December 6 – The Background and Motives of the San Bernardino Terrorists; Challenges Facing Homeland Security; Update on the Congressional Election in Venezuela

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the links emerging between the husband and wife terrorists in San Bernardino and daesh, the self-declared Islamic State and discuss both the role of Saudi Arabia and what local law enforcement have uncovered about the backgrounds and motives of the two shooters who killed 14 and wounded 21 last Wednesday. Brian Levin, the Director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino joins us to discuss what he has learned from those investigating the case along with what was discussed in recent testimony he gave to the Congresses Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

Part 2

Then we look further into the challenges to Homeland Security posed by the recent massacre in San Bernardino and speak with David Schanzer, Professor of the Practice and Director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security at Duke University who was the Democratic staff director for the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. We discuss the task President Obama has of calming the nation in his address tonight in a political environment where paranoia over terrorist acts will be exploited by nativist and racist right wing politicians.

Part 3

Then finally we go to Venezuela for an update on the congressional elections underway in a country torn by widespread frustration over shortages of staples and food, inflation and crime. David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office of Latin America who has researched Venezuela for the past 20 years, and lived there for a total of 10 years, joins us. We discuss the likelihood of an opposition victory due to President Maduro spectacular mismanagement of the economy and his squandering of popular support for his successor Hugo Chavez’ Bolivarian revolution.