The “Meatlovers” Edition

Rational Security

The Lawfare Institute

Foreignpolicy, Nationalsecurity, News, Government, Politics, Middleeast

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2024

⏱️ 75 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes to talk over the meaty week of national security news, including:

“The Neighborhood is Getting Worse.” Three American service members were killed in a drone attack committed by Iran-backed militias in Jordan this past weekend. The Biden administration has promised a military response, but one of the groups believed to be responsible has just declared a unilateral ceasefire, seemingly at Iran’s urging. How should the United States respond? And what will the regional ramifications be?
“Don’t Seek Redress in Texas.” Texas governor Greg Abbott has opted to ignore a federal court ruling demanding that he take down barriers on the Rio Grande, on the basis of a novel (and highly dubious) legal theory asserting that the state has the exclusive constitutional authority to defend itself from invasion by migrants. How should the Biden administration respond?
“Provisional Victory?” The International Court of Justice has issued provisional measures in the genocide case against Israel over its Gaza operations, directing it to punish genocidal rhetoric and allow in humanitarian assistance but stopping short of requiring a ceasefire. Is this a vindication of Israel’s actions or a condemnation? And what will it mean for the trajectory of the conflict?

For object lessons, Quinta celebrated the chaos of the New Jersey Democratic Senate primary. Scott highlighted the latest new feature at Lawfare: transcripts of its podcasts. And Ben gave Scott a very special gift, with which he is certain to put an eye out.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I bought Scott a present.
0:02.0	Oh, it's my object lesson.
0:05.0	Oh, I'm excited. I wish I were there in person to receive it.
0:09.0	What...
0:10.0	It'll be on your desk when you next come to the office.
0:14.0	Is it bigger than a bread box?
0:16.2	Depends how small a bread box.
0:18.8	I've always found that to be a not very useful question.
0:21.0	I agree, because who has a bread box and who knows how big they are these
0:23.4	days is it like a multi loaf thing yeah I feel like that's just a traditional place to start is with the
0:28.8	bread box most bread boxes I think it would be smaller than.
0:33.0	You will see it when object lesson time rolls around.
0:38.0	I'm excited. I'm very excited about it.
0:40.0	It's like my birthday is not for a couple more months.
0:42.0	I have to say I'm happy to get a jump on it.
0:45.1	Some presents are for occasions and some presence are more opportunistic.
0:50.4	They arise and they jump out at you and say, you know, Scott R Anderson needs this.
0:57.6	And you will definitely understand it right away when I show it to you.
1:02.1	I'm excited. I'm excited. I actually recently found part of a present I got you in my first few months of working here during the baby cannon surge phase, surge of operations if you will in that at one point I got you a
1:16.7	crossbow that fires toothpicks correct I remember that yeah and I found the ammunition I bought which which I don't think, I think I only gave Ben like a few of them, which are like fancy toothpicks, or like a little thicker to fire through.
1:29.0	So baby crossbow is still in my office and still gets fired every now and then and is not wholly unrelated to the
1:38.0	present that I got you.
	...

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