The Precision-Guided Podcast (Georgetown Security Studies Review)

Podcast host Zach Markenson speaks with the former Combatant Commander for United States Central Command, General McKenzie (R), about his recently published book “The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century.” General McKenzie provides detailed accounts of some of the most consequential recent military operations that he oversaw, including the U.S. strike that killed IRGC Quds force leader General Qassem Soleimani, the special operations raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, and the United States military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He also discusses how CENTCOM has handled heightened tensions with Iran and offers his perspective on the long-term impacts of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.     

The invasion of Ukraine has shone a light on how global leaders leverage historical narratives to suit the political moment. For leaders like Vladimir Putin, the popular memory of World War II is a useful propaganda tool to legitimize its invasion. In this episode, host Ryan Wisowaty sits down with Dr. Aviel Roshwald discusses the legacies of WWII historical myth making and separates the truth of Ukrainian experiences during WWII occupation from Kremlin fiction.

On the fourth episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast, Josh and Caitlyn Leong (SSP '21), the president of Georgetown University's Wargaming Society, delve into all things wargaming, including its utility in the national security sphere, the best ingredients for a solid wargame, and ways to break into this under-explored, but growing field within defense studies. 

Join host Diva Joshi for a discussion on global debt and the unfolding crisis in Sri Lanka with Professor Robert Bestani.

Welcome back to SSP Weekly! This week, host Gareth Smythe sits down with guest Katherine Wells to discuss Saudi Arabia's grand strategy and how they view the current conflict in the Middle East. Next, Miriam Pasternak sits down with Veronika Melkozerova, a Ukrainian reporter for Politico, who has been providing coverage of the war in Ukraine to the biggest media outlets in the world. Veronika explains how the war is connected to the Israel-Hamas conflict, how Ukrainians view the situation today and how U.S. politics are critical for continued support to Ukraine. We hope you enjoy. 

Check out Part II of host Gareth Smythe’s discussion with Dave Diaz, currently the Director of a State Department Interagency Task Force and formerly the Director of African Affairs at the National Security Council. Dave and Gareth discuss the role of education in the national security profession and how to successfully create a long-term plan for a career in foreign policy and security. The two also walk through Dave’s Patented Ten Keys of Public Service Leadership, an incredibly useful framework to orient oneself around what is required to be successful in public service.

Welcome back to SSP Weekly! This week, host Miriam Pasternak explores the U.S.'s posture on strategic nuclear deterrence and the concept of 'tripolar deterrence’, in light of a recently published Congressional report. Miriam sits down with two guests: Shane Ward, an SSP Master’s student at Georgetown University who focuses on nuclear deterrence in his studies at SSP, and Dr. Adam Mount, an important voice and expert in the debate on U.S. nuclear deterrence strategy. Dr. Mount is a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists and holds a PhD from the Department of Government at Georgetown University. Earlier this week, he published his article: “A Not-So-Strategic Posture Commission” for the Arms Control Association, which sparked our interest. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Josh discusses Latin American security issues as a whole with Casey Wetherbee and Becky Twaalfhoven, two SSP 5-year students with a deep interest in the Western Hemisphere. The three Latin Americanists discuss topics like US-Latin American relations, corruption & governance, environmental and pandemic security, Chinese influence in the region, and institution-building. 

What does Russia's invasion of Ukraine mean for Europe's energy security? Find out in this Precision-Guided Podcast episode hosted by Olivia C. with today's guest, international energy expert Mr. Edward Chow.

In a debut format, host Shawn Rostker presents a narrated version of a peer-reviewed journal article from Nick Lekkas, a senior columnist at the Georgetown Security Studies Review and fellow SSP colleague. Nick’s article, titled “Mobilized, Forgotten, Ignored: Russia’s Control Mechanisms of its Minority Populations Amid the Russo-Ukrainian War,” explores the disproportionate effect that Russia’s conscription efforts have had on ethnic groups from the Buryat, Kuban, and Dagestan regions. Nick analyzes the Kremlin’s political motivations for sparing its Slavic population from front-line deployment, and explains why this imbalance may become a greater vulnerability for the Russian regime than it realizes.

What does the war in Ukraine tell us about the future of air warfare? Join our host, Connor Thode, and Stimson Center Senior Fellow Dr. Kelly Grieco as they discuss what Ukraine can teach us about emerging airpower strategies.

Listeners can learn more about Dr. Grieco at https://www.stimson.org/ppl/kelly-a-grieco/ and read the Atlantic Council’s series “Airpower after Ukraine: The future of air warfare,” at https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/scowcroft-center-for-strategy-and-security/forward-defense/airpower-after-ukraine/.

What is the “Quad,” and how does it serve to foster a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region? What are the main strategic challenges and opportunities that the four Quad member nations hope to use the Quad to address? Which country should be included in the Quad to help further the foreign policy goals of the member nations? 

