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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Episode 161: Reagan National Defense Forum Pt. 4 - Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky
December 08, 2022 16:31 - 21 minutes - 9.93 MBToday, in our next "live from RNDF" series, NSI Deputy Executive Director Jessica Jones talks with former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky. How does Amb. Dobriansky see the growing Russia-Chinese partnership impacting geopolitics in the future? How does she view current levels of U.S. support for Ukraine? What does she see being the biggest national security challenge of the upcoming year? Find out Ambassador Dobriansky’s expert insights on these...
Episode 160: Reagan National Defense Forum Pt. 3 - Ellen Lord
December 07, 2022 16:30 - 13 minutes - 6.39 MBToday, in the third installment of our special interview series recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, NSI Deputy Executive Director Jessica Jones talks with former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), Ellen Lord! How does her former role as Secretary of Defense for A&S inform her view of national security and foreign policy challenges? What technologies will help diversify and strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base in the future? How can the D...
Episode 159: Reagan National Defense Forum Pt. 2 - Dr. Nadia Schadlow
December 06, 2022 16:44 - 12 minutes - 5.79 MBToday, in the second installment of our special interview series recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, NSI Deputy Executive Director Jessica Jones talks with former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy, Dr. Nadia Schadlow! What is involved in creating a National Security Strategy (NSS)? How does the Biden Administration’s NSS compare and address the threats facing the U.S.? What are the national security challenges we are expecting to face in 2023? Find out Dr. Schad...
Episode 158: Reagan National Defense Forum Kick-off - Rep. Elissa Slotkin
December 05, 2022 16:53 - 16 minutes - 7.58 MBToday, in the first installment of our special interview series recorded on the ground at the Reagan National Defense Forum, NSI Deputy Executive Director Jessica Jones talks with Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08). In what areas does Rep. Slotkin foresee China ramping up its competition with the U.S.? How does she see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine playing out? What does she think the U.S. government is getting right when it comes to ensuring that defense community gets the systems and parts it nee...
Episode 157: The EU, Russian Oil, and Rising Prices: The Biden Dilemma
December 02, 2022 16:47 - 9 minutes - 4.16 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the European Union, the United States, and the G7 negotiations surrounding modifications to the EU sanctions on Russian oil set to go in place early this month. The sanction modifications would set a price cap to limit the revenue Russia can make from its oil exports while also averting a global oil shortage. How can the EU, U.S., and G7 put economic pressure on Russia without causing a global oil supply shock? Will the creation of a price cap be effectiv...
Episode 156: UN - Cuba Embargo
November 30, 2022 16:52 - 8 minutes - 4.08 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the recent UN vote to condemn the U.S. embargo of Cuba for the 30th year in a row – only the U.S. and Israel voted against the resolution. There has been much debate about lifting of the embargo, which has arguably caused much hardship on the Cuban population – with anti-government protests sweeping the region over food and medicine shortages and the government’s response to the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic. Should the U.S. lift the embargo against Cuba o...
Episode 155: Return of the Bibi
November 28, 2022 16:53 - 8 minutes - 3.69 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the implications of Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s return to power, making him the longest tenured prime minister in Israeli history. However, some of his incoming government's coalition partners are of stated concern to the Biden Administration, as they include ultra nationalist parties. How will Netanyahu’s reappearance on the world scene impact American Middle East policymaking? What will be the impact of the Biden Administration appointing a n...
Episode 154: Haiti - Neighbor in Crisis
November 23, 2022 16:37 - 9 minutes - 4.13 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Violent gangs are sweeping the country of 11.54 million people and there are calls for a potential U.S. lead peacekeeping efforts. Why does Haiti matter to U.S. national security? Should the U.S. let Canada take the lead in directing a multinational force to support the Haitian government? Can we expect different results if the U.S. intervenes compared to previous U.S. led operations in Haiti? Hear our experts ...
