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Max Boot Guest
Max Boot

Council on Foreign Relations

Max Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a blogger at Commentary magazine. He is the author of War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History, 1500 to Today, The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power, Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present, and the forthcoming The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam.

Boot served as foreign policy advisor to John McCain, Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio.

FROM Max Boot

Will firing James Comey backfire on President Trump?
To the Point

Will firing James Comey backfire on President Trump? After meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister today, President Trump gave a brief answer when asked why he fired the head of the FBI. "Because he wasn't doing a good job. Quite simply, he wasn't doing a good job." Speaking at greater length, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters it was, "the right thing at the right time." The President says he fired Comey at the request of current Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  His action is being compared to the so-called "Saturday Night Massacre" that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1973. Comey was looking into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. His Administration insists that it's time to move on, but Democrats are demanding an independent investigation. Just one Republican is going that far. But many say they are "troubled."

44 MIN, 38 SEC May 10, 2017

Trump and Russia: A real scandal or a diversion?
To the Point

Trump and Russia: A real scandal or a diversion? Just after the President accused Barack Obama of "wiretapping" Trump Tower, WikiLeaks dumped a massive database revealing CIA hacking. Coincidence? Now, conservatives are joining liberals in demanding to know if Trump and his associates have been lying about collusion with Russia. But others insist such conspiracy theories lead down "a rabbit hole," and distract attention from healthcare, the environment and the justice system. One week from the start of congressional hearings we get the latest on the political firestorm.

35 MIN, 8 SEC Mar 13, 2017

A White House shakeup after less than a month in office
To the Point

A White House shakeup after less than a month in office Washington is on fire with charges and counter-charges, reports and rumors in the aftermath of Michael Flynn's departure as President Trump's National Security Advisor. Trump asked for Flynn's resignation because he "lost his trust" in him. White House officials were reportedly told "weeks ago" that Flynn lied to Vice President Pence about conversations with Russia's ambassador. Democrats are demanding to find out what the President knew and when he knew it — and even some Republicans are calling for an investigation. Washington is fully preoccupied with Russian meddling in the election, Obama Administration sanctions and President Trump's ties to Vladimir Putin.

34 MIN, 22 SEC Feb 14, 2017

Has Donald Trump nominated a team of dissenters?
To the Point

Has Donald Trump nominated a team of dissenters? Donald Trump's picks to lead two major national-security agencies are contradicting positions taken by the President-Elect. In testimony before a Senate committee today, CIA chief-designate Mike Pompeo said he would not use "enhanced interrogation," even if Trump told him to. At another hearing, Trump's choice for Defense Secretary, General James Mattis , said Russia's Vladimir Putin is trying to break up the NATO alliance. When his nominees differ with him in such important ways, what are we learning about Trump's national security policy — and who will shape it?

33 MIN, 19 SEC Jan 12, 2017

Superpower America with an amateur at the helm
To the Point

Superpower America with an amateur at the helm No members of the so-called "establishment" are more distressed by Donald Trump's election than diplomats and intelligence experts -- here and around the world. Descriptions of their reactions range from "a palpable sense of dread" to fear of "Apocalypse Now." Europeans see the future of NATO at stake, while Russians are celebrating — along with Middle Eastern dictators and jihadists — albeit for different reasons. Trump's own Republican Party is deeply divided, along with the Democrats, over what might be next for America's role in the world.

33 MIN, 22 SEC Nov 11, 2016

Sectarianism Renews Divisions in the Middle East
To the Point

Sectarianism Renews Divisions in the Middle East By executing a Shiite cleric last weekend, the Sunni nation of Saudi Arabia created a martyr. It also inflamed its dangerous rivalry with Shiite Iran. Hardliners in both countries are now using sectarian differences to pursue political goals. Stability in the Middle East is at risk, along with implementing the Iran nuclear deal, finding an end to Syria's civil war and defeating the Islamic State. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia violate human rights and make war on their neighbors. Should the US choose one over the other or look for middle ground?

34 MIN, 16 SEC Jan 05, 2016

Another Militant Uprising in the Middle East
To the Point

Another Militant Uprising in the Middle East Islamist insurgents today seized Tikrit, the hometown of former leader Saddam Hussein and a provincial capital in Iraq, adding it to Fallujah, areas near Kirkuk and the oil-exporting city of Mosul. US trained Iraqi solders have thrown off their uniforms and fled along with a half-million civilian refugees. The so-called "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant," an offshoot of al-Qaeda, could be a game-changer for Syria, Turkey and US interests in the Middle East.

34 MIN, 9 SEC Jun 11, 2014

President Obama Outlines Post-War Foreign Policy
To the Point

President Obama Outlines Post-War Foreign Policy At West Point today, President Obama told graduating cadets he would betray his duty to them if he sent them into harm's way just because military action was "the only way for America to avoid looking weak." Emphasizing that many critical problems don't need military solutions, the President then went on to describe what he called his "vision" for the US and the military "in the years to come." As to the spread of terrorist organizations to the Middle East and North Africa, the President said he's developing "a network of partnership," new resources that would be used for security forces in Yemen, Somalia and Mali… with what he called "critical focus" on Syria. Invoking post-war Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy for their reliance on international institutions, he defended his own record, saying that America's ability to shape world opinion through international institutions served as a "counterweight to Russian propaganda" about recent actions in Ukraine… and that reliance on multilateral negotiations has created the prospect of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. We hear more about the President's much-awaited foreign policy guidelines, including a strategy for combating terrorism.  What did he leave out?

