Fault Lines
371 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 37 ratingsFault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America.
Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Executive Director Jamil Jaffer, NSI Senior Fellow Lester Munson, and NSI Deputy Executive Director Jessica Jones.
Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed.
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Episodes
Episode 304: Protecting Americans - From Chinese EV’s?
March 01, 2024 16:35 - 12 minutes - 5.51 MBToday, Les, Morgan, and Bishop discuss the recent announcement by the Biden Administration that the Department of Commerce will begin an inquiry into the national security risks posed by connected vehicles from or containing technology from countries of concern, including the People’s Republic of China. Is industrial policy under the guise of National Security the right approach to address this issue? Should the United States be concerned about China’s position as the largest producer of E...
Episode 303: The Talk of Europe - Troops and Nukes?
February 28, 2024 16:15 - 8 minutes - 4.09 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss the recent debates shaking up the European continent from French President Emmanuel Macron raising the possibility of Western troop deployment to Ukraine to German officials questioning the need of whether to acquire their own nuclear weapons. Should the United States be concerned by President Macron’s comments? Would a deployment of Western troops to Ukraine be a redline for Russia? Can Europe act effectively without U.S. leadership? Check out t...
Episode 302: Hard Truths from Poland
February 26, 2024 15:51 - 8 minutes - 3.71 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss the recent comments made by Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski over the weekend on the held-up supplemental aid to Ukraine and the ramifications that failing to act may have on the United States’ other allies. Is the United States an unreliable ally? Are U.S. allies right to start hedging? Should U.S. leadership be doing more to sell Ukraine assistance to the American public? Should Congress be skeptical of giving Ukraine more aid when much o...
Episode 301: Ukraine’s Ongoing Struggle: Reflections on Two Years of Conflict
February 23, 2024 16:39 - 8 minutes - 3.69 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss the upcoming two-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what the future could hold for the Ukrainian country after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plea for continued U.S. assistance in the war effort during an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier. What is the future for Ukraine in these uncertain times? What should the U.S. strategy be towards Ukraine? How can the U.S. and European allies define a Ukrainian victory? What should th...
Episode 300: The End of the Line for Julian Assange?
February 22, 2024 00:29 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBHappy 300!! Today, Jess, Morgan, Jamil, and Les discuss Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, who is before Britain’s High Court attempting to block his extradition to the United States, where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over the solicitation and publication of a huge trove of classified U.S. documents nearly 15 years ago. How damaging was the Wikileaks to U.S. national security? Should Julian Assange be extradited to the United States to stand...
Episode 299: Subs, Planes, and Proxies: Iran on the Move
February 19, 2024 15:36 - 8 minutes - 3.98 MBToday, Jess, Morgan, Jamil, and Les discuss recent developments out of the Middle East including Saturday’s first-ever U.S. self-defense strike against a Houthi underwater drone in the Red Sea, the attempted comms takeover of an El Al flight over the Horn of Africa by unknown actors, and an alleged backing-off of proxy attacks by the Iranian government in parts of the region. Are the Biden Administration’s efforts at deterrence working? Will the IRGC's ostensible tamp down on proxy attacks ...
Episode 298: Will Russian Nukes in Space get Congress to Act?
February 16, 2024 15:52 - 10 minutes - 4.85 MBToday, Jess, Morgan, Jamil, and Les discuss recent developments out of Russia including Friday morning’s announcement that imprisoned Russian opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, has died in custody, and Chairman Mike Turner of the House Intelligence Committee vaguely warning of a serious national security threat, which has now been confirmed by the White House as Russia pursuing a nuclear armed anti-satellite system. Will the threat of nuclear weapons in space and the potential murder...
Episode 297: Pakistan Elections - A Coalition of the Minorities
February 14, 2024 16:04 - 7 minutes - 3.64 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss last Thursday’s general election in Pakistan. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan won 93 of the 134 simple majority seats required to form a government. This led to rival parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PLM-N) party to form a coalition, returning former prime minister Shewaz Sharif to office. What does this election mean for U.S. interests? How has...
