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.
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Top 10 Fault Lines Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Fault Lines episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Fault Lines for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Fault Lines episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Episode 384: Trump’s NatSec Draft Picks
Fault Lines
11/13/24 • 11 min
Today, Les, Martha, Morgan, and Jess discuss president-elect Donald Trump’s picks for national security and foreign policy positions in the coming administration. The least surprising of which have been Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) being floated as a strong contender for Secretary of State, Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL-6) being announced as Trump’s National Security Advisor, and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) being announced as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. However, in a surprise pick, Pete Hegseth, a Veteran and Fox News Weekend commentator has been announced as Secretary of Defense sending shockwaves throughout the beltway.
How will president-elect Trump’s cabinet picks impact his foreign policy? How do our adversaries and allies view these picks? Will these picks impact the War in Ukraine?
Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.
Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!
https://www.politico.com/interactives/2024/trump-cabinet-picks-2025-tracker/
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/12/trump-transition-personnel-announcements-takeaway-00188936
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-picks-so-far-heres-who-advising-new-president
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trumps-cabinet-whos-been-picked-whos-running-2024-11-12/
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4985802-trump-cabinet-nominees-second-term/
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@marthamillerdc
@morganlroach
@lestermunson
@NotTVJessJones
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Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.
And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!
We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/EBsxyK8orjs
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
02/14/24 • 7 min
Today, Jamil, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss last Thursday’s general election in Pakistan. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan won 93 of the 134 simple majority seats required to form a government. This led to rival parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PLM-N) party to form a coalition, returning former prime minister Shewaz Sharif to office.
What does this election mean for U.S. interests? How has the U.S. relationship with Pakistan changed following the withdrawal from Afghanistan? What role does China play in Pakistan? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines!
Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68271462
https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/02/12/pakistans-voters-tell-the-generals-where-to-put-it
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@jamil_n_jaffer
@notTVJessJones
@lestermunson
@morganlroach
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.
01/17/24 • 9 min
Today, Jess, Morgan, and Les discuss the escalating situation in the Red Sea where the U.S. and allied forces have continued their campaign of strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, while two U.S. Navy SEALs have gone missing while interdicting a ship in the Gulf of Aden meant to deliver weapons to the Houthis, and China and Russia voted for a UN Security Council resolution calling for the immediate end to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.
What are we accomplishing with our current approach? Can the U.S. walk the fine line of responding without escalation? Should we change our approach with the Houthi Rebels and other Iranian-backed groups? Get the answer to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines!
Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-carries-new-airstrike-houthis-yemen/story?id=106414037
https://apnews.com/article/us-houthis-red-sea-jake-sullivan-yemen-ff507d06a7a44d6f3644f128e7766b3d
https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/military/us-seizes-iranian-weapons-houthis-yemen/
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/two-navy-seals-are-missing-after-mission-off-coast-of-somalia/
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@notTVJessJones
@lestermunson
@morganlroach
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.
03/08/24 • 10 min
Today, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss President Biden’s State of the Union address, where contrary to some expectations, President Biden delivered a fiery speech beginning with references to FDR’s 1941 State of the Union speech given as war raged across Europe, and then touching upon the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war.
What were the Fault Lines team’s reactions to the State of the Union speech? Did President Biden beat the team’s expectations? Did the President’s speech change the minds of Congress or American voters on aid to Ukraine?
Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.
Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!
https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-biden-gaza-ukraine-israel-1a42ff9d4ef3e0f2753e43ac8d39fc18
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-state-of-the-union-address-2024/
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/state-union-key-takeaways-biden-address-rcna140768
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@jamil_n_jaffer
@lestermunson
@morganlroach
@NotTVJessJones
Like what we're doing here?
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.
And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!
We are also on YouTube, watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/6F4-nyC6a6o
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 318: Havana - or Moscow - Syndrome
Fault Lines
04/03/24 • 8 min
Today, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss a recent joint investigation by 60 Minutes, The Insider, and Der Spiegel on Havana syndrome – a mysterious illness causing a variety of debilitating symptoms often seen in American diplomats and intelligence officials – that points the finger at Russia. This report contracts the U.S. Intelligence Community’s formal assessment from a year ago that found it was “very unlikely” that symptoms were caused by enemy operatives.
How credible is this joint investigation report? Is this a case of the politicization of U.S. intelligence? Is the U.S. intelligence community covering up Russia’s involvement to prevent escalation?
Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.
Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!
https://time.com/6962399/havana-syndrome-russia-u-s/
https://apnews.com/article/havana-syndrome-russia-cuba-vilnius-4839ec0e3ce0db76670832235d602a16
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/01/investigate-havana-syndrome-russia/
https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/04/a-havana-syndrome-cover-up/
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-not-moved-by-report-blaming-russia-for-havana-syndrome/7552401.html
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@NotTVJessJones
@lestermunson
@morganlroach
Like what we're doing here?
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.
And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!
We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/KTvmCpHA9D4
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
09/25/23 • 8 min
Today, Jamil, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss the U.S.’ pledge to assist a UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti that aims to counter gang violence and provide humanitarian relief with Kenya’s leadership.
Is this mission a good idea? Why should the U.S. get involved? How will the U.S. maintain oversight on this UN peacekeeping mission?
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:
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@jamil_n_jaffer
@NotTVJessJones
@lestermunson
@morganlroach
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.
09/23/20 • 37 min
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 help hold NATO together? Is America in a worse position with North Korea two years after the Singapore Summit? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.
In this week’s below the radar segment, Les continues to watch the protests in Belarus. Dana and Jamil have a lively conversation about Iran and snapback sanctions. Jamil highlights that former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster says that Afghan peace talks are doomed.
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03/31/21 • 30 min
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02/20/23 • 9 min
Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss President Biden's surprise visit to Kyiv and the impending one-year anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
What is Fault Lines’ assessment of the war in Ukraine after a year? Is the Biden Administration doing all that it can do to support Ukraine? Will the current on-the-ground stalemate result in an ultimate Russian loss?
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.cbsnews.com/news/biden-in-ukraine-russia-war-news-today-china-putin-lethal-aid-concern/
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@jamil_n_jaffer
@NotTVJessJones
@lestermunson
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.
Episode 323: Tehran Strikes Out
Fault Lines
04/15/24 • 11 min
Today, Jamil, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss Iran’s massive drone and missile attack against Israel which occurred over the weekend. Israel, in a coordinated air defense operation with the U.S. and others, was able to intercept 99% of Iran’s missiles and drones. Israel’s war cabinet met yesterday to formulate a response, while the Biden Administration said the U.S. would not participate in a counter-strike.
Did Iran intend this attack merely as theatre or as the opening salvo of a larger escalation? How can Israel respond to this attack without escalating the conflict? How will the increasing cooperation of Israel and Arab partners impact the war in Gaza and the region long term?
Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.
Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!
https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-launches-drone-attack-at-israel-ff263fbb
https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-04-15-2024-05ca1ac2780defa8a1a0345754708512
Follow our experts on Twitter:
@jamil_n_jaffer
@NotTVJessJones
@lestermunson
@morganlroach
Like what we're doing here?
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.
And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!
We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/ofSkyc4olPk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Fault Lines have?
Fault Lines currently has 397 episodes available.
What topics does Fault Lines cover?
The podcast is about News, Congress, Podcasts, National Security, Foreign Policy, Politics and Government.
What is the most popular episode on Fault Lines?
The episode title 'Episode 49: Election Spectacular' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Fault Lines?
The average episode length on Fault Lines is 21 minutes.
How often are episodes of Fault Lines released?
Episodes of Fault Lines are typically released every 3 days.
When was the first episode of Fault Lines?
The first episode of Fault Lines was released on Oct 1, 2019.
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