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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 Founder and Executive Director Jamil N. Jaffer, NSI Advisory Board Member Lester Munson, and NSI Senior Fellows Morgan Viña, and 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.

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#639
Yesterday · 21 min
Fault Lines Episode 639: A Rupture Over Russia
Today, John, Andy, and Marc dig into the deepening rupture between the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Zelensky. After Trump announced a deal to allow Russian diesel into U.S. markets — following weeks of pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian refineries — Zelensky publicly condemned the agreement, prompting Trump to call for a new Ukrainian president. Reports have since emerged of restricted intelligence sharing with Kyiv and speed throttling on Starlink and Starshield, with the White House denying direct involvement even as the damage mounts. What does the withholding of battlefield intelligence signal to U.S. allies about American reliability? Is the diesel deal a genuine strategic calculation, or a diversion from the administration's broader frustrations with the war's stalemate? How does this rupture affect allied confidence in U.S. commitments at a moment when NATO cohesion is already under strain? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @JohnCLipsey @AndyKeiser @WashingtonFlack Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#638
Wednesday · 17 min
Fault Lines Episode 638: Sovereign Territory: Enclaves, Empires, and the Limits of Self-Determination
Today, John, Les, Jess, and Jamil take stock of a world where territorial sovereignty is suddenly anything but settled. From Spain's enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla — where a social media-driven migration crisis has Spanish polls showing 60% fear armed conflict with Morocco — to Argentina's renewed challenge to British rule in the Falklands, to the United States openly pressuring Denmark over Greenland, longstanding arrangements are being tested from multiple directions simultaneously. Complicating the picture further, Israel has shuttered the UK's consulate in response to British sanctions over settlement activity. Who is actually driving instability in these contested territories, and to what end? How do Western powers reconcile championing self determination while guarding sovereignty over their distant enclaves? Should the U.S. stand for universal principles or prioritize competition with Russia and China over strategic geography and resources? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/O27_Tz_A2Tg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#637
Monday · 16 min
Fault Lines Episode 637: Houthis Hit Riyadh: Where’s Washington?
Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and John break down the deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh's airport, which killed well over a dozen people — including at least one American — and wounded hundreds. The attacks underscore the enduring threat Iran-backed forces pose to Saudi energy and critical infrastructure and regional stability, even as the United States considers more direct intervention. With Iranian-enabled strikes escalating across the region, Washington's posture is engendering debate, including experts who say decades of half-measures have only emboldened the Houthis. Is the administration's restraint a calculated strategy, or are domestic politics driving a dangerous passivity toward Iran? What does it mean for American credibility in the Gulf if the U.S. continues to absorb Iranian provocations without a full-scale military response? Should Washington be doing more to stand with Saudi Arabia against the Iranian threat network enabling these attacks? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/s8Vrdh_m0kk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#636
October 9 · 15 min
Fault Lines Episode 636: Contagion and Capital Punishment: A Week of Warning Signs
Today, Les, John, and Amy confront a collision of alarming headlines: a plague outbreak traced to Russian anti-plague research institute, an Ebola crisis in Africa surpassing 8,000 cases, and a public execution by firing squad making news at home. Against this backdrop, deep cuts to the CDC and the dismantling of U.S. global health infrastructure have left serious questions about whether America is equipped to respond if any of these threats reach its shores. Is the United States genuinely prepared for another pandemic, or have recent funding cuts left a dangerous gap in its defenses? With two of America's most capable adversaries hosting advanced bioweapons programs as deadly diseases spread nearby, how should Washington recalibrate its global health security posture? What lessons from COVID-19 remain unlearned, and who is responsible for applying them now? And what does the return of public execution by firing squad signal about the direction of American governance? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/KKvgDQ8-cxA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#635
October 7 · 15 min
Fault Lines Episode 635: Red Sea Rising: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Houthi Offensive
Today, John, Jamil, Les, and Matt examine the renewed Saudi and Yemeni offensive against Houthi forces along the western coast of Yemen, a stretch of coastline critical to global shipping routes. Since the start of the Iran war, the conflict has escalated sharply — Houthi forces launched an offensive to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, declared a blockade on Saudi tankers, and drones struck the vital East-West pipeline. The broader regional picture remains complex with Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the UAE to warn of Iranian attack indicators and coordinate a response to Houthi aggression. Can Saudi Arabia and its limited partners achieve a decisive military outcome in a conflict with roots stretching back over a thousand years? Has a pattern of American inaction across three administrations emboldened Iran to keep exploiting the Houthi cause? How should the United States calibrate its support when direct military action may not be the answer? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @WMattHayden @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/fzlI9093xl4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#634
