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An overwhelming vote to force the release of files on Jeffrey Epstein; an urgent warning for international students leaving Australia; and in sport, the Iraqi football team in his path to FIFA World Cup
Iraq Elections and Yemen's Houthi Crackdown Guest: Bridget Toomey Bridget Toomey discussed recent developments in Iraq and Yemen, noting that Iraqi parliamentary elections saw a higher-than-expected 56% voter turnout, with preliminary results suggesting Shiite parties close to Tehran performed well and might secure enough seats to form the next government, despite internal infighting and votes remaining largely sectarian, while Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received credit for stability and his party performed strongly, though many Iraqis doubt the elections affect real change, believing critical decisions are made via elite backroom deals, and turning to Yemen, the Houthis announced the arrest of a purported Saudi-American-Israeli spy ring, a paranoid crackdown following Israel's successful targeting of Houthi government and military leaders in August, with arrests including 59 UN workers and prosecutors requesting the death sentence for 21, aiming to intimidate domestic dissent and signal resolve to Western and regional adversaries, especially in sensitive Houthi locations in Sana'a. 1939
SHOW 11-17-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1899 UKRAINE THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT POTUS... FIRST HOUR 9-915 Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field Marshal Munir's Power and US Relations Guest: Ambassador Husain Haqqani Ambassador Husain Haqqani detailed the institutional dominance of Pakistan's military, noting that Parliament recently granted Field Marshal Asim Munir legal immunity for life and expanded his power by designating him Chief of Defense Forces, giving him control over the entire military, as Munir aims for presidential privileges without directly taking power, backed by a national narrative that Pakistan is perpetually under threat from India, and gained significant political and psychological advantage through two meetings and praise from President Trump, despite no new US aid or weapons, while Trump, who favors strongmen, may also be using this praise to leverage concessions from Indian Prime Minister Modi, as Munir is taking risks by adopting a firmer stance regarding violence on the Northwest frontier with the Taliban, an approach not well received by the Afghans, with Pakistani politicians historically conceding ground to the military to secure a shared portion of power. 915-930 CONTINUED Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field Marshal Munir's Power and US Relations Guest: Ambassador Husain Haqqani Ambassador Husain Haqqani detailed the institutional dominance of Pakistan's military, noting that Parliament recently granted Field Marshal Asim Munir legal immunity for life and expanded his power 930-945 China's Economic Slump: Export Decline, Policy Failures, and Property Market Stagnation Guests: Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang discussed the unprecedented slump in China's economic activity, noting cooled investment and slowing industrial output, with exports falling 25% to the US, attributing this long-term decline to the government's 2008 decision to pull back economic reforms and the current 15th Five-Year Plan lacking viable solutions or bailouts for hurting localities, while consumption remains dangerously low (around 38% of GDP) and is expected to shrink further as the government prioritizes technological development and factory production, with the property market collapsing as capital investment, land sales, and unit prices decline, forcing people to hold onto decaying apartments and risking stagnation for decades similar to Japan post-1989, a problem largely self-created due to overcapacity, although other countries like Brazil are also restricting Chinese imports. 945-1000 China's Role in Global Drug Epidemics: Meth Precursors and Weaponizing Chemicals. Guests: Kelly Curry and Gordon Chang. Kelly Curry and Gordon Chang detailed China's crucial role in the global drug trade, asserting that China's chemical exports are fueling a "tsunami of meth" across Asia. Chinese manufacturers supply meth precursor chemicals to warlords, notably the Chinese-aligned, US-sanctioned United Wa State Army in Myanmar. This production (Yaba/ice) is believed to have been diverted from China's domestic market in the 1990s. Both guests confirmed this activity is impossible without the explicit knowledge and support of the Central Committee, noting China grants export subsidies, tax rebates, and uses state banks for money laundering associated with the drug trade. China benefits financially and strategically by weakening US-backed allies like Thailand and South Korea who are flooded with the drugs. This structure mirrors the fentanyl crisis in North America, and experts predict increasing co-production and sharing of chemical methods between Asian drug groups and Mexican cartels. