FDD's Foreign Podicy
FDD's Foreign Podicy is a national security and foreign policy podcast from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). It covers topics related to defense, global threats, and U.S. foreign policy. The podcast features analysis and discussions from FDD experts, often including Cliff May, the foundation's president. Listeners can expect insight into current international affairs and security challenges.
Episodes
Confronting Threats and Building Consensus
Leon Panetta has been there and done that. From joining theArmy in the 1960s, to serving in Congress for more than a decade and a half, to directing the Office of Management and Budget, to serving as the Director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta has served our country with distinction for decades. He also serves on the board of advisors for the Center on Military and Political Pow
The Houthis, Tehran, and the Deep Red Sea (Cliff May feat. Edmund Fitton-Brown & Bridget Toomey)
Since declaring a blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20, the Houthis have struck vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities and, over recent weeks, seized Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, along with islands in the Bab al-Mandeb, the southern exit from the Red Sea.FDD senior fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British ambassador to Yemen, and FDD researc
Strait Lines
Xi is in Washington, shaking hands and smiling as the People’s Liberation Army prepares for aggression in the Pacific. Putin continues to try to play the victim while continuing his unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine. The regime in Iran is severely weakened but continues to menace commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. And North Korean leader Kim Jong Unis responding to American conces
Confronting Authoritarians around the Globe
Russia is turning captured Orthodox parishes into tools of occupation while holding tens of thousands of abducted Ukrainian children as leverage in any ceasefire deal. China and Iran continue to feed the Houthi militants in Yemen drone and satellite technology to terrorize Red Sea shipping lanes. From election interference to drone incursions along the Baltics and Poland, these authoritarian regi
Inside the White House on 9/11
Sept. 11, 2001 began as a beautiful late summer day in New York City and Washington, DC. Then, out of what was literally a clear blue sky, two hijacked passenger jets slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, another into the Pentagon just outside Washington. A fourth plane, thanks to the courage of the passengers aboard, did not reach its target but insteadcrashed i
The U.S. Retreat from Afghanistan: 5 Years On
On August 26, an ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 13 American service members and roughly 170 Afghans at Abbey Gate, one of the entrances to Kabul airport.Four days after that, the last U.S. service member left Afghanistan. Then, on Sept. 7, 2021, the Taliban declared the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. These anniversaries have not sparked much media interest. One notable exception:
25 Years of UN/NGO Racism
In late Summer of 2001, the UN hosted what it called the “World Conference on Racism” in Durban, South Africa.Instead of combating racism, the conference incited it, becoming the worst international manifestation of Jew-hatred since World War II and the Nazi Holocaust.Cuban dictator Fidel Castro accused Israel of “genocide.” Yes, way back then.Gerald Steinberg, the founder and president of NGO Mon
World's First Super-Terrorist
Joby Warrick, a fine storyteller and longtime national security correspondent for the Washington Post, has written a biography of the most infamous terrorist of the second half of the 20th century.“The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World’s First Super-Terrorist,” relates the life story of Ilich Ramírez Sánchez – the Venezuelan-born Communist who enjoyed tailored suits, fine wine, beauti
Where in the World Is Monty? (Cliff May feat. Mark Montgomery)
FDD’s RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery is a travelin’ man. He’s just back from Taiwan and Ukraine.He joins host Cliff May to debrief what he saw and heard abroad—and offer his analyses. They also discuss North Korea’s role in Russia’s war, cyberattacks—almost certainly by Iran’s rulers—on water utilities in Minnesota and Michigan, the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthis and the Bab el-Mandeb, and cognitive w
A Rumor of War
