fighter, you know, now veteran. 944 00:59:38,560 --> 00:59:42,800 Speaker 1: And it turns out and I was reading, you know, 945 00:59:42,920 --> 00:59:44,640 Speaker 1: I might be wrong in this said after double check, 946 00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:47,560 Speaker 1: I think he might have been the first uh GIE 947 00:59:47,600 --> 00:59:51,200 Speaker 1: WAD veteran to serve in Congress. But he is now 948 00:59:51,600 --> 00:59:55,680 Speaker 1: facing charges in September over misusing two d fifty thou 949 00:59:55,880 --> 00:59:59,120 Speaker 1: dollars in campaign funds. So more than anything, I think 950 00:59:59,120 --> 01:00:01,480 Speaker 1: a giant disp appointment. You know, Jack and I were 951 01:00:01,480 --> 01:00:07,560 Speaker 1: talking prior about how it's exciting to see uh veterans 952 01:00:07,560 --> 01:00:11,040 Speaker 1: of this era elected to Congress, and it sucks when 953 01:00:11,080 --> 01:00:13,680 Speaker 1: you see an article like this because it it paints 954 01:00:13,720 --> 01:00:16,000 Speaker 1: them all in a bad light, which it shouldn't. You know, 955 01:00:16,080 --> 01:00:20,240 Speaker 1: this is no reflection on a guy like Dan Crunshaw 956 01:00:20,320 --> 01:00:23,480 Speaker 1: for example. You know, yeah, well, I mean I think 957 01:00:23,520 --> 01:00:25,160 Speaker 1: you what you were pointing out Ian is like you 958 01:00:25,160 --> 01:00:27,560 Speaker 1: have to look at the person. Like just because a 959 01:00:27,600 --> 01:00:32,480 Speaker 1: person is a veteran, it's like big whoop. Okay, I 960 01:00:32,480 --> 01:00:34,920 Speaker 1: mean cool, that's cool, But like what else, Like what 961 01:00:34,960 --> 01:00:38,680 Speaker 1: else have you been doing? What kind of person are you? Um? 962 01:00:38,800 --> 01:00:40,880 Speaker 1: You know, just because you served in the military doesn't 963 01:00:40,880 --> 01:00:43,960 Speaker 1: mean you're a great guy. Um. You know, we have 964 01:00:44,600 --> 01:00:46,720 Speaker 1: a place called Leavenworth where there are a bunch of 965 01:00:46,720 --> 01:00:49,160 Speaker 1: people who served in the military, and they're not great guys. 966 01:00:50,920 --> 01:00:53,800 Speaker 1: You have to pay attention to this, and and and 967 01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:56,560 Speaker 1: and I guess saw a point many of them because 968 01:00:56,600 --> 01:00:58,560 Speaker 1: I mean some of them are kind of victims of 969 01:00:58,640 --> 01:01:03,560 Speaker 1: these really ridiculous um what's the word I'm looking for? 970 01:01:03,680 --> 01:01:09,560 Speaker 1: Um uh, engagement? What I'm having a break forward here? 971 01:01:09,720 --> 01:01:12,320 Speaker 1: Rules of engagement? Rules of engagement, you know a few 972 01:01:12,400 --> 01:01:14,240 Speaker 1: of them. I don't know how many people are sitting 973 01:01:14,240 --> 01:01:17,200 Speaker 1: in Leavenworth because of rules of engagement. I mean, I 974 01:01:17,280 --> 01:01:19,960 Speaker 1: just think of it's really difficult to prosecute. I think 975 01:01:20,000 --> 01:01:22,520 Speaker 1: of Michael Behannah, you know, and and those type of things. 976 01:01:22,520 --> 01:01:24,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure he's not the only one who had And 977 01:01:24,880 --> 01:01:28,360 Speaker 1: there's there's that SF guy who when he was on 978 01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:30,480 Speaker 1: the polygraph for a job for the c I A 979 01:01:31,120 --> 01:01:35,160 Speaker 1: he uh confessed alleged. I mean, as we're as it's 980 01:01:35,160 --> 01:01:37,280 Speaker 1: been reported the news, he was on the polygraph he said, 981 01:01:37,320 --> 01:01:40,720 Speaker 1: oh yeah, actually I did murder this Afghan alleged bombmaker, 982 01:01:41,440 --> 01:01:44,680 Speaker 1: and uh, there there's a big ship show. The CIA 983 01:01:44,840 --> 01:01:47,480 Speaker 1: had to report it and say this guy confessed a 984 01:01:47,560 --> 01:01:50,840 Speaker 1: murder on a polygraph and um, and then the issue 985 01:01:50,880 --> 01:01:53,800 Speaker 1: kind of dropped and then the dude uh in question 986 01:01:53,920 --> 01:01:56,320 Speaker 1: he brought the whole thing up on during like a 987 01:01:56,400 --> 01:02:00,400 Speaker 1: CNN interview like a few years later, and then it's 988 01:02:00,440 --> 01:02:04,200 Speaker 1: like the army decide they wanted to start prosecuting um. 989 01:02:04,240 --> 01:02:06,160 Speaker 1: And I think that ship show is still going on 990 01:02:06,200 --> 01:02:08,960 Speaker 1: to this day. But I don't know. I mean, I 991 