Judging Freedom - Pepe Escobar: Latest from Moscow LIVE

Episode Date: October 10, 2024

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Thank you. Hi, everyone. Judge Andrew Napolitano here for Judging Freedom. Today is, in the U.S., today is Thursday, October 10th, 2024, from Moscow, where I I think it's midnight or it may actually be Friday already. The inimitable and always worth waiting for my dear friend Pepe Escobar. Pepe, thank you. Regards from Larry Johnson. He was just on with us and asked us to extend you his best regards. Wonderful. Before we talk.

Thank you. The fact is one minute past midnight in Moscow. Okay. All right. You're seven hours ahead of us. It's one minute past five here on the east coast of the United States. Before we get to the latest from Moscow on Ukraine and the latest from Moscow on Iran. I want to ask you about the latest from Istanbul, where I believe you spent the week. Who was there and what did they talk about? And how is that of interest to those of us who follow events in the Middle East and events in Ukraine? Well, Judge, it was very important. I would dare to say that it was the most important conference around the world, especially around the lands of Islam, turning around the events of October 7, one year ago.

The conference itself was from 5, 6, 7 and 8. So on Monday, October 7, we were debating exactly what had happened a year before. It was extraordinary. We can say it was a sort of Turkey-Malaysia collaboration because it's linked to the Kuala Lumpur Forum. And the president of the Kuala Lumpur Forum. And the president of the Kuala Lumpur Forum is former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, one of the top world leaders of the past 50 years. Former Prime Minister of what country?

Malaysia. Okay. Mahathir in Malaysia, Judge, it's an enormous, it's a larger-than-life personality. He's admired by everybody. The current prime minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was at the Vladivostok Forum, I'm sorry, on stage with Putin. Malaysia is one of the powerhouses of ASEAN, Southeast Asia, for the 21st century.

And this was a collaboration with the Center of Islamic and Global Studies in Istanbul, in a wonderful university, Zaymi University. And they brought an absolutely amazing array of scholars from everywhere, from Mauritania, Sudan, from Malaysia, from Egypt, from Bosnia, and collaborations from all over and interventions from all over, including very significantly Ilan Pape, a UK-based historian who wrote the fabulous The Ethnic Clancy of Palestine, one of the most important books on Israel and Palestine of these past few decades. Our friend Max Blumenthal was there presenting his latest 40-minute documentary called Atrocity Inc. Extraordinary. It's an extended reportage on manufacturing consent for the genocide in Gaza, focused on fake news distributed by israelis and american mainstream media professor marandi from the university of teheran which was essential we were discussing a lot about what's really going on with

the irgc uh with tests with expecting the israeli strike and how the counter-strike is going to be and of course the most important discussion is how October 7th, a year ago, changed the world in a sense that it changed the equation in West Asia and in the lands of Islam and in fact, affecting the global majority. How did October 7th, a year later, change the landscape in the Middle East? Well, we can see that right now in front of us, where now it's an ever-expanding war on the part of Israel. And they finally found the motive that they needed for this ever-expanding war. And this is something that Pape was an excellent, concise analysis of 15 minutes or so.

He laid it all out. It went deeper than our great friend Alistair has been explaining to you and to your audience for the past few weeks and months. Pape qualified essentially as a fight to the death between the state of Judea and the state of Israel. He basically said that the state of Judea, which is more or less the war cabinet of Netanyahu with those extremists like Ben Giziv and Smotrich. It's a suicidal state, and it's breaking Israel apart. And Papa even said that the state of Israel, as we know it, is already dead.