A week ago, President Trump seemed to have decided to hit the Islamic Republic of Iran hard – to destroy what’s left of its missile arsenals, its military-industrial base, its command-and-control headquarters and perhaps the commanders themselves. Then the President heard that Iran’s rulers were finally ready to make a deal. Soon after, Iran’s rulers announced they were not. President Trump called
Axis of Aggressors: China, Russia, Iran & North Korea
The United States faces the most complex geostrategic threat since 1945: an Axis of Aggressors — China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea — increasingly aligned across economic, cyber, technology, and military domains to diminish American power. Their most alarming tactic may be to trigger simultaneous major wars to stretch U.S. resources past the breaking point.Bradley Bowman, Elaine Dezenski, and RA
Britain’s New PM and Yemen’s Old Houthis
Two places we need to watch carefully right now: the United Kingdom, which has just installed its seventh prime minister in a decade, and Yemen, where the Houthi rebels have declared anaval blockade of Saudi Arabia and resumed strikes on tankers transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Edmund Fitton-Brown, FDD senior fellow and former British ambassador to Yemen, joins Cliff May on FDD’s Foreign Podi
Iran, AI, and the Death of Traditional Warfare
Forget nukes and stealth jets — the next war may just be won with algorithms, drone swarms, and who spends smarter, not bigger.FDD Research Analyst and Foreign Podicy guest host, Mariam Wahba sits down with Aaron MacLean, host of the School of War podcast, to unpack how AI and rapid decision cycles are rewriting the rules of modern warfare — with Iran and Ukraine as live case studies. From strateg
The Third World Wants You – Not in a Good Way
This week, Iran's rulers fired on commercial vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz -- an egregious violation of the Memorandum of Understanding which now appears to be a dead MOU. That doesn't surprise Zineb Riboua who has always been skeptical of attempts to forge "peace deals" with the Islamist revolutionaries in Tehran. Ms. Riboua, research fellow at the Hudson In
NATO Summit: Alliances under Strain
As NATO members head to Ankara, the Alliance is under strain — clashing over defense spending levels, the Russo-Ukrainian and US-Iran wars, and the shrinking U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump comes to the table with real leverage, but both Europe and America have real grievances, and the outcome may hinge on which one drives his approach.On this episode of Foreign Podicy, guest host RADM (R
Of Presidents and Persians
A century of failed diplomacy, hostage crises, secret arms deals, war and even murder. Dr. Tevi Troy, an American presidential historian and senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute, joins host Cliff May to unpack his WashingtonExaminer article, "The Presidents and Iran: A History." From the Persian shahs to the Islamic Republic, Troy and May trace 100 years of U.S.-Iran conflict and
War and Peace and Other Possibilities
A memorandum of understanding with Iran isn't peace – it's a fragile ceasefire with a regime whose ideology traces back to 1,400 years of jihad. While Tehran projects strength and defiance, U.S. negotiators face an impossible choice: lock in a deal that leaves the most dangerous issues unresolved or hold the line and risk escalation.On this episode of Foreign Podicy, FDD military experts R
Elise Stefanik and the “Poisoned Ivies”
In this episode of Foreign Podicy, host Cliff May sits down with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik — once the youngest woman ever elected to the House and its highest-ranking female member — to discuss her new book, Poisoned Ivies: The Inside Account of the Academic and Moral Rot at America's Elite Universities. Stefanik gained national attention after her landmark December 2023 congressional heari
Defending Taiwan
Taiwan makes 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors — and China wants to take it without breaking it - using economic coercion if they can. If Beijing succeeds, the global tech economy becomes weaponized.FDD CCTI Senior Director and Senior Fellow RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Stanford Hoover Institution Fellow Eyck Freymann break down the military, economic, and diplomatic strategies th
UN Watch Report: Watching the UN Rot
A new UN Watch investigation exposes ideological bias, foreign funding, and ethical misconduct among UN Special Rapporteurs — raising urgent questions about UN accountability and the urgent need for reform. The shocking new report, "From Watchdogs to Ideologues," reveals a long list of Special Rapporteurs who routinely exhibit extreme ideological bias, take payoffs from authoritarian states, and e
¿Cuba libre?
