The Secure Line
Summary: The values Americans hold should shape how our country engages with the world. We bring complex issues back to the basic questions of how values affect policy and how the tricky problems of the world can challenge what we believe. Learn what’s important behind the headlines and hear from a diverse set of security policy experts, on-the-ground practitioners with global experience, and political professionals. The Secure Line is co-hosted by David Solimini and sponsored by ADco, LLC.
- Visit Website
- RSS
- Artist: ADco
- Copyright: © 2017 The Secure Line
Podcasts:
This week the team breaks down the intelligence community’s annual threat assessment testimony and the president’s response. US wants more money from ROK. We aren’t optimistic about a possible peace deal in Afghanistan. And Alex gives us an update on a slew of nuclear policy issues.
The teach catches up on court challenges to the DOD ban on trans service members, deep dives into the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and then goes under the radar to cover the impact of political unrest in Zimbabwe, Sudan, and DRC. That, and updates on the Trump-Kim summit and Huawei.
Special guest Ali Wyne joins Xander and Dave this week. We chase the news of the President’s unusual secrecy over his meetings with Vladimir Putin. We go under the radar on the UK’s Brexi-tastophe. And we dive waaaaaayy deep on US-China trade relations and the intersection with technology issues. That and tangents into Iranian missiles and North Korean meetings. And Korean TV.
The Secure Line is back from our long holiday nap. And old friend Matt Fay is back as well. This week Dave, Alex, and Matt talk the border wall, the Syria withdrawal, and Kim Jung Un’s birthday trip to China.
In the 48 hours since we recorded this episode, the president ordered US forces out of Syria, ordered troop levels in Afghanistan cut in half, and the Secretary of Defense resigned. So we’ve added some thoughts on those breaking events before our normal episode. During that normal episode, Dave and Xander review the events of 2018 and look forward to 2019, before reviewing two new reports on Russian interference in US politics and the indictment of Michael Flynn’s business partners for working on behalf of a foreign government. Flynn business partners indicted for FARA violation: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/12/michael-flynn-ex-associates-charged-turkey-lobby-case/578407/ Senate report details Russian information war efforts more widespread than previously known: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/12/16/new-report-russian-disinformation-prepared-senate-shows-operations-scale-sweep/?utm_term=.9057ea9cb209 The reports themselves: https://www.lawfareblog.com/documents-senate-intelligence-committee-publishes-two-reports-internet-research-agency Xander mentioned this story of a new tomb discovery in Egypt: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-42932591/4400-year-old-tomb-discovered-in-egypt Dave mentioned this story about Albania burning all of its spies: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2018/12/18/how-albania-accidentally-exposed-its-own-intelligence-operatives/
Sorry to be a few days late this week! Caitlin and Dave talk Brexit in the news, Yemen’s undercovered famine designation, and dive into America’s China policy.
For the first time in ages, the Secure Line has an all male episode. Dave and Tony talk George H. W. Bush’s legacy, the growing split between congress and the White House on Saudi Arabia, and the NRCC getting hacked by…. someone… and the 60 day clock on withdrawal from the intermediate nuclear forces treaty.
Congress is taking the Saudi war in Yemen seriously for the first time… ever. Two Iranians are indicted for hacking US cities and companies. And Russia wants to own the Sea of Azov, which we have a hard time believing isn’t a location from Harry Pottery.
A quick border policy update before we dive deeeeeeep into the president’s statement on Saudi Arabia’s killing of Jamal Khashoggi. You’ll want to read along with us. The President’s Statement is here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-standing-saudi-arabia/ Things that are more fun and mentioned in the show: Follow @WeAreSpaceForce: https://twitter.com/WeAreSpaceForce Get your NASA & JPL Merch: https://thejplstore.com/Apparel
In the News: US troops get bored sitting on the border. US stops refueling Saudi jets. Under the radar: Bangladesh is forcing Rohingya back into Myanmar. Diving deep: Everyone lost their mind over a nothingburger story about North Korea. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/us/politics/north-korea-missile-bases.html
This week we cover the potential impact of the midterms on foreign policy, the legalities of sending active duty military to the border with Mexico, and Jeff Sessions gets fired. Also: We tell you where to get the best chicken fingers in Manchester, New Hampshire. Mentioned during the show: What Comes Next? Lessons for the Recovery of Liberal Democracy. By Rachel Kleinfeld and David Solimini. https://www.democracyfund.org/publications/what-comes-next-lessons-for-the-recovery-of-liberal-democracy
(Ed. Note: This was recorded Wednesday evening; the MAGA-Bomber had not yet been caught.) Dave, Alex and Caitlin do updates on Ebola, consider why elite opinion on the Saudis has moved so quickly, discuss why Google dropped out of DOD’s cloud contract competition, and dive deep on the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
How the Magnitsky Act can be used to respond to Saudi Arabia’s likely murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The implications of a dozen destroyed F-22s from Hurricane Michael. And Becky wants to know what her dog should be for Halloween. Email your suggestions to securelinepod@gmail.com.
This week: Nikki Haley is leaving the UN. A Washington Post columnist went missing in a Saudi consulate. The President of Interpol disappeared. And regular contributor Caitlin Howarth disappeared to Geneva to work on Ebola response. People keep going missing.
The president spoke at the UN General Assembly this week — we break down what the speech meant. Then we take a look at the new Department of Defense cybersecurity strategy released this week. And then it’s a deep-dive interview with Dr. Rachel Gillum on her new book: Muslims in Post-9/11 America. Also, some reading recommendations. Mentioned in the show: Rachel Gillum’s book, Muslims in Post-9/11 America: https://www.amazon.com/Muslims-Post-9-America-Attitudes-Implications/dp/0472073877/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538170297&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=Muslims+in+POst-9%2F11+Americ I’m a Veteran With PTSD. The Medication I Take Makes Dating Difficult, by Jason Arment: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/magazine/dating-medication-veteran.html I Was Sexually Assaulted by Another Marine. The Corps Didn’t Believe Me, by Justin Rose: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/magazine/sexual-assault-marine-corps.html Military Worship Hurst US Democracy, by Mara Karlin and Alice Hunt Friend: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/09/21/military-worship-hurts-us-democracy-civilian-trump/
