Peace Through Strength Podcasts by American Security Council Foundation

Empower Deterrence, Embrace Peace

PTS host Joy Votrobek discusses with ASCF Sr. Fellow Alan Dowd the importance of a strong defense for lasting peace. Investing in military defense plays a crucial role in establishing deterrence. Allocating resources to strengthen armed forces isn't always popular; there will be tradeoffs, but the U.S. must be ready to respond to potential threats. Even with the Trump Administration's trillion-dollar proposal, the amount of GDP spent on defense today doesn't match the post-Cold War spending. They also address defense spending on cybersecurity concerns and the possibility of a military cyber unit. A robust defense posture fosters stability within regions, reassures allies, and deters adversaries.

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Webinar: Confronting the China Challenge.

August 2025 Peace Through Strength Webinar with special guest, Dan Green, a Research Fellow for Defense Analysis with the Heritage Foundation. Dr. Green talks about the challenges with China and U.S. National Security. From concerns that the U.S. is not ready to face a China / Taiwan military conflict, to CCP propaganda infiltration and finally, how the U.S. can prepare for future confrontations.

 Dr. Daniel R. Green is a Research Fellow at the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation. In addition to writing about national security topics, he is also the Editor of the Index of U.S. Military Strength.

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China's game plan for BRICS

PTS host, Tracy Steele, interviews ASCF Sr. Analyst Laurence Sanford on BRICS Brazil. BRICS is a growing alliance led by China that's challenging U.S. influence and the dollar's dominance. The latest BRICS summit in Brazil marked a significant moment for the bloc, without President Xi Jinping of China present, leaving room for speculation and theories about his absence. Putin did appear in a virtual call and is looking for BRICS nations to help avoid Western sanctions amid his war with Ukraine. Mr. Sanford also discusses how China is waging unrestricted warfare against the U.S. and is using BRICS to strengthen its collective influence on the world stage.

 

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Dirty Money, Hidden Farms: Exposing CCP’s Criminal Networks.

ASCF senior analyst Laurence Sanford hosts Steve Robinson and an independent, investigative journalist with the Maine Wire to discuss the CCP's criminal networks in America. Starting from the Department of Homeland Security's under-estimated amount of CCP-affiliated grow houses in Maine, Steve exposes the numerous hidden grow farms in Maine and across America. The sophisticated grow operations serve as a money laundering operation within the U.S. The stockpiled cash supports other illegal CCP activities, including human trafficking, narcotics, and buying off officials. ....And if you think Hemp is safe - think again! Sadly, the biggest victims of the CCP's criminal grow house networks are the Chinese people. The Chinese people are often indentured servants and trafficked to work the unsafe grow houses.

Steven Robinson is an investigative reporter and the Editor-in-Chief of the Maine Wire. Tucker Carlson recently interviewed him regarding the CCP's grow houses and money laundering in the United States.

Mr. Sanford is a U.S. Navy veteran who served four years with the CIA.

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Kurdish Opposition and Women's Freedom Shaping Iran's Future.

ASCF senior analyst Laurence Sanford interviews Shukriya Bradost, an Iranian Kurdish analyst and activist for women, Kurds, and minorities in Iran. She helped establish the Women, Life, Freedom Committee in Iran in 2003. In 2004, she escaped Iran to avoid arrest. In 2016, she had to flee to the U.S. after the Islamic regime threatened her life while living in Iraqi Kurdistan. Don't miss the end of this podcast as Ms. Bradost discusses efforts she believes can bring about regime change from within Iran through the Kurdish opposition, with the support of the U.S. and other countries.

The Kurdish people who inhabit a region spanning Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have long faced cultural and political marginalization within Iran and the other countries forming Kurdistan. Women already face oppression and discrimination. Ms. Bradost speaks as a Kurdish, Iranian woman, who is also a Sunni muslim (Iranian's are majority Shi'ite muslims). Systematic oppression has contributed to a sense of disenfranchisement among Kurds in Iran, fueling calls for greater autonomy and recognition of their rights. The struggle for Kurds, women, and other ethnic minorities continues to be a significant issue in Iranian politics, reflecting broader tensions between the state and its minorities.

Shukriya Bradost is an Iranian Kurdish analyst and PhD researcher in International Security at Virginia Tech, specializing in Middle East security, non-state actors, and the securitization of ethnic groups in Iran. Shukriya frequently shares her insights on international and Middle East security issues through prominent media outlets, including BBC Persian, I24, VOA, and Iran International TV (source: Interview with Steve Emerson, IPT News).

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U.S. Congress Has Not Declared War Since WWII.

