Diplomatic Immunity

Season 6, Episode 3. For this season’s theme, we’ll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia’s invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We’ll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. For our third episode, Kelly talks with John Heffern and Alper Coşkun, both former ambassadors serving in the U.S. and Turkish governments, respectively.  John Heffern is a former State Department official who retired in 2018 after 36 years in the foreign service, including as deputy chief of mission at the United States mission to NATO in Brussels, and as acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs after postings in Japan, Malaysia, China, and the Ivory Coast, and as US ambassador to Armenia. He joined ISD as a senior state department fellow in 2017. Alper Coşkun leads the Türkiye and the World project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on Turkish foreign policy. He retired from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs after 32 years, culminating in an appointment as director general for international security affairs from 2016-2019 after postings in Athens, Moscow, the United States, as Deputy permanent representative to NATO, and as ambassador to Azerbaijan. We encourage listeners to check out his regular analyses for CEIP's Türkiye and the World program. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on November 21, 2023. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. 

In Diplomatic Immunity's new format, Headlines and History, we take listeners through a roundup of the most important headlines you may have missed in foreign policy and diplomacy, and take a deep dive into our most pressing topic with an expert conversation. Each week, we will alternate between Headlines and History and our regular Diplomatic Immunity format. In our third episode, we discuss the recent Biden-Xi meeting in San Francisco, elections in Liberia and Argentina, increasing violence in Sudan, and we talk with Georgetown's Rita Konaev for an update on Ukraine's counteroffensive Dr. Margarita Konaev is deputy director of analysis and a research fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, where she focuses on military applications of AI and Russian military innovation. She is also an adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security. RITA previously served as a non-resident fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point and has held post-doctoral fellowships at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, and at the University of Pennsylvania. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: November 21, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 6, Episode 2. For this season’s theme, we’ll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia’s invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We’ll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. For our second episode, Kelly talks with oil markets expert Gregory Brew. In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion, energy prices skyrocketed worldwide. Reminiscent of previous energy shocks, it caused political consternation around the world and especially in Russian energy-dependent Europe. Greg and Kelly discuss Europe’s effort to wean itself away from Russian gas, and the larger geopolitical consequences of energy shocks. Gregory is an analyst with the Eurasia Group's Energy, Climate & Resources team focusing on the geopolitics of oil and gas, and he serves as Eurasia Group's country analyst for Iran. Greg is a historian of modern Iran, oil, and US foreign policy, and has authored multiple books on the history of modern Iran and the international oil market and has published analysis and commentary in Foreign Affairs, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post. Greg holds both Doctorate and Masters degrees in history from Georgetown University. We encourage listeners to check out his latest book, The Struggle for Iran: Oil, Autocracy, and the Cold War, published in January 2023. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: November 10, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. 

In Diplomatic Immunity's new format, Headlines and History, we take listeners through a roundup of the most important headlines you may have missed in foreign policy and diplomacy, and take a deep dive into our most pressing topic with an expert conversation. Each week, we will alternate between Headlines and History and our regular Diplomatic Immunity format. In our second episode, we discuss Gavin Newson's subnational diplomacy in China, the US-China nuclear talks, the Biden administration's efforts to court island nations in the South Pacific, and talk with Professor Andrew Imbrie for an update on recent AI policy developments. Andrew Imbrie is an associate professor of the practice and the Gracias Chair in security and emerging technology at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology. He previously served as senior advisor on cyber policy to the US ambassador to the UN, and as Secretary of State John Kerry’s speechwriter. We strongly recommend listeners check out his latest book, The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI, co-authored with Ben Buchanan. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: November 6, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 6, Episode 1. For this season’s theme, we’ll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia’s invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We’ll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed.  In our first episode, we speak to former Deputy and Acting CIA Director Michael Morell on the impact of intelligence as a tool of diplomacy and foreign policy. President Biden and his national security team were warning us about Putin’s intentions all the way up to the day of the invasion of Ukraine, using selective intelligence releases to showcase Putin’s malign intentions and lay bare the falsehoods he used to justify his attack. Host Kelly McFarland discusses this phenomenon and its impact on foreign policy with Morell, who hosts his own podcast, Intelligence Matters - The Relaunch. Morell is the chairman of the risk analysis firm Beacon Global Strategies and a professor at George Mason University. He previously served for 33 years in the CIA, including as George W. Bush’s daily intelligence briefer on September 11. He went on to become deputy CIA director in the Obama administration and served twice as acting director in 2011 and from 2012 to 2013. He now also hosts his own podcast – Intelligence Matters – which we encourage listeners to check out.  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: October 24, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

