WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:03.359 Hey guys, it's Jack. I just wanted to talk to you today about 2 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:06.839 a way that you can help support the podcast. If you're not already, 3 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:10.919 we would really appreciate it if you guys went and reviewed us on Apple or 4 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:16.000 Spotify. Those reviews really help people find the podcast and help it get recognized, 5 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.320 and you know, if you've been enjoying the show, we really appreciate 6 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:24.039 your support. Another thing that you can do to support the channel is to 7 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:29.160 become a Patreon member. So we have Patreon memberships that started just five dollars 8 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:32.840 a month, and when you sign up, you get access to all of 9 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:36.479 our episodes add free. That's the big bonus for that. I mean, 10 00:00:36.520 --> 00:00:41.719 we also do some Patreon bonus episodes for our subscribers, but this is the 11 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:47.799 biggest and best way that you can support the Teamhouse channel and podcast if you'd 12 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:51.399 like to, and we really appreciate that, So go and check us out 13 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:56.759 at patreon dot com slash the Teamhouse. Hello everyone, welcome to another episode 14 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.000 of iz On. I'm Andy Bilberin, fil my Marine Infantry and Special Operations 15 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:04.159 officer now working for the Team House. I'm very glad to be hosting this 16 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:10.319 episode with my co host, Dee Tacos, and Jason Lyons. Jason over 17 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:14.480 to you. Thanks, Andy, appreciate it. I'm Jason Lyons, former 18 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:23.159 Marine Marine Corps infantry and former CIA staff operations and Operations officer, and I 19 00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:27.519 really appreciate being here with you guys. Like we've said in the past, 20 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:34.680 this is our guys. Take three guys sitting around our take on world affairs 21 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:38.439 as they occur, and I'm just happy to be here. Over to you 22 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:41.760 if you have anything. I just want to thank everybody for being here. 23 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:46.280 Jason, I'm glad you're back on it and your back's feeling better. I 24 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:53.000 have no real credentials at all. I'm just now I'm the movie producer, 25 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:57.879 yeah, podcast producer, but I have not I have no real Chippendale dancer. 26 00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:01.040 Yeah that was my past. Yeah, that was my passion. Dance 27 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:06.439 was my passion for a couple of years there in my youth. But now 28 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:09.520 I'm happy to do this dipress. Yeah. I hope everyone likes subscribes. 29 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:15.159 If you're listening to us on audio, rate and review it, do whatever 30 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:17.520 you can to help, you know, spread out spread the message of what 31 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:23.240 we're doing. A political trying to keep it down the line facts you know, 32 00:02:23.639 --> 00:02:27.520 and I have two experts here that you know, know what you're talking 33 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:31.840 about. So it's basically a show for me. Guys. It's thanks for 34 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:36.719 the ova whelming introduction date. You're welcome. Jason. You better step in 35 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.840 before totally buries himself. Well then I'll end up burying myself. But here 36 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:50.960 we go, so leading off we On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Yahouh came 37 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:59.479 out publicly rejecting Hamas's proposal for a ceasefire to the ongoing conflict over there. 38 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:07.719 He flat out rejected the terms of proposal as preposterous, and he basically said 39 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:14.719 that the only thing that will end the war is the complete destruction of Hamas 40 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:20.479 whatever you know, whatever that means for as far as Israel's concerned. So 41 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:25.800 according to Ruters, I'm gonna read from what the confirmed sources say the document 42 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:30.520 of the proposal. Read it says, during the first forty five day phase, 43 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:35.840 all Israeli women, hostages, males under nineteen and the old and sick 44 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:39.639 will be freed in exchange for Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails. 45 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:46.759 Israel would withdraw troops from Gods's populated areas. That's phase one. During the 46 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:53.599 second phase, it would not begin until both sides conclude indirect talks over the 47 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:59.639 requirements for ending mutual military operations and restoring complete calm. Obviously, what complete 48 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:04.639 calm means is relative to either side. The second phase would also include the 49 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:10.599 release of remaining male hostages and full Israeli withdrawal from all of Gaza. The 50 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:16.240 remains of any dead would be exchange during the third phase, and Washington has 51 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:23.319 cast this part of the deal for as part of a wider resolution for the 52 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:27.600 Middle East as a whole, conflict as a whole, hoping that there'll be 53 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:31.600 a reconciliation between Israel and out all of its our neighbors and the creation of 54 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:38.399 a Palestinian state. Blincoln Secretary Blincoln made a trip I believe it was Wednesday 55 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:46.959 there as well, so well Israeli as outright rejected it. The US still 56 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:49.959 has hope that there's going to be some sort of that this can at least 57 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:58.959 be the cornerstone for a long term ceasefire and a deal. Other from what 58 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:01.920 I've been reading, other partners in the East or in the Middle East, 59 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:08.319 such as Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia has flat out said that they like the 60 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:12.600 deal, but the only way that they would sign on to it would be 61 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:18.399 the establishment of a two state So yeah, two state solution. That's the 62 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:26.680 only way that they'll even speak with or entertained entering into relationship with Israel. 63 00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:30.439 So I won't say that's a separate thing, but it is a separate thing, 64 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:38.439 and we already know Israel's stance on that. So I think what as 65 00:05:38.439 --> 00:05:41.639 far as we are concerned, the US is concerned, and everybody the world 66 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:46.560 is, we need to look at the implications from a ten foot level all 67 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.720 the way up to a fifty thousand foot level on what you know this means, 68 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:56.040 if it's even partially implemented. I mean, obviously, first and foremost, 69 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:00.160 we want the hostages. Everyone wants the hostages returned. And we want 70 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:01.720 there to be a you know, we want the shooting to stop. We 71 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.800 want innocence to die or excuse me, hello, somebody's gonna take that and 72 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:12.759 cut it. Uh. That would never happen to anyone on a team house. 