The Burn Bag Podcast

In this special episode, we chatted with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) about the Trump Administration's response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Senator's legislative work on cyber-security, and the debate around federal funding for law enforcement. Senator Hassan,  a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, also discusses her view on the recent actions by DHS and other federal agencies that sought to quell the civil unrest seen in Portland and other cities. We also dig deep into the Senator's work on addressing the opioid crisis, an issue that has rippled through her home state New Hampshire and the country overall. 

In this episode, we talk with former Indian Ambassador Arun Singh to dissect the current US-India relationship. We assess the relationship under the Trump Administration and the Modi Government, and what the relationship may look like if a Biden Administration is inaugurated in January. We also cover the deepening rift between India and China in the aftermath of the skirmishes at the border Sino-Indian border at Ladakh, how India may try to counter China's growing sphere of influence in South and Southeast Asia, and whether the rift means a closer US-India relationship. We also touch briefly on how Pakistan fits into the bilateral relationship, and whether any diplomatic complications may arise due to events in Kashmir.

In this episode, we talked with Frank Rose, Brookings Senior Fellow and co-director of the Security and Strategy team, about US space operations and the establishment of the Space Force. We dove into the thinking of space as a military domain, existing international frameworks regulating (or not regulating) the use of space and space weaponry, and how space will factor into great power competition between the United States, and Russia and China. We also dig into the commercial space race, and how public-private partnerships may be an avenue for future space operations as the US Government continues to advance its interests in space, parallel to the success of companies such as SpaceX. Before working at Brookings, Frank Rose previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, and prior to that was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Space and Defense Policy.

In this episode, we talked with former US Ambassador Ian Kelly about the history and current status of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Ambassador Kelly, who also served as US Co-Chair of the Minsk Group, discusses the significance of the contested region to Armenia and Azerbaijan, how regional players such as Turkey, Russia, and Iran are involved, and what international actors should do to bring about a ceasefire. 

In this episode, we spoke with former NSC Senior Director Javed Ali about the security implications of COVID-19, domestic terror threats, and election security. We also discussed the politicization of intelligence and controversial actions by the Department of Homeland Security. 

In this episode, we interviewed former UK National Security Advisor Sir Mark Lyall Grant about a range of topics seeking to understand Britain's position in the current geopolitical context, especially in the aftermath of Brexit. We dig deep into several issues affecting key regions, stretching from Europe into South and East Asia, including Britain's relationship with countries such as Russia and Pakistan, the Diego Garcia issue, and of course the special relationship between Britain and the United States, especially during the Trump Era. Moreover, we assess Sir Grant's take on the rise of China, having conversations on the recent unrest in Hong Kong, a growing Chinese presence in South Asia, and more. Lastly, we seek to understand the security implications of Brexit and the impact of COVID-19 on these issues.

In this episode, we talked with former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, about Russia's domestic politics, foreign interventions, and relations with the United States. We touch on the recent poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, developments in Belarus, Russian goals in the Middle East, and the implications of New START expiring and the broader arms control landscape. Additionally, Ambassador Beyrle shares a fascinating personal story about his father, that helped shape his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Russia from 2008 to 2012. 

In this special episode, we reflect on the tragic events of 9/11 with journalist and author Garrett Graff. We framed the conversation around Garrett's bestselling book, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, which brings together transcripts, declassified documents, and first-hand perspectives to provide a minute-by-minute account of the September 11 attacks.

In this episode of The Burn Bag Podcast, we interviewed Dr. Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow and Director of Research with the Foreign Policy team at the Brookings Institution, about NATO, defense spending, great power competition, and the nuclear playing field. Dr. O'Hanlon offers a 'grade' for the Trump Administration's foreign policy performance, the planned removal of US troops from Germany, and what shifts in foreign policy may or may not occur with a new Biden Administration or a second Trump Administration. Dr. O'Hanlon is the author of many books, including The Senkaku Paradox: Risking Great Power War Over Limited Stakes and Beyond NATO: A New Security Architecture for Eastern Europe.

In this episode, we talk with former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell about his career in the agency, including being with President Bush on 9/11 and playing a leading role in the planning and execution of the bin Laden raid. We also discuss common myths about the agency and significant threats facing the United States.