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Syria's Complex Geopolitics: Air Bases, Sanctions, Accountability, and Great Power Mediation Guest: Ahmad Sharawi Ahmad Sharawi discussed the non-transparent situation in Syria, focusing on reports of potential US air bases (Mezzeh and Dumayr), with denials from the Syrian government suggesting they won't possess the bases but might allow US use for counter-ISIS missions or potentially a security agreement requested by Israel for deconfliction, noting a recent US C-130 spotted landing at the Mezzeh air base near Damascus, while during a reported White House visit, Syrian requests included the removal of Caesar sanctions (partially waived by President Trump) and an Israeli withdrawal from the southern border buffer zone, with domestic movement towards accountability for the Suwayda province massacre and government security forces being arrested, as a Russian military delegation visited Damascus and southern Syria, potentially acting as a deconfliction mechanism between Syria and Israeli forces, with Russia's goal appearing to be balancing regional interests while maintaining its bases in western Syria. 1015-1030 CONTINUED Syria's Complex Geopolitics: Air Bases, Sanctions, Accountability, and Great Power Mediation Guest: Ahmad Sharawi Ahmad Sharawi discussed the non-transparent situation in Syria, focusing on reports of potential US air bases (Mezzeh and Dumayr), with denials from the Syrian government... 1030-1045 Venezuela Crisis: Potential Maduro Exit and Shifting Political Tides in Latin America Guests: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo discussed the crisis in Venezuela, noting a powerful US fleet gathered nearby, with Maduro fearing military intervention and reportedly wanting to discuss surrender conditions with President Trump, though his exit is complicated by his ally Diosdado Cabello, who heads operations for the Cartel of the Suns and has no path for redemption, while Maduro's potential fall would deliver a severe blow to the organized crime and drug trafficking networks that permeate South America's political structures, with the opposition, led by María Corina Machado, having transition plans, and Brazilian President Lula neutralized from strongly opposing US actions due to ongoing tariff negotiations with Trump, as the conversation highlighted a new conservative political wave in Latin America, with optimism reported in Argentina following elections that strengthened Javier Milei, and in Chile, where conservative José Antonio Kast is strongly positioned, representing a blend of economic freedom, anti-organized crime platforms, and conservative values. 1045-1100 CONTINUED Venezuela Crisis: Potential Maduro Exit and Shifting Political Tides in Latin America Guests: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo discussed the crisis in Venezuela, noting a powerful US fleet gathered nearby, with Maduro fearing military intervention and... THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 1/4 Jews Versus Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion and the Cost of Diaspora Revolts Professor Barry Strauss of Cornell University, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, discusses the history of Jewish resistance against the Roman Empire as detailed in his book Jews versus Rome. Following the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, rebellion continued among Jewish communities scattered across the Roman world. 1115-1130 CONTINUED 2/4 During Emperor Trajan's campaign against the Parthian Empire, a widespread and coordinated "diaspora revolt" erupted in 115–117 AD, beginning in Libya and spreading to Egypt, Cyprus, and Mesopotamia. This was a major challenge, forcing Trajan to divert a legion, as Egypt was the empire's strategic breadbasket. The revolt was spurred by the insulting Jewish tax, the fiscus Judaicus, paid to Jupiter, and the frustrated expectation that the Temple would be rebuilt within 70 years. The Jewish community in Alexandria, possibly the largest Jewish city in the ancient world, was wiped out during the suppression, a disaster for diaspora Judaism. 1130-1145 CONTINUED 3/4 srajan's successor, Hadrian, revered the war against Parthia but recognized the Jews' disloyalty. Starting in 117 AD, Hadrian planned to rebuild Jerusalem as a pagan city named Aelia Capitolina to demonstrate that the Temple would never be restored and to discourage collusion between Jews and Parthians. This provoked the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 AD. The leader, Simon Bar Kosa, took the messianic title Bar Kokhba, meaning "Son of the Star," and was accepted as the Messiah by some leading rabbis, including Rabbi Akiva. 1145-1200 CONTINUED The rebels utilized successful asymmetrical warfare, operating from underground tunnel systems and ambushing Roman forces. The conflict was so severe that Hadrian deployed reinforcements from across the empire, including Britain, and the Roman army was badly mauled. The revolt ended bloodily at the stronghold of Betar. As lasting punishment for centuries of trouble and rebellion, the Romans renamed the province from Judea to Syria Palestina. Pockets of resistance continued, notably the Gallus Revolt in 351–352 AD. Guest: Professor Barry Strauss. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Iran's Multi-Faceted Crises: Water Scarcity, Pollution, and Transnational Repression Guest: Jonathan Sayah Jonathan Sayah discussed the multi-faceted crises plaguing Iran, reflecting poor management and ecological decline, with Tehran overwhelmed by severe water scarcity as dams dry up and crippling air pollution with CO2 levels 10 times the WHO standard, while the water crisis is worsened by the regime, especially IRGC-affiliated contractors, who prioritize their support base through unregulated mega-projects, leading to rivers and lakes drying up, a deliberate deprivation of clean water that constitutes a human rights violation, as environmental disasters have driven widespread internal migration into Tehran, taxing infrastructure and leading to issues like land subsidence, with the population considered "prime for unrest," while separately, Iran continues its policy of transnational repression, highlighted by the recent foiled plot to assassinate Israel's ambassador in Mexico, as Iran targets both Israeli/American officials and relies on criminal networks to repress Iranian dissidents abroad, while consistently holding American dual citizens hostage as political leverage. 1215-1230 CONTINUED 1230-1245 Ukraine Conflict: French Arms Deal, Sabotage, and the Perilous Battle for Pokrovsk. Guest: John Hardy. John Hardy reported that Ukraine signed a letter of intent with France to obtain 100 Rafale warplanes over 10 years, along with air defense systems. While this partnership is encouraging, Hardy expressed concern that Ukraine is excessively over-diversifying its future air fleet (including F-16, Grippen, Mirage, and Rafale) which complicates long-term sustainment and maintenance. Simultaneously, alarming reports surfaced that sabotage was blamed for an explosion on a major railway line in Poland used to supply Ukraine, fitting a pattern of suspected Russian covert operations against European infrastructure. On the battlefield, fighting continues in Pokrovsk (Picro). Hardy warned that if Ukrainian forces prioritize a politically motivated hold, they risk the encirclement and destruction of troops in nearby areas. Poor weather, such as fog, plays a significant role in the conflict, as Russians often time assaults during these conditions to impede Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance and FPV drones 1245-100 AM raq Elections and Yemen's Houthi Crackdown Guest: Bridget Toomey Bridget Toomey discussed recent developments in Iraq and Yemen, noting that Iraqi parliamentary elections saw a higher-than-expected 56% voter turnout, with preliminary results suggesting Shiite parties close to Tehran performed well and might secure enough seats to form the next government, despite internal infighting and votes remaining largely sectarian, while Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received credit for stability and his party performed strongly, though many Iraqis doubt the elections affect real change, believing critical decisions are made via elite backroom deals, and turning to Yemen, the Houthis announced the arrest of a purported Saudi-American-Israeli spy ring, a paranoid crackdown following Israel's successful targeting of Houthi government and military leaders in August, with arrests including 59 UN workers and prosecutors requesting the death sentence for 21, aiming to intimidate domestic dissent and signal resolve to Western and regional adversaries, especially in sensitive Houthi locations in Sana'a.
Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. A tribunal in Dhaka found she had ordered security forces to kill protesters during student-led anti-government demonstrations in 2024. The UN estimates up to 1,400 people died during the uprising, most by gunfire. Sheikh Hasina was tried in her absence and has been living in exile in India since being forced from power. She has dismissed the court's verdict as politically motivated. Also: a plea from the UN aid chief to stop the supply of weapons to the rival armies in Sudan. A BBC investigation has uncovered evidence raising doubts about the trial of US marines over the killings of Iraqi civilians in 2005. Researchers look to artificial intelligence to treat a type of brain cancer, by detecting early signs that tumours are returning. And we drop in on a knitting session in Denmark to find out why young people are driving a boom in traditional crafts.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Today, Jess, Les, Matt, and Algene discuss Iraq's parliamentary elections, where Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's coalition claimed victory, though history suggests the post-election power struggles are just beginning. With half of Iraq's population under 25, voter turnout strong, and political violence relatively low, this election could mark a step forward for Iraqi democracy.What do the results mean for U.S. strategy in the region as Washington prepares to reduce its troop presence by 2026? Can Iraq resist deepening Iranian influence at a time when Syria's landscape is shifting? And as the U.S. pushes to expand the Abraham Accords and secure energy stability, will Baghdad emerge as a partner for regional progress — or a pressure point for America's Middle East policy?Check out this source that helped shape our fellows' discussion: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iraqs-prime-minister-iran-backed-militias-set-for-difficult-negotiations-after-election-4668abb8?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfwA1yCAZTvMYMMp3i22_AkbCNDrQA-Ipis82JTDlJhiWMQ7gXCr_20BU6k91s%3D&gaa_ts=6916447b&gaa_sig=A231zbhaHMgoOWVXiVlE9kmZm1YmZvrIr9lVtai7yGoudpX6Xg-xoN3621z8UoZoEU1mt7i5d4OsmTh2rcb7JA%3D%3D4dd7f26b8e98 @nottvjessjones@lestermunson@AlgeneSajery@WMattHaydenLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/94KRBnShAKY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dalia Al-Aqidi — Baghdad-born journalist, activist, and current challenger to Rep. Ilhan Omar — joins me to discuss her extraordinary life: growing up under Saddam Hussein, fleeing Iraq, decades reporting from war zones, and why she distinguishes Islam from Islamism. We dive into her fight against anti-Semitism, her views on immigration and U.S. foreign policy, and her perspective on Ilhan Omar, Al Jazeera, and the future of the Middle East.#Chapters0:00 Welcome & who is Dalia Al-Aqidi0:41 Baghdad upbringing; parents in Iraqi theater1:20 Fleeing Iraq (1988) & joining the opposition1:44 Radio Free Iraq and activism1:52 Chris Stevens' influence & immigrating to the U.S.2:33 Life in America; 37 years in journalism3:00 Covering wars from Iraq to Afghanistan4:04 Cultural vs. religious Islam; women under dictatorship7:02 Anti-Jewish indoctrination in the Middle East9:00 Why progressives avoid criticizing radical Islam11:26 Islam vs. Islamism & the “Islamophobia” label14:12 Muslim Brotherhood's influence in the West16:09 Why some immigrants import illiberal politics18:18 Risks for Muslim dissidents; community pressures21:05 Immigration, liberal ideals & “ideological tests”24:12 Borders vs. legal immigration28:07 On nation-states, borders, and sovereignty30:26 Community ties across faiths31:32 Concerns about Ilhan Omar, CAIR, and Turkey34:12 Al Jazeera Arabic vs. English38:05 Minneapolis issues: safety, economy, campus anti-Semitism40:13 Voting by issues; thoughts on Trump & Biden42:25 The Abraham Accords & Middle East peace46:02 Dalia's post-Oct 7 trip to Israel49:01 Misconceptions about Jews & Israel in Arab media52:24 Advice for Israel & American Jews combating hate57:19 Where American Jews fit politically now59:20 Building a centrist “decency coalition”1:00:02 Pro-life vs. pro-choice nuance1:01:23 Can she win a deep-blue district?1:02:10 Closing remarksKey topics: Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Ilhan Omar, Islam vs. Islamism, Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, anti-Semitism, immigration policy, Chris Stevens, Qatar, Hamas, October 7, Abraham Accords, Israel, centrism.#islam #islamism #iraq #ilhanomar #zohranmamdani #israel #muslim
Real News Live presents; "Tell the Truth Wednesday" with host Mike Bara and psychic-medium Jennifer Fallaw! The latest news, current events and more plus free psychic readings!
Today, we're diving deep into the transformative support available for veterans with host Tina Yeager and special guest Glenn Baker, a U.S. Army veteran, country music artist, and founder of the nonprofit Finish This Fight. Glenn Baker brings an incredible personal testimony—sharing his journey through unjust imprisonment, loss, and spiritual renewal, and how these experiences led him to champion injured veterans. Discover how Finish This Fight helps paralyzed veterans reclaim independence and dignity through revolutionary exoskeleton technology, giving them a chance to walk again and restore hope. You'll also hear inspiring stories from veterans whose lives have been changed, and learn how you can get involved through Glenn Baker's music, documentary, and foundation. This episode is packed with powerful reminders of resilience, faith, and the difference we can make when we rise up to support our heroes. Tune in for motivation and actionable ways to give our very best to those who have sacrificed so much—because as you'll hear, freedom isn't free, and every effort counts in helping our veterans flourish. Highlights from the Conversation: Glenn's Amazing Testimony: From Desert Storm to losing nearly everything after a wrongful arrest, Glenn Baker shares how music and faith renewed his sense of purpose. Finish This Fight Foundation: Discover how this organization puts exoskeletons on paralyzed veterans, giving them the chance to walk again—and the dignity and confidence that comes with it. Unforgettable Veteran Stories: Don't miss the story of Joshua Holm, an Iraqi war veteran who, after three years of paralysis, took thousands of steps thanks to the support and technology provided by Finish This Fight. A Call to Action: Glenn Baker reminds us that real change only comes through action. Whether it's volunteering, donating, or simply sharing the message, every effort counts in restoring hope and rebuilding lives. How You Can Get Involved: Visit FinishThisFight.us to learn more about the foundation, contribute, and watch the powerful documentary "Finish This Fight: Diary of a Pissed Off American Soldier." All proceeds from the documentary go directly toward helping veterans receive life-changing exoskeletons. Keep an eye out for the upcoming book and the exciting Finish This Fight nationwide music tour aimed at helping local veterans in every city. Final Thoughts: Both Tina Yeager and Glenn Baker share a heartfelt reminder that supporting those who have sacrificed so much is more than charity—it's a chance to carry Christ's message of giving our very best to those in need. The courage, hope, and determination found in these stories will inspire you to get involved in a way that resonates with your spirit. Let's step up together and make a lasting difference for our veterans! We're thrilled to accompany you on this journey of faith, growth, and transformation. As always, we appreciate your support! Please subscribe and share this episode. We can't wait for you to join us for future episodes of Flourish-Meant. To book Tina as a speaker, connect with her life coaching services, and more, visit her website: https://tinayeager.com/ Optimize your mind and body with my new favorite, all-inclusive supplement, Cardio Miracle! I love the energy and focus this health-boosting drink mix provides without toxins, caffeine, or sugar! Get a discount on your purchase with my link: http://www.cardiomiracle.com/tinayeager Use the code TINA10 at checkout. To flourish in all seasons of life with the highest quality nutraceutical health supplements that benefit charitable causes, shop NutraMedix wellness supplements. Be sure to use my link https://www.nutramedix.com/?rfsn=7877557.b6c6785 and add my special code TINA to get 10% off your entire purchase! If you're a writer, subscribe to Inkspirations Online (devotional publication by writers for writers): https://www.inkspirationsonline.com/ Manage stress and anxiety in 10 minutes a day with the course presented by 15 experts, Subdue Stress and Anxiety https://divineencouragement.onlinecoursehost.com/courses Connect with Tina at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyeagerwriting/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinayeager/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tina.yeager.9/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TinaYeager Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tyeagerwrites/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3865622.Tina_Yeager
Since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's government came to power three years ago following a serious political crisis, Iraq has been experiencing one of the calmest and most stable periods of the last two decades. The capital Baghdad is currently undergoing major renovation work. FRANCE 24's Marie-Charlotte Roupie reports, with Josh Vardey.
Tara dives into a jaw-dropping development: Ahmed Al Sharah, a former Al Qaeda leader responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers, is now being hosted at the White House as the Syrian leader. Once carrying a $10 million bounty, lifted sanctions now allow him access to American political leadership, sparking outrage among veterans, military families, and the public. Tara explores the implications for U.S. foreign policy, national security, and the sacrifices of American service members, with insights from former Benghazi security team member and retired Marine, Mark Geist. This episode challenges listeners to confront the complexities of modern diplomacy, terrorism, and moral accountability. In this explosive episode, Tara examines the shocking White House visit of Ahmed Al Sharah, a former Al Qaeda leader responsible for hundreds of U.S. soldier deaths. Once carrying a $10 million bounty, he now leads Syria with U.S. support, following lifted sanctions under the Biden administration. Former Benghazi security team member and retired Marine Mark Geist joins Tara to discuss the impact on military families, national security, and the perception of American sacrifice. From the Iraqi insurgency to Middle East diplomacy, this episode confronts the unsettling reality of honoring past enemies in pursuit of modern political goals, challenging listeners to consider what loyalty, justice, and leadership truly mean.
As Syria’s leader heads to the White House for a landmark meeting and Iraqis prepare to go to the polls, we discuss how dramatically regional dynamics have changed in the Middle East.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We're back with a brand new season, and to kick it off, we head to WrestleMania 7, live on March 24th, 1991 at the LA Sports Arena. The prior year, Iraq had invaded Kuwait, setting off a chain of events that led the United States into a brief period of war in the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, Sgt. Slaughter made his return to the Federation, sided with Saddam and became an Iraqi sympathizer. He quickly rose to the top of the card, winning the World Title and will be defending it against Hulk Hogan in the main event. Elsewhere, Savage and Warrior put their careers on the line, and so much more as we kick off Season 9 of The Year of Duke and Rogue...
Dick Cheney, architect of the Iraq War, died on November 3rd. The next day, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won New York's mayoral race. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff, calls the timing symbolic of America's potential turning point. Speaking from inside the Bush administration, Wilkerson delivers a scathing account of how Cheney became "co-president," systematically lied about Iraqi WMDs, and led the nation into an illegal war. He explains why Powell's UN presentation was built on false intelligence, how the administration abandoned international law and authorized torture, and why Obama failed to hold anyone accountable. "We should have all been tried for war crimes," Wilkerson states. From the lies that killed a million Iraqis to complicity in Gaza's genocide, this is essential viewing on American empire and accountability.
Iraqis are going back to polls this month for the sixth time since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein more than 20 years ago. It is expected to be one of the most contested elections yet. Political factions are competing for power, both in parliament and through armed groups, many backed by Iran. Candidates have been accused of making empty promises, of corruption and even of vote-buying. Many Iraqis are planning to boycott the elections altogether because they say they are fed up with a system that deprives them of basic services and economic opportunities while the state profits. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher discusses the challenges facing Iraq in the November 11 election and what it will mean for millions who have waited too long for democratic change. She speaks to The National's deputy foreign editor Aveen Karim and Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House.
Dick Cheney has been called the most powerful vice-president in US history, as well as the chief architect of America's so-called ‘war on terror', and a war criminal. We hear from a former colleague, and from an Iraqi poet. Also in the programme: evidence that the earliest humans passed technology tips down the generations for more than 300,000 years; and as Paris offers the chance to buy prime spots in its most historic cemeteries, we ask what makes them so beguiling?(IMAGE: U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (L) listens as President George W. Bush makes remarks about the U.S. defense budget after meeting with military leaders at the Pentagon in Washington, November 29, 2007 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Larry Downing)
In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila talks with Dr. Midhat Zwayen, president of Dijlah Consulting Engineers and author of Leadership Beyond Borders: A Western Executive's Guide to the Iraqi Business Mindset. Dr. Zwayen shares how his upbringing during Iraq's transformation—from a modern, globally connected nation to decades of dictatorship and back toward recovery—shaped his views on leadership, resilience, and collaboration. He explains how Western executives can engage meaningfully in Iraq's rebuilding economy, the misconceptions that keep investors away, and why early partnerships matter for multinational growth.They discuss: * Iraq's evolving relationship with the West and lessons from its modern history * How Iraq's new generation and technology are reshaping business culture * What Western leaders should know before entering the Iraqi market * Why understanding local culture is key to long-term successA rare, candid look into leadership across borders—and how cultural understanding can drive opportunity and progress. Watch now to learn how Dr. Zwayen is helping bridge worlds and redefine leadership in one of the oldest civilizations on Earth.