Episode 296: Last Week’s Backpfeifengesicht
February 12, 2024 16:43 - 7 minutes - 3.45 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss recent comments from former President Donald Trump criticizing NATO countries and their NATO commitments, as well Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin on topics ranging from the war in Ukraine to the cause of World War Two. Should our NATO allies be spending more on their defense budgets? Should the U.S. uphold NATO’s Article 5 if our allies don’t spend the required amount on defense? Why did Tucker Carlson int...
Episode 295: Ukraine and the Future of Warfare
February 09, 2024 15:49 - 8 minutes - 4.07 MB*This episode was recorded before President Zelensky dismissed Gen. Zaluzhnyi and appointed Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi to lead Ukraine’s military.* Today, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss recent developments in the war in Ukraine with Ukrainian President Zelensky publicly confirming on Sunday that he is considering dismissing Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, head of Ukraine’s military, and David Ignatuis’ recent Washington Post article highlighting the impact of technology in the Ukraine confli...
Episode 294: Zut Alors! What is up in West Africa?
February 07, 2024 17:28 - 9 minutes - 13.5 MBToday, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss recent shake-ups in West Africa. From Senegal postponing this month’s presidential election indefinitely, to Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso leaving the regional bloc ECOWAS, and the DoD backing away due to Congressional pressure from a planned training of troops from West African nations with coup governments and records of human rights abuses. Does the U.S. have a comprehensive foreign policy in Africa? Is Congress restricting the United States’ ability...
Episode 293: The U.S. Strikes Back, Kinda
February 05, 2024 16:38 - 7 minutes - 3.65 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss the over 80 strikes against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force and several other Iranian proxy militia groups in response to the recent deaths of three Americans and the wounding of over 30 more servicemembers in Jordan. Will these strikes deter further attacks by Iranian proxies? Is the United States at war with Iran? Does the Biden administration need a new Authorization for Use of Military Force? Get the answer to these ques...
Episode 292: What do New Hampshire Voters Think About National Security?
February 02, 2024 16:18 - 10 minutes - 4.99 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss Wednesday’s Special Episode - NSI on the Ground: The New Hampshire Primary- where a group of New Hampshire voters shared their thoughts and opinions on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America! Were New Hampshire voter’s views on U.S. engagement in the world different than Iowans? Were the Fault Lines crew surprised by any of the views the interviewees had on foreign policy issues? Does America need to focus on getting a...
Fault Lines Special Episode - NSI on the Ground: The New Hampshire Primary
January 31, 2024 16:42 - 24 minutes - 11.3 MBToday, on this special episode of Fault Lines, NSI’s Founder and Executive Director Jamil Jaffer interviewed New Hampshire voters on their thoughts on the national security issues and debates shaking up America. Do national security issues matter when voting? Should the U.S. continue to support Ukraine in its war with Russia? Are we falling behind China technologically? What is the greatest external threat to the United States? Listen to what voters had to say about these issues and more i...
Episode 291: Americans Murdered by Iran-Backed Drones in Jordan
January 29, 2024 16:00 - 7 minutes - 3.5 MBToday, Jamil, Morgan, and Les discuss Sunday’s drone attack in Jordan by Iranian-backed militias that killed 3 U.S. servicemembers and wounded over 30 more. President Biden has vowed to respond to this attack, which was the first U.S. fatalities after months of strikes by such groups against American forces across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Was this attack only a matter of time? How should the U.S. respond to this lethal attack? How can the Biden administration...
Episode 290: The Border Deal Kerfuffle
January 26, 2024 16:14 - 9 minutes - 4.35 MBToday, Les, Morgan, and John discuss the potential collapse of the bipartisan Senate deal to pair border enforcement measures and Ukraine and Israel aid after former President Donald Trump called on Republicans to reject any deal unless given everything regarding immigration. Was this deal destined to fail? What are the geostrategic implications of failure to fund aid to Ukraine? Who is ultimately to blame for the collapse of the deal? Get the answer to these questions and more in this epis...
Episode 289: One Down, One to Go - Sweden’s Membership into NATO
January 24, 2024 16:34 - 10 minutes - 4.63 MBToday, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss Tuesday's Turkish parliament vote to approve Sweden’s membership bid to NATO, lifting a major hurdle to Sweden’s entry into the military alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who previously linked his country’s support of Sweden to Turkey’s desire to buy fighter jets from the U.S., must still sign the protocol into law. Once signed, Hungary becomes the only NATO ally to have not ratified Sweden’s accession. Will Congress allow the sale of F-...
