adventures of huckleberry finn written in 1884. the novel is controversial from the beginning because of the subject matter and use of dialect. the book is sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is had a profound impact on american literature. the library of cogs quotes parnas inuit as saying all modern american literature comes from one book by mark twain called huckleberry finn. and to leave the english professor at butler university and indianapolis has taught classes on how come briefing for many years. he will join us to discuss the book. watch "books that shaped america" featuring "adventures of huckleberry finn" tonight live at nine p.m. eastern on c-span, c-span or free mobile video app, and online at c-span.org. also be sure to scan the qr code to listen to her companion podcast we can learn more about the authors of the books featured.

>> a healthy democracy doesn't just look like this. it looks like at this, where americans can see democracy at work, where citizens are truly informed, a republic thrives. get informed straight from the source on c-span. unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. from the nation's capital to wherever you are. because the opinion that matters most is your own. this is what democracy looks like. c-span, powered by cable. >> host: come back to "washington journal." we're joined now by brad bowman, centerer for military political power senior director at the foundation for defense of democracies. welcome to the program. so since october 7 hamas attack in israel the u.s. has surge forces and security assistance to the middle east. tell us what's on the ground right now. >> guest: it's quite a significant amount of forces the u.s. has sent.

you had forward carrier strike group, for your viewing this is an aircraft carrier as well as a guided missile cruiser and three guided missile destroyers that was already in the mediterranean but the reposition that to the eastern mediterranean to be closer to israel. and then dies in our carrier strike group left norfolk about a week or so ago and that was headed toward eastern mediterranean and then recently denounced the grid position in the u.s. central command, responsibility wraps even into the persian gulf. in addition to that they've in additional u.s. air force so that close f-15 aircraft, fighter aircraft, at 16, f-35, and it also sent additional air defense capacity and that includes thaad battery, kind of the middle tier of american air defense. we also are sending patriot battalions, and air missileir defense system as well. they put thousands of u.s. troops are prepared to play orders and they've also

reposition the 26th marine expeditionary unit which is on board three different ships and if it is when his group and also sent the u.s. s mount which is a committee control and intelligence ship. , let's break thatnt down becaue that's a lot. i want toth ask about this prepared to deploy order that secretary austin said there were 2000 troops got he said there will be more troops put a prepared to deploy. what does that mean prepared to the point where and what would they be expected to do it? >> guest: a great question. as someone so than u.s. military your different units with different state of readiness. what that means on a practical level, when you are issued prepared to devote a portion of a shorter usually. instead of having to report in a matter of days i could be a matter of hours. you have units taking all the steps are expected to take so they can get an aircraft, get on ships, movies quickly as possible. basically reduces the reaction time. according to the pentagon these

are all different kinds of forces from the army, navy, air force marine, marines and they will begin all types of function including air and missile defense and a range of other activities. >> host: you mentioned defense weapons. desi iron dome that needs to be replenished. it is also offensive weapons were sending? >> guest: absolutely. we would just talk about the steps the u.s. is taking to protect our interests and help israel. we know they're been attacks on u.s. forces in iraq and syria and we know the uss carney in a northern red sea antiseptics and missiles that apparently were heading towards israel. in addition to that, the u.s. as provided really quickly after the barbaric october 7 terror attacks that killed more than 1300 israelis, the u.s. has provided over 1800 of the joint direct attack munition kits that allow israelis to conduct precise attacks on minimizing civilian casualties. we have provide small bomb which

has the same sort of function to restart to provide 155-millimeter artillery shells, armored vehicles and exactly we provide replacements for the iron dome system, the israeli system that is made to shoot down the thousands of rockets that hamas has been firing of civilians and is also reporting we will provide the two u.s. iron dome batteries themselves, not just interceptors back to israel to increase their air and missile defense capacity. >> host: there's a weapons stockpile the u.s. maintains in israel. what's it doing there? what is in it and what could that be you for? >> guest: great question. a lot of people not awareop of that. hehe was has maintained a stockpile of american weapons in israel for decades. it was originally established solely for our purpose. a few years later congress provided permission under certain circumstances for israel to access some ofde those weapos and that's happened at least two times in the past according to the congressional research service. my understanding is israel's have requested access to that and some equipment is starting

