Behind The Lines with Arthur Snell

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Behind the Lines with Arthur Snell is a new geopolitics podcast. Every week we give the listener access to the best informed people to help you understand this turbulent world and get a feel for the things that will matter in the future. I am on Twitter @snellarthur and you can read some of my thoughts on world affairs here https://arthursnell.substack.com/ If you enjoyed this podcast please spread the word and give us a positive review - as a brand new title it makes all the difference!" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arthur Snell


    • Jun 19, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 49m AVG DURATION
    • 98 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Behind The Lines with Arthur Snell

    War in the Middle East and its wider impacts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2025 37:53


    I spoke to Chris Coghlan, MP for Dorking and Horley and former diplomat and soldier about the unfolding crisis in the Middle East, the implications for European security and the wider political ramifications. Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Sten Rynning on the Past and the Future of NATO

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2025 48:43


    At different engagements throughout the month, NATO allies will meet in Brussels and the Hague to discuss Ukraine and defense spending – with Trump's team putting pressure on the Europeans to up their spending to 5% of GDP. But with the Americans wavering on the alliance as a whole, and these unrealistic spending targets: Can NATO survive?To find out, Arthur Snell speaks with Sten Rynning, professor and director of the Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, and author of ‘NATO: From Cold War to Ukraine, a History of the World's Most Powerful Alliance'. The duo discuss the origins and evolution of NATO, the significance of Article 5, NATO's complex relationship with France, and the challenges faced during the Afghanistan mission. Plus: the contentious issue of NATO's eastward expansion in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union, and the Alliance's role in maintaining Order in the Post-War era. And as they conclude the discussion, they explore the future of European security architecture, the importance of America's role in NATO, and – to Order the Disorder – the need for a cohesive European defense strategy.Producer: George McDonaghSubscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow Show Notes Links:Get Sten Rynning's book, NATO: From Cold War to Ukraine, a History of the World's Most Powerful Alliance - https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/nato-from-cold-war-to-ukraine-a-history-of-the-world-s-most-powerful-alliance-sten-rynning Watch The Paradox of the Anti-Semitic Boulder attack - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7zAO_5CtfE Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Mike Martin MP on the Strategic Defence Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 35:11


    I spoke to Dr Mike Martin, MP for Tunbridge Wells and former soldier about the Strategic Defence Review.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Iran and the US: is a new nuclear deal in sight?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 38:11


    I spoke to Iran expert Charlie Gammell in the light of the recent developments in the Iran nuclear negotiations. Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Starvation in Gaza, is the world finally responding?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 54:11


    As the humanitarian situation in Gaza descends to unimaginable levels, and the war of words between Benjamin Netanyahu and the West escalates, I spoke to Michael Stephens of RAND Europe and RUSI about the situation.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Murder in Helmand

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2025 46:19


    On this episode I discuss recent allegations of war crimes committed by UK Special Forces in Afghanistan. These featured in a recent BBC Panorama episode which can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001ykkf/panorama-special-forces-i-saw-war-crimesMy guest on this episode is Professor Matthew Ford, a military expert based at the Swedish Defence University. We covered these allegations, wider questions of counter-insurgency and what it means for modern warfare as the western alliance faces existential challenges.You can find Matthew Ford here https://bsky.app/profile/warmatters.bsky.socialYou can find me here https://arthursnell.substack.comYou can find our new Bookshop.org affiliate shop here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/behindthelinesCheck out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Yemen, the UK, the US and the transatlantic alliance

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2025 63:28


    On this episode I speak to Iona Craig, the veteran Yemen expert and journalist about recent events, including the UK's decision to join the US in carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis.Iona mentioned an earlier episode of this podcast with Laura Cretney, which is worth listening to if you are interested in Yemen. You can find it here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/behind-the-lines-with-arthur-snell/id1704344656?i=1000643933101Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ukraine and America: the great betrayal

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 58:10


    I spoke to Romeo Kokriatski, presenter of the Ukraine without the Hype podcast about recent events in his country, including the Trump betrayal.We mentioned Operation Sky Shield, a plan which you can read about here.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Geopolitics of Climate: how Tuvalu is thinking about possible extinction