73 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:16.759 You wouldn't let that happen. You can see my face being right there 74 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:23.000 is Max Blumenthal. We want then, we want no more innocence nobody does. 75 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:27.439 So that is if you know, if we could have a perfect world 76 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:30.920 right now, that's the biggest and best thing to happen on both sides. 77 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:36.639 Regionally, obviously, you know, they we want as the US, I 78 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:40.720 say, we as the US would want a uh. We just we want 79 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:44.639 peace in the region for not just those on the ground, the innocence on 80 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:46.600 the ground, but for us as well. We have interests, you know, 81 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:51.160 uh for better or worse in the Middle East. And then we've got 82 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:55.759 the peripherals. We've got the Hooties, We've got you know, Iran, 83 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.439 who's got their you know, finger in the pie, so to speak. 84 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:04.879 So one way or another, the weather along with the positives of a ceasefire 85 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:10.040 and whatever else comes from that, there's the negatives, which is we're going 86 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:15.399 to be pricking at Iran and you know, the Huthis and any kind of 87 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:17.000 extremists in the region. So these are all things we're going to have to 88 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:20.800 take into account. And you know, for a I was just thinking about 89 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:24.879 that. I mean, this brings out so much and when we're not going 90 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:29.800 to have time to delve into everything here, but just some of the things 91 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:35.240 that you touched upon Jason, one of which which is a recurrent theme, 92 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:44.000 but it's very interesting. It's a very interesting phenomenon that is happening in two 93 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:51.759 countries right now, Ukraine and with Israel, where military commanders are apparently voicing 94 00:07:51.920 --> 00:08:01.319 concerns that the stated political objectives are unattainable, and yet the political leaders are 95 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:07.600 still holding firm to those objectives that the commanders have told them we can't get 96 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:15.160 their boss. In the case of obviously net Yahoo, who by the way, 97 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:18.000 realizes that when this is over, you know, he's gone, so 98 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:24.319 I will make no more comments about that. But you know, in his 99 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:31.080 case, destruction of Hamas in very general terms, and his military commanders are 100 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:35.919 asking what exactly does that mean in terms of objectives on the ground, right 101 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:41.279 and not getting an answer. And the case we'll talk about this d I 102 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:46.519 think he wanted to his illutionies firing. This week's solutiony by the way, 103 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:52.840 headed up Ukrainian forces. And this is something that's been long time coming, 104 00:08:52.879 --> 00:09:00.919 and the gradual disagreements becoming more and more serious as the offensive bogged down in 105 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:05.320 you know, in the south and eventually boiling over. But you know, 106 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:15.960 at root cause, fundamentally the largest difference between ZOLUTIONI and Zelenski were it wasn't 107 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:20.120 in their objectives. They're both one of with vigt Russians from Ukrainian soil. 108 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:26.320 But the fact was that Solutionary felt that Selenski was not willing to pay the 109 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:30.720 political price, which was going to general mobilization. Solutionali said, We're going 110 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:35.759 to need five hundred thousand additional troops right now the Ukrainian military. I'm sorry, 111 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:39.639 and I mean this is a good, fairly good segue. Right by 112 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:43.639 the way, we'll come back and talk about Israel. Great detail for a 113 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:48.440 couple of couple of episodes. Why while I'm out there later this month, 114 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:54.360 But you know, on the on the topic of Solution is firing, think 115 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:58.279 about this because this has this is very interesting, such a high tech war. 116 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:07.720 Eight now the the game change or the the the resource that that is 117 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.600 becoming most critical. It's not it's not artery shells right now. It's not 118 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:16.360 even you know, high mars or live bombs or any weapons system. It 119 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:20.039 is manpower. And I think, you know, I don't want to appear 120 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:24.639 prescient. In January, I was saying this, Ukrainians have a military of 121 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:28.360 eight hundred thousand. Solution is saying they need half a million, right, 122 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:35.000 that's what he was saying, half a million. Yeah, general, Yeah, 123 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:39.200 absolutely, general mobilization. Ukrainians have not gone to that yet, and 124 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:41.440 you know, one would guess that the only reason not to would be a 125 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:46.440 political reason. That it's kind of a I mean, it's a very unpopular 126 00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:50.240 measure, right, but it's the solution is saying, hey boss, we 127 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:56.919 cannot get there from here. The offensive has has bought down. You know, 128 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:01.679 for an example, the last at the height of the offensive, the 129 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:05.519 Ukrainians made ten miles in ten days, the very high of the offense, 130 00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:09.879 I've had the most successful down their robotine. You know that when the mainf 131 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:16.639 it was pushing, but they barbed down in twenty straight kilometers of Russian defenses. 132 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.919 Know, the Russians knew they were coming. And that's where the argument 133 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:24.639 started between Solutions and Zelenski. Zelenski, under immense pressure, all right, 134 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:30.480 to show gains on the ground to NATO is saying, hey, you've got 135 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.480 to go through it for it, you know, you've got to get We've 136 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:39.320 just got to continue conducting these huge attacks. And Solution is like, hey 137 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:43.799 man, there's no sign of incoming manpower, and at the rate we're losing 138 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:48.279 people, I cannot afford to do that, or we won't even be able 139 00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:52.679 to hold the line, let alone exploit and offensive solution is supposedly his argument 140 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:58.879 all along was that unless they had a large exploitation force, they were not 141 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.600 going to be able to take advantage of any of their gains in the offense 142 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:07.080 of the hard won gains and breaking through these breaching lines. There's a host 143 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:11.559 of things to talk about here, and again it's not something you know that 144 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:13.440 we can go in a lot of detail right now, but I want to 145 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:20.240 come back to it because there's some really extraordinary things happening in the war in 146 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:22.480 Ukraine that we should take a look at. We've all heard about, you 147 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:26.320 know, the rise of unmanned systems, but the scale at which this is 148 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:30.919 happening has to be seen to be believed. And I'll give you an example. 149 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:35.639 It has cultural I mean, it has dart MPLF that is, you 150 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:41.720 know, doctrind through fielding of equipment implications for the US military. It has 151 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:48.559 cultural implications for the US military. Typical the Ukraine's are finding that the most 152 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:54.399 effective squad effective small unit in this type of warfare is twelve to sixteen men, 153 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:58.039 you know, roughly size of an infantry squad, larger than the US 154 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:01.879 Army's Infrat sky. It isn't matter at the amount of men. What's really 155 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:05.840 significant is that half of these guys are drone operators, all right. Even 156 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:09.960 the local security, you know, flank security, all these things that we 157 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:13.919 learn about in the infantry, aster course or whatever, all these things are 158 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:18.759 now being conducted at the tactical level, all these tasks by drones, you 159 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:20.840 know, so you can see the implications there. It's a different type of 160 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:26.440 fella. Who is who is really you know, the sought after dude. 161 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:31.120 Even down at that level. You know, what do you think they're doing 162 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:35.759 for it? I mean point man, right, the point man is using 163 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:41.279 a drone all the time. It's considered suicidal not to do that, all 164 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:43.960 right. Same thing now when they're getting to urpen clearing, there is even 165 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:52.480 using fpvs, which is the first person view drones which are old quite you 166 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.240 know, previously quite cot to racing drones that have been repurposed in Ukraine. 167 00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:00.360 Some of you may have seen the videos and it's some extraordinary videos of these 168 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:05.840 things chasing, chasing, Russian soldiers, I mean, and vehicles under culverts, 169 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:09.840 inter bunkers, all kinds of things. I mean, we talk about 170 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:16.960 combined arms in conjunction of artillery. These fpuvs are really proving to be a 171 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:22.799 game changer. And down again down to the squad level when you look at 172 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:28.000 the Marine Infantry squad and I just speak of the Marine Infantry Squad because I 173 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:31.240 you know, I was a member of I always remember it said squad at 174 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:39.919 one stage. It has not changed as far as lethality significantly in the thirty 175 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:46.320 five years it has been since Pfc Melbourne was carrying the saw as a newly 176 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:52.000 fledged member of his fire team. But the Ukrainian squad certainly is, you 177 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:56.919 know, and they've learned hard lessons. But nevertheless, until we can find 178 00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:01.320 unmanned systems that can take and whole ground, we're going to need flesh and 179 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:05.679 blood as infantrymen. And that is the problem now facing the Ukrainians. And 180 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:11.320 that was the fundamental, one of the most fundamental reasons between the split between 181 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:16.879 Ziluzi and Zelenski. And I think it's you know, it's sad that he's 182 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:20.159 gone. It is sad. I think it's a I mean, we want 183 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:26.960 to see civilian control the military in any Western democracy. So the act itself 184 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:33.799 is encouraging, I suppose. But the fact that it was Illuzhni who had 185 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:39.240 such an iconic hold on the Ukrainian soldiers, they loved him, they really 186 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:41.720 did. They sensed he was going to ask you that if he was a 187 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:48.679 soldiers general. I don't want to draw comparisons, but I will. You 188 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:54.039 know Montgomery in the Second World War, Montgomery was not necessarily a tactical genius, 189 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:58.559 but he knew the relative strengths and weaknesses between the British army and the 190 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:03.919 Germans. L al A. Maine was a triumph of material, you know, 191 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:07.399 to just stop piling everything. He was almost a nutritional general. But 192 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:12.240 the soldiers loved him because they knew he wasn't going to throw their lives away, 193 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:15.519 and that is how they felt about solutioning. You know, the word 194 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:21.840 got out that he was stopping these mass assaults without sufficient cover on a transparent 195 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:26.200 battlefield. By the way, the way that we conduct breaching in the US 196 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:32.000 military is pathetic now has been shown to be pathetic by t Sanders of twenty 197 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:37.919 first century warfare. Soso for Christ say, using you know, outdated methods 198 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:41.159 like smoke generation. Ukrainians had tried that, and we're getting massacred. And 199 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:47.200 that is why Solution stepped in autoed the tactics to move tree line by tree 200 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:52.080 line, covered by vehicles by small unit, you know, making small incremental 201 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:56.559 gains, but at least saving lives, which he knew was going to be 202 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:59.440 critical at this stage of the y. And I got a question, Yeah, 203 00:16:59.559 --> 00:17:06.400 please, let's say they did mobilize half a million troops. Would it 204 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.319 make a huge difference in terms of pushing the Russians back? Yeah, that's 205 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.240 that's also a great question. I would say. I would say, you 206 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:18.759 know, it's a question of scale, right, five hundred thousand guys, 207 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:25.680 It's that's now you've got to you've got to factor in the town timeline to 208 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:30.559 get those dudes through the system. The Ukrainians, the Ukrainians have had to 209 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.240 push people through in a matter of a few weeks. You know, before 210 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:40.119 these guys get they're barely trained in many many units, most units was our 211 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:44.039 judgment motorcycle group even a year ago. But even then, it's going to 212 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.720 take a while to integrate and assimilate these guys. But yeah, sure, 213 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:49.839 that's a significant force. And here's the other part of this. The Russians, 214 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:55.920 as far as personnel part, are on the ropes too. You know, 215 00:17:56.680 --> 00:18:00.759 they went to general mobilization or not even general mobilization popsh or mobilization over 216 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:07.000 a year ago to raise three hundred thousand guys. They've lost, they've lost, 217 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:11.960 you know, combined attrition more than that since then. So they too 218 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:19.119 are fielding under strength units and that the Ukrainians can put together this many dudes 219 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:25.000 and replenish the stocks of equipment that they have lost in the offensive. Yeah, 220 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:29.799 they've got a fighting chance, absolutely, but you've got to remember too 221 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:33.519 that there's many a slip between cup and lip that's going to take months. 