Archives for March 2017

Meet the Smugglers Who Make Mass Migration Possible

 

Despite wide attention to the global refugee and migrant crisis, there has been little research of one key group that facilitates the movement of migrants: the smugglers.

In brand new book published by Oxford University Press authors Peter Tinti and Tuesday Reitano offer an in-depth look at the individuals who make the movement of migrants possible. The book Migrant Refugee Smuggler Savior examines the people (and places) that are profiting from this global phenomenon. And as the title of the book suggests, these people smugglers are not all exploitative human rights violators–rather, they are making a buck (or tens of thousands of bucks) by providing a valuable service to people who demand it.

Co-author Peter Tinti is on the line with me to discuss the book. And in this conversation Peter offers some insights into the individual smugglers, the ingenuity of their operations and what motivates them. Also, he explains how this multi-billion dollar industry is transforming the political economies of several cities along migrant routes, from Niger to Turkey.

If you have 20 minutes and want to learn more about the shadowy smugglers who are at the center of one of the most consequential global phenomenons of our era, have a listen.

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Episode 144: James Goldgeier

James Goldgeier is the dean of the school for international service at American University. He’s spent a career trying to bridge the gap between academic research and policy makers and he currently runs a program at American University appropriately called Bridging the Gap thats seeks to do just that. Jim is also a Russia expert– and you might recall that he and I spoke about a month after the election to discuss Russia’s key strategic goals during the Trump administration. We kick off this discussion along those same lines, but of course now armed with new information about the extent or Russian interference with the US election.

I wanted to let you all know about another reward and offer available to premium subscribers of the podcast: a 75% discount off life and career coaching sessions with Alanna Shaikh. Alanna is a TED senior fellow, writer and longtime international development professional. She is also a trained career coach. If you think this is something that may benefit you become a premium subscriber to unlock that discount–which reduces the price of an a hour long coaching session from $145 to about $40.

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What North Korea Wants

Why does North Korea keep testing its nuclear capabilities, despite tightening sanctions?

What can the United States and the international community do to confront Pyongyang?

And how might the new Trump administration’s approach differ from that of President Obama?

If you have 20 minutes and want answers to these questions and more, have a listen to this Global Dispatches podcast conversation with Kelsey Davenport, the non-proliferation policy director at the Arms Control Association.

Over the past several months, North Korea has engaged in a series of provocative nuclear and missile tests, including nuclear tests in January and then September of last year along with several ballistic missile tests. And in 2017 alone there have been no less than 5 missile launches, most recently on March 6, when North Korea launched four missiles which landed off the coast of Japan.

Meanwhile, later in March Secretary of State Tillerson traveled to the region, in his first big foray into the vexing regional diplomacy that so far has failed to stop North Korea from advancing its nuclear weapons programs. And while visiting the region, Tillerson promised to end the Obama-era strategy of strategic patience, but has not yet articulated what kinds of policies would take its place.

Kelsey Davenport and I discuss the strategic implications of the specific technologies that North Korea is testing. That is, why Pyongyang is opting to conduct these kinds of tests in particular. She also describes the policy options in the table for the Trump administration as is tries to confront North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

North Korea promises to be an early key foreign policy challenge for the Trump administration, and you will learn a lot from this conversation.

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Is Torture Making a Comeback?

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Elizabeth Arsenault is a professor at Georgetown University out with the new book How the Gloves Came Off: Lawyers, Policy Makers, and Norms in the Debate on Torture. The book examines how the Bush administration shattered a widely held consensus against using torture and what that means for the current debate about intelligence gathering, Guantanamo, so-called “black sites” and, crucially, executive power. 

These debates, which raged during the Bush administration, came roaring back just days into the Trump administration with word that a draft executive order covering many of these issues was circulating around the White House.  We kick off discussing that executive order before having a wider conversation about debates surrounding torture and also what to do with ISIS combatants captured on the battlefield.

Episode 143: Julie Smith

Julie Smith is Senior Fellow and Director of the Strategy and Statecraft Program at the Center for a New American Security. She recently left her post as a top national security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden. She takes me inside some of the key events, decisions and frustrations from her time in that senior policy making role.

Julie is a NATO and European policy expert who spent much of her formative years working in Europe, and Germany in particular. And we have some interesting digressions about NATO, the Balkans conflict and the relevance of German foreign policy.

Episode 142: Jeremy Konyndyk

My guest Jeremy Konyndyk recently left his post as the top US global humanitarian relief official and has many stories to tell and lessons to share. Jeremy lead the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID during much of Obama’s second term and we discuss how the US responded to some key disasters, including the ebola outbreak and Typhoon in the Philippines.

Jeremy has been working in this field since the Balkans crises of the 1990s and I caught up with him just as he returned from a trip to northern Nigeria, which is currently beset by a major humanitarian crisis. We kick off discussing what he saw there before pivoting to discuss some of the major global crises in which his career has intersected.

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What We Mean When We Talk About Foreign Aid

 

Foreign aid is one of those issues that is pretty widely mis-understood by the general public; and I think fairly so, because its extremely complicated. I’ve spent over 10 years covering issues related to foreign aid and frankly I learn new and surprising things about foreign aid all the time.

So what do we actually mean when we talk about foreign aid? What are some of the real-world implications of a steep reduction of US foreign assistance? And what are the politics of it all? On the line with me to discuss these questions and more is Joel Charny, US director of the Norwegian Refugee Council, which is a large international NGO on the front lines of some major crises worldwide. He does a good job of walking me through the big picture questions surrounding foreign aid, but also some of the specific on-the-ground implications of what cuts would mean. He also discusses why this is a uniquely bad time to be cutting back on foreign aid.

If you have 20 minutes and want a fuller understanding of US foreign aid and what cutbacks would mean around the world, have a listen

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Become a Premium Subscriber and Unlock Bonus Episodes

I’ve stared to roll out bonus episodes exclusive to patrons of the podcast.  I’m calling these episodes “background briefings.” They examine current issues in the news, but through a deeper historic lens.

In conversations with experts, we provide you the context you need to understand key debates, institutions, ideas and dilemmas shaping world affairs and foreign policy today.

These episodes are specially created for listeners who make a recurring monthly contribution to the show through the Patreon platform. It’s one of many rewards that premium subscribers receive. (Check out our Patreon page to view the other rewards.) If the podcast is part of your weekly routine, please support the show!

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Background Briefing 1: International Relations Theory, explained. 

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Georgetown Professor Elizabeth Arsenault packs a semester worth of IR theory into one thirty minute conversation. After listening to this episode you’ll learn the difference between “realism,” “liberalism,” and “constructivism.” You’ll learn the key assumptions, debates and individuals who have shaped IR theory; and you’ll learn why this matters to policy makers. And if you are like Elizabeth and I, you’ll even start to see IR theory everywhere–from reading about Trump’s National Security Council to rearing toddlers.

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Background Briefing 2: Nuclear Nonproliferation, explained

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Daryl Kimball, president of the Arms Control Association discusses how the international community stops the spread of nuclear weapons. After listening to this 30-ish minute conversation you will have a good grounding in the major issues involved in stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and will have the context you need to interpret moves by the Trump administration as it seeks to change nuclear policy.  You’ll learn the history of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and its strengths and weaknesses.  We also discuss including the Iran nuclear deal, the threat from North Korea and  a rogue Pakistani nuclear scientist who sold know-how on the black market.

Coming up next week: A brief history of NATO, with Julie Smith. 

Coming up soon: US-China relations, explained. With Orville Schell. 

The content will be guided by your suggestions and recommendations, so please let me know what you would like to learn.  New episodes will be published on an ongoing basis. Send me an email if you have any questions, comments, concerns + compliments. 

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