Intelligence Matters

Latest Episodes:

The Threat of North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: Markus Garlauskas Nov 09, 2022

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This week on Intelligence Matters, Michael Morell speaks with the National Intelligence Officer on North Korea from 2014-2020 Markus Garlauskas about his assessment of North Korea's missile tests and the threat of nuclear weapons. Garlauskas lays out how the U.S. can deter North Korea even as China works as an enabler for the regime.

The Aims and Impact of Chinese Foreign Development: Brad Parks Nov 02, 2022

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This week on Intelligence Matters, Michael Morell speaks with the Executive Director of AidData at the College of William and Mary Brad Parks to discuss how China is outspending the rest of the world in foreign development and how the U.S. can catch up. Parks details how China is using foreign aid to gain influence abroad and create a market for its industries.

Implications of Xi Jinping's Hold on Power: Former Senior CIA China Analyst Chris Johnson Oct 26, 2022

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This week on Intelligence Matters, Michael Morell speaks with former senior CIA China analyst Chris Johnson, now President and CEO of the China Strategies Group, to discuss Xi cementing his power at the Communist Party congress, the line-up of the all-powerful Politburo, and what it means for the state of play of U.S.-China relations. Morell and Johnson discuss the implications on foreign policy of the new Politburo and the keeping of China's foreign minister.

U.S. Political Violence on the Rise: Professor Bob Pape Oct 19, 2022

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In this episode of Intelligence Matters, Michael Morell speaks with University of Chicago political science professor and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats Robert "Bob" Pape about his ongoing research on political violence in America and its implications as the midterms approach. His new research finds that 5% of American adults, or around 13 million people, agree that the use of force is justified to restore Donald Trump to the presidency. Pape discusses the ways in which political violence has turned mainstream and is being exacerbated by political leaders.

The Ethics and Impact of Drone Strikes: Georgetown Law Professor Mitt Regan Oct 12, 2022

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In this episode of Intelligence Matters, Michael Morell speaks with Georgetown Law Professor Mitt Regan about his new book Drone Strike: Analyzing the Impacts of Targeted Killing. They discuss the effect of drone strikes on al-Qaeda's continuation and growth, the lack of a systematic civilian casualty mitigation efforts, and the ethics of drone strikes outside of a war zone.

Putin's Threat of Nuclear War: Former CIA Moscow Chief of Station Rolf Mowatt-Larssen Oct 05, 2022

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In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former CIA Moscow Chief of Station and William J. Perry Distinguished Fellow at the Nuclear Threat Initiative Rolf Mowatt-Larssen about Putin's nuclear threats and how U.S. policymakers should respond. Mowatt-Larssen stresses that Western leaders need to take Putin's threats seriously as we enter the highest point in global nuclear risks since the Cuban Missile Crisis 60 years ago. He details why as Ukrainians are winning on the battlefield, they are not ready to sit at the negotiating table.

75th Anniversary of the CIA with Deputy Director of the CIA David Cohen Sep 28, 2022

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In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell is joined by Deputy Director of the CIA David Cohen to discuss the 75th anniversary of the intelligence agency and his career path to the ranks of top leadership. Cohen details the invisible work of CIA agents and responds to critiques of the agency. Cohen provides his analysis of key players on the world stage: Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. He notes that the CIA has not seen indications that Russians are planning to use nuclear weapons.

The Status of a U.S.-Iran Deal: Middle East Expert Karim Sadjadpour Sep 21, 2022

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In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Senior Fellow at the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Karim Sadjadpour about a potential new deal between the U.S. and Iran. Sadjadpour details that the Iranians do not believe the Biden administration has a plan B to the deal, leading Iran to not feel urgency to compromise. Sadjadpour provides an analysis of what a Iran deal would mean for the Biden administration in a domestic political context ahead of the midterm elections.

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development Elbridge Colby Sep 14, 2022

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In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development Elbridge Colby about his new book The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict and whether the U.S. military is ready for a new era of great power competition. Colby discusses doubts amongst analysts in the U.S. ability to win a war against the Chinese military. He notes that there is substantial bipartisan agreement that China is the biggest threat against the U.S.

Journalist and Former Marine Elliot Ackerman Sep 07, 2022

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In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Journalist and Former Marine Elliot Ackerman about his new book The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan. Ackerman reflects on the impact of the war in Afghanistan for a generation of veterans. He discusses the constructs the United States built in order to sustain the war on terror and how he believes the veterans of the war should be memorialized.

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