In Diplomatic Immunity's new format, Headlines and History, we take listeners through a roundup of the most important headlines you may have missed in foreign policy and diplomacy, and take a deep dive into our most pressing topic with an expert conversation. Each week, we will alternate between Headlines and History and our regular Diplomatic Immunity format. In our first episode, we discuss the recent elections in Liberia and Poland as well as Russia's failed attempt to reclaim its spot on the UN's Human Rights Council, and talk with Professor Daniel Byman for an update on the situation in Gaza. Daniel Byman is a senior fellow with the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a professor at Georgetown University, where he serves as director of the Security Studies Program. He serves part-time as an advisor to the State Department on its International Security Advisory Board. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: October 23, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.  

Season 5, Episode 8: Our tour through the many fora of multilateral diplomacy is coming to an end. To help us wrap up season five, ISD's own Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis and Tressa Finerty join Dr. Kelly McFarland to explore key themes, re-examine the tough questions, and look forward to the future of consensus-driven multilateral diplomacy. Ambassador (ret.) Jeffrey DeLaurentis is currently Acting Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations. During his 28-year career in the Foreign Service,  he worked almost exclusively on Western Hemisphere issues and served as a multilateral diplomat at the United Nations. He served as the first Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana following the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. Prior to taking up his Cuba post in August 2014, he was Ambassador/Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Previously, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs and Security Council Coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and Columbia University Graduate School of International and Public Affairs. Tressa Rae Finerty is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with more than twenty years of experience at the Department of State, most recently serving as Deputy Executive Secretary. A specialist in multilateral diplomatic engagement and negotiation, Tressa led teams at U.S. Missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.  An expert in humanitarian and refugee policy, she taught courses on international refugee practices at NYU, led emergency humanitarian operations to welcome freed politician prisoners from Nicaragua in 2023, and created the Dulles Afghan Refugee Transit Center, which rapidly brought nearly fifty thousand Afghans to safety in 2021.  She built the first-ever in-country refugee processing center, for Iraqis fleeing the war there (2008-9). Tressa has also served at U.S. embassies in Malaysia, Iraq, Armenia, and Thailand, in Washington in the office for North Korea Policy, and as a board member of Executive Women @ State, supporting women for senior leadership positions.   Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Tressa was a business strategy and change management consultant.  She holds a BA and MBA from The George Washington University and is a member of the Board of Directors of Up With People, an international youth leadership organization.     As a disclaimer that our listeners know well - The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of Jeff and Tressa and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Government.   Episode recorded: May 2, 2023 Produced by Daniel Henderson Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.  

Season 5, episode 7. The United Nations Security Council tends to capture the headlines, but throughout the United Nations system are dozens of organizations and agencies that make a substantial difference in our everyday lives. From standardizing rules around flight to providing data that shape global policy, these institutions are often the unsung heroes of the UN. Given ISD's work on food security, we wanted to highlight the work of one such organization - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). So, for this episode, we chatted with Deputy Director General of the FAO Beth Bechdol. Beth talked about the role the FAO plays in collecting crucial data and providing programmatic expertise, how innovation and partnerships enhance their work, and how Russia's invasion of Ukraine affects their efforts to end hunger.   Beth is responsible for FAO’s partnership and outreach work, including UN collaboration, resource mobilization, private sector engagement, and South-South and triangular cooperation. She oversees plant production and protection programs, FAO’s technical advisory committee on agriculture and the International Plant Protection Convention Secretariat. Before joining FAO, Beth was President and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. Prior to this, she served as a Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as an Economist on the Senate Agriculture Committee.   For more on global food security and policy recommendations to enhance it, check out ISD's working group and related publications and research on the topic here. (https://isd.georgetown.edu/2021/08/24/peace-through-food-ending-the-hunger-instability-nexus/)   Episode recorded: May 17, 2023 Produced by Daniel Henderson Episode Image: A view of the FAO office taken from the Circus Maximus. Photo Beto on iStock Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.  

