Fault Lines

National Security Institute
  • 4.4 (43)
  • Politics
  • Updated Semiweekly

Fault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Founder and Executive Director Jamil N. Jaffer, NSI Advisory Board Member Lester Munson, and NSI Senior Fellows Morgan Viña, and Jessica Jones.  Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 20h ago

    Fault Lines Episode 639: A Rupture Over Russia

    Today, John, Andy, and Marc dig into the deepening rupture between the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Zelensky. After Trump announced a deal to allow Russian diesel into U.S. markets — following weeks of pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian refineries — Zelensky publicly condemned the agreement, prompting Trump to call for a new Ukrainian president. Reports have since emerged of restricted intelligence sharing with Kyiv and speed throttling on Starlink and Starshield, with the White House denying direct involvement even as the damage mounts. What does the withholding of battlefield intelligence signal to U.S. allies about American reliability? Is the diesel deal a genuine strategic calculation, or a diversion from the administration's broader frustrations with the war's stalemate? How does this rupture affect allied confidence in U.S. commitments at a moment when NATO cohesion is already under strain? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @JohnCLipsey @AndyKeiser @WashingtonFlack Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 2d ago

    Fault Lines Episode 638: Sovereign Territory: Enclaves, Empires, and the Limits of Self-Determination

    Today, John, Les, Jess, and Jamil take stock of a world where territorial sovereignty is suddenly anything but settled. From Spain's enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla — where a social media-driven migration crisis has Spanish polls showing 60% fear armed conflict with Morocco — to Argentina's renewed challenge to British rule in the Falklands, to the United States openly pressuring Denmark over Greenland, longstanding arrangements are being tested from multiple directions simultaneously. Complicating the picture further, Israel has shuttered the UK's consulate in response to British sanctions over settlement activity. Who is actually driving instability in these contested territories, and to what end? How do Western powers reconcile championing self determination while guarding sovereignty over their distant enclaves? Should the U.S. stand for universal principles or prioritize competition with Russia and China over strategic geography and resources? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/O27_Tz_A2Tg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. 4d ago

    Fault Lines Episode 637: Houthis Hit Riyadh: Where’s Washington?

    Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and John break down the deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh's airport, which killed well over a dozen people — including at least one American — and wounded hundreds. The attacks underscore the enduring threat Iran-backed forces pose to Saudi energy and critical infrastructure and regional stability, even as the United States considers more direct intervention. With Iranian-enabled strikes escalating across the region, Washington's posture is engendering debate, including experts who say decades of half-measures have only emboldened the Houthis. Is the administration's restraint a calculated strategy, or are domestic politics driving a dangerous passivity toward Iran? What does it mean for American credibility in the Gulf if the U.S. continues to absorb Iranian provocations without a full-scale military response? Should Washington be doing more to stand with Saudi Arabia against the Iranian threat network enabling these attacks? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/s8Vrdh_m0kk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Oct 9

    Fault Lines Episode 636: Contagion and Capital Punishment: A Week of Warning Signs

    Today, Les, John, and Amy confront a collision of alarming headlines: a plague outbreak traced to Russian anti-plague research institute, an Ebola crisis in Africa surpassing 8,000 cases, and a public execution by firing squad making news at home. Against this backdrop, deep cuts to the CDC and the dismantling of U.S. global health infrastructure have left serious questions about whether America is equipped to respond if any of these threats reach its shores. Is the United States genuinely prepared for another pandemic, or have recent funding cuts left a dangerous gap in its defenses? With two of America's most capable adversaries hosting advanced bioweapons programs as deadly diseases spread nearby, how should Washington recalibrate its global health security posture? What lessons from COVID-19 remain unlearned, and who is responsible for applying them now? And what does the return of public execution by firing squad signal about the direction of American governance? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/KKvgDQ8-cxA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Oct 7

    Fault Lines Episode 635: Red Sea Rising: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Houthi Offensive

    Today, John, Jamil, Les, and Matt examine the renewed Saudi and Yemeni offensive against Houthi forces along the western coast of Yemen, a stretch of coastline critical to global shipping routes. Since the start of the Iran war, the conflict has escalated sharply — Houthi forces launched an offensive to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, declared a blockade on Saudi tankers, and drones struck the vital East-West pipeline. The broader regional picture remains complex with Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the UAE to warn of Iranian attack indicators and coordinate a response to Houthi aggression. Can Saudi Arabia and its limited partners achieve a decisive military outcome in a conflict with roots stretching back over a thousand years? Has a pattern of American inaction across three administrations emboldened Iran to keep exploiting the Houthi cause? How should the United States calibrate its support when direct military action may not be the answer? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @WMattHayden @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/fzlI9093xl4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Oct 5

    Fault Lines Episode 634: B-1s Out of Britain

    Today, Les, Jamil, John, and Jess examine the sudden withdrawal of twelve U.S. B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford following the arrest and swift bail release of six individuals suspected of plotting an attack on the base. The bombers had been used in strikes against Iran, but the UK had imposed restrictions limiting their use to defensive operations — a constraint that may have already been straining the alliance. The timing of the withdrawal, coming just days after the suspects' release, has raised sharp questions about threat assessment, diplomatic pressure, and the durability of U.S.-UK cooperation on Iran. Was there ever a credible threat to the base, or did Washington pull its assets over a plot that the UK's own justice system effectively dismissed? How much has the UK's political climate shaped its willingness to support U.S. operations against Iran? Does the defensive-versus-offensive restriction the UK imposed have real operational consequences as tensions with Tehran remain high? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Oct 2

    Fault Lines Episode 633: Rebound Diplomacy and the Pentagon's New Playbook

    Today, Jess, Les, John, and Amy examine two developments reshaping how America projects power. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was photographed with President Trump in Texas as the administration eyes a renewed opening with Kim Jong Un, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used his State of the Force address to unveil a new autonomous warfare command and launch Project Meridian, a 120-day effort to identify future military capabilities. Can Dennis Rodman's relations with Kim Jong Un actually serve as a credible diplomatic back-channel? Does Hegseth's focus on restructuring the Pentagon risk becoming a distraction from the more urgent fights over defense funding and appropriations? Will Project Meridian and a new autonomous war command survive Congress? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/B8zl7CWWgAM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Sep 30

    Fault Lines Episode 632: A Super Intelligence Summit

    Today, John, Les, and Jamil break down Trump's high-profile AI summit, where the president gathered leaders from the country's biggest tech companies at the White House to address public concerns around AI safety while announcing a rebranding of artificial intelligence as "super intelligence." The summit produced voluntary safety commitments framed by Trump as morally binding, and a separate Trump-Xi meeting established a bilateral communications channel for AI incidents. Meanwhile, an appeals court upheld Anthropic's designation as a national security supply risk, and a new Chinese open-source model has emerged with cyber capabilities rivaling top American systems but far weaker safeguards. Is Trump's voluntary, free-market approach to AI safety the right framework for keeping America ahead of China, or does it leave critical gaps? With Florida already seeking an injunction and a patchwork of state AI laws taking shape, how long before the regulatory landscape becomes unworkable for U.S. labs? If Congress fails to act on federal preemption, what does that mean for aligning AI development with a coherent national security strategy? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/9S1dREANQi4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4.4
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Fault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Founder and Executive Director Jamil N. Jaffer, NSI Advisory Board Member Lester Munson, and NSI Senior Fellows Morgan Viña, and Jessica Jones.  Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    National Security Institute
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    651
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © A National Security Institute Podcast
  • Show Website
    Fault Lines

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