The following excerpts are taken from the full audio [available below] of the call.

On Tuesday, April 5, JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy hosted a conference call to discuss the findings and recommendations of the latest Gemunder Center Iran Strategy Council report on how the United States can mitigate the negative strategic consequences of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement with Iran. The briefing featured Iran Strategy Council co-chair Gen. (ret.) Chuck Wald and member VADM (ret.) John Bird.

The following excerpts are taken from the full audio [available below] of the call.

Maintaining Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME)

• “We strongly recommend we continue to maintain our commitment to Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East. That has to be done, and we will continue to strongly advocate for that. Currently the United States provides Israel with about $3 billion per year in defense grants. This agreement will end next year – we recommend a renewal of the agreement, increasing the funding provided to Israel to up to $5 billion per year for the following ten years.”

  -Gen. Chuck Wald

Bolstering Our Arab Allies’ Defenses Against Iran

• “We encourage that our Arab allies create a more effective collective defense system against Iran. That group would include all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well as Egypt, Jordan and Israel in this case. We strongly believe that a comprehensive missile defense capability in the Middle East needs to be put in place rapidly, to include: THAAD, the most sophisticated system the U.S. military has, along with Arrow, Patriot and other integrated systems. As part of this, the United States and GCC must work together to develop an integrated command and control capability for these missile defenses.”

  -Gen. Chuck Wald

• “We believe it’s crucial that the United States provide more advanced and appropriate weaponry and other capabilities to our Arab allies to deal with Iranian aggression, including: anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare aircraft and vessels, as well as coastal defense and mine-hunting ships. When you’re dealing with an adversary like Iran that’s very adept at cheating and other covert activities, we believe it’s crucial the United States develop and share intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets with our allies. We’re talking about early warning aircraft, patrol boats, radars, communication systems and, of course, sharing of satellite imagery. It’s clear that we need really close collaboration – a collective consciousness – with our allies if we are going to mitigate the behaviors Iran is demonstrating.”

  -VADM John Bird

Restoring U.S. Credibility

• “Military power has two real aspects to it: one is the physical capability or practical capability, and the other is will. I think our credibility is questioned from the standpoint of the president’s hesitance – evident in his interview in The Atlantic – about the redline on Syria’s chemical weapons, when we didn’t follow through and attempted to explain it away. This puts our credibility in jeopardy from the standpoint of our willingness to respond or live up to our promises. So I think our military capacity is credible, I think our military capability in terms of leadership, the people in uniform and our technology is still there and still well-respected. But I think our will and our intent is questioned, and that puts us in jeopardy.”

  -Gen. Chuck Wald

• “I think globally the U.S.’s will and support of allies is a big question. The United States did nothing in response to the Russian invasion and takeover of Crimea, and the Russian move into Ukraine. The United States repeatedly tells China “don’t do something, don’t do something” and they keep doing it without consequence. And Iran continues ballistic missile launches, takes our sailors hostage, shoots rockets close to our carrier – all without real consequences. Same with these three shipments of weapons going to Yemen. So we have a credibility gap that is growing and getting deeper, and we need to do something to rectify it. We’re not recommending any sort of reckless activity, but if we’re going to draw redlines we need to be prepared to enforce them. And it looks like we’re changing the goalposts in favor of Iran by dropping ballistic missile limitations and now working to help Iran get U.S. dollars and even more sanctions relief. So we do have a credibility issue.”

  -VADM John Bird

The post Gemunder Center Conference Call on Mitigating the Consequences of the Nuclear Agreement with Iran appeared first on JINSA.

The John Batchelor Show is broadcast locally in New York City, Washington, DC, and Providence, RI as well as being available as a popular podcast on iTunes. Listen below:

On August 17, Maj. Gen. Rick Devereaux, USAF (ret.) spoke with the John Batchelor Show on the use of drones by terrorist organizations and anti-drone technology. Gen. Devereaux was a member of the JINSA-commissioned Gaza Conflict Task Force that studies and 2014 Gaza War.

The John Batchelor Show is broadcast locally in New York City, Washington, DC, and Providence, RI as well as being available as a popular podcast on iTunes. Listen below:

The post Gen. Rick Devereaux, USAF (ret.) Talks Drones on the John Batchelor Show appeared first on JINSA.

In the interview General Natonski speaks about drones, tunnel warfare, the Law of Armed Conflict, and the JINSA-commissioned Gaza Assessment. Listen below:

On July 24, Lieutenant General Richard Natonski, USMC (ret.), former Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command and member of the JINSA-commissioned Gaza Conflict Task Force was interviewed on CBS Radio in Los Angeles on KNX Business Hour with Frank Mottek. As one of Southern California’s most trusted news radio stations, more than one million people tune in to KNX News each week.

In the interview General Natonski speaks about drones, tunnel warfare, the Law of Armed Conflict, and the JINSA-commissioned Gaza Assessment. Listen below:

The post Gaza Task Force Member Lt. Gen. Natonski, USMC (ret.) on CBS Radio Los Angeles appeared first on JINSA.

On Tuesday, November 24, JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy hosted a conference call on the course of Iran P5+1 negotiations and possible next steps for the United States in the wake of Monday’s extension of the deadline for a final deal on Iran’s nuclear program to June 30, 2015. The briefing featured the co-chairs of the Gemunder Center’s Iran Task Force, Ambassadors Dennis Ross and Eric Edelman, and Task Force member John Hannah.

