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FDD's Foreign Podicy

FDD, Cliff May

A national security and foreign policy podcast from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

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Yesterday · 53 min
Confronting Threats and Building Consensus
Leon Panetta has been there and done that. From joining theArmy in the 1960s, to serving in Congress for more than a decade and a half, to directing the Office of Management and Budget, to serving as the Director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta has served our country with distinction for decades. He also serves on the board of advisors for the Center on Military and Political Power at FDD. How does Secretary Panetta believe the threats to our country have changed? Why should Americans care about developments overseas? How does he view defense spending? And how do we build and sustain bipartisan consensus around necessary national security policies? Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power, guest hosts this Foreign Podicy conversation with Secretary Panetta.
October 2 · 57 min
The Houthis, Tehran, and the Deep Red Sea (Cliff May feat. Edmund Fitton-Brown & Bridget Toomey)
Since declaring a blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20, the Houthis have struck vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities and, over recent weeks, seized Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, along with islands in the Bab al-Mandeb, the southern exit from the Red Sea. FDD senior fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British ambassador to Yemen, and FDD research analyst Bridget Toomey tell host Cliff May everything you've always wanted to know about the Houthis but were afraid to ask. They discuss also how an attempt to hijack and crash a flydubai passenger jet was foiled by an Indian pilot and Israelis passengers, and the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from their last base in Iraq.
September 23 · 1 hr 5 min
Strait Lines
Xi is in Washington, shaking hands and smiling as the People’s Liberation Army prepares for aggression in the Pacific. Putin continues to try to play the victim while continuing his unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine. The regime in Iran is severely weakened but continues to menace commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. And North Korean leader Kim Jong Unis responding to American concessions and South Korean conciliation with more ballistic missile launches. Some Americans are familiar with the threats China, Russia,Iran, and North Korea pose individually. But how are these adversaries helping each other, and how does American action or inaction, strength or weakness in one region or against one adversary impact the others? To explore these questions and more on Foreign Podicy,Lt. Gen. (Ret.) H.R. McMaster and Ryan Brobst join guest host Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). H.R. McMaster is a former U.S. national security advisor to President Trump and serves as chair of the Advisory Board for CMPP, where Ryan Brobst is deputy director.
September 18 · 39 min
Confronting Authoritarians around the Globe
Russia is turning captured Orthodox parishes into tools of occupation while holding tens of thousands of abducted Ukrainian children as leverage in any ceasefire deal. China and Iran continue to feed the Houthi militants in Yemen drone and satellite technology to terrorize Red Sea shipping lanes. From election interference to drone incursions along the Baltics and Poland, these authoritarian regimes continue to test the will of fragile democracies and international order. U.S. Representative Joe Wilson (SC-2), chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and FDD’s Research Fellow Dr. Ivana Stradner join Foreign Podicy guest host RADM Mark Montgomery to unpack the Axis of Aggressors new generation warfare campaign against NATO and the West.
September 11 · 1 hr 2 min
Inside the White House on 9/11
Sept. 11, 2001 began as a beautiful late summer day in New York City and Washington, DC. Then, out of what was literally a clear blue sky, two hijacked passenger jets slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, another into the Pentagon just outside Washington. A fourth plane, thanks to the courage of the passengers aboard, did not reach its target but insteadcrashed in Pennsylvania. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was in the White House. He tells host Cliff May what took place over the days – and years – that followed. Relevant Link: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/8/cruel-awakening-911/
September 4 · 50 min
The U.S. Retreat from Afghanistan: 5 Years On
On August 26, an ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 13 American service members and roughly 170 Afghans at Abbey Gate, one of the entrances to Kabul airport. Four days after that, the last U.S. service member left Afghanistan. Then, on Sept. 7, 2021, the Taliban declared the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. These anniversaries have not sparked much media interest. One notable exception: A new documentary film from Wall Street Journal Opinion: “The Path to Zero: The Withdrawal FromAfghanistan,” looks at President Biden's April 14, 2021 order to draw American troop levels down to zero, and traces what followed. The film's producer and director, Michael Pack, talks with host Cliff May about what happened back then and the lessons we should have learned by now. Documentary Links: https://www.wsj.com/video/series/opinion-docs/wsj-opinion-the-path-to-zero/2EB4BA30-CF99-462F-BB52-222870D4F002 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wwzv_B9x-k
August 28 · 52 min
25 Years of UN/NGO Racism
In late Summer of 2001, the UN hosted what it called the “World Conference on Racism” in Durban, South Africa. Instead of combating racism, the conference incited it, becoming the worst international manifestation of Jew-hatred since World War II and the Nazi Holocaust. Cuban dictator Fidel Castro accused Israel of “genocide.” Yes, way back then. Gerald Steinberg, the founder and president of NGO Monitor, a think tank focused, as its name suggests, on non-governmental organizations, talks to host Cliff May about how and why those poisonous seeds were planted, and what they’ve grown into more than two decades later.
