Judging Freedom - Scott Ritter: Netanyahu’s Dangerous American Trip

Episode Date: July 22, 2024

Scott Ritter: Netanyahu’s Dangerous American TripSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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it's a pleasure. Thank you for joining us. We both thought that I would be off last week and this week, but historic events require that we comment on them. A week after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, what are your thoughts as an ex-Marine, as a person trained in the use of all sorts of firearms? Could this young man have possibly pulled this off on his own? Would the skills necessary to do this be ones of somebody as to whom there's very little record of training or practicing? I mean, the answer to that is highly unlikely. Let me preface my comments by just making it clear to people. While I was an intelligence officer and I had peripheral contact with personal security details, including the Secret Service protection protocols and procedures that are used at the United Nations during the General Assembly, I am not a Secret Service agent.

Personal protective security is not my specialty. So I'm like you. I'm an outsider, you know, looking at this, but I am a professional analyst and I am able to break problems down into their component parts. And you were in the Marine Corps and trained to use these weapons. I was in the Marine Corps and I was trained to use the weapons and I have some familiarity with sniping. So it's, yeah So I'm not totally ignorant on this. I just don't want people to think that I'm some former Secret Service.

I'm not. Secret service is designed from the ground up when you talk about personal protective details to prevent this kind of thing from happening. So one would imagine that if you have a secret service that wasn't born yesterday, it's been around for a long time, it's experienced assassination attempts, it should be fine-tuned to this, operating in an environment where, in addition to domestic, you know, the heightened domestic threat, the fact that political violence is a reality in America, you overlay that with, you know, intelligence of potential foreign threats to the president and former president. The Secret Service should be as forward-leaning and effective as one could possibly imagine. Then you compare and contrast that with the shooter who lacks the training, lacks the expertise, doesn't fit the profile. So you compare and contrast the most qualified personal protection service organization in the world with the least potentially qualified

assassin in the world. And this guy pulled off a successful assassination. If it weren't for however you want to call it, divine providence or just sheer luck, you know, the tilt of the head, he would have killed his target. It would have been a successful assassination. The odds of this happening, Vegas oddsmakers wouldn't, you can't calculate because it's impossible. It's literally impossible. And so we have to degrade the Secret Service and we have to enhance the shooter. And it appears that we see evidence of that. We see, you know, just rookie mistakes on the part of the Secret Service. And then the question is, are these intentional or, you know, deliberate or is it just incompetence? And we have to factor or modify our answer or at least regulate our answer about incompetence by saying that the Secret Service by design is supposed to precludes incompetence because the moment you exhibit any

incompetence, less than perfect attention to detail, you're removed. They don't tolerate mistakes. And yet they made nothing but mistakes here. And so one has to legitimately ask, were these mistakes deliberate in nature? And the same thing with the shooter. How does he fly a drone? There's reports that he flew a drone. Why does he have three phones with encrypted channels, including channels talking to overseas people? How did he get to the roof? How did he get the ladder?

How did he get the weapon up there? How did he know to bear crawl? How did he understand the layout of the land so that he could mask his movement up to the point where he took the shot? Because everything that I just described, how did he have a vehicle full of explosives that was rigged to go off as a potential distraction? Everything I've described is the sign of a professional and a professional that isn't working alone, a professional that is working in league, in concert with others. Everything about the attempted assassination,

and again, even though President Trump isn't dead, it is the successful assassination of President Trump because it was a success. The Secret Service didn't stop this. The assassin wasn't foiled. The assassin got off a killing shot, a killing shot, and it should have killed Donald Trump. The reason why Trump is alive has nothing to do with the Secret Service, nothing to do with protection. It is either divine intervention or just an act of sheer luck. But this was a successful assassination. Do you think he was trained? Do you think he trained for this or someone trained him for it? I mean, how would he have known to do the things that you said?

Why would he have had three phones and why would he have crawled on his belly and why would he have had a drone there and it was communicating to him. Why didn't those people, one of our iPhones and desktops, the lovely folks at the NSA, don't give a damn about the Fourth Amendment, why didn't they pick up his communications? Yeah, I can't get into the intelligence that surrounds this. You're on the right track. These are good questions. It wouldn't necessarily be the NSA doing this, but they have counter sniper teams there. And one would logically think that there would be communications protection units there. I mean, there are a couple of things that can be done in terms of monitoring communications. You should have cell phones of interest, communication patterns of interest, the ability to block cell phone. It's not my business to get down that route, but you're

on the right track. There should have been things that aren't normally talked about happening to protect a former president, presidential candidate, and potential future president from assassination. Nothing, again, when we look at the probabilities, you know, the internet is there, and it's a vast resource, and some of the information on it's good, some of the information on it bad, some of the information on it promotes the better aspects of life. Some can be used to bring harm. And if one wants to do the research necessary, I guess you could find out certain things. But somebody sitting in their mother's basement looking at videos and then executing it perfectly the first time out is unlikely.