October 5 · 14 min
Fault Lines Episode 634: B-1s Out of Britain
Today, Les, Jamil, John, and Jess examine the sudden withdrawal of twelve U.S. B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford following the arrest and swift bail release of six individuals suspected of plotting an attack on the base. The bombers had been used in strikes against Iran, but the UK had imposed restrictions limiting their use to defensive operations — a constraint that may have already been straining the alliance. The timing of the withdrawal, coming just days after the suspects' release, has raised sharp questions about threat assessment, diplomatic pressure, and the durability of U.S.-UK cooperation on Iran. Was there ever a credible threat to the base, or did Washington pull its assets over a plot that the UK's own justice system effectively dismissed? How much has the UK's political climate shaped its willingness to support U.S. operations against Iran? Does the defensive-versus-offensive restriction the UK imposed have real operational consequences as tensions with Tehran remain high? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#633
October 2 · 14 min
Fault Lines Episode 633: Rebound Diplomacy and the Pentagon's New Playbook
Today, Jess, Les, John, and Amy examine two developments reshaping how America projects power. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was photographed with President Trump in Texas as the administration eyes a renewed opening with Kim Jong Un, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used his State of the Force address to unveil a new autonomous warfare command and launch Project Meridian, a 120-day effort to identify future military capabilities. Can Dennis Rodman's relations with Kim Jong Un actually serve as a credible diplomatic back-channel? Does Hegseth's focus on restructuring the Pentagon risk becoming a distraction from the more urgent fights over defense funding and appropriations? Will Project Meridian and a new autonomous war command survive Congress? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/B8zl7CWWgAM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#632
September 30 · 21 min
Fault Lines Episode 632: A Super Intelligence Summit
Today, John, Les, and Jamil break down Trump's high-profile AI summit, where the president gathered leaders from the country's biggest tech companies at the White House to address public concerns around AI safety while announcing a rebranding of artificial intelligence as "super intelligence." The summit produced voluntary safety commitments framed by Trump as morally binding, and a separate Trump-Xi meeting established a bilateral communications channel for AI incidents. Meanwhile, an appeals court upheld Anthropic's designation as a national security supply risk, and a new Chinese open-source model has emerged with cyber capabilities rivaling top American systems but far weaker safeguards. Is Trump's voluntary, free-market approach to AI safety the right framework for keeping America ahead of China, or does it leave critical gaps? With Florida already seeking an injunction and a patchwork of state AI laws taking shape, how long before the regulatory landscape becomes unworkable for U.S. labs? If Congress fails to act on federal preemption, what does that mean for aligning AI development with a coherent national security strategy? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/9S1dREANQi4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#631
September 28 · 16 min
Fault Lines Episode 631: Strait Talk: Iran's Diplomacy Gambit and the Trump Ultimatum
Today, Les, Jamil, John, and Andy examine the latest twist in U.S.-Iran negotiations after reports emerged that the Trump administration rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on terms resembling a version of the JD Vance MOU from mid-June. The administration has since rebuffed the overture, signaling confidence that a stronger deal is within reach, while Iran's economy continues to buckle under sustained sanctions pressure and economic squeeze. Adding intrigue to the moment, a suspected Iranian-linked plot targeting a U.S. Air Force base in the United Kingdom may have shaped Tehran's calculus in floating the offer when it did. Is Tehran's proposal a genuine opening or a pressure play designed to buy time? What would a credible Iran deal actually require, and is the administration close to achieving one? Could the reported attempted attack on a U.S. Air Force base in the UK signal that Iran is simultaneously pursuing diplomacy and covert escalation? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @jamil_n_jaffer @AndyKeiser Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/8P0-u7fzwns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#630
September 25 · 24 min
Fault Lines Episode 630: UNGA, Multilateralism, and the Limits of Global Institutions
Today, Jess, John, Les, and Algene break down a packed week at the UN General Assembly in New York, where world leaders delivered speeches ranging from Trump's stark warnings toward Iran to Zelenskyy's push for a settlement framework and ongoing maneuvering over Ukraine. However, Xi Jinping’s to skip New York for a White House meeting also puts the UN’s role in global diplomacy under scrutiny. Is the UN still a consequential venue, or has it become a backdrop while the real deals get cut bilaterally? Should the United States lean into the UN as a sharper foreign policy tool rather than ceding that ground? What would meaningful Security Council reform actually look like, and is there any realistic path to it? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @AlgeneSajery Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/xnBGK-_Skgc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#629
September 23 · 19 min
Fault Lines Episode 629: The New Fight for Greenland