to be provided. there is debate about whether it's the right kind of equipment or the right quantities but some of it will actually be helpful to israel especially for looking into long-term ground incursion in the gulf. >> host: i will invite our viewers to join the conversation. you can call us on by party. republicans 202-748-8001. democrats 202-748-8000 and independents 202-748-8002. the u.s. military interacts with the israeli military a lot in peacetime. this joint exercises. what is at an erection look like now that there's a full-blown war? >> guest: it's a great question and you mentioned exercises. that's important because some viewers may not be aware, in january the u.s. and israel conducted a bilateral military exercise called the juniper oak exercise, the largest exercise between u.s. and israel in history. and included a carrier strike group or so how interesting as recently as january you had a

strike group on the shore of israel more than 7000 americans involved in multiple bases in israel rehearsing many of the abilities that are going to be relevant now. when you do that you built a people to people connections, the capability of capacity that would yield real-world benefits and now that israel is facing such a significant threat. >> host: we have a question for y from phil who says how many country are we expecting to retaliate when israel does its grou invasion? with all the weapons you mentioned there is no way this is just about hamas. >> guest: it's a great question. thet primary concern for the biden administration when the president looked in the camera last week and secretary austin did so when he was speaking in israel andd we saw secretary austin repeated again on the sunday shows that they look and they say don't, don't. who are they talking to? let's be clear. first it was implicit cost now

it is explicitly the talking to the islamic republic of iran which really has undertaken a multi-your campaign to establish a ring of fire around israel using terrorist proxies. hamas is one of those proxies. hamas receives iranian arms and training and funding, as does hezbollah. hamas as formidable as it is is was nothing compared to hezbollah which was in lebanon. it's according to some estimates has led some of between 150,000-200,000 missile rockets and mortars. the goal of the biden administration i think is and should be to give israel the time, space and means to go after hamas to deprive them of the means of motivation so by berkeley on october 7. but if has blood comes into the conflict in the north of visual and major way that would be a major problem for israel. so the goal of u.s. military deployment is to protect our troops, g protector forces to deter additional aggression

against our troops and a - vacay and also persuade iran and has voted to stay out of the war. >> host: you wrote an opinion piece for defensive news where talked about that these initial steps by the biden administration are laudable but not enough. what more do you want to see? >> guest: i think the biden administration deserves credit for moving so quickly. they said what do you need? the steps i call for actually, they already started to take. i called for the use to provide our two iron dome batteries and at the the decisions that make it i said we should provide all of our interceptors and iron dome batteries pergamum do that. really frankly a lot of the steps i called for there not doing. i don't take credit for that but as i think that when it happened you not to upset. >> let's go to the phones now. martin is in and we will contact you on democrats. >> caller: good morning.

yes i've some comets and the no hang up and listen to your response. back in the day, '70s, '80s and '90s all of the middle east expert both liberal and conservative always said there is no military solution to the palestinian-israeli conflict. on the other hand, since 1980 the republican party has always holds our objective is to see to that israel has a strong military so the palestinians have to negotiate. george shultz ronald reagan suggest it would come on the sunda' morning shows and say that how things have to negotiate because israel is strong. it seems obvious to me that did not work and it's a ridiculous concept so was going to sign a peace agreement because israel has a strong military. what he did was it calls the palestinian extremists to develop their own highly sophisticated well-financed terrorist network which now we're having to deal with. it just makes no sense. i grew up in the 1970s turning on the tv watching palestinians with their faces covered throwing rocks at israeli tanks and i've always had a tilde do

this in the isle of less than a mile away from the jew security center in east weevil. to me it makes no sense that israel having a strong military is going to force peace in the middle east. thank you. >> guest: thank you for the call. the primary purpose i would say of a strong military is to defend your people. let's not forget what happened in october 7. it is the single worst attack on jews in -- since the october -- holocaust. bay are hunting civilians in their homes and when you compare that number of about 1300 people and you compare that per capita -- that is roughly -- compared to 9/11, it is important for american city in -- sitting in

