Fault Lines

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Les and John interviewed Matthew Pottinger. Pottinger is the current Chairman for the China Program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD). Previously, Pottinger served in the White House for four years, in senior roles within the National Security Council, including serving as Deputy National Security Advisor from 2019-2021. Pottinger is credited with playing a key role in changing how the United States approaches China and raised awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to influence and interfere with U.S. institutions, including academia, the tech sector, and Wall Street. Are global repressors, including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, really an “axis” of rogue regimes? How far does their collaboration go? Does the U.S. and its allies have the capacity to deal with these rogue regimes as well as managing the hot spots around the globe? Can, and should, the U.S. decouple from China? If so, how far can this de-coupling go? Stay tuned for more of this Special Series at RNDF on Confronting the New Alliance of Global Repressors this week on Fault Lines! These are discussions you don’t want to miss! Follow our experts on Twitter:  @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jamil, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss the upcoming Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF). This forum brings together the top U.S. defense and national security leaders from across the country to discuss and debate how the U.S. can lead the world in an era of increasingly complex challenges and opportunities. During RNDF, NSI and the Fault Lines crew will be recording live, conducting a series of interviews with bipartisan national security and technology leaders to discuss the growing collaboration between global repressor states such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, as well as the critical importance of emerging technology and innovation to American national security.Stay tuned for Fault Lines: RNDF Global Repressors Series going live next week! These are discussions you don’t want to miss!Follow our experts on Twitter: @notTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunson@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jamil, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss the failed coup that took place in Sierra Leone on Sunday, November 26. The coup attempt comes after a contentious election in June in which President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term and on the heels of increased tensions in the West African region, highlighted by the eight military takeovers since 2020, including most recently in Niger and Gabon.Should the U.S. be worried about the high number of coups?  How must and should the Biden Administration readjust foreign assistance in the region in light of these developments?  Are there larger forces in play and are outside actors like Russia’s Wagner Group or China fostering regional instability?https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/28/world/africa/sierra-leone-arrests-attempted-coup.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67541285 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/26/sierra-leone-curfew-army-barracks-attack https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sierra-leone-information-minister-says-weekend-attack-was-failed-coup-2023-11-28/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/28/sierra-leone-attacks-were-a-failed-coup-attempt-officials-sayhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/11/27/africa/sierra-leone-military-barracks-foiled-attack-ignites-fears-over-coup-attempt/index.htmlhttps://www.africanews.com/2023/11/28/coup-attempt-in-sierra-leone-authorities/ Follow our experts on Twitter: @notTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunson@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jes, Les, and Jamil discuss the Argentinian presidential elections where the self-styled “anarcho-capitalist” candidate Javier Milei rode a wave of voter anger – including over skyrocketing inflation and national poverty rate of 40% - to claim victory. Milei has proposed dollarizing the economy, ditching the central bank, shrinking the federal government, and downgrading ties with Brazil and China. Can President-Elect Milei achieve his promises without strong allies across government? What does the election of Milei mean for democratic norms in Latin America? Can Argentina distance truly themselves from China?https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67509691https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/21/argentina-milei-election-latin-america/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-11-25/milei-s-softer-tone-shows-how-much-argentina-needs-chinahttps://apnews.com/article/milei-argentina-president-privatization-1a87d02035511982ab620104b9feb255https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-tells-argentinas-president-elect-javier-milei-he-plans-to-visit-buenos-aireshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/25/argentina-milei-libertarian-agenda-history/ Follow our experts on Twitter: @notTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunsonLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jamil, Les, and Morgan discuss the recent Washington Post story in which anonymous Defense Department officials express frustration with what they consider an incoherent strategy by the Biden Administration for countering attacks by Iranian proxies on US forces in Iraq and Syria.  “There’s no clear definition of what we are trying to deter,” said one defense official.  In an oped over the weekend, President Biden attempted to outline his foreign policy in the wake of the War in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas War without once mentioning Iran. What should U.S. deterrence policy look like? Is our current strategy effective at preventing a wider conflict? and How do we ensure U.S. personnel are safe overseas?Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/11/19/iranian-proxy-attacks-us-troops/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/iranian-proxies-continue-targeting-us-troops-syria-iraq-total-since-pentagonhttps://thehill.com/opinion/international/4314271-the-u-s-is-finally-hitting-back-at-irans-murderous-proxies/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/esper-us-military-strikes-against-iranian-proxies-syria https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/18/joe-biden-gaza-hamas-putin/Follow our experts on Twitter: @jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunson@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jamil, Les, and Morgan discuss the meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at APEC 2023 in San Francisco, the first face-to-face meeting in over a year and Xi’s first visit to the U.S. in six years. The talks aimed to normalize relations at a time when the relationship between the U.S. in China has been fraught with tension. Topics discussed during the summit included re-establishing military-to-military communications, stopping fentanyl precursors from being shipped to the US, and sending us more pandas! Shortly after the summit, though, President Biden (accurately) referred to President Xi as a dictator and many issues, including Chinese threats to Taiwan and IP theft and US export controls.Was this summit all talk, or will we see a real reset? Is China’s effort to force the US to support reunification likely to make things more tense?  Should we take a harder line with China diplomatically?Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion: https://www.npr.org/2023/11/16/1213401317/did-biden-and-chinas-xi-hit-a-reset-not-quite-but-they-did-agree-on-a-few-thingshttps://thehill.com/policy/international/4313668-xi-gets-standing-ovation-at-banquet-with-us-executives/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/us/politics/biden-xi-china-power-balance.htmlhttps://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/16/biden-xi-dictator-00127548Follow our experts on Twitter: @jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunson@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, and Morgan discuss the third U.S. air strike in Syria, which occurred late on Sunday. These strikes come after at least 40 attacks against U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces in recent weeks. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III told reporters, "These attacks must stop, and if they don't stop, then we won't hesitate to do what's necessary, again, to protect the troops." Austin said the latest air strikes in targeted facilities used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and related groups.Will the U.S. continue or ramp up strikes against Iranian-back proxies? Will these strikes effectively deter attacks on U.S. and coalition personnel? Is the Biden Administration overly concerned with potentially escalating the conflict?Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/11/12/us-airstrikes-iran-syria/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us-hints-more-strikes-unless-iran-linked-groups-halt-attacks-2023-11-13/ Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@notTVJessJones@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 275: Beijing-Biden Bay Area ShowdownToday, Les, Morgan and Andy discuss the APEC Summit that will be taking place in San Francisco, CA. The big news is that there will be a face-to-face meeting between President Biden, and China’s President Xi Jinping. However, China has been aggressive in the South China Sea, flying within 10 feet of American pilots, distracting American pilots with lasers, and conducting aggressive cyber-attacks against the U.S, and yet the Biden administration is advocating for stronger US-China military-military (mil-mil) relationship. Are better mil-mil communications a ‘win’ for the Biden Administration? What are the Biden Administration’s achievements with negotiating with China ahead of the APEC Summit? What will the Biden Administration be able to achieve with President Biden’s and President Xi’s face-to-face meeting?Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion: https://www.wsj.com/world/china/what-it-took-to-get-biden-and-xi-to-the-table-b7a899c9https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/10/us/politics/biden-xi-meeting.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/business/economy/xi-jinping-american-business-leaders-dinner.htmlFollow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@morganlroach@AndyKeiserLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, Jamil, Morgan, and special guest John Lipsey all sit down together - in person! - to discuss America’s stolen pandas and the U.S. Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) recent loan of $550 million to Sri Lanka to support the construction of a deep-water shipping terminal. This loan is a recent example of DFC’s efforts to support the building of global infrastructure, while also supporting U.S. foreign policy. What’s the difference between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and America’s DFC lending? Can the US DFC compete with China’s BRI globally? Should we have let China take back our pandas?Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/news/giant-pandas-depart-smithsonians-national-zoo-and-conservation-biology-institute-for-chinahttps://www.dfc.gov/media/press-releases/dfc-makes-more-91-billion-financial-commitments-fiscal-year-2023https://www.csis.org/analysis/mission-creep-development-finance-corporationhttps://fortune.com/2023/11/08/us-dfc-china-belt-and-road-553m-investment-sri-lanka-colombo-port/Follow our experts on Twitter: @notTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunson@morganlroach@JohnCLipseyLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss Ukrainian President Zelenksy's decision to rule out holding presidential elections next year even though his 5-year term ends in March 2024. With millions displaced internally or abroad, hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting on the frontlines, and the country under constant threat of Russian attacks, the possibility of administering a free, safe, and secure election seems nearly impossible.Is it possible to administer an election without U.S. aid to Ukraine? Will the absence of democratic elections in Ukraine erode already decreasing support in Congress to provide more aid? Will Zelensky foes use his decision to attack him and Ukraine's commitment to democracy?Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion: https://thehill.com/policy/international/4296123-ukraine-russia-war-volodymyr-zelensky-not-the-right-time-elections/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-birthday-grenade-b1b82e4f84eb5a39286d1500cf49fcd1https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/11/07/exp-zelensky-ukraine-elections-110704aseg1-cnni-world.cnnhttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/05/world/europe/ukraine-zelensky-elections-war.htmlhttps://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/democracy-and-society/elections-in-times-of-war-6980/Follow our experts on Twitter: @notTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunson@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.