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:
We dissect the National Defense Strategy and then unpack common misconceptions about what’s possible, military-wise, in North Korea. National Defense Strategy: https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf
The team tries to take on the question of what the Trump administration has done well, decides that question is too hard, and so answers a different one instead. We also give the president some advice. And we talk about nuclear weapons; more particularly, the Nuclear Posture Review.
We read the 2017 National Security Strategy so you don’t have to. What in it, what’s not, and what’s important. But if you want to, it’s here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905.pdf This is our final show of 2017. Happy New Year — We’ll see you on the flip side!
This week the team talks about ICAN, winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize and a former client of host David Solimini. Then it’s off to Paris for a discussion about US leadership on global issues. Third we talk about the administration’s forthcoming national security strategy. And then Xander takes us into the weird world of talking robots in Saudi Arabia. Yes, seriously.
A quick show this week: The president decides to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognize that city as the capital, Michael Flynn’s indictment raises the mixing of private interests and government action, and Rex Tillerson’s slow-motion exit from Foggy Bottom.
The team returns from Thanksgiving break to talk North Korea’s new ICBM launch, the closing of the State Department sanctions coordinator office, gender and diversity in national security, the Pope’s trip to Myanmar, and some fun at the end.
Worried that Uncle Bob is going to start talking politics at Thanksgiving dinner? Have no fear! This is your simple guide to turning brewing fights into persuasive conversations.
This week the team tackles the ongoing shakeup in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the President’s speech in South Korea during his trip to Asia, and new research on the full costs of war.
In the shadow of this week’s terrorist attack in New York, we discuss the connection between domestic politics and radicalization. And after the Senate holds hearings on Russian Facebook ads during the 2016 campaign, we dive deep into how voters and policymakers should think about the responsibilities of social media companies.
This week we’re jumping off comments by WH Chief of Staff John Kelly to dive deep into how Americans think about how civilians and military leaders should interact. Then we take a trip to Asia with promised follow-up on the 19th Communist Party Congress in China and the president’s planned trip the Asia in November. Links mentioned in the show: WH Chief of Staff John Kelly Remarks in the press briefing room Robert Killebew, US Army (Ret.) An Old Colonel Looks at General Kelly An Old Colonel Looks at General Kelly Dara Lind John Kelly has become a field commander in Trump’s culture war https://www.vox.com/2017/10/20/16507594/john-kelly-beliefs-few-good-men Eliot Cohen Two Wounded Warriors https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/two-wounded-warriors/543612/
The world responds to President Trump decertifying the Iran nuclear agreement. The death of 4 servicemembers in Niger raises questions about US Train Advise and Assist (TAA) counter-terrorism missions. Practice for US civilian evacuation of South Korea raise eyebrows (unnecessarily, it turns out). And the CIA tweets about dogs.
With President Trump expected to “de-certify” the Iran nuclear agreement on Friday, we walk through what that means and what happens next. Then it’s a detour into some pretty crazy reporting about national security decision-making. Finally, we learn about a 1789 statute, what it has to do with pirates, and why the Supreme Court heard a case on it this week. The Carol Lee NBC story referenced is here: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-wanted-dramatic-increase-nuclear-arsenal-meeting-military-leaders-n809701
Rex Tillerson gets caught being mean, the gun industry is legislated into darkness, and Facebook has some explaining to do. All that, and Caitlin finally explains to us what she does for a living. This week’s very special episode is brought to you by a lack of sleep.
This week’s episode is a day late because of technical difficulties. But we still managed to pull together a tight show: This week we cover the Muslim Ban 3.0, focusing on the refugee issue specifically, and explain how a referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan is relevant to Americans. Bonus: Rebecca’s spy novel recommendations.
The team, low on sleep and a little punch-drunk, got together this week to continue our discussion of Myanmar and what concrete steps countries and companies can take to respond to ethnic cleansing. Next up: Disaster response in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, which are complicated by the fact that while they are America, they aren’t states. And we were rudely interrupted by the latest Kim Jung Un threat during our recording. The show closes out with some good news.
