FPRI Radio

This week FPRI's Director of Research Aaron Stein and Senior Fellow Paul Bracken discuss Bracken's new report: The Hunt for Mobile Missiles: Nuclear Weapons, AI, and the New Arms Race.

This week FPRI's Director of Research Aaron Stein and Senior Fellow Paul Bracken discuss Bracken's new report: The Hunt for Mobile Missiles: Nuclear Weapons, AI, and the New Arms Race.

This past week, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced that the United States would withdraw 11,800 troops from Germany, with 5.600 of those being repositioned at other locations in Europe, and the remainder being redeployed to the continental United States, but could be called to deploy to Europe on a rotational basis. To discuss these proposed changes, FPRI Research Director Dr. Aaron Stein spoke with Major Tim Ball, a FPRI National Security Fellow, and a U.S. Army Special Forces officer.

This past week, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced that the United States would withdraw 11,800 troops from Germany, with 5.600 of those being repositioned at other locations in Europe, and the remainder being redeployed to the continental United States, but could be called to deploy to Europe on a rotational basis. To discuss these proposed changes, FPRI Research Director Dr. Aaron Stein spoke with Major Tim Ball, a FPRI National Security Fellow, and a U.S. Army Special Forces officer.

In this edition of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan, the director of FPRI's Program on National Security, sits down and speaks with Harvard University's Vera Mironova on her new book From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists. This book, based upon Mironova's extensive field research, deals with how armed groups manage their human resources. They discussed the role of different indigenous groups and foreign fighters in Syria and also discussed how Dr. Mironova conducts field research.

In this edition of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan, the director of FPRI's Program on National Security, sits down and speaks with Harvard University's Vera Mironova on her new book From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists. This book, based upon Mironova's extensive field research, deals with how armed groups manage their human resources. They discussed the role of different indigenous groups and foreign fighters in Syria and also discussed how Dr. Mironova conducts field research.

In this episode of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan, director of FPRI’s Program on National Security, sits down with retired British Army Lt. General Jonathon Riley to discuss the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military cultures of the United States and the UK, the state of the Special Relationship, and Brexit and the UK’s defense policy. Lt. Gen. Riley is a former deputy commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and served as the commander of Multi-National Division-Southeast in Iraq among other assignments. He holds a PhD in modern history from Cranfield University and has authored or edited twenty-five books.

In this episode of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan, director of FPRI’s Program on National Security, sits down with retired British Army Lt. General Jonathon Riley to discuss the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military cultures of the United States and the UK, the state of the Special Relationship, and Brexit and the UK’s defense policy. Lt. Gen. Riley is a former deputy commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and served as the commander of Multi-National Division-Southeast in Iraq among other assignments. He holds a PhD in modern history from Cranfield University and has authored or edited twenty-five books.

Israelis head to the polls on April 9th. To get a sense of the state of the race, the political maneuvering by elements of the Israeli center, the viability of Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition, and what this may mean for the United States, FPRI Middle East Director Aaron Stein speaks with Robert A. Fox Fellow Ronen Hoffman, a former member of the Israeli Knesset.

Israelis head to the polls on April 9th. To get a sense of the state of the race, the political maneuvering by elements of the Israeli center, the viability of Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition, and what this may mean for the United States, FPRI Middle East Director Aaron Stein speaks with Robert A. Fox Fellow Ronen Hoffman, a former member of the Israeli Knesset.

In this episode of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan sits down with Sarah Kreps from Cornell University to discuss her Pennsylvania roots and her latest book Taxing Wars: The American Way of War Finance and the Decline of Democracy. (Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to Veterans Day.)

In this episode of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan sits down with Sarah Kreps from Cornell University to discuss her Pennsylvania roots and her latest book Taxing Wars: The American Way of War Finance and the Decline of Democracy. (Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to Veterans Day.)

While the conflict in Syria shows no sign of abating, scholars and policymakers alike are trying to make projections for the “day after,” when the fighting stops and reconstruction begins. In this podcast, Dr. Benedetta Berti tackles this thorny issue as well as the necessity of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants, and the modus operandi of the current range of actors operating in the Syrian theater.

While the conflict in Syria shows no sign of abating, scholars and policymakers alike are trying to make projections for the “day after,” when the fighting stops and reconstruction begins. In this podcast, Dr. Benedetta Berti tackles this thorny issue as well as the necessity of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants, and the modus operandi of the current range of actors operating in the Syrian theater.

In the latest episode of FPRI’s Back Channel, Host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Dominic Tierney and Nada Bakos along with special guests Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Chris Miller, Professor of Tufts University and the Director of FPRI’s Eurasia Program, to discuss the Helsinki summit and its impact on contemporary geopolitics. Continuing in the FPRI tradition of analyzing developments through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that views the Trump-Putin meeting within the context of President Trump’s loudly proclaimed if vaguely defined effort to reshape American relations with Russia and Europe. The meeting itself, which included a long tête-à-tête between the Presidents with no other officials present, courted controversy; the post-meeting press conference, where President Trump appeared to side with Putin against his own intelligence agencies, stoked the fires of controversy even further. How do we make sense of the meeting? What led to it? What did the principals accomplish? What comes next?

In the latest episode of FPRI’s Back Channel, Host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Dominic Tierney and Nada Bakos along with special guests Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Chris Miller, Professor of Tufts University and the Director of FPRI’s Eurasia Program, to discuss the Helsinki summit and its impact on contemporary geopolitics. Continuing in the FPRI tradition of analyzing developments through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that views the Trump-Putin meeting within the context of President Trump’s loudly proclaimed if vaguely defined effort to reshape American relations with Russia and Europe. The meeting itself, which included a long tête-à-tête between the Presidents with no other officials present, courted controversy; the post-meeting press conference, where President Trump appeared to side with Putin against his own intelligence agencies, stoked the fires of controversy even further. How do we make sense of the meeting? What led to it? What did the principals accomplish? What comes next?

In the latest episode of FPRI’s new podcast, The BackChannel, host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Dominic Tierney and Nada Bakos along with special guest, Professor Michael Horowitz of the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the latest developments in artificial intelligence and their impact on contemporary geopolitics. The global technological environment is changing rapidly, but perennial questions remain.  What do we want our machines to do for us?  How will those new machines change the way we interact with them or with each other? Continuing in the FPRI tradition of analyzing developments through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that contextualizes the current state of technology, the role that this “fourth industrial revolution” is playing in both American policymaking and the broader international system, and the challenges that lie ahead. 

In the latest episode of FPRI’s new podcast, The BackChannel, host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Dominic Tierney and Nada Bakos along with special guest, Professor Michael Horowitz of the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the latest developments in artificial intelligence and their impact on contemporary geopolitics. The global technological environment is changing rapidly, but perennial questions remain.  What do we want our machines to do for us?  How will those new machines change the way we interact with them or with each other? Continuing in the FPRI tradition of analyzing developments through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that contextualizes the current state of technology, the role that this “fourth industrial revolution” is playing in both American policymaking and the broader international system, and the challenges that lie ahead. 

In the latest episode of FPRI’s new podcast series, The BackChannel, host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellow Dominic Tierney, Director of FPRI’s Program on the Middle East Tally Helfont, and special guest FPRI Fox Fellow Joshua Krasna to discuss the complex relationship between the United States, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. Continuing in the FPRI tradition of analyzing contemporary geopolitics through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that contextualizes current debates over Israel’s borders, the placement of the American Embassy, and especially the origins, crisis, and ultimate fate of the two-state solution. Throughout the discussion, the participants consider not only American, Israeli, and Palestinian perspectives, but also the roles of other regional powers from Iran to Saudi Arabia, emphasizing how that wider view both deepens our understanding of the current situation and helps us to understand the possibilities for the future.This episode was recorded on June 12, 2018.

