Secure Freedom Radio: Ace Lyons on why Comey should resign now

FRANK GAFFNEY:

Welcome back. We have a four-star admiral on deck at the moment, I’m very pleased to say. The retired commander-in-chief of the US Pacific fleet, Admiral James “Ace” Lyons. Now best known, perhaps, for his rock star quality viral videos, but a man who served with great distinction in uniform for over thirty-six years, I believe. Migrating from the enlisted ranks up to the highest ranks in the United States military. He is, it gives me great pride to say, the chairman of the Center for Security Policy’s military committee and these days the president and CEO of Lyons Associates, LLC. Admiral, welcome aboard. Good to have you with us, sir.

ACE LYONS:

Nice to be with you, Frank. And your listeners.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

Thank you. Well, listen, you have contributed an important piece to the Center’s new book entitled Warning Order: China Prepares for Conflict and Why America Must Do the Same. Admiral, we’re watching with some trepidation the run up to and announcement by this so-called arbitration panel of the Law of the Sea Treaty in The Hague next week. And they’re, many believe, likely to say what China’s been doing to manufacture islands and project power from them in the South China Sea is actually contrary to international law. Talk about what you think might come of that, if anything.

ACE LYONS:

Well, as we know, Frank, that while China is a signatory to the international Law of the Sea Treaty, they put a condition in that anything that they declare as their territorial sea they unilaterally declare that it is exempt from any international tribunal. So their tack is going to be to ignore anything that the tribunal in The Hague finds them guilty of. This is pure imperialism at its height.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

And to the extent that it’s now being combined, I’m told, with a very large naval exercise – one of our guests yesterday reported that they’ve declared off limits for the purposes of their exercise of a week or so, I believe, right up against this announcement, it seems, of a size of the area of Maine, and that would seem to be a very sort of important launching point from which to engage in shows of force at the very least if not worse, don’t you think?

ACE LYONS:

Oh, there’s no question about it. But as you know, what’s going on now is our annual RIMPAC exercise in the Hawaiian island area, which we have twenty-two of our allies and friends participating. And for the second time we’ve invited China to participate. Which to me is mind-boggling. This is akin to inviting the Soviet Union to participate in NATO exercises in the 1980s.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

Yeah. Admiral, do you know whether, as last year, the Chinese have not only sent ships to participate in the exercises, but to collect intelligence about our assets and operations, perhaps from within, but certainly from a bit removed areas with their intelligence assets?

ACE LYONS:

Well, when they were invited for the first time 2014, you know, this is a biannual exercise, they not only sent ships to participate in the exercise but they sent along an intelligence collection ship to stand – to monitor the entire exercise. And what we’re doing, we’re providing them the close end means to electronically fingerprint all our weapons systems, our radars, our missiles, the infrared signature of our ships. All of this makes absolutely no sense. What we’re doing is we’re rewarding China for their aggressive and bad behaviour in the South China and East China Seas.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

Right. Especially in so doing, making it perfectly clear that they regard you as their enemy and are preparing, as we talk about in Warning Order, for conflict against us. This is the height of irresponsibility and as you know so well, Admiral Lyons, as a distinguished and long-serving military officer, you don’t want to be emboldening enemies to engage in provocative behaviour. And is there any doubt in your mind, sir, that that’s what we’re doing at the moment?

ACE LYONS:

Oh, there’s no question. That’s exactly what we’re doing. We don’t confront our enemies, we embrace our enemies. And we’re rewarding China for their aggressive and abusive behaviour.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

Yeah. And we’ll get more of it.

ACE LYONS:

There’s no question what their objectives are is to drive us out of the Western Pacific. They have built the navy to confront the United States Navy. We certainly see, going back to the Clinton Administration where we sold them the secrets to correct their missiles. So now they can target the United States. Everybody sweeps that off the page. This is unconscionable what’s gone on. And certainly we would expect that to continue should another Clinton ever get into the White House, God forbid.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

Well, speaking of unconscionable and Clintons in the same sentence, Admiral Ace Lyons, let me ask you for your thoughts on the statement made by the Director of the FBI yesterday concerning Mrs. Clinton’s conduct as Secretary of State with respect to the – what he described as, quote, extremely careless, unquote, conduct of her handling of classified information. And whether, Admiral, your concern is, as is mine and I think as our previous guest Dan Goure said as well, that this creates a very, very dangerous precedent for others charged with protecting such secrets.

ACE LYONS:

Well, all those who have been previously charged and found guilty should immediately appeal their cases based on the logic that Director Comey put out yesterday. Quote, well, it wasn’t really her intent. There’s nothing in the law about intent. You either violate or you didn’t violate. Clearly, she violated. Director Comey, in my view, sold his soul for political purposes. It’s unconscionable and he should immediately submit his resignation. He is unfit to be – continue as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. And failing to do that, what we can say is, we gave up our independence and integrity as a country on 5 July, 2016.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

A very, very powerful indictment. Admiral, just to burrow in on this one other question, though, beyond those who have engaged in criminal wrongdoing in mishandling classified information, would it be your concern, sir, knowing, for example, you know, how the Navy conducts itself with respect to protecting such information, that in the future you will see people behaving in a much more, well, shall we say, irresponsible and potentially quite dangerous way with respect to careless handling of such information?

ACE LYONS:

Well, this sets a precedent that we have no standards. What is the standard? We’ve thrown it out the window. Anybody can feel compelled – feel now to compromise our most sensitive secrets and intelligence to the net detriment of the country and all Americans. What went on yesterday really has profound effects on our future. This cannot be allowed to stand regardless of what was stated yesterday. She must be held accountable, Comey cannot be allowed to continue as the Director of the FBI.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

Admiral, we have to leave it at that, I’m afraid. I appreciate so much your time as well as your great service to our country that you’ve conducted yourself with in such a distinguished way in the past, in uniform, as well as that you are rendering these days, notably as the chairman of the Center’s military committee. God bless you, sir. Keep up your great work. God bless all of you. I hope you’ll join us again tomorrow. Same time, same station. Until then, this is Frank Gaffney. Thanks for listening.

[END OF FILE]