Be Like Shawn

Bombshell returns from a long winter's nap for its first 2018 episode and first test run of a brand new set of Bombshell questions! Christy Abizaid joins us to talk Pakistan and the joys of Austin, TX, and we talk protests in Iran and what happens when South Korea hears that hotline bling.  Yet another White House shuffle could be in the works, and we eagerly anticipate the arrival of a new defense strategy.  Finally, hyperspace ramming and Nazi uncles get the attention you'd expect from us in pop culture.  Bonus: expect news about a Bombshell anniversary party soon!   After we recorded, we learned that one of the first friends of the pod, Shawn Brimley, passed away. Shawn will be remembered as a brilliant scholar and great friend and colleague, but he was first and foremost a wonderful husband and dad. You can contribute to an education fund set up for his children.   Episode Reading: BBC News, “How will the US move to cut aid affect Pakistan?," BBC News “Anna Mae Hays, Who Broke U.S. Military Barriers, Dies at 97,” NPR Jared Keller, “Anna Mae Hays, The US Military’s First Female General, Dies At Age 97,” Task & Purpose Susan B. Glasser, “Is Trump Stuck With an Iran Deal He Loathes?,” Politico Stephen Tankel, “Art of the Possible: Restructuring the Defense Relationship with Pakistan,” CNAS Uri Friedman, “The World According to H.R. McMaster,” Atlantic Suzanne Maloney, “Trump can help Iran’s protesters by rejecting his own Iran policies,” Brookings Samuel Ramani, “The Long History of the Pakistan-North Korea Nexus,” Diplomat C. Christine Fair, “Pakistan Has All the Leverage Over Trump,” Foreign Policy Jonah Shepp, “Pakistan Is a Problematic Ally, But Trump Cutting It Off Won’t Change That,” New York Magazine Max Fisher and Amanda Taub, “Five Crucial Insights on Iran,” The New York Times