The Security Studies Podcast

For Episode 42 I met with Professor Christine Fair to discuss her new course offering, “Irregular Warfare in Film.” We open up with an overview of the course and what inspired professor Fair to create it. We then go into how professor fair teaches students how to read film and begin developing key media literacy skills. For example, Professor Fair leverages Rodesiler’s MAPS protocol - Mode, Audience, Purpose, and Situation - to help her student view a film critically. We then take The Deer Hunter - a film featured in her course - discuss some its content and the lessons that we can gain from it. Lastly, we discuss Racism and Allegory in the 2000s film, District 9 - about aliens stranded over Johannesburg become earthly refugees.

For Episode 41 I had my fourth annual discussion with Professor Bruce Hoffman on the Islamic State and al Qaeda in 2019 and Beyond. We open up reviewing 2018 to frame the discussion before going into some significant events of 2019. We talk about the deaths of al-Baghdadi and Hamza bin Laden, the impact their deaths may have on their respective organizations, and the pros and cons of a decapitation strategy. We talk about IS’ inability to re-establish a presence in Sirte, Libya, three years after its expulsion from its North African enclave. Going digital, we also covered the notion of “deplatforming” IS from social media platforms and the outlook on its propaganda machine. While IS/AQ suffered some significant setbacks in 2019, I asked Professor Hoffman about their successes over the year. We covered: - their continued ability to conduct hundreds of simple and sophisticated attacks across the region; - the prison breaks occurring in Northern Syria as US military withdraws from the area - allowing other actors such as Russia and Turkey to create more chaos upon which terrorist organizations thrive; - and their spread deeper into new areas of the sub-Saharan African region; and - Turkey has begun deporting foreign fighters back to their home countries…and the international community doesn’t seem sure what to do about it. The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

For Episode 40 of the Security Studies Podcast I met with Professor Ben Buchanan to discuss Cyber Operations and AI. We start covering Prof. Buchanan’s background before diving into Cyber Operations. We discuss the many types of offensive ops - including a quick case study of the Ukrainian power grid hack - and talk defensive ops and the challenges therein. We then discussed the Center for Security and Emerging Technology - a major center for AI research and innovation at Georgetown University, which Prof. Buchanan has helped create. That dovetailed nicely into our discussion on AI and National Security. We covered the basics of AI before going over its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in a national security context. The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

For Episode 39, I met with professor Rebecca Patterson to discuss her course, the US, the UN, and Peacekeeping. We open discussing the history and mission of the UN Peacekeeping enterprise, its constituent parts like the difference between a Special Political Mission and Special Representatives of the Secretary General, and just how it all works over at the UN. We then move onto the US’ role in UN Peacekeeping missions - both in the organization and domestically. Lastly, we cover a case study of the UN Peacekeeping mission in South Sudan and discuss the many structural challenges in UN Peacekeeping missions. The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Professor Sebastian Bae discusses his new course offering at SSP, Basics of Wargaming. Professor Bae discusses exactly what wargaming is, what he hopes students will gain from the course, and how it is leveraged within the intelligence and military communities. We also go over a few examples of the steps and considerations one ought to take when building their own game. The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

In this episode I met with SSP alumnus Major Chris Mercado to discuss his nonprofit organization, Objective Zero. The Objective Zero Foundation seeks to combat suicide within the military community by enhancing social connectedness and access to wellness resources. In the episode, we talk Chris’ background, why he created Objective Zero, and how it works. We conclude by discussing his time at SSP. See more at https://www.objectivezero.org/ The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

In this episode, I met with Professor Syed Mohammad Ali to discuss his course Human Security. He opens defining "human security" as a term, why it is important, and how it first took root. We then discuss theoretical concepts including human security versus that provided by the state and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). We then go over applied concepts of human security,focusing on extremism, insurgencies, climate change, and refugees. The Security Studies Podcast is also excited to introduce a new podcast from Alistair Sommerville at Georgetown's BMW Center for German and European Studies called “The Europe Desk." iTunes link to The Europe Desk: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-europe-desk/id1474443374 The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

In this episode, Professor Gina Bennett discusses her course, Ethics in Intelligence and National Security. We open up discussing Professor Bennett’s background as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she reflects on the proudest moments of her career. We then go into her course, opening up with theory - specifically four ethical frameworks that guide the course. Then, we cover the ethical underpinnings in the founding of the United States of America and where they arise in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Finally, professor Bennett reveals the dilemma paradigms that arise from the ethical frameworks.

In this special episode featuring SSP alumnus Maggie Feldman-Piltch, we discuss NatSecGirlSquad, an organization she founded to promote competent diversity in national security and defense. In this episode we discuss Maggie’s background, how she became interested in national security, her proudest moments as founder of NatSecGirlSquad, and her favorite courses at SSP. Enjoy this episode featuring Maggie Feldman-Pilch.