Episode 288: What do Americans Think About National Security?
January 22, 2024 16:22 - 9 minutes - 4.31 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss last Friday’s Special Episode - NSI on the Ground in Iowa - where average Iowans gave their thoughts and opinions on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America! Were the Fault Lines crew surprised at Iowan opinions on U.S. engagement in the world? Do we think that Friday’s conversations show U.S. policymakers need to more clearly show why national security issues matter? Did the interviews leave us feeling optimistic about...
Fault Lines Special Episode - NSI on the Ground: The Iowa Caucus
January 19, 2024 17:18 - 14 minutes - 6.59 MBToday, on this special episode of Fault Lines, NSI’s Founder and Executive Director Jamil Jaffer interviewed Iowan voters on their thoughts on the national security issues and debates shaking up America. Do national security issues matter when voting? Should the U.S. continue to support Ukraine in its war with Russia? How should the U.S. deal with Iran? Listen to what voters had to say about these issues and more in this special episode of Fault Lines! Check out the sources that helped sha...
Episode 287: Walking the Fine Line on the Red Sea
January 17, 2024 16:31 - 9 minutes - 4.19 MBToday, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss the escalating situation in the Red Sea where the U.S. and allied forces have continued their campaign of strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, while two U.S. Navy SEALs have gone missing while interdicting a ship in the Gulf of Aden meant to deliver weapons to the Houthis, and China and Russia voted for a UN Security Council resolution calling for the immediate end to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. What are we accomplishing with our current ap...
Episode 286: A Conflict Brewing in Our Backyard?
January 12, 2024 15:45 - 7 minutes - 3.47 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss the developing situation in Guyana where on Tuesday, Venezuela’s dictator Nicholas Maduro ordered the creation of a new state dubbed “Guyana Esequiba” in the wake of the recent referendum in which Venezuelan voters overwhelmingly approved the annexation of the oil-rich land from its neighbor. How does this impact the stability of the region? What role, if any, does the United States have in this developing crisis? Or is this just a domestic polit...
Episode 285: The Middle East - A Lingering Specter of Escalation?
January 10, 2024 16:26 - 9 minutes - 4.49 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les assess the current situation in the Middle East. Recent U.S. strikes in Iraq, an ultimatum against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and attacks from Hezbollah against Israel amid its conflict in Gaza has caused increased worry over a widening conflict in the region. Is this worry of a widening conflict justified? What role does China play in these Middle Eastern developments how do they benefit? Is the Biden Administration getting in its own way when it com...
Episode 284: Need to Know? Or Need to Share? Secretary of Defense Austin’s Hospitalization.
January 08, 2024 15:58 - 8 minutes - 4 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, and Les discuss U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s recent hospitalization and the breakdown of communication that had President Biden, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and Secretary Austin’s own Deputy Kathleen Hicks, who was on vacation, out of the loop. Sec. Austin’s absence occurred as the U.S. and its allies gave an ultimatum to Houthi rebels, as well as conducted a successful airstrike on the headquarters of an Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad. I...
Episode 283: Baghdad Drone Strike: Is the Biden Administration Getting Tough on Iran Proxies?
January 05, 2024 17:17 - 8 minutes - 4.07 MBToday, Les, Morgan, and Jamil discuss the recent U.S. airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq that killed commander Abu Taqwa of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran backed militia group. This airstrike happened during a busy week for Middle East, with the continuation of the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza, Houthi forces’ attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, and the recent ISIS bombing in Iran that killed 80 people. U.S. strikes in Iraq are a rare. While the U.S. states that the airstrike was necessary ...
Episode 282: Turbulent Tides: The Houthi Threat in the Red Sea
January 03, 2024 16:22 - 8 minutes - 3.87 MBToday, Morgan, Andy, and Bishop discuss the recent attacks against shipping vessels in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen by Houthi forces. The Red Sea plays a critical role in global trade and they discuss the implications of increasing attacks for the global economy and escalation of conflict in the Middle East. They also discuss potential U.S. responses to these attacks in light of Iran’s recent deployment of a warship to the region. How do these attacks effect global trade? Is this an a...
RNDF Special Series: Trae Stephens – Understanding The Future of Tech Innovation and National Security
December 15, 2023 16:31 - 22 minutes - 10.4 MBRecorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jamil and John interview Trae Stephens, Co-Founder and Chairman of Anduril Industries, a defense technology company focused on autonomous systems. Trae is also a Partner at Founders Fund, a venture capital firm that was the first institutional investor in SpaceX and Palantir Technologies, as well as an early investor in Facebook. What is the relationship between tech innovation and American national security? How well does the Department...
RNDF Special Series: Shannon Clark – Understanding The Future of Tech Innovation and National Security
December 13, 2023 16:57 - 15 minutes - 7.27 MBRecorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Les and Jess interview Shannon Clark, Senior Vice President, Federal, R+D, at Palantir Technologies, who also previously served as the Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council at the White House under President Obama and as an intelligence analyst in the Department of Defense. How has the adoption of AI and other emerging technologies impacted the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel? What challenges does the U.S. national...
RNDF Special Series: Mara Rudman – Confronting the New Alliance of Global Repressors
December 11, 2023 17:11 - 16 minutes - 7.66 MBRecorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Les and Jess interview Mara Rudman, a Member of the 2022 National Defense Commission, who also currently serves as a James Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. Can the U.S. be a global leader handling all the world’s hotspots or should we only focus on China? How can we sell the benefits of global engagement to everyday Americans? How does the United States feed the mis/disinformation prod...
RNDF Special Series: Secretary Leon Panetta - Confronting the New Alliance of Global Repressors
December 08, 2023 16:31 - 17 minutes - 7.94 MBRecorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and Les interview Secretary Leon Panetta, who previously served as the 23rd Secretary of Defense and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Secretary Panetta is currently the Chairman of the Panetta Institute and an NSI Advisory Board member! How has American engagement with the world changed over the last decade? Does the U.S. defense and policy-making communities have an accurate assessment of China’s power? Should we be sur...
RNDF Special Series: Ambassador Eric Edelman – Confronting the New Alliance of Global Repressors
December 06, 2023 16:39 - 21 minutes - 9.99 MBRecorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and John interview Ambassador Eric Edelman, who serves as Vice Chair of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy. Previously, Edelman served as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Ambassador to Turkey and Finland, and lastly, and most importantly, as Jess’ professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS. How do policymakers and defense experts feel about the current state of geopolitics? Should the U.S. have anticipated the growing relations...
RNDF Special Series: Matthew Pottinger: Confronting the New Alliance of Global Repressors
December 04, 2023 18:50 - 19 minutes - 8.91 MBRecorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Les and John interviewed Matthew Pottinger. Pottinger is the current Chairman for the China Program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD). Previously, Pottinger served in the White House for four years, in senior roles within the National Security Council, including serving as Deputy National Security Advisor from 2019-2021. Pottinger is credited with playing a key role in changing how the United States approaches China and...
Episode 281: Announcing Fault Lines: RNDF Global Repressors Series
December 01, 2023 16:55 - 8 minutes - 3.72 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss the upcoming Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF). This forum brings together the top U.S. defense and national security leaders from across the country to discuss and debate how the U.S. can lead the world in an era of increasingly complex challenges and opportunities. During RNDF, NSI and the Fault Lines crew will be recording live, conducting a series of interviews with bipartisan national security and technology leaders to discuss the growing c...
Episode 280: West Africa's Democratic Woes: Sierra Leone's Failed Coup
November 29, 2023 17:15 - 8 minutes - 3.8 MBToday, Jamil, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss the failed coup that took place in Sierra Leone on Sunday, November 26. The coup attempt comes after a contentious election in June in which President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term and on the heels of increased tensions in the West African region, highlighted by the eight military takeovers since 2020, including most recently in Niger and Gabon. Should the U.S. be worried about the high number of coups? How must and should the ...
Episode 279: Javier “Mad Man” Milei - What’s Next for Argentina?
November 27, 2023 16:27 - 8 minutes - 3.96 MBToday, Jes, Les, and Jamil discuss the Argentinian presidential elections where the self-styled “anarcho-capitalist” candidate Javier Milei rode a wave of voter anger – including over skyrocketing inflation and national poverty rate of 40% - to claim victory. Milei has proposed dollarizing the economy, ditching the central bank, shrinking the federal government, and downgrading ties with Brazil and China. Can President-Elect Milei achieve his promises without strong allies across governmen...