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 45:22


    What does the climate crisis mean for sovereignty in a world where certain countries face existential risk? I spoke to Taukiei Kitara, a native of Tuvalu, about the case of low-lying Pacific Islands, including his native Tuvalu.Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    RUSI/Disorder Partnership: Ransomware in our Age of Disorder

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 47:43


    Read RUSI piece The Rise of Ransomware as a National Security Threat: https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/organised-cybercrime-rise-ransomware-national-security-threat Read RUSI piece Beyond the Bottom Line: The Societal Impact of Ransomware: https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/beyond-bottom-line-societal-impact-ransomware Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Crisis in The Atlantic Alliance ep 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 50:43


    The impact on Central and Eastern Europe, with Jonathan Terra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Crisis in the Atlantic Alliance

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 60:05


    The Transatlantic Alliance is coming to an end. I discuss this with academic and journalist Jonathan Terra. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    crisis acast atlantic alliance
    Blood, toil, tears, and sweat: the plight of migrant labourers in the Gulf

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 54:32


    Every year, tens of thousands of labourers in the wealth countries of the Gulf, most of them migrants from South Asia, die in unsafe working conditions on construction sites. As the GCC states pour enormous resources into developing their infrastructure, little attention is paid to the plight of the people doing the actual building work. I spoke to James Lynch of FairSquare, a UK-based non-profit that researches and advocates for the rights of labourers in the Gulf.https://fairsq.org/Assistant Producer: Japji Oberoi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Myanmar: the Unfolding Civil War

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 62:30


    For the past 4 years, Myanmar has experienced an ever more serious civil war, which now threatens the ruling military junta in Naypyitaw. I spoke to Ronan Lee about this little-reported conflict.You can find Ronan's work here: https://ronanlee.com/And my writing here: arthursnell.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    What does the collapsing global order mean for the world beyond the West?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 42:45


    Samir Puri of Chatham House is the author of Westlessness, a book about the post-Western world. The book came out last year but the geopolitical setting that he examines is one that is rapidly emerging in front of our eyes, as the chaotic actions of the Trump presidency bring an end to the Western Liberal Order. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How the extremism of our age is being fed by disinformation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 48:59


    The role of disinformation in our current world, whether feeding the false allegations put out by Trump, the lies spread online by Elon Musk, or the over-reliance on social media for news coverage, is feeding the rise of extremism and dysfunction in democratic systems, to the detriment of liberal and progressive political movements. To help us understand this better, I was delighted to be joined by Amil Khan, CEO of Valent Technologies and a disinformation expert.Many thanks to Assistant Producer Japji Oberoi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The latest from Kyiv: what does John Sweeney make of what's being going on?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 36:12


    I spoke to the man in the lucky orange hat, everyone's favourite war correspondent John Sweeney about the latest developments from Kyiv in this week of extraordinary events relating to Ukraine. Find John's work at x.com/johnsweeneyroar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    THIS ONE'S A REAL EMERGENCY EPISODE: THE END OF THE WESTERN ALLIANCE

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 44:34


    The actual end of the Western Alliance, the departure of the United States from European Security and the need for a new Euro-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (EATO) is the subject of this fascinating and urgent discussion with Mike Martin, MP for Tunbridge Wells, member of the defence select committee and military expert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    UKRAINE, John Sweeney and a betrayal foretold

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 59:46


    In November 2023, I spoke to John Sweeney, veteran war correspondent, about the pressures on Ukraine as the world's attention turned towards the Middle East in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre and Israel's assault on Gaza. What he said at the time now sounds both poignant and prescient in the light of the unfolding betrayal of Ukraine by Donald Trump, something which was both predictable and widely predicted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Nomad Century - is climate change going to transform global migration?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025 46:01


    Gaia Vince is a writer, journalist and fascinating thinker on issues relating to the crossover between humanity and the planet we inhabit. Her book Nomad Century looks at how climate change affects the liveability of large areas of the planet and the likely impact that will have.You can find her work here https://wanderinggaia.com/ and on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/wanderinggaia.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Could we change the weather?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 47:02