comfort in the u.s., remember how you felt during 9/11 at how angry few were and were feeling in concert -- insecure. imagine they came from old mile or two away and came into your living room and you begin to understand the israeli perspective, this is some mixture of 9/11 and pearl harbor. what would you expect any country to do but to go and get the terrorist group that committed the atrocity so you raised important historical points but this was an intelligence failure. israel will take a study to understand what happened but they have to defend their people and i do not think we should expect any different from israel and israel defense force. host: eric, republican. caller: my name is eric. i had a few comments about the

protesters that are protesting for palestine. i don't understand exactly why they are not -- you don't have more protesters -- we don't have protesters that are for that palestine -- for the palestinians leaving the hamas government. that is my first question and if they have an iron dome, is there any type of ai -- people are against ai, and eai back with the text arc -- any ai that would detect the arc of where the missile is coming from that would destroy the battery that has been fired and that is all that i really have to say about -- guest: thanks for the call.

it gives me an opportunity to make quick points. it is important to differentiate between hamas, a designated terrorist organization that committed the ultra -- atrocities on october 7 and the palestinian people. go read their charter, hamas' stated position is the extermination of the state of israel and the killing of jews. that is what they were trying to do october 7 and they killed a lot of americans and a lot of americans are hostages so we need to run for that and we need to remember hamas deliberately uses human shields. the militants and the terrorists hide in the tunnels and they build infrastructure and put weapon supplies beneath hospitals in schoolyards opened the israelis -- hoping the israelis don't track them they are and if they do, they can blame that israelis.

and makes it very difficult and this -- they are doing -- and israel is doing all they can to avoid human casualties. you ask about the rockets coming out of gaza. we have the hospital that was struck in the images of injured men and women and children should be hartman -- heart wrenching. many people jump to blame israel but when we take a look, it was an errant jihad rocket that did that. one of the impressive things about the iron dome system is that once these rockets are law -- launched, they take a ballistic trajectory.

israel can determine where it will land. if it will land in an open field, they will let go and if it hits an area with people, they will launch to take it down. israel can detect where they are coming from. host: we have a common for you on x -- a comment for you on x. it says the sbd, whose objective is tseparate the u.s. for attacking a run for the benefit for israeli regional identity. thank you, c-span, for the objective guest. [laughter] guest: our top foreign policy. our work in the u.s. senate for nine years and i advised three different republican senators including the armed services --

i went to fdd, a 501c3 that focuses on national security policy. we don't take money from foreign governments and as a point of policy and principle i am proud of, i talked about weapons but in my power, we don't take any from defense contractors and when i am talking about sending a small diameter bomb to israel, i say that because i want them to have capabilities that minimize casualties. it is really easy to throw around charges like that but if you are interested in fact, there -- in facts, there they are. host: what do you think with that military's response? guest: it is a tough question because as i detailed, that u.s.

has sent its ordinary combat power to the middle east and there was no military in the world that could project that kind of power to the region that quickly and the demonstration is trying to backup it would -- backup its -- israel and hezbollah are treading fire. we had u.s. troops in iraq and syria attacked by iranian -- supported terrorist groups. we are not seeing major war on the hezbollah north. i do worry that if we continue to have attacks on u.s. troops in the u.s. does nothing, i round -- iran will be left with the impression that the biden adminstration's warnings are

somewhat hollow. host: independent line. caller: what i found disturbing with the reporting going on, concerning this conflict, and it has to do with democracies. our country has the second amendment, every citizen is guaranteed at least a shotgun or rifle or a pistol. after the conflict rep to come israeli government decided to open the gun shops and license or distribute more firearms to the citizenship for immediate protection in case all hell broke loose. as a democracy, where you trust your citizens, if you have an armed citizen, that can respond to these instantaneous massacres or attacks from other people, let alone your own government and that has been debated and downplayed.