August 21 · 50 min
World's First Super-Terrorist
Joby Warrick, a fine storyteller and longtime national security correspondent for the Washington Post, has written a biography of the most infamous terrorist of the second half of the 20th century. “The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World’s First Super-Terrorist,” relates the life story of Ilich Ramírez Sánchez – the Venezuelan-born Communist who enjoyed tailored suits, fine wine, beautiful women, and murdering in support of anti-capitalism, anti-Zionism, and other sundry causes for which he was well-paid. The seizure of the OPEC ministers in Vienna. Two French intelligence officers shot dead in a Paris apartment. The capture in Khartoum that finally ended his run. Since 1994, Carlos has been behind bars. In 2003, from his cell, he wrote a manifesto, L'Islam révolutionnaire, praising Osama bin Laden’s 9/11 attack, and urging revolutionaries of every stripe — leftists, atheists, all of them — to accept Islamist leadership. Today, Carlos sits in Poissy, a prison housed in a former monastery, where Joby interviewed him. In this episode of “Foreign Podicy,” Joby tells host Cliff May that the Jackal is no longer the wild animal he once was.
August 14 · 54 min
Where in the World Is Monty? (Cliff May feat. Mark Montgomery)
FDD’s RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery is a travelin’ man. He’s just back from Taiwan and Ukraine. He joins host Cliff May to debrief what he saw and heard abroad—and offer his analyses. They also discuss North Korea’s role in Russia’s war, cyberattacks—almost certainly by Iran’s rulers—on water utilities in Minnesota and Michigan, the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthis and the Bab el-Mandeb, and cognitive warfare.
August 7 · 1 hr 6 min
A Rumor of War
A week ago, President Trump seemed to have decided to hit the Islamic Republic of Iran hard – to destroy what’s left of its missile arsenals, its military-industrial base, its command-and-control headquarters and perhaps the commanders themselves. Then the President heard that Iran’s rulers were finally ready to make a deal. Soon after, Iran’s rulers announced they were not. President Trump called that “unbelievably duplicitous.” FDD’s Reuel Marc Gerecht and Behnam Ben Taleblu join host Cliff May to discuss where the conflict stands and what would be the best way forward.
July 31 · 1 hr 6 min
Axis of Aggressors: China, Russia, Iran & North Korea
The United States faces the most complex geostrategic threat since 1945: an Axis of Aggressors — China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea — increasingly aligned across economic, cyber, technology, and military domains to diminish American power. Their most alarming tactic may be to trigger simultaneous major wars to stretch U.S. resources past the breaking point. Bradley Bowman, Elaine Dezenski, and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery — senior leaders at FDD's Centers on AmericanPower — join Cliff May on Foreign Podicy to discuss their new book: "Axis of Aggressors: Countering the Cooperation of China, Russia, Iran & North Korea" — the result of two years of research, examining the threat and laying out a grand strategy to strengthen America, bolster its allies, and weaken this emerging axis. Learn more about Axis of Aggressors: https://www.fdd.org/analysis/axis-of-aggressors/ Order the book: https://www.amazon.com/Axis-Aggressors-Countering-Cooperation-Russia/dp/1968919554/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0
July 24 · 1 hr 4 min
Britain’s New PM and Yemen’s Old Houthis
Two places we need to watch carefully right now: the United Kingdom, which has just installed its seventh prime minister in a decade, and Yemen, where the Houthi rebels have declared anaval blockade of Saudi Arabia and resumed strikes on tankers transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Edmund Fitton-Brown, FDD senior fellow and former British ambassador to Yemen, joins Cliff May on FDD’s Foreign Podicy to discuss the new government in Blighty and what’s driving theHouthis on the Arabian Peninsula.
July 17 · 46 min
Iran, AI, and the Death of Traditional Warfare
Forget nukes and stealth jets — the next war may just be won with algorithms, drone swarms, and who spends smarter, not bigger. FDD Research Analyst and Foreign Podicy guest host, Mariam Wahba sits down with Aaron MacLean, host of the School of War podcast, to unpack how AI and rapid decision cycles are rewriting the rules of modern warfare — with Iran and Ukraine as live case studies. From strategic miscalculation and munitionsshortages to the death of old "theories of victory," they discuss why America's tech edge alone won't be enough to win the next war.
