Great Power Podcast

In this episode, host Ilan Berman talks to Jonathan Schanzer, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, about how the war with Iran is reshaping the Middle East - and what it means for “great power competition” writ large. MATERIALS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:-- "Regime Change Without Nation Building," Commentary, April 2026, https://www.commentary.org/articles/jonathan-schanzer/regime-change-iran-america-trump/BIO:Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is the executive director at FDD, where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars.Jonathan previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he followed and froze the funding of Hamas and al-Qaeda. Jonathan has held previous think tank research positions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Middle East Forum. He has written hundreds of articles on the Middle East and U.S. national security.His most recent book is Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War (FDD Press 2021). His other books are State of Failure: Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Unmaking of the Palestinian State (Palgrave Macmillan 2013), Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine (Palgrave Macmillan 2008), and Al-Qaeda’s Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups and the Next Generation of Terror (Washington Institute for Near East Policy 2004).

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Randy Schriver and Mike Kuiken, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, about the USCC's latest report to Congress, and what they see as the future domains of our unfolding competition with the PRC. MATERIALS REFERENCED:-- The Commission's 2025 Annual Report to Congress (available here: https://www.uscc.gov/annual-report/2025-annual-report-congress)BIOGRAPHIES:Randall Schriver is the Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security (IIPS) and a partner at Pacific Solutions LLC. He is also a lecturer for Stanford University’s “Stanford-in-Washington” program, is on the Board of Advisors to the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, and is on the Board of Directors of the US-Taiwan Business Council. He served for two years (2018-2019) as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, where he led a team of nearly one hundred professionals and was the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on matters related to the Indo-Pacific region.Michael Kuiken serves as Vice Chair of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission following nearly 23 years in the U.S. Senate and is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. In the private sector, Mike is the Managing Member of Silver Valley Strategies, where he advises founders, CEOs, and investors on geopolitical and government strategies.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Dana Stroul of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the changing shape of the new Syria, and what we can expect in terms of the looming showdown between the United States and Iran.BIO:Dana Stroul is Director of Research and Shelly and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, positions she assumed in February, 2024. She rejoined the Institute after serving from 2021-2023 as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, the Pentagon’s top civilian official with responsibility for the region. Prior to first joining the Institute in 2018, she served for five years as a senior professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she covered the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey. Before working on Capitol Hill, Stroul served in the Middle East policy office of the Secretary of Defense.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Kamran Bokhari of the New Lines Institute regarding the Trump administration's unexpected early January operation to apprehend Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and the larger strategic implications of that move.BIO:Dr. Kamran Bokhari is Senior Director and a key founder of the New Lines Institute for Strategy & Policy. Previously, Dr. Bokhari served as Director of the Institute’s Analytical Development Department and played a pivotal role in establishing its M.A. program in Strategy & Policy, where he teaches three seminars. Bokhari publishes a weekly essay for Geopolitical Futures and is a regular columnist with Forbes. Dr. Bokhari brings over 15 years of private-sector intelligence experience, providing intellectual leadership in publishing cutting-edge geopolitical analyses and strategic forecasts and has also served as Central Asia Studies Coordinator at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. His core areas of expertise are: Strategic Intelligence Analysis, Foreign Policy/National Security, Eurasian Geopolitics (Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, & South Caucasus) Democratization, Civil-Military Relations, Comparative Political Systems, Counterterrorism, & Political Islam.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with intelligence veteran and Iran expert Norman Roule about the state of Iran's strategic programs after the "Twelve Day War" with Israel, its mounting domestic troubles, and the durability of its strategic partnerships with Russia and China.BIO:Norman Roule served for 34 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, managing numerous programs relating to the Middle East in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations. He held multiple senior intelligence assignments in Washington, as well as during over 15 years of overseas work. He served as the National Intelligence Manager for Iran at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence from November 2008 until September 2017. He is now a business consultant on Middle East political, security, economic, and energy issues, with an emphasis on the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran, as well as an advisor to numerous think tanks.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with David Shedd, intelligence veteran and author of the new book The Great Heist, about China's systematic efforts to penetrate the U.S. economy and steal intellectual property. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:-- David R. Shedd and Andrew Badger, The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets (HarperCollins, 2025), https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-great-heist-david-r-sheddandrew-badger?variant=43738689273890. BIO:David R. Shedd is the former deputy director and acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). He also served as chief of staff for the director of national intelligence and National Security Council senior director and as special assistant to the president for intelligence under George W. Bush. He began his intelligence career in 1982 immediately after his studies at Geneva College and Georgetown University, and served nearly thirty-three years in a wide variety of positions both inside and outside of the CIA during his career.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Priyank Mathur of Mythos Labs regarding the growing global focus on artificial intelligence, where America stands currently, and what it means for our Great Power rivalry with the PRC. BIO:Priyank Mathur is Founder and CEO of Mythos Labs, a company that uses AI and strategic communications to combat global security threats. He advises senior leadership of governments, the United Nations and technology companies on AI and emerging technologies. Previously, Mr. Mathur served as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and as Global Consulting Director at Ogilvy and Mather. Mr. Mathur holds graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston University. 

