Part two of our conversation. This time, ask yourself a key question. Why is he saying these things? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Whelan called us in December of last year with an urgent message for the president. He called again on April 11th with another. He has been detained in Russia for five years and is again appealing to President Biden to accelerate efforts to bring him and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington Post national security correspondent Joby Warrick reports Iran now has enough fissile material to make three bomb with in days Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, worked for the World Central Kitchen. She was one of seven WCK staff killed in an Israeli drone strike on April 1st in Gaza. She is remembered fondly by her friend Brian Weaver, founder of Hoops Sagrado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eeva Eek Pajuste, Policy Advisor, Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says the view of democracy in Russia is "totally different" from the Western view. She explains how the early days after the collapse of the Soviet Union shaped that view. It's also a key reason why Vladimir Putin is still popular inside Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Fried, former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, lays out bluntly the consequences of Putin getting another term as President of Russia and what he's doing to get the U.S. Congress to support Ukraine. Also, Ukrainian journalist Nataliia Bozhyk speaks out about the devastation the war has caused. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Baer, a former CIA undercover operative with deep knowledge of Russian intelligence has some ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nataliia talks about the hardship, the unlikely friendship that helped her get out of Ukraine, her work in Ireland and her message to the U.S. government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luke Harding, correspondent for the Guardian and author of several books about Russian corruption and assassinations, has himself been detained by the Kremlin. He talks about Alexei Navalny's death, what likely happened and Russia's "forever game" of American hostage-taking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former US President Donald Trump, who's running for another term said recently he wouldn't help NATO countries that were attacked by Russia if they were not contributing 2% of their GDP to their own defense programs. Kurt Volker, former US Ambassador to NATO and Kristjan Prikk, Estonia's Ambassador to the US, discuss the impact of Trump's statement and the reality of life as a member of NATO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Scott, Associate Director for Chinese Operations at CISA indicates that this is a wide-ranging and very sophisticated threat. If successful, it would give the Chinese government complete control over critical US infrastructure whenever they want it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Counterterrorism expert Bruce Hoffman talks about the new book he's co-written on the rise of far right extremism in the US.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran says the the Iranian "regime" is the "head of the snake" of trouble in the region. And it should be "crushed". Jafazadeh was targeted by the regime in a kidnap operation in 2018 inside the U.S.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ambassador Kurt Volker, Distinguished Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, discusses the murky situation regarding a plane crash on January 24, 2024. Moscow claims Ukraine shot it down and that there were 65 Ukrainian POWs aboard. Ukraine says Moscow is playing with the lives of Ukrainians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Whelan and Ambassador Roger Carstens share more details about Whelan's case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Whelan, who's been imprisoned in Russia, wrongfully for 5 years called me on Christmas Eve, with a message for President Biden. You'll hear our conversation and his deep concerns on this episode. You'll also hear Ambassador Roger D. Carstens, the US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, discuss his team's efforts to free Whelan and fellow American Evan Gershkovich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The assassination of a Hamas leader in Beirut and a terror attack in Iran have triggered fears of an explosion of attacks throughout the region. Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Sr. Director at the Counter-Extremism Project says the attack in Iran is unprecedented. Fred Burton, Executive Director of Protective Intelligence at Ontic says the killing of Saleh Arouri could lead to a wave of retaliation, directed at Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director of the Counter Extremism Project, says the foiled Hamas plot in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands recently, was likely started well before the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, Michael Hammer discusses his deep concerns about the war in Sudan, the lack of global attention, and what's being done to address it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fran Townsend, President of the Counter Extremism Project says her organization believes Qatar is harboring terrorists. Also We check in with Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces about the search for Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices