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In this episode of GNSI’s “At the Boundary” podcast, Arman Mahmoudian, PhD, interviews Marvin G. Weinbaum, PhD, who is senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Drawing on his recent article, “Our Knowledge of the Taliban as Guide for US Policy” ( which was recently published in the Journal of Strategic Security), Dr. Weinbaum offers a detailed assessment of the collapse of the Afghan state and the return of the Taliban in 2021.

This episode discusses:

• Why the U.S. failed at state-building and counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
• The shift from counterterrorism to democratic nation-building
• Weinbaum’s analysis of Afghan leadership under Karzai and Ghani, and how their governance choices helped shape the state’s collapse
• Fragmentation within the Taliban leadership
• How the presence of ISIS-K pressures Taliban unity and policy
• The collapse of U.S. military support and Afghan troop morale
• Dangers of a failed Taliban state and the regional risk of civil war
• Weinbaum’s direct message to Afghans affected by the regime change

Throughout the interview, Weinbaum emphasizes that U.S. disengagement has reduced its leverage on critical issues like human rights, warning that effective diplomacy with the Taliban requires long-term engagement, not conditional demands. He also argues that continued absence risks ceding influence to regional powers already moving toward recognition.

Links from the episode:

• Register for CyberBay Here!

• GNSI Tampa Summit 5 Report (March 2025) The Russia-Ukraine War: Lessons for Future Conflicts

• The Latest Journal of Strategic Security (JSS)

• GNSI’s Axis of Resistance Research Initiative Playlist

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

In this episode of At the Boundary, Tad Schnaufer, PhD, speaks with John Pennell, PhD, a Senior Diplomacy Fellow with Narrative-Strategies, Senior Strategic Advisor with Pax Strategies LLC, Senior Practitioner with the Irregular Warfare Center, and author of Assessing Russia's Actions in Ukraine and Syria, 2014–2022: Implications for the Changing Character of War

Pennell breaks down Russia’s military and political strategies in two key theaters, Ukraine and Syria, and the implications for NATO, the United States, and global security.

Their discussion covers:

• Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics in Ukraine prior to the 2022 full-scale invasion, including “Little Green Men,” the Wagner Group, and local proxy forces
• How Russia’s disinformation campaigns, strategic plausible deniability, and cyber warfare shaped operations in Crimea and Donbas
• The 2015 Syrian intervention was a testing ground for drones, electronic warfare, and emerging military technology
• The debate over terminology used to describe the conflict: hybrid warfare vs. new generation warfare vs. full-spectrum conflict, and why these distinctions matter in military strategy and geopolitics
• Lessons for NATO, the U.S., and allies from Russian military operations between 2014–2022
• The Kremlin’s shift from destabilizing Ukraine to pursuing regime change, and the information warfare narratives used to justify it
• Implications for future conflicts and how the U.S. and partners can counter hybrid threats effectively

Links from the Episode:

• Cyber Bay Registration Link

• Read The Latest GNSI Newsletter

• 2025 Notes from Cambridge Blog

• Assessing Russia's Actions in Ukraine and Syria, 2014–2022: Implications for the Changing Character of War by Dr. John A. Pennell

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

Joining us again is Charles Lister, a senior fellow and director of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where his research focuses on Syria, terrorism, and insurgency across the Levant. In this episode of At the Boundary, Lister breaks down both the history and the sequence of events that reshaped Syria. He details Bashar al-Assad’s sudden flight to Russia to the rise of Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a figure who was once designated terrorist with a $10m bounty but is now engaging with diplomats from over 70 countries.

This discussion takes a look at the following:

· The “Rush to Damascus” and Assad’s unexpected downfall.

· Ahmed al-Sharaa’s foreign policy success and his mixed domestic policy performance.

· The effect of lifting sanctions and Syria’s economic recovery.

· Southern Syria’s clashes, the Druze, and Israel’s intervention.

· The future of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and U.S. counter-ISIS operations.

· The U.S. policy on Syria moving forward.

· How the region now views Syria as the key to unlocking a more stable and prosperous Middle East.

Charles Lister unpacks Syria’s past to help us understand its present and why there may finally be reason to hope for a better future.

Links from the Episode:

• Cyber Bay Registration Link

• "Building Trust in Digital Response: The Role of Chatbots in Cybercrime Prevention" Decision Brief

• "Our Knowledge of the Taliban as Guide for US Policy" JSS Article by Dr. Marvin G. Weinbaum

• 2025 Notes from Cambridge Blog

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

In this episode of the “At the Boundary” podcast, GNSI’s Jim Cardoso speaks with Dr. Rob Burrell, Senior Research Fellow at the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, about GNSI’s new research initiative on the Future of Warfare. Dr. Burrell also introduces his upcoming book, Resilience and Resistance, and outlines a fresh analytical framework for understanding irregular warfare in the 21st century.

The conversation explores how resistance movements evolve—from nonviolent protest to full-scale civil war—and how emerging technologies like AI and cyber tools are reshaping the battlespace. Burrell also previews future episodes in this new podcast series, featuring leading experts such as General Charles Cleveland and Dr. Chris Mason.

