Vital Interests Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Rebroadcast: John Brennan and Ali Soufan on The U.S. and Today's Foreign Policy Challenges Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Host Karen J. Greenberg welcomed CNS Distinguished Fellow for Global Security and former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Ali Soufan at CNS on February 15, 2022 for a conversation on The U.S. and Today's Foreign Policy Challenges. The full webinar can be watched on our website at CenterOnNationalSecurity.org/events.

Richard Conn on Letting Go of Religion and Embracing Reality Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

What will it take for the world to renounce religious dogma and discover humanity’s place in it through science and reason? Can it save our societies from perpetual conflict? Attorney and investment fund manager Richard Conn joins this episode of Vital Interests Podcast to discuss his new book, The Earthbound Parent: How (and Why) to Raise Your Little Angels Without Religion.

Anthony Romero on Post-9/11 Challenges Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

ACLU Director Anthony Romero joins our special series on 9/11 to discuss the challenges, accomplishments and persistent hurdles experienced by the ACLU and the country in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The Guantanamo Docket: New York Times Journalists Carol Rosenberg and Charlie Savage on Keeping a Record of Guantanamo Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Who remains at Guantanamo Bay? What’s more to be known? And can the Biden administration finally close the notorious detention center? Journalists Carol Rosenberg and Charlie Savage discuss lessons culled from nearly two decades of reporting on the prison as part of Vital Interest’s special-edition “9/11-Twenty Years Later.”

Spencer Ackerman on the Perpetual Shadow of 9/11 Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

In his new book, Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump, journalist Spencer Ackerman traces America’s response to 9/11 to the violence, vitriol and instability the country faces today, part of Vital Interests Podcast Season three, “9/11 – Twenty Years Later.”

Peter Bergen on the Life and Impact of Osama Bin Laden Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

Journalist Peter Bergen has spent decades reflecting on the man responsible for the attacks on 9/11. Now, twenty years after that fateful day, he joins our commemoration series to provide insights into Osama bin Laden’s life, his lasting influence, and the enduring War on Terror.

Richard Clarke on the Mistakes Made Before 9/11 and the Lessons We Have Yet to Learn Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

What were the failures in the lead up to the attacks on 9/11? What lessons should we take from that fateful event and our response to it to better prepare for the crises of the future? Former White House terrorism advisor Richard Clarke joins our special series 9/11 – Twenty year later to discuss.

Journalist Craig Unger on Spies, Lies, and the Threats to American Democracy Jun 08, 2021

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How do America’s top leaders use power to enrich themselves and further their interests? From the Bush administration to the GOP and the Trump presidency, Craig Unger has spent the last twenty years uncovering the “unseen” ways in which power works. He joins this episode of Vital Interest Podcast to discuss what it means for our democracy.

Joshua Dratel on Reforming America’s Criminal Justice System May 25, 2021

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Many Americans think that U.S. criminal justice system is unfair, ineffective, and broken. So how do we fix it? Joshua Dratel, a leading criminal defense attorney, joins this episode of Vital Interests Podcast to discuss.

Ken Wainstein - Thinking about National Security Twenty Years Ago and Now May 11, 2021

Show notes

Twenty years after 9/11, Ken Wainstein, Homeland Security Advisor to George W. Bush, reflects on security and 21st century challenges.