

Fault Lines
National Security Institute
Fault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America.Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Deputy Executive Director Martha Miller, NSI Senior Fellows Lester Munson and Morgan Viña, and Director of the NSI CTC - Howard University Cybersecurity Clinic Jessica Jones. Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 8, 2023 • 10min
Episode 217: The Biden Doctrine: Let’s Go Backwards
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss an op-ed by Fareed Zakaria that appeared in the Washington Post this weekend. Zakaria dives into his concerns centered on the "Biden Doctrine," and the use of industrial policy to further U.S. government goals.What does the Fault Lines crew think of the doctrine? Is America trying to emulate China’s economic model and if so, why? How can America both continue to innovate while making sure national security needs are being met?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/04/27/remarks-by-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-on-renewing-american-economic-leadership-at-the-brookings-institution/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/05/biden-doctrine-sullivan-protectionism-economy/?itid=sr_1 Follow our experts on Twitter:@jamil_n_jaffer@lestermunson@NotTVJessJonesLike 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.

May 5, 2023 • 9min
Episode 216: The Kremlin’s Dodged Drones
Today, Les, Jess, and special guest host and NSI Senior Fellow Morgan Viña discuss the alleged intercepted drone attacks that occurred over the Kremlin. Russia accused Ukraine of trying to assassinate President Putin, though Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time of the explosions, and Kyiv has denied any involvement. Yesterday, Russia blamed the U.S. for the attack on the Kremlin and said that Washington has “direct involvement” in the war in Ukraine.What does the Fault Lines crew think of the explosions? Is Russia wise to publicize the attack? Do the attacks on the Kremlin help or hurt Russian morale?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/03/world/europe/russia-kremlin-drone-explosions.htmlhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-accuses-u-s-of-helping-kyiv-to-plan-kremlin-attack-ef2e2b05 Follow our experts on Twitter:@morganlroach@lestermunson@NotTVJessJonesLike 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.

May 3, 2023 • 7min
Episode 215: Haiti Somehow Gets Worse
Today, Les, Jamil, and special guest host and NSI Senior Fellow Morgan Viña discuss how a dozen gang members were lynched by ordinary Haitians who were fed up with the gangland violence that has engulfed their country. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for an international peacekeeping force, saying that the violence is comparable to countries in armed conflict. Why is President Biden ignoring Haiti? Who should take the lead in forming an international peacekeeping force? Will the crisis in Haiti be exploited by a global adversary?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haitian-residents-lynch-set-fire-suspected-gang-members-2023-04-24/ https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/25/americas/haiti-gang-suspects-attacked-intl-latam/index.html Follow our experts on Twitter:@morganlroach@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.

May 1, 2023 • 8min
Episode 214: Sudan Crisis: Americans Remain At Risk
Today, Les, Jamil, and special guest host and NSI Senior Fellow Morgan Viña discuss how ten-thousand Americans citizens and green card holders—many of them dual-U.S. and Sudanese nationals—are currently stuck in the middle of Sudan’s growing civil war with limited routes for escape.What should the U.S. government be doing now about Americans still stranded in Sudan? Why have the Europeans and international orgs, like the U.N., been more effective than the U.S. at getting their people out? How will this growing civil war play out? Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://apnews.com/article/sudan-americans-biden-white-house-evacuation-993ef30bf43320023dc7d8d5ee202bcf https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/armed-us-drones-escort-evacuation-american-citizens-war-torn-sudan-rcna82130 Follow our experts on Twitter:@morganlroach@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.

Apr 28, 2023 • 9min
Episode 213: Is Nuclear Diplomacy as Easy as American Pie? 🥧
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss this week’s meeting between President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, during which President Biden promised to include South Korea more substantially in strategic planning in the event of a nuclear conflict with North Korea.What are the consequences of abandoning the notion of a “denuclearized” Korean peninsula? How much of this announcement was about China? How will the regime in Pyongyang respond?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/us/politics/biden-korea-nuclear-weapons.html https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/26/biden-south-korea-president-nuclear-deterrence/11705727002/ Follow our experts on Twitter:@NotTVJessJones@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.