Today, John, Les, Jess, and Jeffrey break down the new U.S.-Denmark-Greenland security agreement, which amends the foundational 1951 defense pact. The deal expands American control over security and investment in Greenland, while notionally recognizing Greenlandic sovereignty. It lacks any expiration and seeks to lock any future independent Greenland into the agreement and NATO alignment. The backdrop is a rapidly changing Arctic, where open sea lanes, Russian military activity, and attempted Chinese investment have quietly made Greenland one of the most strategically contested pieces of territory near American shores. Is this agreement a genuine update to American strategic posture, or does it largely formalize what the 1951 arrangement already provided? What would a growing China presence in Greenland — through port, telecommunications, and mineral investment — mean for U.S. security? Does tying the hands of a potentially independent Greenland represent shrewd geopolitics or a troubling erosion of self-determination? Was the diplomatic crisis necessary or worth it? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/KOqtlenfBGo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#628
September 21 · 25 min
Fault Lines Episode 628: Xi in Washington: Trade, Tech, Taiwan, and the Iran Wild Card
Today, Les, John, Jess, and Amy break down the high-stakes summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking place in Washington, D.C. against the backdrop of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. The two leaders are meeting as tariff suspensions hold, an AI race intensifies, and China quietly continues supplying Iran with economic and military support even as it reduces its own energy imports from Tehran. Beijing has also detained two American citizens in the past year, raising the question of whether Trump — who has made a trademark of bringing Americans home — can secure their release as an early win. Will Trump walk away with anything more than incremental commercial agreements, or are the bigger national security breakthroughs simply out of reach? How will Xi balance the need for U.S. relationship stability against domestic pressures as he eyes a fourth term? Can Washington and Beijing find any genuine alignment on Iran, or will China continue acting in its own interest regardless of what is said in the room? And as the U.S. and China race toward AI dominance, does America have any real strategy for what comes after winning? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/PINwafy5kLY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#627
September 18 · 19 min
Fault Lines Episode 627: The Saudi Arabia Squeeze
Today, Jess, Les, John, and Andrew dig into the Houthis' resurgent offensive and the widening regional crisis it has triggered. With Houthi strikes targeting Saudi Arabia, Iraqi militias hitting Saudi’s East-West pipeline, and the Strait of Hormuz under pressure, Riyadh finds itself encircled. after Washington declined to intervene on its behalf, Riyadh has turned to China, Iran’s top trading partner, for help. Will China move to exert genuine leverage over Iran? What does Saudi Arabia's outreach to Beijing signal about the durability of American partnerships in the Gulf? What options are there to break the network sustaining the Houthis? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @AndrewBorene Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/76qfpU7UHxA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#626
September 16 · 14 min
Fault Lines Episode 626: Space, Deterrence, and the New Frontier of U.S. Defense
Today, Jamil, Les, John, and Matt dig into the Pentagon's confirmation that the United States has deployed weapons on orbit, marking a possible escalation in the militarization of space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits weapons of mass destruction and military installations on celestial bodies, but places no ban on conventional weapons — leaving the current U.S. posture in a legal gray zone that no binding international agreement has yet addressed. Russia and China have both developed capabilities to threaten American satellites, and space has quietly become one of the most contested domains in modern great power competition. Is the U.S. moving fast enough to maintain its technological edge, or is the pace of investment falling short of the threat? What does meaningful deterrence actually look like in a domain where the rules of engagement are still being written? How dependent is American military and civilian infrastructure on space assets that adversaries are actively targeting? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @jamil_n_jaffer @WMattHayden Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/GbUs3d6-SOE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#625
September 14 · 20 min
Fault Lines Episode 625: Pacing The Killer Robots — AI's Week of Reckoning
Today, John, Jamil, Les, and Jess dig into a week defined by alarm bells from the people building artificial intelligence. Reports of model development mishaps over recent weeks, including the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident where a swarm of AI agents escaped their sandbox, was seemingly enough for a coordinated campaign around the latest resignation from an AI lab to spark a week-long media frenzy. CEO Dario Amodei responded by publishing a widely-read blog warning that AI is advancing dramatically faster than anticipated and calling for pacing and slowing down model development. He flagged recursive self-improvement as a threshold moment that could outrun human understanding, and proposed a three-step framework involving third-party lab oversight, industry-led safety standards, and global coordination to slow development. The week also saw political leaders debating everything from non-intervention, to guardrails on catastrophic risk, calls for comprehensive regulations, and even a full pause and a ban on superintelligence. Are leading AI executives genuinely sounding an alarm, getting ahead of a political stampede, or strategically using government to protect their investments? Can major AI labs coordinate voluntarily on safety standards without triggering antitrust concerns or cementing monopoly power? How does competition with China influence this debate and what does all this mean for open-weight models? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/x_K3C-98iss Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#624
September 11 · 23 min
Fault Lines Episode 624: The Global War on Terror, 25 Years After 9/11