America’s spy chief visits Havana, the U.S. Justice Department announces the indictment for murder of former Cuban dictator, Raul Castro, Cuba’s current rulers are reported to have received more than 300 military attack drones from Moscow and Tehran while ordinary Cubans suffer power outages, medicine shortages, and soaring food prices. Guests Carrie Filipetti of the Vandenberg Coalition and Conno
Immigration as a Weapon
New York Times bestselling author Peter Schweizer joins host Cliff May to discuss his new book, "The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon." The two take a deep dive into the recent U.S.-China summit, comparisons between the Islamic Republic and the former Soviet Union, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and Peter’s explosive discovery of a "Manchurian Candidate"
The Axis of Aggressors and Unraveling World Order
The world is entering a more dangerous era.China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly coordinating across every domain of power. Wars are expanding. Nuclear threats are rising. America’s alliances are under pressure. And President Trump is heading to Beijing.Former U.S. ambassador to Finland and Turkey Eric S. Edelman joins guest host Bradley Bowman to break down the new age of great-po
Stakes in the Straits and Chips on the Table
The Strait of Hormuz isn't just about Iran. It's a stress test for American will, allied confidence, and the deterrence architecture holding the Indo-Pacific together.FDD's RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, fresh from a trip to Taiwan, and Craig Singleton, FDD China Program Senior Director, join Cliff May to connect the dots — from the naval blockade's economic pressure to the lessons B
The Fog of Ceasefire
Negotiations between President Trump’s envoys and those of the Islamic Republic of Iran were postponed. Operation Epic Fury halts in an uneasy ceasefire as Operation Economic Fury begins cutting off Tehran’s revenue streams. The Strait of Hormuz is not yet a safe space. FDD Research Fellow Max Meizlish, a former Treasury official, and Adjunct Fellow Joseph Zacks, a former CIA official, join host C
From Budapest to Beirut to Tehran: Perspectives from Across the Pond
Three shocks. Three fronts. One world shifting fast.
In Hungary, Péter Magyar topples Viktor Orbán’s grip. In Washington, Lebanese–Israeli talks edge beyond ceasefire toward something more consequential—rattling players from Hezbollah to Emmanuel Macron. And after failed diplomacy in Islamabad, U.S. Vice President JD Vance now faces a new phase: an American naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz,
The New Sultanate
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States, Turkey offered a sliver of optimism in a region defined by turmoil — a Muslim-majority democracy, a NATO ally, and even a friend of Israel. But after more than two decades under the rule of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that Turkey is long gone. So, what happened? And what does it mean for America, NATO, Israel — and the future of th
Breaking China
As Washington prepares for a high-stakes Trump–Xi meeting, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party examines Beijing’s anti-American ambitions and strategies. Chairman John Moolenaar joins host Cliff May to discuss what can be done to counter them.
Back from the Front
Fresh off the frontlines, FDD's Mark Montgomery recently returned from Ukraine and other hotspots abroad. He joins host Cliff May for an in-studio debrief on what he saw and what comes next. Also joining the conversation: FDD Action's Daniel Vaynshteyn, former Legislative Director in the U.S. House of Representatives and liaison to the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
Breaking Down The Islamic Republic
For more than two decades at FDD, Foreign Podicy host Cliff May and Mark Dubowitz have tracked the evolution of America’s enemies—from al Qaeda to the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism in Tehran. Long before many grasped the threat, Mark focused on the Islamic Republic’s ideological war, its open commitment to jihad against the “Great Satan” and “Little Satan,” and a decades-long campaign
The Arab Case for Israel
There has always been a Jewish case for Israel, a Christian case for Israel, and an American case for Israel. But what about the Arab case for Israel? FDD’s Hussain Abdul-Hussain lays out the arguments in his new book, appropriately titled: "The Arab Case for Israel." He sits down with host Cliff May to discuss the idea, the history behind it, and why a growing number of Arab and Muslim thinkers k
The War Against Iran’s Jihadis: What’s Xi Got to Do With It?
For nearly half a century, Iran’s rulers have promised “Death to America.” It wasn’t just a chant — it was a policy. From the 1979 hostage crisis to terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of Americans, the Islamic Republic has spent decades waging a shadow war against the United States.
Now Washington is confronting Iran’s jihadist regime more directly — raising a larger question: what role might
Wars and Rumors of War
Earlier this week, President Trump said of Iran’s rulers: “I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror — which they are, by far — to have a nuclear weapon." He also noted that the regime massacred “at least 32,000” unarmed civilian protestors in January and has previously “killed and maimed thousands of American service members.”
On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee t
Into Year 5: Strategy for Ukraine's Future
📺 | Watch this episode on YouTube here.
On February 24, 2022, Russian tanks and troops invaded Ukraine. Russian ruler Vladimir Putin expected a swift victory. Many Western observers did, too. After all, he had sliced two territories from Georgia in 2008 and seized Crimea and parts of Donbas in 2014 at little cost.
