
FDD Events Podcast
Listen in on FDD Events featuring discussions on today’s most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges and opportunities with top policymakers and leading experts. Webpage: https://www.fdd.org/events/
Latest episodes

Feb 14, 2025 • 26min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. MG (Ret.) Tal Kelman (Feb. 14)
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation between Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD's Center on Military & Political Power (CMPP), and IDF Major General (Ret.) Tal Kelman, who was tasked with overseeing Israel's "Iran file" during his service.Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Feb 12, 2025 • 21min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Ed Husain (Feb. 12)
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ed Husain, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a professor at Georgetown University. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Feb 10, 2025 • 1h 10min
Turkey’s Neo-Ottoman Resurgence
Over the last two months, Turkey has thrown its weight behind Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the victorious Syrian rebel group who ousted Bashar al-Assad’s government from power. Westen countries have labeled HTS a terrorist organization – yet, despite HTS’s jihadi roots, Turkey has argued the group is capable of establishing a state that brings law and order and is dedicated to serving Syria’s diverse population. For Syrian Kurds and other communities opposed to HTS governance, Erdogan’s embrace of the Sunni government foreshadows a grim future where Turkey is the dominant foreign power in Syria. For Turkey’s neighbors, Western allies, and fellow NATO members, Erdogan’s actions are a warning sign that Turkey is trying to fundamentally restructure and reshape regional boundaries.In light of its ambitions for the Middle East and Arab world, how can Turkey’s expansionist ambitions be best understood? What are the potential consequences for Turkey’s neighbors in the Mediterranean? Will Turkey’s NATO status mean less as the U.S. changes its relationship with the alliance? Can Turkey be trusted to be an honest power in Syria, or will Turkey’s dreams yield a new sphere of influence?To explore these questions, FDD hosts a sideline session during the 6th Annual Delphi Economic Forum featuring the Cohen Chair in International Relations at Lehigh University and adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations Henri J. Barkey; FDD Non-Resident Fellow and expert on Turkish domestic politics, Sinan Ciddi; former Minister of Migration and Asylum of Greece and current member of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel-US Interparliamentary Committee Dimitris Kairidis; and FDD Executive Vice President Jon Schanzer. The panel will be moderated by Lena Argiri, Washington Correspondent for Greek Public TV (ERT), with introductions by Endy Zemenides, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/category/events/

Feb 10, 2025 • 23min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Josh Hammer (Feb. 10)
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Feb 7, 2025 • 23min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) | Feb. 7
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Feb 5, 2025 • 25min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Eyal Zisser (Feb. 5)
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Professor Eyal Zisser, Middle East expert and Vice Rector of Tel Aviv University.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

5 snips
Feb 3, 2025 • 25min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Rageh Omaar and Jonathan Conricus (Feb. 3)
Rageh Omaar, a seasoned journalist and International Affairs Editor for ITV News, joins former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus for an in-depth analysis of the Middle East's evolving conflict dynamics. They explore Iran's new ballistic missile capabilities and the concerns surrounding Qatar's role with Palestinian prisoners. The discussion shifts to the Horn of Africa, dissecting colonial legacies and geopolitical alliances, while also examining the influence of media narratives, particularly the evolution of Al Jazeera, on regional tensions.

Jan 31, 2025 • 24min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Gen (Ret.) Mike Minihan (Jan. 31)
RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD's Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, fills in for Jon Schanzer on the FDD Morning Brief. He delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with retired U.S. Air Force General Mike Minihan.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Jan 29, 2025 • 20min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Seth Frantzman (Jan. 29)
FDD Senior Fellow David Daoud delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Seth Frantzman, Senior Middle East Correspondent and Analyst at The Jerusalem Post and an FDD adjunct fellow.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Jan 27, 2025 • 27min
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Gidi Grinstein (Jan. 27)
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Gidi Grinstein, founder and president of Reut Group and Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM).Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief