Fault Lines

Today, Les, Martha, and Morgan discuss last week’s assault by the Chinese Coast Guard assault on 10 Vietnamese fishermen near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. Three of the fishermen suffered broken limbs and the rest sustained other injuries, their fishing gear was damaged, and about 4 tons of their catch were sized by the Chinese.  How does this incident impact the United States’ role in the region? What are the economic ramifications of Chinese aggression? Will China change its behavior in the face of growing ties between Indo-Pacific nations in response to its aggressive actions?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://apnews.com/article/china-vietnam-paracel-south-china-sea-d86889dd2fda73499602951ef3056d32 https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/02/asia/vietnam-protest-china-attack-fishermen-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-accuses-china-assaulting-vietnamese-fishermen-south-china-sea-2024-10-04/ https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3926061/allies-partners-conduct-operations-in-south-china-sea/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/03/south-china-sea-underwater-cables/ Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@marthamillerdc@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/WT6v-ZEmBqc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jess, Martha, Morgan, and Les discuss Japan’s new Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, a 67-year-old Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) backbencher, who has grand ideas for Japanese foreign policy including establishing an Asian NATO to deter China, joint management of U.S. bases in Japan, and the United States sharing their nuclear deterrence with Japan. What does Ishiba and his foreign policy ideas mean for U.S.-Japan relations? Are any of Ishiba’s security ideas achievable? How do U.S. partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific perceive our security assurances?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.hudson.org/politics-government/shigeru-ishiba-japans-new-security-era-future-japans-foreign-policy https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/09/29/japans-prime-minister-ishiba-00181546 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/japans-newly-elected-prime-minister-shigeru-ishiba-forms-cabinet-with-emphasis-on-defense https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/incoming-japan-pm-ishibas-asian-nato-idea-test-us-diplomacy-2024-09-27/ https://apnews.com/article/japan-ishiba-us-south-korea-australia-china-73a66e7b2fce8c3847622acf314357e1 https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/08/how-fumio-kishida-shaped-japans-foreign-policy Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@marthamillerdc@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/nkjGUhSO_Xo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Morgan, Jeffrey, and Bishop discuss Tuesday’s missile strikes by Iran against Israel where at least 180 missiles were fired into Israel in what is said to be a retaliation for a series of devastating blows Israel has landed in recent weeks against Hezbollah and other Iranian proxy forces in the Middle East. What happens next? What is the Biden administration’s policy in this conflict? Is Iran an effective actor?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-10-01/israel-s-devastation-of-hezbollah-puts-iran-in-a-corner https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4909053-iran-preparing-missile-attack/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cg4qx62kkxxt?post=asset%3A4edfbeb0-ff7e-4b9c-a412-4f16fb69d23d#post https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3923320/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-irans-missile-strikes-a/ https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-02-2024-7d93f71b7894177b4f9c303671ee55de Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@BishopGarrison@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/NNyS-CkzoKA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Martha, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss the Israeli strike in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, leaving behind a weakened leadership structure dismantled by successive Israeli attacks. Hezbollah’s acting leader, Naim Kassem, has vowed to continue fighting Israel, asserting that these strikes have not diminished their military capabilities.What impact have these strikes had on Hezbollah’s ability to operate effectively? Has Iranian influence waned as a result? How might the upcoming U.S. election affect its influence on key actors in the region?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-beirut-nasrallah-israel-airstrike-dahiyeh-7ebf675d75e4d49c7b307864cdbc7dc1 https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-30-2024-83ea5f243688f309754ec74850de4238 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hezbollah-misjudged-israels-weakness-and-irans-might-b169e552?mod=world_lead_pos2 https://newlinesmag.com/argument/end-of-an-era-what-hassan-nasrallahs-assassination-spells-for-the-middle-east/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/29/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-hamas-war-news-gaza/ Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@marthamillerdc@morganlroach@NotTVJessJonesLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/yQNMe_GaKfw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Morgan, Martha, Les, and Jeffrey discuss the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and High Level Week, where world leaders come together to debate global challenges. As intractable conflict persists, including Russia’s war on Ukraine to the conflict in the Middle East is the UN equipped to handle today's issues? With despots committing atrocities with impunity, is the UN morally hollow? How can the United States improve the UN to help tackle the larger security issues we face today?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.reuters.com/world/what-is-unga-what-will-world-leaders-talk-about-2024-09-11/ https://www.un.org/en/high-level-week-2024 https://apnews.com/article/un-guterres-summit-future-global-challenges-climate-a7aff1ff5176aafa3cc562021bbf5004 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/24/us/politics/biden-unga-speech.html https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/netanyahu-address-israel-bogged-war-barrels-114067999 Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@marthamillerdc@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/A7L7JCrqYiU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, Matt, and John discuss recent Israeli military strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon following up on their recent operation that included exploding pagers, radios, and some solar panels. These strikes aim to ensure the safety and return of over 60,000 Israelis to their homes in northern Israel which were forced to evacuate due to Hezbollah rocket attacks - but others speculate this might lead to a wider conflict.Does the United States have a strategy to respond to Iranian provocations? Are there differing visions between the U.S. and Israel in the conflict's aims? Will Iran intervene and expand the conflict into a regional war? What does this pivot mean for the hostages in Gaza?