"Few aspects are more sensitive in Germany’s fraught relationship with history than the role and status of its military. Indeed, many Germans seem to think that, given its past, the country cannot have strong armed forces; such a military, they contend, is inconsistent with Germany’s postwar history and its repudiation of its militaristic legacy. They therefore cannot conceive of how Germans can responsibly commit more resources to defense spending, let alone develop a formidable military. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, for instance, [...]

"The deadly weekend shooting at a San Diego synagogue appears to be the latest in a series of hate-driven domestic terror attacks across the U.S. This time, the killer left a manifesto praising other recent assaults. How is the Trump administration responding, and is it enough to quell the growing threat? Amna Nawaz talks to Nick Rasmussen of the McCain Institute for International Leadership..." Read the full transcript here: Full Article

"In the last several decades, financial and economic sanctions have become a key tool of U.S. foreign policy. The Trump administration has made particularly heavy use of this tool, especially in its efforts to induce regime change in Venezuela and Iran. On March 21, for instance, National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that unless Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro relinquishes power, 'he and his cronies will be strangled financially.' The next day, the White House announced sanctions against one major Venezuelan bank [...]

"Michèle Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense and Dick Clarke discuss the near-term and long-term outlook for the United States Department of Defense and the potential for 'hyperwar.' With a budget over $700 billion, is the US maintaining military superiority over our adversaries, like Russia and China? Some experts are not convinced. How will rapid developments in Artificial Intelligence, unmanned weapons systems, and cyber war, change the Pentagon capabilities and policies?" Download the full podcast here: Full Podcast

"This year’s joint statement -- released after Xi chaired a round table with participating leaders -- repeatedly called for “high-quality” projects and standards. The 2017 communique didn’t use the phrase. The document also encouraged developed nations to invest in “connectivity projects” in developing countries, and said cooperation “will be open, green and clean.” “'International lenders will not invest in a project that has not been de-risked or is not financially viable,' said Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy [...]

"'There’s a certain amount of domestic dismay and criticism of Abe for what is perceived in many quarters in Japan as shameless pandering to Donald Trump,' said Daniel Russel, who served as assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific in the Obama administration. 'I’ve certainly heard that from [legislative] Diet members in Abe’s own party. But my suspicion is that Abe feels justified based on the principle of, ‘whatever it takes’ — that Japan does not have the [...]

"Determining the motivations behind extremist acts can be challenging, experts say, and extremists are generally vague about their reasoning. 'Terrorist organizations are often opportunistic in the way that they claim justification or rationalization for their attacks,' Nicholas Rasmussen, a former senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council, told my colleagues this week..." Read the full article here: Full Article