The Burn Bag Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Sinwar is Dead: Israel Kills Hamas Leader and What it Means for the War in Gaza, with former Counterterrorism Official Javed Ali Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

On Thursday, Israel announced that it had killed Hamas' de facto leader Yahya Sinwar near Rafah, a significant development for the ongoing War in Gaza. A'ndre chatted with his old friend and mentor Javed Ali, former Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the U.S. National Security Council, about his reactions to the development and what it could mean for the broader crisis in the Middle East. Javed compares the killing of Sinwar to the elimination of Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, contrasting what effect those leadership deaths could have on both organizations. A'ndre and Javed also discuss whether the outlook for the military campaign will change in the days ahead, and if there could be a spike in potential lone wolf terror attacks.

Best Of: George Will on What a Conservative Foreign Policy Means (Original Release: 10/4/2021) Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

In this re-release of our popular episode from October 2021 (excuse the old theme music!), A'ndre and Ryan speak with George Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and author, on what it means to practice a 'conservative' foreign policy. Dr. Will, who has published a twice-weekly column in The Washington Post since 1974, provides his definition of what it means to be conservative, discussing the intellectual conservative movement that prospered in the post-war era. He then goes into his views on what a conservative foreign policy actually means, why Reagan and Eisenhower were exemplars of it, and why Donald Trump was not, in his view, conservative. Distinguishing between conservatism and neoconservatism, Dr. Will discusses why he believes liberal internationalism is 'armed humanitarianism', and the mistakes made in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the broader Middle East. Touching on recent events in the news, Dr. Will talks the U.S.-China rivalry, and his thoughts on the Intelligence Community and the equation of whether security trumps freedoms. We close out the conservation with a short conversation on Dr. Will's new book, American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008-2020, and why Dr. Will abhors denim. Yes, denim.

The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on Religion and Politics, Gaza, LGBTQ+ Rights, and Christian Nationalism Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

This week, A'ndre welcomes a unique guest: The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Some of our audience may recall Bishop Curry's captivating sermon during the 2018 Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. He has been an outspoken advocate on various social and political issues, discussing the Episcopal Church's role in policy advocacy amid rising toxicity in discussions about religion and politics.

Bishop Curry addresses the church's unique stance on LGBTQ+ rights and reflects on the divisions within the global Anglican communion, particularly regarding Uganda's severe penalties for LGBTQ+ individuals. He also shares his perspective on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and how he approaches conversations about it, given the region's significance to the three major Abrahamic religions.

A'ndre and the Bishop conclude the episode with a discussion on Christian Nationalism, where Bishop Curry offers strong critiques of the concept.

Hezbollah: Understanding the Lebanese Militant Group after Nasrallah's Death with Dr. Matthew Levitt Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Following Israel's targeted killing of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah, the pager explosions, and the ongoing escalation in Southern Lebanon, A'ndre sat down with Dr. Matthew Levitt from the Washington Institute to discuss anything and everything relating to Hezbollah. Dr. Levitt, who wrote Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God, provides a brief history of the militant group's origins during the 1982 Lebanon War and its linkages to the Iranian regime. A'ndre and Dr. Levitt discuss what power Hezbollah wields in Lebanon as both a militant organization and a political entity, its relationship with the Lebanese government, and public perceptions of the group. The two also talk about the Hassan Nasrallah's death and the state of Hezbollah following the elimination of much of its command structure. Dr. Levitt provides his perspectives on Hezbollah's relationship with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, and breaks down the motivations behind Hezbollah’s military actions since October 7.

Why Israel Failed: Did a Security Lifestyle Lead to October 7th? Has Hamas Won the War in Gaza? with Professor Uri Bar-Joseph Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

The Burn Bag will be covering the Israel-Gaza War over the course of several episodes, sourcing multiple perspectives on the conflict. The Burn Bag does not officially endorse any views expressed by our guests, but rather brings those perspectives to you, the audience, and will continue to provide a diverse array of voices on the program.
In this episode, A’ndre introduces Uri Bar-Joseph, professor emeritus at Haifa University and author of the new book Beyond the Iron Wall. Together, they delve into the security failures that led to the October 7th attacks, considering why Israel’s security apparatus was caught off guard and what lessons can be drawn from historical events like the Yom Kippur War. Uri argues that Israel does not have an overarching strategy in its War in Gaza nor with its actions in Lebanon. Uri discusses the complexities of Israel's "security lifestyle," his reactions to the recent pager attacks targeting Hezbollah, the Israeli government's perceptions of Hamas, and the broader political landscape. Uri also talks about why he believes the Israeli government is averse to political resolutions and the challenges posed by settlements in the West Bank, in addition to his criticisms of Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war and the broader Israeli-Palestinian relationship. This insightful conversation aims to unpack the reasons behind recent events and ponder the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations.

NOTE: This episode was recorded on September 19, several days before the escalation in Southern Lebanon.

