Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a new podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision makers around the world. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland Production assistance by Jonas Heering Design by Rebecca McFarland and Alistair Somerville Music by Gabe Swarts This podcast is supported by funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Bridging the Gap Initiative.
Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University
Kelly talks with Yvonnick Denoël about his new book, Vatican Spies: From the Second World War to Pope Francis, exploring the Vatican's little-known intelligence operations. Yvonnick is a French historian, publisher and intelligence specialist who has written on the CIA, Mossad, and espionage in the twentieth century. His new book uncovers a little-known side of Vatican history that saw the Holy See develop its own extensive espionage capability that still exists today. Link to Vatican Spies: From the Second World War to Pope Francis: https://www.amazon.com/Vatican-Spies-Second-World-Francis-ebook/dp/B0DNZVX2VS?ref_=ast_author_mpb The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on June 9, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with David Mora on Mexico's Judicial Elections: 27:20 This week, Kelly and Tristen unpack key elections in Poland and South Korea, and examine the growing reach of an Al-Qaeda affiliate in West Africa. Kelly then sits down with David Mora to explore Mexico's recent judicial elections and their implications for Mexican democracy and U.S.-Mexico relations. David Mora is the Senior Analyst for Mexico at the International Crisis Group. David researches organised crime, violence, corruption and conflict in the country, blending fieldwork and investigative reporting tools. He analyses and formulates policy strategies aimed at preventing, mitigating or resolving conflict. Originally an investigative reporter and documentary producer, David has eight years of experience in journalism, working for VICE News, NBC News, ProPublica and The Atlantic. His coverage of migration, criminal violence and corruption in Mexico has been recognised with some of the most prestigious journalism awards in the United States. Before doing journalism, he worked as a human rights researcher for different civil society groups in Mexico. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on June 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Kelly talks with Amitav Acharya about his new book The Once and Future World Order and the deep roots of global civilization beyond the West. They explore why the recent decline of American dominance doesn't mean collapse, but a chance to build a more just, inclusive global system. Amitav Acharya is the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC. Previously he was a Professor at York University, Toronto and at the University of Bristol in the UK. His essays have appeared in International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Asian Studies, Foreign Affairs magazine, and has written op-eds for the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and many others. His most recent book, The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West was published in April 2025. Link to The Once and Future World Order: https://www.amazon.com/Once-Future-World-Order-Civilization/dp/1541604148 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 29, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Trump's Middle East Visit: 25:55 This week, Kelly and Tristen discuss President Trump's meeting with the President of South Africa, give an update on the war in Ukraine, and unpack the UK's new trade agreement with the European Union. Kelly then talks with Mona Yacoubian for a breakdown on Trump's recent trip to the Middle East, and what the visit means for American foreign policy in the region. Mona Yacoubian is the Senior Adviser and Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She was previously the Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa center at the United States Institute of Peace. Prior to joining USIP, Mona was Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Middle East Bureau at the United States Agency for International Development from 2014 to 2017, where she had responsibility for Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Mona also previously served as the North Africa analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 22, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Next up this Summer, Kelly talks with bestselling author Moisés Naím about the rise of authoritarianism around the world. Moisés Naím is an internationally syndicated columnist and best-selling author of several books, including most recently "The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century," published in 2023. In the early 1990s, Dr. Naím served as Venezuela's Minister of Trade and Industry, as director of Venezuela's Central Bank, and as executive director of the World Bank. He was previously a professor of business and economics and dean of IESA, Venezuela's leading business school. He now serves as a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His forthcoming book, "Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses," is coming out in October 2025. Link to the revenge of power: https://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Power-Autocrats-Reinventing-Politics/dp/1250279208 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Sameer Lalwani on India-Pakistan: 21:30 This week, Kelly and Tristen digest the recent elections in Australia and President Putin's WWII victory day parade, and remember the life and legacy of legendary IR scholar Joseph Nye. Kelly then talks with to Sameer Lalwani for an update on recent tensions between India and Pakistan. Sameer Lalwani is a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He was formerly a senior expert in the Asia Center at the United States Institute of Peace, director of the Stimson Center's South Asia Program, an adjunct professor at George Washington University, and a Stanton nuclear security fellow at the RAND Corporation. His research has also been published in Security Studies, International Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Small Wars & Insurgencies, Survival, The Washington Quarterly, Asian Survey, Foreign Affairs, and the New York Times. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 12, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