Check out our latest episode as host Gareth Smythe sits down with Professor Mark Seip, an adjunct faculty member of the Georgetown Security Studies Program and retired Naval officer and strategist, for a discussion covering the Quad and the US’ bi- and multi-lateral relations in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan, Australia, and India.  

In the first official pilot episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast, host Josh Chang interviews Sam Seitz (SSP '20), former editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Security Studies Review and a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. Josh and Sam discuss a wide array of topics ranging from the NATO alliance, European policy towards China, US-European friction over Iran policy, and nuclear diplomacy. 

The destabilizing effects of global climate change represent key security challenges for the United States. These challenges are manifested at both the strategic level, in how climate impacts are fueling global trends like instability and mass migration, and at the tactical level, as climate change threatens critical national security infrastructure like military installations. How the United States adapts to the impacts of climate and works to mitigate further climate change has key implications for military readiness, industrial policy, and the resilience of communities across the country and around the world. 

To discuss the key intersection between climate and security, host Gareth Smythe sat down with Kate Gordon, who just completed a two-year tenure as the Senior Advisor to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Kate has spent the past two decades working at the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and economic development, and is a prominent voice knitting these important aspects together into a cohesive response. Kate and Gareth discuss the place-based impacts of climate change, how climate impacts present strategic and tactical challenges to security, the role of the military in climate adaptation and resilience, how the Department of Energy’s place at the forefront of America’s 21st Century Industrial Policy can support the Department of Defense’s industrial policy work, and the role of US allies, partners, and even potential adversaries in advancing climate security. 

During the Global War on Terror after 9/11, the United States frequently criticized other states for exporting extremism. In recent years, however, it is the US that has seen an expansion of far-right extremism spread within its country. As some American allies have designated groups within the United States as terrorist organizations, US-based far-right groups have continued to export their ideologies and strategies for violence abroad. Guest Bruce Hoffman details the far-right ideologies that drive these groups and describes their connections with jihadist terrorist organizations. Dr. Hoffman also provides recommendations on how to prevent the spread of violent far-right terrorist organizations.

In this episode, airing one year after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, our host Miriam Pasternak Jorgensen interviews Jill Dougherty about being a journalist in Russia. What did journalism look like in the Soviet Union? How has Russian media coverage of the war changed throughout the past year? Jill shares her insights as a Russian expert and journalist with over 50 years of experience working in the Soviet Union and Russia until March 2022.

In the second episode of the PGP, Josh is joined by Bilva Chandra (SSP '21) and Jimmy Hodges (SSP '21), technology concentrators within Georgetown's Security Studies Program. In the midst of Halloween week, the three discuss the scary topics of Chinese digital authoritarianism, the role of AI in national security, biotechnology, Russian disinformation, and more!

To look at the present, it pays to study the past. No past conflict is more foundational to the field of international relations and security studies than the Peloponnesian War. The Peloponnesian War (431 BCE - 404 BCE) was fought between Greek city-states Athens and Sparta. Why is this conflict so studied 2500 years after it took place? We sit down with Doctor John H. Maurer to deduce the modern relevance of the Peloponnesian War. We discuss how the Peloponnesian War is one of the first examples of many modern security problems, including coalition warfare, ideological conflict, and long-range expeditionary operations.

The DPRK’s nuclear missile program is growing every day. The DPRK has conducted a number of missile tests against the ROK and Japan recently. Does the growing threat of the DPRK’s missile program destabilize the security balance in Northeast Asia? Does China’s nuclear program threaten nuclear non-proliferation in Northeast Asia? Should Japan and the ROK gain their own nuclear arsenals? Iku Tsujihiro (SSP’24) invited Dr. Keir Lieber to discuss the emerging threat of the DPRK’s nuclear missile program, and how it is changing the security perception in Northeast Asia. 

In the seventh of episode of PGP, Josh and Alex Lenser (SSP '21), a former air force officer specializing in nukes/missile defense, discuss U.S. nuclear force modernization, counterproliferation policy with regards to North Korea and Iran, and the difficulties of missile defense.

What is involved in developing a National Security Strategy (NSS)? How do you balance competing priorities and build consensus? Join host, Diva Joshi, and former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy, Dr. Nadia Schadlow, for a discussion of the 2017 NSS, the current NSS, and advice for future security professionals.

Join host Stephanie Cannon for a discussion with SSP professors Kari Bingen and Stephen Kitay as they discuss the future of space policy.

Superhero tales captivate us through their exploration of human nature and their reminder of our duty to improve the communities around us. These themes underpin the timely anthology Power Up: Leadership, Character, and Conflict Beyond the Superhero Multiverse, where the iconic Avengers battle scene and ethos of the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl offer lessons in leadership, ethics, and conflict resolution. Editors Steven Leonard and Jonathan Klug translate imagination-sparking stories into critical teachings on decision-making, teamwork, and character. Hosts Kellsie Herrmann and Max Caplan sit down with Steven and Jonathan to dig into the inspiration for the book, critical lessons learned from our favorite superheroes, and more.