Five years on, Ukraine’s fight — still led by President Volodymyr Zelensky — contin
Allies, Adversaries, and the Axis
📺 | Watch this episode on YouTube here.America confronts a daunting geo-strategic landscape: The Axis of Aggressors — China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea — are cooperating across multiple domains in unprecedented ways.Putin continues his brutal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. In return for North Korean troops and artillery shells for this war, Russian security assistance is flowing in increasing
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Houthis But Were Afraid to Ask
“God is great. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.”The Houthi slogan isn’t just a chant — it’s a worldview. To understand who they are and what they want, Cliff is joined by former British ambassador to Yemen and FDD senior fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown, who gained firsthand experience dealing with senior Houthi leaders while serving as ambassador.
The National Defense Strategy and the Threats That Matter Most
Washington just unveiled its new National Defense Strategy. But is it a serious blueprint for deterrence—or a dangerous exercise in wishful thinking? Host Cliff May is joined by Bradley Bowman and Mark Montgomery to examine whether America is underfunding its military on the brink of great-power conflict, why China’s cyber war is being soft-pedaled, and what the strategy gets right—and wrong—on Ta
Wikipedia Wars
📺: Watch this episode on YouTube here.In addition to slaughtering Iranian citizens by the thousands, Iran’s Islamist rulers are waging a cognitive war. To conceal their brutal crackdown, the regime has shut down the internet inside Iran. Beyond Iran’s borders, one corner of the digital world remains fully operational — shaping much of the world’s perceptions of what’s happening inside the Islamic
Persian Puzzles
📺: Watch this episode on YouTube here. Iran is once again convulsed by nationwide protests — but this time, the regime has pulled the plug. With the internet shut down and security forces unleashed, the Islamic Republic is violently crushing dissent in virtual darkness, silencing both protesters and the outside world. As the Iranian people continue risking everything for freedom, will America fina
Southern Exposure: Trump’s Arrest of Maduro Brings Opportunities and Dangers
📺: Watch this episode on YouTube here. The arrest of Nicolás Maduro was a complex operation that exposed the weakness of a narco-dictatorship and sent a clear signal to America’s adversaries. In short: it was a tactical success. But taking out a dictator is not the same as dismantling a regime — and Venezuela’s regime remains largely intact. Host Cliff May is joined by Carrie Filipetti to assess w
Recognizing Somaliland
For more than three decades, Somaliland has functioned as a free, independent, Muslim, pro-peace, anti-Islamist republic on the Horn of Africa. Now, Israel has formally recognized it as a sovereign state. Somaliland’s bad neighbor, Somalia, and other Islamist regimes are furious. Britain also insists the people of Somaliland have no right to decide their future.Meanwhile, Somaliland is looking tow
The War Against Christians (With Chinese Characteristics)
This Christmas week, we're left to confront a hard truth: Christians are under attack in many corners of the world.On October 10, the Chinese Communist Party arrested Pastor Ezra Jin, founder of Beijing’s Zion Church — along with 28 other leaders — in the largest crackdown on a Christian church in China in decades.Pastor Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, joins host Cliff May to scrutinize Beijing’
Why Chinese Economic Statecraft is a U.S. National Security Threat
Watch this episode on YouTube here.China isn’t just competing economically — it’s coercing strategically. Drawing on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s latest report, guest host Craig Singleton is joined by Commission Vice Chair Randy Shriver and Commissioner Mike Kuiken to unpack how Beijing weaponizes its economic power — and why Chinese economic statecraft now sits at the
Americans Want U.S. Strength and Statesmanship
Politicians love to tell Americans what we think about U.S. leadership, our military, our allies, and our enemies — but the data tells a different story. A new Reagan National Defense Survey cuts through the noise to reveal what Americans actually believe during a moment of strategic flux. To unpack the findings and what they mean for U.S. power, deterrence, and America’s role in the world — guest
The Widening Gulf Between Iran and the Gulf
Guest host Behnam Ben Taleblu is joined by former U.S. intelligence official Norman Roule to examine Iran’s postwar moment: from puncturing the comforting illusion created by viral clips of loosened social activity (or, as Norm puts it, why “a few videos of dancing and hijab-free afternoons don’t outweigh 21,000 arrests and expedited executions”) to exposing the harsh reality of a regime so unpopu
