CNAS Podcasts

The Assad regime has been in power in Syria since 1970. For many analysts, the Syrian state could not exist without the regime, and the regime could not exist without the leadership of the Assad family. However, there still is a debate whether an alternative power to the Assad family could run the Syrian state, in a hypothetical transition period from Bashar al-Assad's rule. Alexander Bick, Research Scholar at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, Faysal Itani, a nonresident senior fellow with the Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council, and Kaleigh Thomas, the Research Associate for the Middle East Security Program at CNAS, join Nicholas Heras to discuss.

A new set of technological tools—some of them now maturing, others poised to emerge over the coming decade—seem destined to wind up in the hands of autocrats around the world. They will allow strongmen and police states to bolster their internal grip, undermine basic rights and spread illiberal practices beyond their own borders. Paul Scharre hosts a discussion with Richard Fontaine and Kara Frederick on their recent article in The Wall Street Journal on these illiberal practices: “The Autocrat's New Tool Kit."

The U.S. Army recently announced its new Advanced Targeting & Lethality Automated System, or ATLAS program. The announcement generated concern and media headlines about the level of autonomy in ATLAS. Paul Scharre, Kara Frederick, and Megan Lamberth discuss the Army's rollout of the program, the language used in the announcement, and how the DoD responded.

Michael Kratsios and Dr. Lynne Parker from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy visited CNAS last week to discuss the Trump administration's American AI Initiative. Paul Scharre, Kara Frederick, and Megan Lamberth sit down to discuss the event and the American AI Initiative, as well as share their reactions to the Department of Defense's newly released strategy on AI.

On Thursday, February 28, Michael Kratsios, Deputy Assistant to the President for Technology Policy, visited CNAS to discuss the President's Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.

China is positioning itself as a powerhouse in quantum science, posing a challenge to U.S. national security and innovation leadership. Elsa B. Kania, an Adjunct Fellow at CNAS, and John Costello, former Co-Founder and Director Emeritus of the China Cyber and Intelligence Studies Institute, join Paul Scharre for a discussion on China's ambitions in quantum development and their recent report, "Quantum Hegemony."

Ambassador Wendy Sherman discusses her unlikely career, which began as an advocate for women's issues. Then, she went into politics, and eventually wound up at the State Department, where she was the lead negotiator for the Iran nuclear deal. In her new book, “Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence,” Sherman writes about long hours of work and having to persevere through tough negotiations with the North Koreans and later the Iranians. In this final episode of the first season of Stories from the Backchannel, Sherman speaks with host Ilan Goldenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for A New American Security. She talks about what it was like to be sitting next to the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and the challenges of negotiating with Iran. Sherman's story is a candid portrayal of what it's like to be a diplomat and how challenges can sometimes be turned into opportunities.

What happens when a Predator drone has as much autonomy as a Google car? Or when a weapon that can hunt its own targets is hacked? Although it sounds like science fiction, the technology already exists to create weapons that can attack targets without human input. One person who has taken a deep look into autonomous weapons is Paul Scharre, Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS and former Army Ranger. In this episode, Scharre talks with host Ilan Goldenberg about how far weapons have evolved and how the world reconcile with the moral implications of these advancements. Scharre is also author of the book Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War.

When Bill Clinton took over as President in 1992, his then Middle East advisor Martin Indyk told him he has a chance to partner with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to secure peace treaties with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the Palestinians. In this episode of Stories From The Backchannel, Indyk talks with host Ilan Goldenberg, Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for A New American Security, about Indyk's journey from Australia to becoming the US Ambassador to Israel, and his quest to bring peace between Israel and its neighbors. Indyk recounts triumphs such as bringing PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat and Rabin to the White House for a historic summit. He also recalls heartbreaking setbacks such what it was like to being in the hospital with Rabin's family on the night the Prime Minister was assassinated. During the Obama administration Goldenberg and Indyk would wind up working together under Secretary of State John Kerry as the United States made another attempt to broker peace. Through the lens of Indyk's decades long career trying to bring peace, listeners will be able to gain a broad sense of the challenges facing all sides and what the prospects are for the future.

Stories from the Backchannel is a new CNAS podcast program that examines the stories behind some of America's most important national security moments. Hosted by CNAS Middle East Program Director, Ilan Goldenberg, the podcast invites listeners into the room as government officials, and world leaders put aside niceties in favor of candid discussions, and hard-nosed negotiations. In our first episode, Unavoidable Russia, CNAS CEO Victoria Nuland recounts her time as one of America's leading diplomats on Russia. Each story is told from the perspective of officials who were part of some of our nation's most captivating and historic moments.

Paul Scharre, Director and Senior Fellow of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, hosts a discussion with Technology and National Security Adjunct Fellow Elsa Kania on her new report about the basics of quantum technology, China’s related efforts, and what the United States should do to maintain its technological leadership.

Kara Frederick hosts a session with Paul Scharre and Gregory C. Allen on the third report of CNAS’ AI and International Security series, “Strategic Competition in an Era of Artificial Intelligence.”

Kara Frederick, from the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, hosts a discussion on the basics of artificial intelligence and its impact on national security with Paul Scharre, Gregory C. Allen and Edoardo Saravalle. The experts also discuss the release of the CNAS AI report series, Artificial Intelligence and International Security.

Stories from the Backchannel is a new CNAS podcast program that examines the stories behind some of America's most important national security moments. Hosted by CNAS Middle East Program Director, Ilan Goldenberg, the podcast invites listeners into the room as government officials, and world leaders put aside niceties in favor of candid discussions, and hard-nosed negotiations. In our first episode, Unavoidable Russia, CNAS CEO Victoria Nuland recounts her time as one of America's leading diplomats on Russia. Each story is told from the perspective of officials who were part of some of our nation's most captivating and historic moments.

Join Kara Frederick from the CNAS Technology and National Security Program in a discussion with Paul Scharre on the national security implications of robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence in “Army of None.”