The establishment of the U.S. Space Force, NATO's designation of space as an operational warfighting domain, and rising private sector participation signal a critical juncture. As more nations acquire space capabilities, the outer space domain appears poised to become the next frontier of international insecurity. Nicole Butler (SSP’25) hosts Jessica West, Senior Researcher at Project Ploughshares, to discuss space regulations, global governance and non-weaponization, the pros and cons of increasing private sector involvement, and the biggest threats to space security.

In the fifth episode, Josh interviews Ido Levy, an alumnus of Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy and an associate fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.  The two discuss ISIS's global network, U.S. counterterrorism operations, and the difficulty of foreign internal defense in countries affected by jihadist insurgencies. 

Josh and Daniel Harris (SSP '21) carry the conversation into the Western Hemisphere to discuss a key national security and humanitarian issue in the form of Venezuela's ongoing political and economic crisis. The two discuss the country's modern political history, the Maduro regime's illicit revenue flows, and the upcoming Biden administration's approach to the crisis. 

In the first episode of the second season of PGP, Josh interviews Lexee Brill, an SSP student, programming director for Georgetown University's Wargaming Society, and wargamer for the Air Force's Warfighting Integration Capability (AFWIC). The two discuss the utility of wargaming in national security analysis, the challenges of "red-teaming" in wargaming, and the methodology of wargaming. 

Join our co-hosts Josh O’Day and Stephanie Cannon as they talk with Dr. John Arquilla about the new, emerging environment of cyber war. In this episode, Dr. Arquilla discusses his new book, Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare, and what it means for strategists to grapple with this new, fluid realm of warfare. Dr. Arquilla also discusses vulnerabilities and risk mitigation in this type of war, and offers career advice based on his own experience.

Link to purchase Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare - https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Bitskrieg%3A+The+New+Challenge+of+Cyberwarfare-p-9781509543625

In a special episode of the PGP, Josh interviews the Honorable Matthew P. Donovan, former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness who has also served in a wide variety of policy-making positions such as Under Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) and Acting SECAF. The two discuss space security and U.S. military readiness in the age of COVID-19, speaking about the items such as challenges presented by adversaries in the space domain, opportunities for cooperation, and stories as to how DoD adapted to the global pandemic.  

Amid President-elect Donald Trump’s recent pledge to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican products, if Mexico does not curb the flow of fentanyl, this episode dives deep into the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations and the fight against organized crime. Join host Nelly Hernandez Valdez and policy expert Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown as they explore:

• Fentanyl and the Cartels: How Mexican criminal groups have become key players in the U.S. fentanyl epidemic and their strategies for controlling local economies and territories.

• China's Role: The connection between Chinese criminal groups and Mexico’s illegal economies and its implications for global security.

• Bi-national Cooperation: Why has the Bicentennial Framework between the Biden and Lopez Obrador administrations seen limited progress, and what can we expect under President Claudia Sheinbaum and President-elect Donald Trump as they inherit this complex relationship.

• Weapons Trafficking: The U.S. gun industry’s impact on cartel firepower and whether reforming firearm policies could disrupt organized crime.

• Policy Proposals: The effectiveness of proposed measures, such as designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations or employing military force, and what policymakers can do to achieve real results.

Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. She is the director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and of the Brookings series "The Fentanyl Crisis in North America and the Global Reach of Synthetic Opioids. She is also the co-director of the Africa Security Initiative. Previously, she was the co-director of the Brookings projects “The Opioid Crisis in America: Domestic and International Dimension," “Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives Beyond UNGASS 2016,” and “Reconstituting Local Orders.” Dr. Felbab-Brown is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, terrorism, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies. Her fieldwork and research have covered, among others, Afghanistan, South Asia, Burma, Indonesia, the Andean region, Mexico, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, and various parts of Africa. She was a senior advisor to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan Peace Process Study Group. A frequent commentator in international and U.S. media, Dr. Felbab-Brown regularly provides testimonies to the U.S. Congress. She also hosts the podcast show “The Killing Drugs: Synthetic Opioids Around the World. ”

Thomas Woodside and Sunny Gandhi  worked on SB1047, a California bill focused on national security and public safety risks from advanced AI systems. We discussed their experiences advocating for the bill, speaking to legislators and industry experts, amending the bill in response to feedback, and reflecting on lessons learned for future AI policy efforts.

Thomas Woodside is a policy analyst at the Center for AI Safety Action Fund, one of the co-sponsors of SB 1047. Before that, he was a junior fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown, where he wrote technical explainers for policy audiences and did some grantmaking. He did his undergraduate in computer science at Yale.

Sunny Gandhi is the Vice President of Political Affairs at Encode Justice, an organization advocating for safe and responsible artificial intelligence where he has experience working in AI governance at both federal and state levels. Sunny has previously held technical roles at Deloitte and NASA and has worked with the US State Department and the law firm Mayer Brown. He graduated from Indiana University this past May.

Join our host, Diva Joshi, and current Georgetown professor David Fahrenkrug (and former fighter pilot) for a discussion on cyber power.

In light of the recent midterm elections in the United States, how do we assess the security and integrity of the US election system? What can the US do to deter foreign influence in the election process while identifying pressures that domestic actors are putting on the election system? What is the role of social media companies as arbiters of truth in the public square? What is the role of public service in this existential time? Check out our latest episode as hosts Sina Nemazi and Gareth Smythe interview Peter Strzok, current Georgetown University Professor and former Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, in a wide-ranging discussion about the state of election security in the US.

In Episode 15, Josh Chang is joined by new co-host Josh O'Day. The two take to the air to interview Amr Sayed, an SSP student from Egypt with extensive experience as a journalist. Amr has 11 years of experience as a journalist and TV reporter starting his career with the unfolding of the revolution in Egypt. 

Amr currently works as a correspondent for Al Jazeera Media Networks in Washington D.C. and is a freelance contributor with the Global Investigative Journalism Network. He has covered stories worldwide, including Tunisia, Beirut, Hong Kong, Istanbul & London. He was the youngest TV presenter to ever host a show across Al Jazeera network.

You can find Amr on Twitter @amrhsayed.

To contact the podcast, email us at: gssrpodcast@georgetown.edu.

Welcome back to SSP Weekly! This week, host Miriam Pasternak sits down with guest Harrison Durland, a fellow SSP student, focusing on tech and emergent technology, to talk about the recent U.S. export controls on China. After this, host Gareth Smythe sits down with Anna Bassoli, the Associate Editor for the Indo-Pacific at the Georgetown Security Studies Review (GSSR), about the Australian state visit to DC and the ongoing implementation of AUKUS, the trilateral partnership on submarines and emerging technology between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The global effort for “going green” is creating dependency on Chinese renewable energy because China is dominating the renewable energy market. While moving forward with environmentally friendly energy alternatives is a crucial movement, should the West choose that option even if it means dependency on China? Can the West protect the environment and also win the Great Power Competition with China? Has the West already lost the game for dominance on “going green?”

Iku Tsujihiro (SSP’24) hosts Dr. Jeremy Mathis to explore the complex challenges the West faces in the current environmental security affairs. 

Welcome back to SSP Weekly! This week’s theme is the Polish elections and the surprising victory of Donald Tusk, a political giant both in Poland and the European Union. Host Miriam Pasternak sits down with Jan Gerber, a fellow SSP student born and raised in Poland. The two discuss how Donald Tusk managed to defeat the current right-winged government which has been in power since 2015, and how Tusk's return might influence European security in the coming years. 

There have never been as many security issues facing American business as there are today. Threats from international insecurity, great power competition, and new tools like cyber and AI that allow malign actors to destabilize from a distance face nations and companies alike. This trend is especially concerning given the outsized private ownership of critical infrastructure like energy, water, and transportation that underpins the American way of life.

Given these threats, how are conceptions of corporate security evolving? How are American businesses understanding their role in safeguarding national security? What is the proper posture of government to work with the private industry to ensure resilience?

To answer these questions and more, check out our latest episode, where host Gareth Smythe sits down with Mark Freedman, the Founder and CEO of Rebel Global Security. Rebel is an innovative kind of security risk management consultancy that leverages Mark’s experience working in at high levels within the national security community to assist businesses in becoming more aware of the threat landscape and empowered to address it. 

Welcome to the SSP Weekly: A new format from Georgetown University’s Precision-Guided Podcast, in which our two hosts, Miriam Pasternak and Gareth Smythe, dissect security and foreign policy stories from the week. This week, we are talking about the possibility of a US Government shutdown and its impact on national security, and the Polish-Ukrainian dispute over weapons and grain supplies. Our first guest is Christian Trotti, Associate Editor for Defense at GSSR. Our second guest, Kamil Lungu, is a graduate student in the German and European Studies Program at Georgetown. Kamil focuses on transatlantic trade, agriculture and energy policy. Enjoy!

How is populism influencing politics in India? Tune in to this episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast as our hosts, Iku and Senju, give an overview of populism in India. The discussion will encompass the early roots of the Hindu-Nationalist movement in India and its connection with the BJP party. The discussion will also look at the present-day political environment, the ramifications of the party's control on minority groups, and analogs between U.S. populism and Indian populism.

In Episode 9, Josh interviews special guest Dr. Ryan C. Berg, Latin America Research Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and previous guest contributor to the Georgetown Security Studies Review. The two discuss the ongoing political crisis in Nicaragua, examining the historical origins of the crisis, the ways in which democracy has eroded in the country, and policy recommendations for the incoming Biden administration.

As great power competition extends into space, what will be the impact on nations’ behaviors and interests both on and around the Moon?

Host Kellsie Herrmann sits down with space policy expert Kaitlyn Johnson, who walks through the political and scientific realities of the cislunar security environment.

Welcome back to SSP Weekly! This week, host Gareth Smythe sits down with GSSR's Associate Editor for Europe and Central Asia Arjan van Tongerlo to discuss the latest on the war in Ukraine and how Dutch elections, shifting European politics, and the world's focus on the Middle East may impact the progress of Ukraine's fight. We hope you enjoy!

