SPECIAL GUEST: Tyler Grey, star of Seal Team (Trent Sawyer a.k.a Bravo 4) 2nd Hour Guest: Dr. Carole Lieberman

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Inside the Israel-Iran Conflict: Military Insights and Terrorism Awareness

Combat Veteran Tyler Grey on Israel's Strategic Defense Against Iran

The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran represents a continuation of tensions that have existed for generations. According to Tyler Grey, a former Delta Force operator and author of "Forged in Chaos," the current situation is far from new.

"We're calling it the current conflict but let's be honest. This has been a conflict for hundreds if not thousands of years at this point," Grey explains. "Iran claims they haven't been at war with the West, but I personally came across quite a few Iranians in Iraq. From firsthand experience, the Iranians were directly supporting the Iraqi insurgency and providing EFP technology, which was a very deadly IED technology."

Grey points to the longstanding deception practiced by the Iranian regime, particularly regarding their nuclear program. "It's so ludicrous that the regime is saying, 'Oh, no, no, no, we're not developing a nuclear bomb. We haven't been developing a nuclear bomb,' and then, however many days ago, they say, 'We're very close to having it. We have a surprise that the world will remember for centuries.' It's laughable."

This contradiction exemplifies what Grey describes as a pattern of doublespeak from the Iranian regime: "They say one thing publicly, and then they say another not publicly, and usually those things are in direct conflict."

Based on the precision of Israel's intelligence and strikes, Grey believes Israel had detailed information about Iran's nuclear capabilities and felt they had no choice but to act, especially given Iran's explicit threats to annihilate Israel. "Trump gave them every opportunity to negotiate. Oh no, no, no, screw you, screw you. And then the next thing you know, they're getting blown up," Grey observes.

As for what happens next, Grey notes significant military movements that suggest preparation for possible further action: "The US has moved the newest supercarrier to the area. I believe there are now six carriers in the region. Those assets are in place to support a strike if that option is going to go ahead."

He predicts Israel may target the Ayatollah when the opportunity arises, especially if negotiations fail to progress. "To me, it's like a hostage rescue. If the negotiations aren't going anywhere, I personally see Israel trying to take out the Ayatollah."

The most challenging decision for the United States, according to Grey, would be whether to use a B-2 bomber with bunker-buster capability to target Iran's Fordo nuclear site. "That is a very tough decision. Israel cannot do it - they don't have the weapons for that. And it's a tough call because if Trump authorizes that, there's going to be ramifications with other countries."

Grey believes that while average Iranian citizens, like people everywhere, simply want peace and stability, the regime has oppressed them for decades. "If there's one thing I've learned from all the places I've been, it's that your average person in any country just wants to live a peaceful life, have a family, take care of their family and their friends. That is the vast majority of people in every country."

The risk of escalation with other global powers is real, Grey acknowledges. "If you look at China's recent call with Putin and kind of the 'Hey, we need to fix this,' there's no question that there's now allies and an axis in the world today. We know who the players are."

He believes the United States has been in a cold war with China for some time, though many Americans are only now becoming aware of it. While regime change always creates risk through power vacuums, Grey understands Israel's position: "Based on the Ayatollah's rhetoric, they have every right to act, in my opinion."

From Trauma to Recovery: A Warrior's Path to Healing

Grey's military experience came at a significant personal cost. During his service, he was wounded in an explosion in Sutter City, Iraq, which led to his medical retirement. This trauma shattered not only his body but a false identity he had constructed since childhood.

"As a kid, I had a very chaotic childhood. I was bullied heavily, and I got hurt a lot emotionally, physically," Grey reveals. "I essentially developed this alter ego or this character that was tougher, didn't feel, didn't care. And I lived that character for years."

The injury changed everything: "When I got blown up, it killed that character. It took me years to realize that it really fractured the false identity I had created to protect myself."

This experience led to profound insights about identity loss among veterans. "A lot of veterans talk about when they got out of the military or retired from law enforcement that they lost their identity. What it took me a long time to realize is that I don't think they, nor myself, lost their identity. What actually happened was they never had a true identity."

Grey explains, "If you become the job, there's really no way that you had a strong identity if the job was able to become your identity. So, it's less about losing it and more about the fact that you really never had a strong one to begin with."

This realization transformed Grey's approach to veteran support and led to his book, which aims to help others see themselves in his story and apply the lessons that worked for him. He takes issue with the common diagnosis of PTSD, viewing it as a symptom rather than the core problem.