Africa 2025: Things Fall Apart
Watch this episode on YouTube here.Africa rarely makes the headlines — but it should. Here are just a few: Islamist movements are expanding from Nigeria to Mozambique, Mali to Somalia. The French have been pushed out, Russian forces are moving in, while China is building influence and quietly extracting wealth from African earth and people. Ambassador Alberto Fernandez joins Cliff to explain how j
DJT and the VIP (Very Important Prince)
President Trump gave Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, A.K.A. MbS, a royal welcome to Washington. But beyond the flashy diplomacy, quite a lot of business was transacted. Host Cliff May is joined by Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss the visit, the future of U.S.–Saudi relations, the threat from Tehran and the Houthis, Turkey’s neo-Ottoman ambitions, and how a changing kingdom is changing the Mi
Back to Iraq
📺: Watch this episode on YouTube here.Filmmaker Michael Pack joins host Cliff May to tell the extraordinary story of The Last 600 Meters, his gripping documentary on the battles of Fallujah and Najaf. Though the film was finished in 2007, it sat on a shelf for 17 years before PBS finally aired it this Veterans Day. From young Americans fighting al-Qaeda and Iran-backed militias in brutal urban com
No Country for Old Mullahs
Guest host and Senior Director of FDD’s Iran Program Behnam Ben Taleblu sits down with historian Ali Ansari to explore why the Islamic Republic is rewriting Iran’s past to justify its present, how Iranians are reclaiming their identity from the regime, and what the nation’s search for identity reveals about the Islamic Republic’s fading future.
Trump’s Orient Express
President Trump just returned from a whirlwind week in Asia closing trade and investment deals and strengthening security alliances. Host Cliff May sits down with FDD’s Craig Singleton to discuss what Trump accomplished, as well as the challenges – and threats – that remain.
Mariam Wahba on the Muslim Brotherhood’s Media Empire
Watch this episode on YouTube here.For two years, Israel has been fighting a war on multiple fronts. And although it has delivered blows to Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas on the ground, it’s losing another fight: the information war, a campaign of slander and blood libels fueled by a media empire built by the Muslim Brotherhood. To expose where — from Al Jazeera’s studios in Doha to Turkish satellite
Three Voices From the Front Lines in Ukraine
Host Cliff May is joined by retired Ukrainian Admiral Ihor Voronchenko, the former inspector general of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and former commander of the Naval Forces of Ukraine; along with retired U.S. Marine Colonel Andy Bain, executive director and co-founder of the Ukrainian Freedom Fund; and FDD's retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery to assess the state of Russia’s war on Ukraine
On the Battlegrounds in Gaza and Ukraine with H.R. McMaster
Watch this episode on YouTube.LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster and Brad Bowman join host Cliff May to explain why diplomacy only works when backed by force. From Gaza to Ukraine, they trace how strength — not illusions — shapes outcomes and frustrates the ambitions of the Axis of Aggressors: Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang.
A Second American Century Requires Energy Dominance
Watch this episode on YouTube here.From China’s stranglehold on critical minerals to the coming AI power crunch, an energy arms race is underway. Rich Goldberg, on loan from FDD to the White House, helped establish a new National Energy Dominance Council. He’s now building a program at FDD that will focus on energy as a key component of national security. Rich, who has served as a Navy Intelligenc
The Courtship of Ahmad al-Sharaa
Born into a well-educated and well-off Syrian family, Ahmad al-Sharaa – also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani – joined Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's organization, al-Qaeda in Iraq, after the U.S. invasion of that country in 2003. Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, he established al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria: Jabhat al-Nusra. In 2016, he severed ties with al-Qaeda, and
Avoiding Strategic Insolvency at the Pentagon
America’s military faces extraordinary threats — and when resources lag, missions can fail. Guest host Bradley Bowman is joined by Krista Auchenbach of CSIS to discuss her forthcoming report, alongside Rear Adm. (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, as they unpack how presidents convey orders, how the Pentagon manages risk, and how to avoid a dangerous ends-means mismatch.