Join host Juan Carlos Solano for a discussion with Katie Nodjimbadem and Sofia Deak, founders of Georgetown University’s Decolonizing International Affairs student groups.

In this episode, our guests discuss the group’s focus on the colonial legacy present in international affairs theory and practice and their efforts to provide a space for students interested in learning from a variety of diverse global perspectives.

Students interested in learning more can email Katie (kn515@georgetown.edu) and Sofia (smd307@georgetown.edu) for more information.

In this episode, hosts Stephanie Cannon and Alice Bechtol feature two SSP students: Michael Losacco and Chris DiMuro. The panel discussed topics ranging from domestic to international security challenges. 

Join Alice, the Precision-Guided Podcast host, for a discussion with Major General Arnold Punaro, USMC (Ret), to discuss United States national defense priorities and budgeting concerns.

In this episode, we discuss Mr. Punaro’s eight ‘ticking timebombs’ of US national security, his recommendations to reorient defense activities to support relevant security concerns, and reflect on his time as a Security Studies Program student and instructor at Georgetown University.

Listeners can learn more about Mr. Purano at https://www.ndia.org/leadership-bios/arnold-punaro and find more about his most recent book, The Ever Shrinking Fighting Force, at https://arnoldpunaro.com/ 

In Episode 17, Josh O'Day is joined by co-host Josh Chang as the two take to the air to interview Colonel Michael Sullivan, Ph.D., an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. He teaches SEST 501 - Strategy, Policy, and Military Operations, which is one of the two core courses that first year students are required to take. Colonel Sullivan is in his 27th year as an Active duty Army officer, having deployed to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In the episode, Josh and Josh discuss Colonel Sullivan's military career, training foreign military personnel, and how he hopes LucasFilm will allow him to teach a course on Civ-Mil relations using the Clone Wars as a case study. 

To contact the podcast, email us at: gssrpodcast@georgetown.edu

In this episode, Shawn talks to Dr. Joan Donovan, Research Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University. Dr. Donovan specializes in disinformation and media politics. Shawn and Dr. Donovan discuss current social media and the effects of disinformation campaigns in recent history. They also dive into the concept of memetic warfare to better understand how political movements compete and battle in the online world. 

Is a war for Taiwan “winnable” and is it possible for that war to be short? What is the future of pairing humans with AI systems on the battlefield, and what remains of the enduring nature of war given the state of emerging technology? How effective is the US strategy of “strategic ambiguity” in the face of modern threats to Taiwan?

Check out our latest episode as hosts Miriam Pasternak Jorgensen and Gareth Smythe sit down with Major General (ret.) Mick Ryan, a former Australian solider and renown author, strategist, and historian, for a discussion of Mick’s new book, White Sun War from Casemate Publishers. White Sun War is a fictionalized account of a war in Taiwan fought in the near-future told through the eyes of the American, Chinese and Taiwanese caught up in the struggle. White Sun War can be purchased from Amazon.

In the heat of election day, Josh and Kamakshi Bhargava (SSP '20) discuss cybersecurity and South Asian security issues. The two cover the disputed Jammu and Kashmir territory, India's fight with COVID-19, the region's relationship with China and the United States, and the nature of the cyber domain, including its weaponization and its implications for national security.

The Biden administration recently released its new national security strategy outlining the top U.S. national security concerns and the U.S. planned approach. Join our host, Chris Bull, and guests Paula Mercado, Sirkar Tisyaketu and Rhett Rezendes as they discuss the 2022 National Security Strategy from the perspective of next-generation national security practitioners.

Amid President-elect Donald Trump’s recent pledge to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican products, if Mexico does not curb the flow of fentanyl, this episode dives deep into the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations and the fight against organized crime. Join host Nelly Hernandez Valdez and policy expert Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown as they explore:

• Fentanyl and the Cartels: How Mexican criminal groups have become key players in the U.S. fentanyl epidemic and their strategies for controlling local economies and territories.

• China's Role: The connection between Chinese criminal groups and Mexico’s illegal economies and its implications for global security.

• Bi-national Cooperation: Why has the Bicentennial Framework between the Biden and Lopez Obrador administrations seen limited progress, and what can we expect under President Claudia Sheinbaum and President-elect Donald Trump as they inherit this complex relationship.

• Weapons Trafficking: The U.S. gun industry’s impact on cartel firepower and whether reforming firearm policies could disrupt organized crime.

Policy Proposals: The effectiveness of proposed measures, such as designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations or employing military force, and what policymakers can do to achieve real results.

Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. She is the director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and of the Brookings series "The Fentanyl Crisis in North America and the Global Reach of Synthetic Opioids. She is also the co-director of the Africa Security Initiative. Previously, she was the co-director of the Brookings projects “The Opioid Crisis in America: Domestic and International Dimension," “Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives Beyond UNGASS 2016,” and “Reconstituting Local Orders.” Dr. Felbab-Brown is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, terrorism, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies. Her fieldwork and research have covered, among others, Afghanistan, South Asia, Burma, Indonesia, the Andean region, Mexico, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, and various parts of Africa. She was a senior advisor to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan Peace Process Study Group. A frequent commentator in international and U.S. media, Dr. Felbab-Brown regularly provides testimonies to the U.S. Congress. She also hosts the podcast show “The Killing Drugs: Synthetic Opioids Around the World. ”

On this episode of the Precision Guided Podcast, Max Caplan sits down with three experts on civil-military relations: Dr. Alice Friend, Dr. Michal Robinson, and Dr. Heidi Urben. We discuss what civil-military relations is and the origins of American civilian control of the military. We touch on key topics including how our polarized political climate affects civil-military relations and what to look out for during this election cycle. Finally, our panelists discuss the state of the field and give reading recommendations for those who are interested in furthering their knowledge of civil-military relations. 

**The views represented in this podcast belong to each individual and do not represent the views of Georgetown, the Georgetown Security Studies Review, the Department of Defense or any other institution.

Spyware threatens encryption and presents unique regulatory and security challenges for governments and citizens worldwide. Host Kellsie Herrmann sits down with Mike Sexton, an expert on technology and security policy at the think tank Third Way and SSP alumnus, to discuss spyware’s risks and opportunities as a surveillance tool with an eye towards the future of spyware policy.

This week, hosts Miriam Pasternak and Gareth Smythe sit down with guest Zach Markenson to put the events in Israel and Palestine this past week into historical context. In the episode, Zach sheds light on the prolonged relationship between Israel and Hamas, provides an overview of long-term Israeli policies toward Palestine, and helps unpack the dynamics between many of the myriad actors in the region. 

In this episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast, University of Georgia and Georgetown University alumna Stephanie Cannon interviews Dr. Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor Emeritus of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, to discuss the relationship between Congress and the intelligence community.

Loch K. Johnson is Regents Professor Emeritus of Public and International Affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at the University of Georgia.  He received the Ph.D. degree in Political Science at the University of California, Riverside.  The author of over thirty books, among his most recent are The Third Option: Covert Action and American Foreign Policy (Oxford, 2022); Advanced Introduction to American Foreign Policy (Elgar, 2021); Spy Watching: Intelligence Accountability in the United States (Oxford, 2018); National Security Intelligence: Secret Operations in the Defense of the Democracies (Polity, 2017); and A Season of Inquiry Revisited: The Church Committee Confronts America’s Spy Agencies (University Press of Kansas, 2015).  He has been an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow; a Visiting Fellow at Yale and Oxford Universities; a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar; and, for eighteen years (2001-2019), editor-in-chief of the international journal Intelligence and National Security.  He also served in the U.S. government as the senior aide to the chairman of the Church Committee on Intelligence in the Senate, as well as the chairman of the Aspin-Brown Commission on Intelligence in the White House.  He was the first staff director of the Subcommittee on Oversight in the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.  At the University of Georgia he led the founding of SPIA, established in 2001.  The consortium of universities that comprise the Southeast Conference (SEC) in the United States selected Professor Johnson as its inaugural “Professor of the Year” in 2012; and the University presented him with its Presidential Medal in 2022.

There’s no better way to kick off the GSSR podcast’s third season than with the Georgetown Center for Security Studies and Security Studies Program’s very own Director Dr. Keir Lieber! 

In this episode he will dive into the value the Security Studies Program (SSP) places on the “inextricable link between theory and policy,” a phrase SSP students have all heard and perhaps even adopted into their own vernacular. Dr. Lieber also addresses some of the greatest looming national security challenges, including nuclear deterrence and competition with China. He concludes the episode discussing the focus of education for current and future national security professionals and the goals and vision of the SSP, placing special emphasis on increasing the diversity of voices and perspectives in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University.

To contact the podcast, email us at: gssrpodcast@georgetown.edu

Join host Juan Carlos Solano for a discussion with Georgetown Professor Alan Tidwell on the geopolitics of Oceanian.

In Episode 16, Josh Chang is joined by co-host Josh O'Day as the two take to the air to interview Donald Small, a student originally from Atlanta who is now in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. Donald graduated in 2014 with a BA in Biology and French from Valdosta State University. After graduation he volunteered with the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa as an Education Volunteer and taught chemistry to middle school-aged children until being evacuated due to Ebola virus cases in the region. In December of 2014, he enlisted in the US Navy as a technician and operator of weapons systems aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. After 6 years he separated from the Navy to join the Security Studies Program and is in the International Security concentration pursuing an African Studies Certificate to become a Sub-Saharan Africa specialist.

To contact the podcast, email us at: gssrpodcast@georgetown.edu.