"The one thing that has been told to veterans now, arguably since the Vietnam War, is your problem is PTSD. But in my experience, it's not the core disease," Grey states. "Right now, with PTSD awareness and treatment options at an all-time high, the problem is getting worse. Suicide is increasing. That proves one simple fact: what we're saying is the disease, the core problem, isn't the core problem."

In Grey's experience, the real issues include loss of purpose, loss of identity, and most importantly, lack of self-worth. "That is an issue I see over and over and over. What 'Forged in Chaos' is about is the pattern I have seen in myself. And once I understood it in myself, I see it in so many others."

Grey also discusses the challenges of diagnosing traumatic brain injury (TBI) in military personnel: "The problem with TBI as a term, as a diagnosis, is that they don't really know. The only way to know that you have a traumatic brain injury is to have a baseline of the brain prior to the method of injury."

He notes that without these baselines, it's difficult to distinguish between PTSD and TBI, as their brain scans look very similar. The military's understanding of these injuries continues to evolve, though Grey believes there's still "a long way to go with TBI in regards to the military and veterans."

His book, which will be released on July 15th, offers a comprehensive strategy for warriors to regain their purpose and identity. Grey plans to develop classes and group sessions to build a community of veterans and first responders who can help each other rediscover their purpose.

Dr. Carol Lieberman on Terrorism Awareness and Antisemitism

The recent attack on diplomatic staff members outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. was an act of terrorism, not activism, according to Dr. Carol Lieberman, internationally known as the "Terrorist Therapist" and a board-certified psychiatrist.

"What we're seeing now with the conflict between Iran and Israel is really a continuation of the same thing," Dr. Lieberman explains. "People in America, well, I became the terrorist therapist after 9/11. I'm a born and bred New Yorker. And when 9/11 happened, I wanted to do something that would help people with what I believed was, and has been shown to be, the most important problem in our lifetime: terrorism."

Dr. Lieberman observes a concerning rise in antisemitism, often disguised as anti-Israel or anti-Zionist sentiment: "With the college students and the protests, 'Gays for Gaza' and all of that, it's to some degree hidden behind being against Israel or against Zionists. But really, underneath it all is antisemitism."

She emphasizes that the threat extends beyond the Jewish community: "These terrorists decided from over a thousand years ago that their plan to honor Allah was to take over. Their mission is to destroy Israel and kill all the Jews. But they don't plan to stop at that. It's to kill all the unbelievers."

This is evident in Europe, where Dr. Lieberman believes many countries are "almost gone" due to the high number of radical Islamist migrants who have reached a "critical mass." She points out the disconnect between protesters' actions and the reality of the situation: "Even the people who are protesting, when the terrorists come—and there are lots of cells and lots of terrorists already here—they would kill them too."

Dr. Lieberman attributes this disconnect to a combination of factors: "It's ignorance of not knowing enough about terrorism, denial, being ill-informed, and knowing on some level but not wanting to believe it on another level."

The current situation with Iran and Israel could activate terrorist cells within the United States, Dr. Lieberman warns. She authored a book called "Lions and Tigers and Terrorists, Oh My: How to Protect Your Child in a Time of Terror," which addresses how to talk to children about terrorism.

"All children need to know about terrorism because that is the world that they have been born into. And the terrorists aren't going away," she explains. The book includes sections for parents and teachers on how to recognize when children are experiencing psychological issues related to terrorism, and a picture book component for children ages five and up.

Dr. Lieberman doesn't "pussyfoot" around the truth but presents it in age-appropriate language: "I talk about the Boston Marathon bombing and the Florida bombing and the French cartoon of Mohammed and all of the other basics of terrorism."

She references a famous poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller written during the Holocaust: "First They Came," which concludes with the line, "Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me." This, she says, is where we are today, with many people not realizing they too are in danger.

Dr. Lieberman disputes claims that Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons: "Yes, Iran has nuclear weapons. They have had nuclear weapons for a long time. And the 2015 treaty was ridiculous. You can't make a treaty with a country or a person who believes, as Mohammed said, 'War is deceit.'"

The political divisiveness in America compounds these challenges, making it difficult to present a united front against external threats. Dr. Lieberman urges Americans to "stop thinking about petty things" and focus on the greater dangers facing the nation.

She concludes that the core issues—whether with terrorism or veteran mental health—often stem from deeper problems than what appears on the surface. By addressing these fundamental issues and working together, there's hope for creating a safer world where differences can be respected and honored.