The War Against the West Has a Long Way to Go
On the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Cliff May sits down with Amb. Edmund Fitton-Brown, former British ambassador to Yemen and UN terrorism monitor, now a senior fellow at FDD, to assess what we’ve learned — and failed to learn — about global jihad.From Hamas leaders living lavishly in Qatar, the Houthis’ missile attacks, al Qaeda’s quiet alliance with Tehran’s rulers, and th
How the U.N. Became Hamas’s Partner
For fifty years, the United Nations has waged a war on Israel—not with rockets or tanks, but with words: resolutions branding Zionism as racism, false charges of apartheid, fabricated famine, and now even cries of genocide. It’s a propaganda war that empowers Hamas and delegitimizes Israel on the world stage.On this episode of Foreign Podicy, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleague Rich Gold
The Shadows Moscow Casts Over Historian Mark Galeotti
The world’s most endangered democracies—Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, and Ukraine—face relentless threats from the Axis of Aggressors: Beijing, Pyongyang, Tehran, and Moscow. With Ukraine locked in an existential war, host Cliff May welcomes British historian Mark Galeotti, host of In Moscow’s Shadows, for an unflinching look at Russia’s ambitions, Putin’s imperial drive, and what it all means for
Exodus or Endurance: The Plight of Egypt’s Christians
Not every U.S. strategic partner is a democracy, but those receiving American aid should not trample such basic freedoms as religious liberty. Years ago in Egypt, Coptic Patriarch Pope Tawadros II told host Cliff May that discrimination was diminishing under President Sissi. Today, USCIRF reports show the opposite: systemic repression of religious minorities.FDD’s Mariam Wahba, writing recently in
Nvidia Games: China v. the US in AI Arms Race
America’s edge in artificial intelligence may rest on one decision now facing Washington: whether to keep our most advanced chips out of Beijing’s hands. President Trump has moved to lift the export ban on Nvidia’s H20 processors—a move some warn could supercharge China’s AI ambitions and military power—arming the Chinese Communist Party for dominance in the AI age. Cliff May and Matt Pottinger pu
On the Road Again – in Japan and Taiwan
Adm. Mark Montgomery has been on the road again – along with Craig Singleton and Matt Pottinger. All three FDD scholars just returned from a visit to Japan and Taiwan, two American allies increasingly threatened by Xi Jinping, the very ambitious Chinese Communist ruler. Mark joins host Cliff May for a debrief.
Why Putin Must Not Win
In 2005, Vladimir Putin said the fall of the Soviet Union was the “greatest political catastrophe of the 20th century.” As Sen. Mitch McConnell pointed out, that should have told us everything we needed to know about this ex-KGB lieutenant colonel. He made the remark at an event in the U.S. Senate discussing a new report on Putin’s war in Ukraine. The report was prepared by a task force of 22 fore
Syria Agonistes
Once again, there is conflict and carnage in Syria. The media calls it “sectarian strife,” but that phrase may obscure more than it reveals. Islamists have been slaughtering those they deem infidels—with Syria’s Druze and Christian communities hardest hit. The U.N. and the “international community” have been useless as usual. Israel, which has a significant Druze minority of its own, has taken act
Schools for Scandal
Woke ideology, anti‑Americanism, Islamism and antisemitism have gripped America’s elite campuses. How? Follow the money.Researchers at the Middle East Forum have been doing exactly that, and the result is a new report that's shocking but not surprising. It’s titled: “Beachhead: Georgetown University: How Foreign and Domestic Radical Actors Captured a U.S. University.”Host Cliff May is joined by hi
News Bulletin: MAGA Supporters Are Peace-Through-Strength Supporters
Just as Putin launched the largest drone assault of the war, President Trump overruled an order from the Pentagon that had halted the delivery of munitions to Ukraine. And despite what pundits say, new polling says his base isn’t mad about it. Cliff May is joined by Carrie Filipetti of the Vandenberg Coalition to break down its polling data that shows most of Trump’s base back peace through streng
View from the Cockpit: The Night the U.S. Air Force Defended Israel from Iran
Guest host Bradley Bowman is joined by U.S. Air Force pilots Lt. Col. Brian “Bud” Leitzke and Lt. Col. Kevin “Rowdy” Murphy for an exclusive firsthand account of April 13, 2024, when Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel. Bud and Rowdy's squadron scrambled into the night sky in one of the largest U.S. air combat missions in years. What followed was a high-stakes, real-time defense o
Bomb Fordow, Announce Ceasefire, Headline NATO: Trump's Five Fast Days
NATO summits are usually dry and wonky affairs. This one was different.To unpack what was said, what wasn’t, and what actually matters, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Bradley Bowman to discuss alliance politics, military power projection, strategic signaling, and more.
How Goes the War?
