International Affairs Archives - Chris Riback's Conversations

Philip Mudd explains the state of our national intelligence and law enforcement agencies -- and revisits the CIA's Black Sites, where our national debates on torture, waterboarding, counterterrorism, and the deep responsibility to prevent another attack were born.

Philip Mudd: Trump & the Attack on U.S. Intelligence + Discussion of “Black Site”

August 2, 2019 admin International Affairs, Public Policy

Philip Mudd explains the state of our national intelligence and law enforcement agencies — and revisits the CIA’s Black Sites, where our debates on torture, counterterrorism & the responsibility to prevent another attack were born

How is today’s polarized, disrupted world one in which Russia can thrive? That’s what Angela Stent explains through history and analysis in her remarkable new book, "Putin's World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest."

Angela Stent: Explaining Putin’s World

July 5, 2019 admin International Affairs, Public Policy

How is today’s polarized, disrupted world one in which Russia can thrive? That’s what Angela Stent explains through history and analysis in her remarkable new book, “Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest.”

Richard Clarke: “Democracy is on the Ballot”

October 19, 2018 admin International Affairs

Richard Clarke, national security analyst and host of the Future State podcast, joined me for a discussion on the future of our country. Subscribe via

Amb. Nicholas Burns: What Happened This Week

July 20, 2018 admin International Affairs, Public Policy

Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and current professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Nicholas Burns helps explain what happened in Helsinki (and since), the damage

Bill Browder: Putin’s Public Enemy No. 1?

June 1, 2018 admin Business & Economics, International Affairs, Public Policy

If you know his story already, you surely won’t mind hearing it again. It’s extraordinary. If you haven’t heard it before, get ready. Bill Browder

Gen. Michael V. Hayden: The Assault on Intelligence

May 25, 2018 admin International Affairs, Public Policy

General Michael Hayden, former Director of CIA and National Security Agency — and author of “The Assault on Intelligence” — joined me for a conversation

Ronan Farrow: War on Peace

May 4, 2018 admin International Affairs, Public Policy

Ronan Farrow, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence, talked with me about

Michael Isikoff & David Corn: Putin’s War on America

March 16, 2018 admin International Affairs, Politics

Michael Isikoff and David Corn, authors of Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump, discuss how

Steve Coll: Inside America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan

February 20, 2018 admin International Affairs

I spoke with Steve Coll, author of the bestselling books, Directorate S and Ghost Wars. Subscribe via iTunes or Google Play to get new episodes automatically

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt: “How Democracies Die”

February 9, 2018 admin International Affairs, Politics, Public Policy

Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt discuss their New York Times bestseller, How Democracies Die. It’s a discussion that could change the way you look

Graham Allison: Are U.S. and China Headed for War?

July 21, 2017 admin International Affairs

That’s the provocative, timely, and somewhat scary question posed by one of America’s great authorities on international affairs: Harvard’s Graham Allison. Allison is the author

Alexa Koenig: The Internet Can Help Stop Human Rights Abuse

March 29, 2017 admin International Affairs, Public Policy, Technology

Alexa Koenig is Executive Director of the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley, a 2015 winner of a prestigious MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective