Fault Lines

Latest Episodes:

RNDF Special Series: Chairman John Moolenaar - The Future of U.S. Global Leadership Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and Les interview Rep. John Moolenaar (MI-02) who serves as Chairman of the House Select Committee on China. In his role as Chairman, he leads the Committee’s work addressing strategic competition between the U.S. and China, including tackling issues such as China’s trade practices and intellectual property theft, human rights abuses, and other national security concerns.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. defense industrial base? Is the U.S. making appropriate investments in emerging technologies and adopting them quickly enough? Does the American public understand the urgency of the threat of China?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this special episode of Fault Lines!

Stay tuned for more of the Fault Lines crew and our special episodes recorded live at RNDF! These are discussions you don’t want to miss!

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@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

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We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/omO5IziMKJM

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Episode 391: South Korea Is … Was… Under Martial Law! Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

Today, Morgan, Jess, Les, and Jeffrey discuss the short-lived attempt by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose martial law on South Korea. Yoon ordered martial law Tuesday evening without warning in a speech where he vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces. Mass protests quickly formed outside South Korea’s National Assembly where members voted to block martial law. Yoon’s Cabinet then lifted the martial law and opposition parties have put forward an impeachment motion against Yoon, with a vote expected to occur later this week.

What does this attempt mean for democracy and democratic norms globally? Why did President Yoon try to implement martial law? Why was the U.S. caught off guard?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn38321180et

https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-martial-law-north-korea-emergency-b310df4fece42c27051f58b8951f346f

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/03/world/south-korea-martial-law?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20241203&instance_id=141182&nl=breaking-news&regi_id=85184605&segment_id=184702&user_id=656d1e51a8895843517d206c45ff8da5

https://www.ft.com/content/a13a7978-6fbe-4f44-9c78-1fc066d8a88b

https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-yoon-martial-law-25a2a7c957e77a19f771b6b7c56a2173

https://apnews.com/article/korea-martial-law-yoon-president-9adbff7c7df6a2fa22b1fbf955a495fa

https://apnews.com/video/south-korea-yoon-suk-yeol-protests-and-demonstrations-north-korea-government-01e70dab69524a3d97854c0c5e196e79

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@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

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We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/zCN4clfwRIA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 390: The Enemy of my Enemy is my… Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

Today, Les, Martha, Morgan, and Jeffrey discuss the recent fall of the Syrian city of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, to Al-Qaeda-linked rebel forces, reawakening the long-dormant civil war that began during the Arab Spring in 2011. Syrian and allied Russian forces have responded by launching a series of airstrikes on Aleppo and Idlib, where the rebel forces have been based.

Who exactly are the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)? Is this development in Syria good for the United States and our allies? Why is this happening now?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://apnews.com/article/syria-hts-assad-aleppo-fighting-2be43ee530b7932b123a0f26b158ac22

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce313jn453zo

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/russia-syrian-regime-strike-rebel-held-territory-as-anti-assad-forces-advance-ed84d6ae

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/12/01/syria-rebels-assad-aleppo-russia-iran/

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/01/world/middleeast/syria-rebels-bashar-al-assad.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb&ngrp=mnp&pvid=EF641E37-7C9E-49F2-9147-F47D2A13030B

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@morganlroach

@lestermunson

@marthamillerdc

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We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/FpZLI9d6ArU

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 389: China, Can You Hear Me Now? Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

Today, Jess, Morgan, Amy, and Matt discuss Salt Typhoon, a hacking group closely linked to China’s Ministry of State Security, that infiltrated U.S. telecommunications networks as part of a sophisticated cyber-espionage campaign. On Friday, telecom executives were summoned to the White House where U.S. national security and intel officials told industry leaders they needed to help prevent Chinese agents from accessing their networks.

What was the scope of China’s most recent cyber campaign? What has been the Biden Administration’s approach to Chinese hacking operations and what might be incoming President Trump’s strategy? How should the U.S. respond to adversarial states and groups like Salt Typhoon?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://cyberscoop.com/china-apt-eset-target-typhoon-mirrorface/

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/library-congress-email-system-hacked-earlier-year-foreign-adversary.amp

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/11/23/politics/chinese-cyber-espionage-telecom-execs

https://cybermagazine.com/articles/examining-the-worst-telco-cyber-attack-in-us-history

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/22/us/politics/chinese-hack-telecom-white-house.html

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@morganlroach

@amykmitchell

@NotTVJessJones

@WMattHayden

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We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/ZdOI7S99kt8?feature=shared

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 388: The ICC - Is Justice Blind? Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

Today, Morgan, Martha, Jeffrey, and first-time guest, Algene Sajery, discuss the decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and deceased Hamas terrorist Mohammed Deif for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The decision by the ICC to issue these warrants has divided the international community drawing condemnation from the Israeli government for the ICC's anti-semitism and the United States questioning the ICC’s jurisdiction over Israel which is not party to the ICC.

