CNAS Podcasts

From serving as a counterterrorism analyst for the Pentagon in Afghanistan to working on security issues at Facebook, Kara Frederick has spent her entire career confronting America's most dangerous national security challenges. Now a Fellow with the CNAS Technology and National Security Program, Frederick joins Ilan Goldenberg to discuss how terrorists and bad actors have used digital technology​, how governments and private companies have responded, and what digital security challenges lie ahead.

How have China's global ambitions sharpened under President Xi Jinping, and how should the United States respond? Dr. Kurt M. Campbell served in the Obama administration as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, where he helped lead the administration's "Pivot to Asia." Now Chairman and CEO of The Asia Group, Campbell joins Ilan Goldenberg to discuss his front row seat to President Xi's rise to power, the future of U.S.-China relations, and more.

As a woman serving on the front lines in Iraq, Kayla Williams faced not only the perils of combat, but the ordeals of sexism and harassment. Some of her greatest challenges, however, lay at home—learning to care for a spouse with a traumatic brain injury, overcoming PTSD, and fighting for VA reform. Kayla, now Director of the CNAS Military, Veterans, and Society Program, joins Ilan Goldenberg to discuss her time serving as an Arabic linguist in the U.S. Army and the human costs of armed conflict.

When American diplomats travel abroad and meet with foreign leaders, who works behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly? What negotiations go into preparing for a state dinner with Kim Jong-il, and how is the pageantry of a diplomatic visit used to further U.S. policy objectives? Price Floyd, a veteran State Department public affairs official and former Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, speaks with Ilan Goldenberg about his most remarkable—and bizarre—experiences abroad on diplomatic advance teams.

What do the Pentagon's decisions about military spending say about our priorities as a nation? What goes into the DoD's $700 billion budget each year? Former Pentagon official Susanna V. Blume, now Director of the CNAS Defense Program, joins Ilan Goldenberg to discuss what the composition and size of the defense budget reveals about America’s national security priorities.

Richard Fontaine spent years advising leading figures in American foreign policy, but working for the late Sen. John McCain was unlike anything he had experienced before. Now Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security, Fontaine sits down with Ilan Goldenberg to discuss Senator McCain's legacy, detail stories from his time working on Capitol Hill and the 2008 McCain presidential campaign, and recount lessons learned from a storied American statesman.

Now more than ever, Americans are interested in the people working behind the scenes on consequential national security decisions. In Season Two of Stories from the Backchannel, host Ilan Goldenberg sits down with experts from across the U.S. foreign policy landscape to discuss their experiences and roles on the front row of history. From working on major presidential campaigns to crafting the world's largest budget, this season's guests will shed light on the places where key national security decisions happen.

Emma Moore joins the CNAS Women in National Security podcast mini-series on human capital to discuss changing the requirements for national service.

Maggie Feldman-Piltch joins the CNAS Women in National Security podcast mini-series on human capital to discuss the gaps she sees in launching and advancing careers in national security. Maggie is the Managing Director of Unicorn Strategies and Founder of #NatSecGirlSquad.

Sina Beaghley joins the CNAS Women in National Security podcast mini-series on human capital to discuss security clearance reform. Sina is a senior international/defense policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. She focuses her research on national security policy issues including counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber strategy, security clearance reform, and surveillance policy and privacy. Beaghley came to RAND after more than a decade of service in the federal government developing and implementing national security policies.

Dr. Laura Junor joins the CNAS Women in National Security podcast mini-series on human capital to discuss how the government must change its personnel systems to bring in the right talent at the right time. She is Director, Research and Strategic Support at the National Defense University, Institute for National Strategic Studies. Prior to her arrival at NDU, Dr. Junor was confirmed as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Dr. Junor previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, the Chief of Staff for Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, and as a deputy team leader for readiness at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

On May 15, President Trump issued an executive order designed to protect the United States from security vulnerabilities in the global communications technology supply chain. What took so long? Does the order go too far—or not far enough—in addressing threats to America's 5G security? Paul Scharre and Elsa B. Kania join Megan Lamberth to discuss what the order means, how it might affect U.S. partners in Europe and companies like Huawei, and more.

Nicholas A. Heras asks three notable experts on U.S. national security decision making—Frances Z. Brown, Melissa Dalton, and Loren DeJonge Schulman—whether the United States should remain committed to maintaining a presence in Syria, and if President Trump is right that all that remains for the U.S. in Syria is "sand and death."

Nicholas A. Heras asks three notable experts on Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah in the Syrian conflict—Anna Borshchevskaya, Hanin Ghaddar, and Brian Katz—how the United States can engage with Russia to manage the situation with Israel and the Assad regime to prevent Iran and its Hezbollah network from launching a war against Israel from Syria that could have region-shattering consequences for the Middle East.