So you're talking about a division in Israel amongst one group that you're labeling the state of Israel and another group you're labeling the state of Judea, the latter having Netanyahu and his right-wing fanatics in it. Not me, Judge. Ilan Pape, which is one of the world authorities on Israel and Palestine. He's considered persona non grata by these people, by these extremist lunatics in Tel Aviv. He lives in the UK. He's a professor in the UK. But he's respected all over the world by Jews and non-Jews alike. And his intervention was masterful in terms of being concise and explaining how deeply divided Israeli society is at the moment. Without understanding that, it's impossible to understand

how they manipulated October 7 for this never-ending war. And then it surfaced, I think, in the past 24 hours or so. A documentary by the Franco-German network RT, where they interview Smotrich. And he says, you know, straight up to the camera, we have to go all the way to Damascus and even beyond. I want a Jewish state that incorporates Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq. So now they are saying it openly, in fact. Is he out of his mind if he thinks that the Jewish state could incorporate Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt?

Well, this gives an idea to all of us of how this dystopia is going. These people actually believe in all that. These are the beliefs of an eschatological cult. this dystopia is going, these people actually believe in all that. These are the beliefs of an eschatological cult. And when you have, for instance, also Joseph Massad from Columbia University talking along the same lines as well. Joseph Massad, he gave us an excellent background story leading to October 7th and why October 7th happened. So we have some of the best analysts in the world, Israelis and Arabs.

They deeply understand what's going on, and they're all horrified because this thing can go on for a long, long time. What is the – well, let me ask you this. Is there a consensus, was there a consensus there of how unending or how short-lived American military assistance might be? Stated differently, did the congregants there believe that a time might come when the U.S. has had enough of Netanyahu and his fanatics? Well, this was pointed out, Judge, by actually the man who organized most of this conference, an extraordinary... He lives now in Turkey with a Turkish passport, by the way. He's a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian, Sami Al-Aryan. He was imprisoned and even went to solitary confinement in the U.S., accused of being a suspected terrorist. I strongly recommend all of you, if you have a chance to watch a film called The U.S. Against Al-Aryan, where it's a documentary that explains the whole convoluted story. And Sami is an excellent, he got his PhDs in America, just to give you an idea. He's an excellent analyst of Palestine

and also of the larger West Asia scenario. He said there are three scenarios ahead, essentially. Netanyahu's delusions, as he called it, could go on for a long period of time. He could be checked along the way. And the third scenario, which is now, it's not so far-fetched considering the American presidential elections just around the corner.

The US could throw Netanyahu under the bus. I mean the Democrats, of course. I particularly think this is still a little bit too far-fetched, but this is something that when you talk to scholars from different parts of Islam, from Egypt to Malaysia, for instance, they say, well, that would be fantastic for the whole of West Asia, because you would not have anymore this number one instrument to divide and rule, which is the policy of the West in West Asia for decades. Will Russia come to the active aid of Iran if Israel mounts a serious attack on Iran backed up by the U.S.? It's already doing it, Judge, since last year, and even before they clinch their comprehensive strategic partnership, which is probably going to be on another visit by President Pesachkin to Moscow after the BRICS summit. So it could be at the end of October or as part of November. Aren't they signing a mutual security agreement next week? No, it's not next week. The last we heard is that's going to be after BRICS. It could be because next week is a pre-BRICS frenzy

here. There are lots of ultra-important meetings next week, and I'm not sure, and Putin will be following this, of course, not directly, but some of them directly. For instance, one week from now, he's going to the meeting of the BRICS Business Council, for instance, in person. So this will probably going to be in two, three, maybe two, three, four weeks from now, after the BRICS. It's a deal that they have been hammering this deal for two years, discussing this deal for two years. Two of the loudest and most formidable neocons in the United

States, Senator Lindsey Graham and former ambassador and former national security advisor John Bolton, have argued for an offensive attack by the U.S. Senator Graham has argued for the United States to bomb and destroy Iran's oil refineries. Ambassador Bolton has argued for the U.S. to bomb and destroy Ukraine's nuclear capabilities. What would happen if the US were to attempt to do that? Two basic things would happen. One, all the apparently latest count, and I discussed this with Sami, there are 63 American bases in West Asia. So if there are really 63, all of them, at least most of them,

will be attacked, not directly by Iran, of course, and also by Iraqis, Hezbollah, Yemen, etc. And number two, they could collapse the international financial system and the pile of derivatives, the quadrillion dollar pile of derivatives, by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz forests, which is something that they already discussed as a serious possibility. And gasoline in the United States would go up to $10 a gallon, maybe more. You're right. And the people that I talk to, my Persian Gulf trader, Moles, which I rely on for over two decades, they usually tell me first class information that's usually confirmed.

