The World Unpacked
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The World Unpacked is a weekly podcast where insiders, intellectuals, and iconoclasts dive deep into the most pressing global issues. In a time of violent convulsions and heady new possibilities, host Jon Bateman mixes it up with the thinkers making sense of what’s happening and the power brokers building what comes next. Tune in for lively, free-wheeling conversations with some of the world’s most interesting and informed people.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 17, 2018 • 19min
Sanctions 101: How are Sanctions Implemented?
Jen and Jarrett talk to lawyer Greta Lichtenbaum about how sanctions policy translates into the real world, and how she helps her clients navigate them. This is the third episode of a three-part special series—a 101 on how sanctions work and how policymakers should use them. Don’t miss the first two episodes! You can find them in your feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Greta Lichtenbaum is attorney focused on compliance with U.S. laws that govern international business transactions and trade. She represents and advises clients in matters related to U.S. economic sanctions, export controls, anti-corruption, money laundering, anti-boycott, foreign investment, and customs laws. Jarrett Blanc is a senior fellow in the Geoeconomics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He was previously the deputy lead coordinator and State Department coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation at the U.S. Department of State under President Obama, responsible for the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program, including Iranian and U.S. commitments on sanctions. We want to hear from you! Write to us at diplopod@ceip.org, or call us at 202-939-2247. Leave us a voicemail and we might use your question on a future episode. You can also talk to us on Twitter using #DiploPod. And follow Jen! She’s on Twitter at twitter.com/jrpsaki. Go Deeper: Read Greta’s Q&A on renewed Iran sanctions: More about Greta Lichtenbaum: https://www.omm.com/professionals/greta-h-lichtenbaum/ More about Jarrett Blanc: https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1343 Follow Jarrett on Twitter at twitter.com/jarrettblanc

Oct 16, 2018 • 32min
Sanctions 101: How Powerful are Sanctions, Really?
How powerful are sanctions, really? In this episode, Jen and Jarrett talk to former U.S. treasury secretary Jack Lew about how policymakers ought to approach sanctions, and the dangers of using sanctions unwisely. This is the second episode of a three-part special series on sanctions—a 101 on how sanctions work and how policymakers should use them. Don’t miss part one of our series on what sanctions are and how they work. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/diplopod/sanctions-101-how-sanctions-work And come back tomorrow for part three of our series, when Jen and Jarrett talk to sanctions lawyer Greta Lichtenbaum about how she helps her clients navigate sanctions policies. To make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Jacob Lew served as U.S. secretary of the treasury from 2013 to 2017. He previously served as White House chief of staff. Jarrett Blanc is a senior fellow in the Geoeconomics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He was previously the State Department coordinator for the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA). We want to hear from you! Write to us at diplopod@ceip.org, or call us at 202-939-2247. Leave us a voicemail and we might use your question on a future episode. You can also talk to us on Twitter using #DiploPod. And follow Jen! She’s on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jrpsaki. Go Deeper: Read Jack’s new Foreign Affairs article on economic statecraft: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/use-and-misuse-economic-statecraft?gpp=6Kgbv%2BDmD6cFKWHq7SX4uzozL2Fad2ZDR1NuUFRHcUkvK3F2TndueEtGRWpxSUFvZG1sbGV6V3BITGNrWDVHOHoxaThIdnB6Y291ODZWUS9POjViMDg1N2FjN2ZiZmEzYTdmYzEzYjA4NDkzM2I2MTFjZTMzZjI1NTJhMjAyOGNiMzM2MDVjYmMyOGI1MTU2YzU%3D&cid=%3Fcid%3Dlew_nephew_paywall_free_10152018 Watch Jack’s 2016 speech on U.S. sanctions policy: https://ceip.org/e-5191 More about Jack Lew: https://sipa.columbia.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/jacob-j-lew More about Jarrett Blanc: http://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1343 Follow Jarrett on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jarrettblanc

Oct 15, 2018 • 16min
Sanctions 101: How Do Sanctions Work?
This is the first episode of a three-part special series on sanctions—a 101 course on how sanctions work and how policymakers should use them. This episode, Jen talks with her special cohost for this series, Jarrett Blanc, about what sanctions are and how they work. Over the next two days, we’ll release two more episodes—tomorrow Jen and Jarrett talk to former U.S. treasury secretary Jack Lew about how policymakers think about sanctions, and on Wednesday they’ll talk to sanctions lawyer Greta Lichtenbaum about how she helps her clients navigate sanctions policies. To make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Jarrett Blanc is a senior fellow in the Geoeconomics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He was previously the deputy lead coordinator and State Department coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation at the U.S. Department of State under President Obama, responsible for the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program, including Iranian and U.S. commitments on sanctions. We want to hear from you! Write to us at diplopod@ceip.org, or call us at 202-939-2247. Leave us a voicemail and we might use your question on a future episode. You can also talk to us on Twitter using #DiploPod. And follow Jen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JRPsaki Go Deeper: More about Jarrett Blanc: http://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1343 Read Jarrett’s op-ed on Russia sanctions: http://ceip.org/p-77414 Listen to Jarrett talk about Iran sanctions: http://ceip.org/p-77016 Follow Jarrett on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JarrettBlanc

