Fault Lines

This week Les, Sarah, Megan, and Jamil take a big risk in discussing the summit between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping before the summit actually began. What is going on inside of China as President Xi sets himself up for a third term in power? Should Biden adopt a no first use nuclear policy? How should we consider our relationship with China in regards to trade? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines!  Like what we’re doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Gina Bennett, senior adviser at the National Counterterrorism Center, member of the CIA’s Senior Analytics Service, and author of the National Security Mom book series. What was it like being the first in the intelligence community to warn of Osama bin Laden? What is the role of gender in national security? How do national security efforts parallel our home lives? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines!Like what we’re doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Les, Jamil, Carmen, and Rob tackle last week’s coup in Sudan which saw the military put the civilian prime minister under house arrest and the Russian government’s latest hacking of American companies. What does the coup mean for U.S. interests? How about for Russia and China, which have their own interests in the country? When it comes to the Russians, is it time for us to start some American offensive cyber operations? Is the Biden Administration’s cyber policy working? These questions and more are answered in this week’s episode of Fault Lines. Bonus topic: is Pyongyangization happening in China?Like what we’re doing here? Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review and rating! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Michael Krepon, author of recently published “Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace: The Rise, Demise, and Revival of Arms Control”, for a discussion on his book and nuclear arms control with guest host David Lasseter, NSI Visiting Fellow and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction. How can the U.S. ensure nuclear peace is maintained globally? How should the nuclear capabilities of North Korea and China be addressed? What role do domestic politics play in nuclear policy? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines!Purchase Michael’s book, “Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace: The Rise, Demise, and Revival of Arms Control”, here or wherever you prefer to get your books. Like what we’re doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Les, Jamil, Sarah, and Matthew break down tensions brewing over Taiwan and the looming supply chain crisis. Will tensions over Taiwan ever go away? Would – and should – the United States come to Taiwan’s aid in the event of aggressions by China? What’s actually going on with the supply chain crisis the United States is seeing unfold? These questions and more are answered in this week’s episode of Fault Lines.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Jamil N. Jaffer, the Founder and Executive Director of the National Security Institute, as we reflect on the past four years of NSI. How did NSI begin? What can work in the non-partisan realm teach us? Where will the efforts of the National Security Institute be in the next four years? These questions and more are answered on this week’s episode of Fault Lines.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special 100th episode of Fault Lines, Jamil Jaffer, Carmen Medina, Lester Munson and Sarah Stewart look forward to what the future of national security may hold. What type of challenges will China pose to the United States? Should the U.S. come to Taiwan’s aid if China were to invade? Is political polarization the biggest challenge policymakers will face in the next five years? These questions and more are answered on Fault Lines’ 100th episode! Our panelists reference The Age of America First: Washington’s Flawed New Foreign Policy Consensus in their discussion. Read it here.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Dr. Christopher Ford, author of the recent NSI paper "Principled Conservatism in America’s Foreign Affairs and National Security Policy", and former U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, Distinguished Fellow and President Emerita at the Wilson Center, and author of the book, "Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe," to discuss the intersection between different views of national security. How do we get Americans back to a point of embracing free trade? What is the best function of multilateral institutions? What could a bipartisan national security policy look like? These questions and more are covered in this week’s episode of Fault Lines.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec.Next week is our 100th episode of Fault Lines! Keep an eye on social media and our website for some fun ways to engage with our podcast team before we record the extra special episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Les, Jamil, Sarah, and Matthew turn their focus on Biden's China policy. How is President Biden faring so far? Are China’s environmental sins becoming leverage for relief on other issues, including the crackdowns in Xinjiang and Hong Kong? What should we make of the AUKUS pact and China's reaction? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Congressman Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, to recount his recent trip to Afghanistan and the growing concerns around Afghan refugees. What should Congress be doing about Afghanistan? How can we, as individuals, help with rescue efforts? Should we be concerned about terror groups using Afghanistan as a launch site? These questions and more are covered in this week’s episode of Fault Lines. If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are entering the third week after the Taliban took Kabul, and Loren, Jamil, Rob, and Les discuss implications of the withdrawal. What lessons have we learned in the last three weeks? Twenty years on, what lessons and reflections do we have of 9/11? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Ryan Browne, former CNN correspondent at the Pentagon, to continue NSI’s discussion on Afghanistan. What does the future hold for individuals on the ground in Afghanistan following the withdrawal? Will we continue to see efforts from “Digital Dunkirk”-style groups? What kind of internal struggles may the Taliban experience as they begin attempting to function as a government? These questions and more are covered in this week’s episode of Fault Lines. If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec.Note: This episode was recorded at 1:00pm ET on August 30th, 2021. The National Security Institute acknowledges that the situation is rapidly changing and that some of the conversation held may no longer be accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All eyes are on Afghanistan, and Les, Jamil, Mike, and special guest Ryan Browne discuss the events that have unfolded in the last week on the ground. Has enough been done to get Americans and our allies out of a war zone? Should we extend our presence past August 31st? How well did the Biden administration handle the withdrawal? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec.Note: This episode was recorded at 1:00pm ET on August 23rd, 2021. The National Security Institute acknowledges that the situation is rapidly changing and that some of the conversation held may no longer be accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Caleb McCarry, former Cuba Transition Coordinator during the Bush administration, a senior official at the Development Finance Corporation in the Trump administration, and a Senior Adviser to both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. What does it mean for U.S. interests when there is such turmoil in Haiti? What, if anything, should the U.S. be doing differently as a neighbor to Haiti? How has the Biden administration responded to the ongoing protests in Cuba? Host Lester Munson and Caleb McCarry answer questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of Fault Lines, host Jamil N. Jaffer discusses the national security implications of the fall of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban with Jennifer Cafarella, NSI Visiting Fellow and Research Director at the Institute for the Study of War; Matthew Heiman, NSI Senior Fellow and Director of Strategy and Chairman, Cyber & Privacy Working Group at the Regulatory Transparency Project; and Mike Nelson, NSI Visiting Fellow and Professor of Military Science at George Mason University, and former Deputy Director of the Commander’s Action Group at United States Central Command for General Joseph Votel.Our episode begins with a brief summary of the situation in Afghanistan, followed by analysis of the Biden administration's actions thus far, the counterterrorism perspective, and what Taliban rule may mean for U.S. national security. If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec.Note: This episode was recorded at 3:30pm ET on August 17th, 2021. The National Security Institute acknowledges that the situation is rapidly changing and that some of the conversation held may no longer be accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Olympics came to a close this past week, and all eyes are on Beijing in 2022. Loren, Jamil, Rob, and Les discuss the political highlights of the Tokyo games and what it would take for the U.S. to take a stand in 2022. What lessons have we learned in Tokyo? Should we be linking international sporting events like the Olympics to global politics? Has Russia skirted their ban by being able to have their athletes participate under the name “Russian Olympic Committee”? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Dr. Christopher Ford, NSI Advisory Board member and Former Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation. Dr. Ford recently wrote a paper for NSI titled Principled Conservatism in America’s Foreign Affairs and National Security Policy. What are the core tenets of principled conservatism in national security and foreign policy? What does a principled conservative approach to China look like? Dr. Ford and host Jamil Jaffer answer these questions and more on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Dr. Ford’s full paper can be found here.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @MasonNatSec. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cuba is currently experiencing its largest anti-government demonstrations since 1994, fueled by disdain for the authoritarian government, widespread poverty, and mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Les, Mike, Grant, and first time guests Fred Turner, former Chief of Staff to Bob Menendez, and Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director of the Vandenberg Coalition, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cuba and Venezuela, and the Deputy Special Representative for Venezuela at the U.S. State Department, discuss protests and unrest in Cuba and the most recent string of cyberattacks. Is the Biden Administration doing enough to show support for Cuba? How can social media be used creatively against authoritarian regimes? What impact could the Microsoft Exchange hack have on U.S.-China relations? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Dmitri Alperovitch, NSI Advisory Board member, Executive Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, and Co-Founder of CrowdStrike.  How should America respond to Chinese aggression in cyberspace? Does cyber insurance exacerbate cyber ransomware attacks? What should we be worried about next?  