In this premiere episode of FPRI’s new podcast series, BackChannel, Host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Nada Bakos and Dominic Tierney and special guest Benjamin Silberstein to discuss US-North Korean relations. Following the FPRI tradition of analyzing contemporary geopolitics through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that considers the path that has led from ​Twitter confrontations to a possible summit in Singapore, compares these negotiations to other efforts to control nuclear proliferation, and contextualizes both what we have seen and what is likely to come in the future. This episode was recorded on May 18, 2018.

In the latest episode of FPRI’s new podcast series, The BackChannel, host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellow Dominic Tierney, Director of FPRI’s Program on the Middle East Tally Helfont, and special guest FPRI Fox Fellow Joshua Krasna to discuss the complex relationship between the United States, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. Continuing in the FPRI tradition of analyzing contemporary geopolitics through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that contextualizes current debates over Israel’s borders, the placement of the American Embassy, and especially the origins, crisis, and ultimate fate of the two-state solution. Throughout the discussion, the participants consider not only American, Israeli, and Palestinian perspectives, but also the roles of other regional powers from Iran to Saudi Arabia, emphasizing how that wider view both deepens our understanding of the current situation and helps us to understand the possibilities for the future.This episode was recorded on June 12, 2018.

In this premiere episode of FPRI’s new podcast series, BackChannel, Host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Nada Bakos and Dominic Tierney and special guest Benjamin Silberstein to discuss US-North Korean relations. Following the FPRI tradition of analyzing contemporary geopolitics through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri guides a conversation that considers the path that has led from ​Twitter confrontations to a possible summit in Singapore, compares these negotiations to other efforts to control nuclear proliferation, and contextualizes both what we have seen and what is likely to come in the future. This episode was recorded on May 18, 2018.

This episode, hosted by Tally Helfont, Director of FPRI's Program on the Middle East, is the first in a four part series exploring topics related to FPRI's latest project: After the Caliphate: Reassessing the Jihadi Threat and Restoring Stability in the Fertile Crescent. Today we explore how ISIS and others are able to utilize online platforms to continue sowing global terror with Nada Bakos, a former CIA analyst who served as Chief Targeting Officer tracking one of the world's most wanted terrorists, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and Mia Bloom, professor of Communication at Georgia State University, known for her research and writings on women and terrorism, child soldiers, and suicide terrorism.

This episode, hosted by Tally Helfont, Director of FPRI's Program on the Middle East, is the first in a four part series exploring topics related to FPRI's latest project: After the Caliphate: Reassessing the Jihadi Threat and Restoring Stability in the Fertile Crescent. Today we explore how ISIS and others are able to utilize online platforms to continue sowing global terror with Nada Bakos, a former CIA analyst who served as Chief Targeting Officer tracking one of the world's most wanted terrorists, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and Mia Bloom, professor of Communication at Georgia State University, known for her research and writings on women and terrorism, child soldiers, and suicide terrorism.

President Donald Trump recently completed a 12-day trip to Asia, with stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and including attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. The announced agenda included building cooperation to pressure North Korea on its nuclear weapons and missile programs, addressing what Trump has denounced as unfair trade practices by Chin and other states in the region, and promoting a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” Key goals included assuaging doubts among allies about the strength of the U.S.’s commitments, underscoring the U.S.’s rejection of Trans-Pacific Partnership-style multilateral economic agreements, and advancing the personal diplomacy with foreign leaders that has characterized the Trump presidency. Among observers, expectations of concrete accomplishments were relatively low. Avery Goldstein (FPRI and University of Pennsylvania), June Teufel Dreyer (FPRI and University of Miami), and Jacques deLisle (FPRI and University of Pennsylvania) assess the aims, outcomes, and future implications of Trump’s trip.

