America is facing a shocking security breakdown—from a mass shooting at one of the most heavily surveilled campuses in the United States to a deadly ISIS attack in Syria that exposes the cracks in U.S. intelligence and foreign-policy strategy. As surveillance systems fail, former extremists gain power abroad, and radical Islamist networks globalize their reach, the West is confronting a threat both inside and outside its borders. This episode uncovers the uncomfortable truth behind Brown University’s unanswered questions, Syria’s escalating instability, and why the West may be running out of time to get its own house in order.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: I wanted to bring Jason in -- I wanted to bring Jason in because the news that we talked about a minute ago in Australia, then Brown.
There's some weird stuff happening with the Brown shooting. And we -- we don't know much about that. And also, Syria. So let me start with Brown University, Jason. Why is this one weird, as our chief researcher, why is this one weird?
JASON: Well, there comes a point where, you know, as a society, we just end up getting used to the massive surveillance state we live in. And I think we're just like, okay. Fine.
We're never not going to be surveilled 24/7. Maybe there's some benefits to it.
Well, no!
It doesn't seem that way. Because the people were asking the people at Brown. Like, how is it that you have not fully identified the shooter yet? And that's a very good question. Because if you go back to around 2021, there were people writing about how Brown University was one of the most surveilled campuses of the United States.
GLENN: How is it we only have one picture of this guy from the back?
JASON: Right!
GLENN: Apparently the one thing that will help you get away with any crime is a hoodie.
JASON: Yeah. Wear something over your head and a coat.
Apparently, that foils the entire surveillance state. Also, we have nothing to worry about with surveillance. I don't know.
GLENN: Yeah. Right. Right.
JASON: And on top of that, Kash Patel, the FBI director said that they sprung into action. And they activated their cellular monitoring system to help identify the person that has now been let go. Again, that's another layer of this surveillance state that I think a lot of us have been worried about.
And that didn't do anything either. That helped give us the wrong suspect? What is all this stuff for?
It's not keeping us safe, that's for sure.
GLENN: Hmm. I don't want to jump to any conclusions on, you know, what we have, what we don't have. I'm assuming that they have more. They just haven't shown it.
I would like to -- you know, we could help. You show us some pictures.
I think it's odd.
What happened in Syria over the weekend with al-Qaeda.
JASON: Yeah. In Syria.
There's a ton of news, especially involving ISIS, who is very much active and still very much planning attacks.
GLENN: So wait. Wait. Wait. Was this ISIS, or was this al-Qaeda?
JASON: This is ISIS. That's what they're saying. They're saying it's a lone ISIS perpetrator. The location was symbolic as well. The location as in or around Palmyra. Which, I don't know if you remember, that was a scene of a gruesome ISIS video back at the height of their caliphate, where they behead a lot of people in that area.
GLENN: Right. Right. Yes. That's where they lined them up in the orange jumpsuits. Remember everybody was kneeling down in the sand. And they started beheading people. Yes, I remember.
JASON: It was one of those UNESCO sites with ruins all around. And it was very crazy. Brutal video. But another brutal attack. I believe it was three US service members that were killed in this attack. There's a lot of speculation about to go, on if this person was working. I think he was actually at a time working with the security services that are in Syria right now, under the new president. He -- he could have been, you know, a sleeper in that organization. Who knows? But for -- the one thing I do know. And I don't understand the direction we're moving in Syria. I don't understand how a former al-Qaeda guy suddenly is an all right guy because he puts a suit on. And now he's the president of Syria. And he's our ally.
I don't understand that. The Trump administration, maybe they have more information, that I don't know.
I would love to get more of an explanation on this.
As of now, I don't see this going any direction other than a whole lot worse.
You look around that entire area. You have a former al-Qaeda guy now the president of Syria.
You have the rest of Syria, an absolute Dumpster fire. You have Iraq. I hesitate to call these countries.
They're so far down the sectarian, you know, spiral that this is.
But I don't see how this is going to go anywhere, but south, from here on out.
We're in an absolute war with these radical Islamists. And it's not just in the Middle East. It's globalize the intifada has landed on shores all over the world. And while there are politicians that will not denounce that. That is exactly what's happening. Sorry!
GLENN: So I think that's where -- I think that's what -- that explains Trump's thinking. That Trump does not want these everlasting wars to go on.
He does not want to be fighting in the Middle East. He doesn't want to really be fighting anywhere. He will, if he has to. But he's focused more on the American homeland. And the American hemisphere.
And so I think he is -- I think he's letting the Middle East take care of itself.
And as long as they can all get along with each other and Israel.
And recognize that, you know, Iran and the -- the -- the al-Qaeda, the, you know, Muslim Brotherhood. Et cetera, et cetera.
Trying to coax them all into. Hey. These are kind of your enemies here.
You know, ISIS is a big enemy to us and to peace.
And I think he's hoping that they will start to take care of themselves. Whether they will or not, I don't know. You know, it's never happened were. But it's worth trying. We've been playing this other game of us getting involved in everything for 100 years. We know that doesn't work.
So I'm guessing what Trump is thinking is, we know that doesn't work. We're not going to do that. Let's try to give peace a chance, and help them stomp this out, because it will be prosperous for all of them and plant those seeds as deeply as you can to see what happens. But we're not getting involved in any of that. I have a feeling, but there will be a military response to this, I'm sure. Won't you agree?
JASON: Oh, one hundred percent, and to tack on to what you're saying, I would hope that the President would go with his gut on this.
Because the previous ways this has been handled with Islamists, especially in this area. They've screwed it up.
They don't know what they're doing. Although, they think they know what they're doing. I'll go back to history. The Iran and Iraq War. We supported both size on that. In a similar -- in a similar strategy. So we're like, okay. We don't like either one of these groups. Sectarian groups to get too large. Let's fund this country at the same time we fund this country. We'll arm them. They'll fight each other, and they'll be fine. We do that all the time.
So now, the only thing I can think of is that's what they're thinking with the Syria president, this former al-Qaeda guy. Okay. Well, fine. They'll be anti-Iran, so they can counter Iran.
It's literally the same exact strategy, that they're going for. And I get it. That means that we don't have to get involved. I guess in the initial point.
But we always end up having to get involved after the fire erupts and --
GLENN: We know -- look, I think he's trying to buy time, quite honestly. Get us out of that.
Let us recover, and hopefully not go back to it. Try to buy hopefully some real peace.
But we all know how this will end. It's never going to work in the long-term. Because we as the West have to concentrate on our own homelands. You're seeing that with what happened in Australia. We have let the barbarian into the gates. And we've got to focus on that. We've got to get this cancer, cut out of our own societies. Because it's not good.