In the first episode of our summer series, Kelly talks with Oxford University Professor Patricia Owens about her new book "Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men." Kelly and Patricia discuss how women and minority voices were erased from the early cannon of interntional relations, what that means for the practice of IR, and how the field is fairing amid profound shifts in global order. Link to "Erased": https://www.amazon.com/Erased-History-International-Thought-Without-ebook/dp/B0DB6MVKYZ Patricia Owens is a professor of international relations at the University of Oxford's Somerville College. Her research interests include twentieth-century international history and theory, historical and contemporary practices of Anglo-American counterinsurgency and military intervention, and disciplinary history and the history of international and political thought. She was Principal Investigator of the multi-award-winning Leverhulme Research Project on Women and the History of International Thought. Her new book, "Erased: A History of International Thought without Men" was published in March of 2025 by Princeton University Press. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on May 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Remus Ștefureac on the upcoming Romanian election - 20:05 Read more about Tristen Naylor, Kelly's new co-host, on our website: https://isd.georgetown.edu/profile/tristen-naylor/ Kelly and Tristen delve into Pope Francis's legacy, analyze the results of the Canadian election, and examine how India is navigating trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Later, Kelly sits down with political analyst Remus Ștefureac to discuss next week's presidential election in Romania and its implications for the country's political trajectory and foreign policy. Remus is CEO and founder of INSCOP Research, one of the most respected polling firms in Romania. Previously, he was involved in the foreign service as a Romanian diplomat in Washington DC and founded the Strategic Thinking Group in 2005, a consulting company specialized in communication and public policy. Between 2009 and 2011, he was the adviser of the Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service. His Ph.D. thesis covered the vast topic of Soviet political warfare, with a specific focus on Soviet-Romanian relations. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 29, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Mélanie Gouby on conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - 19:40 Read more about Tristen Naylor, Kelly's new co-host, on our website: https://isd.georgetown.edu/profile/tristen-naylor/ Kelly and Tristen break down the Trump administration's new tariffs, the revival of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, and Ecuador's recent presidential election. Later, Kelly speaks with investigative journalist Mélanie Gouby about conflict in the DRC and stalled peace talks between the government and Rwandan-backed rebels. Mélanie is an investigative journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker based in London. Her work focuses on the systemic root causes underpinning violence and conflict, and their impact on human rights, development and the environment. She was the East Africa correspondent for the French newspaper Le Figaro from 2014 to 2016, and has contributed to outlets including the Guardian, the New York Times, the Independent, National Geographic, Foreign Policy, France 24, BBC, Deutsche Welle, and Vice. In May 2012, Mélanie covered the early days of the M23 rebellion for the Associated Press. She was previously the bureau chief for the Institute for War & Peace Reporting in the eastern DRC. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 15, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
For our sixth episode of "History and our Current World," Jeremi Suri joins Kelly to discuss how policymakers can effectively use historical analogies without falling into the trap of oversimplification. They discuss how examining multiple historical cases rather than relying on a single analogy like Munich or Vietnam can result in better policy outcomes. Jeremi holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, and is a Professor in UT Austin's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy, most recently Civil War By Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; and The Power of the Past: History and Statecraft, edited with Hal Brands. Link to Civil War By Other Means: https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Other-Means-Unfinished/dp/1541758544 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Alper Coşkun on Türkiye's political crisis - 21:10 This week is our third episode with Kelly's new co-host, Tristen Naylor, a non-resident fellow at ISD. Read more about Tristen on our website: https://isd.georgetown.edu/profile/tristen-naylor/ Kelly and Tristen give updates on renewed fighting in Gaza and how domestic Israeli politics led to the breakdown of the ceasefire. They also discuss JD Vance's visit to Greenland and highlight some encouraging developments in India's agricultural sector. Later, Kelly speaks with Carnegie's Alper Coşkun about Türkiye's escalating political turmoil. Coşkun traces the origins of the crisis and its implications for the future of Türkiye's democracy. Alper is a senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. His research focuses on Turkish foreign policy, especially in relation to the United States and Europe. He is a retired career diplomat of thirty-two years with extensive experience in both bilateral and multilateral settings. He was the director general for international security affairs at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2019, covering NATO, transatlantic relations, Euro-Atlantic security/defense and arms control/disarmament matters. Before that, he was ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2012 to 2016, where he oversaw one of Türkiye's most largest diplomatic missions. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 31, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