01:02:09,240 --> 01:02:12,520 Speaker 1: I can go on a whole rant about polygraphs, Um, like, 992 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:15,480 Speaker 1: how dumb is this guy that he it's not a 993 01:02:15,600 --> 01:02:19,080 Speaker 1: polygraph and he's like the silly machine the pseudo science 994 01:02:19,080 --> 01:02:21,160 Speaker 1: can actually tell if I'm telling the truth or not. 995 01:02:21,480 --> 01:02:23,680 Speaker 1: And he confess to a murder on it, Like, dude, 996 01:02:23,720 --> 01:02:25,800 Speaker 1: if that's yeah, I mean, there's a reason it's not 997 01:02:25,840 --> 01:02:31,000 Speaker 1: admissible in court. Oh my god. But then again, there's 998 01:02:31,040 --> 01:02:33,760 Speaker 1: been people who have admitted to stuff that they that 999 01:02:33,840 --> 01:02:36,840 Speaker 1: they didn't do due to like long interrogations. There's been 1000 01:02:36,920 --> 01:02:41,800 Speaker 1: you know, it's not related to that. Well, UM, well, 1001 01:02:41,920 --> 01:02:44,320 Speaker 1: the with the polygraph, the whole point of it is 1002 01:02:44,360 --> 01:02:47,720 Speaker 1: everyone knows it's it's it's junk science. But they bring 1003 01:02:47,800 --> 01:02:50,120 Speaker 1: people in there just for that reason because it rattles 1004 01:02:50,120 --> 01:02:52,480 Speaker 1: people and it makes them nervous and they'll start confessing 1005 01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:55,520 Speaker 1: this stuff. Um. It's not that it works, is that 1006 01:02:55,560 --> 01:02:58,480 Speaker 1: you think it works. UM. And then uh, well with 1007 01:02:58,600 --> 01:03:00,960 Speaker 1: the interrogation thing that I mean, I think a lot 1008 01:03:00,960 --> 01:03:05,400 Speaker 1: of that was highlighted by UM that making a Murderer 1009 01:03:05,720 --> 01:03:10,200 Speaker 1: documentary on Netflix. UM, and they talked specifically about the 1010 01:03:10,200 --> 01:03:13,040 Speaker 1: read interrogation method. And I was trained in the read 1011 01:03:13,080 --> 01:03:16,960 Speaker 1: interrogation method myself, as was UM a whole generation of 1012 01:03:17,000 --> 01:03:22,120 Speaker 1: Special Forces soldiers UM, and the the read interrogation method. UM. 1013 01:03:22,240 --> 01:03:25,640 Speaker 1: What it teaches you is, UM, don't get it, don't 1014 01:03:25,640 --> 01:03:27,920 Speaker 1: get in the suspect's face. You don't threaten them with 1015 01:03:27,960 --> 01:03:30,640 Speaker 1: the death penalty. You know, confess to me or else. 1016 01:03:30,920 --> 01:03:32,400 Speaker 1: What it teaches you to do is to try to 1017 01:03:32,480 --> 01:03:36,040 Speaker 1: empathize with the person and build a theme. And so 1018 01:03:36,080 --> 01:03:38,080 Speaker 1: what you do is you empathize with them, make them 1019 01:03:38,280 --> 01:03:40,520 Speaker 1: think that you're a nice person, that you're a good person, 1020 01:03:41,080 --> 01:03:44,480 Speaker 1: and then you provide them with an out, so it's 1021 01:03:44,520 --> 01:03:48,720 Speaker 1: like a moral out. So you say, um, listen, you're 1022 01:03:48,720 --> 01:03:51,640 Speaker 1: a good guy, you're a good person. Ian. Um, you 1023 01:03:51,680 --> 01:03:54,400 Speaker 1: know you just did something out of character. You were 1024 01:03:54,480 --> 01:03:57,720 Speaker 1: in a room with a little boy, no one was looking. 1025 01:03:58,120 --> 01:04:00,800 Speaker 1: You never would have done anything like please don't take 1026 01:04:00,840 --> 01:04:05,760 Speaker 1: this audio out of but you will build a theme 1027 01:04:05,840 --> 01:04:09,680 Speaker 1: like that, um, and keep rating the person and pushing 1028 01:04:09,720 --> 01:04:12,439 Speaker 1: them in that direction until they'll they'll just like you'll 1029 01:04:12,480 --> 01:04:15,720 Speaker 1: even see read interrogation videos where the person being interrogated 1030 01:04:15,800 --> 01:04:20,320 Speaker 1: eventually they start nodding like yep, yep, stuff that went 1031 01:04:20,360 --> 01:04:23,960 Speaker 1: down and the making of a murderer documentary. The problem 1032 01:04:24,040 --> 01:04:28,120 Speaker 1: is they were interrogating a kid, I believe. Yeah, he 1033 01:04:28,200 --> 01:04:29,760 Speaker 1: was still a minor at the time. He was like 1034 01:04:29,840 --> 01:04:33,960 Speaker 1: seventeen and um, let's be real, low low i Q 1035 01:04:34,640 --> 01:04:39,760 Speaker 1: not not a very smart intellectual person. Um. And the 1036 01:04:39,880 --> 01:04:43,200 Speaker 1: read interrogation people, they'll tell you we have never gotten 1037 01:04:43,280 --> 01:04:47,920 Speaker 1: a false confession. There has never been a false confession. 