The following quotes, taken from the full audio [available below] of the call, address recent developments leading to the extension of the Joint Plan of Action (JPA) interim agreement, and lay out U.S. strategic options to increase the prospects for an acceptable final agreement within the next seven months.

How should we interpret the outcome of the latest round of talks?

• “The Iranians were not prepared to give the Obama Administration what it wanted, which was to roll back Iran’s nuclear program to the point where the United States would have a year’s time to detect and do something about any Iranian attempt to break out or sneak out. It’s uncertain whether Iran wouldn’t budge because it wanted to hold out for a better deal, or because the Supreme Leader would only agree to a deal if we capitulate completely. One question worth is discussing is whether negotiations have become the new status quo, and if so, is that sustainable?”

  -Amb. Dennis Ross

• “In his press conference yesterday, Secretary Kerry said there had been enough progress on intractable issues to earn negotiators the benefit of the doubt. It’s not clear we’ve come far enough to give the benefit of the doubt to extend the talks further. The Administration has retreated from its redlines on Iran’s enrichment program, it has given up on shutting off Iran’s plutonium path to a bomb by converting Arak to a light water reactor, it’s unclear if Iran’s ballistic missiles are still on the table, and the P5+1 may have retreated from demanding full transparency on the possible military dimensions (PMD) of Iran’s nuclear program. If this is the new normal, is it sustainable? Additionally, there are implementation issues with the JPA that make it worrisome to simply extend it, namely Iranian violations and the fact the technical details of implementation have never been published. This will increase the tensions in a final deal, because the Administration will have to place more emphasis on Iranian transparency as it gives ground on the size of Iran’s enrichment capability.”

  -Amb. Eric Edelman

• “The series of U.S. concessions makes it hard to understand how the Iranians haven’t been able to grab at some of them, and to figure out a way to at least announce major progress on limiting key elements of their nuclear program. It leads to the conclusion that Iran’s not ready to make a deal. Secretary Kerry’s persistence and enthusiasm to get an agreement may have a negative side, which is to make the United States appear somewhat desperate for a deal in the eyes of the Iranians – especially amid the other problems President Obama faces in his foreign policy.”

  -John Hannah

What could the United States do differently to increase the chances of success?

• “One key question is whether it’s enough for the Obama Administration just to stand firm on its benchmark of a one-year breakout time. If we want to affect Iran’s calculus going forward, we should demonstrate our resolve to compete with it as well as talk with it, to show Iran there are costs if they don’t compromise. We also should make clear that new sanctions will be forthcoming if there’s no agreement. […] Iran needs to understand the price will go up, not down, if there’s no deal or no resolution of PMD. […] We need to look at ways to make sure Iran has the greater interest in the success of diplomacy.”

  -Amb. Dennis Ross

• “It’s hard to envisage how you get an agreement without changing the trajectory of the talks and Iran’s calculus of what’s in its best interests. To this point all the diplomatic initiatives have come from the U.S. side. Paradoxically this encourages Iran to believe that, the more obdurate it remains, the more concessions the United States will make. So the question is how you alter this dynamic, to get to the point of saying ‘this is our best and final offer, take it or else.’ Absent more sanctions or credible military options if diplomacy fails, it’s unlikely Iran will take this ultimatum seriously.”

  -Amb. Eric Edelman

• “Given the fact the new interim agreement didn’t resolve at least some nuclear issues, and that Iran’s economy is beginning to recover, the new Congress will look very critically at the Obama Administration’s justification for continuing the talks. It could pass a sanctions-in-waiting bill, which would enact draconian new sanctions absent substantial progress on rolling back important elements of Iran’s enrichment infrastructure. It would be important for the United States to work with our allies on any new sanctions, though it remains to be seen if the Obama Administration would cooperate. The President and Congress could also send a powerful signal by cooperating to fix the defense budget and correct the mistakes of sequestration.”

  -John Hannah

On Iran and the U.S.-Israel relationship:

• “The Israelis made it clear they preferred an extension to a deal. This is a change from their original reaction to the JPA, partly because sanctions haven’t eroded like they initially thought. The smart thing for the Administration to do would be to review with Congress and the Israelis what a possible deal might look like, the potential vulnerabilities that would pose for Israel, and what measures could be undertaken to ensure Iran adheres to the deal.”

  -Amb. Dennis Ross

• “The breakdown in the U.S.-Israel political relationship has been very unhelpful, and it’s hard to understand how the Obama Administration allowed this to occur – we need to be seen to be working together to stop the Iranian nuclear program, not an Israeli attack.”

  -John Hannah

The post Gemunder Center Conference Call on Extension of Iran Nuclear Deadline appeared first on JINSA.

The audio of the interview can be heard below.

On March 22, 2012 JINSA Executive Director Larry Greenfield was interviewed on The Bob Dutko Show. Based in Detroit, the show can be heard locally throughout all of southeast Michigan, northwest Ohio and much of Ontario, Canada, as well as nationwide via live web streaming. The Bob Dutko Show is the #1 Christian talk show in Detroit.

The audio of the interview can be heard below.

The post JINSA Executive Director Larry Greenfield Interviewed on The Bob Dutko Show – WMUZ 103.5 FM appeared first on JINSA.