For our fifth episode of "History and our Current World," Daniel Immerwahr joins Kelly to uncover how U.S. foreign policy has been shaped by a hidden history of territorial expansion. They dive into the myths surrounding the U.S. "logo map" and overlooked overseas territories, and discuss how a selective understanding of this history impacts our foreign policy decisions today. Daniel is the Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities and Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence in the History department at Northwestern University. He is the author of Thinking Small: The United States and the Lure of Community Development, and How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States, both of which have won scholarly awards. Immerwahr is a contributing writer for The New Yorker and his essays have also appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, and the New York Review of Books, among other places. Link to How to Hide an Empire: https://www.amazon.com/How-Hide-Empire-History-Greater/dp/0374172145 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Nick Thompson on Undersea Cables - 22:20 This week is our second episode with Kelly's new co-host, Tristen Naylor, a non-resident fellow at ISD. Read more about Tristen on our website: https://isd.georgetown.edu/profile/tristen-naylor/ Kelly and Tristen analyze the recent conflict in South Sudan and Canadian politics, as well as the latest developments in Ukraine. Kelly then turns to Nick Thompson for an update on threats to undersea cables, including recent sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea. They discuss how nations are strengthening their naval defenses and the challenges of attributing attacks to specific actors. Nick Thompson is a former CIA Paramilitary Case Officer and Naval Special Warfare Development Group operator. With over 20 years of experience in the national security space, Nick has conducted countless clandestine operations and combat deployments with a primary focus on the Middle East and Asia. He now works in Washington, D.C. at Anduril Industries, a leading defense technology company, seeking to bring cutting-edge capability to intelligence and defense professionals. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 17, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
For our fourth episode of "History and our Current World," Kelly welcomes author Jason Steinhauer to explore how social media has impacted historical narratives. They dive into the idea of "e-History" and how social media has made it harder for professional historians to cut through the noise in an age where misinformation is constantly competing for our attention. Jason formerly served as Founding Director of the Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest; as a Global Fellow at The Wilson Center and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute; and an adjunct professor at the Maxwell School for Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He worked for seven years at the U.S. Library of Congress. Jason's bestselling book, History, Disrupted: How Social Media & the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past, examines how social media shapes what we know about the past. His Substack newsletter is read in 49 states and 108 countries by policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and citizens. He is the founder and CEO of the History Communication Institute, which comprises 150 scholars and practitioners on 6 continents. Link to History, Disrupted: https://www.amazon.com/History_-Disrupted_-How-Social-Media-and-the-World-Wide-Web-Have-Changed-the-Past/dp/3030851168 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 6, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Edward Fishman on Ukarine & Russia - 40:50 This week, Kelly introduces our new co-host, Tristen Naylor, a non-resident fellow at ISD. Read more about Tristen on our website: https://isd.georgetown.edu/profile/tristen-naylor/ Kelly and Tristen analyze recent developments in German and Syrian politics and the recent G20 summit in South Africa. Kelly then turns to Edward Fishman for an update on Ukraine and Russia. Edward is the author of the new book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, which focuses on the evolution of sanctions as a tool of US foreign policy. He served in the Treasury, Defense, and State departments from 2011 to 2017, including in the Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation, and on Secretary of State John Kerry's policy planning staff. Find his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Chokepoints-American-Power-Economic-Warfare/dp/0593712978 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on March 4, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
For our third episode of "History and our Current World," Kelly welcomes journalist Katie Stallard to explore how historical mythmaking shapes foreign policy. We examine how Russia, China & North Korea have manipulated national narratives to legitimize their global ambitions and create powerful collective identities. Katie is a senior editor for China & global affairs at the News Statesman magazine, and was previously a foreign correspondent for Sky News, reporting from Ukraine, Russia, and China. She published Dancing on Bones in 2022, which was awarded best political book of the year by the Financial Times, the Sunday Times, and the BBC history magazine. Link to Dancing on Bones: https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Bones-History-Power-Russia/dp/0197575358 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 19, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Omar Mahmood on Somaliland - 16:40 This week, Kelly sits down with International Crisis Group Senior Analyst Omar Mahmood for an in-depth look at Somaliland's history and quest for international recognition. Before that, he and Freddie discuss Trump's USAID cuts, political turmoil in the Philippines, and Ecuador's presidential election results. As the senior analyst for Eastern Africa at the International Crisis Group, Omar conducts field research, provides written analysis, proposes policy recommendations and engages in advocacy efforts. Omar has previously worked as a senior researcher focusing on the Horn of Africa for the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, and as an international consultant covering Boko Haram and the Lake Chad Basin. Prior to that, he obtained his Master's degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso. Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray's article on the impact of USAID in Tunisia: USAID Expertise is a Critical Foreign Policy Tool — https://medium.com/the-diplomatic-pouch/analysis-usaid-expertise-is-a-critical-foreign-policy-tool-bab558a27fb8 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 13, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
