This week in Washington, leadership from NATO's 32 member nations convene for the annual NATO summit, marking the alliance's 75th anniversary. On the docket are contemporary challenges and controversies, all of which will influence the future direction of NATO. In honor of the summit we're re-airing two previous conversations, featuring NATO experts Erwan Lagadec and Simon Miles. Separately they discuss the formation of the NATO alliance, how it has transformed since its inception, and what may come in its future. Dr. Erwan Lagadec is Associate Research Professor at the George Washington University's Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) Simon Miles is Assistant Professor in the Sandford School of Public Policy at Duke University References: Sarotte, M. E. Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate, Yale University Press, 30 Nov. 2021 NSLT Ep. 228, "Ukraine Series: The Power of NATO with Dr. Erwan Lagadec" NSLT Ep. 314, "NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and Understanding Today's Geopolitical Climate with Simon Miles" Hirsh, Michael. “Trump’s Plan for NATO Is Emerging.” POLITICO, 7 Feb. 2024 The North Atlantic Treaty, Article 5 Miles, Simon. A View from Brussels: Secret NATO Reports about the East European Transition, 1988–1991. Historical Studies on Central Europe, 2022 The Warsaw Pact, 1955 Vance, J.D. Europe Must Stand on Its Own Two Feet on Defence, 19 Feb. 2024
This week, Elisa tackles hot-button issues in national security law: threats to the SWIFT system, Taiwan's semiconductor industry, and the uncertain future of NATO as we inch our way towards the U.S. presidential election this fall. References: NSLT Ep. 217, "Crackdown on Russia's Dirty Money with Brian Egan" NSLT Ep. 325, "Security Lessons from Sci-Fi Worlds: Total Recall with Sunita Patel (Part 1)" NSLT Ep. 228, "Ukraine Series: The Power of NATO with Dr. Erwan Lagadec" Reiff, Nathan. “Swift and Sanctions: How Banking System Impacts International Relations.”Investopedia, Investopedia, 19 July 2022 Baazil, Diederik. “ASML and TSMC Can Disable Chip Machines If China Invades Taiwan.”Bloomberg.Com, 21 May 2024 Masafumi, IIDA. “China’s Chilling Cognitive Warfare Plans.” The Diplomat, The Diplomat, 7 May 2024 NATO Article 5
Like a vast haystack of digital information, bulk data conceals critical needles—sensitive details that, if found and exploited, can pose severe risks to national security. This week, Elisa is joined by Eric Johnson, the Principal Deputy Chief of the Foreign Investment Review Section at the DOJ's National Security Division. Together they discuss the implications of E.O. 14117, the balance between individual privacy and collective security, and how everyday digital activities contribute to the creation of bulk data. Eric Johnson is the Principal Deputy Chief of the Foreign Investment Review Section in the United States Department of Justice’s National Security Division: References: E.O. 14117 E.O. 13873 The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) The General Data Protection Regulation Schrems I Schrems II Mullins, Brody, and Luke Mullins. The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took over Big Government. Simon & Schuster, 2024 The Congressional Research Service website Sanchi Jayaram, Assistant Director, American Law Division of the Congressional Research Service
Could the personal data of millions of Americans be our country's greatest national security treasure? This week, host Elisa is joined by Brandon Pugh, Policy Director and Resident Senior Fellow for the Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats team at the R Street Institute. Together, they discuss the silent behemoth that is online personal data collection and distribution. What could a foreign adversary do with our bulk data? And how close is Congress to passing a framework to address this growing threat? Brandon Pugh is Policy Director and Resident Senior Fellow for the R Street Institute’s Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats team References: Register to attend our June 28th luncheon program: "The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century: A discussion with Harold Hongju Koh" R Street Event, June 18th: "Cybersecurity: Tackling the Policy Puzzle" The AI Summit at Blackhat USA – August 6th 2024 National Cyber Security Strategy, March 2023 Microtargeting Unmasked: Safeguarding Law Enforcement, the Military, and the Nation in the Era of Personalized Threats The General Data Protection Regulation The American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) H.R.8152, American Data Privacy and Protection Act H.R.7520, Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 S. 1409, Kids Online Safety Act Cyber Civil Defense Initiative
On May 29th, the Standing Committee on Law and National Security hosted a luncheon featuring Jonathan Meyer, General Counsel for the DHS. Moderated by committee member Harvey Rishikof, Jonathan shared some of the department's key insights from the 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment, highlighting threats like foreign and domestic terrorism, immigration, cyber attacks, and the leveraging of AI technologies to create and spread disinformation. The following episode features his commentary from the event, as well as questions from the audience. Jonathan E. Meyer is General Counsel for the DHS Moderated by Harvey Rishikof, Senior Counselor of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security References: C-SPAN: "Homeland Security General Counsel on Agency Priorities". May 29th, 2024 "Homeland Threat Assessment 2024". The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis H.R. 815, "Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" FISA, Section 230 The General Data Protection Regulation