On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Gissou discuss whether Iranian President Rouhani has fallen short on his promise to improve human rights. Could a nuclear deal empower Rouhani to pursue reforms? Should the West disentangle the nuclear and human rights issues? Has the United Nations played a constructive role? What about Iranian civil society? Do the Helsinki Accords offer a useful precedent for Iran’s reformers?

On Foreign Entanglements, guest hosts Kelsey and Daveed recount their epic battle as finalists in TwitterFightClub 2014, which Daveed won by using lessons learned from battle rap. Applying comic books to national security, they wonder how Iron Man and Galactus could help the US military. Is the sequel to Top Gun really going to be about drones? They analyze what the large outdoor meeting of Al Qaeda in Yemen reveals about what drones can and can’t do. Daveed offers a counterintuitive take on Al Qaeda’s strength and America’s drone war. Plus: The flaws in a Times op-ed connecting military veterans and white supremacy.

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt reports on his recent trip to Israel, where peace negotiations with the Palestinians have reached a crisis point. Matt and Rob discuss whether Israeli domestic politics will preclude any sort of final deal, and Matt notes that the settlement project has become deeply embedded in the Israeli government. Ripping into a recent WSJ op-ed, Rob argues that sending old American B-52s to Israel would be a bad idea for all involved. They critique Reihan Salam’s column declaring that he is still a neoconservative, and consider what that controversial label means now. They analyze Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the “asshole problem” in international relations. Plus: Geography is for losers!

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Adam debate the need for an independent air force. Adam argues that the US Air Force provides an integrated vision of military airpower that the other services can’t offer. Rob, on the other hand, isn’t impressed by the USAF’s performance. Would bombers exist without an independent air force? What lessons can we learn from the wars in Iraq? What is the Air Force’s most under-appreciated service? Rob and Adam close by discussing the prospects for using airpower in Ukraine.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Dmitry discuss the recent Russian incursion into Crimea. Dmitry summarizes Russian interests in the region. Have the US and Europe handled the situation correctly so far? Dmitry suggests that, in the long run, Putin will pay substantial costs for the incursion. Is the new Ukrainian government stable enough to fight back? Rob and Dmitry compare the strengths of the Russian and Ukrainian militaries. Finally, Dmitry thinks through some options for the Western response.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob speaks with Steve Saideman, co-author of the new book NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone. Steve discusses his research on the nature of restrictions on coalition warfare in the NATO alliance. Rob asks Steve about how military culture and personal relationships affect the conduct of coalition operations, and Steve elucidates the differences between forces that prioritize outcomes and those that prioritize behavior. Steve sums up his Churchillian view of NATO. Rob and Steve talk about communicating political science findings to a broader audience, then close with a discussion about the recent efforts of the International Studies Association to restrict blogging.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob talks to Hang about her book on the Vietnam War, Hanoi’s War. Hang describes the major myths Americans tend to believe about Vietnam. Rob is fascinated by the conflicting advice North Vietnam received from Moscow and Beijing. How did American air power affect Hanoi’s decisions? How important was secrecy to the negotiations that ended the war? Hang explains how the Vietnamese perspective on the war has changed in recent years.

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Patrick discuss the Iranian nuclear talks, beginning with the Foreign Policy Initiative’s open letter to Congress. Is the Obama Administration right to oppose new sanctions on Iran? How much of a role did sanctions play in bringing Hassan Rouhani to power? Is the new nuclear inspection regime adequate? Why has Supreme Leader Khamanei empowered Rouhani to participate in these negotiations? Can the negotiations be broadened to include human rights?

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Yousef discuss John Kerry‘s ongoing attempts to restart the Middle East peace process. Why is recognition of Israel as a Jewish state such a sticking point? Is it fair of Israel to hold the Palestinian Authority responsible for inciting violence? Why is the US giving so much more attention to Israel’s security needs compared to Palestine’s? And what is Abbas’s best strategic option going forward? Matt wonders whether the Palestinians can realistically expect anything better than a semi-occupied state.

On a special year-in-review edition of Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Rob examine the biggest foreign policy stories in 2013, starting with the NSA revelations. They consider the lack of US intervention in Syria and the amazingly fast change in America’s relationship with Iran. The Afghanistan War has become incredibly unpopular—so why does no one in Washington seem to care? Will the coming 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War change foreign policy views? Was 2013 the year that the GOP finally turned against neoconservatism? Finally, the real issue: whether it’s permissible to have both a lemon twist and olives in a martini.