1038 01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:54,320 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, it's fucking bullshit. Everyone knows it's bullshit. Um. 1039 01:04:54,360 --> 01:04:56,520 Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean, some of these things that. I mean, 1040 01:04:56,560 --> 01:05:00,200 Speaker 1: this is like a whole separate discussion, um, then what 1041 01:05:00,240 --> 01:05:03,480 Speaker 1: we originally started talking about. But but it's it is 1042 01:05:03,520 --> 01:05:06,640 Speaker 1: an interesting topic. And I think some of the things 1043 01:05:06,640 --> 01:05:11,000 Speaker 1: that we take as accepted science, um, that we take 1044 01:05:11,120 --> 01:05:15,320 Speaker 1: as you know, um, factual, tested protocols that never yield 1045 01:05:15,360 --> 01:05:20,600 Speaker 1: false results. Um, can you know, use a second look 1046 01:05:20,840 --> 01:05:24,480 Speaker 1: in many cases. It was also General Maddie who said, um, 1047 01:05:24,800 --> 01:05:27,200 Speaker 1: when he was asked about water boarding prior to being 1048 01:05:27,200 --> 01:05:30,120 Speaker 1: a part of the administration. Uh, he said, and I 1049 01:05:30,120 --> 01:05:32,360 Speaker 1: don't remember the exact quote, but some of the effective 1050 01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:33,720 Speaker 1: I could do a lot more with a pack of 1051 01:05:33,720 --> 01:05:37,480 Speaker 1: cigarettes than water boarding someone if we have a terrorist. Yeah, 1052 01:05:37,520 --> 01:05:42,680 Speaker 1: that's true. Um. And uh, well, I mean some people 1053 01:05:42,720 --> 01:05:44,080 Speaker 1: are going to be kind of pissed about it. But 1054 01:05:44,200 --> 01:05:47,640 Speaker 1: I wrote about this in my book, um about the 1055 01:05:47,800 --> 01:05:52,120 Speaker 1: tension facility, And I mean they there, they used a 1056 01:05:52,200 --> 01:05:55,800 Speaker 1: carrot and stick approach. I mean, the the detainees would 1057 01:05:55,800 --> 01:05:59,000 Speaker 1: be offered the pack of cigarettes, um and just dime 1058 01:05:59,040 --> 01:06:01,240 Speaker 1: out your friends, will you go? You know that kind 1059 01:06:01,280 --> 01:06:03,920 Speaker 1: of thing. Um. The stick was you know, if you 1060 01:06:03,920 --> 01:06:05,440 Speaker 1: don't tell us what we want to know, we're not 1061 01:06:05,440 --> 01:06:08,560 Speaker 1: gonna let you sleep. You're gonna we're not gonna let 1062 01:06:08,560 --> 01:06:13,240 Speaker 1: you even sit down. You know, they do things like that. Um, 1063 01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:15,040 Speaker 1: but that that was the method that they were using 1064 01:06:15,280 --> 01:06:19,160 Speaker 1: at that time in Iraq. Yeah, and then the other 1065 01:06:19,280 --> 01:06:22,360 Speaker 1: stories we wanted to get into. There was a there's 1066 01:06:22,400 --> 01:06:25,360 Speaker 1: Brandon walking by if you're watching on YouTube. There was 1067 01:06:25,560 --> 01:06:29,320 Speaker 1: a admiral who had there was a suicide that even 1068 01:06:29,400 --> 01:06:33,000 Speaker 1: in bah Haraein pretty crazy story. Was the admiral of 1069 01:06:33,040 --> 01:06:37,240 Speaker 1: the fifth Fleet. Yeah, so this is um Scott Stearney. 1070 01:06:37,440 --> 01:06:40,440 Speaker 1: This one's from New York Post. A decorated US admiral 1071 01:06:40,560 --> 01:06:42,480 Speaker 1: was found dead over the weekend in the Middle East, 1072 01:06:42,760 --> 01:06:46,120 Speaker 1: the victim of an apparent suicide. According to a report, 1073 01:06:46,520 --> 01:06:49,720 Speaker 1: Vice Admiral Scott Steerney, commander of the Navy's fifth Fleet, 1074 01:06:49,800 --> 01:06:53,520 Speaker 1: was discovered inside his home in bah Haraein. Military officials 1075 01:06:53,520 --> 01:06:56,680 Speaker 1: said in a statement Saturday that no foul play was suspected, 1076 01:06:56,960 --> 01:06:59,520 Speaker 1: but they wouldn't confirm if Steerney took his own life 1077 01:06:59,720 --> 01:07:03,080 Speaker 1: see Yes News. However, quoted officials seeing his death was 1078 01:07:03,120 --> 01:07:08,680 Speaker 1: an apparent suicide, so really unfortunate story and suspicious circumstances 1079 01:07:08,720 --> 01:07:11,400 Speaker 1: on some level. Well, yeah, I mean I don't want 1080 01:07:11,400 --> 01:07:13,760 Speaker 1: to get like my tinfoil hat on and and I 1081 01:07:13,800 --> 01:07:15,880 Speaker 1: hate it when people do that, But I mean, I 1082 01:07:16,520 --> 01:07:20,800 Speaker 1: was just pointing out before that it's weird that the 