i wish people would see the actual fact, of what it would mean to be a minuteman. in becca balint's -- in that kibbutz, -- they have to discharge the weapons appropriately. hamas the game plan of all these buildings because they contracted out to the palestinian people. the painter, the grass cut or. -- the grass cutter. they had all the intelligence needed. usually with a citizenship that has free will, they have a right to protect themselves. guest: i focus on u.s. foreign policy and defense policy so i am not an expert on second amendment issues at home but what is true is with the seven surprise attack by hamas,

targeting israeli men and women and children and infants, there are a lot of people in their homes unarmed and when they knew danger was coming, they scramble to the bomb shelters and you have hamas using iranian produced weapons to burn and blow up homes and penetrate those bombshells -- bomb shelters to assassinate the men and women and children. if those people had been better armed, they may have been able to defend themselves but it is easy to say that when you are talking about, sitting from afar but the bottom line is, the israel defense force and israel cannot tolerate having such an enemy like hamas that does things like that at their borders so i am sure they will have to change your military posture and transform at least rosen gaza to prevent -- northern gaza to prevent this from happening again.

>> host: market in california democrats lined good morning. >> caller: good morning. i find it really disturbing to listen to, what i'm going to call american propaganda, and especially watch a smile on your face as you talk about the iron dome as you discuss, you discuss israel being a victim. i also find it very unfortunate with with the history that is going on with g the israeli, or the jews, that they would then mayor their own oppressors because what they're doing to the palestinians, palestinian population is really it's nothing short of genocide. war crimes are being committed and it is all being paid for by the american public. $3.8 billion annually is being awarded for the iron dome. what we see is we see a population that has been truth with an called an open air prison.

it's a 25 by five-mile long strip that has a population of over 2 million people. and half of those are very young. young. well, they are youth, children, the ones thatt are being massacred in this. netanyahu himself announced that he put out a map. he didn't hide it. he put out and he said this is basically going to be the new israel, , and it didn't include the palestinian region, which i was going be part of the new israel. we funded this, the world at large is calling for a cease-fire, calling for de-escalation. they are calling for humanitarian aid and there also point it out as war crimes. but yes, we have a steady stream of propaganda to come out -- >> host: let's get a response.

>> guest:: thanks for the call. a lot of strong words. i will try to address each of your points.s. iron dome values that i smile when i talk the iron dome. i have to admit i like it when you weapon systems to that pt innocent people from murder. so if the israelis didn't have the iron dome, which israelis develop with the u.s. help, then you have hundreds or thousands of dead innocent israelis. so what id, think about innocent people not being murdered, i just mile and a think you should mako two. at a do wonder if you would bring the same sort of moral outrage to the barbaric events of october 7. if you don't then maybe you should wonder when you become a bit of a partisan right. we should call our parts should feel wrenched was a innocent people killed and differ only concerned about death on one side of this, and maybe when you to look at ourselves. you talk about an open-air prison. okay. look at the border crossing in egypt. israel is begging pleading dropping leaflets with gaza, cost and citizens and palestinians to move south

because that's her most of hamas infrastructure is in the north, tunnels what he had weapons underneath hospitals and schools. israel is trying to encourage the palestinians to move south so they can target for terrorists without hurting innocent palestinians. who is telling the palestinians to stay put? hamas. who is blocking their past south? hamas took why? because you want to use them as human shields. why isn't egypt opening that border and allowing alo move into egypt at least temporarily? turkey, qatar at a rate below to support hamas and iran celebrated the murder of these israeli men, women, and children to why don't they take palestinian refugees since they're so key in supporting this terrorist group or its and there's a to interesting question. the united states and as you would love topa see the egyptian border open not just for a coming in as a biden administration works hard to do but to allow palestinians who want to leave gaza to go initially into egypt and then onto turkey and the rhetoric you should be asking why that's not

happening and you can't blame that on israel. >> host: steve in pennsylvania. republican. >> caller: goodic morning. brad, i got to tell you, you got the nail right on the head. thank god that somebody on that station today that makes some sense. you are never going to convince the opposition that israel has the right intentions but the thing is everybody's talking about the two state system. a two state system would be suicide for the jewish people because the doctrine from all the palestinians is, is to eradicate the jews. so if you have a legitimate to state system, then you have two states that were with each other until one eradicates the other. i got to tell you it's a great thlistening to you and the information that you are giving. help a lot of these people who don't understand what's been going on with the jews for the last 5000 years gets educated about it. it's about time.