There had to be rehearsals. There had to be training. There had to be some sort of coaching taking place. This didn't happen by itself. And so the idea that this is a lone shooter, a disgruntled person, I mean, to be honest, nobody should be taking that seriously. I mean, if it turns out that that's the case, you should only reach that after you've exhausted every other potential option. You don't lead with lone shooter. You lead with, this is a coordinated assassination attempt by a team of highly

qualified personnel who have probably infiltrated the inner workings of the presidential security details so that certain things can be... You have to assume that the Secret Service was in on this. You have to. You all know that I am a paid spokesperson for Lear Capital, but I'm also a customer, a very satisfied customer. About a year ago, I bought gold and it's now increased in value 23%. So $100 invested in gold a year ago is now worth $123. You have $100 in the bank, it still shows $100, but $100 in the bank is now worth 24% less. Inflation has reduced all of your savings, all of your buying power, and mine, by 24%. And gold is largely immune from that. If you want to learn how gold will soon hit $3,200 an ounce,

call Lear Capital. 800-511-4620 or go to learjudgenap.com. Get your free gold report. Same experts who predicted the 23% rise that I've enjoyed have predicted this $3,200 an ounce gold. Learn about how to transfer this to an IRA. Protect your savings. 800-511-4620, learjudgenap.com. Tell them the judge sent you. We're back with Scott Ritter. Scott, my apologies. My camera went down and we ran the Learhead and now I'm back and we're back with Scott Ritter. Scott, my apologies. My camera went down and we ran the lyriad and now I'm back and we're back together. How is one day to do so because China is an extraordinarily important nation. And the more we know about China, the better we'll be prepared to act responsibly in working with China or dealing with China, whatever direction we choose to go. I do have some connectivity in Russia. And what I can say is that the Russians are viewing this as part and parcel of a systemic breakdown on the part

of the United States. They view the attempted assassination against Donald Trump as being part of the same overall scene or narrative of what they're calling a soft coup against Joe Biden. Basically, elements within the establishment that are opting to take matters into their own hands to eliminate candidates that aren't going to fulfill their purpose. The physical elimination of Donald Trump, and now we have the political nullification of Joe Biden. From the Russian perspective, this is all part and parcel of the systemic failure of American democracy. Interesting observations. Let's switch gears, Scott, to what's been happening in Israel. From my perspective here in Northern Italy and not having access to all the sources that I normally do when I'm home in New Jersey, it appears as though the Houthis succeeded in landing explosive devices in Tel Aviv.

It appears as though the Israelis were not able to shoot down everything the Houthis sent toward Tel Aviv, though they removed or eliminated most of it. Please tell us what's happening. Well, the Houthis have been very politically astute from the very beginning. Understand that they have been in a state of war against modern Western-style military since 2014, when the conflict with Saudi Arabia began. Saudi Arabia flying virtually similar aircraft that the Israelis fly, dropping bombs that are made in the USA, using intelligence provided by the U.S. So the Houthi know what they're getting involved in. They know what they're getting into.

And they have made a decision that they will not stand silent while the Palestinian people in Gaza and in Palestine and in the West Bank are being brutalized and, you know, systemically slaughtered by the Israeli government. They have said that they began a naval blockade of the Red Sea, of the Gulf of Aden, of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, out of sympathy for the people of Gaza, that that blockade won't stop until there's a ceasefire and humanitarian aid comes in, etc. Israel has been carrying out just wanton genocidal bombings of Gaza and the Gazans now on a daily basis. And so what the Houthi have done is given the Israelis a little bit of their own medicine by attacking Tel Aviv, calling it a military target and saying that the civilians should evacuate. This is pretty much the same instructions that the Israelis give the Gazans. But there's another element to this that everybody seems to be missing. Because yes,

the Houthi attacked, the vast majority of that which they attacked, the weapons they with the goal of getting the Israelis to overreact, and they have. They've struck a port in Yemen that is essential for the provision of humanitarian aid. It reinforces the narrative that Israel is a genocidal state, and it has prompted the result that I think the Houthi were looking for. The Russians have said that they will not stand on the sideline forever while Israel does what it does. And the Russians have also indicated that they will probably provide advanced weaponry to the Houthis. So the next time the Houthi attack, it won't be with old-fashioned drones. They'll be coming at Israel with advanced Russian weapons that cannot be shot down by Israeli air defense. The Houthi, they're pretty clever. They're pretty smart.

They're strategically astute. Israel, once again, walked into an ambush that was set by a member of the Axis resistance who knows the region and knows the politics better than Israel does. I don't want to veer into American domestic politics, Scott, but I was sick to my stomach when I heard J.D. Vance over the weekend suggest we should consider attacking Iran. What role will Iran play in the battle between Israel and the Houthis? Iran is the silent partner, the silent big partner. They are definitely behind what the Houthi are doing, what Yemen is doing, this part of Yemen, the Ansarallah movement. They're behind the resistance. Iran is the apex of the axis of resistance. And so Iran plays a major role. J.D. Vance, he was a Marine, but he was a corporal and he was a combat correspondent who didn't see that much combat. He doesn't know that which he talks about.