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Hudson Institute Senior Fellow (and former host) Michael Sobolik about the new deal over wildly popular social media app TikTok - and why national security concerns surrounding the Chinese platform still persist. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:— The White House, “Executive Order: Saving TikTok While Protecting National Security,” September 25, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/saving-tiktok-while-protecting-national-security/. BIO:Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He specializes in United States–China relations and great power competition with a focus on geopolitics, net assessments, and competitive strategies. He is the author of Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance (Naval Institute Press, 2024). He is also an advisory board member at the Vandenberg Coalition and a contributing editor at Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy.Prior to joining Hudson, Mr. Sobolik served as a senior fellow in Indo-Pacific studies at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC, where he ran the council’s Indo-Pacific Security Program. He previously served in the United States Senate as a legislative assistant to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with AFPC Senior Fellow Alexander Gray about China's growing activities and interest in the Arctic region - and their implications for American security. BIO:Alexander Gray is a Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council, where his work focuses on U.S. security and defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific, U.S.-China competition globally, and U.S. defense strategy and modernization. He is also the CEO of American Global Strategies LLC, an international strategic advisory firm he co-founded with former National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien. Alex previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the White House National Security Council (NSC), overseeing daily operations, budget, personnel, and security. He was also Special Assistant to the President for the Defense Industrial Base at the National Economic Council and the first Director for Oceania and Indo-Pacific Security at the NSC.