Dmitri and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Haiti is thrown into chaos after an assassination, John Kerry is in Russia talking about the Climate, and the Afghanistan withdrawal is going more rapidly than anyone anticipated. Les, Rob, Jamil, Grant and returning guest Amira Valliani discuss how the United States should approach each these precarious situations. How should America think about stabilization efforts in Haiti? Is Climate Change national security? Has the train and equip mission in Afghanistan failed? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Dan Currell, NSI Visiting Fellow and former Deputy Under Secretary and Senior Advisor at the Department of Education. Dan recently wrote a backgrounder for NSI titled China’s Influence in U.S. Higher Education as well as a number of opinion pieces for NSI’s blog The SCIF. How is China censoring speech in the United States? How big is China's influence in U.S. Higher Education? What even is a Confucius Institute?   Dan and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran "elected" a hardliner President and the United States bombed Iran backed militias in Iraq and Syria. Les, Mike, Jodi, and first time guest Martha Miller, NSI Visiting Fellow and former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush discuss how these events will impact the larger effort to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons and how President Biden has done in democracy promotion around the world. Does the President of Iran really matter? What is the best strategy to bring Iran to the negotiating table? Can President Biden stand up for democracy in Europe, Central America, and Hong Kong? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Zach Graves, NSI Visiting Fellow, Head of Policy at the Lincoln Network, and author of the latest NSI Law and Policy Paper Understanding the Techlash: Implications for U.S. Innovation Policy.  What is the Techlash? What should we make of the recent bills introduced on these issues? What does Section 230 have to do with any of this?  Zach and host Les Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden travels to Europe on his first foreign trip as President, but, before he left, he released a memo raising corruption to a national security concern.  Les, Jamil, Loren, and Rob discuss what we can expect Biden will take away from european adventure and what a corruption focused foreign policy looks like.  Can Biden get Europe to live up to their NATO commitments? What can be done about Russia? Is the fight against corruption just a talking point? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to discuss the national security work the FCC is doing.  What is the FCC's role in pushing back against the threat posed by China? What is the FCC doing on O-Ran? How will competition with China impact technology policy in the next five years?  Commissioner Carr and guest host Megan Brown, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belarus forced a RyanAir flight to land in Minsk in order to take opposition journalist Roman Protasevich into custody. Les, Jodi, Mike, and first time guest Scott Cullinane, NSI Visiting Fellow and Executive Director of the US-Europe Alliance, discuss how the United States should respond to Belarus and the next steps in the fight against COVID-19. Are sanctions enough to get Belarusian President Lukashenko to back down? How connected are Russia and Belarus? What can the United States to do finish the fight against COVID-19? All these questions and more answered on this week's Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Sada Cumber, NSI Advisory Board Member first-ever Special Envoy to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. What role does soft power play in the Middle East? What can America do to protect Muslims in Myanmar and China? Why are Saudi Arabia and Iran meeting secretly? Sada and Fault Lines Host Les Munson, answer these questions and many more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The violence in Israel continues unabated. Fault Lines welcomes Simone Ledeen, NSI Visiting Fellow and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, to discuss the causes of this latest flare up, how other actors in the region are responding, and what role of the United States should play with Fault Lines Host Les Munson. Following those interviews, Grant moderates a conversation with Simone, Les, and returning guest Rob Walker about the Northern Triangle, corruption, and foreign aid. Should aid be tied to good governance? How can policymakers work towards long-term goals in the region? What role should limiting the drug trade play in the discussion? All these questions and more answered on this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Ambassador Cindy Courville, first Ambassador to the African Union, for a conversation about some key issues happening on the continent. How should policymakers frame their thinking about African Affairs? How should America be involved in Northern Mozambique? What role should America play in preventing human rights atrocities in Ethiopia? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Armenian Remembrance Day, President Biden acknowledged the genocide of Armenians at the hands of Ottoman authorities beginning in 1915.  Jodi, Jamil, Les, Grant, and first time guest Max Hoffman, Director of National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, discuss the impact of this acknowledgement on U.S.-Turkish relations and the ten year anniversary of the beginning of the conflicts in Syria and Libya. Are U.S.-Turkish relations broken beyond repair? Is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's hold on power stable? After ten years, what is the path forward in Syria and Libya? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.In this week's under the radar segment, Grant talks about the potential for a Global Minimum Tax, Les focuses on China's space program, Jodi highlights the mice swarming in Australia, Max discusses Turkey and energy politics, and Jamil honors the memory of NSI Visiting Fellow Courtney Hall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Dr. Lenora Gant, NSI Advisory Board member and Distinguished Fellow and former Senior National Intelligence Officer within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. How does a diverse workforce increase America’s national security? What role do historically black colleges and universities play in preparing the next generation of national security leaders? What can be done at a personal level to make an impact? Lenora and Fault Lines Host Les Munson, answer these questions and many more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden announced increased sanctions on Russia for their involvement in the SolarWinds hack and a withdrawal date for American troops in Afghanistan. Les, Loren, Jamil, and returning guest Rob Walker discuss whether the Biden administration is pushing back hard enough against Russia and leaving Afghanistan too soon. Will sanctions change Putin’s calculus? Does President Biden owe former President Trump an apology? Is Afghanistan going to become a haven for terrorists after America leaves? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Charles Kupchan, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the book Isolationism: A History of America's Efforts to Shield Itself from the World.  What are the driving factors of American Isolationism throughout history? What lessons should President Biden learn from previous presidents? What is American Exceptionalism? Dr. Kupchan and host Les, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden administration is participating in indirect talks with Iran about the JCPOA and there are conversations swirling on the Hill about revising the 2001 AUMF.  Les, Jodi, Jamil, and Mike discuss how to get to a better deal with Iran and whether all the talk about the AUMF is for naught. Is it possible to get a good deal with Iran? What did "maximum pressure" achieve? Is there any chance that the 2001 AUMF actually gets replaced?  All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.In our under the radar segment, Les honors the life of Charles Hill, Grant continues to track the failed GERD talks, Jamil highlights the potential coup in Jordan, Mike discusses the corruption trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, and Jodi suggests that the US should really consider boycotting the Olympics in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Admiral James Stavridis, author of the book 2034: A Novel of the Next World War and contributing author of a white paper with the American Edge Project on National Security Policy. Should we expect a war with China? How do fiction and foreign policy work together? Where do emerging technologies play a role in all of this? Admiral Stavridis and host Lester Munson answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan recently held a meeting with their Chinese Counterparts in Alaska and the pandemic has been ravaging the globe for more than a year. Les, Loren, Jamil, and first time guest Rob Walker discuss what can we expect coming out of the Anchorage Summit and how the world looks different post-pandemic. How is the Biden administration trying to approach the relationship with China? What can we expect to see after the shouting match that kicked off the talks? What did the pandemic teach us about foreign policy? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.This week in our under the radar segment, Loren discusses the potential repeal of the 2002 AUMF, Les highlights the opportunity Tanzania has to move forward following the death of President Magufuli, Rob focuses on the situation at the border, Jamil mentions the potential end of the war in Yemen, and Grant waves goodbye to the Russian Ambassador to the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Andrew Natsios and Andy Card co-editors of Transforming Our World: President George H.W. Bush and American Foreign Policy.  What made President George H.W. Bush uniquely able to take on the challenges of the end of the Cold War?  Was there an underlying ideology driving President Bush’s foreign policy?  Can President Biden learn any lessons from the challenges President Bush faced? Andy, Andrew, and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden issued an executive order focused on enhancing the security of America’s supply chains and India purchased anti-aircraft weapons from Russia which may cause issues at the upcoming meeting of the Quad. Les, Jodi, Jamil, and Loren discuss how much the government should insert itself in the private sector in the name of national security and the status of the relationship between America and India. Should the government be directly investing in the American tech sector? How close are India and Russia? How worried should we be about conflict between China and India? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines. In the below the radar segment, Les is following two new outbreaks of Ebola, Jodi honors Women of Courage, Grant highlights the disproportionate impact of COVID on women, Loren talks about the trial of Derek Chauvin, and Jamil focuses on two high profile cases of rape in Senegal and Mexico. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes David Gordon, former Director of policy planning at the US State Department and co-author of Making U.S. Foreign Policy Work Better for the Middle Class.  How different is "putting Americans first" to "America First"? Is American participation in the TPP impossible? Is domestic-foreign policy fusion advisable given polarization?  David and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Nicole Perlroth, Cybersecurity report for the New York Times and author of This is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race.  How has the market for 0-days impacted our national security? How do you communicate the technological threat to a non-technical audience? Why isn't the US deterring cyberattacks effectively?  