The John Batchelor Show

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-9-2026 1828 BANK OF ENF\GLAND Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, maintaining a long-term vision for a global caliphate and establishing safe havens in Afghanistan and Syria, unlike the more isolated ISIS. Guests: Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio. Al-Qaeda veteran Ahmed al-Shara's presidency in Syria highlights the group's diplomatic manipulation and Western naivety in accepting jihadists who adopt modern suits and polished personas. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Conservatives gathered in Brussels to champion freedom of speech and consolidate the "Foro Madrid," a transatlantic alliance uniting Latin American and Europeanleaders against socialism. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Venezuelan regime factions clash over detaining opposition figures, while Brazilian conservative Flavio Bolsonaro seeks international support to combat totalitarianism ahead of the upcoming national election. Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonathan Schanzer. Reports indicate Iran's regime has killed thousands to suppress ongoing unrest, feigning diplomatic willingness while maintaining a paranoid grip on power and refusing real concessions. Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem pledges loyalty to Iran, threatening asymmetric attacks on global U.S. assets if the "mothership" is struck, while organizing for Lebanese elections. Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy. China reportedly conducted secret underground nuclear tests to develop battlefield weapons for coercion, ignoring arms control treaties while the U.S. struggles to modernize its own deterrents. Guests: Gordon Chang and Brandon Weichert. NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission faces indefinite delays due to SLS rocket flaws, leading experts to urge replacing the bureaucratic program with SpaceX's efficient Starshipsystem. Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Tumi. The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts. Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardie. Trilateral peace talks regarding Ukraine show limited progress on core issues, while Russia faces communication disruptions from Starlink denials and continues striking Ukrainianenergy infrastructure. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Filmmaker Yarovskaya and activist Sobol discuss their documentary "Lyuba's Hope," highlighting the severe repression in Putin's Russia and the struggle of exiles fighting for democracy. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists. Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability. Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown. The U.S. deploys military assets to pressure a defiant Iran, but the weakened regime refuses concessions to avoid looking vulnerable, relying on bluster and proxy distractions. Guest: Peter Berkowitz. Berkowitz argues that "National Conservatism," which seeks to root public life in a specific Christian vision, contradicts America's founding principles of religious pluralism and constitutional liberty. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger details Donald Trump's early alleged ties to Russian state security and the mob, beginning with the Commodore Hotel deal and continuing through real estate money laundering.E

Guest: Craig Unger. Unger details Donald Trump's early alleged ties to Russian state security and the mob, beginning with the Commodore Hotel deal and continuing through real estate money laundering. 1885 NYSE

Guest: Peter Berkowitz. Berkowitz argues that "National Conservatism," which seeks to root public life in a specific Christian vision, contradicts America's founding principles of religious pluralism and constitutional liberty. 1780 TRENTON

Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown. The U.S. deploys military assets to pressure a defiant Iran, but the weakened regime refuses concessions to avoid looking vulnerable, relying on bluster and proxy distractions. 1890 TEHRAN

Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability. 1836 DESERT MARCH

Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists. 1917 MOSCOW

Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Filmmaker Yarovskaya and activist Sobol discuss their documentary "Lyuba's Hope," highlighting the severe repression in Putin's Russia and the struggle of exiles fighting for democracy. 1900 NICHOLAS II AT ST. PETERSBURG

Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardie. Trilateral peace talks regarding Ukraine show limited progress on core issues, while Russia faces communication disruptions from Starlink denials and continues striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. 1917 odessa

Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey. The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts. 1969 yemen

Guests: Gordon Chang and Brandon Weichert. NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission faces indefinite delays due to SLS rocket flaws, leading experts to urge replacing the bureaucratic program with SpaceX's efficient Starshipsystem. 1963

Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy. China reportedly conducted secret underground nuclear tests to develop battlefield weapons for coercion, ignoring arms control treaties while the U.S. struggles to modernize its own deterrents. 1954

Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem pledges loyalty to Iran, threatening asymmetric attacks on global U.S. assets if the "mothership" is struck, while organizing for Lebanese elections. 15th century

Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonatyn Sayeh. Reports indicate Iran's regime has killed thousands to suppress ongoing unrest, feigning diplomatic willingness while maintaining a paranoid grip on power and refusing real concessions. 1870

Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Venezuelan regime factions clash over detaining opposition figures, while Brazilian conservative Flavio Bolsonaro seeks international support to combat totalitarianism ahead of the upcoming national election. 1922 CARACAS

Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Conservatives gathered in Brussels to champion freedom of speech and consolidate the "Foro Madrid," a transatlantic alliance uniting Latin American and European leaders against socialism. 1810 BRUSSELS

Guests: Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio. Al-Qaeda veteran Ahmed al-Shara's presidency in Syria highlights the group's diplomatic manipulation and Western naivety in accepting jihadists who adopt modern suits and polished personas. 1924 ALEPPO

Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. Al-Qaeda has expanded significantly since 9/11, establishing safe havens in Afghanistan and Syria while maintaining a long-term vision for a global caliphate, unlike rival ISIS. 1870 PESHAWAR

PREVIEW: John Batchelor speaks with Edmund Fitton-Brown of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies regarding the ongoing tragedy in Iran. Fitton-Brown, a former UK ambassador to Yemen, discusses the regime's brutality and reports of hundreds of thousands dead or missing. The conversation critiques the US administration's approach, noting that while the president encouraged protesters with promises of support, that "rescue has been fatally delayed." 1955

PREVIEW: Peter Huessy joins the show to discuss the end of the New START treaty and the modernization of nuclear arsenals since 2011. Huessy highlights the disparity in battlefield nuclear capabilities, noting that while the US assumes its systems work without testing, Russia and China are actively testing to develop "battlefield nukes." He warns that in military war games, once nuclear weapons are introduced, "nothing holds," and conventional US superiority becomes irrelevant. 1958

PREVIEW: Bill Roggio provides a grim assessment of Al-Qaeda's status looking ahead to 2026, contradicting official narratives that the group has been "decimated" or "defeated." He explains that Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, now effectively controlling two countries: Afghanistan in conjunction with the Taliban and parts of Syria. Roggio describes these areas as safe havens with training camps and weapons depots, noting that Somalia is also largely under Al-Qaeda control via Al-Shabaab. 1836 BEIRUT