Bloomberg View
Eli Lake is a columnist for Bloomberg View. He is a former senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast, a former senior national security reporter for the Washington Times, and former reporter for the New York Sun.
2017: A new year of fear? In just ten days after last month's election the Southern Poverty Law Center counted more than 850 incidents of hate and intimidation , many of them against Muslim-Americans. The FBI found hate crimes against Muslims rose by nearly 70 percent in 2015. Civil rights groups fear that could go even higher under a Trump administration bent on tightening borders, beefing up surveillance, and waging an ideological war on quote "radical Islam." We hear what Muslim Americans have been facing, whether cases of harassment have been inflated in the media, and what's being done to defuse tensions after a divisive election.
Iran's Foreign Minister Criticizes US on Nuclear Deal President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran is a major issue in the presidential campaign, and relations between the two countries are still contentious. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif chat in Lausanne, Switzerland before a discussion about the future of Iran's nuclear program, on March 16, 2015. (US State Department) In Saudi Arabia this week, the President talked about the prospect of "peaceful coexistence" between Iran and its Middle East neighbors. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif then complained that the US is not fully complying with the nuclear deal arrived at just three months ago. He spoke to Robin Wright, staff writer for the New Yorker .
Truth, Promises and Public Opinion Nine candidates made it to prime time last night in Las Vegas, chosen again by their standing in public opinion polls. Donald Trump made the biggest news, saying he loves the GOP after all and promising not to stage a third-party rebellion. The theme was national security and all nine played variations on the anger of the conservative base and the fear caused by attacks on Paris and San Bernardino. Fact checkers are working overtime and debate continues over whether the polls reflect public opinion — or shape it.
Airstrikes Just the Beginning of a Long Campaign President Obama says the participation of five Arab states in last night’s attacks in Iraq “shows the world that this is not America’s fight alone.” The President did not ask Congress for authority to strike targets in Syria. Instead, he relied on intelligence claims that the US was facing an attack on the homeland. Tomorrow, he’ll chair a meeting of the UN Security Council and make the case for a broader coalition.
The Islamic State The Islamic State, also called ISIS and ISIL, now controls a major part of Iraq and an entire province in Syria. It’s replaced the Taliban as a fomenter of terrorists-including a disturbing number with American or European passports. Now, President Obama has authorized spy planes to conduct surveillance over Syria—a possible precursor to a bombing campaign. We hear about the risks of military action—and a possible alternative: striking the real source of the Islamic State’s power: The modern financial system that keeps it armed and fed and guarantees its continuity.
Obama Considering Air Drops or Air Strikes in Iraq The Obama White House is considering humanitarian airdrops for Christians and the Yezidi in Iraq—some 40,000 people dying of heat and thirst on a mountain after death threats from the Islamic State. Air strikes have not been ruled out.
How the Fighting Began in Gaza There are new questions about the incident that precipitated the current fighting in Gaza and Israel. Three Israeli teens were kidnapped and killed in the West Bank on June 13. Israel initially blamed Hamas, but it’s not clear who actually was behind that attack.
Are There Options for Iraq Intervention? Islamic jihadists are on the move in Iraq, and President Obama says he's not "ruling anything out" for what he calls "an emergency situation." Breaking into a news conference with the Prime Minister of Australia today, the President told reporters the US has been in "close consultation" with the government of Iraq. "We do have a stake in making sure that these jihads are not getting a permanent foot hole in either Iraq or Syria for that matter." In the Senate, Republican John McCain called the take-over "a direct threat to the United Stations of America." Republican House Speaker John Boehner made an accusation . "It's not like we haven't seen this problem coming for over a year... Now they have control of Mosul 100 miles from Baghdad, and what's the President doing? Taking a nap." We update the chaos in Iraq and the politics in Washington.