    The idea that people can change weather has a long history - both as part of mythology and as part of modern day conspiracy theory. But the science of geoengineering is one that some scientists think could be an important opportunity to give the world space to make progress on reducing CO2 emissions. But geoengineering, including stratospheric aerosol injection, remains very controversial and little understood. Alistair Duffey is a scientist at University College London and one of a small number of researchers looking into solar geoengineering. He spoke about his work, the risks and potentialities that go with it, and whether it might be something we can expect in the near future.Alistair Duffey mentions a novel about this subject, Termination Shock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Gulf countries and a post-oil future?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2025 44:30


    How would the Gulf countries transition to a post oil economy? Could they do so and what happens if they don't? I spoke to Dr David Roberts, author of Security Politics in the Gulf Monarchies about this complex future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Disinformation in the Trump 2.0 era with Nina Jankowicz

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 58:15


    This is a co-host with the Disorder Podcast. You can find their details here: https://tr.ee/ksicr-3Wty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Justice in Syria: on the trail of Assad's henchmen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2025 56:44


    Since 2011, war crimes investigator Bill Wiley has been on the trail of the criminal elements of the Assad regime who have carried out extraordinary amounts of killings, torture and other crimes. His organisation https://cijaonline.org/ has been collecting evidence and documenting these crimes since the start of the civil war. Now that Assad's regime has fallen, it was a good opportunity to understand the current status and likely trajectory of attempts to bring justice to Syrians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    France in the Age of Populism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 51:07


    How does a society like France grapple with the challenge of populist politics? I spoke to Thom Reilly, former British Ambassador to Morocco who was a candidate in the European parliamentary elections for Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance political party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    BONUS EPISODE - CRISIS IN GEORGIA

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 70:41


    Marika Mariashvili returns for a special bonus episode as Georgia faces a constitutional crisis - the existing president refusing to cede power after a stolen election, and a new puppet in place taking his order from Moscow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Charles Gammell on Iran post-Assad

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2024 49:47


    What does the fall of Assad mean for the mad Mullahs running Iran? I spoke to Charles Gammell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Christmassy Episode: Miguel Delaney on the geopolitics of football

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2024 54:35


    Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer at the Independent is the author of states of play, a book about the geopolitics of football. You can find him on Bluesky and Twitter.migueldelaney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Inside HTS: what does Al-Jolani want and how will they rule?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 67:23


    There are literally a tiny number of people in this world who can speak with authority and insight on Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham - or HTS - the militant group that swept into Damascus a week ago. One of those people is Orwa Ajjoub, a Sweden-based academic of Syrian origin who has been studying this group for several years and who has direct contacts inside the group.I feel incredibly privileged to have had an extensive conversation with Orwa about HTS's origins, their evolving relationship with jihadism, their intentions and ambitions now in power and whether Al-Jolani is genuinely no longer part of a terrorist network. I found the whole discussion absolutely fascinating and I hope that you do too.You can follow Orwa's work here: https://x.com/OAjjoub and here https://www.mei.edu/profile/orwa-ajjoub and here https://bsky.app/profile/orwaajjoub.bsky.social If you feel able, please support the work of this podcast by becoming a paid subscriber of my substack arthursnell.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The history of Syria, from the Pharaohs to the Pharaonic

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 53:01


    I spoke to the brilliant historian James Barr about the history of Syria from the Pharaohs to the present day. You can find James on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jamesbarr.bsky.social and his books in all the good book places.Please check out my susbtack and - if you feel like supporting this podcast and are able to - take out a paid subscription which is enormously appreciated. https://arthursnell.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Georgia: fighting to be European

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 55:27


    With bewildering events unfolding all over the place, I wanted to give some coverage to the Republic of Georgia, where the pro-Western political movement is responding to a rigged election and the decision of the illegitimate Moscow-aligned 'Georgian Dream' to block negotiations to join the EU, in spite of the fervent wish of most Georgians to join the bloc. Huge demonstrations have broken out all over the country, in spite of intimidation and violence from police and security forces, some of whom may be Russian imports.I was privileged to be able to speak to Marika Mariashvili, a politician and academic who has been active at the heart of the democracy movement in the country. You can (and should!) follow Marika on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/marikamikiashvili.bsky.social or Twitter https://x.com/Mikiashvili_M. This is genuinely a transitional moment in this country's story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    EMERGENCY EPISODE: The Fall of Aleppo