Episode 153: Iran Goes After the Kurds
November 21, 2022 17:00 - 8 minutes - 3.98 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the harrowing reports of the use of heavy weaponry by the Iranian government against protesters in the Iranian Kurdish city of Mahabad and the threats to other Kurdish areas in Iran. What does this targeting of Kurdish populations mean and should it change how the U.S. is responding? Is it time for the U.S. to actively encourage regime change in Iran? Hear our experts provide their analysis on our latest episode! Also a reminder, Fault Lines will only b...
Episode 152: North Korean Missiles
November 18, 2022 16:46 - 9 minutes - 4.19 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss tensions on the Korean peninsula. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a continuous increase in the rate of North Korean missile drills and rhetoric. What should the U.S. do in response? Should the U.S. continue to press for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula? How does China play into U.S. policy vis-a-vis North Korea? Hear our experts provide their analysis on our latest episode of Fault Lines! Want to learn more about this topic? Check out this article that...
Episode 151: Kerry, Maduro, and U.S. Policy Towards Venezuela
November 16, 2022 16:42 - 9 minutes - 4.56 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss a moment that many may have missed at COP27 summit, and which has caused an uproar: photos of U.S. Climate Envoy and former Secretary of State John Kerry shaking hands with the disputed president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. Does this interaction at COP indicate a change in U.S. policy towards Venezuela? Why does the contested Venezuelan presidential election from 3 years ago matter? Is Congress doing enough to steer U.S. relations with Venezuela vis-a-v...
Episode 150: Biden meets Xi
November 14, 2022 16:45 - 10 minutes - 4.77 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss what may come out of the highly anticipated meeting occurring today between President Biden and General Secretary Xi Jinping of the Chinese Community Party at the G20 summit. Given Xi Jinping’s recent consolidation of power, how should President Biden approach the relationship with China? Is the Biden Administration missing any opportunities to change Chinese behavior? Hear our experts debate a path forward for one of the most important bilateral relat...
Episode 149: Brittney Griner
November 11, 2022 16:37 - 9 minutes - 4.56 MBToday, Les, Jess and Jamil discuss the news that Brittney Griner has been transferred to a Russian penal colony, where she will serve the rest of nine-and-a-half-year sentence for processing less than a gram of cannabis oil in a vape cartridge. Should the U.S. government do whatever it takes to bring her home? What role does the official U.S. hostage envoy have to play? If we don’t do anything, what message does this send to other U.S. citizens overseas currently being held against their w...
Episode 148: Foreign Interference in America Elections – How Worried Should We Be?
November 09, 2022 16:40 - 8 minutes - 4.07 MBYesterday was Election Day in America. In this episode Les, Jess, and Jamil debate foreign interference in American elections. Earlier this week, powerful Russian businessman and close Putin ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin, admitted that Russia interfered in previous U.S. elections and that it will interfere in American elections going forward. How concerned should Americans be about foreign interference in our elections? What should the U.S. reaction be to threats of election interference by forei...
Episode 147: Olaf Scholz Goes to China
November 07, 2022 16:40 - 9 minutes - 4.22 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s badly timed visit to Beijing. While it is no secret that Germany’s economy is heavily dependent on China, Chancellor Scholz has been the only G7 leader to make the trip to China since COVID-19. Critics argue that Chancellor Scholz’s visit ignores President Xi Jinping’s increasingly authoritarian tactics. Is this visit indicative of a boarder German foreign policy shift towards China? How should the U.S. react when friends a...
Episode 146: Grain Wars or Grain Wins?
November 04, 2022 15:51 - 8 minutes - 4.02 MBToday, Les, Jess, and Jamil debate what the U.S. response should be to Russia threatening to suspend support for grain exports through the Black Sea. Luckily, with the help of Turkey and the UN, Russia decided to restart its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative (which allows for exports of food and fertilizer through the Black Sea). However, this raises the question of what the U.S. should do if Russia pulls out of this agreement and institutes a naval blockade. Should we engage ...
Episode 145: Iranian Protests
November 02, 2022 16:40 - 8 minutes - 3.82 MBFault Lines is back!! Join us for our second episode after our break with a regular cast of characters to get you quickly up to speed three-times-a-week on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Citizens have been protesting across Iran for nearly seven weeks, defying a deadly crackdown by security forces. Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss these protests in light of the Iranian regime's increasingly strict crack down. Are these protests different than prev...
