Gutter? Catahr? Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

How do you solve a problem like Qatar? This week over Pimms Cups, we talk with Mara Karlin about all the Middle East dramas (and why she loves the SAIS cult). We lament the State Dept budget and UK politics, pay tribute to the USS Fitzgerald, and wonder if we’ll ever have a strategy in Afghanistan or Syria. Finally, American Gods, the Manic Pixie Dream S2 of Band of Brothers, and Fidget Spinners.

Reading:

• "Afghanistan Stabilization Program: A Summary of Research and Key Outcome Trends," by Radha Iyengar and Jake Shapiro, Empirical Studies of Conflict
• "UK election result: What does it mean for Brexit?" by Katya Alder, BBC
• "What is the Good Friday Agreement and why does it matter now?" by Adam Becket, Business Insider
• "Trump's Cuba Policy Will Fail," by Ben Rhodes, The Atlantic
• "How Could This Happen? The Fitzgerald, the U.S. Navy, and Collisions at Sea," by Bryan McGrath, War on the Rocks