Nicole and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden Administration is open to reentering the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Jamil, Les, Loren, and Mike discuss what is necessary to actually prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons and then pivot to Australia’s law which caused a standoff with Facebook. Should America ease sanctions to negotiate a new deal with Iran? Is Iran already too far down the nuclear path? Is Australia standing up for the little guy or caving to corporate lobbyists? All these questions and more answered on this week’s Fault Lines. In our below the radar segment, Grant focuses on new sanctions from the European Union, Les continues to track the Ethiopian Civil War, Loren sets her eyes on the stars, Mike highlights the issues around U.S. sanctions and Venezuela, and Jamil discusses the arrest of El Chapo’s wife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes Morgan Vina, former Chief of Staff to Ambassador Nikki Haley in her role as Permanent Representative to the United Nations. What can the Biden administration learn from President Trump’s failures and successes in Africa? How should we view the worsening violence in Ethiopia? Is Sudan a success story or is it too early to tell? Morgan and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden may be new to the job but the foreign policy challenges haven’t slowed down. Les, Jamil, Jodi, and Michael discuss President Biden’s first foreign policy speech and how the ideals he laid out in it will be applied to the coup in Myanmar and protests in Russia. Is Biden really laying out a new foreign policy vision? Will his team be decisive or dithering? How should America promote democracy abroad? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.In our under the radar segment, Grant pushes the Biden administration on refugee status for Hong Kongers, Michael mentions Israeli Prime Minister's ongoing corruption trial, Jodi discusses America rejoining the UN Human Rights Council, Jamil focuses on the Pope's trip to Iraq, and Les highlights a statement from USAID's Acting Administrator Gloria Steele. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes multiple NSI authors for conversations about their recent publications. First, Les talks with NSI Visiting Fellow Matthew Ferraro about his backgrounder entitled Decoding Deepfakes. After that, NSI has a conversation with NSI Visiting Fellow Vince Vitkowsky and Rachida Mecheri on their Law and Policy Paper entitled Responding to China at the United Nations. Should we be worried about more fake media? How is China pushing its agenda at the United Nations? How can the United States and its allies take on these twin challenges? Les explores these questions and more on this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Bob Corker. What should a post-Trump GOP look like? Should the Senate vote to convict former President Trump? How should the Biden Administration think about Iran? All these questions and more on this very special episode of Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden Administration is in full swing but what does that mean for foreign policy? Les, Jamil, Loren, and first time guest Amira Valliani talk about Making U.S. Foreign Policy Work Better for the Middle Class and Biden’s first hundred days. Is a foreign policy focused on the middle class only about economics? Why isn’t Congress leading on foreign policy issues? What do the first 100 days of the Biden administration reveal about President Biden’s priorities? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.In this week’s under the radar segment Les highlights Biden’s promise of $4 billion in Aid for Central America, Jamil focuses on the protests in Russia, Loren is tracking impeachment, Amira is watching for national security issues in space, and Grant talks about democracy promotion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes David Adesnik, Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and John Hannah, Senior Counselor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to discuss From Trump to Biden a report which details the successes and failures of the Trump Administration and guidance for over 25 different areas of national security and foreign policy. Where did America First fail? Can Biden negotiate a better JCPOA? Is it possible to put Putin in his place? David, John and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Congress contemplates how to respond to the attack on January 6th. Les, Loren, Jamil, and Jodi discuss how the legislative branch should move forward and news out of China that you may have missed. How should Congress deal with members who supported the riots? With time winding down on the Trump Administration, is impeachment moving fast enough? How is China capitalizing on this moment? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.In our under the radar segment Jamil talks about the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group, Les compares the current situation in the US with that in the Central African Republic, Grant dives back into the politics of water, Jodi discusses the elections in Uganda, and Loren won’t be distracted from this moment in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A mob of President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to halt the certification of the electoral college vote. Les, Jamil, Loren, and returning guest Michael Gottlieb pick through the rubble and discuss the implications. How can America rebuild after this crisis? How does it impact our standing in the world? How will our adversaries use this against us? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fault Lines welcomes back Jim Danoy, former Defense Intelligence Executive, NSI Visiting Fellow, and author of a recent NSI Law and Policy Paper entitled Stopping the Spread: Pandemics, Warning, and the IC. What role should the IC have in warning about the next pandemic? Is the Department of Health and Human Services part of the IC? Can we afford to expand the mission of the intelligence community? Jim and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.