From Iran to Ukraine: Inside America’s National Security Breakdown
From The Steady State Sentinel by The Steady State
March 24, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 18
About this episode
The episode discusses America's national security challenges, including the war with Iran and the situation in Ukraine, featuring insights from journalist Seth Hettena.
Strategic Failures, Intelligence Erosion, and the New Global Threat Landscape In the latest episode of the Sentinel podcast, Jim Lawler hosts investigative journalist Seth Hettena to discuss the U.S. war with Iran, domestic security, and global policy challenges. Domestically, they discuss the weakened state of our institutions, loss of expertise, and politicization of decision-making. Globally, they highlight strained credibility, particularly regarding Ukraine, and the declining trust in the U.S. of our allies. The conversation also raises concerns about expanding government surveillance capabilities enabled by modern technology. About : Seth Hettena is a veteran national security reporter covering intelligence and special operations. He is currently writing “The IceMan,” a book about a 2003 incident in Iraq in which a Navy SEAL Platoon was blamed for the death of a CIA detainee under torture. The victim, Manadel Aljamadi, was referred to as “The Iceman.” You can find Seth on Substack . View the full transcript . Join us each Tuesday for the latest episode everywhere you get podcasts and in video on YouTube .
People in this episode
Host: Jim Lawler
Guest: Seth Hettena
Topics covered
- national security
- intelligence
- global policy
- government surveillance
- politicization of decision-making
- U.S. credibility
Keywords
- national security
- Iran
- Ukraine
- intelligence erosion
- government surveillance
- politicization
- global threats
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: U.S.
Books & works: The IceMan
Places: Iran, Ukraine
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