Rational Security

Obama delivers his final State of the Union address. And Iran delivers ten sailors back into U.S. custody after briefly detaining them. Plus, in Object Lessons, leadership...what does it smell like?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kim Jong-un says North Korea tested a hydrogen bomb. The Russians may have caused a blackout in Ukraine with a cyber attack. And President Obama plans to do a lot of foreign travel in his final year in office.  Plus, in Object Lessons, why are embassies sending out such crappy holiday gifts?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on the podcast, the gang wraps up the year that was 2015. What were the most important stories of the year? And what's the big story we'll all be talking about in 2016? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

GOP presidential candidates debate foreign policy and dare each other to carpet bomb the hell out of the Islamic State. And are the Saudis finally ready to get serious and take on ISIS? Special guest Will McCants joins the podcast this week.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Barack Obama tries to reassure the nation that ISIS is not winning. Donald Trump has a different plan to keep America safe. And John Kerry is so over the Middle East peace process.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

President Obama is sending 200 more special operations forces to Iraq to combat ISIS. China seems to be hacking the U.S. less. And a Taliban ally is holding an American man hostage.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Turkey shoots down a Russian jet after it allegedly violated Turkish airspace. Brussels goes on lockdown, raising the question of how long it’s rational to shut down a major city to preempt a terrorist attack. And thoughts on the “forever war” by a commander who served in it. Plus, a special Thanksgiving edition of Object Lessons. Lawfare's new managing editor Susan Hennessey joins the gang this week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do the ISIS attacks in Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and now France tell us about the group's evolution and whether it’s changing strategy? The Paris attacks are breathing new life into the crypto wars. And U.S governors say they don't want Syrian refugees in their states.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Two weeks after a Russian airliner fell from the sky in Egypt, will we ever know how the plane crashed? GOP presidential candidates are all over the map with their foreign policy plans. Plus, a modest proposal for closing Guantanamo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

President Obama is sending 50 Special Forces members into Syria. A new book marks the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. And a new Twitter war erupts over drone strikes, and it doesn’t involve Ben!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The European Court of Justice may have just knocked the surveillance state back on its heels. Is Russia a resurgent power in the Middle East? And one think tank fellow/podcaster has a bone to pick with Vladimir Putin.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Quinta Jurecic joins Shane and Ben for the podcast. This week: A new leak shows us more about the inner workings of drones strikes. FBI Director Jim Comey concedes defeat in the encryption wars. And Obama’s moral muse.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Has the Obama administration outplayed China on cyber spying? The Taliban is on the march in Afghanistan. What does this mean for the future of U.S. troops in that country? And the new movie Sicario is one of the sharpest criticisms yet of the war on drugs.Plus, in Object Lessons—GODZILLA! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Russia launches airstrikes in Syria, changing the political calculus in the Middle East. U.S.-backed rebels in Syria are also coming under attack. Is the U.S. abandoning them? And Edward Snowden is tweeting and Edward Scissorhands is trending.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Russia is about to intervene in Syria. Good luck with that. The U.S. and China are contemplating a “cyber arms treaty.” And the New York Times editorial board has a plan for closing Guantanamo. Plus, in Object Lessons, Edward Snowden has a new look. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is the Obama administration's hand-wringing over Chinese cyber spying making the U.S. look like chumps? Two new books chart the meteoric rise of ISIS. And a former U.S. ambassador highlights the importance of international partnerships to U.S. counterterrorism.  Plus, in Object Lessons, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson wants you to chill out!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Donald Trump reveals that he doesn’t know the names of the heads of the world’s biggest terrorist organizations. Does that disqualify him to be commander-in-chief? Turns out killing Anwar Al-Alawki was an “easy” decision for President Obama. And can the House sue the president over the Iran deal?  Plus, in Object Lessons, how our lives would be different had 9/11 never happened. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gen. David Petraeus has a new plan for fighting ISIS. Is it smart or utterly nuts? A new article takes us deep inside the mind and menace of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared “caliph” of the Islamic State.  And a new book takes us deep inside the operation to kill an American Al Qaeda fighter. Plus, in Object Lessons, ancient art and modern icons. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on the podcast: How could China's economic free fall affect U.S. national security? What does international law have to say about Russia's invasion of Ukraine? And the Secret Service gets upset when a drone flies near President Obama while he's playing golf. Plus, in Object Lessons, countering violent extremism...with BBQ.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The top ISIS fighter in U.S. custody is being transferred to Iraq. What’s it mean for the U.S. justice system and the future of detainee policy in the war with ISIS? Two years after the first Snowden leaks, are we over the idea of the idealistic whistleblower? And a photo essay on strategic Jerusalem. Plus, in Object Lessons, drones, shades, and summer reading.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.