222 00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:41.279 You've got NATO's less less zealous members already kind of looking at Putin saying, 223 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:45.400 maybe we should go to the negotiation table. Right, Thank you Target Carson 224 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:55.000 by the way for that next. But before we do that, I do 225 00:18:55.079 --> 00:19:00.880 want to talk about a couple of adaptations that are significant to what's happening now 226 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:10.880 in the Middle East. Right, So, the the Russians have adapted very 227 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:15.319 very quickly. You know, there's been a lot of a lot of news 228 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:18.880 about you know, the Ukrainians. So the Russians are using all the drones 229 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:22.240 in exactly the same way now even not not quite a discent the Ukrainians are, 230 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:30.519 but they're also adapting by using a weapon that has become the most feared 231 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:34.480 to the Ukrainian infantry. And the reports messages I'm getting back from people I 232 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:40.359 still know how that that's the glide bomb, all right. So you know, 233 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:45.599 earlier on in the war, the Russians were dropping dumb bombs and quite 234 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:52.759 ineffectively. They suffered high attrition, and of course the air war became kind 235 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:57.160 of what it became almost static. I mean, there was no air superiority 236 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:02.680 by either side. A operated behind or up to the front line. It 237 00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:06.880 was considered suicidal to operate in front of the front line, right. But 238 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:12.880 so what the Russians have done, particularly with I mean all their or all 239 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:18.799 of their aircraft, rather than flying up or across the line, they will 240 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:22.839 lob these things, these glide bombs, from behind the lines, out of 241 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:30.000 range of Ukrainian EIGHTYA systems, all right. And these things have a warhead 242 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:33.799 of between you know, two hundred and five hundred kilograms, so significantly more 243 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:41.319 destructive than drones. And they are they are wrecking havoc. The Russians too 244 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:48.519 are using them almost in swarms with their lancet loitering ammunition. I know, 245 00:20:48.519 --> 00:20:52.039 if you've smooth, you've been watching the videos maybe about these things. They 246 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:59.720 are. Land Set two is very feared weapon. You know, it's me 247 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.640 as is any loitering munition coming. I mean, one minute everything's fine, 248 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:07.920 next you're gone, all right, and there's no warning sign at least with 249 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:14.400 artillery or small arms or anything else. You get some indication, right or 250 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:19.440 they so. But but yeah, these things are tremendously have a tremendous psychological 251 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:23.960 impact, which is interesting. You know, the land set even though they 252 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:27.680 are the small warhead and even though they kind of plank and take out one 253 00:21:27.720 --> 00:21:33.920 or two guys in small aircord at a time. So the Russians are adapting, 254 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:42.400 adapting fast in this. Now, when I say applications the Middle East, 255 00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:48.920 the there's a couple of things, all right. So the Ukrainians have 256 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.599 done very well in the Black Sea. They've been using the kind of hoofy 257 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:57.319 tactics, all right. So there's a message for us here the downside. 258 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:04.400 But I suppose you call it a mosquito fleet. The Ukrainians really do not 259 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:10.799 have a navy worth talking about, but they've got plenty of anti ship missiles, 260 00:22:10.839 --> 00:22:15.799 or rather missiles they've repurposed to be anti ship missiles. They've got still 261 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:22.680 very capable special operations guys, to include maritime special operations. And they've got 262 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:26.960 a fleet of seaborn drones that are literal that are really cutting edge, you 263 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:33.400 know, beyond what we have. And so with those things, plus you 264 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:37.559 know, the loitering amminisions of their own, they've been clinking away at the 265 00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:45.240 Russian fleet with some success, but the Russians still largely control the Black Sea. 266 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:52.240 And you know, when we're talking about the fight for freedom of movement 267 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:56.160 there, you know, I don't want to suggest the Ukrainians have have brought 268 00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:00.039 the Russians to a stand soil, but it's kind of interesting how they have 269 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:07.880 certainly certainly prevented that freedom of movement. The Russians are unable to impose the 270 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:11.640 blockade, and the Ukrainians, as a result, we're able to export you 271 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:15.160 know, four point eight million tons of grain last year, which is almost 272 00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:19.119 back to their pre war levels. So again, you know, we should 273 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:22.680 be looking at what's happening in the Black Sea to glean some lessons. What 274 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:26.920 are the Russians, you know, what are the options to counter this this 275 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:36.640 type of this snipe of warfare the other thing very quickly because we're not going 276 00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:40.079 to come back to Ukraine in this episode. Who knows what's going to happen 277 00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:47.000 next episode? E w all right. Counter drone warfare then has has come 278 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:52.480 down to electronic warfare on both sides, all right, the Russians the Ukrainians 279 00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:57.400 estimate that they lose about two thousand drones a month to Russian e w. 280 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:02.880 All right. And the Ukrainians have themselves brought in LT of systems and are 281 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:06.720 reporting that, yeah, these are way more effective than any kinetic solution. 282 00:24:06.920 --> 00:24:11.279 So we gain you know, some lessons here that we can certainly learn from 283 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:18.599 them, you know, aside from that engagements on the ground from between vehicles. 