Rational Security: The “Dry January” Edition
The Lawfare Podcast
The Lawfare Institute
4.7 • 6.4K Ratings
🗓️ 7 January 2024
⏱️ 68 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week on Rational Security, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Legal Fellow Anna Bower to talk through the week’s big national security news, including:
- “Hamas, No Más.” A senior Hamas official was recently killed in an attack in Beirut, in what many believe was an operation by Israel—a country whose leaders have pledged to target Hamas’s leaders wherever they might be, though it has not formally acknowledged involvement in this particular attack. But pursuing such action across a border that is already on the edge of becoming a second front in the Gaza conflict has observers nervous. How significant is this operation? Does it risk regional escalation?
- “Bad for the Immune System.” Just before the holiday, the Supreme Court rejected special counsel Jack Smith’s petition for it to expedite consideration of former President Trump’s claim of immunity to criminal charges. And in the week that’s passed, briefing is already underway—including an argument by an amicus asserting that appeal shouldn’t be allowed at all. What hangs on this case? And how do the courts seem poised to address it?
- “The Unprincipled Agent Problem.” The Justice Department has leveled additional charges against Sen. Robert Menendez and his wife alleging additional illegal actions in support of Qatar, including some in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Meanwhile, several associates of former President Trump have faced similar charges for alleged work for the same government. What should we make of these powerful public officials and their associates doing work for foreign governments? And is FARA the right tool to address it?
For object lessons, Quinta continued to suck up to the estate of Roberto Bolano by endorsing his book “The Savage Detectives.” Scott spilled the beans on one of Denver’s lovely speakeasies, B&GC. And Anna urged folks to try out a Tarot Card reading for the New Year—advice Fox News appears to have taken on former President Trump’s behalf.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The following podcast contains advertising. |
| 0:04.0 | To access an ad-free version of the Lawfair Podcast, |
| 0:08.0 | become a material supporter of Lawfair at Patreon.com slash Lawfair. That's Patreon.com |
| 0:16.4 | slash Lawfair. Also check out Lawfair's other podcast offerings, rational security, chatter, lawfare no bull, and the aftermath. I'm Kilow |
| 0:35.0 | Kilow Benjamin, intern at law fair with an episode of rational security for January 7th, |
| 0:42.0 | 2024. |
| 0:43.8 | For today's episode, the team at Lawfair decided to cross post this week's episode of |
| 0:47.3 | Rational Security. |
| 0:48.8 | A podcast hosted by Scott R. Anderson, Quinto Jurassic,, and Alan Rosenstein, in which they cover the week's |
| 0:54.0 | big national security news stories. |
| 0:56.6 | Today's episode is entitled The Dry January Edition. |
| 0:59.7 | In the episode, Anderson and Geresic sat down with Anna Bauer to discuss the killing of a senior Hamas official in Beirut. |
| 1:05.0 | Updates in the special counsel's case against former President Donald Trump, |
| 1:09.0 | the charges brought against Senator Bob Menendez for his alleged illegal actions in support of Qatar, and more. |
| 1:15.3 | This is rational security. |
| 1:17.0 | Anna, you may not be able to tell on camera, but I started strategically sitting myself in the studio as far as possible |
| 1:24.4 | from our little roadcaster soundboard so I do not have to hit play on the road board as I can't |
| 1:31.2 | tell what color the light is and sometimes I think I hit play to record and in fact it doesn't actually record. |
| 1:36.0 | So Quinta has that duty now. |
| 1:37.0 | Yes, despite his naddy dressing, Scott is red-green colorblind and our... |
| 1:42.0 | Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, our soundboard is not designed for people |
| 1:45.6 | it is a holiday themed soundboard I don't know why you invested in this given |
... |
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