We’re here to redefine how scholars and policymakers approach national security and foreign policy. Join us, as we make sense of a world in crisis.
Joined July 2020
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Mar 13
#Iran has a new Supreme Leader — in the middle of a war.
We sat down with @vali_nasr to unpack who Ayatollah Ali #Khamenei was, how power actually works inside the Islamic Republic, and what Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection means for the Iran war.
🎧 Listen or Watch 👇🏽
Spotify: bit.ly/4bq11ey
Apple: bit.ly/4cFKKEx
YouTube: bit.ly/4rwrX2f
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Jun 9
What makes someone a dissident?
On the latest episode of The Burn Bag, @galbeckerman (@TheAtlantic) joins us to discuss conscience, courage, authoritarianism, performative rebellion, and what it means to live without betraying one’s inner voice.
Spotify: bit.ly/3RXLdJZ
Apple: bit.ly/4dZ8jbK
YouTube: bit.ly/4os1bbl
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May 27
NEW EPISODE:
We speak with Dr. @GarySlutkin1, physician, epidemiologist, former WHO official, and founder of @CureViolence, about treating violence as a contagious epidemic — and how it can be interrupted.
Listen 👇
Spotify: bit.ly/4xbuFyn
Apple: bit.ly/4wTgeP2
YouTube: bit.ly/4uCrTQU
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May 19
🎙️ New Burn Bag episode with Zhengyu Huang, former President of the Committee of 100 and author of "Rethinking China."
We discuss:
• U.S.-China competition
• Taiwan & deterrence
• Economic decoupling
• China Initiative fallout
• Risks of escalation & miscalculation
Spotify: bit.ly/3RQdRMM
Apple: bit.ly/4a0dMwj
YouTube: bit.ly/4uolb0P
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May 7
Wars once centered on oil fields, pipelines, and ports.
Now they may target data centers.
After Iranian strikes reportedly hit commercial cloud infrastructure in the Persian Gulf earlier this year, a new question emerged: what happens when the infrastructure powering AI and the global economy becomes part of the battlespace?
On the latest episode of The Burn Bag, @andregonawela speaks with Morgan Plummer (@mcplummer1789) of @americans4ri about why AI infrastructure is becoming a strategic target — and what attacks on commercial compute hubs could mean for markets, businesses, and consumers.
🎧 Spotify: bit.ly/4uuy3BZ
🍎 Apple: bit.ly/42pxfCz
▶️ YouTube: bit.ly/4dvnAk5
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The Burn Bag retweeted
Pleased to talk with the prolific @andregonawela on the @BurnBagPod podcast. We discussed recent developments among Smaller South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and how they manage ties with large powers like India, the US, and China. Watch/listen below:
Apr 29
How did #SriLanka react when a U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian vessel off its coastline?
How is #Bangladesh navigating a #fuelcrisis driven by a conflict it has nothing to do with?
These aren’t isolated incidents. They reflect a broader reality: smaller states in South Asia are increasingly on the frontlines of geopolitical shock — from #maritime spillover to #energy insecurity to pressure from major powers.
On the latest episode of The Burn Bag, we speak with Nilanthi Samaranayake (@nilanthis) on how countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and others are managing crisis, preserving autonomy, and navigating an increasingly contested Indian Ocean.
🎧 Spotify: bit.ly/48xpv4W
🍎 Apple: bit.ly/4tIHQod
▶️ YouTube: youtu.be/E1NBU8sGZCo
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Apr 29
How did #SriLanka react when a U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian vessel off its coastline?
How is #Bangladesh navigating a #fuelcrisis driven by a conflict it has nothing to do with?
These aren’t isolated incidents. They reflect a broader reality: smaller states in South Asia are increasingly on the frontlines of geopolitical shock — from #maritime spillover to #energy insecurity to pressure from major powers.
On the latest episode of The Burn Bag, we speak with Nilanthi Samaranayake (@nilanthis) on how countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and others are managing crisis, preserving autonomy, and navigating an increasingly contested Indian Ocean.
🎧 Spotify: bit.ly/48xpv4W
🍎 Apple: bit.ly/4tIHQod
▶️ YouTube: youtu.be/E1NBU8sGZCo
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Mar 31
The global order is changing — and there may be no going back.
New episode with @BrookingsInst's Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper on:
• The future of the international system
• Structural U.S.–China competition
• Why alliances are evolving
• Why the post–Cold War era may be ending
Spotify: bit.ly/3NQHTPa
Apple: bit.ly/3Oa0h5C
YouTube: youtu.be/ro3UeADZg_0
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Mar 12
Why are Iranian drones getting through air defenses?
Former U.S. Defense Secretary @MarkTEsper explains why drones pose a different challenge than ballistic missiles — and what it means for the escalating Iran war.
🎧 Full episode:
Spotify: bit.ly/46KUw4s
Apple: bit.ly/47vapw2
YouTube: bit.ly/4rVY8cl
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Mar 10
Former Secretary of Defense @MarkTEsper on how China is reading the Iran war.
As the U.S. expends munitions and resources in the Middle East, Beijing is watching closely — particularly through the lens of a potential future conflict in the Indo-Pacific.
Watch the clip 👇
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Mar 7
RT @MarkTEsper: In this interview I lay out at least three possible outcomes in this war, the difficulty of achieving each, and how long ea…
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Mar 7
The #IranWar is entering a dangerous phase.
As U.S.–Israeli strikes continue and Iran retaliates across the region, we did a rapid-turn interview with former Defense Secretary @MarkTEsper to break down what’s happening — and what comes next.
We cover:
• #Trump’s decision to strike
• Sustainability of the air campaign
• U.S. munitions capacity
• #Shahed drones & Gulf escalation
• Leadership decapitation
• The #China and #India angles
• The war’s possible endgame
Listen/watch 👇
Spotify: bit.ly/46KUw4s
Apple: bit.ly/47vapw2
YouTube: bit.ly/4rVY8cl
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Mar 3
After the Austin shooting, questions about terrorism resurfaced.
Are Iranian sleeper cells a threat inside the U.S.?
Former FBI counterterrorism official Javed Ali explains why lone wolf attacks are more likely.
Spotify: bit.ly/4cUOAJS
Apple: bit.ly/4r6GK3t
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Mar 1
Why is Iran hitting targets across the Gulf?
Former NSC official Javed Ali explains Tehran’s strategy — and why Gulf states may be getting pulled into the conflict.
🎙️ Watch the clip ↓
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Mar 1
The intensifying conflict between the U.S., #Israel, and #Iran — and the killing of Ayatollah #Khamenei — may flip the regional script.
Are we heading toward wider war?
We sat down with former NSC official Javed Ali to break down what comes next. 🎙️👇
#MiddleEastConflict
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Mar 1
Listen on the following platforms 👇
Spotify: bit.ly/4cUOAJS
Apple: bit.ly/4r6GK3t
YouTube: bit.ly/4aU6eLi
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