284 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:22.480 This is kind of an interesting point. Have been small packets, right 285 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:29.000 we US military, We wouldn't dream of sending a tank out without a sister 286 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:32.200 tank, right, I mean that's you know, preferably a platoon, which 287 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.279 is four tanks. You know, you need your wingmen, you have mutual 288 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:41.880 support blah blah blah with the Ukrainians are operating their tanks and Bradley's or I 289 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:48.640 fees singly, why is that? Will? It comes back to live bombs 290 00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:53.079 and lan set and it comes back to priority of targets. The Russians aren't 291 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:56.799 going to plank a single vehicle and lose an asset, right, even a 292 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:02.000 you know, even a lancet they might with lancipe certainly not a life bomb, 293 00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:03.680 right, it costs a lot of money. So they're waiting for a 294 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:08.240 larger conglomeration, you know, at least a platoon, maybe company. So 295 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:11.440 the Ukraine has have figured out that if they can work out how to operate 296 00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:18.000 alone in conjunction with infantry loan vehicle, then they're going to be more survival 297 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:21.920 and have more success. Hence that is why you have this extraordinary story of 298 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:26.119 a Bradley knocking out a T ninety, you know, a couple of weeks 299 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:30.960 ago, near near our detail. So anyway, hey, listen, I've 300 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.000 droned. I've gone on about Ukraine for amount back to you, any guy 301 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:41.799 one more? One more thought about Ukraine. I was thinking about Aslusy from 302 00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:48.039 a political and slash intel standpoint. I had a thought of giving his popularity 303 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:52.440 with his troops. How much of this is this decision to remove him as 304 00:25:52.480 --> 00:26:00.319 political because of it may be a political thrill, you know. So that's 305 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:03.640 something to think about. And on the outside, on the on the back 306 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:06.920 half of that, now that if if it is political, if part of 307 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:11.079 it is political, which we would you know, we would assume any replacement 308 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:14.039 is this is going to be somebody that's gonna you know, walk the line, 309 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:18.920 which would downline compromise you know, tactics, and you know, the 310 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:22.240 troops and stuff. So that's something to think about. No, that's a 311 00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:26.119 really good point, really good point, Chason. I gotta tell you that 312 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:32.720 that the scuttle butt in Ukraine is exactly that that. Uh listen, I'm 313 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:36.759 just repeating, you know the word, and this is why it was. 314 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.720 It was a dangerous move to to fly this guy. I suppose, I 315 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:47.000 mean it was I suppose draw drawing comparison with maconface firing. But uh, 316 00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:51.279 but to your point, yeah, that's I mean, politics in Ukraine, 317 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:55.200 as you know, is pretty cut in frost. And that's an understatement, 318 00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:57.000 right, I mean, it takes you take no prisoners, and even a 319 00:26:57.039 --> 00:27:03.200 guy like Zelenski, you know, ostensibly easy going, amiable, he wouldn't 320 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:08.880 have got where he is without being able to slit some throats politically, and 321 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:15.599 the popularity certainly of ZOLUTIONI could well have annoyed him. They had differences. 322 00:27:15.640 --> 00:27:18.559 I mean there were Listen, there were essensibly there were good reasons so far, 323 00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:25.880 I mean Solution. He had a public difference of opinion with him, 324 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:30.359 like, yeah, an interview to the economists in which Zolution he said, 325 00:27:30.359 --> 00:27:33.079 hey, yeah, the war is a stalemate. You know, we can't 326 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:38.319 get there from here without more resources, which was a huge departure from his 327 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:42.720 boss. His boss I had to walk that back in so so, yes, 328 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:47.480 I agree with you, Jason. I think that's probably that could well 329 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:52.640 be a motivation. But there were enough reasons ostensibly for for the president to 330 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:59.079 blame it on other other things. Can I ask so Zelenski's like, you 331 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:02.759 know, he's trying to get more resources out of like you know, NATO 332 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:07.880 or the US specifically. Probably was it Like the biggest beef between them was 333 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:12.559 the mobilization, right he meant more in terms of manpower. Yeah, I 334 00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:15.640 can't pretend to be you know, in the in the circle, but that 335 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:21.240 is Yeah, that's what I'm hearing that that that was you know that that 336 00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:26.279 was the root cause. Yeah, I mean Solutionary emerged from the first year 337 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:29.319 of the war as a hero and he still is regarded as a hero to 338 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:32.119 the troops. I mean he is, you know, I mean my mind. 339 00:28:32.119 --> 00:28:36.400 I mean, there's no doubt about it, and I can't believe they 340 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:41.640 used that term. But the last year has been a rough year. You 341 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.799 know. First year saw the defensive Kiev. It saw you know, the 342 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:52.279 can't keep breakthrough it's or retaking Kasan. But there's been definite changed in the 343 00:28:52.359 --> 00:28:59.279 last Ukrainian casualties. Mount Ukrainians haven't released their figures, but all les song 344 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:04.079 that they uh, they were on parody for a while, both in vehicles 345 00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:07.519 and in personnel during the offensive, which of course, you know, the 346 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:14.880 Ukrainians cannot they can't afford to sustain that, right, all right, So 347 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:22.119 back to the Middle East, and they are like Jason's Jason's expertise, the 348 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:32.680 US targeted strike on the what's the organization's name in Bagdad? The logistics guy 349 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:37.200 was it a CIA? Joe and Jason tell us everything. Let me close 350 00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:42.039 the doors first, you know, I honestly I don't know, I would 351 00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:48.559 venture and educated guests that we had that the agency had a hand in it, 352 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:56.279 whether it was on the ground intel or you know, strategic intel on 353 00:29:56.359 --> 00:30:00.039 it, but I would think so that we would have had a hand in 354 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:04.839 it. It was the the precision of it would suggest that this was something 355 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:10.000 that was in the in the works for a little while, whether that's two 356 00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:15.559 weeks or you know, because it was it was not indiscriminate at all, 357 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:21.559 And we've been wanted for I mean, this guy has been I would just 358 00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:26.039 say, this guy has been on uh on on he's been on the Post 359 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:30.160 checklist. Yeah, he's been on the Post for a while for a while. 360 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:34.680 Yeah, so ye, no, sorry. And also to the fact 361 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:38.799 that we knew, uh going into this, you know, before we hit 362 00:30:38.839 --> 00:30:45.039 the pickle switch, that we were going to incur the wrath of the iraqis 363 00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:49.240 in this. So you know, at this point we're already talking about withdrawing 364 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:52.960 our troops from that, from the coalition anyway. So it's kind of one 365 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:56.480 of those in my eyes, it's one of those, well, we're going 366 00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:00.160 to do it anyway. We're leaving anyway, so we're going to get our 367 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:04.480 licks in before we go. So you know, yeah, I do believe. 