Foreign Podicy

A Conversation with Ambassador Nikki Haley

August 28, 2018 15:00 - 40 minutes - 32.6 MB

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick was one of the visionaries who helped create the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies soon after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Six years ago, FDD inaugurated an award in honor of the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations — a statesman who vehemently opposed totalitarianism and resolutely defended American values. This year, FDD’s Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Statesmanship Award was presented to Ambassador Nikki R. Haley who has brought a precise...

The Wars of the Jews

August 20, 2018 15:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

Israel is a tiny country: its land area about a fourth the size of the United Arab Emirates, its population less than that of Tehran—capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Yet Israel is the subject of constant comment and controversy, and is frequently attacked—both kinetically and rhetorically—by its enemies, its adversaries, and too often even by those who should be its allies. To help make sense of Israel's most recent conflicts and controversies —including over sovereignty of the Gola...

The Iranian-Israeli Conflict Within the Syrian Civil War

August 06, 2018 15:00 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MB

For seven long years, Syria has been engulfed in civil war. The death toll now exceeds a half million. More than five million refugees have fled abroad, and millions more are internally displaced. The dynastic dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad almost certainly would have fallen had it not been for the intervention of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, various Iranian-controlled Shia militias, and the Russian military. Lately, Tehran also has been building a military...

Religion and Secularism in Central Asia

July 23, 2018 15:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MB

Kazakhstan is one of the ten largest countries in the world, yet most Americans couldn’t find it on a map. Today, the former Soviet Republic is an anti-Islamist, Muslim-majority nation, yet most Americans have no idea we have friends there. To learn more about this distant and intriguing corner of the world, host Clifford D. May is joined by Svante Cornell, Director of the Central Asian Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council.

Syria‘s World War

July 09, 2018 15:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MB

Syria has been at war for seven long years. More than a half million people have been killed. More than 11 million – close to half Syria’s pre-war population – have been displaced either internally or as refugees in other countries. But Syrians are not the only ones involved in this fight. The Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah – the Iranian regime’s foreign legion – and Russia have helped keep dictator Bashar al-Assad in power. Israel, Turkey and the U.S. also have been playing...

Syria's World War

July 09, 2018 15:00 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MB

Syria has been at war for seven long years. More than a half million people have been killed. More than 11 million – close to half Syria’s pre-war population – have been displaced either internally or as refugees in other countries. But Syrians are not the only ones involved in this fight. The Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah – the Iranian regime’s foreign legion – and Russia have helped keep dictator Bashar al-Assad in power. Israel, Turkey and the U.S. also have been playing...

Turkey’s Election, Erdogan’s Counterrevolution

June 25, 2018 15:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MB

Not so long ago, Turkey appeared to be the model: a Muslim-majority nation that was becoming free, democratic and prosperous; a NATO ally; a friend of America and Europe. Today, all of that is very much in doubt. To discuss Turkey’s trajectory in the aftermath of elections that have strengthened the hand of the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, FDD president and Foreign Podicy host Clifford D. May is joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman, FDD senior fellow Aykan Erdemir and ...

Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran’s March Across the Middle East

June 11, 2018 15:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MB

Lebanon and Iraq both recently held elections, which is good news – or is it? Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist foreign legion, is now more firmly in control of Lebanon than ever before. Meanwhile, Iraq still faces many perils, not least from the Islamic Republic of Iran as it pursues its imperialist ambitions in the region. In episode 14 of Foreign Podicy, host Clifford D. May discusses these developments with Tony Badran, an FDD research fellow born and raised in Lebanon who focuses on the Leva...

Nothing but Net: Cyber-Enabled Economic Warfare

May 28, 2018 15:00 - 41 minutes - 38 MB

A peril that may not be on your radar screen: Cyber-Enabled Economic Warfare (CEEW). Computers and the Internet have made our lives easier but they’ve also left us vulnerable to an arsenal of cyber weapons that threaten us as much as terrorists, guns and bombs. Foreign Podicy host Clifford D. May is joined by Dr. Samantha Ravich, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies as well as a principal investigator for FDD’s Cyber-Enabled Economic Warfare project, to discuss CEEW...

Of Strikes and Strategy: U.S. Policy in Syria

May 21, 2018 15:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MB

War will always be hell – but the laws of war were meant to make wars at least a little less hellish. In Syria, however, the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad – backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and by Russia – has many times used prohibited chemical weapons to murder innocent men, women, and children. President Trump has now twice responded with punitive attacks. What has he achieved and what still needs to be done to protect American interests? Foreign Podicy host Clifford D. May is j...

