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Hi, this is Bill Whalen, the host of Goodfellows.

Thanks for listening to the audio version of the show, but we wanted to let you know that Goodfellows is primarily a video production,

and you're missing a lot of extra features by only listening to our show.

Give it a look by going to hoover.org forward slash Goodfellows to see what you're missing.

Thanks. It's Tuesday, January the 9th, 2024, and welcome back to Goodfellows, a Hoover Institution broadcast examining social, economic, political, and geopolitical concerns.

I'm Bill Whelan. I'm a Hoover Institution Distinguished Policy Fellow. I'll be your moderator today, which means I have the great honor of introducing the stars of our show, three of my colleagues we jokingly refer to as the Goodfellows.

That would include the historian Neil Ferguson, the economist John Cochran, the geostrategist,

former presidential national security advisor, H.R. McMaster. They are Hoover Institution's senior

fellows all. Gentlemen, first a belated, happy 2024. I hope you all had a good holiday break.

First, let's turn our attention to the Middle East, and HR I want to start with you.

Since the last time we did this show, there have been more

developments in that corner of the world. Israel's resumed its search and destroy mission against

Hamas. Who knows how long that will continue? We've seen U.S. air and drone strikes in Iraq

targeting pro-Iran forces, which in turn have been targeting U.S. forces. We saw a bombing in Iran,

which ISIS took credit for. Israel took out a Hamas leader in Lebanon,

Hezbollah turned around and fired rockets in Israel. And meanwhile, HR, we have the situation in the

Red Sea with Houthi rebels who are firing drones and attacking ships transiting the Red Sea in the Suez Canal.

They've also fired against U.S. warships, which are fired in return.

...