In this episode, Professor Sandra Grady discusses her course, African Security Challenges. Anyone in security knows that trying to cover the continent in one semester is ambitious, to say the least. However, Professor Grady does a great job dividing the course into digestible bits by region and topic. In our conversation, we discuss why African security issues are important to the US, intra- and inter-state dynamics on the continent, trends in democratic vs autocratic governance, and foreign investment opportunities and challenges.

For episode 32, I met with Dr. Rebecca Katz to discuss her course, Global Health Security. Professor Katz opens up with her background and why we consider global health as a security issue. We then discuss the collaborative global frameworks, infrastructure, and governance that - in theory - would provide first alert and mitigation strategies for a disease outbreak. It is in this context that the professor conducts a semester-long simulation where teams represent different institutions during an outbreak. We also covered a case study of an influenza outbreak and took a critical look at the global response. Lastly, the professor highlighted some fascinating biosurvellance techniques that are used to identify new outbreaks.

Professor Sean McFate discusses his course, The Art of War, and new book, The New Rules of War: Victory in an Age of Durable Disorder. Professor McFate opens the episode up sharing his background and how he came to teach at Georgetown's Security Studies Program. We then discuss his course and teachings from the master’s of war, including, Clausewitz, Jomini, Sun Tzu, Kautilya, TE Lawrence, Mao and Galula. We then turned to his book, The New Rules of War, and go over the 10 rules for what it will take to win future wars. The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

For Episode 30, I set my annual interview with Professor Bruce Hoffman to discuss ISIS and al-Qaeda in 2018 and beyond. We open up with current events, like ISIS’ loss of it’s last stronghold of Hajin, Syria, and the Strausburg Christmas market attack. We then turned to al-Qaeda, it’s status, and rebranding as a form of "moderate extremism." We also discussed AQ's organizational structure, Zawahiri, and the outlook for the global Salafi jihadi movement. We concluded by discussing challenges of censorship of jihadist propaganda in democratic countries. The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

In this episode, Professor Steve Levine discusses his course, “Energy and Security.” To set the stage, Prof. Levine shares some background on his career and how his experience as a journalist shaped his views in the geopolitics of energy. After that, he covers the role oil played in the collapse of the USSR, the rise of OPEC as a global supply controller, and theories involving changing global oil supply and demand dynamics. Looking forward, Prof. Levine covers disruptive energy opportunities amid the growing efficiency of lithium-ion batteries. Lastly, he provides insight on how analysts can conduct better forecasting. The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. ? Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

In this episode, Jacob Zenn discusses his fall course “Violent Non-State Actors in World Politics," or VNSAs. We open the conversation defining terms, providing a taxonomy for VNSAs, and going over a case study of VNSAs operating in Nigeria. Then, in light of recent domestic politically-motivated terrorism, we switched topics to what I called “Extreme-Wing Political Violence” in the US and the conditions that have contributed to the apparent uptick of incidents. We lastly covered the practical application of countering VNSAs as a profession and the toolkits that analysts rely upon.

This episode features Toni Gidwani to discuss her springtime course, “Cybersecurity Strategy.” Our conversation focuses in on three broad topics: dynamics in cyber security between the government, the private sector, and the citizenry; cyber operations and a case study of the Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee leading up to US elections; and lastly, the great debate of individual privacy online.

For this episode I met with Professor Paula Doyle to discuss her course, Turkey and the Levant. Our conversation roughly followed Prof. Doyle’s syllabus, starting with the role of the Ottoman Empire in the region and its collapse; the ascent of Turkey as a Western-oriented secular state under Mostafa Kamel Ataturk; Turkey’s peculiar civil-military dynamic and the penchant for military coups; and current conditions under President Erdogan. We also discussed important Turkish geo-political issues like Armenia, Cyprus, Turkey's prospective entry into the EU, and its continued efforts in containing the conflict along its border with Syria.

In this episode, Professor John Gordon and I discuss his course, Advanced Modern Conventional Military Operations. Our conversation goes chronologically, covering military advancements from the onset of World War One through Afghanistan, and beyond. Part 1 focuses on tactical, operational, and strategic military advancements in the modern conventional era from just before World War One through the Korean War, which Prof. Gordon calls America’s "last truly conventional war." In this episode, we discuss how the advent of new technologies throughout the era forever changed the theater of war.

In this episode, Professor John Gordon and I discuss his course, Advanced Modern Conventional Military Operations. Our conversation goes chronologically, covering military advancements from the onset of World War One through Afghanistan, and beyond. Part 2 focuses on tactical, operational, and strategic military advancements in the modern hybrid war fighting era from the Vietnam War through our ongoing war in Afghanistan, and beyond. In this episode, we discuss how asymmetric warfare and insurgent adversaries impacted US war-waging and how it can fight a small enemy while maintaining readiness for a large one.

In this episode Professor Harold shares his story of how he came to teach at the Security Studies Program. We then discussed hard security issues involving the Koreas, focusing on the ongoing negotiations with DPRK; Prime Minister Abe of Japan’s reaction to developments in the region; China as a great power both economically and militarily; and the U.S.’ role in the region. Professor Harold teaches Security in East Asia over summer and Research Seminar in the fall.