War on the Rocks

<p>“The blob” — an unflattering nickname for the U.S. foreign policy establishment coined by a senior Obama official — gets a bad rap these days. From Obama to Trump, Washington’s foreign policy elite are blamed for being too hawkish, relying on tired conventional wisdom, and generally weakening America’s foreign policy position. In this episode, two members of the blob (along with a mystery guest) push back…over drinks, of course. Listen to Jim Steinberg, a former Deputy Secretary of the State Dept, and Frank Gavin, the director of the Kissinger Center at SAIS, defend the blob. Their argument? You don’t know how good you</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/in-defense-of-the-blob/">In Defense of the Blob</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>This week, Loren, Radha, and Erin discuss the North Korean assassination (beware the perfume lady) and take questions from listeners (what is inter-service rivalry anyway?). Kori Schake joins to dissect the defense budget, H.R. McMaster’s challenges at the National Security Council, Thucydides, and why she hates Moneyball. Image: U.S. Coast Guard</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/bombshell-rage-against-alcibiades/">Bombshell: Rage Against Alcibiades</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>In this special episode, Ryan Evans sat down with Ben Buchanan of the Belfer Center at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and in front of an audience! Ben and Ryan chatted about his new book with Oxford University Press, The Cybersecurity Dilemma: Hacking, Trust and Fear Between Nations. There were some great questions from members of the audience. Enjoy! Music: Lovira, All Things ConsideredImage: U.S. Army illustration by David McNally </p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/the-promise-and-peril-of-cyber-operations/">The Promise and Peril of Cyber Operations</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>How has counter-terrorism changed from 9/11 to today over three presidencies? To answer that question, Ryan Evans sat down with two guests with deep perspective on counter-terrorism: Colin Kahl was the national security adviser to Vice President Biden and, earlier in the Obama administration, was the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East. He is now associate professor in the Security Studies Program at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Stephen Tankel is an assistant professor in the School of International Service at American University, an adjunct senior fellow at CNAS, and a senior editor at War on</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/counter-terrorism-from-bush-to-obama-to-trump/">Counter-Terrorism from Bush to Obama to Trump</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>In this episode, WOTR’s Ryan Evans interviews John Bew about the state of the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom as the presidency of Donald Trump unfolds. How is Prime Minister Theresa May trying to manage British relations with the United States? Is Parliament making it easier or harder for her? What does Brexit mean for British power? Will Britain start to more seriously commit to a higher defense budget? Is the Winston Churchill bust in the White House a useful symbol of the special relationship (spoiler: no)? John tackles these questions and more, ending on a</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/is-the-winston-churchill-bust-weeping/">Is the Winston Churchill Bust Weeping?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>This week on Bombshell, we walk through the first week of the Trump administration. Sit down and listen to Radha Iyengar Plumb, Loren DeJonge Schulman, and Erin Simpson discuss America First, cabinet confirmations, Chelsea Manning, Wall of Stars + Hall of Heroes, re-organization of the National Security Council, and the immigration order. Stick around for our favorite podcasts and thoughts on Sherlock. </p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/bombshell-aint-no-party-like-an-america-first-party/">Bombshell: Ain’t No Party Like an America First Party</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Just an hour before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Ryan Evans sat down with Richard Haass in New York at the Council on Foreign Relations. Given the momentous changes that seem to be underway, the topic under discussion was fitting: world order. Richard’s new book – A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order – seeks to explain the origins of the current world order, the shifts currently underway, and how the United States should seek to shape the next world order. Ryan and Richard also discussed negotiating</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/you-cant-always-get-the-world-order-that-you-want/">You Can’t Always Get the World Order That You Want</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Welcome to Bombshell. This new bi-weekly series, brought to you by War on the Rocks, is hosted by three of your favorite Washington insiders who will dissect today’s foreign policy crises and tomorrow’s security challenges. Our hosts — Loren DeJonge Schulman, Radha Iyengar Plumb, and Erin Simpson — will talk military strategy, White House mayhem, and the best cocktails known to (wo)man.In this episode, our hosts introduce themselves and each other before launching into a guide to what is going to face the Trump administration as it takes hold of the reins of power. If you’re wondering about new appointments, how the new National Security Council could</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/introducing-bombshell-the-explosive-first-episode/">Introducing Bombshell: The Explosive First Episode</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>If you follow international affairs, it often feels like you can’t go to a lecture or read an article without being told that the world’s economic and military center of gravity is shifting from West to East. Michael Auslin takes a different view in his new book, The End of the Asian Century: War, Stagnation, and the Risks to the World’s Most Dynamic Region (Yale University Press, 2017). We sat down at the Tabard Inn in Washington, DC to talk about it. Auslin argues that Asia’s golden age is over and the region is likely to be approaching an era of</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/is-asias-golden-age-already-ending/">Is Asia’s Golden Age Already Ending?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>One thing is clear about President-elect Donald Trump: He is skeptical of the U.S. intelligence community. With the aid of a bottle of bourbon, War on the Rocks assembled a top-notch group of experts to talk about what Trump means for the intelligence community. Our guests in this episode included Carmen Medina – a 32-year veteran of the CIA; David Priess – author of The President’s Book of Secrets and a CIA veteran; Mark Stout – a WOTR senior editor, program director at Johns Hopkins, and a veteran of the CIA and the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research; and Mark Zaid</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/hes-just-not-that-into-you-trump-intel-and-the-american-presidency/">He’s Just Not That Into You: Trump, Intel, and the American Presidency</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>In this episode of the War on the Rocks podcast, editor-in-chief Ryan Evans sat down with Michael S. Neiberg, author of the new book, The Path to War: How the First World War Created Modern America. Neiberg, an accomplished historian who holds the Chair of War Studies at the U.S. Army War College, covered a range of topics, starting with America and World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, World War II, the use and abuse of historical analogies, doing historical research, and advice for young historians. Image: Harvey Thomas Dunn</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/world-wars-and-the-craft-of-history/">World Wars and the Craft of History</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Revelations over emails are going to be roiling this election season to the very end. This is, in no small part, due to a series of targeted hacks and leaks that cyber-security experts and the U.S. intelligence community have attributed to Russia.In this episode, we address this unprecedented Russian-directed information operations campaign targeting the U.S. presidential election and, indeed, the fundamental legitimacy of the American system of government. From email hacks to electronic voting machines, major vulnerabilities have been exposed and could change how we approach national campaigns forever, not just in the United States but in other democracies as</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/emails-and-influence-investigating-russias-attack-on-the-u-s-political-system/">Emails and Influence: Investigating Russia’s Attack on the U.S. Political System</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>In an “around the world” edition of our podcast series, Ryan Evans convened a top-notch group to discuss everything from Cuba to the Middle East to Russia to deterrence to China to personnel issues along with a whole range of big issues for the first 100 days of the next administration. Tune in to listen to Elbridge Colby (CNAS), Radha Iyengar (RAND), Will McCants (Brookings), and Bill Rosenau (CNA) talk about some of the world’s most pressing issues with the aid of a few drinks.We also briefly remember the respected scholar and international security analyst, Angel Rabasa, who recently passed</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/around-the-world-over-drinks-the-middle-east-russia-and-big-issues-for-the-next-president/">Around the World Over Drinks: The Middle East, Russia, and Big Issues for the Next President</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>In the latest episode of our podcast, editor-in-chief Ryan Evans sat down with Gen. Jim Mattis and Kori Schake of the Hoover Institution to talk about civil-military relations, the subject of their new book Warriors and Citizens: American Views of Our Military. This is the first major study of civil-military relations in years. The conversation also turned to strategy, with Mattis observing that Washington is a “strategy-free environment” and that this is a problem that goes back through two administrations.Next, Ryan sat down with Richard Fontaine, the president of the Center for a New American Security, to discuss his summer</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/civ-mil-relations-in-the-u-s-and-strategy-tales-from-australia/">Civ-Mil