The DSR Network

After 9/11, investigators concluded one of the factors that put America at risk was that only 57 percent of nominees for top national security positions had been confirmed by the Congress and were in place. Today, that number is just over 26 percent. Random holds on nominees for indefensibly political reasons are putting this country at risk. The two worst offenders? Senators Cruz and Hawley. We d...

“Into the Forest” by Rebecca Frankel is more than just one of the best books of the year, it is a revealing journey into what makes us human…the good, the bad, the noble and the horrific. It reads like a great novel and contains much of the drama and resonance you would expect from such a work but also is infused with the detail that comes of great journalism.  We speak with the author, former Exe...

In the news recently, reports that General Mark Milley sought to counsel Chinese leaders in way that might avoid accidental conflict have caused controversy. Was Milley doing his duty? Or was he undermining his commander-in-chief? Similarly, it is reported that Vice President Mike Pence sought counsel from former Vice President Dan Quayle about whether he could or should follow through on Presiden...

Extremism expert Kathleen Belew talks with Jeanne Meserve about new factors raising the potential for violence at Sept.18 Capitol protests, while former senior CIA ops official Dan Hoffman tells Jeff Stein that the Kabul collapse has given Al Qaeda and ISIS new life. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more a...

While Congress holds hearings questioning the Secretary of State about the conduct of America's exit from Afghanistan, it probably should also turn its attention to drawing the lessons of the 20 years of warfare, sacrifice and frustration that proceeded that exit. What might those lessons be? And what might come next for the Biden foreign policy team? We discuss with Kori Schake of the American En...

The midnight decision of the Supreme Court that basically allowed a technicality to sweep aside the constitutional right to an abortion that has been a fact of American life for half a century bodes very ill for the future of that institution and for the country. When Justice Brett Kavanaugh is the philosophical center of the court, you know we have entered a dark chapter in our history. The major...

In a riveting new memoir, former senior CIA officer Doug London celebrates a career in espionage, but in a lengthy conversation with host Jeff Stein, he offer candid, even brutal observations on how 20 years of counterterrorism warped the agency’s priorities and managers. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn m...

Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman knew when he went into the Trump White House to work on the National Security Council that he may be asked to do things that were "awful but lawful." As a serving army officer in those cases he would be obligated to follow the orders of the Commander-in-Chief. But he also knew there was a line that he would not cross. He would not follow an unlawful order, he would no...

COVID. Wildfires in the west. Hurricanes in the Gulf and storms in the East. A women's right to choose under siege. A corrupted justice system. Economic inequality. Racial division. Democracy in the ICU. Any one of these crises would be a challenge for a generation. We face them all at once. The result is something like "the 2000 yard stare," the sign of a battle worn soldier unable to fight. But...

Author Craig Whitlock talks with Jeff Stein about US intelligence’s place in 20 years of lies and deception in Afghanistan, and Jeanne Meserve interviews Coast Guard Commandant Karl Schultz about a terror alert for the 9/11 anniversary. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

A lot of books have been written about Donald Trump and the Trump years president. Few have evoked the almost surreal atmosphere of those years as well as "I Alone Can Fix It," the history of the last year of the administration from Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker. We sit down with Carol Leonnig to discuss the book and what it has led her to conclude about the former pres...

It has been difficult to have a serious, balanced conversation about what the U.S. and this administration has done right in managing the exit from Afghanistan and what we have done wrong. That is a problem that has plagued the U.S. for the entire 20 year period we have conducted the war and, in fact, it may be one of the reasons the outcome to that conflict has been so unsatisfactory. Nonetheless...

The reason the crowds thronging the outskirts of the airport in Kabul were so large was in part due to a concerted effort--against the advice of many in his administration--by former President Trump and his aide Stephen Miller to block our Afghan allies (like allies in Iraq) from entering the United States. They shut down relevant visa programs. They created obstacle after obstacle. And they did s...

Top former CIA operations official William Murray talks with Jeanne Meserve about the loss of the agency's spy base in Kabul, while Africa expert Jacob Zenn assesses the impact of the Taliban-Al Qaeda triumph on militants across the continent, with Jeff Stein. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about yo...

An episode in which we bring to life the debate that even the best of friends can have over the conduct of recent events in Afghanistan, their likely origins, and their likely consequences. Why are so many people so wrong about this when host David Rothkopf is so right? Where does Rothkopf get his courage? And why do the producers let Rothkopf write these podcast summaries when either Ed Luce or R...

Counterterrorism expert and Georgetown University Professor, Bruce Hoffman explains the drastic implications of the Taliban triumph, and journalist Toby Harnden talks about his new book on the first CIA team to enter Afghanistan.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

The celebrated former FBI special agent and counterterrorism specialist says the Taliban aspire to undermining the West’s “Roman Empire.” Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The heart-rending scenes from Kabul Airport are now seared into our collective consciousness. The 20 year war in Afghanistan has clearly come to a disastrous end. While that may have been inevitable, the current chaos has nonetheless come as a shock. What should the administration do now? How to help those they can and manage the situation going forward? And what lessons can we draw after a two-de...

We are at a watershed in our history. Some days it feels like justice and accountability are gaining ground and the outcome of this turning point may be a good one. On other days, the threats to our democracy grow and the very real possibility of a turn to authoritarianism in the US looms. There are echoes of this moment throughout our history. We turn to Boston College history professor and noted...

Jeanne Meserve talks with Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, about how the world learned of China’s startling new ICBM silos, and Jeff Stein talks with Asia expert Robert Manning about the challenges of spying on North Korea. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out...

The vast majority of gains in life expectancy during the past century have been due not to miracle cures but to public health measures like sanitation. The key to their success was empowering and trusting our public health officials. We live in a time when an organized minority is this country is seeking to discredit them and when much of our public health mission--like care for addiction or psych...

The UN has put out a climate report that is devastating in its conclusions. They call it a "code red for humanity." Inaction, greed and ignorance have already irreparably damaged the planet. What do we do now? Are our leaders even capable of coping with the problem? The same question can be asked regarding their ability to address next generation issues associated with new technologies--from cyber...

Slowly, thanks to Congressional information requests and court cases, hard evidence is emerging about the way the former president and those close to him worked to steal the last election. You would think that would lead to grand juries being empaneled, indictments and convictions. But so far, nothing of the kind seems imminent from the Department of Justice and while Congress has on-going investi...

An expert on Congressional probes tells Jeff Stein why investigators on the House Select Committee on Jan. 5 have to develop confidential sources deep inside DHS, DoD and the FBI. And retired Marine Corps Gen. Greg Newbold tells Jeanne Meserve that China's control of precious metals is a threat to US intelligence.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy...

Face it, since George Washington, for all the glamor and intrigue the rest of the world may hold, Americans would pretty much like to be left out of it. Over the course of our history, that impulse has been magnified by the fact that often when we do find ourselves forced to be involved, we delay until we tend to overreact. Right now, America's interest in the rest of the world seems to be at a mo...