On Friday, Maulana Sami ul-Haq "Father of the Taliban" was assassinated in his home in Rawalpindi. The killing occurred while violent protests by Sunni hardliners swept Pakistan after its Supreme Court acquitted a Christian woman accused of blasphemy.
Joshua White, Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Fellow at Brookings, details Sami's life and waning influence. (~10 minutes)
[ 0:20 ] Intro
[ 0:48 ] Personal account of Sami
[ 2:16 ] The complexity of his legacy
[ 6:06 ] Engagement in current political affairs
[ 7:25 ] Who is responsible
[ 8:20 ] Who loses

“Father of the Taliban” Assassinated

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News & Politics

Venezuela's Juan Guaido on Monday called on members of the military to rise up against the Maduro regime. Both pro- and anti-government supporters held demonstrations in Caracas but it appears that few of the military switched sides to join the rebellion.
Juan Carlos Hidalgo, Policy Analyst on Latin America at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity at the Cato Institute, joins the Warcast to discuss the operation, why it's failing, and what's possible now. (~11 minutes)
[ 0:17 ] Introduction
[ 2:42 ] Point of no return
[ 4:21 ] Why the regime is so resilient
[ 7:35 ] Pompeo's claim of Russian assurances
[ 9:00 ] What happens now

Venezuela’s Military Ignoring Guaido’s Call to Join Democratic Opposition

Theresa May has ordered to restrict Chinese telecoms supplier Huawei from supplying core parts of the U.K.'s future 5G mobile network. This follows from a recent leak by the U.K. Defense Chief about May's interest in greater Huawei cooperation.
Melanie Hart, Senior Fellow and Director for China Policy at the Center for American Progress, joins the Warcast to detail the challenges, incentives, and alternatives facing countries considering China in the 5G network development.
[ 0:18 ] Introduction
[ 0:55 ] The calculus for a government to involve Huawei to develop their 5g network
[ 3:00 ] Detailed threat assessment
[ 6:07 ] State-level safeguards and alternatives

UK Restricts Huawei Involvement in 5G Network Development: Options

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Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted nearly 5,000 delegates from across the globe at the Belt and Road forum in Beijing to discuss his signature infrastructure project to re-envision and rebuild ancient trading routes across Eurasia.
Nadège Rolland is Senior Fellow for Political and Security Affairs at the National Bureau of Asian Research and author of the book, China’s Eurasian Century? Political and Strategic Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative, joins the Warcast to tell us how the forum went and why it matters. (~11 minutes)
[ 0:17 ] Introduction
[ 0:53 ] Overview of the Belt and Road Initiative
[ 1:39 ] Objective of 2nd forum
[ 2:23 ] How successful
[ 4:17 ] Why some critics have become supporters
[ 7:38 ] Overlap between BRI core foreign policy

China’s Second Belt and Road Forum: How Did It Go?

Sri Lanka and its citizens are still reeling from the catastrophic Easter attack that killed over 300 people and shocked the country.
Alan Keenan, Sri Lanka Project Director and Senior Analyst at the International Crisis Group, joins the Warcast to detail what we know - and how Sri Lankan politics and society may adjust in the new security environment. (~12 minutes)
[ 0:17 ] Introduction
[ 0:46 ] Details we know so far: Who, what, and why
[ 4:30 ] Permissive conditions that made the attack possible
[ 7:56 ] How it may change Sri Lanka's complex conflict dynamics

“Father of the Taliban” Assassinated

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