The Burn Bag Podcast
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The Burn Bag Podcast is weekly national security and foreign policy-oriented podcast that aims to break down some of the most pressing security challenges of today's world with the people who have worked and lived them.
The Burn Bag Podcast
3d ago
This week, A'ndre is joined by Javed Ali, a former counterterrorism official who served as Senior Director of Counterterrorism on the National Security Council, to discuss Friday's horrific ISIS terror attacks at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. Javed and A'ndre discuss what ISIS-K is, and how the Afghan-based group is different from the 'core' ISIS that has operated in Iraq and Syria. Javed outlines how ISIS-K has grown in recent years and their abilities to plot attacks outside of their locality, citing the recent ISIS-K suicide bombings in Iran and foiled plots in Europe. A'ndre and ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
1w ago
This week, A'ndre chatted with former Secretary of Defense (and CIA Director, and Chief of Staff, and Congressman!) Leon Panetta on a litany of key national security and foreign policy topics relating to the Israel-Gaza War, Russia-Ukraine, the U.S.-China relationship, and the 2024 Presidential Election. A'ndre and Secretary Panetta spent a good chunk of the interview discussing the ongoing War in Gaza, his views on a ceasefire, Benjamin Netanyahu, criticism of the Biden Administration, and why the U.S. needs to take a more proactive role on a two-state solution. Secretary Panetta also provide ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
3w ago
NOTE: Shebhaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz Sharif, was sworn in as Prime Minister on 3/4. This episode was recorded several days before, on 2/29.
This week, A'ndre chatted with Uzair Younus, Principal at The Asia Group and host of Pakistonomy, about Pakistan's recent elections involving jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, recently-unexiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and the military actors who may ultimately call the political shots. Uzair provides a general history of Pakistan's politics, giving context around each of the major players and dissecting the claim that 'the military' i ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
1M ago
This week, Andrew is joined by Dave Sterling, CEO of Royce Geo. Royce Geo, based in Arlington, Virginia, supports mission partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community with geospatial analytics and training platforms. Andrew and Dave discuss the usefulness of geospatial information in decision-making, the growth of the commercial industry supporting GEOINT capabilities, and what the future looks like in the geospatial analysis field ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
1M ago
This week, A'ndre chatted with Bonnie Glaser, one of the country's premier Taiwan experts and the Managing Director of the German Marshall Fund's Indo-Pacific program, on all things related to Taiwan. Bonnie provides a quick overview of Taiwan's contemporary history, outlining how the U.S. and China have engaged with Taiwan's Government, the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, and why China aims to claim Taiwan as its own. Bonnie discusses why she believes that China will NOT invade Taiwan in the near-future, and also what the recent Taiwanese Presidential Elections mean for Cross-Strait ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
1M ago
This week, Andrea and Andrew sit down with Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware to discuss their new book God, Guns, and Sedition. Hoffman and Ware are both fellows at the Council on Foreign Relations specializing in counterterrorism and share their insights regarding the evolution of domestic terrorism in the United States, motivations behind acts of terrorism, organizational tactics, and how to combat disinformation. Check out God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America here ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
1M ago
This week, Andrea speaks with Matthew McKnight, General Biosecurity Manager at Ginkgo Bioworks. Matthew and Andrea discuss the multitude of opportunities available for developments in biotechnology and mitigating national security threats through biological innovation. A new form of intelligence collection, BIOINT, is threaded into the conversation and posits a new way of identifying biological threats. Learn about all of this, including government and private sector biological security threat mitigation, in this episode.
Check out additional links to supplement our conversation here:&n ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
1M ago
This week, Andrea speaks with Matthew McKnight, General Biosecurity Manager at Gingko Bioworks. Matthew and Andrea discuss the multitude of opportunities available for developments in biotechnology and mitigating national security threats through biological innovation. A new form of intelligence collection, BIOINT, is threaded into the conversation and posits a new way of identifying biological threats. Learn about all of this, including government and private sector biological security threat mitigation, in this episode.
Check out additional links to supplement our conversation here:&n ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
2M ago
Ian Bremmer, President of the Eurasia Group, returns to The Burn Bag for a chat with A'ndre on his Top Risks 2024 report -- Eurasia Group's annual forecast of the top geopolitical risks most likely to play out over the coming year. A'ndre and Ian started the conversation with the #1 Risk, the "United States vs. Itself," as Ian outlines why the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election will test American democracy to a point unseen since the Civil War. The Middle East Tinderbox, in the wake of the Israel-Gaza War, defines Risk #2 as Ian explains why the risk of a regional war breaking out is so high give ..read more
The Burn Bag Podcast
2M ago
Over the holidays, A'ndre chatted with AUKUS Defense Investor Network Co-Chairs Heather Richman (U.S.), Adrian Jones (U.K.), and Jamie Watson (Australia) about how AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, aims to fill key gaps in critical technologies. We talk about what AUKUS is, how it works, and why it is unique as a defense technology sharing agreement. The three co-chairs summarize the differences between Pillar I and Pillar II (why AUKUS isn't just about submarines, but way more!), highlighting some of the key tech focus are ..read more