Apr 26, 2023 • 8min
Episode 212: Hanging Chad
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss reports stemming from recent intelligence leaks which point to the threats Chad, an important security partner to the U.S., is facing. Documents describe efforts by Russia’s Wagner Group to recruit rebels from Chad and establish a training site for fighters in the neighboring Central African Republic as part of an evolving plot to topple the Chadian government.How widespread and dangerous is the Wagner Group’s presence on the African continent? How can the U.S. counter Wagner activity on the African continent? Does the Fault Lines crew foresee strikes on Wagner?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/23/wagner-russia-africa-leaked-documents/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-intelligence-points-to-wagner-plot-against-key-western-ally-in-africa-29867547 Follow our experts on Twitter:@NotTVJessJones@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.

Apr 24, 2023 • 8min
Episode 211: Let’s Go to Syria
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the Washington Post’s story that Ukraine was planning attacks against Russian forces in Syria. According to documents in the Jack Teixeira leak, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency was considering multiple ways to attack Russian forces in Syria, particularly focused on the Wagner Group, Russia’s mercenary company.Is the Teixeira leak more damaging than we originally assessed? Could expanding the battlefield be beneficial to Ukraine? Should the Biden Administration be more concerned about information security?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!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/2023/04/20/russia-ukraine-war-syria-attacks/ https://news.usni.org/2023/04/17/feds-investigating-former-sailor-behind-pro-russian-donbass-devushka-accounts Follow our experts on Twitter:@NotTVJessJones@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.

Apr 21, 2023 • 7min
Episode 210: Corruption and Collective Security
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s surprise visit to Kiev. During Secretary General Stoltenberg’s visit, he said, “Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” his strongest statement about the relationship between Ukraine and NATO since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began nearly 14 months ago.What does the Fault Lines crew think will be Ukraine’s fate with NATO? Will the U.S. partake in a collective defense commitment for Ukraine? Should wartime support to Ukraine and NATO membership be kept separate?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-defence-minister-now-is-not-time-discuss-ukraine-nato-membership-2023-04-20/ https://www.newsweek.com/nato-should-beg-ukraine-join-russia-war-diplomat-1795075 Follow our experts on Twitter:@NotTVJessJones@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.

Apr 19, 2023 • 8min
Episode 209: The New Peace Club
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss Brazilian President Lula’s recent visit to Beijing and Russian Minister Sergei Lavror's visit to Brazil, and the feather ruffling all of this has caused. When meeting with China’s Xi Jinping, Lula suggested that both Ukraine and Russia were responsible for the conflict, as well as called for China’s territorial integrity to be respected with regards to Taiwan.What do we make of Brazil’s many diplomatic overtures? Is Brazil’s “peace club” actually going to increase its international standing? What should the U.S. do stop Lula from cozying up to China and Russia?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://apnews.com/article/brazil-russia-lula-lavrov-putin-42c7c46fa629d98b2029aa1ff44a89b6 https://www.reuters.com/world/china-brazil-reset-ties-with-tech-environment-accords-agree-ukraine-2023-04-14/ Follow our experts on Twitter:@NotTVJessJones@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.

Apr 17, 2023 • 9min
Episode 208: Civil War in Sudan?
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss violence that broke out in Sudan over the weekend. Forces loyal to Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan are battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo – who has also has ties to Russian military forces, including the Wagner Group.Are there U.S. interests at stake? What should the U.S. response be? Should the U.S. be worried about Sudanese ties to China and Russia?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:https://www.npr.org/2023/04/16/1170289462/sudans-army-and-rsf-are-doing-battle-leaving-56-civilians-dead https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/16/africa/sudan-military-clashes-explained-intl/index.html Follow our experts on Twitter:@NotTVJessJones@lestermunson@jamil_n_jafferLike 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.