Episode 144: COP27
October 31, 2022 16:01 - 10 minutes - 5.02 MBFault Lines is back and revamped! Join us for our first episode in our new format, which gets you quickly up to speed three-times-a-week on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil talk about the upcoming COP27 in Egypt. President Biden will be attending, and all eyes will be on Sharm El-Sheikh as this is the first major public interaction since President Xi Jinping’s power grab last week at the Chinese Communist Party's Congress. Wha...
Breaking Chains: Series Finale - The Islamic Republic of Iran
September 08, 2022 22:43 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MBThis week, we take a deep dive into the Islamic Republic of Iran. What are Iran’s regional and internal ambitions? What is the political history of Iran and how does this explain its actions and intentions? Do human rights exist in Iran? Should the U.S. resurrect the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)? Richard Goldberg is a Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Rich joins to answer and reflect on these questions. Rich has extensive experience on Iran ...
Special Episode: Afghanistan - One Year On
August 31, 2022 16:37 - 30 minutes - 14 MBThis week marks one year since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan following its two-decade commitment to fighting terrorism in the country. One year on, we have a country ruled by the Taliban, thousands of Americans and allies stranded within its borders, and a rapidly deteriorating economic, humanitarian and regional security situation on the ground. How many American people and allies are still left in Taliban-governed Afghanistan? What does the future of U.S. commitment look like in the c...
Breaking Chains: North Korea – It’s All About Survival
August 24, 2022 14:55 - 39 minutes - 17.9 MBThis week, we discuss what life is like in North Korea for the average citizen and how the authoritarian government keeps order and control over the lives of ordinary North Koreans. Do human rights even exist in North Korea? What motivates the North Korean government to perpetuate repression? What is the difference between operations and analysis at the Central Intelligence Agency, and what skills are they looking for in prospective intelligence analysts? Yong Lee is the former CIA Dep...
Breaking Chains: Democracy’s Role in Countering Authoritarianism
August 17, 2022 13:13 - 34 minutes - 15.6 MBThis week, we discuss what organizations like the International Republican Institute are doing to help curb the malicious actions of states who repress their people. What are the roles of interests and values in the context of America's foreign policy? What can democratic countries do to counter authoritarian regimes? What is the role of the U.S. Congress in shaping foreign policy, and how this arrangement uniquely American? Dr. Daniel Twining is President of the International Repu...
Breaking Chains: How the United States Tackles Religious Persecution Abroad
August 10, 2022 15:15 - 29 minutes - 13.4 MBThis week, we take a deep dive into the “hot spots” in the world for religious persecution including Nigeria, Burma and Saudi Arabia. Ambassador Samuel Brownback served as the Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom at the U.S. State Department under the Trump Administration. Prior to his service as Ambassador, he served as a Congressman, Senator and Governor of the great state of Kansas. He has a unique perspective of how religious freedom directly relates to our nation’...
Breaking Chains: Russia's War Crimes In Ukraine
August 05, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes - 15.5 MBThis week, we discuss the tragic war crimes occurring against the Ukrainian people since Russia invaded the country. As we learn this week, this is a common trend when it comes to Russia, and this is not the first time they have repressed and abused their neighbors. How is this unprovoked war impacting the Ukrainian people on the ground? What is the international community doing to bring those who perpetrate these war crimes to justice? Michael Sawkiw, Executive Vice President of the Uk...
Special Episode: Building a Safer Cryptoverse
August 02, 2022 09:00 - 50 minutes - 23 MBIllicit finance poses one of the key national security challenges facing the crypto industry. How do U.S. regulators and policymakers work with stakeholders to implement solutions that may be at odds with crypto’s underlying ethos of decentralization? Is crypto the driving factor behind increased ransomware activity or just a symptom? What lessons can the United States take from other governments, like the EU and the UK, in upgrading our anti-money laundering framework? Ari Redbord, Head ...