368 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:10.680 I mean even on a you know, on a common sense level, 369 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:17.720 agency or any intel apparatuses would have been at work in the planning and executing 370 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:21.680 of this thing. So hopefully that is a roundabout way of answering your question. 371 00:31:22.119 --> 00:31:25.880 Yeah, it was. He had a strange name, was like with 372 00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:30.079 some al Saudi, but he called himself Aboo Bacca. I don't know how 373 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:33.519 he got away with that, but that was that was his norm de guerre 374 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:41.880 after a big daddy aboobaka. And and actually uh and he was he headed 375 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:48.440 up The media reported faiously that he was there. You know, he handled 376 00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:53.599 logistics, that he headed up KH operations in Syria. I don't believe he 377 00:31:53.640 --> 00:32:00.279 headed up all KH operations in Syria. He's certainly connected with the drone operations, 378 00:32:00.480 --> 00:32:06.160 and so you see, there may have been a perceived connection between the 379 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:07.839 fact that it was a drone attack and you know, on the base, 380 00:32:08.680 --> 00:32:13.160 even though the drone came from Iraq. You know, this guy was supposedly 381 00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:20.720 an expert in repurposing drones, so you know, we we had that. 382 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:27.559 But but in these statements, remember they just made a comment that he was 383 00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:35.519 responsible for for aggression against US forces or whatever. Causing US casualties, not 384 00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:42.440 specifically notice the attack on Tower twenty two. But you know, I say 385 00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:46.880 all that because you know his ideal. And I've said this before. It's 386 00:32:47.160 --> 00:32:54.240 immensely viscerally satisfying to see a bad guy killed. Right on the other hand, 387 00:32:54.440 --> 00:32:59.160 one hopes it's part of a larger comprehensive plan. And we said the 388 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:01.440 same thing about the money. And by the way, you know, at 389 00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:09.559 the time, I think we the more circumspect observers were saying that, hey, 390 00:33:09.599 --> 00:33:13.200 listen, it's going to take a while for revenge to happen, but 391 00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:17.039 revenge will happen. And it did you know Kadarveis Fla lost Mahandez and it 392 00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:23.200 took three years, but they hit Tower twenty two. There's anyone who thinks 393 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:29.079 there's no connection. There is. So what I'm saying is we're injecting. 394 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:32.119 It's incredibly when you look at everything we've been talking about, right from what's 395 00:33:32.119 --> 00:33:38.599 happening in the Middle East to what's happening in the I mean what's happening in 396 00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:43.680 the Middle East holistically, from Gaza to the Red Sea. Right, obviously, 397 00:33:43.720 --> 00:33:50.359 it's a wicked problem. To use General Nevey's terms and what we're doing 398 00:33:50.440 --> 00:33:53.839 is injecting energy into the system. Israelis are injecting energy in the system. 399 00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:58.440 Iran is right, and we're all kind of observing. Okay, what did 400 00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:07.920 that do? Well? We're we should have some predictions about whenever we inject 401 00:34:07.039 --> 00:34:10.599 energy into the system, to include whacking someone, you know, a mitigation 402 00:34:10.760 --> 00:34:16.039 strategy, a just a campaign. So it's part of a larger picture. 403 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:20.199 And that's what I hope is happening. I'm not suggesting that that's not. 404 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:24.880 But there will be repercussions, of course, you know, and even in 405 00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:32.159 the kind of information space we we do, we are going to suffer some 406 00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:36.679 loss of ground. All right, that's all I'm saying. Okay, before 407 00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:40.239 your audience goes crazy saying that I don't you know, I don't support killing, 408 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:45.480 which is I know, one of the main ethoses of the Team House 409 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:51.440 podcast. But but you know, when you talk about information spaces almost amusing. 410 00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:54.480 Of course, the Iraqi military is up in arms about violation of sovereignty, 411 00:34:54.880 --> 00:35:00.679 you know. The military spokesman said the United States has become a factor 412 00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:06.000 for instability and threateness to entangle Iraq and the cycle of conflict. The coalition 413 00:35:06.199 --> 00:35:10.440 consistently deviates from the reasons and objectives for its presence on our territory. Right, 414 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:15.800 so just laying you know, laying the reverse side of the red carpet 415 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:21.920 for us to to get out while the chairman of the PMC meets with the 416 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:25.519 Russian ambassador. The chairman of the PMC is an official Iraqi government position that 417 00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:29.800 that happened. As I talked about two weeks ago. You see what's happening. 418 00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:32.800 All this blood and treasure, We've spent all this effort in Iraq and 419 00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:37.800 now we're kind of being eased out and coming in the back door. Is 420 00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:44.639 Russia no cost to itself in blood and treasure and Iran? You don't worry, 421 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:46.599 We'll get We will talk about positive things later. Right. There's another 422 00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:52.679 story out there too about the idea for Mussad hitting on you know, smoke 423 00:35:52.719 --> 00:35:57.199 and i RGC guys in Syria. There's another report about somebody being poisoned to 424 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:05.039 don't remember that, but yeah, they killed actually three IRGC guys in a 425 00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:10.440 farm near Damascus, which brings up an interesting point when we talk about again 426 00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:15.360 and we you know, we stay clear of taking sides politically, but when 427 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:20.639 we talk but politics strives warfare, right, and we talk about our political 428 00:36:20.719 --> 00:36:25.400 stance the Zabdia Israelis, how we're walking a fine line. And yet meanwhile, 429 00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:32.840 although we we you know, say ourselves we didn't kill any IRGC guys 430 00:36:32.880 --> 00:36:37.239 and the well publicized strikes, so we do behind the scenes almost the Asraeli's 431 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:42.079 are taking them out one by one in Syria. Yeah. So, like 432 00:36:42.199 --> 00:36:45.199 my question, is part of the US strategy, like you've seen it with 433 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:52.320 specifically that the White House briefings like they're trying to cool some tangents, move 434 00:36:52.360 --> 00:36:58.320 it towards the ceasefires negotiations. Is it part because they need Israel to kind 435 00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:00.000 of turn down the volume a little bit, It because, like you said, 436 00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:04.880 they bring so much energy to the region. Yeah, is that part 437 00:37:04.920 --> 00:37:07.360 of a strategy, right, like to have them like pull back a little 438 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:10.480 bit so this place like kind of calms down a little bit. Yes, 439 00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:15.639 certainly, you know, I mean that we are trying to we're trying to 440 00:37:15.639 --> 00:37:23.039 lower the heat, right and and I mean the the Israelis have an advantage 441 00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:28.760 in a sense and that they almost can do what they want, right, 442 00:37:28.920 --> 00:37:34.360 and they know they will ultimately get us backing, and they're playing to a 443 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:38.400 domestic audience when they do