The Arctic is becoming an increasingly turbulent arena for global geopolitics. Consequences of climate change are rapidly changing the region, sparking more opportunities for global powers to assert territorial claims, promote tourism, and push forward with research - often to the detriment of indigenous populations and the environment. Without any international treaties on the Arctic, the region is effectively in a state akin to the “Wild West.” Nicole Butler (SSP’25) hosts Dr. Jeremy Mathis to discuss the current state of Arctic politics and offers some creative, proactive solutions for stable Arctic policy and to protect this unique ecosystem.

How does the US Government effectively leverage a whole-of-government response to the multi-varied threats posed by US adversaries? What is the US’ greatest strength in working with allies and partners on key security challenges? How does the National Security Council actually work?

Check out Part I of our latest episode as host Gareth Smythe sits down with Dave Diaz, currently the Director of a State Department Interagency Task Force and formerly the Director of African Affairs at the National Security Council, in a wide-ranging discussion about the interagency process. Stayed tuned for Part II, where Dave will provide his thoughts on the value of public service and share advice for aspiring national security professionals from his 30 years of service.

Join our host, Chris Bull, as he sits down with former FBI agents Michelle Taylor & Holden Triplett as they discuss contemporary threats to U.S. national security and the evolving challenges of future threats.

In recognition of NATO’s upcoming 75th Anniversary, please join us for a special episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast featuring Professor Stephen Flanagan, a distinguished figure in the field of transatlantic security and defense. Professor Flanagan sits down with hosts Gareth Smythe and Miriam Pasternak to share his insights on the resilience and evolution of the NATO Alliance, its strategic shifts, and the challenges it faces today. 

This episode serves as a preview for the upcoming Georgetown conference on April 8th, "NATO at 75: Charting a New Course," where Professor Flanagan will moderate a panel on NATO's future and deterrence strategies. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of NATO's significance at this milestone, the “transatlantic bargain”, and the strategic directions the Alliance might take amidst current global security challenges. And don’t forget to sign up for the conference itself: https://css.georgetown.edu/natoat75/.

What is the current state of the African security landscape in the context of great power competition? What is the significance of Africa to China, Russia, and the United States? Host Iku Tsujihiro invites guest Ashliyn Burgos to discuss African security and how the United States can grow its relationship with African nations.

Today, host Shawn Rostker speaks with Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, about his lab’s groundbreaking report documenting Russia’s systematic effort to steal and harbor at least 6,000 Ukrainian children throughout the war. They discuss Russia’s network of over 40 facilities, stretching from Crimea to Siberia, in which children are subjected to political indoctrination, cultural reeducation, and in some cases military training, and identify the state levers that enable it. The plight of the children, as well as the parents desperate to reunite with them, is told in vivid detail through documented instances of war crimes.Russia’s theft of Ukraine’s children represents the largest such campaign since the Nazi kidnappings of Jewish children during WWII that became the first prosecutions at Nuremberg. Executive Director Raymond explains the legal framework that implicates Russia in these war crimes and explains what must come next to identify and return the thousands of Ukrainian children currently being held by Russia.

Host Gareth Smythe sits down with Joseph Lee to discuss his recent Georgetown Security Studies Review article La Bérézina: a Frenchman’s Review of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. Gareth and Joseph discuss the legacy of Napoleon in France, Corsica, and abroad, the historical inaccuracies of Ridley Scott’s portrayal, and why it is important to understand the true events in history in order to draw conclusions from the past.

Join our host, Chris Bull, as he sits down with Mike Sexton to discuss career and life advice for SSPers in the first of a new series with SSP and Georgetown alumni.

The United States withdrew from its two decade-long mission in Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. During the withdrawal,  a group of veterans, government employees, and everyday citizens banded together for an extraordinary rescue mission. Armed with nothing but their smartphones, the strength of their networks, and the conviction that no one should be left behind, this informal coalition embarked on an extraordinary mission. This is their story, the story of #DigitalDunkirk, the ad-hoc team that saved thousands of Afghan allies from the Taliban. 

Check out our latest episode as hosts Miriam Pasternak Jorgensen and Gareth Smythe sit down with Mikael Cook, a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and key member of the #DigitalDunkirk team, to discuss Mikael’s new book, Life and Death at Abbey Gate from Casemate Publishers. Life and Death at Abbey Gate tells the story of #DigitalDunkirk through the viewpoint of those who participated in the operation. The book chronicles the experiences of soldiers and civilians alike on the ground in Afghanistan, and the dedicated group of Americans working in the United States to get them out. 

In the third episode of Season 2, Josh discusses the declassified strategic framework for the Indo-Pacific, released in the waning days of the Trump administration, with Regan Copple, Josh's fellow co-worker at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) and a mil ops concentrator at SSP. The two discuss their reactions to the strategy, the future contours of the Biden administration's approach to the region, and the general state of national security issues in the INDOPACOM AOR such as denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, cross-strait conflict between Taiwan and China, U.S. relations with ASEAN, and alliance management. 

Amidst the global wave of democratic elections in 2024, voters in six Latin American countries have already or will head to the polls to decide the future of their countries. Yet, for as much as this year marks an impressive milestone for democracy, emboldened authoritarian leaders and worrying trends in democratic backsliding threaten to derail democratic progress in the region. The Precision-Guided podcast sits down with U.S. Ambassador Jimmy Story to discuss democratization trends and analyze their implications for the future of democracy in Latin America.