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-vast-hezbollah-arsenal-awaiting-israel-in-lebanon-99ce396c https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-lebanonrefugees-displaced-9d4d53e808ce5f67e234789f65d1ad71 https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-24-2024-640a0046aceea1b5cfb395a54ff36bcehttps://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88dbhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/24/israel-lebanon-war-border-hezbollah/ https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/09/24/world/gaza-israel-hamas-hezbollah Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@WMattHayden@JohnCLipseyLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/2vM-BA60Osk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 363: Ayatollah's Algorithm for U.S. ElectionsToday, Jess, Martha, Les, and Morgan discuss Iranian efforts to influence the upcoming presidential election, including Iran’s hack of the Trump campaign and its attempts to share these documents with individuals tied to the Biden campaign. The Biden Administration has moved aggressively in recent weeks to call out this and other operations in hopes of alerting Americans to foreign efforts to influence their views amidst a presidential election.What is Iran’s level of sophistication when it comes to cyber-attacks? With the deepening ties between Russia and Iran, has Russia shared its best practices on election interference with Iran? Is the U.S. government’s transparency regarding election-related attacks beneficial?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/18/fbi-says-iran-sent-hacked-trump-info-to-biden-campaign-00179951 https://apnews.com/article/iran-fbi-hacking-trump-election-interference-2020-3631e1832a8edb549d53126585503f32 https://www.npr.org/2024/08/23/g-s1-19350/meta-iran-hacking-election-trump-harris-biden https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-harris-election-russia-hack-ad5886379e67710e79d83938e52360cc https://apnews.com/article/iran-russia-china-election-disinformation-hacking-ee65e29b866852b146e75c9f3312a1ae Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@marthamillerdc@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/3qn3biqYdC0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Martha, Jess, Les, and Jeffrey discuss this week's detonations of pagers, handheld radios, and solar panels alongside military strikes by Israel against Hezbollah that have rocked Lebanon and thrown ongoing ceasefire talks into disarray. Hezbollah has vowed retribution for these attacks and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed frustration that these attacks threaten to derail efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza.What are the implications of these attacks on wider supply chain security? How did these attacks impact Hezbollah psychologically, and will it have any impact on the ground? Will Iran retaliate against Israel due to these attacks?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/19/hezbollah-pager-attack-supply-chain/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/19/israel-lebanon-attack-explosions-hezbollah/ https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-exploding-devices-hezbollah-mideast-ab2436cf5bae5e2fe2dddb293671a0ac https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-strikes-hezbollah-targets-lebanon-after-two-rounds-device-explosions https://apnews.com/article/gaza-blinken-middle-east-pagers-israel-4d4234bfdac2e49d3bc7c70cfb82a585 https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-yemen-houthis-lebanon-hezbollah-2bf649b0127edfdc65d08e6b68aa3695 Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@marthamillerdcLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/UqWKXVtDDJY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Morgan, Les, Martha, and Jeffrey discuss last Sunday’s marking of the third anniversary of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, also known as AUKUS. They discussed its inception and evolution over three years to accomplish its two pillars of providing Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines; and collaborative development of advanced capabilities in six technological areas such as AI and quantum computing. After three years, what has gone well with AUKUS? What are the regulatory challenges to accomplishing Pillar II? How do our other allies in the Indo-Pacific feel about the impacts of AUKUS?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/on-the-third-aukus-anniversary-a-toast-to-itar-reform-and-a-call-to-keep-going/ https://breakingdefense.com/2024/09/aukus-other-agreements-likely-having-galvanizing-effect-in-beijing-aussie-ambasador/ https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/AUKUS-needs-more-than-submarines-to-make-its-bold-vision-a-reality https://www.csis.org/analysis/aukus-pillar-two-advancing-capabilities-united-states-united-kingdom-and-australia Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@morganlroach@marthamillerdcLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/lzqw6_aBGY8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and Morgan discuss U.S. President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to Angola, fulfilling an earlier promise that would make him the first U.S. head of state to visit sub-Saharan Africa since Barack Obama in 2015. Keen to counter China's massive investments in Africa, the U.S. has been supporting a project that links the resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola's Lobito port by rail to bypass road congestion on the copper and cobalt route.What impact, or lack thereof, does the election have on this trip? Is the United States pulling a play out of China’s playbook with the Lobito Corridor project? How can the U.S. offer a better deal than China in Africa?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-make-first-africa-visit-with-angola-trip-coming-weeks-sources-say-2024-09-13/ https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway/lobito-corridor-connecting-democratic-republic-congo-and-zambia-global-markets-angola_en https://www.usip.org/blog/2024/06/what-africas-lobito-corridor https://afripoli.org/lobito-corridor-a-reality-check https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/09/joint-statement-from-the-united-states-and-the-european-union-on-support-for-angola-zambia-and-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congos-commitment-to-further-develop-the-lobito-corridor-and-the/ https://www.semafor.com/article/11/30/2023/bidens-plans-to-counter-china-run-through-angola Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/3aWZOgauO7k Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.