Breaking Chains: Inside the PRC’s Surveillance State
July 27, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes - 17.6 MBThis week, to kick off our summer series on global repression, “Breaking Chains: Fighting the New Global Repressors,” we are taking a deep dive into the surveillance state in the People’s Republic of China, namely, the Xinjiang Province. What technology does the PRC have at its disposal? How has this technology furthered repression of the Uyghur minority group? Geoffrey Cain, author of “The Perfect Police State: An Undercover Odyssey into China's Terrifying Surveillance Dystopia of the Fut...
Special Episode: Sri Lanka - A Country in Free Fall
July 20, 2022 09:00 - 33 minutes - 15.4 MBThis week, Sri Lanka is set to choose a new president in the midst of a massive unrest and a catastrophic economic crisis. What does this mean for U.S. security interest in the region? How can Sri Lanka’s partners best assist in this situation? With Sri Lanka's economy shattered, food and fuel dangerously scarce, and massive international debts, is there any hope for Asia’s oldest democracy? Atul Keshap, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka from 2015 - 2018, joins Fault Lines in a special episod...
Episode 134: Exploring Boundaries with Taiwan, IPEF, and War Crimes
June 01, 2022 17:28 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MBThis week, Les, Jane, Scott, and Sarah discuss President Biden’s articulation of the US policy in the event China invades Taiwan, the creation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the first Russian soldier convicted of war crimes. Was it truly a mistake on President Biden’s part when he says that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China were to invade? Will China engage in military activity against Taiwan in the next 2.5 years? Is IPEF significant? What are the implications of Ukr...
Episode 133: On the Ground in Ukraine
May 25, 2022 09:00 - 21 minutes - 9.94 MBLive from Western Ukraine, join NSI for a very important conversation with Fox News Correspondent Mike Tobin. Mike has been reporting on the war from Western Ukraine and has himself been impacted by Russian atrocities. How is this war different from other combat zones? How have Ukrainians strengthened their resolve to push back against Russia? These questions and more answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines. Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Hosted on Acast...
Special Episode: Energy: An Abundant Fuel for Geopolitics
May 20, 2022 16:00 - 36 minutes - 16.9 MBEnergy has played a featured role in Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. What role has it historically played in the strategic calculations of nations? Can Europe eliminate dependence on Russia for gas? How has the U.S. shale revolution and the development liquified natural gas (LNG) reverberated globally? Are we truly able to transition away from hydrocarbons? Which new energy technologies will have the biggest strategic implications? Tune in as we discuss these questions and more with Da...
Episode 132: Vikings Join NATO and Xi's IP Dilemma
May 18, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes - 17.5 MBThis week, Les, Matt, Rob, and Carmen discuss Finland and Sweden’s willingness to join NATO, the $40B assistance for Ukraine, and China’s intellectual property theft. Did President Putin misjudge NATO’s strength? Will the $40B assistance for Ukraine lead to a reordering of our domestic politics on national security issues? What does the intellectual property theft from Chinese government hackers have to say about China’s economy? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of...
Episode 131: The Economic War Over Ukraine
May 11, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 14.3 MBAmerica and the EU have avoided a direct military role in Ukraine. Instead, they have used economic measure to punish Russia. As we look at the sanctions in place, are there further actions America can take to limit Russia’s ability to finance their war? How can America and the EU make their sanctions more impactful? Why is it important for America to take an active role in reconstructing Ukraine after the war? Join us as we discuss these questions and more with Natalie Jaresko, former Minis...
Episode 130: Sending the Right Signal: Ukraine, Japan and New Zealand
May 04, 2022 09:00 - 41 minutes - 19 MBThis week, Les, Sarah, Charles, and Heather discuss House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi’s visit with Ukraine’s President Zelensky, the $33B in aid that President Biden is requesting, and the new intelligence sharing agreement between New Zealand and Japan. What does it mean for Speaker Pelosi to visit President Zelensky? Will the $33B in aid sustain Ukraine? What does the agreement between New Zealand and Japan mean to the United States? Is it related to China's new friend, the Solomon Islands? Thes...
Episode 129: Is India the Linchpin of the Evolving World Order?