They say, look, the barrel of oil in a matter of one or two days could get to 200. And after a week or so, over $300 a barrel. You can imagine what this means for a global economy that in the West is already a total disaster. And guess who would be having extra profits with all that? Among them, among others, Russia and Iran. Right, right. What is the feeling in Moscow about Israel? Does the Kremlin think Netanyahu and company are out of control? Yes, yes, Josh. The short answer is yes. When we analyze what Nebenzia,

the permanent Russian representative of the UN has been saying, when we analyze what Putin himself talking about the genocide in Gaza directly, in his own words, this is something unbearable and brings tears to our eyes. This is very, very serious. Of course, this is another discussion that, well, I have this discussion here and I had it in Istanbul as well. The very, very strong presence of the Zionist lobby, in fact, especially in Moscow. And that includes banks and oligarchs that are directly linked to the international financial system. So Putin has to navigate all that. Not to mention the 1.5 Russians with double or triple passports who live in Israel. And according to the Russian constitution, they have to be protected by Russia.

Protected from what? From endorsing a genocide. That's a very, very tricky situation. But it's obvious that not only Putin, but the Security Council as a whole, and even the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov, Ryabkov, these uber diplomats, they lost their patience already. But there's no consensus on what to do. The consensus is that genocide must stop. We need a ceasefire.

But the Russians have been proposing this at the UN for months. And obviously, this is something that the Arabs at this conference in Istanbul agree. Of course, the Arab world is the weak link globally. We have traitors, fips, columnists. We have people like Sisi and the little king of Jordan or people who don't say anything like MBS in Saudi Arabia and MBZ in the Emirates. So it is really the weak link. There's no unity. And this is something that Mahathir said in his message.

You know, the Muslim countries have to team up. Otherwise, it's impossible to confront Israel. PEDRO LUNA ESTEVESTIANI Why doesn't Putin just come out and say publicly to Netanyahu and others, hands off Iran, we're going to protect Iran? PEDRO LUNA ESTEVESTIANI They are saying that, Judge, indirectly. For instance, the Israelis know that the Iranians already have the S-400s and they already have top of the line electronic jamming already handed by Russia. So this is already extremely serious.

And this means that the Iranians have the counter punch to the F-35s among other things. And what kind of stuff? Israel doesn't have hypersonic missiles or very long-range missiles to hit Iran from Israel. And everybody else said, no overflying Iraq, Syria, et cetera. Of course, Israel won't respect that. And the other ones who are absolutely terrified, like MBS and MBZ, and the other ones in the GCC, they told the Americans, look, can you convince Israel not to bomb the oil installations in Iran?

Because then they know what's going to happen to their own oil installations. Switching gears, what is the Kremlin's attitude about Ukraine? The disaster in Kursk, the continual movement westward of Russian troops? Absolutely, because the disaster in Kursk, every day it looks more like a disaster. And it's the typical Russian approach. Patience, long-term picture, no rush for anything. Same thing, they see that the front in Donbass is collapsing in real time, but still no rush. And they are looking especially at the really, really cold winter months.

So they would like a little more advanced, let's put it this way, Russian style, before the heavy snows in January, for instance. Foggy weather and heavy snows in January, early February. So there may be accelerated action in the next two months or so, but they are not in a hurry. And once again, no illusions. Whoever wins the American presidential elections, no illusions whatsoever. And at the same time, they are paying attention to NATO

and the rhetoric coming from the new, we call him, tootie-frootie old Rudy, Mark Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, who's already saying the same thing. We're going to weaponize Ukraine to the max, facilitate their entry in NATO later on. And he said something this week which is absolutely crazy. He said, NATO weapons hitting targets inside the Russian Federation is something that is, quote, unquote, legally possible. This is what the head of NATO said? Yes, the new head of NATO, Mark Rutte. Yeah, I don't know if you saw this because you were in Tehran,

but here's Viktor Orban. I saw it, Judge. You'll love this. Now, it's 17 minutes long. We're just going to play the one-minute version for you, but this is after they shouted him down with their song, after von der Leyen attacked him, he went right back at them. Chris, cut number 12. The European Union hasn't mistaken policy when it comes to this war.