Oct 11, 2018 • 32min
A Peace Deal in the Balkans?
Kosovo and Serbia are trying to negotiate the end of their old and frequently bloody conflict. A solution could pave the way for both countries to join the EU. Jen Psaki talks to Bekim Çollaku, chief of staff to Kosovar President Hashim Thaçi, who explains Kosovo’s goals and parameters in the negotiations. Carnegie’s Judy Dempsey, who has covered the Balkans for years, shares her view on what comes next for the region. Bekim Çollaku is chief of staff to President of the Republic of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi Judy Dempsey is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and editor in chief of the Strategic Europe blog. She is also the author of the book The Merkel Phenomenon. We want to hear from you! Write to us at diplopod@ceip.org, or call us at 202-939-2247. Leave us a voicemail and we might use your question on a future episode. You can also talk to us on twitter using #DiploPod. And follow Jen! She’s @jrpsaki. Go Deeper: More about Judy Dempsey: https://carnegieeurope.eu/experts/693 Read Judy’s op-ed on the proposed Kosovo-Serbia land swap: https://carnegieeurope.eu/2018/09/19/kosovo-and-serbia-are-talking-about-redrawing-their-borders.-it-s-terrible-idea-pub-77291 Read Judy’s blog post on the failed Macedonian name referendum: https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/77393 Follow Judy on Twitter: @Judy_Dempsey

Sep 27, 2018 • 17min
Francis Fukuyama on Identity Politics
Jen Psaki sat down with Stanford professor Francis Fukuyama to talk about his new book, "Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment." They discussed Fukuyama’s views on the current trajectory of identity politics in the United States and around the world, and what he sees as a new essential American identity. Go deeper: More about Francis Fukuyama: https://fukuyama.stanford.edu/ Watch Fukuyama in discussion with Thomas Carothers: http://carnegieendowment.org/2018/09/18/global-rise-of-identity-politics-event-6951

Sep 20, 2018 • 19min
Israel and Palestine: Is a Two-State Solution Still Possible?
Jen Psaki kicks off a new season of Carnegie's flagship podcast, DiploPod, one-on-one with Carnegie scholar Marwan Muasher, who is the former foreign minister of Jordan and has been through many rounds of Middle East peace talks. They discussed the fading prospects of the two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, the problematic prospect of integrating both communities in a one-state option, and the impact of the Trump administration’s move to sideline Palestinian interests by moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, cutting off funding for aid for Palestinian refugees, and closing the PLO office in Washington. Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at Carnegie, where he oversees research in Washington and Beirut on the Middle East. Mauasher served as foreign minister (2002–2004) and deputy prime minister (2004–2005) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications. Go deeper: + About Marwan Muasher - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/563 + Read Marwan’s Op-Ed on Trump’s Israel-Palestine plan: https://ceip.org/p-77282 + Read Marwan’s Report - https://ceip.org/p-77269

Aug 9, 2018 • 22min
Sanctioning Iran
The Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Iran this week, following U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Sanctions expert and Carnegie Senior Fellow Jarrett Blanc joined Jen Psaki to talk about the consequences of reimposing sanctions and what Trump is trying to accomplish with his Iran policy. Jarrett Blanc was previously the deputy lead coordinator and State Department coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation at the U.S. Department of State under President Obama, responsible for the full and effective implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program, including Iranian and U.S. commitments on sanctions. (More on Blanc - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1343)

Jul 25, 2018 • 13min
(Twitter) War with Iran?
Jen Psaki sat down with Carnegie scholar and Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour to discuss the impact of this week’s Twitter war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian officials, the future of Iran’s leaders, and President Trump’s approach to Iran policy. Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East. He is a regular contributor to the Atlantic, and has also written for Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, the Economist, and the Washington Post. (More on Sadjadpour - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/340)

Jul 16, 2018 • 19min
Reaction to the Helsinki Summit
The Helsinki meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded with a tumultuous press conference filled with jaw-dropping statements on both sides. Carnegie experts Andrew Weiss and Alexander Gabuev joined Jen Psaki to dissect the summit and what it means for US-Russia relations going forward. Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research in Washington and Moscow on Russia and Eurasia. Prior to joining Carnegie, he was director of the RAND Corporation’s Center for Russia and Eurasia and executive director of the RAND Business Leaders Forum. (More on Weiss -https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/824) Alexander Gabuev is a senior fellow and the chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. His research is focused on Russia’s policy toward East and Southeast Asia, political and ideological trends in China, and China’s relations with its neighbors—especially those in Central Asia. (More on Gabuev - https://carnegie.ru/experts/1017)

Jun 27, 2018 • 23min
Foreign Influence in Latin America
What do recent and upcoming elections in Latin America reveal about the region’s changing political and economic landscape? Are the rise of populism and concerns about corruption having destabilizing effects that outside actors can exploit? Carnegie visiting scholar Julia Gurganus, filling in for Jen Psaki, sat down in the DiploPod studio with Mark Feierstein, special assistant to the president and senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs on the National Security Council. They discussed the upcoming presidential election in Mexico, outside influence in the region, countries’ responses to that external influence, and the impact on U.S. policy in the region. Mark Feierstein is a Senior Advisor with ASG’s Latin America practice, where he advises clients on entry and growth strategies throughout the region. Most recently, Mr. Feierstein served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs on the National Security Council. (More on Feierstein - https://www.albrightstonebridge.com/team/mark-feierstein) Julia Gurganus is a visiting scholar with the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focus is on trends in Russian foreign policy and Russia-U.S. relations. (More on Gurganus - https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1424)