1083 01:07:20,840 --> 01:07:25,520 Speaker 1: commander of the fifth Fleet in Bahrain apparently commits suicide 1084 01:07:26,000 --> 01:07:28,720 Speaker 1: the next day a carrier strike group is the point 1085 01:07:28,760 --> 01:07:32,840 Speaker 1: to the Persian Gulf. It's like, what the hell is 1086 01:07:32,880 --> 01:07:37,480 Speaker 1: going on right now? But um, yeah, it's it's a 1087 01:07:37,520 --> 01:07:43,000 Speaker 1: sad story, um for sure. And when you see even 1088 01:07:43,000 --> 01:07:47,320 Speaker 1: the senior leaders of our military are committing suicide, Like, 1089 01:07:47,440 --> 01:07:49,960 Speaker 1: at what point are we finally going to be like 1090 01:07:50,880 --> 01:07:54,440 Speaker 1: something's broken, Like ship's not working here? You know, I 1091 01:07:55,720 --> 01:07:57,760 Speaker 1: don't know. We've covered it so many times, and and 1092 01:07:57,760 --> 01:08:01,240 Speaker 1: and and other outlets have other new sources covered all 1093 01:08:01,240 --> 01:08:04,560 Speaker 1: the time about um, the suicides. What we're talking about before, 1094 01:08:04,600 --> 01:08:07,680 Speaker 1: about troops coming off the rails, things going hey wire. 1095 01:08:07,880 --> 01:08:10,840 Speaker 1: I mean there's a reason for that. Um, And maybe 1096 01:08:10,840 --> 01:08:13,439 Speaker 1: we need to start asking ourselves some hard questions. Yeah, 1097 01:08:13,640 --> 01:08:16,800 Speaker 1: we'll rest in peace. Uh. And then there's this other 1098 01:08:16,960 --> 01:08:20,600 Speaker 1: article here that's been covered by a few outlets. The 1099 01:08:20,680 --> 01:08:24,519 Speaker 1: West may be wrong about China's social credit system. Uh. 1100 01:08:24,560 --> 01:08:28,040 Speaker 1: This one is by Bing's song for the Washington Post. Well, yeah, 1101 01:08:28,120 --> 01:08:31,080 Speaker 1: it is it's by Bing Song, but if you notice 1102 01:08:31,400 --> 01:08:39,519 Speaker 1: the director, you have the in and then there's a 1103 01:08:39,560 --> 01:08:43,200 Speaker 1: little uh byeline here, a little or not a byline 1104 01:08:43,200 --> 01:08:45,599 Speaker 1: but in italics at the end of the article. This 1105 01:08:45,720 --> 01:08:48,840 Speaker 1: was produced by The World Post, a partnership of the 1106 01:08:48,880 --> 01:08:52,080 Speaker 1: Burgrun Institute in the Washington Post. So it looks like 1107 01:08:52,120 --> 01:08:55,360 Speaker 1: a normal op ed on the surface. But and what 1108 01:08:55,479 --> 01:08:59,120 Speaker 1: we'll just to get into this article real quick. What 1109 01:08:59,280 --> 01:09:02,760 Speaker 1: it's attempting to do is to try to soften the image, 1110 01:09:03,240 --> 01:09:08,360 Speaker 1: UM of the Western reporting on China's social credit system, 1111 01:09:09,040 --> 01:09:12,439 Speaker 1: which is something we've been reporting on for several years. UM. 1112 01:09:12,439 --> 01:09:15,000 Speaker 1: The story has really picked up, UM you know, some 1113 01:09:15,000 --> 01:09:19,160 Speaker 1: some mainstream coverage over about the last year. UM and China. 1114 01:09:19,439 --> 01:09:22,800 Speaker 1: What what it's essentially, What it gets at, and the 1115 01:09:22,840 --> 01:09:25,120 Speaker 1: author of this article even points it out, is that 1116 01:09:25,160 --> 01:09:27,760 Speaker 1: it's not really a social credit system. And I kind 1117 01:09:27,760 --> 01:09:30,280 Speaker 1: of agree with her here because what that does is 1118 01:09:30,280 --> 01:09:33,679 Speaker 1: it makes people think it's analogous to our credit card 1119 01:09:34,080 --> 01:09:37,759 Speaker 1: UH credit system, that you have credit UM finance credit 1120 01:09:37,960 --> 01:09:40,200 Speaker 1: UM and but that's not really what it's talking about. 1121 01:09:40,320 --> 01:09:42,760 Speaker 1: That maybe a part of it in China, that you 1122 01:09:42,840 --> 01:09:46,920 Speaker 1: have UM finance credit, but there's also judicial credit. There's 1123 01:09:47,000 --> 01:09:50,639 Speaker 1: also political credit. UM, these other different types of credit, 1124 01:09:50,680 --> 01:09:55,559 Speaker 1: and there are different systems that play into a whole UM. 1125 01:09:55,600 --> 01:09:57,920 Speaker 1: And what she points out is that you probably shouldn't 1126 01:09:57,960 --> 01:10:01,200 Speaker 1: use this term social cred at its system because it 1127 01:10:01,280 --> 01:10:04,559 Speaker 1: creates this this false image in our minds. UM. The 1128 01:10:04,640 --> 01:10:10,479 Speaker 1: more accurate trans translation would probably be a social trust system. 