April 27, 2022 18:48 - 42 minutes - 19.2 MBFollowing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, attention quickly turned to India to determine whether it would condemn the attack and support western sanctions. This week, we are joined by Jeff Smith, a research fellow at Heritage’s Asian Studies Center with a focus on South Asia, for a deep dive on U.S.-India relationship in light of the war in Ukraine and China’s growing threat. How did India develop its longstanding relationship with Russia? What does the war and the “no limits” partnership...
Overton Windows & Lockdown
April 20, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 17.9 MBThis week, Les, Scott, Andy, and Carmen discuss the possible use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the draconian lockdowns happening in Shanghai. Would the U.S. become more involved in Ukraine if Russia use a tactical nuclear weapon? Is Biden’s administration usage of strategic ambiguity different from previous administrations? How do the lockdowns in Shanghai impact Xi’s upcoming election in the fall? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Lik...
Episode 128: Overton Windows & Lockdown
April 20, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 17.9 MBThis week, Les, Scott, Andy, and Carmen discuss the possible use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the draconian lockdowns happening in Shanghai. Would the U.S. become more involved in Ukraine if Russia use a tactical nuclear weapon? Is Biden’s administration usage of strategic ambiguity different from previous administrations? How do the lockdowns in Shanghai impact Xi’s upcoming election in the fall? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Lik...
Episode 127: Public Diplomacy and Great Power Competition
April 13, 2022 09:00 - 28 minutes - 13 MBPublic Diplomacy has played a critical role in telling the truth and countering propaganda in today's global environment. As we look at Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, what can America learn from President Zelensky's amazing leadership? How can America balance its different means of communication through radio and social media? What can the State Department do to ensure the truth is being told to populations in nations whose governments suppress the truth? Join us as we discuss these q...
Episode 126: Ukraine, Cyber Threats and Wither Honiara?
April 06, 2022 09:00 - 29 minutes - 13.6 MBThis week, Les, Sarah, Harold, and Matthew discuss the most recent atrocities revealed in Ukraine, the warning from Biden’s administration on a potential cyber war, and the leaked agreement between Solomon Islands and China. Will the recent uncovered atrocities force China to take a stance against Russia’s invasion? How can the U.S. increase its cyber posture as a nation? Why is the Solomon Islands important to the U.S.? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Li...
Episode 125: Battlestar Galactica
March 30, 2022 13:41 - 28 minutes - 12.9 MBIn recent years, the far-fetched spaceship battles of sci-fi have become a much more likely reality. This week, we're joined by Collin Lee, Director, Frontiers at General Dynamics Mission Systems and VSI Visiting Fellow for a deep dive on the militarization of space. How do space and national security intersect? How has the US prepared for when space inevitably becomes a battlefield? Are we in a new space race? These questions and more are addressed on this week’s episode of Fault Lines. L...
Fault Lines 124: A Golden Bridge?
March 23, 2022 09:00 - 37 minutes - 17.3 MBThis week, Les, Carmen, Rob, and Megan continue their discussion on the ever developing situation on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Biden administration’s executive order on crypto. How is the war going for President Putin? Does the Russian people look favorable on President Putin? Does the executive order signify the importance of crypto? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Note: This...
Episode 123: Crypto is Having a Moment
March 16, 2022 15:33 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MBCrypto is having, as this week's guest puts it, a "moment of legitimacy". We're joined by Juan Zarate, Global Co-Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at K2 Integrity, Chair of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at FDD, and former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for Combating Terrorism for a deep dive on cryptocurrency. What role does crypto play in Russia's war on Ukraine? Could Russia's increased use of cryptocurrencies pose a threat to...
Episode 122: Unspooling the Russian Invasion
March 09, 2022 10:00 - 38 minutes - 17.4 MBThis week, Les, Martha, Sarah, and Matt continues to discuss the ever-developing Russian invasion of Ukraine. How have Ukrainians thwarted President’s Putin invasion? Should a no-fly zone be instituted? What are the implications of the ban on Russian oil imports? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe for more. Note: This episode was recorded at 1:00 PM ET on March 8, 2022. The National S...
Episode 121: What’s New Cyber Cat?
