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Rational Security

A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters hosted by Shane Harris of the Washington Post and featuring Brookings senior fellows Susan Hennessey, Tamara Cofman Wittes, and Benjamin Wittes.
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Now displaying: Page 5
Apr 17, 2019

Julian Assange is taken into British custody, and the United States wants him to stand trial here. President Trump vetoes a resolution to end U.S. military involvement in the civil war in Yemen. And Attorney General Bill Barr says there was “spying” on the Trump campaign.

Apr 10, 2019

The White House launches a purge at the Homeland Security Department. Some prosecutors in Robert Mueller’s office are frustrated by the attorney general’s portrayal of their report. And the Trump administration designates Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization.

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Apr 3, 2019

A White House official claims more than two dozen denials for security clearances were overturned. Six months after Saudi agents killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi, what has changed in the U.S-Saudi relationship? And oversight committees gear up for the post-Mueller era.

Mar 28, 2019

This week: What else?! The gang talks about Bill Barr's summary of the Mueller report. What did the special counsel say about a Trump campaign conspiracy with Russia? What did he say about obstruction of justice by the president? And what happens when, as expected, we all get to read the Mueller report itself (or some portion of it)?

 

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Mar 20, 2019

The killing of 50 Muslims by a white supremacist in New Zealand prompts us to reconsider the meaning of domestic terrorism. The Pentagon identifies projects it will cut to pay for President Trump’s border wall. And the Trump administration revokes visas for investigators with the International Criminal Court.

Mar 14, 2019

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is heading to prison, and facing new charges. If you thought the Arab Spring was over, think again. And a massage parlor owner with suspected links to the Chinese government was reportedly selling access to Trump’s private Florida resort.

Mar 7, 2019

Why does senior White House adviser Jared Kushner have a security clearance? President Trump comes back from a summit meeting with Kim Jong Un empty-handed. And the NSA has apparently stopped a controversial surveillance program that collected Americans’ phone records.

Feb 28, 2019

President Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testifies to Congress. Adam Schiff signals he’s coming after all the Russia probe documents. And U.S. Cyber Command hits back at a Russian troll farm.

Feb 20, 2019

President Trump says his intelligence director is “not loyal” and may want to fire him. Trump administration officials pushed a plan to sell nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia. And hackers hit Australian political parties.

Feb 14, 2019

Is Robert Mueller nearing the end of his Russia probe? The administration moves to block Chinese telecom giant Huawei. And you too can have your own private Mossad!

Feb 6, 2019

President Trump delivers his second State of the Union address. Meanwhile, prosecutors send a subpoena to Trump’s inaugural committee. And the president is feuding with his intelligence chiefs—again.

Also, Ben wants to hear from you!

Jan 31, 2019

Roger Stone is indicted in the Mueller probe. Venezuela teeters on the brink of economic and political collapse. And American hackers help the UAE build a cyber army.

Jan 24, 2019

BuzzFeed drops a bomb that turns out to be more of a dud. Or is it? The president’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, could be doing more harm than good for his client. And Congress takes aim at the administration’s Russia-friendly policies.

Jan 17, 2019

Senators question attorney general-nominee Bill Barr over the Mueller probe. Two new stories shed more light on President Trump’s troubling relationship with Russia. And the president contemplated pulling out of NATO.

Jan 10, 2019

President Trump takes his pitch for border security to the American people in an Oval Office address. John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are on the road doing high stakes diplomacy, but do they actually speak for the president? And the latest in L’Affaire Russe—a Russian lawyer gets indicted and Paul Manafort was sharing polling data with his “Russian brain.”

Jan 3, 2019

How will a new Cabinet, and a new Congress, face the major national security challenges of 2019? An American businessman is arrested in Russia and charged with espionage. And Sen. Elizabeth Warren is exploring a run for the White House. We’ll take a look at her foreign policy proposals.

Dec 20, 2018

The future of Brexit is...anyone’s guess. A sealed subpoena and a courtroom smackdown: The latest on L’Affaire Russe. And the U.S. announces it’s withdrawing troops from Syria.

Dec 13, 2018

There have been big moves in the Russia investigation. We'll put this week’s pieces together. U.S. tensions with China escalate following the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive. And the Saudi crown prince has duped White House adviser Jared Kushner.

Dec 6, 2018

Robert Mueller says that Michael Flynn has cooperated extensively in multiple investigations, including about Russian interference in the election. A new guilty plea from Michael Cohen changes our understanding of Trump’s ties to Russia. And is Israel getting ready for a war or just an election?

Nov 29, 2018

Paul Manafort heads to sentencing amid revelations that he has lied to the special counsel, cooperated with Trump’s legal team, and may have met with Julian Assange. The president stands by Saudi Arabia and its crown prince whom the CIA says ordered the murder of a journalist. And President Trump heads off to meet with world leaders at the G20 Summit.

Nov 15, 2018

Battle lines are drawn over Matthew Whitaker’s appointment as acting attorney general. President Trump, stung by election losses, picks fights with America’s closest allies. And is North Korea deceiving the U.S. in nuclear weapons negotiations?

Nov 8, 2018

President Trump asks for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ resignation. And Democrats retake the House, while Republicans expand their majority in the Senate.

Nov 1, 2018

Attempted bombings and a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue once again force us to confront domestic terrorism. Top U.S. officials call for a ceasefire and peace talks in Yemen. And a bizarre and apparently fake attempt to spear Special Counsel Robert Mueller prompts an FBI investigation.

Oct 25, 2018

Possible package bombs are sent to prominent Democratic political figures and Trump administration critics. And we’ll wrap up the Russia story so far and ask what it means for the midterm elections.

Oct 18, 2018

The disappearance of a Washington Post journalist becomes a foreign policy crisis for the Trump administration. U.S. and European intelligence officials say Iran may be planning attacks in Europe. And the U.S. embraces a major expansion in foreign aid to counter China’s growing influence.

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