The Burn Bag Podcast

This week, A'ndre speaks with Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa, a leading Sri Lankan researcher and citizens journalist, on the recent mass protests that have taken ahold across the island nation against the ruling Rajapaksa Family. Sanjana, who was the Founding Editor of Sri Lanka's first and only award winning citizens journalism website Groundviews, discusses why protests against the strongman President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have been mobilized amidst Sri Lanka' worst economic crisis. Sanjana digs into the atmosphere of fear that the Rajapaksa brothers had created throughout the country, and why the protests are truly unprecedented in their dismissal of that fear in addition to their wide-ranging, island -wide, cross-cutting demography.  Sanjana, who is seen by many as the pre-eminent expert on social media's intersection with Sri Lankan politics, also provides his analysis on how social media has powered the protests, in addition to talking on why Sri Lanka has seen many of the negative repercussions of social media well before the United States had -- and why many in the West need to pay heed to these experiences.

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk to former NSA General Counsel Glenn Gerstell about the cyber aspects of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The conversation begins with an overview of Russia's use of cyber against Ukraine and the likely ramp-up of cyber capabilities as the conflict continues. Glenn also discusses his assessment of potential cyberattacks against the U.S. and how the Biden Administration would respond. The conversation then delves into disinformation, why Glenn views it as the foremost national security threat, and how  governments and the private sector can fight back. 

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk with LTG (ret.) Jim Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence (2010-2017). Director Clapper discusses his assessment of Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as how well the Biden Administration has responded.  Director Clapper, a retired Air Force General, breaks down the Russian offensive and failure to gain air superiority. He also responds to the controversial U.S. intelligence disclosures and whether or not they have been effective. The conversation also covers Director Clapper's analysis of Putin, the possibility of a coup in Russia, and why this conflict is different than the one he dealt with in the Obama Administration in 2014. 

In this special episode, A'ndre talks to Ukrainian student and Director of the Children of Ukraine Foundation, Sofia Polishchuk. Sofia shares her perspective and insights about Russia's war against Ukraine. The conversation discusses the situation on the ground, the diplomatic meetings in Istanbul, Ukraine's unlikely and incredible defense, and Russian propaganda.To support the Ukrainian people,  please check out the Children of Ukraine Foundation. 

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk to Jim Lawler, who served for 25 years as a CIA operations officer. The conversation begins with Jim's story of joining the CIA and how he found himself working on nonproliferation issues. Jim details how he and his team disrupted the A.Q. Khan network and the threats of state and non state actors. They also discuss Jim's novels, Living Lies and In the Twinkling of an Eye, as well as his forthcoming novel The Traitor’s Tale.

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk with Toby Harnden about his new book, First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11. The conversation begins with Toby's inspiration to write about this incredible story, including his interactions with the former CIA officers on Team Alpha. They then discuss how the eight CIA officers on Team Alpha were dropped into the mountains of northern Afghanistan on October 17, 2001 to take down Al-Qaeda. Team Alpha, an eclectic band of linguists, tribal experts, and elite warriors, are the first Americans to operate inside Taliban territory and this episode digs into their backgrounds and experiences in Afghanistan, as well as looking at the Afghan leaders they interacted with on the ground.  

In this episode, Dr. Ken Dekleva returns for a conversation on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ken, who served as a Regional Medical Officer/Psychiatrist with the State Department,  dissects Vladimir Putin's formative experiences and core characteristics, as well as Putin's inner circle.  Dr. Dekleva digs into what he sees as happening with Putin’s leadership during the Ukraine-Russia War, and provides his input on why he doesn’t think Putin “has lost it”. He also discusses his assessment of other world leaders involved with the conflict, including Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.  You can listen to Dr. Dekleva’s episode on leadership profiles here.

In this episode, A'ndre talks to Jeff Kosseff, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity Law at the US Naval Academy, about his forthcoming book, The United States of Anonymous: How the First Amendment Shaped Online Speech. Professor Kosseff discusses how the right to anonymity has shaped American values, politics, business, security, and discourse, particularly as technology has enabled people to separate their identities from their communications. 

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk with Admiral (Ret.) Mike Rogers about the cyber aspects of Russia's war against Ukraine.  Admiral Rogers, who served as  NSA Director and CYBERCOM Commander (2014-2018), breaks down Russia's cyber capabilities, how Ukraine can defend itself, and the potential implications of NATO involvement in cyberspace. Admiral Rogers points to Russia's NotPetya cyberattack that crippled Ukraine in 2017 as a baseline to understand what we may see. He also discusses vulnerabilities both within Ukraine and the United States and delves into the importance of information operations during the present conflict. 

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They breakdown where analysts (and Ryan) went wrong, how the offensive has unfolded, and what the next days and weeks may look like. Please check out these Twitter accounts to stay up-to-date on the war:Rob LeeMicheal KofmanChristopher MillerIllia PonomarenkoNeil Hauer