The General and the Ambassador: A Conversation

General McKenzie (former Commander USCENTCOM) and Ambassador Henzel (former US Ambassador to Yemen) talk about US counter terrorism and political objectives in Yemen, managing a US Embassy in exile, US security assistance to Saudi Arabia and human rights concerns, Iran's major military advances in ballistic missiles, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and UN peace settlement efforts.

Former USSOUTHCOM Commander, Admiral Faller, and former US Ambassador to Brazil, Ambassador Chapman, talk about singing together and their long friendship, their intense efforts to deepen the US-Brazil security relationship with staffs stymied by the COVID pandemic, the long-term significance of the military-to-military relationship, and the Trump/Bolsonaro dynamic.

Fighting Al-Shabaab, losing US soldiers, living in an Embassy bunker and managing the Trump Administration's abrupt order to pull out US troops. National War College classmates, General Waldhauser (former Commander US AFRICOM) and Ambassador Yamamoto (US Ambassador to Somalia) describe how they partnered to 1) build a new Somali national army to fight Al-Shabaab; 2) relieve massive poverty and famine; and 3) juggle clan divisions/clashes to create a new national government.

Admiral Davidson & Ambassador Juster discuss their joint efforts to strengthen the US-India security relationship despite India's military dependence on Russia, tense relations with Pakistan & China, and its policy of strategic autonomy.

In this special episode, former ISAF Commander British General David Richards and former US Ambassador Ronald Neumann critically review ever-shifting US and Western goals and objectives in Afghanistan, the weakness of the US-led DOHA peace agreement and the effects of the chaotic withdrawal. In their view, the US and its allies CHOSE to lose and have obligations towards those who were left behind. They offer perspectives on next steps.

General Abrams and Ambassador Harris discuss their partnership, the treaty alliance with the ROK, the shift under the Trump Administration to a top down approach to foreign policy and to a transactional relationships with allies, US summitry efforts with North Korea, managing ROK initiatives, the storming of the Ambassador's residence, the threat of the PRC and the value of the Quad and AUKUS.

Former US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman and former US Defense Attaché Admiral David Manero describe the effects of the large expulsion of US diplomats from Russia during a period of heightened tensions, their ground game to advance US interests in a hostile environment, Russia's toolbox and offensive tactics and US actions to counter them.

Ambassador Roebuck and General Jeffers discuss: how the US diplomatic team in northeastern Syria was embedded and partnered with US Special Forces; the pushback of ISIS working with the SDF; managing encounters with Russian troops; the major fallout of US acquiescence of Turkey's 2019 invasion to drive the SDF forces away from the border; prospects for a political solution to the unwinnable war and lessons learned on US dip/mil cooperation in conflict areas.

Ambassador Sanders (former US Ambassador to Nigeria & Congo) and General Ward (former Commander US AFRICOM) discuss US interests in the region including the opportunities (huge markets, a youth bulge, many UN Votes) and the dangers (political instability, sharply rising violence from criminal networks and extremists groups including Boko Haram). They talk about the region's original rejection of the US African Command and its current request for a greater US military presence. Finally, they discuss the issue of great power competition on the continent, the mixed messages coming from the US and Africa's rejection of being "the chessboard on which China and the US play".

Admiral Swift (former PACOM) and Ambassador Osius discuss; 1) how legacy issues (cleaning up after Agent Orange, finding POW/MIA) have slowly laid the basis of trust; 2) how key visits and US gestures have led to breakthroughs; 3) the role of US veterans and of Vietnamese refugees in building ties; 4) managing sensitive issues (human rights and the long history between China and Vietnam).