The Burn Bag Podcast

In this episode, we interviewed former UK National Security Advisor Sir Mark Lyall Grant about a range of topics seeking to understand Britain's position in the current geopolitical context, especially in the aftermath of Brexit. We dig deep into several issues affecting key regions, stretching from Europe into South and East Asia, including Britain's relationship with countries such as...

In this episode, we talked with former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, about Russia's domestic politics, foreign interventions, and relations with the United States. We touch on the recent poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, developments in Belarus, Russian goals in the Middle East, and the implications of New START expiring and the broader arms control landscape. A...

In this special episode, we reflect on the tragic events of 9/11 with journalist and author Garrett Graff. We framed the conversation around Garrett's bestselling book, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 , which brings together transcripts, declassified documents, and first-hand perspectives to provide a minute-by-minute account of the September 11 attacks.

In this episode of The Burn Bag Podcast , we interviewed Dr. Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow and Director of Research with the Foreign Policy team at the Brookings Institution, about NATO, defense spending, great power competition, and the nuclear playing field. Dr. O'Hanlon offers a 'grade' for the Trump Administration's foreign policy performance, the planned removal of...

In this episode, we talk with former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell about his career in the agency, including being with President Bush on 9/11 and playing a leading role in the planning and execution of the bin Laden raid. We also discuss common myths about the agency and significant threats facing the United States. 

In this episode, we talked with former Congressman Mike Rogers about data privacy, TikTok, the race for 5G supremacy, and the need for American innovation. We also discuss the relationship between Congress and the IC, the PATRIOT Act, and Congressional authority for warfare. 

In this episode we spoke with CNN national security analyst and New America VP Peter Bergen. Peter discusses the evolution of al-Qa'ida, his 1997 interview with Usama bin Laden, and the global jihadist threat today. He also provides insights about domestic terrorism in the United States. 

In this special release, we talked with former NSA Director Admiral (Ret.) Mike Rogers about the intelligence community, cyberwarfare, and his service in the US Navy. Admiral Rogers discusses the evolution of intelligence gathering, the impact of rapidly changing technology, implications of the Edward Snowden affair, and whether the US needs a Cyber Force.

In this episode we spoke with former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and current University of Michigan Law School professor Barbara McQuade. Professor McQuade shares her insights on legal approaches to prosecuting and preventing domestic terrorism, as well as highlights from her legal career. 

In this episode, we talked with LTG (Ret.) Michael Nagata about counterterrorism, U.S. Special Operations, and national security decision-making. LTG Nagata covers his experience fighting ISIS, how military tactics have changed, and why he joined the Army.

In Part II, we talked with Ambassador Page about the South Sudanese Civil War, her experiences on the ground, and serving at the United Nations.  To learn more about the Ambassador, follow her on Twitter @susandpage. 

In Part 1, we talked with former Ambassador Susan D. Page about U.S. foreign policy in Africa and the Sudanese Civil Wars.  To learn more about the Ambassador, follow her on Twitter @susandpage.

In our inaugural episode, we spoke with NYT journalist Eric Schmitt about his groundbreaking Taliban bounty story. Eric provides a detailed account of how Russia orchestrated a bounty program with the Taliban to target U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He also provides great insight into national security journalism and how his career has evolved. Check out Eric's reporting at The New York Times an...

In this episode, we talked with Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima about her coverage of cyber issues. Ellen discusses Russia's 2016 election interference, the upcoming 2020 election, and how the U.S. approaches cyber-warfare. Check out Ellen's reporting at The Washington Post and make sure to follow her on Twitter @nakashimae.