Month: August 2021

Briefings

Background Briefing: August 12, 2021

On By gram

 

The U.S. Asks the Taliban Not to Sack Our Embassy in Kabul

We begin with the U.S. asking the Taliban for assurances they will not sack the American Embassy in Kabul and slaughter our diplomats and Marines as it becomes more and more apparent that the Taliban will be taking over the country soon with the government forces melting away and losing one regional capital after another. Joining us is Graham Fuller, the former vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council at the CIA who is currently a professor of history at Simon Fraser University. He has lived and worked in the Muslim world for nearly two decades and formerly served as the CIA Station Chief in Kabul, Afghanistan. We discuss what restraints Pakistan, China and Russia might place on the Taliban who desperately need foreign aid to rebuild the country and if there is to be a bloodbath and fanatical Sharia Law, it is not likely anyone will come to their aid and that the Pakistanis who helped them all along, might well have buyers remorse. 

 

The Census Has Whites Declining While Blacks, Hispanics and Asians Are on the Rise

Then we assess the results of the U.S. Census released today and speak with Dowell Myers, a professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California who has been an advisor to the Bureau of the Census and authored the most widely referenced work on census analysis. He joins us to discuss the surprising findings that the white population declined by 2.6% since 2010 while the African-American population grew 5.6%, the Asian population 35% and the Hispanic population rose by 23%.

 

The Patriot Behind Trump’s First Impeachment

Then finally we speak with Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman who was recently the Director for European Affairs on the White House’s National Security Council until he testified about Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine’s leader into digging up dirt on Joe Biden in a phone call which led to Trump’s first impeachment. He joins us to discuss his new book, just out, Here, Right Matters: An American Story and how while Trump tried to destroy his career, Vindman reminds us of what true patriotism is and how important it is to stand up for democracy and the rule of law.