1129 01:10:10,520 --> 01:10:12,920 Speaker 1: Now that's nice, but I fail to see how this 1130 01:10:13,120 --> 01:10:17,759 Speaker 1: change in translation UM softens the blow of this super 1131 01:10:18,160 --> 01:10:23,880 Speaker 1: Orwellian panopticon state that the Chinese are establishing. UM. Even 1132 01:10:23,880 --> 01:10:27,280 Speaker 1: though it's a social trust system. The social trust is 1133 01:10:27,320 --> 01:10:30,479 Speaker 1: a it's a social trust score that is being assigned 1134 01:10:30,520 --> 01:10:34,040 Speaker 1: to you by the state UM and rewarding you based 1135 01:10:34,080 --> 01:10:38,040 Speaker 1: on your loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and UM 1136 01:10:38,240 --> 01:10:43,120 Speaker 1: the moor's established by that party. Uh. And she makes 1137 01:10:43,120 --> 01:10:48,480 Speaker 1: a whole number of excuses for what they're doing in here. UM. 1138 01:10:48,640 --> 01:10:52,400 Speaker 1: There's a lot of double think going on here in 1139 01:10:52,439 --> 01:10:55,320 Speaker 1: this article, basically trying to say, yes, this exists, but 1140 01:10:55,479 --> 01:10:58,000 Speaker 1: it's not that big of a deal and don't really 1141 01:10:58,000 --> 01:11:00,800 Speaker 1: worry about it. And you know, it gives a little 1142 01:11:00,880 --> 01:11:04,160 Speaker 1: like man splaining Like, well, in China, the Chinese people 1143 01:11:04,240 --> 01:11:06,679 Speaker 1: have a different view of their government and have different 1144 01:11:06,680 --> 01:11:10,040 Speaker 1: expectations of their government. What she's saying is that, you know, 1145 01:11:10,520 --> 01:11:13,240 Speaker 1: the Chinese don't get freedom, so, you know, shut the 1146 01:11:13,240 --> 01:11:16,639 Speaker 1: funk up. It is what it is. Uh. She goes 1147 01:11:16,680 --> 01:11:20,120 Speaker 1: in into one part about the Chinese belief that their 1148 01:11:20,160 --> 01:11:24,639 Speaker 1: government has a responsibility um to be a moral authority 1149 01:11:24,920 --> 01:11:28,760 Speaker 1: and to enforce moral morals on the public. It's like 1150 01:11:29,080 --> 01:11:31,799 Speaker 1: that on the surface, that doesn't make any sense, because 1151 01:11:31,960 --> 01:11:38,080 Speaker 1: every government in the world passes legislation and passes laws 1152 01:11:38,120 --> 01:11:42,519 Speaker 1: that are related to morality. Whether we we we catch 1153 01:11:42,600 --> 01:11:45,160 Speaker 1: it in those terms or not. Every state in the 1154 01:11:45,200 --> 01:11:50,759 Speaker 1: world passes these laws based on that culture's perception of morality. Um. 1155 01:11:50,800 --> 01:11:53,960 Speaker 1: You know, we we are laws against everything from um 1156 01:11:54,640 --> 01:11:58,920 Speaker 1: so called victimless crimes like prostitution, two laws against rape 1157 01:11:58,960 --> 01:12:03,200 Speaker 1: and murder. Those are all based on our conception of morality. Um, 1158 01:12:03,280 --> 01:12:07,839 Speaker 1: so that China does not have some monopoly on virtuous behavior. 1159 01:12:08,400 --> 01:12:10,200 Speaker 1: I don't know what the hell that's supposed to mean. 1160 01:12:10,880 --> 01:12:13,840 Speaker 1: But this gets more interesting. I mean, I knew this 1161 01:12:13,920 --> 01:12:16,280 Speaker 1: was fishy when I first read it, but then I 1162 01:12:16,320 --> 01:12:19,639 Speaker 1: saw this New York New York Times journalist his last 1163 01:12:19,680 --> 01:12:21,960 Speaker 1: name was Forsyth, did a little bit of a deep 1164 01:12:22,000 --> 01:12:24,559 Speaker 1: digging on it. And and I believe he speaks Chinese, 1165 01:12:24,760 --> 01:12:26,479 Speaker 1: so he was able to go more in depth on 1166 01:12:26,520 --> 01:12:29,599 Speaker 1: this than than I would be able to. UM. And 1167 01:12:30,400 --> 01:12:33,920 Speaker 1: when you find out so Bing Song as part of 1168 01:12:33,920 --> 01:12:40,240 Speaker 1: this burg ruined institute. Um, she is a Chinese national 1169 01:12:40,360 --> 01:12:44,360 Speaker 1: from the mainland. UH came to the West and on 1170 01:12:44,400 --> 01:12:47,720 Speaker 1: a merit based scholarship, which is exceedingly rare back in 1171 01:12:47,720 --> 01:12:53,400 Speaker 1: those days, went to Oxford, then went back to China. UM. 1172 01:12:53,600 --> 01:12:58,519 Speaker 1: She joined UM Goldman Sachs, became a manager for the 1173 01:12:58,960 --> 01:13:02,160 Speaker 1: Chinese division of Goldman Sachs. And she went from a 1174 01:13:02,200 --> 01:13:05,880 Speaker 1: new hire at Goldman to being a directing manager in 1175 01:13:05,920 --> 01:13:09,360 Speaker 1: two years. Yeah, that doesn't happen. Now, that doesn't happen 1176 01:13:09,400 --> 01:13:13,720 Speaker 1: by accident. UM, that's not normal. She's married to this 1177 01:13:13,800 --> 01:13:17,040 Speaker 1: dude who teaches at a at a university in Beijing, 1178 01:13:17,120 --> 01:13:20,920 Speaker 1: who's a Canadian. He's not Chinese, he's a Canadian national. 