Episode 278: DoD Breaks with Biden Over Deterrence
November 20, 2023 15:34 - 8 minutes - 3.83 MBToday, Jamil, Les, and Morgan discuss the recent Washington Post story in which anonymous Defense Department officials express frustration with what they consider an incoherent strategy by the Biden Administration for countering attacks by Iranian proxies on US forces in Iraq and Syria. “There’s no clear definition of what we are trying to deter,” said one defense official. In an oped over the weekend, President Biden attempted to outline his foreign policy in the wake of the War in Ukrain...
Episode 277: Are Pandas and Fentanyl Enough?
November 17, 2023 15:33 - 9 minutes - 4.29 MBToday, Jamil, Les, and Morgan discuss the meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at APEC 2023 in San Francisco, the first face-to-face meeting in over a year and Xi’s first visit to the U.S. in six years. The talks aimed to normalize relations at a time when the relationship between the U.S. in China has been fraught with tension. Topics discussed during the summit included re-establishing military-to-military communications, stopping fentanyl precursors from bein...
Episode 276: The U.S. Strikes Back in the Middle East - Is It Enough?
November 15, 2023 16:31 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Morgan discuss the third U.S. air strike in Syria, which occurred late on Sunday. These strikes come after at least 40 attacks against U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces in recent weeks. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III told reporters, "These attacks must stop, and if they don't stop, then we won't hesitate to do what's necessary, again, to protect the troops." Austin said the latest air strikes in targeted facilities used by Ira...
Episode 275: Beijing-Biden Bay Area Showdown
November 13, 2023 15:56 - 9 minutes - 4.36 MBEpisode 275: Beijing-Biden Bay Area Showdown Today, Les, Morgan and Andy discuss the APEC Summit that will be taking place in San Francisco, CA. The big news is that there will be a face-to-face meeting between President Biden, and China’s President Xi Jinping. However, China has been aggressive in the South China Sea, flying within 10 feet of American pilots, distracting American pilots with lasers, and conducting aggressive cyber-attacks against the U.S, and yet the Biden administration i...
Episode 274: Pandas, Ports, and Competing with China’s BRI
November 10, 2023 15:46 - 11 minutes - 5.44 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil, Morgan, and special guest John Lipsey all sit down together - in person! - to discuss America’s stolen pandas and the U.S. Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) recent loan of $550 million to Sri Lanka to support the construction of a deep-water shipping terminal. This loan is a recent example of DFC’s efforts to support the building of global infrastructure, while also supporting U.S. foreign policy. What’s the difference between China’s Belt and Road Initiative...
Episode 273: Zelensky Wants to Wage war, Not a Presidential Campaign
November 08, 2023 16:04 - 9 minutes - 4.16 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss Ukrainian President Zelenksy's decision to rule out holding presidential elections next year even though his 5-year term ends in March 2024. With millions displaced internally or abroad, hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting on the frontlines, and the country under constant threat of Russian attacks, the possibility of administering a free, safe, and secure election seems nearly impossible. Is it possible to administer an election without U.S...
Episode 272: Democratic Fault Lines on Israel
November 06, 2023 15:34 - 9 minutes - 4.29 MBEpisode 272: Democratic Fault Lines on Israel Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, the Biden Administration’s current policies in the region, and how the Israel-Hamas war may affect President Biden’s campaign in 2024. The group also discusses recent comments made by former President Barack Obama and Democratic strategist David Axelrod on the Biden Presidency and its Middle East policies. Where does the current Democratic party stand on support for Isra...
Episode 271: Arms Control Talk - a Mushroom Cloud or a Fizzle?
November 03, 2023 14:55 - 8 minutes - 4.06 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss Russia’s withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests. Moscow says its de-ratification of the CTBT is merely designed to bring Russia into line with the U.S., which signed but never ratified the treaty, while others worry Russia is seeking to intimidate and evoke fear. All the while China and the United States are about to begin talks about nuclear arms control and non-proliferati...