In the Shadow of the Pyramids: Egypt’s Past Glories and Future Perils

April 23, 2018 15:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MB

It’s been eight years since what was called—with more hope than accuracy—the “Arab Spring.” Last month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi won reelection, surprising no-one since he had no serious competitors. Mr. Sisi may not be a democrat but he does appear to be a reformer, and he’s battling jihadis on Egyptian soil. Should the United States support him, challenge him – or both? Foreign Podicy host Cliff May discusses these and other issues with Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Samuel...

The Future of the Iran Deal

March 26, 2018 15:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MB

There are three views on the Iran nuclear weapons deal, more formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The first is to insist that it’s the best deal that could have been cut, and that it prevents the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons—at least anytime soon. So, stick with it. A second view holds that the deal is flawed, but it can be fixed and it’s up to America’s European allies to get that job done without delay. The third view claims that the ...

Africa’s Jihadist Frontiers

March 12, 2018 15:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MB

Jihadists in Africa are not just spreading. They’re also learning and innovating. Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have spawned such groups as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab south of the Sahara, in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and beyond. A new FDD study shows that the number of jihadist attacks against Western interests in Africa has nearly tripled since the so-called 2011 Arab Spring. Yet, we hear little about these groups and their acts of terrorism in the mainstream media. Foreign Podicy ho...

UNRWA’s Palestinian Refugees

February 26, 2018 16:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

The offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is responsible for all the world’s refugees with one exception: Palestinian refugees. They are served by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which designates not only those who fled from the land that became Israel but also their descendants. As a result, the number of Palestinian refugees has risen from hundreds of thousands to millions. Foreign Podicy host, Cliff May, is joined by FDD’s Jonathan Schanzer and Richard Goldbe...

Russia’s Disinformation Offensive

February 12, 2018 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MB

Using social media, tech platforms and cyber weapons, the Russian government is running a sophisticated campaign to undermine faith in America’s democratic institutions, assist extremists on both the left and right, polarize Americans, and poison policy debates. Foreign Podicy host, Cliff May, is joined by Jamie Fly and Laura Rosenberger of the German Marshall Fund of the U.S., to discuss their research on Russia's campaign to strategically deceive public opinion, and their urgent recommend...

A bombing, a cover-up, and a murder: Lessons from Alberto Nisman’s work to bring Iranian officials to justice for the AMIA terrorist attack in Argentina

January 29, 2018 16:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB

Three years ago this month, Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found drugged, bludgeoned and shot to death in his Buenos Aires apartment. He was murdered only hours before he was to testify before Argentina’s Congress. Nisman had solid evidence that top Argentine officials had conspired with top Iranian officials to cover up Tehran’s responsibility for the 1994 AMIA bombing, which killed 85 people and remains the most lethal terrorist attack in Argentina’s history. His investigations co...

Busted! Iran, Turkey and the Largest Sanctions-Evasion Scheme in Modern History

January 15, 2018 16:00 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MB

It was likely the largest sanctions-evasion scheme in modern history, involving top state officials from both Ankara and Tehran. While the U.S. was attempting to use economic pressure in response to revelations regarding Tehran’s illicit nuclear weapons program, Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab and banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla facilitated an illicit oil-for-gold scheme that enriched Iran to the tune of over $100 billion. Foreign Podicy host Cliff May is joined by Jonathan Schanzer, Aykan Erdem...

Upheaval in Iran: Causes and Consequences

January 01, 2018 16:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MB

Protests have been shaking the Islamic Republic of Iran. Foreign Podicy host Cliff May is joined by FDD senior fellow, Reuel Marc Gerecht, and FDD senior Iran analyst, Behnam Ben Taleblu, to discuss what this upheaval means, where it could lead, and how the U.S. and its Western counterparts should respond. Listeners can find and subscribe to Foreign Podicy via iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and SoundCloud. To request more information or to provide feedback for the “Foreign Podicy” team, em...

The Latin American Narco-Terrorism Nexus

December 18, 2017 16:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

Iranian-backed Hezbollah has made common cause with Latin America’s drug cartels. Their growing network launders huge amounts of money, traffics weapons, and engages in a long list of other illicit activities. Foreign Podicy host Cliff May is joined by FDD's Latin America expert, Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi to discuss this malevolent alliance and what needs to be done about it.

Countering Kim’s Nuclear North Korea

December 04, 2017 16:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MB

Cliff May is joined by FDD's North Korea expert, Anthony Ruggiero, to discuss whether North Korea's most recent missile test is a game-changer, whether a nuclear North Korea is a foregone conclusion, and how the U.S. can leverage economic warfare to counter the Kim regime's illicit activities.

Episodes