War on the Rocks

<p>Yesterday, Ryan Evans sat down with Sean Kay over a couple beers at the Jefferson Hotel’s wonderful Quill Bar to discuss America’s foreign policy trajectory and Sean’s new book, America’s Search for Security: The Triumph of Idealism and the Return of Realism. This wide-ranging conversation covered every topic a foreign policy wonk could dream of: Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, the Cold War, NATO, Russia, President Obama, Ukraine, the Asia Pivot, the Middle East, and more. Sean has insightful points to offer on all of these topics and more based on his perspective as a scholar of foreign relations and still recovering government adviser. Image:</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-americas-search-for-security-with-sean-kay/">PODCAST: America’s Search for Security with Sean Kay</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>What about counterinsurgency? At a time when all eyes are focused on the potential outbreak of a “conventional” war in Ukraine, Doug Ollivant, David Ucko and Ryan Evans sat down to consider counterinsurgency over fine bourbon (Noah’s Mill, highly recommended).We recorded this podcast to mark the publication of an important book, The New Counter-Insurgency Era in Critical Perspective (Palgrave Macmillan, 2104), edited by David Martin Jones, Celeste Ward Gventer, MLR Smith – who were kind enough to invite Doug and Ryan to Austin, Texas a couple years ago for a wide-ranging discussion aimed at re-assessing counterinsurgency. This workshop attracted the leading lights of</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-bourbon-with-a-dash-of-counter-insurgency/">PODCAST: Bourbon with a splash of counter-insurgency</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>This is the second of a two-part podcast set on the concept, and uses, of Strategic Intelligence. In this episode, Marc and Tom discuss how intelligence functions within democratic societies in an effort to look at how a theory of intelligence can emerge. Following up on the first part of the podcast, we look at what such a theory needs to answer before it can actually operate in a democracy. In the second segment, we sit down for a long discussion with BG (Ret’d) Dr James S. Cox, Vice-President, Academic Affairs with the Canadian Military Intelligence Association. After a 35</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/broken-mirrors-episode-5-the-operation-of-intelligence-in-a-democracy/">Broken Mirrors Episode 5: The Operation of Intelligence in a Democracy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>We sat down with General Martin E. Dempsey in his office to talk strategy, the profession of arms, military compensation reform, and professional military education.Interview Transcript (courtesy Federal News Service, Washington, DC):RYAN EVANS: Hi, this is Ryan Evans with a very special War on the Rocks podcast. I’m here with General Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and I have Jason Fritz, one of our editors at War on the Rocks, also joining us. And we’re going to talk about profession of arms, which is, General, a big passion of yours, or one of your central efforts, actually,</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/a-conversation-with-the-chairman-general-martin-e-dempsey/">A Conversation with the Chairman: General Martin E. Dempsey</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Ryan Evans sat down with an august panel of gentlemen and a gentlelady to discuss issues related to contemporary nuclear strategy. The guests: Elbridge Colby, Fellow, Center for a New American Security Thomas C. Moore, Defense Consultant and former Senior Professional Staff Member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee under then-Ranking Member Dick Lugar Stanley Orman, former British Defence official, our very own nuclear Yoda, and author of An Uncivil Civil Servant. William Rosenau, Senior Analyst with CNA Strategic Studies’ Center for Stability and Development Usha Sahay, Assistant Editor at War on the Rocks and Director of Digital Outreach at the Council</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-contemporary-nuclear-strategy/">PODCAST: Contemporary Nuclear Strategy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Max Fisher of the Washington Post and Ryan Evans sat down recently with Peter Singer and Allan Friedman of the Brookings Institution to discuss their new book, Cyberwar and Cybersecurity: What Everyone Needs to Know. It was a fun, wide-ranging, drink-fueled discussion at the Jefferson Hotel’s Cabinet Room.Have a listen! Image: Niklas Morberg, Flickr, CC</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-cyberwar-and-cybersecurity/">PODCAST: Cyberwar and Cybersecurity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>JM Berger, Will McCants, and Clint Watts sat down with Ryan Evans at the Jefferson Hotel to talk about a range of subjects related to counter-terrorism. What could be more appropriate for Christmas? Have a listen! Image: Department of