For our first full episode of Season 8, Kelly is joined by Margaret MacMillan to discuss the importance of history in shaping the behavior of individuals, politicians, and entire societies. Margaret MacMillan is an emeritus professor of History at the University of Toronto and an emeritus professor of International History at Oxford University. She was provost of Trinity College, Toronto from 2002 to 2007 and warden of St Antony's College, Oxford from 2007 to 2017. She is a trustee of the Imperial War Museum and sits on a number of non-profit advisory boards. Her research specializes in British imperial history and the international history of the 19th and 20th centuries. Her publications have been translated into 26 languages and include Paris, 1919, Nixon and Mao, and The War that Ended Peace. Her latest book, published in 2020, is War: How Conflict Shaped Us: https://www.amazon.com/War-How-Conflict-Shaped-Us/dp/1984856138 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Liana Fix on Germany - 16:00 NOTE: This episode was recorded before the ceasefire in the DRC began to break down. This week, Kelly sits down with Council on Foreign Relations fellow Liana Fix for an update on Germany's political crisis just weeks ahead of the federal elections. Before that, Kelly and Freddie break down the release of DeepSeek, discuss the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and give an update on South Korea's presidential crisis. Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, Eastern Europe, and European China policy. Dr. Fix is also the author of A New German Power? Germany's Role in European Russia Policy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). She is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University in the Center for German and European Studies and the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 5, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
This week, Kelly teases the upcoming season of Diplomatic Immunity, titled "History and our Current World." The new series explores how history shapes foreign affairs—from the lessons of the Treaty of Versailles to the myths fueling conflicts in Ukraine and the South China Sea. Don't miss our next episode on February 13th, when Kelly interviews renowned historian Margaret MacMillan to uncover how history is used, misused, and interpreted in global politics. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 27, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Syria — 10:57 This week, Kelly interviews Mona Yacoubian from the U.S. Institute of Peace to provide insights into Syria's future, focusing on the rise of HTS, reconstruction challenges, and the role of international actors. Before that, Kelly and Freddie cover the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and reflect on the legacy of Jimmy Carter's foreign policy. Mona is the vice president of the Middle East and North Africa center at USIP. Prior to joining USIP, Mona was deputy assistant administrator in the Middle East Bureau at USAID from 2014 to 2017, where she had responsibility for Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Mona also previously served as the North Africa analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 21, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
To kick off 2025, Kelly talks with Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for New American Security, about his new report with the Council on Foreign Relations: No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy. Richard is the chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security. Prior to CNAS, Richard was a foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and served in the State Department and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also served as associate director for Near Eastern affairs at the National Security Council and worked on Southeast Asian issues in the NSC's Asian Affairs directorate. In 2024, Richard co-authored the Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power, with Ambassador Robert Blackwill. Please find the book in our show notes, as well as a link to Robert and Richard's recent report. CFR | No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy: https://www.cfr.org/report/no-limits-china-russia-relationship-and-us-foreign-policy The Lost Decade: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Decade-Pivot-Chinese-Power/dp/0197677940 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on January 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
This week, Kelly looks back on the major events of 2024 with Amy Mackinnon and Ellen Laipson. Amy Mackinnon is an award-winning national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy. She has reported from across Eastern Europe and was previously based in Moscow and in Tbilisi, Georgia, as senior editor for the crisis reporting site Coda Story. Mackinnon is a recipient of the duPont-Columbia award for her reporting on homophobic vigilantes in Russia. She is a regular commentator for BBC World Service radio and television and her work has been published and broadcast by Coda Story, Slate Magazine, Vice News, and CNN among others. Ellen Laipson is the Director of the International Security Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She joined GMU after a distinguished 25-year career in government and as President of the Stimson Center (2002-2015). Her last post in the US government was Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council (1997-2002). She also served on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff, the National Security Council staff, and the Congressional Research Service. She was a member of the CIA External Advisory Panel from 2006 to 2009, President Obama's Intelligence Advisory Board from 2009 to 2013, and the Secretary of State's Foreign Affairs Policy Board from 2011 to 2014. Ellen currently serves on the ISD board of advisers. Amy and Ellen's recommended books for the holidays: The Ecology of Nations by John M. Owen IV The Achilles Trap by Steve Coll The Cure of Troy by Seamus Heaney The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 16, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
This week, Kelly talks with former British Ambassador Leigh Turner about a wide range of topics, from crisis and safety issues facing embassies around the world to how technology is transforming the role of the diplomat, and how he sees European, Russian, and British foreign policy developing in the next few years. Leigh Turner is a writer based in London. He was the UK ambassador to Austria and UK permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna from September 2016 to September 2021. Leigh's previous roles were as Her Majesty's consul general in Istanbul and director general for trade and investment for Turkey, Central Asia and the South Caucasus; Her Majesty's ambassador in Kyiv, Ukraine, and director of Overseas Territories in London, responsible for territories including St Helena, the Falklands and Bermuda. https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Diplomacy-Politics-Power-Parties/dp/1447373928 https://rleighturner.com/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 9, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