President Donald Trump recently completed a 12-day trip to Asia, with stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and including attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. The announced agenda included building cooperation to pressure North Korea on its nuclear weapons and missile programs, addressing what Trump has denounced as unfair trade practices by Chin and other states in the region, and promoting a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” Key goals included assuaging doubts among allies about the strength of the U.S.’s commitments, underscoring the U.S.’s rejection of Trans-Pacific Partnership-style multilateral economic agreements, and advancing the personal diplomacy with foreign leaders that has characterized the Trump presidency. Among observers, expectations of concrete accomplishments were relatively low. Avery Goldstein (FPRI and University of Pennsylvania), June Teufel Dreyer (FPRI and University of Miami), and Jacques deLisle (FPRI and University of Pennsylvania) assess the aims, outcomes, and future implications of Trump’s trip.

The German elections on 24 September marked the end of a year and a half of major elections and referenda across the Continent. As the dust settles, Europeans and their partners are trying to figure out what the results mean for the individual countries, for the EU and NATO, and for the world at large. To help provide context and insight, FPRI Senior Fellows Jeremy Black and Hajnalka Vincze joined FPRI's Ron Granieri for a conversation on Europe's recent past and its implications for the future.

The German elections on 24 September marked the end of a year and a half of major elections and referenda across the Continent. As the dust settles, Europeans and their partners are trying to figure out what the results mean for the individual countries, for the EU and NATO, and for the world at large. To help provide context and insight, FPRI Senior Fellows Jeremy Black and Hajnalka Vincze joined FPRI's Ron Granieri for a conversation on Europe's recent past and its implications for the future.

In this episode of FPRI Radio, host Michael Noonan is joined in conversation with FPRI Senior Fellow Nada Bakos to discuss the U.S. intelligence apparatus, bureaucracy, and the current state of Iraq.

In this episode of FPRI Radio, host Michael Noonan is joined in conversation with FPRI Senior Fellow Nada Bakos to discuss the U.S. intelligence apparatus, bureaucracy, and the current state of Iraq.

From the breakdown of states to the exploitation of the ensuing power vacuum by violent non-state actors, there are numerous pressing issues currently facing the Middle East and North Africa. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Tally Helfont is joined in conversation with Robert A. Fox Fellow Benedetta Berti. Their discussion focuses on the current state of play in Syria in terms of actors, interests, and fallout; the regional perception of Hezbollah post-Syrian crisis; Hamas’ new "Statement of Principles" and its implications; and the reasons why terrorism is too narrow a lens through which to understand the emergence of groups like ISIS, Nusra Front, al-Shabbab and others.

From the breakdown of states to the exploitation of the ensuing power vacuum by violent non-state actors, there are numerous pressing issues currently facing the Middle East and North Africa. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Tally Helfont is joined in conversation with Robert A. Fox Fellow Benedetta Berti. Their discussion focuses on the current state of play in Syria in terms of actors, interests, and fallout; the regional perception of Hezbollah post-Syrian crisis; Hamas’ new "Statement of Principles" and its implications; and the reasons why terrorism is too narrow a lens through which to understand the emergence of groups like ISIS, Nusra Front, al-Shabbab and others.

As President Nicolás Maduro relies on increasingly repressive means to preserve the regime he inherited from the late Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has descended into an existential economic, social, and political crisis. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Ronald Granieri is joined in conversation with FPRI Senior Fellow Vanessa Neumann to discuss the roots of Venezuela's problems, how its people and neighbors are reacting to this ongoing crisis, and the future of what was once the most prosperous state in South America.

As President Nicolás Maduro relies on increasingly repressive means to preserve the regime he inherited from the late Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has descended into an existential economic, social, and political crisis. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Ronald Granieri is joined in conversation with FPRI Senior Fellow Vanessa Neumann to discuss the roots of Venezuela's problems, how its people and neighbors are reacting to this ongoing crisis, and the future of what was once the most prosperous state in South America.

French voters go to the polls on April 23 in the first round of a presidential election that may upend European politics. Populist nationalist Marine Le Pen hopes to lead her Front National to victory, and faces a scattered field in which the traditional parties are weak and outsiders are on the rise. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Ronald Granieri is joined in conversation with European Foreign and Security policy analyst Hajnalka Vincze. Their discussion focuses on the upcoming Presidential election and its significance for France’s place in Europe and the world.

French voters go to the polls on April 23 in the first round of a presidential election that may upend European politics. Populist nationalist Marine Le Pen hopes to lead her Front National to victory, and faces a scattered field in which the traditional parties are weak and outsiders are on the rise. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Ronald Granieri is joined in conversation with European Foreign and Security policy analyst Hajnalka Vincze. Their discussion focuses on the upcoming Presidential election and its significance for France’s place in Europe and the world.

Popular opinion in Chinese cyberspace—the postings of China’s “netizens”—are often ardently nationalist. Are nationalist voices online representative of broader public opinion in China? How much does such popular nationalism, in cyberspace or on the streets, influential in China’s foreign policy—which is itself widely seen as become more assertively nationalistic? What are the foci and triggers of nationalism in Chinese social media such as weibo (a Twitter-like platform) and weixin (WeChat)? What other politically significant issues draw the attention, and ire, of Chinese netizens? How much does online activism reflect patterns that predate widespread use of the Internet? And what are the prospects for political expression and activism in China’s still highly-restricted cyberspace?In this FPRI Asia Program podcast. Guobin Yang, Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School and Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of The Power of the Internet in China and The Red Guard Generation and Political Activism in China, and Jackson Woods, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of a forthcoming study, Netizens and Nationalism in China join FPRI Asia Program Director Jacques deLisle to discuss these issues.

Philadelphia Inquirer Worldview columnist Trudy Rubin (back from a pre-inauguration trip to Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong) and FPRI Asia Program Director Jacques deLisle discuss U.S. policy toward East Asia and reactions in China, Taiwan, and the region at the beginning of the Trump administration. Surprise at Trump’s victory, perplexity over the conflicting policy signals sent by the president and members of his administration, and the limited role in the Trump administration of members of the establishment U.S. foreign policy community have left analysts and practitioners somewhat at sea. In China, some see an opportunity for China to step into the vacuum left by the apparent retrenchment of America’s roles where others worry about a new volatility in the relationship. In Taiwan, Trump’s pre-inauguration phone call with President Tsai Ing-wen, his subsequent statement that the “one China policy” might be abandoned, and his still-later reaffirmation of the one China policy in a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping variously and collectively stirred hope, confusion, and concern.

In this edition of FPRI Radio, FPRI President Alan Luxenberg interviews Amb. Shirin Tahir-Kheli on her experience in government at the highest levels of America's national security establishment, her role in repairing relations between India and Pakistan, and her reflections on the current political climate in the United States.

In this edition of FPRI Radio, FPRI's Mike Noonan interviews Robert A. Fox Fellow Clint Watts on the Brussels Attacks.

FPRI Asia Program Director and University of Pennsylvania Professor Jacques deLisle joins panelists Professor Peter Dutton of the U.S. Naval War College and NYU Law School and Professor Yann-huei Song of the Academia Sinica and Soochow University Law School to discuss the issues at stake in the international law of the sea arbitration case brought by the Philippines against China, the broader context of territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the legal issues and geopolitical interests at stake, the implications for U.S. policy toward China and the region, the implications for Taiwan’s roles and interests, and the prospects for further conflict and management or resolution of tensions in the aftermath of an anticipated late spring or summer decision in the Philippines-China case.

In this edition of FPRI Radio, FPRI Senior Fellow Mitchell Orenstein interviews FPRI Senior Fellow Sarah Bush about her new book, The Taming of Democracy Assistance: Why Democracy Promotion Does Not Confront Dictators.

In this edition of FPRI Radio, Jacques deLisle interviews a panel of FPRI scholars about the recent Presidential Elections in Taiwan, and what it means for US-Taiwan and Cross-Strait relations.