Armed Conflict Cybersecurity & Tech Executive Branch Foreign Relations & International Law

Rational Security: The “Ten Years, Still Off-Key” Edition

Scott R. Anderson, Shane Harris, Quinta Jurecic, Alan Z. Rozenshtein, Benjamin Wittes
Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 12:30 PM
Scott Anderson sat down for a very special episode of the podcast with Benjamin Wittes, Shane Harris, Alan Rozenshtein, and Quinta Jurecic.
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This week, Scott sat down for a very special episode of the podcast with co-hosts emeritus Benjamin Wittes, Shane Harris, Alan Rozenshtein, and Quinta Jurecic to cover some topics that haven’t gotten quite as much attention as they would have liked.

In object lessons, Shane is basking in the glory of HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere”—partly because his buddy Jeff Hiller just won an Emmy for his role in it. Ben praises Adam Boehler—and even Donald Trump—for helping secure Elizabeth Tsurkov’s release. Alan is definitely not using this opportunity to use Pacific Rim for his object lesson—really—instead recommending fantasy mystery “The Tainted Cup,” by Robert Jackson Bennett. Scott takes us into orbit with Samantha Harvey’s “Orbital,” a lyrical meditation on life and reflection in space. And Quinta dives into the future with “Empire of AI,” by Karen Hao, a deeply reported look at OpenAI and its role in shaping the technology’s trajectory

Last call to help us celebrate Lawfare’s 15th anniversary! Get your tickets now to join us this Friday, 9/19, to hear from some of your favorite Lawfare people past and present, take a look back on the key moments that have shaped our first 15 years, and get a sneak peek into what’s coming next.

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Topics:
Armed Conflict Cybersecurity & Tech Executive Branch Foreign Relations & International Law
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Scott R. Anderson

Scott R. Anderson

S_R_Anders
sranderson.bsky.social
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Scott R. Anderson is a fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow in the National Security Law Program at Columbia Law School. He previously served as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and as the legal advisor for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.
Shane Harris

Shane Harris

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Shane Harris is a staff writer at The Atlantic covering national security and intelligence. He can be reached on Signal at shaneharris.64. He has written about intelligence, security, and foreign policy for more than two decades, including as a staff writer for The Washington Post, where he was part of the team that won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. In 2023, he co-reported the documentary The Discord Leaks with PBS Frontline, which was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding investigative news coverage. He is the author of two books, The Watchers and @War.
Quinta Jurecic

Quinta Jurecic

@qjurecic
qjurecic.bsky.social
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Quinta Jurecic is a staff writer at The Atlantic. She was previously a fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and a senior editor at Lawfare.
Alan Z. Rozenshtein

Alan Z. Rozenshtein

@ARozenshtein
alanrozenshtein.com
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Alan Z. Rozenshtein is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School, Research Director and Senior Editor at Lawfare, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, he served as an Attorney Advisor with the Office of Law and Policy in the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. He also speaks and consults on technology policy matters.
Benjamin Wittes

Benjamin Wittes

benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org
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Benjamin Wittes is editor in chief of Lawfare and a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of several books.
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