China's Inroads In The AmericasIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Evan Ellis of the U.S. Army War College about what China (as well as Russia and Iran) is up to, politically and strategically, south of the U.S. border.BIO:Dr. R. Evan Ellis is Latin America Research Professor with the U.S. Army War College, where his research is focused on China's engagement with Latin America and other regional security issues. In the first Trump administration, he served on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff as the official responsible for Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as International Narcotics and Law Enforcement issues.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Israeli Brigadier General (ret.) Eran Ortal regarding Israel’s long-running “shadow war” with Iran, its current campaign to eliminate the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, and what it might mean for the region - and for Great Power Competition. BIO:Brigadier General Eran Ortal is a visiting scholar at the American Foreign Policy Council. He is the former commander of The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He is also the founder of the Dado Center journal, a publication focused on operational art and military transformation. His first book, The Battle Before the War, was published in Hebrew in 2022. His second book, Renewal, which tracks the run-up to Israel’s 2023-2025 war and the way ahead, will be published later this year. Ortal is also a senior fellow with the BESA center at Bar-Ilan university in Israel, and a special consultant for the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Joseph Asunka of Afrobarometer regarding political trends in Africa, and how the continent has become a vital arena of Great Power Competition between the U.S. and China. MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:-- Afrobarometer's African Insights 2024 flagship report (https://www.afrobarometer.org/publication/african-insights-2024-democracy-at-risk-the-peoples-perspective/)BIO:Joseph Asunka has served as CEO of Afrobarometer since April 2021. He was previously program officer in the Global Development and Population program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where he managed a portfolio of grants that support efforts to increase transparency and accountability in fiscal governance and foster citizen participation to improve public services in developing countries. Before joining Hewlett, Joseph was a lecturer in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he taught courses on African politics, political economy of development, research methods, and data analysis.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Eric Olander of the China-Global South Project about how Beijing is intensifying its engagement with South and Southeast Asia as part of a growing focus on its immediate periphery. BIO:Eric Olander is Editor-in-Chief of the China-Global South Project (www.chinaglobalsouth.com), a non-profit independent multimedia organization dedicated to exploring every aspect of China’s engagement with the Global South. He is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience reporting, producing, and managing newsrooms for some of the world’s leading editorial organizations, including CNN, FRANCE 24, and the BBC World Service, among others. He has an extensive background working in newsrooms and doing content production in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia. China, though, has been the central focus of Eric’s professional career.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Amb. Ryan Crocker, former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, among other places, about how Great Power Competition intersects with a changing Middle East.BIO:Amb. Ryan Crocker served as U.S. ambassador to Lebanon (1990–1993), Kuwait (1994–1997), Syria (1998–2001), Pakistan (2004–2007), Iraq (2007–2009) and Afghanistan (2011–2012). He is a member of the Afghanistan War Commission, a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Middle East Institute, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and holds the Distinguished Chair in Diplomacy and Security at RAND. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America, about how an emerging and increasingly ambitious India sees China, Russia, Iran, America and its own place in the world.BIO:Dhruva Jaishankar is Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America (ORF America), which he helped establish in 2020, and is the author of Vishwa Shastra: India and the World (Penguin India, 2024). He previously held positions or affiliations with Brookings India, the German Marshall Fund, and the Brookings Institution. He is a frequent contributor to the Indian media, including for the Hindustan Times, and was educated at Macalester College and Georgetown University.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Andrew Michta of the Atlantic Council on the growing divisions between the U.S. and Europe, and what it might mean for Ukraine, Russia and beyond. BIO:Andrew A. Michta is a senior fellow in the GeoStrategy Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the former dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. He holds a PhD in international relations from Johns Hopkins University. His areas of expertise include international security, NATO, and European politics and security, with a special focus on Central Europe and the Baltic states.

In this episode, a rebroadcast of the most recent DISINFORMATION WARS, host Ilan Berman speaks with Laura Cunningham, President of the Open Technology Fund, about how authoritarian regimes are improving their censorship game - and how technology is helping free media fight back against this growing digital authoritarianism. MATERIALS REFERENCE IN THIS EPISODE:— “Does Bypassing Internet Censorship in China Change Individual Beliefs, Attitudes and Behaviors?” Stanford University China Brief, May 1, 2023 (https://sccei.fsi.stanford.edu/china-briefs/does-bypassing-internet-censorship-china-change-individual-beliefs-attitudes-and)BIO:Laura Cunningham is the President of the Open Technology Fund, a position she has held since April of 2020. In that role, she is responsible for OTF’s strategic development, long-term planning, and day-to-day operations to enable OTF to fulfill its mission to support internet freedom worldwide. Prior to joining OTF, Laura was the Senior Advisor for Internet Freedom in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, where she led the Department’s Internet freedom programs focused on technology development, digital security, Internet policy advocacy, and research.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Ilan Berman speaks with Michael Kimmage of the Kennan Institute about the dynamics of, and potential problems with, the burgeoning strategic alliance between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Xi Jinping’s China.BIO:Michael Kimmage is the director of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. He was previously a Professor of History at the Catholic University of America and a Non-resident Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. From 2014 to 2016, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he handled the Ukraine/Russia portfolio. His most recent book is Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability (Oxford University Press, 2024). 

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, new host Ilan Berman introduces himself, and makes the case for taking a broader view of the "great power" challenge confronting the United States.

In his final episode as host of GREAT POWER PODCAST, Michael Sobolik says goodbye to AFPC and to the podcast's listeners, and offers a retrospective of recent counter-Chinese Communist Party policy developments in Washington, DC.