1179 01:13:21,600 --> 01:13:26,439 Speaker 1: UM teaches UH at this at this university in Beijing, 1180 01:13:26,880 --> 01:13:30,879 Speaker 1: where he basically offers up apologies for the Chinese Communist 1181 01:13:30,960 --> 01:13:34,479 Speaker 1: government and their authoritarian style. UM. He's written even like 1182 01:13:34,560 --> 01:13:37,000 Speaker 1: books and articles. He's like he's the darling of the 1183 01:13:37,000 --> 01:13:40,840 Speaker 1: Communist Party because he says, well, you know, they're they're 1184 01:13:40,840 --> 01:13:45,280 Speaker 1: a merit based dictatorship. They're a softer, nicer time type 1185 01:13:45,280 --> 01:13:49,320 Speaker 1: of dictatorship. You know, he's he's a typical kind of 1186 01:13:49,560 --> 01:13:52,840 Speaker 1: dude who's like, you know, I'm going to be a 1187 01:13:52,840 --> 01:13:55,439 Speaker 1: part of this elite class. And I think it's great 1188 01:13:55,479 --> 01:13:58,200 Speaker 1: that our classes in charge. Um, I think it's great 1189 01:13:58,240 --> 01:14:00,320 Speaker 1: that where the you know, he never actually as this, 1190 01:14:00,479 --> 01:14:02,160 Speaker 1: but of course, you know, you get the you get 1191 01:14:02,160 --> 01:14:05,519 Speaker 1: the sense that it's like, look, yes, the the jack 1192 01:14:05,560 --> 01:14:08,400 Speaker 1: boot is stomping on a human face forever, as George 1193 01:14:08,479 --> 01:14:11,360 Speaker 1: Orwell said, but hey, I'm wearing the jackboots, so you know, 1194 01:14:11,439 --> 01:14:14,120 Speaker 1: shut the funk up. Uh, And there's just all kind 1195 01:14:14,160 --> 01:14:16,639 Speaker 1: You go into the background of this couple, and I mean, 1196 01:14:16,720 --> 01:14:21,240 Speaker 1: it's just incredibly clear, and I can't prove, I couldn't 1197 01:14:21,320 --> 01:14:26,680 Speaker 1: prove to you factually that they are a informal or 1198 01:14:26,840 --> 01:14:31,559 Speaker 1: formal asset of the Chinese Communist Party. But if you 1199 01:14:31,560 --> 01:14:34,240 Speaker 1: start looking at them and their track record and who 1200 01:14:34,280 --> 01:14:37,679 Speaker 1: they are and try to connect the dots, what's going 1201 01:14:37,720 --> 01:14:40,120 Speaker 1: on becomes very clear. And I mean I'm not saying 1202 01:14:40,160 --> 01:14:43,960 Speaker 1: that they're like on the take and they're they're receiving. Um, well, 1203 01:14:44,000 --> 01:14:46,640 Speaker 1: maybe they are, but I'm not saying that it's a 1204 01:14:46,680 --> 01:14:49,160 Speaker 1: direct relationship, like hey, we'll pay you to write these 1205 01:14:49,160 --> 01:14:52,439 Speaker 1: bullshit op eds in the American press. But but there's 1206 01:14:52,479 --> 01:14:55,960 Speaker 1: definitely I mean he the husband teaches at at this 1207 01:14:56,080 --> 01:15:00,280 Speaker 1: Chinese university. The wife is you know, closely really aided, 1208 01:15:00,520 --> 01:15:04,920 Speaker 1: uh you know, involved in in Chinese American finance. Um, 1209 01:15:05,040 --> 01:15:08,040 Speaker 1: the quid the quid pro quo is unmistakable. I mean 1210 01:15:08,200 --> 01:15:10,680 Speaker 1: it's certainly there. And and for her to write this 1211 01:15:11,240 --> 01:15:14,000 Speaker 1: and not this close this information, I mean, she is 1212 01:15:14,040 --> 01:15:19,679 Speaker 1: far from being an unbiased source. Um. And so it's 1213 01:15:19,680 --> 01:15:21,840 Speaker 1: just andrut because most people will probably just see this 1214 01:15:21,880 --> 01:15:27,960 Speaker 1: and say, Washington Post pretty reputable. That's the ultimate irony, 1215 01:15:28,000 --> 01:15:31,080 Speaker 1: of course, is the Washington Post has their motto democracy 1216 01:15:31,200 --> 01:15:36,080 Speaker 1: dies in the darkness Jesus Christ, that sure does. Yeah, 1217 01:15:36,120 --> 01:15:38,320 Speaker 1: And you start looking at this thing, the Burger Rune 1218 01:15:38,720 --> 01:15:42,800 Speaker 1: Burger Run Institute, and I mean like their whole like 1219 01:15:43,120 --> 01:15:48,880 Speaker 1: reason for existence is basically like to to basically tell 1220 01:15:48,920 --> 01:15:53,200 Speaker 1: America why we suck. Um, and and the people who 1221 01:15:53,280 --> 01:15:55,840 Speaker 1: advise them and sit on their board, I mean, their 1222 01:15:55,880 --> 01:15:59,639 Speaker 1: whole their whole