Today, Les, Amy, Jess, and John mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by taking stock of where America stands in the long struggle that followed. Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force within days of the attacks, launching two decades of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond — and the United States has not suffered a major attack on the homeland since. But that security has come at enormous cost in lives and treasure, and the national unity that defined the days after 9/11 has given way to deep partisan fracture, strategic fatigue, and a growing skepticism about America's role in the world. Has the global war on terror, measured against its original aims, been a success? What lessons should a younger generation — one with no memory of that morning — take from the last 25 years? How did the righteous resolve of 9/11 erode into the isolationism and pessimism that shapes our politics today? And what will it take to rebuild the confidence and sense of purpose that America needs to remain a force for order in the world? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/fG31htTjPLg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#623
September 9 · 14 min
Fault Lines Episode 623: Graham's Gambit: Russia, Iran, and the Politics That Killed the Bill
Today, Jess, Les, and John examine the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, a sweeping sanctions bill that passed the Senate over the summer but has since stalled in the House. The legislation would expand pressure on Russia's shadow fleet and grant the president authority to impose tariffs on the top five importers of Russian fuel, while also extending longstanding sanctions on Iran. Despite bipartisan momentum at its peak, the bill collapsed when Democrats reversed course, unwilling to hand the Trump administration broader tariff powers — even if it meant abandoning a policy designed to protect Ukraine. Why did Democrats walk away from a bill that delivered nearly everything they had been demanding on Russia policy? Is the Trump administration actually willing to squeeze Russian energy markets, or is there simply no appetite to risk higher prices at home? What would a serious pressure campaign on Russia look like — from tightening the oil price cap to cracking down on the dark fleet? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/mYDaYVk9bQU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#622
September 2 · 52 min
Fault Lines Episode 622: The Barrel Gap & The Oil Deal— How Oil Has Taken Center Stage In The World’s Major Conflicts and How Long Before Prices Finally Skyrocket
Today, John, Les, and special guest Clayton Seigle, Managing Director of Energy Practice at Beacon Global Strategies, take stock of the most significant oil supply disruption in recorded history — and why prices haven't fully reflected it, yet. Since the outbreak of war with Iran six months ago, flows through the Strait of Hormuz have swung wildly, forcing emergency draws on the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and triggering sweeping demand cuts by Chinese refiners. The crisis has also exposed the hard limits of energy diversification: while Saudi Arabia could redirect exports through pre-built bypass pipelines, countries like Iraq and Qatar have few alternatives to Hormuz. How long can the market absorb the disruption before prices rise sharply? How low is President Trump willing to let the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fall? To what extent has President Trump's been able to shape market expectations to actually suppress the price of oil, and is that sustainable? The conversation also examines Ukrainian strikes on Russian refining capacity and the massive oil deal President Trump announced with Venezuela. Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @johnclipsey @ClaySeigle Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/APb5XJZrE1M Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#621
August 21 · 58 min
Fault Lines Episode 621: Iran After the Strikes: Cut the BS
Today, John, Les, and Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, co-lead of the Air and Missile Defense Program and Senior Director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, take stock of where the U.S.-Iran conflict stands after weeks of strikes, counterstrikes, and an ambiguous MOU that collapsed into a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz. Over forty days of military action, Iran has lost its navy, air force, air defense systems, and significant missile production capacity — yet the fight has shifted to a grinding contest for the Strait, where U.S. forces are sustaining a blockade and an escort operation while Iranian strikes on regional shipping and Arab infrastructure continue. The toll on American readiness is mounting, from degraded munitions stockpiles to a fleet that could be in extremis for a potential Pacific contingency by 2028 or 2029. How much longer can the U.S. Navy realistically sustain its current force posture in the region before readiness damage becomes irreversible? What would a deliberate military escalation target at this stage — and can the U.S. defend regional energy and water infrastructure that has proven difficult to protect? Is the economic constriction strategy enough to bring Iran to terms, or is a harder confrontation inevitable? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @johnclipsey @markcmontgomery Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/aRuYxJE2COI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#620
August 14 · 44 min
Fault Lines Episode 620: From Aid to Trade in Africa
Today, Les and John sit down with Tibor Nagy, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and former Ambassador to Ethiopia and Guinea, to examine a fundamental shift in how Washington is approaching Sub-Saharan Africa. The Trump administration has broken from decades of aid-and-democracy-driven policy, positioning trade, investment, and strategic partnerships at the center of its Africa agenda — but ambitious intentions have run headlong into a hollowed-out diplomatic infrastructure, ambassador vacancies, and the chaotic dismantling of USAID. What does the collapse of the Sahel and the catastrophic conflict in Sudan reveal about the limits of drive-by diplomacy? Can the administration's business-first model deliver the jobs that Africa's exploding youth population desperately needs, or will poor implementation undermine the strategy before it takes root? With Gulf states, Turkey, and China all vying for influence across the continent, how should Washington prioritize its limited bandwidth — and where does competing with Beijing actually make sense? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @johnclipsey @TiborPNagyJr Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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