If we want to win, then we need to change this losing strategy that we are currently implementing. It was a poorly planned and poorly implemented strategy. If we continue on that route, we're going to lose. If we don't want Ukraine to lose, then we need to change strategy. And I think that you should consider that. In every war, there needs to be diplomatic work, we need to have communication, direct and indirect contacts. If we don't do that, then we will go even deeper into war, and the situation will be even more desperate, more and more people will die.

Hundreds of thousands of people are dying. Thousands of people are dying while we're talking here and here now. And with this strategy, we won't find any solution in the battlefield. So I think we need to stand up for peace. We need to focus on a ceasefire and create a different strategy, because otherwise we will all lose. Dear adult in the room, as far as you know, is Secretary Blinken still declining to speak with Foreign Minister Lavrov? Of course. What is he going to say, George? First of all, this clip is fantastic, because what we have, the breaking news of this clip is Viktor Orban telling the European Union, you have lost your war, period.

Why? And still you refuse to sit on the table to discuss diplomatic terms. He's the only one with the balls to say that openly in front of von der Leyen, who was like a statue over there. Obviously, his facial expressions are really absolutely priceless in terms of non-facial expressions. But they can't because they bet everything on this war, forced by the Americans, all the fifth colonists from von der Leyen to Stoltenberg and now Rutte at NATO. This is an American-NATO war. The European Parliament and the European Commission had this von der Leyen, just obey orders coming from the U.S. and NATO. They cannot change strategy.

And that explains why Rutte is saying that now, okay, use long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, knowing if he knows how to read a little bit in transcript what the consequences will be. And they were already announced by everybody, including Putin. I think we now know that Prime Minister Stormer of Great Britain and President Biden know that the Russians are serious when they say this is a red line, do not cross it. And that would be allowing Ukraine to use long range weapons to reach deep into Russia, although we know they've gone at least 300 miles in. You indicated your view that the Ukrainians can't hold out much beyond the winter. They don't even have enough fuel to heat their homes and businesses for the winter, do they?

They don't have the means to do it because the infrastructure that delivers the fuel has been destroyed by the war? Absolutely. Absolutely. And then you still have the sweaty, the green sweaty sweatshirt in Kiev trying to peddle his Zelensky peace plan, which even the Americans say, no, no, no, no, that's not going to work. One of our guests suspects that there may be some communication between Russia and Ukraine, not at the Putin-Zelensky level, obviously we would probably know about that, but at some lower level, simply because of Zelensky's natural desire to stay alive and of the impending doom that's coming towards him

and his government. Absolutely. These channels are with members of the Ukrainian opposition, of course. They do exist, by the way. Some generals, many of those generals, they went to the same military schools here in Russia. So, of course, there are informal channels of communication. Nothing, obviously, involving SBR, Russian Foreign Intel, and those crazy fanatics at the SBU in Kiev, of course. And these are considered enemies of Russia. Russia would like to take these people to court later on, tribunals, and judge them for war crimes.

It's a completely different story. But there's a low Georgia at the moment. Everybody is waiting for two things. One, what's going to come out of the BRICS summit, which is less than two weeks now, and the American presidential elections.

Well, we should know the answer to unless the American presidential election is inconclusive, we should know the answer to both of those very soon. Pepe, you're staying up till 12.30 in the morning Moscow time. Thank you very much for joining us.

He's just starting. Okay. You haven't had dinner yet. Thank you, my dear man. All the best to you. All the best, George. Thank you so much. Thanks, everybody. Thank you. Please remember to like and subscribe, my dear friends.

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