How do these charges impact Israel’s diplomatic isolation? Do these warrants diminish the ICC’s reputation further? How will the incoming Trump administration respond to the ICC?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://www.reuters.com/world/icc-issues-arrest-warrants-israels-netanyahu-gallant-hamas-leader-2024-11-21/

https://apnews.com/article/icc-israel-hamas-warrants-netanyahu-palestinian-arrest-73c854d072e0a1a41b19b2cb2cdd07fa

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-arrest-warrant-international-criminal-court-war-crimes-8668a2683972297c5a22ea30164a1445

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11/21/world/israel-netanyahu-hamas-gaza

https://www.foxnews.com/world/icc-rejects-israel-appeals-issues-arrest-warrants-benjamin-netanyahu-yoav-gallant

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-gaza-netanyahu-11-2024-intl/index.html

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@morganlroach

@marthamillerdc

@AlgeneSajery

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We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/v5zxOK0HKRs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 387: Courting Investors, Crushing Dissent in Hong Kong Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

Today, Martha, Jess, Andy, and Jeffrey discuss the sentencing of 45 pro-democracy activists to four to ten-year prison sentences by the Hong Kong government under the Beijing-induced national security law. This is the largest usage of the law since it was enacted in 2020 to suppress a once-thriving pro-democracy movement. This sentencing comes amidst a three-day Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit hosted in Hong Kong where Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng touted Hong Kong as an international finance hub.

Are these sentences and the national security law a blueprint for Taiwan if they were to be forcibly reunified with China? What should the United States do in light of these sentences? How can world leaders balance between financial incentives and protecting human rights?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-activists-sentencing-unofficial-primary-1ed13be76fa4918d83f7d3e498f2f543

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hong-kong-47-democracy-activists-sentenced-national-security-rcna180290

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3287105/beijings-economic-tsar-set-speak-top-hong-kong-finance-summit

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@NotTVJessJones

@marthamillerdc

@AndyKeiser

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/4fgQ1NKWmrc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 386: ATACMS in Ukraine - Biden Goes the Distance? Nov 18, 2024

Show notes

Today, Jess, Matt, Jeffrey, and first-time guest, Marc Raimondi, discuss President Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia. This comes amidst Russia reinforcing its forces with thousands of North Korean troops with the goal of reclaiming territory lost to Ukraine’s Kursk offensive.

How have the redlines by the Biden Administration impacted the war in Ukraine? How should Ukraine leverage this new capability? What does this decision mean for the incoming Trump Administration?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/us/politics/biden-ukraine-russia-atacms-missiles.html

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-united-states-biden/33205585.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/world/europe/trump-ukraine-russia-peace.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-war-zelenskyy-diplomacy-trump/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@NotTVJessJones

@WMattHayden

@WashingtonFlack

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We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/-ajFxeCc9Zk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 385: Climate COP-out Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

Today, Jess, Morgan, Martha, and Matt discuss this week’s COP29, an annual climate summit where world leaders, policymakers, business executives, and others meet to discuss global emissions reduction goals, and how to finance climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, especially in the developing world. This year’s summit was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and notable heads of state not in attendance included those from the U.S., France, Russia, India, and China among others.

What’s in store for the future of COP? How does U.S. domestic attitudes impact the future of addressing climate challenges? Should we worry about China’s green diplomacy efforts?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2lknel1xpo

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/11/08/a-total-waste-of-time-the-world-leaders-shunning-cop29-over-political-spats-and-lost-confi

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/climate/cop29-baku-azerbaijan.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/climate/trump-climate-cop-negotiations.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/11/trump-cop-china-climate/680611/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@marthamillerdc

@morganlroach

@NotTVJessJones

@WMattHayden

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/kB4aC9Kh-Kc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 384: Trump’s NatSec Draft Picks Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

Today, Les, Martha, Morgan, and Jess discuss president-elect Donald Trump’s picks for national security and foreign policy positions in the coming administration. The least surprising of which have been Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) being floated as a strong contender for Secretary of State, Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL-6) being announced as Trump’s National Security Advisor, and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) being announced as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. However, in a surprise pick, Pete Hegseth, a Veteran and Fox News Weekend commentator has been announced as Secretary of Defense sending shockwaves throughout the beltway.

How will president-elect Trump’s cabinet picks impact his foreign policy? How do our adversaries and allies view these picks? Will these picks impact the War in Ukraine?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://www.politico.com/interactives/2024/trump-cabinet-picks-2025-tracker/

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/12/trump-transition-personnel-announcements-takeaway-00188936

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-picks-so-far-heres-who-advising-new-president

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trumps-cabinet-whos-been-picked-whos-running-2024-11-12/

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4985802-trump-cabinet-nominees-second-term/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@marthamillerdc

@morganlroach

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/EBsxyK8orjs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 383: Germany’s Traffic Light Coalition Flashes Red Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

Today, Martha, Morgan, Bishop, and Jeffrey discuss the collapse of Germany’s ruling coalition, the Traffic Light coalition, after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party, fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the Free Democratic Party over disagreements in economic policy causing them to withdraw. This has led Germany to have a minority government with Chancellor Scholz saying he would hold a vote of confidence in January, which could pave the way for new elections as early as March.

What impacts does President-Elect Trump's return and his economic policies have on German politics? With economic recession and now political instability in Germany, will we see a further rise of the Far-Right? What are the broader implications for the U.S.?

Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.

Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/german-government-crisis-leaves-europe-headless-ahead-of-trumps-return-80cfbfc2

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/world/europe/germany-coalition-collapse-explained.html

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/07/how-the-german-governments-collapse-impacts-the-eu

https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-governing-coalition-collapses/live-70692143

https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/germany/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@marthamillerdc

@morganlroach

@BishopGarrison

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