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2024 35:35


    The extraordinary turn of events in Syria in recent days saw the city of Aleppo, once Syria's largest and a key part of the earlier story of Syria's revolution, fall to Syria's rebels, with the soldiers of the Assad regime in chaotic retreat. I spoke to Thomas van Linge, one of the few journalist who has been covering the story, about what has happened and the reasons why.You can support Thomas's work here https://ko-fi.com/thomasvlinge and he is active on Twitter and Bluesky.If you'd like to support this podcast the easiest way to do that is becoming a paid subscriber of my Substack: arthursnell.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Out of the shadows: MI6 Russia expert Christopher Steele on Trump and the new world order

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 46:24


    Christopher Steele needs almost no introduction. But if you are interested in learning more about him you can buy his new book, Unredacted, here https://www.amazon.com/Unredacted-Russia-Trump-Fight-Democracy/dp/0063373432/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VZCQ114PBRZX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qv6Zf5VhmrCD7zu54PyFEawg2dYzrTOT0sYgpY4o3jI.poSf3-HXXCfxlQwgK_vy6Xubh-BXVRLmOA0iPDWXVhc&dib_tag=se&keywords=unredacted+christopher+steele&qid=1732891790&sprefix=unredac%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    What's going on in Iran

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2024 61:04


    Charlie Gammell is a historian and Iran expert. His latest article on Iran can be found here: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-winds-of-change-are-blowing-in-iran/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The age of bilateralism

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2024 66:27


    Dr Jonathan Terra is an American academic and analyst who has been based in Prague for 30+ years. We spoke about the impact of a Trump presidency on Eastern Europe and the wider geopolitical context. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The New World Order

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2024 47:46


    I spoke to Mike Martin, military expert, writer, former soldier and now Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells about the new world (dis)order that lies before us under a Trump presidency.Mike can be found here: https://x.com/ThreshedThought and here https://mike-martin.co.uk/ and his book How to Fight a War is available in all the usual places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Conspiracies and campaigns - Jason Pack on the 2024 election

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2024 68:23


    In this episode I spoke to Jason Pack of the excellent Disorder podcast (https://x.com/DisorderShow) about conspiracy theories and how they are affecting the 2024 US presidential election. We also spoke about the state of the race which remains on a knife edge. You'll be interested to look at Jason's article in The New European on conspiracy theories here https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/a-lizard-persons-guide-to-us-election-conspiracy-theories/ and also an article Jason mentioned by Jonathan Winer on how Trump's people might try a coup in this election https://washingtonspectator.org/endgame-the-risk-of-a-trump-coup-and-how-to-prevent-it/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Russia's dirty money: the Nordic connection

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 40:20


    I spoke to the Swedish journalist Axel Gordh Humlesjö about his work investigating Russian dirty money in Sweden, especially in relation to Swedbank, Sweden's largest bank, whose CEO has been imprisoned on money-laundering charges.https://x.com/axelhumlesjo?lang=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Digital war - from Ukraine, to the Sahel

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 69:46


    In the chaotic world we inhabit, the smartphone has become a key element of warfare, even in societies where we might imagine that connectivity is limited by reduced technological sophistication. I was privileged to be able to discuss this rapidly evolving landscape with three brilliant scholars:Professor Mirjam de Bruijn (https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/mirjam-de-bruijn#tab-1)Dr Jethro Norman (https://www.diis.dk/en/experts/jethro-norman)Professor Matthew Ford (https://www.fhs.se/sc/profile-page.html?identity=400.78d9ed61181920a3a625796c Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    SPECIAL UKRAINE EPISODE #VPDFO 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 57:36


    A special episode in support of the Vladimir Putin Do F*ck Off - #VPDFO - festival. This event, held in Kyiv earlier in October brought together soldiers, journalists, activists and politicians with the primary purpose of raising funds for a group of charities doing essential work on the ground in Ukraine. Go to VDPFO.org to find more details of the charities involved and please donate using the link below:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ukraine-can-win-vpdfo-2024This is a straightforward way to get funds to some incredibly valuable organisations. Everything you donate goes direct to the charities.The festival ran for two days and there were several sessions. This episode contains highlights of the first day and you'll get to hear from day two in a subsequent episode.During the recording you'll hear from Mariia Chepa, Vlad Demchenko, Paul Conroy, Caolan Robertson, Paul Niland, Liudmyla Buimister and Dima Kovalchuk . The event was of course moderated by John Sweeney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Red Emperor

