Episode 363: Ayatollah's Algorithm for U.S. Elections

Today, Morgan, Martha, Les, and Jeffrey discuss the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and High Level Week, where world leaders come together to debate global challenges. As intractable conflict persists, including Russia’s war on Ukraine to the conflict in the Middle East is the UN equipped to handle today's issues? With despots committing atrocities with impunity, is the UN morally hollow? How can the United States improve the UN to help tackle the larger security issues we face today?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.reuters.com/world/what-is-unga-what-will-world-leaders-talk-about-2024-09-11/ https://www.un.org/en/high-level-week-2024 https://apnews.com/article/un-guterres-summit-future-global-challenges-climate-a7aff1ff5176aafa3cc562021bbf5004 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/24/us/politics/biden-unga-speech.html https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/netanyahu-address-israel-bogged-war-barrels-114067999 Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@marthamillerdc@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/A7L7JCrqYiU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, Matt, and John discuss recent Israeli military strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon following up on their recent operation that included exploding pagers, radios, and some solar panels. These strikes aim to ensure the safety and return of over 60,000 Israelis to their homes in northern Israel which were forced to evacuate due to Hezbollah rocket attacks - but others speculate this might lead to a wider conflict.Does the United States have a strategy to respond to Iranian provocations? Are there differing visions between the U.S. and Israel in the conflict's aims? Will Iran intervene and expand the conflict into a regional war? What does this pivot mean for the hostages in Gaza?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-vast-hezbollah-arsenal-awaiting-israel-in-lebanon-99ce396c https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-lebanonrefugees-displaced-9d4d53e808ce5f67e234789f65d1ad71 https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-24-2024-640a0046aceea1b5cfb395a54ff36bcehttps://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88dbhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/24/israel-lebanon-war-border-hezbollah/ https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/09/24/world/gaza-israel-hamas-hezbollah Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@WMattHayden@JohnCLipseyLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/2vM-BA60Osk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 363: Ayatollah's Algorithm for U.S. ElectionsToday, Jess, Martha, Les, and Morgan discuss Iranian efforts to influence the upcoming presidential election, including Iran’s hack of the Trump campaign and its attempts to share these documents with individuals tied to the Biden campaign. The Biden Administration has moved aggressively in recent weeks to call out this and other operations in hopes of alerting Americans to foreign efforts to influence their views amidst a presidential election.What is Iran’s level of sophistication when it comes to cyber-attacks? With the deepening ties between Russia and Iran, has Russia shared its best practices on election interference with Iran? Is the U.S. government’s transparency regarding election-related attacks beneficial?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/18/fbi-says-iran-sent-hacked-trump-info-to-biden-campaign-00179951 https://apnews.com/article/iran-fbi-hacking-trump-election-interference-2020-3631e1832a8edb549d53126585503f32 https://www.npr.org/2024/08/23/g-s1-19350/meta-iran-hacking-election-trump-harris-biden https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-harris-election-russia-hack-ad5886379e67710e79d83938e52360cc https://apnews.com/article/iran-russia-china-election-disinformation-hacking-ee65e29b866852b146e75c9f3312a1ae Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@marthamillerdc@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/3qn3biqYdC0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Martha, Jess, Les, and Jeffrey discuss this week's detonations of pagers, handheld radios, and solar panels alongside military strikes by Israel against Hezbollah that have rocked Lebanon and thrown ongoing ceasefire talks into disarray. Hezbollah has vowed retribution for these attacks and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed frustration that these attacks threaten to derail efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza.What are the implications of these attacks on wider supply chain security? How did these attacks impact Hezbollah psychologically, and will it have any impact on the ground? Will Iran retaliate against Israel due to these attacks?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/19/hezbollah-pager-attack-supply-chain/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/19/israel-lebanon-attack-explosions-hezbollah/ https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-exploding-devices-hezbollah-mideast-ab2436cf5bae5e2fe2dddb293671a0ac https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-strikes-hezbollah-targets-lebanon-after-two-rounds-device-explosions https://apnews.com/article/gaza-blinken-middle-east-pagers-israel-4d4234bfdac2e49d3bc7c70cfb82a585 https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-yemen-houthis-lebanon-hezbollah-2bf649b0127edfdc65d08e6b68aa3695 Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@marthamillerdcLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/UqWKXVtDDJY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Morgan, Les, Martha, and Jeffrey discuss last Sunday’s marking of the third anniversary of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, also known as AUKUS. They discussed its inception and evolution over three years to accomplish its two pillars of providing Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines; and collaborative development of advanced capabilities in six technological areas such as AI and quantum computing. After three years, what has gone well with AUKUS? What are the regulatory challenges to accomplishing Pillar II? How do our other allies in the Indo-Pacific feel about the impacts of AUKUS?