The "Coke Party" Edition

<p>This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were reunited to hash&nbsp;through the week's national security news,&nbsp;including:&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><ul><li>“A Thousand and One Arabian Flights.” President Biden is conducting his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/09/joe-biden-saudi-arabia-israel-visit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first official visit to the Middle East</a> this week with the stated goal of building ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, beginning with more direct airline routes. Why this sudden high-profile engagement and what does Biden hope it will yield?</li><li><br></li><li>“Loose Bannon.” Trump ally Steve Bannon has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/07/11/bannon-trial-hearing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">signaled that he may be willing to speak to the Jan. 6th committee after all</a>, just as his contempt trial for refusing to do so gets under way and a disagreement between the former president’s lawyers and his own regarding whether he can invoke executive privilege goes public. What does this all mean for his legal future?</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>“Crossing the International Hate Line.” FBI Director Chris Wray and his U.K. counterpart recently <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/08/wray-fbi-terror-extremists-global-threat/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">made a joint statement</a> on the growing international ties between violent right-wing nationalist movements in various Western countries. What could this mean for counterterrorism strategy moving forward? </li></ul><p><br></p><p>For object lessons, Alan recommended his latest favorite show about an old spy, "<a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-old-man" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Old Man</a>." Quinta brought a blast from the past with a tech review by Mark Twain, who gave&nbsp;<em>The Atlantic&nbsp;</em>an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1880/06/a-telephonic-conversation/306078/" rel="n