Defense</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-counter-terrorism-drones-syria-and-more/">PODCAST: Counter-Terrorism, Drones, Syria, & More</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>This is the first of a two-part podcast set on the concept, and uses, of Strategic Intelligence. In this episode, Tom and I lay out the actual, social function of Strategic Intelligence and look at it place in the long history of divination. Strategic surprise, or intelligence failures, often are neither: a surprise or a `failure“, at least on the part of Intelligence Agencies. What they often are is a breakdown in communications between the players involved; a breakdown that is often facilitated by a gross misunderstanding of what Strategic Intelligence can and cannot do. In the second segment, we</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/strategic-surprise-intelligence-and-terrorism-developing-a-tolerance-for-disaster/">Strategic Surprise, Intelligence and Terrorism: Developing a Tolerance for Disaster</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Last night, I sat down to talk nuclear strategy with William Rosenau of the Center for Naval Analysis, defense analyst Elbridge Colby, Robert Zarate of the Foreign Policy Initiative, and Stanley Orman – a former nuclear arms wizard who saved the U.S. and U.K. nuclear arsenals from corrosion in the 1960s. It was a fascinating discussion during which I learned a great deal about nuclear arms, the Cold War, and giants of strategy like Thomas Schelling, Herman Kahn, and Albert Wohlstetter.Have a listen and read Stanley’s new book, An Uncivil Civil Servant. Ryan Evans is the assistant director of the Center for</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-nuclear-strategy-and-the-cold-war/">PODCAST: Nuclear Strategy and the Cold War</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Editor’s Note: We are pleased to feature this talk by Sir Lawrence Freedman, which took place this week at the British Embassy in Washington, DC. Special thanks to the King’s College London Alumni Office and the British Embassy. The event was a part of Principal Rick Trainor’s final tour of the United States before he ends his 10 year tenure at King’s. Sir Lawrence Freedman has been Professor of War Studies at King’s College London since 1982. He became head of the School of Social Science and Public Policy at King’s in 2000 and was appointed Vice-Principal in 2003. Photo Credit: Cecil</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/50-years-on-can-we-still-learn-from-jfks-strategy/">50 years on, can we still learn from JFK’s strategy?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>“Nil terribile nisi ipse timor”In this episode, Tom Quiggin and I take a hard, realist look at the concept, and tactic, of terrorism. In the first segment, we look at how the tactic of terrorism is structured, and how it can, and has, been employed. At the strategic level, terrorist attacks are both rational and embedded within a narrative that supports and justifies them.In the second segment, we look at the operational processes of a terrorist campaign. In particular, we look at how the responses to terrorist attacks can actually serve the purposes of the group using the tactics of</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/broken-mirrors-episode-3-fear-insecurity-theatre/">Broken Mirrors, Episode 3: Fear & (In)Security Theatre</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>In this podcast, we take a look at a rarely discussed, structural vulnerability in advanced societies: the payments and settlements system. We first put this system in the historical context of economic warfare, then look at some potential forms of attacks, followed by a discussion with Michelle Couturier about possible local defensive measures.The vulnerability of the advanced economies to economic warfare attacks is increasing as we use primarily fiat currencies, the largest part of which exist in digital formats only with little to no reserves. At the same time, we have allowed the functioning of our local, national and international</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-the-war-in-your-wallet-the-real-invisible-hand/">PODCAST: The War in your Wallet: The Real Invisible Hand</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Last night, some of Washington’s finest national security minds met me at the cabinet room in the Jefferson Hotel bar to talk shop. Elbridge Colby, William Rosenau, and Afshon Ostovar – all of the Center for Naval Analyses – were joined by surprise guests (“surprise” because they didn’t know they were meeting me for a podcast) Brian Fishman of the New America Foundation and Bill Braniff, the executive director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).We talked about President Obama’s and President Rouhani’s speeches at the United Nations, whether or not Rouhani’s election means there</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-pivoting-around-and-around-in-the-middle-east/">PODCAST: Pivoting around and around in the Middle East</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Editor’s