This week, Kelly talks with the French Ambassador for Sports, Samuel Ducroquet, about the growing role of sports in diplomatic efforts. Samuel Ducroquet was appointed French ambassador for sport in February 2023. He joined the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in 2007 as an International Civilian Volunteer at the French Permanent Mission to the EU in Brussels, and has since worked as a political advisor at the French Embassy in Qatar. His experience as an Olympic attaché at the French Embassy in Tokyo allowed him to develop a real expertise on sports diplomacy, reinforced by his position as senior manager in charge of the dignitaries programme in the International Relations Department of the Paris 2024 Games organizing committee, from 2022 to 2023. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on December 2, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Dan Byman on Israel — 14:36 This week, Kelly speaks with Georgetown Professor Dan Byman for an update on Israel and Lebanon, days before a ceasefire was announced in the year-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Before that, Kelly and Freddie talk through the recent elections in Georgia and Venezuela, and the negotiations at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on November 22, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
On November 13, ISD Director Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine awarded New York Times correspondent Edward Wong with the Edward Weintal Prize for diplomatic reporting. Ed's lecture, "Empires in Extremis," covers his family's story as it intertwines with the rise of the CCP and Xi Jinping, leading into his own career as a diplomatic correspondent and NYT Beijing Bureau Chief for nine years. He concludes by comparing and contrasting the Chinese and U.S. models of empire, and the dangers they face as the two countries become more adversarial. Q&A with Ambassador Bodine covers US-China relations, the incoming Trump administration, and the journalistic profession. Find his new book, "At the Edge of Empire A Family's Reckoning with China," here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602734/at-the-edge-of-empire-by-edward-wong/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on November 13, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky about the history of Presidential transitions, and how the Biden-Trump transition is shaping up. Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian and Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. Her research focuses on the development of political institutions and political culture in the Early Republic. Her first book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, was published in April 2020. Her latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic, was published in September of this year. Her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post. https://www.amazon.com/Making-Presidency-Precedents-Forged-Republic/dp/0197653847 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Theo Malhotra. Recorded on November 12, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
This week, Kelly talks with Dr. Tristen Naylor, Founder and Managing Director of the geopolitical risk consultancy Diplomatic Solutions, about the outlooks for relationships with leaders in Europe, China, Iran, and other nations, as well as how America's relationship with multilateral institutions like the United Nations might be impacted by either candidate's victory. Tristen Naylor is the Founder and Managing Director of Diplomatic Solutions, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in London. He was previously also an Assistant Professor and Lecturer in History and Politics at Cambridge University. His first book, "Social Closure and International Society: Status Groups from the Family of Civilised Nations to the G20," examines how actors compete for a seat at the table in the management of international society: https://www.amazon.com/Social-Closure-International-Society-Governance-ebook/dp/B07KY42HBK The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on October 15, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Interview with Sara Moller - 13:00 This week, Kelly and Freddie talk through the UK's deal with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands, the Tunisian presidential election, and Kenya's police mission in Haiti. Kelly then talks with Professor Sara Moller about NATO's new Secretary General Mark Rutte. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on October 14, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
For our seventh season of Diplomatic Immunity, we'll be taking a look at the role of foreign policy in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. We'll be taking you through the key things to know about where the candidates stand on international issues, how a win for either will affect US foreign policy, and how the rest of the world is watching with bated breath. Today, Kelly talks with Emma Ashford about the relative foreign policy platforms of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Emma Ashford is a senior fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program at the Stimson Center, where she works on a variety of issues related to the future of US foreign policy, international security, and the politics of global energy markets. Her first book, Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates, was published by Georgetown University Press in 2022, and explored the international security ramifications of oil production and export in states such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Venezuela. Dr. Ashford also writes a bi-weekly column, “It's Debatable,” for Foreign Policy Magazine. Find her recent report exploring the future of US-European defense relations here: https://www.stimson.org/2024/american-roulette-scenarios-for-us-retrenchment-and-the-future-of-european-defense/ Find her regular column in Foreign Policy Magazine here: https://foreignpolicy.com/category/its-debatable/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on October 7, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
11:40 - Interview with Stéphanie Fillion This week, Kelly and Freddie discuss recent updates in Israel and the South China Sea. Kelly then talks with Stephanie Fillion, a UN correspondent, about high-level week at the UN General Assembly. Stephanie Fillion is an international reporter who covers the UN from its headquarters in New York City. Her work has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Foreign Policy Magazine, and CNN among others. Her coverage received two UN Correspondent Association awards as well as a Gracie award from the Alliance for Women in Media. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on September 30, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