March 02, 2022 16:07 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBAgainst the backdrop of the continued Russian invasion of Ukraine, Megan Stifel, NSI Visiting Fellow and Chief Strategy Officer at the Institute for Security and Technology, addresses the cyberattacks that have played a role in Russia’s efforts. How has Ukraine fended off the cyber attacks? Has collaboration between the U.S. and Ukraine been successful? We then pivot to last week’s news that the Department of Justice is ending the China Initiative. How frequent were the cases of false conv...
Special Episode: Russian Invasion of Ukraine
February 25, 2022 17:59 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MBOn this special episode of Fault Lines, host Lester Munson discusses Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine with guests Scott Cullinane, Executive Director of the US-Europe Alliance, Martha Miller, former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, and Sarah Stewart, Executive Director of the Silverado Policy Accelerator. Our episode begins with an assessment of the situation in Ukraine, followed by a discussion on the response from the West to Russia's aggression, the sanctions placed by ...
Episode 119: Russia Invades Ukraine & Who’s Bombing the Moon?
February 24, 2022 02:31 - 39 minutes - 18 MBThis week, Les, Mario, Carmen, and Rob discuss the ever developing Russia-Ukraine crisis and China’s rocket debris that will be hitting the moon. Is President Vladimir Putin invading Ukraine because of legitimate strategic concerns, toxic masculinity or something else? Is NATO unified in their response to Russia? Why is it important to be aware of the amount of debris in space? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Like this episode? Be sure to rate, r...
Episode 118: China’s Wolf Warriors with Peter Martin
February 17, 2022 19:26 - 28 minutes - 13 MBThere’s no denying that China’s global standing has drastically changed - in their favor - in the past half century. How has Chinese diplomacy contributed to this change? Is the bullying that China attempts to use to achieve diplomatic goals effective in today’s world? Will China ever pivot away from their aggressive tactics and act with the degree of prestige expected of a global superpower? This week’s episode of Fault Lines features a deep dive with Peter Martin, Defense Policy and I...
Episode 117: Chips and Missiles!
February 09, 2022 10:00 - 36 minutes - 16.6 MBThis week, Les, Sarah, Scott, and Andy discuss the ongoing computer chip supply chain issues and North Korea’s launch of seven missiles last month. How are our European allies impacted by the ongoing computer chip crisis? Is Congress doing enough to alleviate the situation? What does it mean for North Korea to launch seven missiles in one month? How has the Biden administration handled the U.S. relationship with North Korea differently from the Trump Administration? These questions and more ...
Episode 116: Improbable Political Prisoner: the Case of Paul Rusesabagina
February 02, 2022 10:00 - 26 minutes - 12.4 MBThis week, we’re joined by guest Anaise Kanimba, daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, the famed manager of a hotel in Rwanda where he protected hundreds of Rwandans – both Hutu and Tutsi – from the genocide that engulfed that country in 1994. How did Anaise’s father save lives in 1994? How has he dedicated his life to advocating for human rights? What is Anaise doing to now free her father from unfair imprisonment in Rwanda? These questions and more about Anaise and her father’s moving stories are...
Episode 115: Some Week: Eruption, Arrest and Invasion!
January 27, 2022 20:02 - 39 minutes - 18.1 MBThis week, Les, Rob, Carmen, and Jamil discuss the massive underwater volcano eruption near Tonga and Russia’s dismantling of the hacker group known as REvil. They will also cast their predictions on whether or not Russia will invade Ukraine. Is the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai a national security issue that Americans should care about? What does it mean for Russia to dismantle REvil? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Think a panelists ...
Episode 114: The New 'Great Game'?: Assessing U.S.-China Competition in Africa with Morgan Viña and Lester Munson
January 19, 2022 20:33 - 27 minutes - 12.7 MBNSI welcomes Morgan Viña and Lester Munson, two of NSI’s Fellows and co-authors on a recent NSI Paper, “Will the US Compete with China in Africa?”. What is China trying to accomplish in Africa? How do the Trump and Biden administration’s approaches to Africa differ, and what do they both have right – and wrong – in their Africa policy? Is there an opportunity for the U.S. to implement our foreign aid initiatives as a policy component? These questions and more are answered in this week’s epis...