SCHEDULE JBS 5-18-26.
1962 ALGERIA

Pakistan deployed 8,000 troops and fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to reassure its ally. Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggionote that while mediating the Iran war, Islamabad leverages this military presence to avoid direct involvement in the regional conflict. (1/16)

Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio observe that Washington is currently distracted by domestic politics and upcoming midterms, pushing the Iran war to secondary headlines. Global leadership has eroded due to partisan squabbling over issues like high gas prices. (2/16)

Bill Roggio and Samuel Bener report that Israeli strikes killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the last original planner of the October 7 massacre remaining in Gaza. His elimination signals a pressure campaign against Hamas as they refuse to disarm during the ceasefire. (3/16)

Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey report that Iraq's new government remains incomplete with nine ministries vacant due to sectarian disputes. Washington refuses to cooperate if these posts are filled by members of Iran-backed, US-designated terrorist militia groups. (4/16)

Malcolm Hoenlein criticizes The New York Times for publishing an opinion piece echoing propaganda against Israelalongside a report on Hamas atrocities. Critics suggest this timing was intended to undermine Israeli investigative findings. (5/16)

Malcolm Hoenlein reports that Iran launched a digital insurance platform to bypass maritime sanctions and generate revenue in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Hezbollah refuses to disarm in Lebanon despite ongoing diplomatic negotiations held in Washington. (6/16)

Alan Tonelson argues the Beijing summit achieved little, noting no shifts in Taiwan policy or tariffs. Tonelson and Gordon Chang emphasize China's economic distress, manufacturing overcapacity, and strategic reliance on rare earth minerals. (8/16)

Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo discuss Raul Castro's potential indictment and regional shifts toward the right. They highlight the extradition of Alex Saab as a significant blow to Maduro. (9/16)

Alejandro Peña Esclusa attributes Bolivia's turmoil to Cuban influence and Evo Morales's ties to drug trafficking. Ernesto Araújo views Bolivia as a critical "bellwether" for the criminal socialist project in Latin America. (10/16)

Edmund Fitton-Brown discusses the Strait of Hormuz closure and the potential for military escalation if negotiations fail. He critiques European passivity and notes China's interest in reopening the vital waterway. Bill Roggio joins the conversation. (11/16)

Edmund Fitton-Brown critiques a New York Times report on Israeli violence as poorly sourced and timed to distract from Hamas's sexual violence. He warns about shifts in American media coverage. Bill Roggio joins the conversation. (12/16)

John Hardie examines the escalation of drone strikes between Ukraine and Russia, including attacks on Moscow'sinfrastructure. He notes the pressure on Russian air defenses and the stalemate in the Donbas region. Bill Roggio joins the conversation. (13/16)

Joe Truzman details how Iran and its proxy, Kata'ib Hezbollah, outsource low-tech attacks against Jewish targets in Europe. He also discusses Israel's ongoing pursuit of justice for October 7th victims. Bill Roggio joins the conversation. (14/16)

Sophie McDowall explains how terrorist groups use music on platforms like SoundCloud to radicalize new listeners. She details how artists bypass content moderation using coded language and nasheeds featuring battlefield audio. (15/16)

Sophie McDowall explores the complex difficulty of balancing free speech rights with moderating radicalist audio content. She identifies Islamic art bands with ties to Hamas that use music to oppose coexistence. (16/16)

STREAMING MAKING JBS, FEATURING ROGGIO, HAQQANI, BEN-UR, 5-18-26.
SUGAR CANE 1969

This text provides a transcript of a discussion regarding the ongoing regional instability in the Middle East, specifically examining the economic and military consequences of the conflict with Iran. The speakers debate the increasing cost of fuel and the perceived lack of clarity from the Trump administration, suggesting that the American public is becoming desensitized to the war's rhetoric. The dialogue transitions to analyze Pakistan’s military involvement in Saudi Arabia and the complexities of its role as a mediator with shifting loyalties. Furthermore, the participants evaluate the targeted killing of a Hamas commander and the logistical challenges of implementing a peace plan in Gaza. Throughout the conversation, there is a recurring concern that partisan politics in Washington have diminished global leadership and obscured the actual threats posed by regional actors.

The Soviet Union used Lend-Lease to "plunder" American technology, including entire Ford factories and suitcases of blueprints guarded by NKVD agents. Harry Hopkins personally intervened to facilitate the shipment of specialized chemicals and enriched uranium to the USSR. Sean McMeekin notes that while some officials like Harry Dexter Whitewere identified as NKVD agents, Hopkins acted as a devoted "agent of influence," routinely overruling ambassadors like Averell Harriman when they attempted to exert leverage over these transfers. Hopkins ensured that the flow of vital resources remained unconditional, viewing Stalin's interests as his own and outmaneuvering anyone who raised concerns. (7/8)

UNDATED BAKU

The mission's climax involved the sample capsule's return to Earth in the Utah desert. Dante Lauretta describes the harrowing moments when the drogue parachute failed to deploy as scheduled, threatening a catastrophic crash landing. The successful deployment of the main parachute at 60,000 feet ultimately secured a "mission success" and the recovery of a spectacular sample. Lauretta has since transitioned the spacecraft's ongoing mission, now called OSIRIS-APEX, to his former student Daniella DellaGiustina. He concludes by celebrating the mission's impact on training over 200 students, ensuring a legacy for future planetary exploration. (4/4)

AUGUST 1961

Professor Dante Lauretta discusses the origins of his journey to explore the dawn of the solar system. The mission began in 2004 when his mentor, Mike Drake, invited him to meet with Lockheed Martin to propose an asteroid sample return mission. Lauretta shares his personal background as a once "directionless" student who found inspiration through a NASA job advertisement. The team's initial proposals suffered demoralizing rejections from NASA, which served as a "gut punch" but ultimately strengthened their resolve. These early challenges led to the identification of the target asteroid, 1999 RQ36. (1/4)
FEBRUARY 1930

Matthew Shindell explores the history of robotic exploration, starting with political shifts during the Nixonadministration that pivoted NASA away from post-Apollo human Mars missions. He emphasizes the extraordinary success of the Mariner and Viking programs, which provided the first surface-level scientific data from the red planet. Shindell tracks technological evolution through modern milestones like the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuityhelicopter. While figures like Elon Musk aim for human settlement, Shindell stresses the immense technical and biological challenges involved. These include protecting astronauts from radiation and ensuring survival during the long wait for favorable planetary alignment. (4/4)
July 1952

Elbridge Colby argues that the U.S. must prioritize Asia as the primary theater, as China stands a plausible chance of regional hegemony unlike Russia. While maintaining NATO, the U.S. should shift conventional obligations to Europeans, as America cannot handle simultaneous major conflicts. Regarding nuclear proliferation, Colby warns that independent arsenals for allies like Australia or Japan are not a panacea for conventional weakness. Instead, a robust conventional defense is preferred to avoid the dilemma of "going nuclear first" or surrendering autonomy to Beijing'sdictate. (8/8)