For our seventh season of Diplomatic Immunity, we'll be taking a look at the role of foreign policy in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. We'll be taking you through the key things to know about where the candidates stand on international issues, how a win for either will affect U.S. foreign policy, and how the rest of the world is watching with bated breath. Today, Kelly talks with Elizabeth Saunders about how Americans do and don't consider foreign policy in their election decision-making. Elizabeth is Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, where she specializes in issues of U.S. foreign policy and international security. She is also a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution and previously taught at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Her first book, Leaders at War: How Presidents Shape Military Interventions, was published in 2011 and won the 2012 Jervis-Schroeder Best Book Award from the American Political Science Association's International History and Politics section. Her most recent book, The Insiders' Game: How Elites Make War and Peace, was published in 2024 by Princeton University Press: https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Game-Princeton-International-Politics/dp/0691215804 The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on September 24, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Kelly speaks with Richard Horsey, Myanmar expert and advisor to the International Crisis Group, for a deep dive into the history of Myanmar's ongoing civil war. Richard is a political analyst and has been a close observer of Myanmar for over 25 years. He specializes in the politics and political economy of the country, as well as armed conflict and the illicit economy. Since 2009, he has been Myanmar adviser to the International Crisis Group, and also advises a number of other organizations on political and conflict risk issues. He was formerly the Myanmar representative of the International Labour Organization working to end the practice of forced labor imposed by the previous military regime. He was subsequently a senior adviser and spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs following Cyclone Nargis. He is the author of more than a hundred reports on the country, as well as numerous articles and opinion pieces. He is a fluent Burmese speaker and holds a PhD in psychology from University College London. Read Richard's recent article on Myanmar in Foreign Affairs here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/burma-myanmar/myanmar-fragmenting-not-falling-apart The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Nicole Butler. Recorded on July 9, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
13:10 - Interview with Chris Tuttle This week, Kelly and Freddie talk through Secretary of State Blinken's recent visit to China, U.S. troops leaving Niger, and an election in Maldives that saw the country move closer to China. Kelly then talks with Chris Tuttle, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, about recent Congressional action on Ukraine and TikTok. Chris Tuttle is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who focuses on the politics and process behind U.S. foreign policy. He previously directed CFR's Renewing America Initiative and served from 2015 to 2019 as policy director on the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations under Chairman Bob Corker. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 30, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
10:40 - Interview with Yuki Tatsumi. This week, Kelly and Freddie talk through Iran's Strike on Israel, Ecudaro's raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito, and the losses for President Erdogan's party in recent Turkish municipal elections. Kelly then talks with the Stimson Center's Yuki Tatsumi about the recent summit between the US, Japan, and the Philippines held in Washington last week. Yuki Tatsumi is a senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center and the director of Stimson's Japan program. Prior to her current role, Tatsumi worked as a research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and as the special assistant for political affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Washington. Tatsumi's most recent publications include Balancing Between Nuclear Deterrence and Disarmament: Views from the Next Generation (ed.; Stimson Center, 2018) Lost in Translation? U.S. Defense Innovation and Northeast Asia (Stimson Center, 2017). The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on April 15, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Kelly speaks with Lt. Gen (ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, about the effect of the Ukraine War on military tactics and strategy. Prior to retiring from the armed forces in 2018, Lieutenant General (ret.) Ben Hodges served as Commanding General of the U.S. Army in Europe. He consults for several companies on Europe, NATO, and the European Union, and he is co-author of the book Future War and the Defence of Europe, published by Oxford University Press. General Hodges was most recently Senior Advisor to Human Rights First, a non-profit, and was also the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on April 9, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
10:25 - Interview with Dr. Ken Opalo This week, Kelly and Freddie provide updates on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the evolving crisis in Haiti, and Kelly talks with Georgetown Professor Ken Opalo for a deep dive into Sudan's civil war. Dr. Opalo is an associate professor at the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he focuses his research and teaching on political economy in Africa. He is also the author of the blog An Africanist Perspective, where he writes on African politics, economics, and history. https://www.africanistperspective.com/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: March 19, 2024. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