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/on-the-third-aukus-anniversary-a-toast-to-itar-reform-and-a-call-to-keep-going/ https://breakingdefense.com/2024/09/aukus-other-agreements-likely-having-galvanizing-effect-in-beijing-aussie-ambasador/ https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/AUKUS-needs-more-than-submarines-to-make-its-bold-vision-a-reality https://www.csis.org/analysis/aukus-pillar-two-advancing-capabilities-united-states-united-kingdom-and-australia Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@morganlroach@marthamillerdcLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/lzqw6_aBGY8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and Morgan discuss U.S. President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to Angola, fulfilling an earlier promise that would make him the first U.S. head of state to visit sub-Saharan Africa since Barack Obama in 2015. Keen to counter China's massive investments in Africa, the U.S. has been supporting a project that links the resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola's Lobito port by rail to bypass road congestion on the copper and cobalt route.What impact, or lack thereof, does the election have on this trip? Is the United States pulling a play out of China’s playbook with the Lobito Corridor project? How can the U.S. offer a better deal than China in Africa?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-make-first-africa-visit-with-angola-trip-coming-weeks-sources-say-2024-09-13/ https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway/lobito-corridor-connecting-democratic-republic-congo-and-zambia-global-markets-angola_en https://www.usip.org/blog/2024/06/what-africas-lobito-corridor https://afripoli.org/lobito-corridor-a-reality-check https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/09/joint-statement-from-the-united-states-and-the-european-union-on-support-for-angola-zambia-and-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congos-commitment-to-further-develop-the-lobito-corridor-and-the/ https://www.semafor.com/article/11/30/2023/bidens-plans-to-counter-china-run-through-angola Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/3aWZOgauO7k Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Jamil, Jess, Les, and Morgan discuss the upcoming meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden. They are expected to discuss whether to allow the UK to sell Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that “if Ukraine did fire Western missiles deep into Russia, it would mean that Russia was at war with NATO.” Russia also expelled six British diplomats from Moscow accusing them of espionage. Is this more saber-rattling from Russia, or a genuine redline? What is the impact of the upcoming U.S. presidential election on allowing long-range weapons to be used against Russia? Is the United States slow-rolling equipment to Ukraine or in step with European allies?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.npr.org/2024/09/11/nx-s1-5108698/secretary-of-state-blinken-in-kyiv-ukraine https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/12/us/politics/biden-ukraine-weapons.html https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/09/12/europe/putin-warns-nato-missiles-hnk-latam-intlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/13/russia-putin-uk-missiles-diplomats/ https://www.foxnews.com/world/putin-says-he-backs-harris-over-trump-adds-hes-ready-talks-ukraine Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer@morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/cKs2XB0H3W8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, Amy, Matt, and Jeffrey reflect on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th attacks that began the Global War on Terror and changed the course of American history. They discuss how these attacks still shape our national security and foreign policy and how, now over two decades removed from the attacks, newer generations reflect and remember this pivotal event.Does the changing landscape of how we obtain and learn world events impact how we view world events? Do average Americans understand the threat we still face from global terror? How do we convey the necessity of leaning forward in the world to ensure our national security where both political parties espouse retrenchment?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://apnews.com/article/sept-11-anniversary-ceremony-children-reading-names-ed7dcd42524dca1c5098b6b3364aca91 https://www.npr.org/2024/09/10/g-s1-21925/biden-harris-trump-911-ground-zero-world-trade-center-pentagon-shanksville-flight-93 https://www.911memorial.org/connect/commemoration/23rd-anniversary-commemoration Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@WMattHayden@amykmitchellLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/SGwdkxV7GvU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Morgan, Jamil, Les, and Jess discuss reports that the Biden administration and the Government of Iraq have reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq. The leaks suggest that we would see hundreds depart by September 2025, with the remaining departing by the end of 2026.Is this withdrawal plan a sound foreign policy decision or an appeal to domestic politics? What are the regional implications of this potential withdrawal amidst the war against Hamas in Gaza and the looming threat of Iran? How will our allies and adversaries respond to this withdrawal?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.reuters.com/world/us-iraq-deal-would-see-hundreds-troops-withdraw-first-year-sources-say-2024-09-06/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/08/21/biden-iraq-isis-war-end-danger-president/ Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@jamil_n_jaffer @morganlroachLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/2gVD9cvbtXs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, Martha, and Jeffrey discuss the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which is held every three years, this time in Beijing. All African nations, except the Kingdom of Eswatini due to its recognition of Taiwan, participated in the forum. China is the African continent’s biggest trading partner and arms supplier. How does the United States’ and China’s messaging impact the effectiveness of relations with Africa? How can the United States improve its engagement with Africa? How do China’s exploitive loan program and purchase of mainly commodities impact its relations with African nations?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our expert's discussion!https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/world/asia/china-africa-summit.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb&ngrp=mnn&pvid=F23603F0-AF7C-46B3-BAB5-2379E201F463 https://www.reuters.com/world/china-deepen-industrial-agricultural-trade-investment-ties-with-africa-2024-09-05/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx6d654556o https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/03/china/china-africa-summit-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-africa-summit-us-xi-jinping-rcna169673 https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277371/china-vows-work-africa-nuclear-tech-satellites-and-space Follow our experts on Twitter: @lestermunson@NotTVJessJones@marthamillerdcLike what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/JKD3atG4XpY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.