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 33:57


    Veteran China correspondent Michael Sheridan has published a biography of Xi Jinping, China's leader, entitled The Red Emperor, published by Headline. You can find details of his book here:https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/michael-sheridan-2/the-red-emperor/9781035413478/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Iran - where are they headed?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2024 40:42


    Charlie Gammell is an Iran expert, former British diplomat and historian. I spoke to him about the latest developments with Iran and the war now sweeping across the Middle East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Bangladesh Spring with David Bergman

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 58:34


    In July this year, the well entrenched autocratic regime that ruled Bangladesh, a country of nearly 200 million people, was toppled entirely unexpectedly by a student-led democracy movement, ushering in an interim government led by a Nobel prize-winning peace and development activist. How the Bangladesh Spring happened and whether it is likely to succeed is the subject of this episode. I spoke to Dhaka-based expert David Bergman about the extraordinary events and their political background. Bergman also covers the surprising role played by supporters of Bangladesh's ruling party in British politics.https://www.channel4.com/news/tulip-siddiq-uk-wing-of-bangladeshs-ruling-party-appear-to-be-campaigning-for-labour-candidateYou can find David's work here: thedavidbergman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    What's the point of the UN?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 73:01


    With the UN General Assembly taking place in New York I spoke to the International Crisis Group's UN Director Richard Gowan about the the organisation, its current challenges and where it might be headed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    EMERGENCY EPISODE: EXPLOSIVE CRISIS IN LEBANON

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 23:25


    I spoke to Charlie Gammell, author, former diplomat and Iran expert on the unfolding crisis in Lebanon after the explosions of Hizbullah communications equipment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Rogue Agent - the life of ROBERT BRUCE LOCKHART

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2024 61:13


    I spoke to Professor James Crossland about the extraordinary life of diplomat, secret agent and journalist Robert Bruce Lockhart.You can find James's book on the subject here: https://eandtbooks.com/books/rogue-agent/James is on Twitter @drjcrossland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    MBS - Saudi Arabia's ruthless ruler

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 51:16


    Veteran foreign correspondent Jonathan Rugman is the author of The Killing in the Consulate about the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. More recently he has produced a fascinating two-part documentary about MBS and his rise to power. You can find it on BBC Iplayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001zprq/the-kingdom-the-worlds-most-powerful-prince-series-1-1-game-of-thrones and you can find Jonathan's enlightening article about MBS here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gz8934wrroJonathan is on Twitter at https://x.com/jrug Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Westlessness with Samir Puri

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2024 67:59


    Have we entered a post-Western world? What does that mean and how does it look from the other side of the world? Singapore based academic and former British diplomat has published a new book, Westlessness about this idea and I spoke to him for a wide-ranging discussion on the decline of the west, the rise of Asia and the potential implications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Battle for Soul of Islam

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 58:04


    James Dorsey is a writer and journalist and author of the new book The Battle forthe Soul of Islam - Defining the Muslim Faith in the 21st Century, published by Macmillan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Caucasus: Europe's troubled border

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024 46:50


    In September last year, an established community in a European country of hundreds of thousands of people was removed in its entirety after a devastating military campaign. This was not Ukraine, but the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has now ceased to exist. To understand this and the dynamics of a little understood region including the complex interplay between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, all under the watchful and interfering Russian eye, it was a great pleasure to speak to Neil Hauer, a Canadian journalist based in the region for several years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Back to Ukraine - Away from summitry, what is happening on the ground?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 49:38


    Away from NATO's glitzy summit 75th anniversary summit in Washington DC, the war in Ukraine drags on. Ian Bond, a former British ambassador and now Deputy Director of the Centre for European Reform think-tank spoke to me about his recent visit to Ukraine and Moldova and what it portends for the war in Ukraine and wider European security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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