it happens to be never again. thank you. >> guest: thank you for that call. i hope folks are listening to what we are hitting and some of these protests around the middle east and even in the united states where you hear some folks talking about from the river to the sea. when you say that they're talking about the jordan river, palestine will be free they say. the talking up from the jordan river to the sea. from the river to the sea means though state of israel. so they're talking about the extermination of the state of visual, a country that was established in part as a result of the holocaust to give jews a place of safety. so when you hear someone chanting from theea river to the sea, understand what they're really saying. a two state system, going back to your study of history, the united nations wanted to states, a jewish state of israel and the palestinian state, if we are real blunt the real reason why we don't have two states today

is probably because of groups like hamas. they don't want to share the land. they want all of it for themselves. they are willing to kill innocent people to try to exterminate the state of israel. and then finally just look at, again sitting in safety here in the united states you have to consider what is a widespread is really view. israel's repeatedly attacked by its neighbors. it prevails in this complex, taking the territory for which the aggressors attacked the international and he gets upset and calls his occupation. calls israel to withdraw. it uses okay we will withdraw from southern lebanon. what is a usual get? they get hezbollah with tens of thousands of rockets trying to murder israelis in their homes. okay we tried that coveted work. you need to get out of gaza. get out of gaza. israel says okay, we'll pull our troops back, dig up jewish craze, pull them out. what you get in gaza? you get hamas. so from an israeli perspective, they get attacked, they defeat

the aggressor, they take land, with the crisis came from. everyone gets upset. they withdraw and every time they withdraw they get terrorist better armed close on the border doing things like like thin october 7. there's lots of people trying to understand from the palestinian perspective. we should try to understand the israeli perspective here, too. from what i want to ask the reported the u.s. is sending to israel artillery shells that were initially intended for ukraine. first as a united states have enough artillery to send to israel without impacting american readiness? and i would imagine ukraine is pretty alarmed at this tragic it's a great question and actual unpublished on disingenuous. there was reporting in january the stockpile you'll stop on initial we talked about earlier that the u.s. had taken tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery rounds from the stockpile in israel to give the ukraine. i felt like it was an appropriate move atds the time t i felt like i called for replenishing the stocks as quick

as possible. the bottom line is some people have posted porting ukraine. i think an unwise position. are now trying to suggest we can't support both ukraine and israel. we have done deeply into this that are central militant political power and there's very little significant overlap when it comes to air defense because there are no iron dome systems in ukraine, a small diameter bomb that a talk to her, we have more than enough production and capacity to provide opening for israel on that but the one arear we have a little tension is one to raise. that's 155 mm howitzer to ukraine needs a lot of those. they are burning to the very quickly to address putin's unprovoked invasion. and israel need to some andnd as you said we took them out. earlier reports that some of what we've started to sit back and providers are because they're using them but when not using anywhere to the degree that ukraine is. and by the way since weber 24th 24th of invasion last year putin in ukraine u.s. has

significant increase its 155-millimeter production capacity. no doubt that is one area to watch. there is some overlap tensioner between providing that the ukraine and israel but i believe it can be managed, if there is a groundwork as expected in israel, doesn't mean that u.s.ry military support will change? will be different type of weapons that are going to be going? >> guest: on october 7, right up to the horrible news broke i said israel will need air defense and precision guided munitions. i also said if this becomes, we see allow occurred long grass in korea casa what is your wounded from u.s. will evolve. recent reports of armoredl vehicles and things like that. etc a long grandpa in gaza who will be a growing overlap between what we are providing ukraine and what israel will want for sure. that's undeniable. .. the increasing investments -- including in this new package

the biden administration proposal will address that but it will take time. host: independent. caller: i wanted to ask mr. bowman to comment on something he said about hezbollah being somewhat stronger in the north and i am wondering how much that figures into where i give blame to donald trump, deserting the kurds the way he did. you don't care about them anymore and if they were there, what has love be as strong as they are? glenn donald trump for what -- i blame donald trump for what israelis are going through now. guest: i would say the kurds have been reliable partners for the united states and for northern iraq and syria, if it

were not in syria working with the military probably in syria he would have a lot more so they have been valuable partners the primary purpose frumpy iranian perspective deter israeli attack on the nuclear program so the big question whether hezbollahr comes in this way they want to risk hezbollah to prevent drip and destroy so user