Relations in the U.S. and Strategy Tales from Australia</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>The Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul was closed down during the Gezi Park protests in 2013. This former symbol of Turkey’s revered founding father is today adorned with large photos of its current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who successfully defeated an attempted military coup d’etat on Friday evening and Saturday morning.Some of you might have chimed into yesterday’s live Google Hangout on Turkey’s thwarted coup. For those who didn’t and prefer audio to video, we’ve adapted it into an episode of our podcast series. WOTR’s Ryan Evans spoke with Selim Koru of TEPAV in Turkey, Burak Kadercan of the U.S. Naval War College, Aaron</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/talking-turkeys-coup-erdogan-a-fractured-military-and-the-gulen-movement/">Talking Turkey’s Coup: Erdogan, a Fractured Military, and the Gulen Movement</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>What big think books on strategy in history should you add to you shelf this summer? Our editor-in-chief, Ryan Evans, sat down with two authors of two of his favorite books this year. First, he spoke to Hal Brands, author of the new book Making the Unipolar Moment: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Rise of the Post-Cold War Order (Cornell). Hal has just taken up a professorship at the Kissinger Center at the School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. Next, Ryan sat down with John Bew of the King’s College London War Studies Department, author of Realpolitik: A History (Oxford), and</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/what-to-read-about-the-history-of-strategy-this-summer/">What to Read About the History of Strategy this Summer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Is Barack Obama’s foreign policy “failing at nearly every turn,” as Speaker Paul Ryan and many other Republicans contend? Or has the president actually crafted a wiser, more effective approach to America’s place in the world that sets this country up for success? Derek Chollet, a six-year veteran of the Obama administration, takes the latter view in his new book, The Long Game: How Obama Defied Washington and Redefined America’s Role in the World (PublicAffairs). Ryan Evans, WOTR’s editor-in-chief, sat down with Chollet, currently at the German Marshall Fund, and Richard Fontaine, the president of the Center for a New American</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/the-long-game-how-will-obamas-foreign-policies-be-judged-by-history/">The Long Game: How Will Obama’s Foreign Policies Be Judged By History?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>We’re going to try something a little different with this episode of the podcast, and I think you’re going to like it. If you listened to our last episode, you know our focus was on the Munich Security Conference – a major annual event that hosts heads of state, ministers of foreign affairs and defense, thought leaders, and, this year, whisky-swilling editors like me. In this episode, the focus is Russia, and especially U.S. Russian relations. To do that, we tell a story that starts with Vladimir Putin’s 2007 speech at the Munich Security Conference and ends with Russian Prime</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/a-tale-of-two-speeches-u-s-russian-relations-through-the-lens-of-munich/">A Tale of Two Speeches: U.S.-Russian Relations Through the Lens of Munich</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>The Munich Security Conference brings together leaders from all around the world to discuss defense, foreign policy, and strategy – the bread and butter of War on the Rocks. It has been called the Davos of international security. Our editor-in-chief, Ryan Evans, was privileged to join the U.S congressional delegation to this year’s conference. While he was there, he interviewed a number of key leaders and thinkers. This episode of our podcast series is the first of two to come out of these interviews and discussions. They are sponsored by American University’s School of International Service.Listen here for Ryan’s interviews with</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/four-key-leaders-in-munich-on-the-state-of-the-world/">Four Key Leaders in Munich on the State of the World</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>We have a two-parter for you in this episode. First, WOTR’s Ryan Evans spoke with Steve Blank of Silicon Valley fame about his new course, “Hacking Defense.” The class just launched at Stanford, but Steve has plans to proliferate it around the country. Will this course help change the way we approach national defense?Next, Ryan sat down with Basam Ridha Al Hussaini. Basam works for Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi and was in Washington to talk to U.S. officials about the Popular Mobilization Units, a Iraqi security program that mobilizes armed groups – including sectarian groups responsible for terrible violence during</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/hacking-defense-and-iraqs-controversial-new-security-groups/">Hacking Defense and Iraq’s Controversial Security Groups</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>