What in the World? The Quad: The Indo-Pacific Partnership Between the United States, India, Japan, and Australia featuring Aman Thakker Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

On Saturday, President Joe Biden will host the leaders of India, Japan, and Australia in Wilmington, Delaware, for his final Quad summit. What is the Quad? To explore this four-way partnership and preview the summit, A'ndre is joined by Aman Thakker, an Adjunct Fellow with the Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at CSIS.

They discuss the Quad's history, including its inception in 2004 after the Indian Ocean tsunami, its revitalization in 2017, and why it shouldn't be seen as an "Asian NATO." Aman contrasts the views of the Trump and Biden administrations on the Quad and provides insights into India's engagement in the partnership, highlighting its policy of "multi-alignment."

A'ndre and Aman conclude by previewing this Saturday's summit and discussing potential outcomes and announcements from the four leaders that they expect.
CORRECTION: A’ndre refers to the Quad as a security dialogue in his introduction. While some have referred to the group in this lens, none of the four member-states refer to the Quad as that, and it’s more accurate to refer to the partnership as a diplomatic grouping.

Foreign Agents: The U.S. Lawmakers, Experts, and Insiders Lobbying for Foreign Governments with Casey Michel, Author of "Foreign Agents" Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

A powerful U.S. Senator. A leading aide to the New York Governor. A leading Korea expert. All prominent figures in the last several months who have been accused of being foreign agents, working on behalf of foreign governments to influence U.S. policy.

To make sense of this all, A'ndre chatted with Casey Michel, author of Foreign Agents and the Director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation, to understand the history of foreign lobbying in the United States and to talk through some of the more high profile cases. Casey profiles Ivy Lee, the father of the modern PR industry, and how he helped fascist dictators like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in the 1930s sell their ideologies to the broader public. The discussion also covered Paul Manafort, a convicted felon and former GOP strategist known for his work on the Donald Trump and Bob Dole presidential campaigns. A'ndre and Casey reviewed recent notable cases, including:

Senator Bob Menendez's recent conviction that he accepted gold bars to promote policy favored by the Egyptian government;
Former NSC official and think tank expert Sue Mi Terry's alleged advocacy of South Korean interests on behalf of her Korean government handlers;
New York Governor Kathy Hochul's aide Linda Sun's alleged engagement in political activities in China's interest within the governor's office;
and former Senator Bob Dole's advocacy on behalf of a Russian oligarch.

You can purchase Casey's new book, Foreign Agents, here.

We Are Bellingcat: Uncovering War Crimes, Investigating Autocrats, and Citizen Journalism's Future with Eliot Higgins, Founder of Bellingcat Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

This week, A'ndre chatted with Eliot Higgins, an award-winning journalist who founded the citizen journalism outlet Bellingcat, a fact-checking platform utilizing open-source intelligence focusing on international affairs. Eliot talks about his initial work studying the Syrian Civil War and the conflict in Libya, and how he was able to identify key war crimes from analyzing open-source and publicly available data. He describes the thought process that led him to found Bellingcat and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the platform's initial investigation into the shoot-down of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 by Russian-backed militias. A'ndre and Eliot discuss how Bellingcat and citizen journalism at large have operated in the context of the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, in addition to talking about the challenges of disinformation in its work. Eliot gives his take on AI-generated images and videos and if he's worried about the proliferation of such content, and whether governments have pursued him as a result of his investigative work.

Punishing Putin: Assessing the Unprecedented Economic War on Russia with Bloomberg Reporter Stephanie Baker Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Within hours, the U.S. and allies coordinated a shadow-war – using the tools of economic statecraft – to bring the heat down on Moscow. That shadow-war is the subject of this week's conversation featuring Stephanie Baker, veteran Bloomberg journalist and Russia expert, as she talks about this economic war, how it was coordinated, how it was executed, and how it has continually impacted the Russian economy and politics. Stephanie and A'ndre talk through what economic warfare actually is and how those tools were leveraged in the years preceding the War in Ukraine, and to what effect. Stephanie also provides a broad overview of what the state of the Russian economy is in 2024, and responds to criticisms that some have over sanctions. We close out the conversation with an outlook on what a potential Harris or second Trump administration may do.
You can pre-order Stephanie's new book, Punishing Putin, here: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668050587?tag=simonsayscom

Afghan Technologist Sara Wahedi: How her App Saved Lives and Reflections on Women's Rights since the Taliban Takeover Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

This week, A'ndre chatted with Sara Wahedi, an award-winning Afghan technologist and humanitarian who created Ehtesab, a crisis notification app that has provided Kabul residents in Afghanistan with real-time emergency alerts. A'ndre and Sara chatted on the three year anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of the country, with Sara sharing her reflections on the plight of women since 2021. Sara shares the story of how she developed Ehtesab after surviving a suicide bombing in Kabul, and discusses some of the difficulties in navigating a range of socio-economic and political circumstances during the app's creation and operation. Reflecting on her Afghan identity, Sara discusses the resilience she's seen among the women of Afghanistan, and how so many were hopeful before 2021. A'ndre and Sara talk about the international community's engagement with Afghanistan and some of Sara's reactions to ongoing negotiations with the Taliban.
You can follow Sara and her incredible work on Twitter: @SaraWahedi

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