Season 6 Episode 6. This week, Kelly talks with retired army officer and National Defense University research fellow Dr. Tom Lynch about the impact of Ukraine's war on great power conflict and US-China competition. Dr. Thomas Lynch is an adjunct professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University and distinguished research fellow for South Asia and the Near East at National Defense University. Dr. Lynch is also a retired U.S. Army officer who served for 28 years in a variety of command and staff positions including as a Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Director of the Chairman's Advisory & Initiatives Group, Commander of the U.S. Army War Theater Support Group in Doha Qatar, and Military Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. He is the lead editor for the National Defense University's Strategic Assessment, authored every five years: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Publications/Books/Strategic-Assessments-2020/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on February 28, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
10:40 - Interview with Jacqueline Charles In our seventh episode of Headlines and History, we discuss the recent political crisis in Haiti with Miami Herald report Jacqueline Charles, and Kelly covers the EU's Net-Zero Industry Act and reports of Russia's new space-based nuclear capabilities. Jacqueline Charles is the Haiti and Caribbean correspondent for the Miami Herald, where she has been covering the region for over a decade. She has won numerous awards for her reporting and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Correction: Scotland did NOT lose to England at Rugby this weekend! Episode recorded: February 27, 2024. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
11:50 - Interview with Beverly Ocheing on Senegal In our sixth episode of Headlines and History, we discuss the recent crisis in Senegal and its implications for West Africa with Beverly Ochieng, and Kelly covers recent news out of El Salvador, Sweden & NATO, and the 2026 Soccer World Cup. Beverly Ochieng is a senior digital journalist and Africa specialist at BBC Monitoring and an expert on African power politics, security, and governance. She's also a non-resident senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Africa Program. She has a background in literature and cohosted the pioneering Africa-focused literary podcast "2 Girls and a Pod" from 2015 to 2018. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: February 13, 2024. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
Season 6, Episode 5. Today, we'll be covering the effects of the War in Ukraine on supply chains, the defense-industrial base, and the private sector. Kelly McFarland talks to Christine Micheinzi, a former senior executive at the U.S. Department of Defense, about how the global economy and defense industry are trying to deal with the knock-on effects of Putin's War. Dr. Christine Micheinzi is the Founder and CEO of the consultancy group MMR Defense Solutions. She is also a non-resident Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group. Chris was formerly a longtime senior official in the U.S. Department of Defense, most recently holding positions as Senior Technology Advisor and Chief Technology Officer to the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment. Throughout her career, she has focused on issues related to supply chains, acquisition, and technology. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on January 24, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
In our fifth episode of Headlines and History, we discuss the outcome of the COP28 conference in Dubai with Joanna Lewis, the fallout from Taiwan's Presidential election, the new deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland, and give an update on the status of military aid to Ukraine currently stalled in Congress. Joanna Lewis is a distinguished associate professor at Georgetown University and director of the Science, Technology and International Affairs Program at the School of Foreign Service. At Georgetown, she also runs the Clean Energy and Climate Research Group and leads several dialogues facilitating U.S.-China climate change engagement. She was also the lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: January 23, 2024. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
Season 6 Bonus Episode. Today, we'll be talking about basketball and the power of sports diplomacy as we celebrate World Basketball Day – the first sport ever to receive the honor from the United Nations – which now takes place every year on December 21st. Today, Kelly talks with Lindsay Krasnoff about basketball and the history of sports diplomacy. Just in time for World Basketball Day, Lindsay has published a case study with ISD on the fascinating history of basketball diplomacy between France and China during the cold war, which we encourage listeners to check out via our case studies library. Find the store on our website, isd.georgetown.edu. Professors can also access all case studies for free via our faculty lounge. Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff is a historian, writer, and consultant working at the intersection of global sports, communications, and diplomacy. Author of Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA published by Bloomsbury in 2023, her work on French and global sports appears with CNN International, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and more. A veteran of the U.S. Department of State's Office of the Historian, Krasnoff co-directed the Basketball Diplomacy in Africa Oral History Project for the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (SOAS University of London) as a Research Associate, and lectures on sports diplomacy and global sports at the NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sports. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on December 13, 2023. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy.
Season 6, Episode 4. For this season's theme, we'll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia's invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We'll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. For our fourth episode, Kelly talks with National Defense University Professor Erica Marat about how Russia's power over its near-abroad has evolved since the start of its war with Ukraine. Dr. Erica Marat is a professor at the National Defense University and adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Her research focuses on violence, mobilization, and security institutions in Europe, Central Asia, India, and Mexico. Her book Transformative Violence: When Routine Cruelty Sparks Historic Mobilization will be published by the Oxford University Press in 2024. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on December 12, 2023. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy.