Note: War on the Rocks is proud to start featuring podcasts from its Canadian affiliate, Broken Mirrors. In this inaugural episode of Broken Mirrors, Marc Tyrrell and Tom Quiggin (me) introduce the podcast’s foundations and discuss Canada/US relations. They then sit down with Ian MacLeod of the Ottawa Citizen and engage in a freewheeling discussion on intelligence and national security in terms of changes in journalism, the effects of technology, and the Snowden Affair (just because everyone else is focus only on Syria, it doesn’t mean Canada has to be!). Why ‘Broken Mirrors’? The number one problem with intelligence</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-broken-mirrors-episode-1/">PODCAST: Broken Mirrors, Episode 1</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Last night, Eli Lake of the Daily Beast and Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a WOTR contributor, joined Senior Editor Mark Stout and me at the Jefferson Hotel, where we discussed some of the more pressing issues in foreign and security policy over drinks in one of their luxurious Cabinet Rooms: The impending attack on Syria and what this says about President Obama’s foreign policy. Is there an Obama doctrine? Does the government keep too many secrets? Why? Since we had a journalist and a former CIA analyst at the table, this was a fun one. Good times were had by all. Have</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-syria-secrets-and-some-snark/">PODCAST: Syria, Secrets, and Some Snark</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>On Friday, I sat down for a great talk over drinks with Raffaello Pantucci, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and Robin Simcox, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. I got to hear their insights into a number of emerging and evolving challenges in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, and more. Once again, we were at the fantastic American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. Enjoy! Photo Credit: Grant Williamson</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-talking-terrorism-with-pantucci-and-simcox/">Podcast: Talking Terrorism with Pantucci and Simcox</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>Last Thursday I invited Emile Simpson and Kathleen McInnis to join me at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London to talk about Emile’s book, “War from the Ground Up: Twenty-First Century Combat as Politics.” After navigating the impressive drinks menu (priorities), we had a great discussion about Afghanistan, COIN, and the changing face of warfare. Have a listen! Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/war-from-the-ground-up-with-simpson-and-mcinnis/">Podcast: War from the Ground up with Simpson and McInnis</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>This is Part Two of my session with Lieutenant Colonel Brian A. Payne and David Kasten of the U.S. Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC) at the Jefferson Hotel bar here in Washington, DC. Did you listen to Part One? If not, you missed out on bands in Haiti, coffee in Bosnia, training for human based skills, and lessons learned in war and over BBQ.In Part Two, Brian, David, and I talk 9/11 and everything (war) that came after. Tune in for your counter-insurgency fix. Does COIN have a future in the Army? Tune in.Nothing Brian and David say here represents the</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-more-irregular-warfare-fun/">PODCAST: More Irregular Warfare Fun</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>I recently sat down with Lieutenant Colonel Brian A. Payne and David Kasten of the U.S. Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC) at the Jefferson Hotel bar here in Washington, DC. This is part one of that conversation. Brian is the Director of AWIC and David is its Chief of Interagency Coordination.Our guests show that irregular warfare was a dominant feature of American wars long before 9/11. It was a really fascinating conversation full of thoughtful analysis and war stories – over drinks of course. We hear everything from Brian’s tactical response to a village band in Haiti to David not joining</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/podcast-talking-coin-with-the-folks-from-the-army-irregular-warfare-center/">Podcast: Talking COIN with the folks from the Army Irregular Warfare Center</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>

<p>The other day, I sat down with War on the Rocks contributors Bill Rosenau, Will McCants, and Afshon Ostovar – all of the Strategic Studies Center at the Center for Naval Analyses – for a conversation that ranged widely from Syria to Snowden to the think tank industry. We were hosted by the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC.Listen here:</p> <p>The post <a href="https://warontherocks.com/first-wotr-podcast-bill-rosenau-will-mccants-and-afshon-ostovar/">First WOTR Podcast: Bill Rosenau, Will McCants, and Afshon Ostovar</a> appeared first on <a href="https://warontherocks.com">War on the Rocks</a>.</p>