reason for existence is essentially, I mean 1223 01:15:59,640 --> 01:16:02,120 Speaker 1: I could and help, but look at this and see 1224 01:16:02,160 --> 01:16:06,679 Speaker 1: that they're very much aligned with Chinese strategists who see 1225 01:16:06,720 --> 01:16:10,120 Speaker 1: their current role of China is to be managing a 1226 01:16:10,200 --> 01:16:13,120 Speaker 1: declining power and the declining powers of the United States 1227 01:16:13,120 --> 01:16:15,559 Speaker 1: in their eyes, and that they see their roles to 1228 01:16:16,080 --> 01:16:19,720 Speaker 1: manage us UH as we become a second rate power 1229 01:16:19,960 --> 01:16:24,640 Speaker 1: and China becomes a global hedgemon UH. And this institute 1230 01:16:24,680 --> 01:16:30,719 Speaker 1: looks like they're kind of the American liaison helping helping UH, 1231 01:16:30,920 --> 01:16:34,200 Speaker 1: helping US ease US into that position. UM. But you know, 1232 01:16:34,280 --> 01:16:36,640 Speaker 1: people can go and take a look at this institute 1233 01:16:36,680 --> 01:16:38,800 Speaker 1: and look at these characters for themselves and make their 1234 01:16:38,840 --> 01:16:43,320 Speaker 1: own determinations. And it's by the way, b r G 1235 01:16:43,320 --> 01:16:45,599 Speaker 1: G r U E N if people want to look 1236 01:16:45,640 --> 01:16:48,800 Speaker 1: up at the Institute China Center. From my point of view, 1237 01:16:48,920 --> 01:16:53,760 Speaker 1: I mean, people talk all about China Russian collusion or 1238 01:16:53,880 --> 01:16:56,240 Speaker 1: or the threat about Iran. Something's got to be done 1239 01:16:56,240 --> 01:17:00,800 Speaker 1: about Iran. Bro No, No, China is a America's number 1240 01:17:00,800 --> 01:17:03,519 Speaker 1: one threat. If you want to know who the bad 1241 01:17:03,560 --> 01:17:08,639 Speaker 1: guys are, look at this. Russia. I mean they're gonna 1242 01:17:08,640 --> 01:17:12,360 Speaker 1: be you know, Russia is has a bunch of islands 1243 01:17:12,479 --> 01:17:15,360 Speaker 1: where that seagulls crap all over and you know, the 1244 01:17:15,680 --> 01:17:20,240 Speaker 1: the North Sea. I mean, there's nothing. I mean, I Russia's. 1245 01:17:20,320 --> 01:17:23,559 Speaker 1: Russia is a threat, but they're the small threat. UM. 1246 01:17:23,600 --> 01:17:28,320 Speaker 1: They're not economically or socially viable over the long term. UM, 1247 01:17:28,479 --> 01:17:31,759 Speaker 1: China is looking to supplant US as a global power, 1248 01:17:32,560 --> 01:17:35,000 Speaker 1: and this is the threat that people should be focused on. 1249 01:17:35,439 --> 01:17:38,439 Speaker 1: I saw over the past week, UM Gordon Shang, who's 1250 01:17:38,439 --> 01:17:42,040 Speaker 1: a friend of mine, expert on China, UM rights for Forbes, 1251 01:17:42,160 --> 01:17:44,840 Speaker 1: regularly on pretty much all media outlets from Foxing News 1252 01:17:44,840 --> 01:17:47,960 Speaker 1: to MSNBC. He's been pretty vocal on Twitter over the 1253 01:17:48,000 --> 01:17:52,080 Speaker 1: past week about Trump wanting to be more diplomatic with 1254 01:17:52,160 --> 01:17:55,760 Speaker 1: China and and have better relations, and Gordon has been 1255 01:17:55,800 --> 01:17:59,160 Speaker 1: saying that we shouldn't be easing into that until we 1256 01:17:59,240 --> 01:18:02,240 Speaker 1: tell Sha to do something about their human rights policy, 1257 01:18:02,400 --> 01:18:04,599 Speaker 1: it's never gonna happen China, which I think is why 1258 01:18:04,600 --> 01:18:06,599 Speaker 1: Gordon Shang wants us. You know, a guy like that 1259 01:18:06,680 --> 01:18:09,840 Speaker 1: and many experts on the subject to our anti China 1260 01:18:10,240 --> 01:18:12,880 Speaker 1: don't want us to build relations with China. Yeah. I mean, 1261 01:18:13,320 --> 01:18:15,280 Speaker 1: I'm sure that his you know, his heart is in 1262 01:18:15,280 --> 01:18:17,760 Speaker 1: the right place, but China is not going to democratize. 1263 01:18:17,760 --> 01:18:19,760 Speaker 1: That's that's a myth. No, I don't and I don't 1264 01:18:19,760 --> 01:18:21,080 Speaker 1: think he believes that in the least. I don't know 1265 01:18:21,120 --> 01:18:23,400 Speaker 1: if you're saying Trump believes that or oh, I mean, 1266 01:18:23,439 --> 01:18:25,519 Speaker 1: I don't think Trump knows what Trump believes. I mean, 1267 01:18:25,560 --> 01:18:27,960 Speaker 1: he's just kind of winging it day to day, and 1268 01:18:28,000 --> 01:18:30,559 Speaker 1: the Chinese are just laughing at him because, like I said, 1269 01:18:31,160 --> 01:18:34,639 Speaker 1: the Trump Sorry, I'm getting lost in my words there. Uh, 1270 01:18:34,720 --> 01:18:36,800 Speaker 1: you know, Trump wakes up in the morning and he 1271 01:18:36,840 --> 01:18:39,960 Speaker 1: has a different idea, um, you know, hour to hour 1272 01:18:40,400 --> 01:18:43,360 Speaker 1: about what he believes about these things. The Chinese planning 1273 01:18:43,400 --> 01:18:46,200 Speaker 1: like hundred years spans. So I mean they're just laughing 1274 01:18:46,240 --> 01:18:50,120 Speaker 1: at at Trump. They're like whatever. And also the incoming 1275 01:18:50,439 --> 01:18:53,800 Speaker 1: tariffs with trade that's gonna have a big impact on things. 