Season 5, episode 6: Blue helmets have become one of the most visible signs of the UN in the world. These peacekeepers are sent where often nobody else wants to go and asked to accomplish what nobody else often will. After 70 years of service, UN peacekeeping has seen its successes and its well-publicized failures. So in this episode, we took a more thematic approach to multilateralism to look at the role that peacekeeping plays. When did it begin and why? How has it evolved over the years and how effective has it been? How might it change still to meet today's challenges? We discussed these questions and more with peacekeeping expert and Georgetown colleague, Dr. Lise Howard. Lise Morjé Howard is Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University and President of the Academic Council on the United Nations System. Her research and teaching interests span the fields of international relations, comparative politics, and conflict resolution. She has published articles and book chapters about civil wars, peacekeeping, and American foreign policy in many leading journals such as International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, International Peacekeeping, Global Governance, Foreign Affairs, and Oxford University Press. Her book UN Peacekeeping in Civil Wars (Cambridge University Press 2008), about organizational learning, won the 2010 book award from the Academic Council on the UN System. Her recent book, Power in Peacekeeping (Cambridge University Press 2019) is based on field research in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, and Namibia. It won the 2021 book award from the International Security Studies Section of the International Studies Association.  Dr. Howard earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from UC, Berkeley, and her A.B. in Soviet Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University. She has held yearlong fellowships at Stanford University, Harvard University, and the U.S. Institute of Peace. Dr. Howard is fluent in French and Russian, and speaks some Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Spanish, and German. Prior to her career in academia, she served as Acting Director of UN Affairs for the New York City Commission for the United Nations.   More of Dr. Howard's recent Work: Power in Peacekeeping (Cambridge University Press 2019) "The Extraordinary Relationship between Peacekeeping and Peace," Cambridge University Press, November 2020 "The Astonishing Success of Peacekeeping," Foreign Affairs, November 2021. "The Case for a Security Guarantee for Ukraine," Foreign Affairs, March 2023   Episode recorded: December 12, 2022   Produced by Daniel Henderson   Episode Image: Simulation exercise of a team of Egyptian blue helmets entirely composed of women in Douentza, in the Mopti region. UN Mission in Mali on Flickr   Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs   Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.    Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.    For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.  

Bonus: What, exactly, is AI? What are its applications? Why does it matter for national security and geopolitics? Will machines rise up and destroy us all?! Fellow Hoya Andrew Imbrie discussed these questions and more in a fascinating conversation on his new book, co-authored with Ben Buchannon, titled The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI. Come for the Terminator and Matthew Broderick references, but stay for the essential information Imbrie provides on the future of AI and national security!    Andrew Imbrie is an Associate Professor of the Practice and the Gracias Chair in Security and Emerging Technology at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is also an Affiliate at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to his current role, he served as a senior advisor on cyber and emerging technology policy at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. He worked previously as a Senior Fellow at CSET, where he focused on issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence and international security and served as an advisor to the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. From 2013 to 2017, he served as a member of the policy planning staff and speechwriter to Secretary John Kerry at the U.S. Department of State. He has also worked as a professional staff member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He received his B.A. in the humanities from Connecticut College and his M.A. from the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations from Georgetown University. His writings have appeared in such outlets as Foreign Affairs, War on the Rocks, Lawfare, Survival, Defense One, and On Being. His first book is Power on the Precipice: The Six Choices America Faces in a Turbulent World (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020). Andrew grew up as the son of a U.S. Foreign Service officer and now resides in Maryland with his wife Teresa Eder, a foreign policy analyst, journalist, and producer.   Buy The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI here. (https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262046541/the-new-fire/)   Episode recorded: December 2, 2022   Produced by Daniel Henderson   Episode Image: The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI cover [MIT Press]   Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs   Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.    Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.