Episode 270: Biden Gives Africa's Dictators the Boot
November 01, 2023 15:17 - 8 minutes - 3.9 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil and Morgan discuss the Biden Administration giving Uganda, Gabon, Niger, and the Central African Republic the boot from a special US-Africa trade program - the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) - due to Niger and Gabon’s dictatorial takeovers and CAR and Uganda’s violations of human rights. AGOA is set to expire in 2025, and the geopolitical landscape both across Africa and in the U.S. is much different than when AGOA first passed in 2000. What does the futu...
Episode 269: Can Anyone Here Play This Game? Biden Stumbling into China Fail
October 30, 2023 15:18 - 9 minutes - 13.1 MBToday, Les, Morgan and Martha discuss the Biden Admin’s approach to China all the while the world is seemingly ablaze. China has been behaving recklessly in the South China Sea, fentanyl is pouring out of China into the US, and pending on all of this is the meeting between President Biden and President Xi at the APEC Summit in San Francisco. How should President Biden approach this meeting with Xi? How should the Biden Administration handle the US-China relationship beyond this meeting? Ho...
Episode 268: Naming and Shaming our Nearest and Dearest
October 27, 2023 15:17 - 7 minutes - 3.41 MBEpisode 268: Naming and Shaming our Nearest and Dearest Today, Morgan, Martha, Jamil and Andy discuss the challenges that NATO member Turkey and Major non-NATO ally Qatar present as they play both sides between the West and our adversaries and enemies in the context of the Israel-Hamas war. What was seemingly a unifying moment for the West, Turkey and Qatar said all the wrong things about the 10/7 terrorist attack on Israel. Should the United States hold Turkey and Qatar accountable for s...
Episode 267: Five Eyes: Are They Actually Watching...?
October 25, 2023 15:53 - 8 minutes - 3.86 MBEpisode 267: Five Eyes: Are They Actually Watching…? Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil and Morgan discuss the recent broadcast of an unprecedented public gathering of the intelligence chiefs from the Five Eyes countries - the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The conversation focused on China’s aggressive intelligence gathering efforts and its theft of IP property, alongside other threats, occurring in the U.S. and the other Five Eyes countries. How concerne...
Episode 266: Pakistan’s Prodigal Prime Minister Returns
October 23, 2023 14:33 - 8 minutes - 4 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the former 3-time Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif’s return from his self-imposed exile, and lo’ and behold, even though he's banned from holding public office, his lawyers are confident he can be elected as the country's next Prime Minister. This comes as Pakistan is in its worst economic crisis ever, the previous Prime Minister is also facing corruption charges, a “caretaker” Prime Minister is making deals with China, and Sharif’s party is losing...
Episode 264: Fact vs. Fiction in the Israel-Hamas War
October 20, 2023 15:36 - 9 minutes - 6.85 MBToday, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss the serious implications from disinformation and misinformation that came after the explosion at the Al-Ahli Hospital in the Gaza. What was originally reported as an Israeli Defense Force airstrike, turned out to actually be a misfired rocket by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. However, the blame had already been cast on Israel and riots and protests against Israel broke out across the globe as a result of the inaccurate reporting. What are the i...
Episode 263: Biden’s Middle-East Diplomacy Put to the Test
October 18, 2023 15:15 - 9 minutes - 4.3 MBEpisode 263: Biden’s Middle-East Diplomacy Put to the Test Today, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss President Biden’s visit to Israel. The group also assesses Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s “shuttle-diplomacy,” laying the groundwork for President Biden’s visit, and just how important this visit is for the administration’s Middle-East policy goals. What will President Biden be able to accomplish with his visit? Will other Middle-Eastern countries be receptive to Biden’s diplomat...
Episode 262: Israel-Hamas War: What's Next?
October 16, 2023 15:01 - 9 minutes - 4.38 MBEpisode 262: Israel-Hamas War: What’s Next? Today, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss the Israel-Hamas war heating up as the Israeli Defense Forces gear up for a potential ground invasion of Gaza. Estimates of civilian casualties are in the thousands. All the while, Hezbollah threatens Israel from the north, and two U.S. carrier strike groups have been moved to the east-Mediterranean to deter Hezbollah and Iran from widening the conflict. What happens to Gaza once the Israeli inv...