so, right, it's the opposite for us. 444 00:37:38.719 --> 00:37:43.960 And we're walking all these fine lines in the Middle East right now, and 445 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:50.320 we're trying to keep the lid on, and as we've seen, there's so 446 00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:55.679 many relationships there that that don't work in terms of cause and effect anymore, 447 00:37:55.960 --> 00:38:01.599 you know, like the Iranians and that proxies that. It's the unpredictability is 448 00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:07.400 off the charts. And I mean, you throw in you name it, 449 00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:13.280 you throw in the peripheral activity that is spiking or growing on the on the 450 00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:19.679 Israel's northern border with his Bolla that's again almost behind the scenes, or the 451 00:38:19.719 --> 00:38:25.599 trouble on the West Bank, discussions about Iranian influence now and infiltrating the West 452 00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:31.280 Bank. I mean, these are not comforting signs, right. You don't 453 00:38:31.320 --> 00:38:36.400 have to be chicken little to be saying wow, I really think I really 454 00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:39.440 feel right now, there's so we're sitting on a powder keg in the Middle 455 00:38:39.480 --> 00:38:42.719 East. Man. That is such a cliche, isn't it, But it 456 00:38:42.760 --> 00:38:49.239 really does feel that way right now for all of these reasons. Let me 457 00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:52.440 see what else on that. I'm just trying to think of anything else on 458 00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:57.760 that topic. Oh hey, so yeah, information space Right. This week, 459 00:38:58.400 --> 00:39:05.280 various very statements released about our strikes. But k H came out and 460 00:39:05.320 --> 00:39:09.599 they basically said, hey, our previous ceasefire is off and there are no 461 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:15.079 US forces that are out of reach of our drones. Basically, you know, 462 00:39:15.239 --> 00:39:21.000 specifically talked about using drones to to hit US again. Various and and 463 00:39:21.239 --> 00:39:30.079 uh a cough. Another major militia group, Iranian back militia group said set 464 00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:35.199 your clocks for a revenge time. It's minutes our missiles, it's seconds are 465 00:39:35.280 --> 00:39:39.280 drones. Oh wow, like that I could see that. I could just 466 00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:45.079 picture their like strategy secsion on that stage. Yeah, yeah, well I 467 00:39:45.079 --> 00:39:46.679 think that would be a pretty cool Christmas present, Like, you know, 468 00:39:46.719 --> 00:39:52.320 a clock literally with minutes that are missiles, seconds are drones. And you 469 00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:59.880 know that that the both the initial halting of operations against US troops and then 470 00:40:00.119 --> 00:40:06.119 this reinstatement of it is from a tap on the shoulder from big brother Iran. 471 00:40:06.239 --> 00:40:10.239 That's I don't think that that was a group a small group decision. 472 00:40:10.360 --> 00:40:14.920 I think that was okay, you know, back off for a few minutes 473 00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:16.400 for a little bit, and now it's okay, go ahead and wrap it 474 00:40:16.480 --> 00:40:20.679 up again. We got your back. So yeah, it's good. That's 475 00:40:20.719 --> 00:40:24.599 a good point. It's you. It mightst be talked about last week. 476 00:40:24.760 --> 00:40:32.880 The Iran. Of course, Iran stance is disingenuous. It has made these 477 00:40:34.119 --> 00:40:39.679 groups capable of doing what they can do. Whether they are now controlled by 478 00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:45.159 Iran or not is almost irrelevant. In fact, it's in our interests that 479 00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:50.119 they are controlled by Iran, because at least then we have one semi rational 480 00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:53.559 actor to insert pressure on. But our fear is and the evidence, well, 481 00:40:53.599 --> 00:40:59.400 the indicators are that in the case of the who thi's and certain and 482 00:40:59.760 --> 00:41:05.639 to certain extent the PMCs, and in Iraq they're beyond I mean, they're 483 00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:09.440 no longer listening ye to kots force and the way of the knowledge and training 484 00:41:09.519 --> 00:41:15.159 to do it. And that could be again, you know, unintended consequences 485 00:41:15.199 --> 00:41:19.239 of a strike. Remember, you know, Jason, we talked about strikes, 486 00:41:19.239 --> 00:41:22.280 and we go through all the other stuff why it needs to happen. 487 00:41:22.360 --> 00:41:27.000 Now there's always the you know, what what happens? What are the repercussions? 488 00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:30.639 Who replaces this guy? Right? And so who replaced Sulimani was a 489 00:41:30.679 --> 00:41:35.920 guy named Ghanni who talked about a little bit last week, Different different guy. 490 00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:42.360 Sulimani was loved by the rank and file, very charismatic, but he 491 00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:49.639 the the militias in the rack were scared of him. Gharney doesn't exert that 492 00:41:49.760 --> 00:41:52.000 kind of control. So part of it may be just natural kind of move 493 00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:54.760 on. The kids have grown up when they leave the house. Part of 494 00:41:54.800 --> 00:42:00.639 it may come down to personality, which is all important. Absolutely. How 495 00:42:00.639 --> 00:42:02.079 are we doing on time? Uh? Pretty good. I think we're at 496 00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:07.320 like thirty five is forty minutes? Yeah? You want to talk about Toucher 497 00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:12.519 Colson real quick there? Yeah? The interview with Yeah, all right, 498 00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:17.679 the Great History lesson of like Putlin's Putin's view on things. It was wild 499 00:42:17.679 --> 00:42:22.800 that first thirty minutes of yeah, shutting down talker and being like no, 500 00:42:22.679 --> 00:42:24.920 no, no, this is what's going on. I'll get to that whenever. 501 00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:29.480 You know what I mean, he just freaking owned them. Yeah, 502 00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:31.000 let me frame it this way. Okay, I'm not you know, sitting 503 00:42:31.000 --> 00:42:37.000 now and make comments about mister Colson as a person. I don't know him, 504 00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:44.760 and I'm sure he has many staunch fans within our audience, but but 505 00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:50.639 I will say this that he had a terrific opportunity, you know, western 506 00:42:50.719 --> 00:42:53.920 journalist, which he's we're gonna, we're almost going over time rich He's got 507 00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:58.920 his boneus making it very evident. But you know, he he is the 508 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:07.079 first Western journalist right to get in with Putin recently, certainly all the major 509 00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:14.400 networks have been turned down and he so he had this prime opportunity to really 510 00:43:14.440 --> 00:43:16.079 get in and dig down. What were you thinking? What are you thinking 511 00:43:16.199 --> 00:43:22.679 now? Well, instead he asked a series of softball questions, all right, 512 00:43:22.840 --> 00:43:30.000 and he let Putin run off, just run off script and didn't bring 513 00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:32.119 him back in. You know, he acted like a rookie. He acted 514 00:43:32.199 --> 00:43:37.440 like a star strike rookie. So regardless of you know what you think about 515 00:43:37.440 --> 00:43:42.159 this politically, blah blah blah, I think it was a huge loss opportunity. 