Nicholas A. Heras asks three notable experts on Salafist-jihadist organizations and the Syrian conflict — Jennifer Cafarella, Hassan Hassan, and Sasha Ghosh Siminoff — about how Syria became the largest recruiting ground for Salafist-jihadist groups in modern history and how the United States should approach its counter-terrorism policy in Syria to meet this challenge.

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.”

Neil Bhatiya, Research Associate in the Energy, Economics, and Security Program, leads a discussion on China's use of coercive economic measures and how the United States can respond with Elizabeth Rosenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the EES Program, Peter Harrell, Adjunct Senior Fellow in the EES Program, and Edoardo Saravalle, Researcher in the EES Program. The discussants draw on the findings from their upcoming report on Chinese economic coercion and cover topics including: past examples of Chinese coercive measures, how Beijing chooses its targets, how its coercion differs from the U.S. measures, and how Washington can counter this threat.

Join Kara Frederick, from the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, in a discussion with Mary Wareham, Paul Scharre, and Elsa B. Kania on the key takeaways of the fifth meeting of the UN GGE for the CCW in Geneva.

Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, discusses the Trump Administration’s recent Drone Export Policy and its relationship to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) with CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Dr. Michael Horowitz.

Anthony Cho interviews Harry Krejsa on Harry's new report, "Under Pressure," which examines how China is influencing rivals and competitors overseas through subversion and other means.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, in a discussion with Amir Husain about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence on human existentialism, the future of work and war, and technological risk.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, in a discussion with Bob Work and Amir Husain on the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force, an important cross-sector collaboration to discuss societal, economic, and security implications of this emerging technology.

As part of the Zak Grand Strategy lecture series, CNAS welcomes Rebecca Friedman Lissner of Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania and Mira Rapp-Hooper of the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School to discuss their new essay, "The Day After Trump: American Strategy for a New International Order," in the latest Washington Quarterly. In it they examine the fraying of the post World War II order over the last several decades, but encourage foreign policy thinkers to think seriously about what's next.

Samantha Vinograd and Morgan Ortagus join the CNAS Women in National Security podcast to discuss their careers in national security, the private sector, and media, their evolving understanding of the concept of security, and how their long (and bipartisan!) friendship has shaped their lives.

Launching the second chapter in the Women in National Security podcast series, Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin talks with CNAS Senior Fellow Loren DeJonge Schulman about her career as a journalist, how she views being a woman in this field, and the "last word" she'd want to have on the topic of women in national security.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS, in a discussion with Brendan McCord and Gregory C. Allen about the challenges and opportunities facing the United States’ private sector and national security community in harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence.

As part of our Michael J. Zak Grand Strategy Lecture series, Senior Fellow Loren DeJonge Schulman hosts four experts to discuss some fundamentals of grand strategy that are too easily glossed over: definitions, audiences, perceptions, diversity, and implementation. Guests: Kelly Magsamen (CAP), Susanna Blume (CNAS), Emma Ashford (Cato Institute), and Julie Smith (CNAS).

Elizabeth Rosenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program leads a discussion on new strategies and tools to counter terrorist financing. Since 9/11, the nature of terrorist threat has changed, requiring a new approach by government authorities and the financial sector. She is joined by Tom Keatinge from the Royal United Services Institute, Joshua Geltzer from Georgetown Law School, David Murray from the Financial Integrity Network, and Kris Doucette from Chainalysis.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, in a discussion with Capt Michael Kanaan about how artificial intelligence and machine learning is being incorporated into the United States Air Force (USAF) and how these technologies are affecting the USAF’s missions and priorities.

Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director, Technology and National Security interviews Dr. Andrew Moore, Dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University on the most important progress being made in Artificial Intelligence.

In his new report, Heartland Security, Bacevich Fellow, Harry Krejsa, argues foreign policy pays off for the middle class when domestic policy *makes* it pay off -- and national security professionals took their eye off the ball. He and CNAS expert Rachel Rizzo discuss the latest.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS in a discussion with Helen Toner, Senior Research Analyst, Open Philanthropy Project and Jack Clark, Strategy and Communications Director, OpenAI about the most significant benefits and risks that artificial intelligence technology poses to national security.

Nicole Pilkus, Deputy Director of the Maritime Safety Office National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency talks with Julie smith about her career in the defense industry, experiences that have shaped her career so far, and advice she'd give to young women entering this field today.

CNAS expert Ilan Goldenberg breaks down the past week of protest in Iran and its global implications, with a focus on its impact on the future of the Iran nuclear deal. Hosted by Neal Urwitz.

Amanda Sloat of the Brookings Institution shares what it's like working as a woman in national security.

CNAS Deputy Director of Studies dives into the Trump administration's National Security Strategy, talking strategy development, messaging, and implementation with CNAS experts Jerry Hendrix, Ilan Goldenberg, and Dan Kliman.

Laura Rosenberger, former foreign policy advisor for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign, discusses the misconceptions women have about working in national security.