Are There Options for Iraq Intervention? Islamic jihadists are on the move in Iraq, and President Obama says he's not "ruling anything out" for what he calls "an emergency situation." Breaking into a news conference with the Prime Minister of Australia today, the President told reporters the US has been in "close consultation" with the government of Iraq. "We do have a stake in making sure that these jihads are not getting a permanent foot hole in either Iraq or Syria for that matter." In the Senate, Republican John McCain called the take-over "a direct threat to the United Stations of America." Republican House Speaker John Boehner made an accusation . "It's not like we haven't seen this problem coming for over a year... Now they have control of Mosul 100 miles from Baghdad, and what's the President doing? Taking a nap." We update the chaos in Iraq and the politics in Washington.
Twelve Years after 9-11, How Big a Threat Is al Qaeda? Should we be afraid of al Qaeda? Officials in Yemen say they thwarted a plan by al Qaeda to seize a major port and kidnap or kill workers there. It's not clear how real that threat was. But the news came days after the US and Britain closed embassies across the Middle East and North Africa, fearing a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, hundreds of prisoners, including al Qaeda operatives, have escaped from prisons in Iraq, Libya and Pakistan. How have power vacuums in places like Iraq, Syria and Yemen created openings for al Qaeda to grow? Two years after the killing of Osama Bin Laden, how powerful is al Qaeda?
Tensions Escalate as Iran Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz The US has warned Iran that it will not tolerate interference with the Strait of Hormuz. Only 34 miles wide, 40 percent of the world's tanker-borne oil passes through it. Closure of the strait would wreak havoc on global oil markets. Angry over the threat of new sanctions, Iranian leaders have upped their rhetoric in recent days, claiming that closing the waterway would be as easy as drinking a glass of water. With pressure growing again on Iran over its nuclear program, amid warnings of new sanctions, what's the agenda being pursued by Iranian leaders? How is the oil market responding? Is this a serious sign of increasing tensions in the region?
Tensions Escalate as Iran Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz The US has warned Iran that it will not tolerate interference with the Strait of Hormuz. Only 34 miles wide, 40 percent of the world's tanker-borne oil passes through it. Closure of the strait would wreak havoc on global oil markets. Angry over the threat of new sanctions, Iranian leaders have upped their rhetoric in recent days, claiming that closing the waterway would be as easy as drinking a glass of water. With pressure growing again on Iran over its nuclear program, amid warnings of new sanctions, what's the agenda being pursued by Iranian leaders? How is the oil market responding? Is this a serious sign of increasing tensions in the region?
Fugitive Iraqi Vice President Denies Ordering Killings as Prime Minister Issues Arrest Warrant One day after the US flag was officially returned to American soil, the stability of Iraq is “really deteriorating.” Those are the words of Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who is now a fugitive in his own country.
As the US Withdraws Troops from Iraq, What Are We Leaving Behind? George W. Bush began the latest war in Iraq, and agreement to end it by the end of this year was reached in his second term. President Obama was against the war from the start and, when he made he declared that, true to his promise, troops would be out of Iraq by the end of the year, he did not say, "Mission accomplished." But there's bitter controversy over how the withdrawal will happen, how much of the US presence will remain and whether Prime Minister Maliki (photo) is presiding over a new democracy or another dictatorship.
As the US Withdraws Troops from Iraq, What Are We Leaving Behind? George W. Bush began the latest war in Iraq, and agreement to end it by the end of this year was reached in his second term. President Obama was against the war from the start. This week, when he declared that "after nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he did not say, "Mission accomplished." But neo-conservative Republicans say that's nothing to brag about. American commanders wanted a force of 20,000 or so to remain, and critics claim the President didn't work hard enough to make that happen. The United States will still be an important presence, with military trainers, contractors guarding the world's biggest embassy and, of course, the CIA. Will that be enough to counter the influence of Iran and maintain domestic stability? Has Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki turned into "Saddam Hussein lite?"
Group Studies the Way Forward on Iraq In the run-up to the November elections, Republicans have two scenarios for the war in Iraq, either "stay the course" or "cut and run." But on ABC this past Sunday, former Secretary of State James Baker said there may be what he called "alternatives" to what's "out there in the political debate." Baker is not just a long-time functionary of the first President Bush. He's head of the Iraq Study Group , a bi-partisan panel put together by Congress with reluctant approval of the current Bush White House. We hear what alternatives might be proposed by the panel--after the voting is over.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.