July 10 · 50 min
The Third World Wants You – Not in a Good Way
This week, Iran's rulers fired on commercial vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz -- an egregious violation of the Memorandum of Understanding which now appears to be a dead MOU. That doesn't surprise Zineb Riboua who has always been skeptical of attempts to forge "peace deals" with the Islamist revolutionaries in Tehran. Ms. Riboua, research fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East and founder of the China in MENA Project, sitsdown with host Cliff May to discuss Iran, Morocco (where she was born), France (where she was went to school), Russia, China, Latin America and the rising ideology -- including in the U.S. -- of Third Worldism.
July 2 · 57 min
NATO Summit: Alliances under Strain
As NATO members head to Ankara, the Alliance is under strain — clashing over defense spending levels, the Russo-Ukrainian and US-Iran wars, and the shrinking U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump comes to the table with real leverage, but both Europe and America have real grievances, and the outcome may hinge on which one drives his approach. On this episode of Foreign Podicy, guest host RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD's Center on Cyber and Innovation Technology, is joined by John Hardie, deputy director of FDD's Russia Program; Peter Doran, FDD senior adjunct fellow; and Cameron McMillan, senior research analyst at FDDs Center on Military and Political Power. Together, they assess what's at stake in Ankara and whether Trump can secure strong wins from allies or risks mismanaging the moment.
June 26 · 50 min
Of Presidents and Persians
A century of failed diplomacy, hostage crises, secret arms deals, war and even murder. Dr. Tevi Troy, an American presidential historian and senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute, joins host Cliff May to unpack his WashingtonExaminer article, "The Presidents and Iran: A History." From the Persian shahs to the Islamic Republic, Troy and May trace 100 years of U.S.-Iran conflict and ask the uncomfortable question: why does each new commander in chief refuse to learn from his predecessor's mistakes?
June 18 · 51 min
War and Peace and Other Possibilities
A memorandum of understanding with Iran isn't peace – it's a fragile ceasefire with a regime whose ideology traces back to 1,400 years of jihad. While Tehran projects strength and defiance, U.S. negotiators face an impossible choice: lock in a deal that leaves the most dangerous issues unresolved or hold the line and risk escalation. On this episode of Foreign Podicy, FDD military experts RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Bradley Bowman join host Cliff May to break down why the 60-day negotiation window with Iran isn't just a diplomatic deadline; it's a crux in the global conflict between free nations and their sworn enemies.
June 12 · 57 min
Elise Stefanik and the “Poisoned Ivies”
In this episode of Foreign Podicy, host Cliff May sits down with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik — once the youngest woman ever elected to the House and its highest-ranking female member — to discuss her new book, Poisoned Ivies: The Inside Account of the Academic and Moral Rot at America's Elite Universities. Stefanik gained national attention after her landmark December 2023 congressional hearing, where she pressed the presidents of Harvard, Penn, and MIT on whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated their campus policies —and none would give a clear answer. Joining the conversation is Brandy Shufutinsky, director of FDD's Program on Education and National Security, who brings her expertise in international and multicultural education to examine the deeper implications of ideological bias and double standards at America's most prestigious institutions. Tune in for a frank discussion on antisemitism, academic freedom, and the urgent need to reform elite higher education.
June 5 · 53 min
Defending Taiwan
Taiwan makes 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors — and China wants to take it without breaking it - using economic coercion if they can. If Beijing succeeds, the global tech economy becomes weaponized. FDD CCTI Senior Director and Senior Fellow RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Stanford Hoover Institution Fellow Eyck Freymann break down the military, economic, and diplomatic strategies the U.S. and its allies must deploy right now to deter China — and what happens if they fail.
May 29 · 35 min
UN Watch Report: Watching the UN Rot
A new UN Watch investigation exposes ideological bias, foreign funding, and ethical misconduct among UN Special Rapporteurs — raising urgent questions about UN accountability and the urgent need for reform. The shocking new report, "From Watchdogs to Ideologues," reveals a long list of Special Rapporteurs who routinely exhibit extreme ideological bias, take payoffs from authoritarian states, and engage in conduct that in any other professional setting would end careers. Host Cliff May discusses the report with Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of the Geneva-based NGO UN Watch.

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