Whether you’re a defense strategist, policymaker, or curious listener, this episode offers critical insights on how the U.S. must prepare for an era of complex, unconventional conflict.

Links from the episode:

• 2025 Notes from Cambridge Blog

• 2025 Cyber Bay Event Link

• Link to “Resilience and Resistance: Interdisciplinary Lessons in Competition, Deterrence, and Irregular Warfare” by Robert S. Burrell

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

In this episode of At the Boundary, William Parker, a Business Librarian at the University of South Florida (USF) sat down with GNSI’s Strategy and Research Manager Dr. Tad Schnaufer to the newest GNSI Decision Brief, "Assessing BRICS Gold Holdings."

They discussed how BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have been increasing their gold reserves in an effort to challenge Western financial systems and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar. The conversation also explores the role of gold in a nation’s financial and economic credibility.

Some of the key topics discussed include:

• What BRICS and BRICS+ represent, and why their expansion matters geopolitically
• Why gold still matters, even when some nations have dropped the gold standard
• The potential shortcomings of fiat currencies
• The potential for BRICS nations to offer an alternative to the US dollar in the global financial structure
• How physical gold can act as a tool to circumvent sanctions
• What other metals, if any, could compete with gold as a monetary standard
• “Currency decoupling” and its effects on monetary systems

Links From the Episode:

• Assessing BRICS Gold Holdings Decision Brief

• 2025 Notes From Cambridge

• Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War GNSI Summit

• Axis of Resistance GNSI Research Initiative

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

What’s the U.S. endgame in Afghanistan now—and what role does the Taliban really play?

In this episode of At the Boundary, host Jim Cardoso speaks with Dr. Jonathan Schroden, a non-resident fellow at the Global and National Security Institute (GNSI), to explore how U.S. foreign policy toward Afghanistan has evolved under the the most recent presidential administrations.

Schroden examines the administration’s transactional relationship with the Taliban, which prioritizes counterterrorism cooperation and human rights advocacy, while contrasting it with the Trump administration’s more rhetorical approach. The conversation also breaks down the threat landscape in Afghanistan, identifying ISIS-K (Islamic State Khorasan) as the primary concern, alongside Al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).

Key topics include:

· U.S. policy shifts from Trump to Biden

· The rise of ISIS-K and regional terrorism threats

· Challenges of working with the Taliban and neighboring powers

· The moral and strategic dilemmas of engagement

This episode offers a timely, candid look at one of America’s most complex foreign policy challenges.

Links to the Show:

• 2025 Notes from Cambridge Student Blog

• Jonathan Schroden’s Article in the Journal of Strategic Security

• “Policy Options for Securing U.S. Interests in Afghanistan” Decision Briefs

• CNA Website

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

Polarization Feels Unstoppable. Will it Destroy Democracy?
In this episode of At the Boundary, we explore how America’s deepening divides are shaking the very foundations of democracy. Dr. Josh Scacco—USF’s first-ever Carnegie Fellow and founding director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy—joins us to dissect the troubling link between political polarization, public trust, and national security. From social media echo chambers and disinformation to local political violence and eroding public health consensus, Scacco explains why polarization feels so relentless—and what it could ultimately cost us.

He also reveals his new research on vaccine attitudes in Latino and Hispanic communities, showing how polarized messaging threatens long-term democratic resilience. Most importantly, we discuss practical ways to rebuild trust and civic engagement, starting close to home. If you’re concerned about America’s democratic future—or just curious about how communication shapes the security landscape—this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Episode Links:

• Receive Updates on the first Florida Security Forum (Nov 4: Port and Maritime Security: Risks & Resilience)
• GNSI Decision Brief: Assessing BRICS Gold Holdings
• The Ubiquitous Presidency: Presidential Communication and Digital Democracy in Tumultuous Times

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.

Text the ATB Team! We'd love to hear from you!

In this episode of At the Boundary, GNSI Senior Director Jim Cardoso speaks with Dr. Jeff Rogg, Senior Research Fellow at the Global and National Security Institute, about his new book The Spy in the State: The History of American Intelligence. Drawing on both history and current events, they explore the enduring coordination struggles in the U.S. intelligence community, tensions between executive and legislative oversight, and how the balance between liberty and security continues to evolve.

Dr. Rogg explains why U.S. intelligence has often been accused of failure, from Pearl Harbor to 9/11, and how a lack of coordination among its many agencies, not a single department, plays a central role. The discussion also tackles the complex relationship between the intelligence community (IC) and the American public, and the growing challenges posed by domestic surveillance, new technologies, and public expectations.

Key topics:

• Coordination struggles and failures in U.S. intelligence

• Executive vs. legislative tensions in intelligence oversight

• The rise and limits of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI)

• Domestic surveillance, technology, and threats to civil liberties

• Public perception of intelligence and its impact on policy

Links From the episode:

• Transatlantic Forum on Cybersecurity | GNSI Policy Dialogues

• Axis of Resistance Episode 4: Iraq Panel | GNSI Research Initiative

• "At the Boundary:" SPECIAL EPISODE Iran's Breaking Point: Missiles, Miscalculation and Reckoning

• “The Spy and the State: The History of American Intelligence” by Jeffrey P. Rogg

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

Look for our other publications and products on our website publications page.