1276 01:18:53,880 --> 01:18:57,439 Speaker 1: I mean I have actually a family members who own 1277 01:18:57,520 --> 01:19:00,360 Speaker 1: small businesses that that you know Bi mateer reels from 1278 01:19:00,439 --> 01:19:02,439 Speaker 1: China and they're like, yeah, my my costs are gonna 1279 01:19:02,439 --> 01:19:04,599 Speaker 1: go up if we end up going through with all 1280 01:19:04,600 --> 01:19:09,680 Speaker 1: this stuff on tariffs. So he's playing checkers, we need 1281 01:19:09,720 --> 01:19:13,240 Speaker 1: to play chess. Yeah alright, Well, I hope you guys 1282 01:19:13,400 --> 01:19:16,360 Speaker 1: enjoyed this episode. With Thomas Pakora. I thought that was 1283 01:19:16,400 --> 01:19:20,400 Speaker 1: really excellent. I greatly appreciate him coming on with us 1284 01:19:20,439 --> 01:19:23,760 Speaker 1: and taking the time, and I'm looking forward to that book, 1285 01:19:24,000 --> 01:19:26,360 Speaker 1: looking forward to reading yeah once again. The book is 1286 01:19:26,520 --> 01:19:30,439 Speaker 1: Guardian Life in the Crosshairs of the CIA's War on Terror. 1287 01:19:30,800 --> 01:19:34,960 Speaker 1: It's written by Thomas Or with John Land and Lindsay Preston. 1288 01:19:35,080 --> 01:19:38,680 Speaker 1: Available May seven, up now for pre order and Amazon, or, 1289 01:19:38,720 --> 01:19:42,519 Speaker 1: as Thomas said, Barnes and Noble as well. And other 1290 01:19:42,600 --> 01:19:45,519 Speaker 1: than that, we have an incredibly busy week here at 1291 01:19:45,600 --> 01:19:50,080 Speaker 1: Hurricane Media with meetings and a lot of great stuff happening. 1292 01:19:50,080 --> 01:19:53,040 Speaker 1: We also have our big party Friday night that's on 1293 01:19:53,120 --> 01:19:57,080 Speaker 1: the horizon, and uh, that's really it, man. I mean 1294 01:19:57,160 --> 01:19:59,479 Speaker 1: it's just it's it's gonna be packed week for us. Yeah, 1295 01:19:59,720 --> 01:20:01,840 Speaker 1: and engine to get shows up somehow though, and then 1296 01:20:01,960 --> 01:20:05,640 Speaker 1: next week I will not be here. So I have 1297 01:20:05,760 --> 01:20:08,320 Speaker 1: some best stuffs that I've already made that I've scheduled out, 1298 01:20:08,520 --> 01:20:11,120 Speaker 1: not actually not really best of this stuff from Brandon's 1299 01:20:11,120 --> 01:20:15,599 Speaker 1: Power Thought podcast, including the interview with Captain Jerry Yellen, 1300 01:20:16,040 --> 01:20:19,080 Speaker 1: which is just awesome. Them the man who flew the 1301 01:20:19,120 --> 01:20:23,080 Speaker 1: final combat mission over Japan. I'm pretty sure very likely 1302 01:20:23,120 --> 01:20:25,479 Speaker 1: the final interview of his life, because he passed away 1303 01:20:25,840 --> 01:20:28,160 Speaker 1: just a couple of months after we did that interview. 1304 01:20:28,760 --> 01:20:31,120 Speaker 1: UM and you all, and you know, what's interesting to 1305 01:20:31,160 --> 01:20:33,920 Speaker 1: me is that he was in the what we now 1306 01:20:34,000 --> 01:20:37,120 Speaker 1: call the Air Force in a very short period of 1307 01:20:37,120 --> 01:20:40,120 Speaker 1: time where the name went from the Army Air Corps 1308 01:20:40,120 --> 01:20:43,240 Speaker 1: to the Army Air Forces and then to the Air 1309 01:20:43,320 --> 01:20:45,479 Speaker 1: Forces we know now now no today. I believe for 1310 01:20:45,560 --> 01:20:48,320 Speaker 1: seven years it was called the Army Air Forces and 1311 01:20:48,360 --> 01:20:51,639 Speaker 1: he was in there during that time period. That was interesting. 1312 01:20:52,200 --> 01:20:55,920 Speaker 1: So alright, guys, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at 1313 01:20:55,960 --> 01:21:08,479 Speaker 1: Soft Prep Radio and we're at you've been listening to 1314 01:21:08,680 --> 01:21:13,120 Speaker 1: Self Rep Radio new episodes of every Wednesday and Friday. 1315 01:21:13,920 --> 01:21:17,360 Speaker 1: Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter at self Rep 1316 01:21:17,479 --> 01:21:17,839 Speaker 1: Radio