Last summer, following the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan, the Taliban seized control of the country. In the months since Afghanistan’s economy has been devested by the Taliban’s policies and by international sanctions against the country.    On this episode of CNA Talks Jon Schroden welcomes economists Torek Farhadi and Bill Byrd, to discuss this crisis and what can be done to alienate it.   Jonathan Schroden is the Director of CNA’s Countering Threats and Challenges Program. Torek Farhadi is a former senior advisor to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He has discussed Afghan economic, security and humanitarian issues with the BBC, NPR and USA Today. Bill Byrd is a developmental economist with the U.S. Institute of Peace. He previously served as the World Bank’s country manager for Afghanistan.

In response to Russia’s buildup of troops on Ukraine’s border, the U.S. and its European partners have threatened crippling sanctions if Russia were to invade. As this situation evolves, another leader familiar with the cost of sanctions arrived in Russia on January 19: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. On this episode of CNA Talks, Iran expert Mike Connell and Russia analyst Julian Waller discuss the consequences of that meeting and its likely geopolitical impact.   Listener Note: In this episode, Iran Nuclear Deal and JCPOA are used interchangeably. CNA’s Mike Connell is an expert on the armed forces of Iran and Persian Gulf Security issues. Julian Waller is an analyst with CNA’s Russia Studies program.  

China is one of the most powerful countries on the planet and its influence on the global economy is well known. However, many people may not realize that China has the largest distance water fishing fleet on the planet and is considered by non-governmental organizations to be the largest contributor to illegal fishing. In this episode, CNA analyst Ryan Loomis and Heidi Holz join John Stimpson to discuss the scale and impact of illegal fishing, the other illicit activities that accompany it, and the impact on the nations whose sovereignty is violated by these practices. Heidi Holz is a research scientist in CNA’s China Studies Division, specializing in PRC maritime policies and activities, particularly those related to the South China Sea. Ryan Loomis is a Research Analyst at CNA’s China Studies Division, specializing in PRC actors' behavior in the maritime domain, and PRC media responses to US operations and activities worldwide. CNA Report: Exposing the Gap Between PRC Rhetoric and Illicit Maritime Activity: https://www.cna.org/centers/cna/cip/china/prc-maritime

In the wake of last year's attack on the U.S. Capitol, the participation of former and current members of the military called attention to the threat posed by racial extremism in the ranks. In this episode of CNA Talks, we are bringing you an interview with Megan McBride on her report “Racial Extremism in the Military a Continuum of Harm,” which seeks to give DOD the tools to mitigate this threat.   This interview originally aired on the radio program “A Closer Look with Pam Atherton.” Pam Atherton is a veteran radio host, in addition to being a performance/presentation coach.  You can catch more of her interviews on ACloserLookRadio.com" Megan McBride is a research analyst in CNA's Center for Stability and Development. She is an expert on international security issues including terrorism, radicalization, and ideological violence and has conducted and published research on domestic and international terrorism. Further Reading CNA Report: Racial Extremism in the Military: A Continuum of Harm - https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/Racial-Extremism-in-the-Military-A-Continuum-of-Harm.pdf  

Ariel Klein and Kaia Haney join John Stimpson to discuss their new framework for the four types of innovation, sustaining, breakthrough, disruptive and comprehensive. They explain how the Navy and other organizations can use the framework to identify what types of innovation they want and how they can organize to achieve it. CNA Report: How to Think about Innovation: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/pdf/How-to-Think-about-Innovation.pdf

When scientists test a hypothesis, they set up an experiment, control for external variables and refine their hypothesis based on their results. CNA’s service StaffLab makes this toolset available to executives to help refine and test their ideas for staffing, organizational reform, and more. In this episode of CNA Talks, Margaux Hoar and Kelly Diaz join John Stimpson to discuss how StaffLab uses workshops, wargames, and other methods to help leaders achieve their vision for their organizations. StaffLab Homepage: https://www.cna.org/stafflab/ Margaux Hoar directs the Organizations, Roles, and Missions research program at CNA. Her team conducts organizational, process, and command and control analyses, which provide tailored, transformative solutions to support the vision of CNA's sponsors. Kelly Diaz is a Research Scientist at CNA and an expert in organizational design and management, specifically for DoD offices and commands. She focuses on issues of command and control, readiness and training, and wargaming.

For centuries, sabotage has been a tool of war, but what role does it serve in today’s environment where great powers compete in the shadows and non-state actors are important global players. On this episode of CNA Talks, CNA analysts, Alex Powell and Annaleah Westerhaug join John Stimpson to discuss their report, “Maritime Sabotage: Lessons Learned and Implications for Strategic Competition.” Alex Powell is a Research Analyst on CNA’s Countering Threats and Challenges program. His work has focused on issues pertaining to special operations forces (SOF) as well as violent extremist organizations. His research on SOF has encompassed issues ranging from the strategic down to the tactical levels Annaleah Westerhaug is Research Assistant with CNA’s Strategy and Policy Analysis Program. Her research portfolio includes Chinese illegal unregulated fishing, Women peace and security in the Pacific Islands, Nuclear posture, Gender in counterterrorism and violent extremism, and Maritime sabotage. Maritime Sabotage: Lessons Learned and Implications for Strategic Competition: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/Maritime-Sabotage-Lessons-Learned-and-Implications-for-Strategic-Competition.pdf

In the modern economy businesses, NGOs and governments are interconnected and interdependent. In this ecosystem it is not enough for these actors to understand their own objectives and capabilities, they must also understand those of their partners and competitors. In this episode of CNA Talks, CNA analysts Kelly Diaz and Alison Vernon discuss how business ecosystems models can be adapted and applied to issues of national security. Alison Vernon is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA’s Organizations, Roles and Missions team. Her focus has been primarily on C2 issues, naval integration, and using ecosystems to find solutions to difficult national security challenges. Kelly Diaz is a Research Scientist in CNA’s Organizations, Roles and Missions team. She is an expert in organizational design and management, specifically for DoD offices and commands. She focuses on issues of command and control, readiness and training, and wargaming.

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Federal, State and local agencies regularly use exercises to prepare for natural disasters including pandemics. In 2019, many of these entities and private sector partners participated in the scenario Crimson Contagion, which was meant to test how the U.S. government would respond to a novel influenza pandemic spreading through the U.S. Sound familiar? On this episode of CNA Talks, Chris Emory, the Bureau Chief of Health Emergency Management within in the New Mexico Department of Health, and Cynthia Holmes who served as the coordinator for New Mexico’s Joint Information Center for the first 200 of the COVID response join CNA analysts Dawn Thomas and Eric Trabert. They discuss how lessons learned from Crimson Contagion shaped New Mexico’s response to COVID-19. Dawn Thomas is the co-director of CNA’s Center for Emergency Management Operations. Dawn has written, executed and evaluated more than 60 exercises, in the fields of health and medical operations, animal disease and public health. Eric Trabert is the Director of CNA’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Resilience. He has evaluated the public health responses to more than a dozen emergencies, including the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic, and the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Chris Emory is the Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Health Emergency Management within the New Mexico Department of Health. Cynthia Holmes is currently an instructor with NCBRT out of Louisiana State University. Before this position, she served as the training and exercise manager for the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. During this time, she served as the coordinator for the Joint Information Center for the first 200 days of the COVID Response.