Fault Lines

Fault Lines welcomes Rachel Bovard, Senior Director of Policy at the Conservative Partnership Institute. Is restraint the new watch word in foreign policy? What do Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul have in common? Does anyone really understand Senate procedure? Rachel and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on A...

As the song says, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here! Before his imminent departure, President Trump flexed his muscles by firing Secretary of Defense Esper and claiming that the election was stolen. Les, Loren, Jamil, and first time guest Dr. Andrea Little Limbago, NSI Senior Fellow and Vice President of Research and Analysis at Interos, discuss how these moves impa...

Fault Lines welcomes Max Bergmann, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and co-author of a new report “The First 100 Days: Toward a More Sustainable and Values-Based National Security Approach”. What will a President Biden do on Foreign Policy? How will his foreign policy be impacted by a Republican-held Senate? Is America really moving away from counter-terrorism?&nbsp...

This week, Americans are headed to the polls but foreign policy hasn’t played a big part in the campaign conversation. Les, Jamil, Jodi, and special guest Bishop Garrison, NSI Visiting Fellow and Director of National Security Outreach at Human Rights First come together in front of a live audience to discuss the foreign policies of the candidates and what national security issues will be faci...

Fault Lines welcomes Ambassador Atul Keshap, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. What are the trends to follow in the region? How should the United States be responding to the challenge of China? How is the relationship with Japan evolving under a new prime minister? Ambassador Keshap and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and man...

The most contentious election in history is less than two weeks away, but Fault Lines is stepping out of our normal partisan foxholes to talk about the importance of bipartisanship in national security and foreign policy. Les, Jamil, Dana, and returning guest Andrew Borene discuss the past, present, and potential future of working across the aisle to protect Americans and advance America's interes...

Fault Lines welcomes Chris Brose, former Staff Director of the Senate Armed Service Committee and author of the recent book The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare .  How are emerging technologies changing warfare? What can be done to fix the broken defense acquisitions process? How does the rise of China change American grand strategy?  Chris and host Jamil...

The United Nations turns 75 but celebrations are muted as coronavirus has prevented the delegates from meeting in person.  Jodi, Jamil, Dana, and returning guest Andy Keiser discuss America's relationship with the UN and whether it is up for the task of taking on the challenges of today.  Should the United States defund the UN? Is China reshaping international institutions in its image?...

Fault Lines welcomes Dr. Jung Pak, senior fellow and the SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies at Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies and author of "Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer’s Insights into North Korea’s Enigmatic Young Dictator." What do we know about what is happening within the hermit kingdom? Is Kim Yo-jong likely to take the lead if Kim Jong Un s...

Turkey and Greece are jostling over natural gas in the Mediterranean and Bob Woodward’s book  Rage  reignites the conversation about America’s stance towards North Korea.  Les, Dana, and Jamil discuss America’s role in settling diplomatic disputes and how to judge the North Korean nuclear question. How should the U.S. project power into the Mediterranean? Can America...

Fault Lines welcomes David Dollar, Senior Fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution. How should we think about the trade deficit with China? Is decoupling possible? How should we think about the Belt and Road Initiative? David and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines! Hosted on Acast....

You wouldn’t know it from the news networks’ obsessive coverage of the American election, but the rest of the world keeps spinning, and there are a lot of developments to keep track of. This week, Dana, Jamil, Jodi, and Less discuss the fallout from the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in Russia and the ongoing democratic transition in Sudan. What should the Trump administration’s response be to t...

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Fault Lines welcomes Jamie Fly, former President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Senior Fellow and Senior Advisor to the President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Why did Jamie’s time at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty come to an abrupt end? Why should Americans continue to support the work of RFERL and its sister stations? How is Chinese and Russian influen...

The UAE and Israel normalize relations, Belarusians are in the streets protesting a stolen election, and Mali is rocked by its second coup in less than a decade. Dana, Jamil, Les, and Loren discuss how these situations impact American politics and America’s standing in the world. Will Saudi Arabia be the next to strike a deal with Israel? Can the United States credibly stand up for...

Fault Lines welcomes Dr. Joseph Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus and former Dean of the Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and author of the recent book  Do Morals Matter?: Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump . What makes a moral foreign policy? What lessons can be learned from the failures of previous Presidents? Can blue jean...

The UAE builds the first civilian nuclear reactor in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia moves down the path to building a nuclear weapon. Dana, Jamil, Jodi, and Les discuss the geopolitical ramifications of a nuclear powered Middle East. Are 123 agreements useful anymore? Will the United States be able to prevent nuclear proliferation? How does china play into all of this? A...

Fault Lines welcomes Jeremy Bash, former Chief of Staff at the CIA and Department of Defense. What are the biggest challenges facing the intelligence community? How has the icy relationship between the President and the Intelligence Community impacted national security? Are trendy dances a national security threat? Jeremy and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many...

Nord Stream 2 is exacerbating the split between the United States and its European Allies. Across the Mediterranean Laurent Gbagbo is acquitted of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Les Munson, Jamil Jaffer, Loren Dealy Mahler, and Andrew Borene discuss how the U.S. should push back against the Russians in Europe and how Americans should think about the IC...

In our second "Better Know a State Department Bureau" series, Fault Lines welcomes Dr. Chris Ford, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation. How should America respond to Russian non-compliance? How can the US work with China to control nuclear proliferation? How does ancient Greek and Roman philosophy play into all of this? Dr. Ford and host...

Hong Kong’s National Security Law went into effect and information continues to flow out about the genocide in Xinjiang. At home, American Universities tangle with ICE while the U.S. Agency for Global Media is letting visa for foreign journalists working for Voice of America expire. How can America push back against Beijing’s continued consolidation of power? Should Hongkongers be g...

Fault Lines welcomes Representative Adam Kinzinger (IL-16). Representative Kinzinger has served in Congress since 2011 and currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. Prior to joining Congress, Kinzinger served in the Air Force in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. How should Congress respond to the Russia bounty scan...

This weekend, news broke that Russia was offering bounties to Taliban-linked militias for killing US soldiers in Afghanistan. Dana, Jamil, Les, and first time guest Loren Dealy Mahler, NSI Visiting Fellow and former director of legislative affairs at the National Security Council, discuss how America should respond to these revelations and the recent announcement that the America’s milit...

Fault Lines welcomes Bishop Garrison, Director of National Security Outreach at Human Rights First and co-Founder and President of the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy. Where do the diversity problems in national security come from? Why are some military bases named after confederate officers? How can individuals and organizations promote a more diverse and inclusive national security c...

The murder of George Floyd on May 25th has led to waves of protests across America and around the world for racial justice. Dana, Jamil, Les, and first time guest Harry Wingo discuss the protests and how racism and discrimination has impacted the national security community. What is the role of national security leaders in the first for justice? How have foreign governments bee...