34 MIN, 36 SEC May 28, 2014

Targeted Killings, Drones and the Role of the CIA
Which Way, L.A.?

Targeted Killings, Drones and the Role of the CIA Targeted killing of terrorist leaders was controversial when President Bush adopted the practice in the aftermath of September 11. With almost no public discussion, President Obama has expanded the practice, using unmanned drones. It's a cheap way to get rid of terrorist leaders, but mistakes and civilian casualties can be costly in more ways than one. We look at how the policy has developed and how it could change the role of the Central Intelligence Agency.

24 MIN, 16 SEC Oct 24, 2012

Targeted Killings, Drones and the Role of the CIA
To the Point

Targeted Killings, Drones and the Role of the CIA Targeted killing of terrorist leaders was controversial when President Bush adopted the practice in the aftermath of September 11. Barack Obama has widely expanded the practice, using unmanned drones. Rather than through acts of Congress, much less the courts, it's been driven by drone technology, and the President alone decides who lives or who dies. The CIA carries out his decisions, and it wants more drones. Mitt Romney endorsed targeted killing in Monday's debate on foreign policy. Is the intelligence agency becoming an unmanned air force? The kill-list has grown way beyond al Qaeda leaders who were the original targets.  Will drone technology encourage engagement in permanent war?

33 MIN, 16 SEC Oct 24, 2012

The Super Committee, the Deficit and the Pentagon
Which Way, L.A.?

The Super Committee, the Deficit and the Pentagon The so-called Super Committee has just over two weeks to complete a monumental reduction of America's deficit over the next 10 years. Will it achieve the "Grand Bargain" that eluded the President and House Speaker John Boehner? If it fails, what happens to Pentagon spending?

26 MIN, 36 SEC Nov 08, 2011

What if the Super Committee Fails?
To the Point

What if the Super Committee Fails? When six members of each party came out from behind closed doors last week, it appeared their Super Committee was deadlocked over spending cuts and taxes. Both sides want to reduce the deficit, but the deadline is just over two weeks away. If the Super Committee fails to make $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by Thanksgiving Day, automatic spending cuts will be triggered across the board. Safety-net programs for the very poor will be exempt, though nothing else will be, which has triggered a raging controversy over the Defense Department, which is already planning reductions as Iraq and Afghanistan wind down.  Pentagon supporters claim that further cuts would be "devastating." Will that ever be allowed to happen? Was the Super Committee designed to fail, so as to set up a fundamental debate for next year's Presidential campaign?

35 MIN, 48 SEC Nov 08, 2011

As the US Withdraws Troops from Iraq, What Are We Leaving Behind?
Which Way, L.A.?

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.

27 MIN Oct 27, 2011

As the US Withdraws Troops from Iraq, What Are We Leaving Behind?
To the Point

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?"

34 MIN, 54 SEC Oct 27, 2011

A Real Case of Murder Unfolds Like a Hollywood Thriller
To the Point

A Real Case of Murder Unfolds Like a Hollywood Thriller On January 19, a military official from the Palestinian group Hamas was killed in his luxury hotel room in the Arab Emirate of Dubai. The Dubai police call the death of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh an assassination by agents of Israel, who allegedly entered Dubai using the identities of other, real people and whose pictures were recorded on surveillance cameras at the airport and at the hotel itself. The Israeli government has said nothing, but the incident has lit political firestorms in Israel itself and around the world. Were the killers agents of Israel? Why did they falsely adopt the identities of real Israelis and allow themselves to be videotaped? Was it a targeted assassination justified in the interests of national defense? Is that like the US practice of using Predator drones to take out the leaders of the Taliban and al Qaeda?

36 MIN, 29 SEC Mar 05, 2010

Afghanistan: Recent Casualties and Long-Term Objectives
Which Way, L.A.?

Afghanistan: Recent Casualties and Long-Term Objectives In June of last year, 28 American troops were killed in Afghanistan, the highest monthly total in eight years of war until now.  In the first three weeks of this month, 31 US soldiers have died, many not from direct combat but from IED's -- improvised explosive devices -- roadside bombs often crudely made with fertilizer and diesel fuel.

25 MIN, 11 SEC Jul 21, 2009

Recommended

Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret?
To the Point

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.

51 MIN, 12 SEC May 26, 2017

Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump
To the Point

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.

51 MIN, 13 SEC Jun 06, 2017

The Trump agenda: where's the beef?
To the Point

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.

51 MIN, 18 SEC Jun 07, 2017

Janesville and the American Dream
To the Point

Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years.  On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.

51 MIN, 19 SEC May 29, 2017

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