A Nation Must Think Before it Acts
Chain Reaction Podcast
A nation must think before it acts.
Chain Reaction is the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s flagship network of podcast series examining the political, security, economic, and social trends shaping our world. Throughout the year we are talking with experts about developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the new European security order, defense and geopolitical issues in the Baltic States, as well as current and future national security challenges and opportunities in the technology and space sectors. Join us each month for: Bear Market Brief, Behind the Front, Baltic Ways, Report in Short, and the Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond.
Join us each month for : The Continent, Bear Market Brief, Baltic Ways, Report in Short, and The Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond.
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Explore Episodes
The Rise of the Machines: AI and the Future of Air Combat
A few weeks ago, an AI algorithm beat a human pilot in a series of simulated dogfights, as part of the AlphaDogfight challenge to “demonstrate the feasibility of developing effective, intelligent autonomous agents capable of defeating adversary aircraft in...
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Ground Deconfliction with the Russians in Syria
Events in Syria have brought American and Russian militaries into close contact. In recent weeks, a video emerged showing Russian helicopters flying low over an American patrol, and it was later revealed that US soldiers were injured when a...
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Israel and the United Arab Emirates: The Art of a Deal
Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to begin negotiations to normalize relations, so long as Prime Minister Netanyahu suspends his plans to annex the West Bank. The move was widely welcomed as beneficial for regional stability, but also...
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The U.S. Air Force and Turkey’s F-35
What is the latest with Turkey’s F-35? To get the latest, Aaron speaks this week with Valerie Insinna, Air Warfare Reporter at Defense News, about the latest with Turkey and the F-35....
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Mysterious Explosions in Iran
In this cross-over podcast with Arms Control Wonk, Aaron speaks with Fabian Hinz, a frequent guest on the podcast, about the recent explosions in Iran and what open source intelligence has revealed about the two incidents....
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More Trouble in Libya: Egypt Raises the Stakes
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has threatened to send armed forces across the border with Libya, following Turkey’s successful ousting of Khalifa Haftar from territory his militia held in the western part of the country. The flashpoint is Sirte,...
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The Caesar Civilian Protection Act: The Debate over Sanctioning Syria
The United States Treasury will soon announce the first round of sanctions associated with the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which is intended to punish the regime for its killing of civilians and aims to help broker dialogue to...
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The Islamic State in Their Own Words
In this week’s episode, Aaron speaks with two of the three authors of The ISIS Reader: Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement, Haroro J. Ingram and Craig Whiteside. The discussion touched on the period after the killing...
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A Financial Crisis in Lebanon
Lebanon finds itself in a financial crisis, brought about by years of economic mismanagement and political dysfunction. The economic fall-out from a relatively good response to the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated these negative trends, raising questions about the trajectory...
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Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis: A Deep Dive with Inna Rudolf
This week, Aaron held a virtual discussion with Inna Rudolf, the author of “The Future of the Popular Mobilization Forces after the Assassination of Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis,” the third chapter for FPRI’s forthcoming edited volume, Iraq in Transition: Competing...
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