Israel and Iran are at war. To break down what’s happening and what could come next, host Cliff May is joined by Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Behnam Ben Taleblu.They dissect Israel’s targeted strikes on IRGC assets, the strategic pause before a possible U.S. strike on Fordow, and why this war isn’t just Israel vs. Iran. It’s the free world vs. the axis of aggressors. And it’s about finishing
War Tour d’Horizon
Host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues H.R. McMaster and Brad Bowman to assess the growing cooperation among adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—also know as the 'axis of aggressors.'From the Kremlin's efforts to manipulate perceptions in the West, particularly regarding NATO, to Iran's nuclear ambitions and the geopolitical implications of its relationship with China and
China Since Tiananmen
Thirty-six years ago this week, the Chinese Communist Party crushed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square with tanks and bullets. The death toll? Certainly in the hundreds, probably in the thousands, and deliberately hidden by the Communist Party of China.How did that massacre reshape China’s path, and what did it mean for Beijing’s relationship with the U.S. and the West?Host Cliff May sits
Iran on the brink — or is the West getting played?
Is Iran on the brink, or is the West getting played again? Filling in for host Cliff May, Behnam Ben Taleblu is joined by Andrea Stricker and Saeed Ghasseminejad to discuss Trump’s renewed demand for full nuclear dismantlement, the regime’s internal weakness, and why half-measures won’t cut it. From stalled negotiations to nationwide strikes and the case for a “strike fund,” they unpack how to con
No Pain (for Putin), No Gain
President Trump’s May 19 phone call with Vladimir Putin does not appear to be two hours well-spent. According to readouts, the Russian ruler agreed to continue talking about talking.Around the same time, Putin launched a massive drone strike against Ukrainian soldiers defending their country and civilians attempting to survive the long war waged against them by an enemy seeking to destroy their fr
A Hundred Years of Holy War
Following the Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of Israel and the pogrom carried out by terrorists from Hamas and affiliated Islamist organizations, and some Gazan civilians as well, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opined that the attack “did not happen in a vacuum.”Well, he’s correct just not in the way he intended.Hebron is an ancient city 20 miles south of Jerusalem in Judea, now more usually referre
Melanie Phllips on Who Built the West and Who Can Save It
Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster, and author.Her weekly column currently appears in The Times of London. She’s a regular panelist on BBC Radio’s The Moral Maze and speaks on public platforms throughout the English-speaking world.Her best-selling book, “Londonistan,” about the British establishment’s capitulation to Islamist aggression, was published in 2006. She followed this
Bombers and Ballistic Missiles with Gen. Bussiere
China is conducting what a top US military officer called a breathtaking expansion and modernization of its nuclear and conventional forces. An October 2024 Defense Intelligence Agency report estimated that by 2030, “China will have more than 1,000 operational nuclear warheads, most of which will be fielded on systems capable of ranging the continental United States.”Meanwhile, Russia maintains th
Dealing with Tehran
Last week, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said that talks with the Trump administration appear to be going well.This tells host Cliff May that from an American perspective, the talks are going badly.President Trump has said that America’s goal is the “full dismantlement” of the regime’s nuclear weapons program, including its capacity to produce missiles that
Where in the World is Admiral Mark Montgomery?
According to host Cliff May, "Mark Montgomery is an admirable admiral. Another adjective I’d use to describe him: peripatetic. Which is a fancy way of saying he’s on the road more than Willie Nelson—whom he does not otherwise resemble."Most recently the retired flag officer has been in Lithuania, which on the east shares a border with the Russian vassal state of Belarus, and on the southwest has a
Erdogan, the Neo-Ottoman: Turkish Without the Delight
If you were to visit Turkey years ago, it might’ve felt both Middle Eastern and European. It was Muslim and secular. It was, more or less, free and democratic. Host Cliff May says the food was great, too. Now? Well, he’s told the food is still great. To explain what has happened and what is happening in Turkey, Cliff is joined by his FDD colleague Sinan Ciddi. About SinanSinan is also an Associa
Iran's Nuclear Weaponization
Filling in for host Cliff May is FDD CEO and host of The Iran Breakdown, Mark Dubowitz, joined by former Israeli national security advisor Jacob Nagel, now a senior fellow at FDD.Following President Trump’s recent signaling that he's open to nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic, Mark and Jacob revisit the flaws of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the general complexities of Iran's nuclear
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