PTS host Joy Votrobek discusses ASCF Senior Fellow Alan Dowd's latest article called "A Half Century War." While Congress has not declared war on Iran, the U.S. has been in numerous conflicts with Iran since 1979. We explore these conflicts and the power struggle between Congress and the Executive Branch. The United States Congress has not formally declared war since World War II. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 sought to limit the president's ability to engage U.S. forces (to a 90-day limit) without congressional approval. Yet, military actions have continued under various justifications, reflecting a complex interface between executive power and legislative authority, often resulting in prolonged conflicts. The absence of a formal declaration of war has shaped U.S. policy, raising important questions about the role of Congress in matters of war and peace.

 

ASCF Senior Fellow Alan Dowd is an opinion journalist. Dowd holds degrees from Butler University and Indiana University. He has also served as an adjunct professor, university lecturer, congressional aide, administrator, researcher, and writer at leading think tanks. Dowd, an award-winning writer, has been interviewed by Fox News Channel, Cox News Service, The Washington Times, The National Post, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and numerous radio programs across North America. 

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MEK and Regime Change in Iran.

What is the overall objective in this war between Iran and Israel? PTS podcast host Joy Votrobek is joined by ASCF senior analyst and returning guest, Col. (Ret.) Pete McIlwain. Col. Pete leads us through information on Operation Rising Lion and the challenges to an Regime Change in Iran. Col. Pete shares information that is not typically reported in the mainstream media. He touches on sources that suggest the nuclear attack may not have been as successful as Israel and the U.S. would like to claim. He also brings up the MEK (Iranian Mujahideen-e Khalq), who have been fighting against the Shia Theocracy in Iran since 1979. He states sources who suggest the MEK were on the ground in Iran as the operational and intelligence arm of Mossad and possibly funded by the CIA. They end by questioning what Iran will do now that they have lost their proxy arms in the Middle East. Pete's notes will be available as an article on our website shortly.

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Col. Pete has over 40 years of combined service between the Army and the CIA, during which he was stationed in Tel Aviv for an extended period.

 

No Kings and Paid Agitators

PTS podcast host Joy Votrobek discusses ASCF Senior Analyst Laurence Sanford's latest paper titled "Chaos Funding." They address the riots in L.A. and other parts of the U.S., as well as the potential involvement of dark money in these riots. They also discuss the No Kings peaceful protests with a mix of anti-ICE, pro-Palestinian flags, and Code Pink.

Mr. Sanford is a U.S. Navy veteran who served four years with the CIA. Ms. Votrobek has a degree in International Relations and has worked in security services for over seven years.

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Iran Conversion Site Obliterated!

PTS podcast with host Joy Votrobek, ASCF senior analyst Laurence Sanford, and returning guest Lee Boyland. Mr. Boyland said that the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear site was well planned out with Israel and did what it was meant to do - set back Iran's nuclear program for quite some time. Even if Iran did move the uranium, the site that they needed for nuclear conversion was destroyed. There is a minor concern about Iranian proxy cells in the U.S., but hopefully that will only make a good movie one day.

Lee Boyland is a Former Army officer, engineer, businessman, and author. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering. He is a retired US Army officer, EOD, Defense Atomic Support Agency, at the Sandia Base, Albuquerque. He has worked on the nuclear device testing at the Nevada Test Site. He has worked with the destruction of chemical weapons, Ton containers and cluster bombs/GB bomblets. He worked in the design and manufacture of explosive warheads and anti-armor warheads. He is an Atomic test veteran.

You can view Lee Boyland's books at: leeboylandbooks.com

Mr. Sanford is a U.S. Navy veteran who served four years with the CIA. Ms. Votrobek has a degree in International Relations and has worked in security services for over seven years.

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Influence and Alliances in the Israel - Iran War.

June 12, 2025 - U.S. Global Leadership webinar: Middle East Part III explores regional influences on the Israel-Iran tensions. This webinar was recorded the day before the Israel-Iran war commenced. Special Guest, Gregg Roman from the Middle East Forum gives an update on what led up to the Israel-Iran conflict. He then continues to address regional influences and alliances. As we can see from the last three days, Gregg is spot on with his wealth of knowledge of the Middle East.

Bio: Gregg Roman is the executive director of the Middle East Forum, previously directing the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. In 2014, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency named him one of the “ten most inspiring global Jewish leaders,” and he previously served as the political advisor to the deputy foreign minister of Israel and worked for the Israeli Ministry of Defense. A frequent speaker on Middle East affairs, Mr. Roman appears on international news channels such as Fox News, i24NEWS, Al-Jazeera, BBC World News, and Israel’s Channels 12 and 13. He studied national security and political communications at American University and the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, and has contributed to The Hill, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, the Miami Herald, and the Jerusalem Post.

 

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