It is evident that the nature of warfare has evolved, as demonstrated by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. Exponential technological acceleration is driving much of this change: multi-domain sensors are making the battlespace transparent, long-range precision munitions can accurately hit any observed target, and autonomous weapons can attack from above, hitting the weakest point of tanks and armored vehicles and reshaping how we conceive of air superiority and air control. 

How do technological advancements impact tactical warfare? How should U.S. policymakers and military leaders approach these new technologies, and what lessons should they draw from Ukraine, Israel, and other modern conflicts? 

Hosts Gareth Smythe and Miriam Pasternak Jorgensen sit down with Colonel (ret.) John Antal, a former U.S. Army Cavalry officer and author, to discuss John’s new book Next War: Reimagining How We Fight. Next War provides insights on these topics and more to guide leaders to think critically about the challenges the modern battlefield poses.

In the eighth episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast, Josh interviews SSP student Emma Jouenne and SSP adjunct faculty member Professor Kyleanne Hunter on their paper regarding the weaponization of online misogyny as a form of information warfare. The three discuss gender norms in national security, online radicalization, and security within the digital space. 

Welcome back to SSP Weekly: a new format from Georgetown University’s Precision-Guided Podcast! This week, hosts Miriam Pasternak and Gareth Smythe follow up on the updates since last episode's government shutdown story, and talk about the ousting of House speaker, Kevin McCarthy. Next, we discuss the recent brewing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, as a result of a violent attack on Kosovar police officers on September 24th. Our guest for the story is Robert Shala, a fellow graduate student from the Georgetown Security Studies Program, born and raised in what is today the Republic of Kosovo. Enjoy!

Have you experienced feelings of self-doubt or inadequacy, especially after a major life transition like starting graduate school or starting a new job? If so, you could have been experiencing imposter syndrome. Our guest, Alani Bankhead, a career supervisory special agent and professional coach, explains how to recognize imposter syndrome and provides advice and tools that young professionals can use to break the cycle of thoughts, emotions, and beliefs that feed imposter syndrome.

In this episode, host Shawn Rostker talks to Dr. Elizabeth Grimm about her latest book, “Terror in Transition: Leadership and Succession in Terrorist Organizations” co-written with Dr. Tricia Bacon, and dives into the importance of leadership dynamics within terrorist organizations and its relevance to the U.S. national security community. He also catches up with current SSP student Mel Madarang about her time spent as an RA in the program and what lessons and skills the experience has offered her.

In Episode 12, Josh discusses the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan with Noah Ringler (SSP '21), an SSP student with extensive travel and research experience in the Caucasus region. The two cover the history of the enmity between both countries, Russia and Turkey's regional policies in the Caucasus, and Turkish foreign policy under Erdogan.

What kinds of security challenges is the Security Studies Program (SSP) seeking to prepare students for? What kinds of tangible skills are SSP events and classes hoping to impart to its students? How does the leadership of SSP hope to foster community among the Center for Security Studies (CSS)? Find out answers to these questions and more in this episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast, as host Stephanie Cannon interviews CSS and SSP Director Dr. Elizabeth Stanley.

In a world increasingly polarized and facing complex challenges like climate change, distrust in institutions, and great power competition, it is vital to move beyond apathy and fear and rethink how we approach security. Kellsie Herrmann (SSP ‘24) hosts Professor Gina Bennett, a renowned former member of the intelligence community with a distinguished counterterrorism record who considers national security to encompass more than bullets and bellicose leadership. On this episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast, she explains why America must incorporate a ‘Gatherer’ mindset into traditional national security approaches to better meet the intimidating challenges of today and the future.

What role does gender play in conflict? In this episode of the Precision-Guided Podcast, University of Georgia alumni Stephanie Cannon and Kara Joyce interview Dr. Maryann Gallagher, a senior lecturer at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs and the director of the Security Leadership Program in the Center for International Trade and Security, to discover the ways gender impacts multiple levels of conflict and how these impacts play into gender justice.

Join us for a discussion with Ms. Chidi Blyden, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs. During this episode, co-hosts Stephanie Cannon and Donald Small speak with Deputy Assistant Secretary Blyden about key security issues in Africa and her career journey. Ms. Blyden also teaches a course at the Security Studies Program called African Security Issues and Policies (SEST-570). 

Host Shawn Rostker talks with foreign affairs journalist, and SSP alumni, Mark Leon Goldberg about his career in journalism and the field of foreign policy. Mark talks at length about his experience as creator and host of the longest-running independent international affairs podcast, Global Dispatches, and offers insights and advice for anyone interested in pursuing journalistic endeavors or a career as a podcaster. They discuss how coverage and consumption of foreign affairs issues have evolved since the advent of the podcast medium and explore the role of an international affairs journalist in the contemporary environment.