Topic: Militants

Middle school teacher and activist Yvette Falarca defends the militant protests at UC Berkeley that prevented Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking. Falarca characterizes Yiannopoulos as a fascist and white supremacist, arguing that "militant protest" is a successful model for the anti-Trump movement. The hosts trace the origins of the phrase "by any means necessary" from Jean-Paul Sartre to Malcolm X.

Rachel Maddow described Donald Trump's inaugural speech as "workman-like," "militant," and "dark." She focused on his use of the phrase "American carnage" to describe gangs and drugs, noting that such rhetoric is unprecedented for an incoming president.

American journalist Serena Shim was killed in a suspicious car accident in Turkey shortly after reporting that Turkish intelligence had accused her of spying. Shim had been investigating the smuggling of militants into Syria using World Food Program trucks as cover.

France has intervened in Mali, officially to combat Islamic militants, but analysts suggest the move is driven by energy security. Mali possesses significant gold and uranium deposits, the latter of which is vital for France's nuclear power plants following labor strikes in Niger. The conflict is following a familiar geopolitical script similar to the intervention in Libya.

Former CIA officer Michael Scheuer discusses the political sensitivity of the Petraeus resignation ahead of Benghazi hearings. Scheuer criticizes the Obama administration's narrative on Islamic militancy and identifies John Brennan as a potential "yes man" successor for the CIA directorship.