This is literally the voice of one of the more ignorant people in America about military operations. And he's speaking about Iran, a country he doesn't understand. He thinks he's saying things that play well. He should probably have checked with Donald Trump first because, you know, Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani as an act of retribution for the American perception that Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans during the American occupation of Iraq and the Iranian support to the resistance. But J.D. Vance should also ask Donald Trump what it felt like to be in the White House as the Iranians signaled that they're going to fire 10 to 12 ballistic missiles against the Al-Assad airbase in Iraq. These missiles hit the targets they were looking for with pinpoint precision, and there wasn't anything the United States could do to stop it. And it intimidated Donald Trump to the point where we carried out no further actions. That's the reality of Iran, and that's what J.D. Vance is going to

have to be briefed on. He really needs to keep his mouth shut about issues pertaining to national security that, frankly speaking, he won't play a part in. He's going to be the vice president of Donald Trump, a man who consolidates all political power into his person and will not consult with the vice president or, frankly, anybody else when it comes to issues of this nature. Oh, I'm glad you said that. And I wish I had spoken with you because for three or four days I've been arguing with my friends here, making arguments similar to what you made, but without your knowledge and your sophistication. Switching gears yet again. Later this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress. The Republicans will treat him like Winston Churchill was treated.

What is his goal? What is he going to try and do when he addresses the Congress, as you understand this man? Well, I mean, things have changed a little bit, too, because now he's stepping into an environment where he actually has far more influence. Biden has stepped aside. Now, he will meet with Biden, but Biden isn't in the future of Israel. The future of Israel is going to be defined by, you know, the Democratic candidate who's no longer named Biden. We don't know the exact name yet. And the Republican candidate whose name is Donald Trump, unless he's successfully taken out by people who don't want him to be the candidate, it'll be J.D. Vance.

But the point is, the focus is on the Congress of the United States, where, you know, I mean, look, he has bought the Congress. I mean, he's Speaker of the House, Mr. Johnson, has threatened to arrest people and charge them should they somehow disrupt the scripted scene that's going to take place where there will be more standing ovations than previously. The idea is to show not just to Netanyahu, because again, he wrote the script. This is something he said has to happen. This is played out for the Israeli people. This is Netanyahu coming. He's been beaten in Gaza. He's being beaten by Hezbollah.

Houthi have humiliated him. Now he's coming here to have the American flag wrapped around him to be anointed by the American Congress so he can go back to Israel and say, America is fully behind me. I have the backing of the United States during these difficult times. This is an act of political desperation on the part of Benjamin Netanyahu because his military is almost in open rebellion, telling him we are fundamentally broken. We're running out of tanks because we don't have any spare parts. We've run out of ammunition. Our troops are exhausted, and we can't go to war against Hezbollah because they'll beat us. That's the reality. And then Yahoo can't take that to the Israeli people. And so instead, he's going to

come here, an act of grand political theater. And that's what this is all about. I would like to believe the American people could see through this. Unfortunately, we keep electing the same bought and paid for members of Congress and Senate, knowing that Israel owns them. We keep electing them. So I think the American people are culpable in this as well. It's Tweedledee and Tweedledum on Israel. We both know that.

And I'm glad you raised this incredible statement by the Speaker of the House. He took the same oath when he joined the House of Representatives that you took when you became a Marine, that I took in Army basic training, and that I took again when I became a judge to abide the Constitution. The language is slightly different, but the essence of the oath is the same. The Constitution, Speaker Johnson, has the speech and debate clause in it. Members cannot be arrested for expressing displeasure with what the Speaker is saying on the floor of the House of Representatives. This is just a disgrace. You can cheer all you want,

but if you let Bibi know that you don't appreciate what he says, I might arrest you. I would challenge him to arrest somebody on national television, and let's see what the reaction is. Yeah, I hope somebody does. Because this is a constitutional issue. This isn't about Israel. This is bigger than Israel. I'm sorry, all you pro-Israeli people out there. There are issues bigger than Israel,

like the American constitution in defense of that constitution. When you have the Speaker of the House, number three in the chain of command to be President of the United States, make such an outrageous statement. He has to be challenged. Even if you agree with Israel, this is bigger than Israel. This is about who we are and what we are as a nation. And yet, once again, we stand by and literally, with few exceptions, yourself, Judge,

among them, we just don't say or do anything. We let it happen as if this is normal. It's not normal. It's not normal. Thank you, Scott. Thank you for everything we've touched upon today from Butler, Pennsylvania to the floor of the House of Representatives. I'll be back in the States next week and we'll have that dinner in upstate New York with Cilenti again. I hope to see you soon. Thanks, Judge. Enjoy Italy. Thank you. Thank you. All the best, my dear friend. Okay. A great man and an interviewer for which I am deeply grateful. And I can tell from what of the folks, what you are participating in and what you're saying about it, you appreciate it as well. Coming up at the top of the hour, Larry Johnson and the experiments he conducted with

weapons substantially similar to those used by the man who tried to kill Donald Trump. And at the bottom of the hour, Pepe Escobar, who's in Beijing, he'll tell us what they think. We'll see right back. We'll see you next time.