516 00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:45.679 And I just wish that we'd had someone or it had been someone of 517 00:43:46.159 --> 00:43:52.599 more substance and greater talent than than Tucker Carlson. I mean, christ goodness 518 00:43:52.679 --> 00:43:57.559 saked in the first you know, interview, first minutes of the interview, 519 00:43:58.679 --> 00:44:04.679 we get we're in a link discussion about r Rick. What'said the Vrangian chieftain 520 00:44:04.760 --> 00:44:09.519 of the ninth century. In the medieval reign of Yuoslav the Wise, and 521 00:44:09.639 --> 00:44:13.760 I'm thinking, what just happened? We fell through the looking glass? Tuk 522 00:44:13.840 --> 00:44:19.679 I get us back? And and by the way that you know, although 523 00:44:19.719 --> 00:44:22.599 there may have been some crossover, there maybe a reason why they're talking about 524 00:44:22.599 --> 00:44:27.639 this guy because he's kind of a he's kind of a hero with a right 525 00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:32.199 wing rur Rick. He's doesn't Ruic sound like the guy in Dirty Rock and 526 00:44:32.239 --> 00:44:40.320 Scoundrels who has to go to the box under the table and body. That's 527 00:44:40.360 --> 00:44:44.679 a great reference because that used to be one of my favorite movies as a 528 00:44:44.760 --> 00:44:47.400 kid. It was a great movie. It was Rupert Well. What was 529 00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:52.719 true for me is when he spoke about Poland and uh world War two, 530 00:44:52.800 --> 00:44:58.679 basically starting World War two. And literally right after that, I watched I 531 00:44:58.760 --> 00:45:04.079 turned on YouTube and I was watching something and they were talking about uh Wagner's 532 00:45:04.079 --> 00:45:08.840 footprint in Africa and how it's starting to wane a little bit and taking over 533 00:45:09.199 --> 00:45:14.519 is what Russia has dubbed their Africa core. And I was like, oh, 534 00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:19.079 oh, well, that's that term sounds so familiar. Yeah, I 535 00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:22.559 was like, oh yeah, I know, that was that was a great 536 00:45:22.559 --> 00:45:29.559 one. Poland started the Second World War by very selfishly being invaded by Germany 537 00:45:29.840 --> 00:45:36.599 on third of September nineteen thirty nine, the h Martin and then and then 538 00:45:36.639 --> 00:45:39.880 he claimed and chas and can talk about this at length that you know twenty 539 00:45:39.920 --> 00:45:46.559 fourteen in Ukraine was a CIA backed coup by the way, you know, 540 00:45:46.960 --> 00:45:51.880 Carlson seemed to not understand the difference that there was, so you know, 541 00:45:51.920 --> 00:45:55.880 there were two revolutions when in four and twenty fourteen, and he got confused 542 00:45:58.199 --> 00:46:02.079 between those two. He didn't ask a single question, hardball question, not 543 00:46:02.159 --> 00:46:07.920 even about I don't know, Russian war crimes, including those for which Putin 544 00:46:07.960 --> 00:46:14.039 stands personally accused, or the repression of domestic critics such as you know Navoni. 545 00:46:15.719 --> 00:46:20.800 And the only thing he came away with was kind of these memories of 546 00:46:20.880 --> 00:46:25.440 the seventeenth century Cossack leader, which which Putin, oh, a file of 547 00:46:25.519 --> 00:46:30.400 letters, right, Yeah, that was hilarious. That should be like on 548 00:46:30.440 --> 00:46:34.840 a Bengal card, like a word leader handing documents over to a journalist. 549 00:46:34.920 --> 00:46:37.159 Like that's the best. When that happened, I love it. But on 550 00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:42.880 a serious level, it sounded like Putin was hinting that he still might use 551 00:46:43.000 --> 00:46:46.440 nukes. I think that's going to come up in any interview with him. 552 00:46:46.920 --> 00:46:52.360 Oh yeah, no, I mean, yeah exactly. He said he wasn't 553 00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:55.800 interested in invading Poland or Latvia, but of course he said the same thing 554 00:46:55.840 --> 00:47:00.159 about Ukraine. Yeah. What I get what I get from Putin. And 555 00:47:00.199 --> 00:47:05.400 this is like most of his interviews, our statements, is he plays like 556 00:47:05.480 --> 00:47:08.679 the victim. Really well really, that's a message he's trying to put across, 557 00:47:08.719 --> 00:47:12.760 like you know, woe is us, and like we're just trying to 558 00:47:12.760 --> 00:47:15.599 negotiate with the West, like we're not doing anything. He did ask him 559 00:47:15.599 --> 00:47:20.760 about like if Russia would be would Russia have joined NATO back in the nineties, 560 00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:22.960 He's like, yeah, we would have been open to it. Like 561 00:47:22.039 --> 00:47:24.559 what are we talking about? Yeah, I mean even though he wasn't running 562 00:47:24.920 --> 00:47:30.159 the nineties. You know, one of the challenges for a guy interviewing Putin 563 00:47:30.320 --> 00:47:35.320 is he's got this, especially when he's on home turf, very kind of 564 00:47:35.320 --> 00:47:42.079 the sneering, supercilious, arrogant attitude that builds a wall between him and interviewer, 565 00:47:42.239 --> 00:47:45.079 and many interviewers, especially in Russians, of course, fall into this 566 00:47:45.159 --> 00:47:51.239 kind of sycophantic mode. So and it's very much Putin is in controls the 567 00:47:51.239 --> 00:47:57.199 interview, and this was no exception. You know, he putin showed absolutely 568 00:47:57.639 --> 00:48:02.280 no regard for the interest or pace, so the viewers and Tucker didn't bring 569 00:48:02.360 --> 00:48:08.360 him back in. Who has just not he's not accustomed to explaining himself and 570 00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:13.519 Carson didn't make him do it. And he's a he's an intel guy at 571 00:48:13.519 --> 00:48:15.800 heart. He's a he's a spy. So, I mean, look at 572 00:48:15.800 --> 00:48:20.280 what he did. Uh, I don't remember the year when he brought his 573 00:48:20.400 --> 00:48:24.239 dog into the talks with I was at Merkle. I believe it was knowing 574 00:48:24.280 --> 00:48:29.519 that she was terrified of dogs. Yeah, right in between them. I 575 00:48:29.559 --> 00:48:32.760 mean, he's he's a he's an intel guy thrown through so he does I'll 576 00:48:32.800 --> 00:48:37.599 give him credit. He does mention that that he is a. Yeah, 577 00:48:37.639 --> 00:48:39.480 I'm a KGB guy. I worked for the main director and stuff like that, 578 00:48:39.639 --> 00:48:44.320 like because he talked some ship about the c i AM he put he 579 00:48:44.360 --> 00:48:46.480 put Carson in his pocket though, like at at one point when he mentions 580 00:48:46.480 --> 00:48:52.679 the Carlson like oh yeah you you you know, try to get into the 581 00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:58.519 c I A and we're rejected. Yeah that's interesting, Like he knows how 582 00:48:58.519 --> 00:49:01.480 to get in your head. Yeah, well you know, here's the point. 583 00:49:01.559 --> 00:49:07.000 I mean, he he blew it. I'm talking about Carson. You 584 00:49:07.079 --> 00:49:13.840 know, as a as a as a professional journalist, he should be He 585 00:49:13.880 --> 00:49:17.199 shouldn't be proud of that effort. You know, power power in Russia is 586 00:49:17.440 --> 00:49:23.639 absolutely opaque, and it seems like the often seems as though the only only 587 00:49:23.719 --> 00:49:29.960 one man in the know is Putin, and even he seems to be frequently 588 00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:35.159 failing. And so you know, Carlson's granted this rare access to him, 589 00:49:35.840 --> 00:49:39.719 and he blew it. And and the message we all got was, you 590 00:49:39.719 --> 00:49:44.840 know, again, Putin's not a it's not to be trusted. Yeah, 591 00:49:45.960 --> 00:49:51.159 but more importantly certainly not a guy to emulate or admire, is you know 592 00:49:51.280 --> 00:49:58.519 kind of the at least I got the impression from from Tucker Carlson could be. 593 00:49:58.840 --> 00:50:01.719 But that's you know, which is it's a shame. So that's see. 594 00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:07.519 Well on that note, d O do you do we miss anything out? 595 00:50:07.639 --> 00:50:09.239 Uh? No, I think we got everything. Jason, you got 596 00:50:09.239 --> 00:50:14.599 anything that you want to touch on? Or no? I think it's all 597 00:50:14.599 --> 00:50:17.960 a matter of, as Andy alluded to earlier, connecting all the dots between 598 00:50:17.960 --> 00:50:22.360 everything. Nothing is happening in a vacuum, whether it's Ukraine, Middle East, 599 00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:27.400 whatever it is, it's all connected. Whether it's for the military tactically, 600 00:50:27.480 --> 00:50:30.000 what did we learn lessons learn politically? You know what's going to happen 601 00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:32.039 next. I think we just need to keep an eye on it and keep 602 00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:38.119 doing what we're doing. Yeah, well, I am going to wrap it 603 00:50:38.199 --> 00:50:43.079 up now. And I know D has reminded me to say something. I 604 00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:46.400 was desperately trying to remember what he'd reminded me of the same. Now I 605 00:50:46.519 --> 00:50:52.960 know, all right, hate everyone, We really really welcome your support, 606 00:50:53.280 --> 00:50:58.559 but kind of tangible proof of the it is really what we need. So 607 00:50:58.840 --> 00:51:02.199 you know, even just like videos of the podcast, writing a review, 608 00:51:04.320 --> 00:51:07.840 all of these things really really help out. So if you enjoy this, 609 00:51:07.000 --> 00:51:10.800 if you kind of enjoy this format, you don't have to like us personally, 610 00:51:12.360 --> 00:51:16.880 but please do please do like the episode, subscribe on whatever platform that 611 00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:23.760 you are watching or listening to this, and follow us on social media. 612 00:51:25.440 --> 00:51:30.000 And that is pretty much it. Yep. Well, we'll see you guys 613 00:51:30.079 --> 00:51:36.440 again on Wednesday. We're going to be doing these twice a week because I 614 00:51:36.440 --> 00:51:39.519 think, you know, the news is evolving so fast that I think it's 615 00:51:39.599 --> 00:51:43.760 warranted. And yeah, exactly what Andy said, don't forget to like, 616 00:51:43.760 --> 00:51:45.480 subscribe, share, tell your best friend about it. You know what I 617 00:51:45.559 --> 00:51:47.760 mean, Like you're sitting there with your wife and she doesn't want to hear, 618 00:51:47.840 --> 00:51:52.719 but tell her about it anyway, you know, inundate people. So 619 00:51:53.000 --> 00:51:58.280 thanks guys, all the best, See you in a couple of days.