In Diplomatic Immunity's new format, Headlines and History, we take listeners through a roundup of the most important headlines you may have missed in foreign policy and diplomacy, and take a deep dive into our most pressing topic with an expert conversation. Each week, we will alternate between Headlines and History and our regular Diplomatic Immunity format. In our third episode, we discuss the COP28 conference in Dubai, alleged assassinations by the Indian government on US soil, and we talk with historian and author Jeremi Suri on the history and legacy of Henry Kissinger. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown distinguished chair for leadership in global affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and is the author of 11 books on foreign policy, including Henry Kissinger and the American Century, published in 2009, and his writings appear regularly in foreign affairs, the new york times, and on CNN. Listeners should check out his Podcast, This is Democracy, co-hosted with his son, Zachary; and his latest book, Civil War by Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy, published in 2022. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: December 5, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu. https://www.amazon.com/Henry-Kissinger-American-Century-Jeremi/dp/0674032527 https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Other-Means-Unfinished/dp/1541758544#customerReviews https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/30/opinions/henry-kissinger-vietnam-american-power-suri/index.html
Season 6, Episode 3. For this season's theme, we'll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia's invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We'll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. For our third episode, Kelly talks with John Heffern and Alper Coşkun, both former ambassadors serving in the U.S. and Turkish governments, respectively. John Heffern is a former State Department official who retired in 2018 after 36 years in the foreign service, including as deputy chief of mission at the United States mission to NATO in Brussels, and as acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs after postings in Japan, Malaysia, China, and the Ivory Coast, and as US ambassador to Armenia. He joined ISD as a senior state department fellow in 2017. Alper Coşkun leads the Türkiye and the World project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on Turkish foreign policy. He retired from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs after 32 years, culminating in an appointment as director general for international security affairs from 2016-2019 after postings in Athens, Moscow, the United States, as Deputy permanent representative to NATO, and as ambassador to Azerbaijan. We encourage listeners to check out his regular analyses for CEIP's Türkiye and the World program. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on November 21, 2023. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy.
In Diplomatic Immunity's new format, Headlines and History, we take listeners through a roundup of the most important headlines you may have missed in foreign policy and diplomacy, and take a deep dive into our most pressing topic with an expert conversation. Each week, we will alternate between Headlines and History and our regular Diplomatic Immunity format. In our third episode, we discuss the recent Biden-Xi meeting in San Francisco, elections in Liberia and Argentina, increasing violence in Sudan, and we talk with Georgetown's Rita Konaev for an update on Ukraine's counteroffensive Dr. Margarita Konaev is deputy director of analysis and a research fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, where she focuses on military applications of AI and Russian military innovation. She is also an adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security. RITA previously served as a non-resident fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point and has held post-doctoral fellowships at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, and at the University of Pennsylvania. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: November 21, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
Season 6, Episode 2. For this season's theme, we'll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia's invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We'll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. For our second episode, Kelly talks with oil markets expert Gregory Brew. In the aftermath of Russia's invasion, energy prices skyrocketed worldwide. Reminiscent of previous energy shocks, it caused political consternation around the world and especially in Russian energy-dependent Europe. Greg and Kelly discuss Europe's effort to wean itself away from Russian gas, and the larger geopolitical consequences of energy shocks. Gregory is an analyst with the Eurasia Group's Energy, Climate & Resources team focusing on the geopolitics of oil and gas, and he serves as Eurasia Group's country analyst for Iran. Greg is a historian of modern Iran, oil, and US foreign policy, and has authored multiple books on the history of modern Iran and the international oil market and has published analysis and commentary in Foreign Affairs, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post. Greg holds both Doctorate and Masters degrees in history from Georgetown University. We encourage listeners to check out his latest book, The Struggle for Iran: Oil, Autocracy, and the Cold War, published in January 2023. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: November 10, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to
In Diplomatic Immunity's new format, Headlines and History, we take listeners through a roundup of the most important headlines you may have missed in foreign policy and diplomacy, and take a deep dive into our most pressing topic with an expert conversation. Each week, we will alternate between Headlines and History and our regular Diplomatic Immunity format. In our second episode, we discuss Gavin Newson's subnational diplomacy in China, the US-China nuclear talks, the Biden administration's efforts to court island nations in the South Pacific, and talk with Professor Andrew Imbrie for an update on recent AI policy developments. Andrew Imbrie is an associate professor of the practice and the Gracias Chair in security and emerging technology at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology. He previously served as senior advisor on cyber policy to the US ambassador to the UN, and as Secretary of State John Kerry's speechwriter. We strongly recommend listeners check out his latest book, The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI, co-authored with Ben Buchanan. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: November 6, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
Season 6, Episode 1. For this season's theme, we'll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia's invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We'll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. In our first episode, we speak to former Deputy and Acting CIA Director Michael Morell on the impact of intelligence as a tool of diplomacy and foreign policy. President Biden and his national security team were warning us about Putin's intentions all the way up to the day of the invasion of Ukraine, using selective intelligence releases to showcase Putin's malign intentions and lay bare the falsehoods he used to justify his attack. Host Kelly McFarland discusses this phenomenon and its impact on foreign policy with Morell, who hosts his own podcast, Intelligence Matters - The Relaunch. Morell is the chairman of the risk analysis firm Beacon Global Strategies and a professor at George Mason University. He previously served for 33 years in the CIA, including as George W. Bush's daily intelligence briefer on September 11. He went on to become deputy CIA director in the Obama administration and served twice as acting director in 2011 and from 2012 to 2013. He now also hosts his own podcast – Intelligence Matters – which we encourage listeners to check out. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: October 24, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
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