To commemorate Dick Cheney's death, we have remastered philosopher Stefan Molyneux's 2013 presentation on the War in Iraq. He critically analyzes the Iraq War on its 10th anniversary, revealing the staggering human cost with approximately 1.5 million Iraqi casualties and the devastating impact of sanctions. Stefan examines the propaganda of weapons of mass destruction, mental health issues faced by U.S. veterans, and the economic corruption linked to wartime contracts. The discussion also highlights the environmental destruction caused by military actions and its effect on local perceptions of U.S. presence. He concludes by urging listeners to confront the harsh truths of war and our shared responsibilities.Sources: https://fdrurl.com/hellSUBSCRIBE TO ME ON X! https://x.com/StefanMolyneuxFollow me on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/@freedomain1GET MY NEW BOOK 'PEACEFUL PARENTING', THE INTERACTIVE PEACEFUL PARENTING AI, AND THE FULL AUDIOBOOK!https://peacefulparenting.com/Join the PREMIUM philosophy community on the web for free!Subscribers get 12 HOURS on the "Truth About the French Revolution," multiple interactive multi-lingual philosophy AIs trained on thousands of hours of my material - as well as AIs for Real-Time Relationships, Bitcoin, Peaceful Parenting, and Call-In Shows!You also receive private livestreams, HUNDREDS of exclusive premium shows, early release podcasts, the 22 Part History of Philosophers series and much more!See you soon!https://freedomain.locals.com/support/promo/UPB2025
The former US Vice-President Dick Cheney has died. One of the most powerful men to hold that office, he was key to the allied invasion of Iraq, in 2003. We hear American and Iraqi views of his legacy.Also in the programme: videos start to emerge from Tanzania of bodies in the street after disputed elections; and Salman Rushdie tells us about his latest collection of fiction. (File photo: US President George W. Bush (L) and Vice President Dick Cheney celebrate at the conclusion of the 2004 Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York, September 2, 2004. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
In this first of a multi-part exploration of William Friedkin's ground-breaking and massively successful adaptation of William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel 'The Exorcist': Friedkin & DP Owen Roizman coming off 'The French Connection' and into 'The Exorcist' Casting travails involving Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, and Audrey Hepburn. Jason Miller and Ellen Burstyn willing themselves into their roles. Studio pushback on the film's prequel, set in Iraq, and Friedkin's demand that they film there despite political upheaval and a lack of an Iraqi film industry. The search for a girl to pay Regan; over 1,000 seen, hundreds screen-tested, before Linda Blair walked into the film production's offices. Special Effects approaches courtesy of Dick Smith and Rick Baker. Soundtrack troubles with Bernard Hermann and Lalo Schiffrin and the saving grace of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'. This episode features Friedkin, Blatty, Roizman, and Ellen Bursytn in their own words. Other Friedkin Full Cast & Crew Episodes: The French Connection To Live And Die In LA
Jerome Loughridge is the inaugural Executive Director of the Aspen-Kern Program on Leadership & Character in Higher Education, a new national initiative of the Aspen Institute. Having previously served as chief of staff at both a major public and a national private research university, Jerome will lead a cohort of US college presidents who are new to their roles as they seek to reclaim the importance of character formation for democratic citizenship and greater human flourishing. Jerome returned to higher education after a fifteen-year career in the energy sector, where he led both private equity-backed and publicly-traded companies across North America. A native of rural Oklahoma, Jerome earned his interdisciplinary BA at Baylor University (Phi Beta Kappa) and attended Harvard University as a Truman Scholar prior to beginning his energy career as an international derivatives trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). In response to 9/11, Jerome competed for a White House Fellowship – a process that resulted in his being appointed as one of twelve young professionals to the Bush Administration and his assignment as special assistant to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. In that capacity, he worked on post-war Iraqi reconstruction, splitting time between the West Wing, the Pentagon and Baghdad. Jerome's post-White House professional roles included leadership of portfolio companies with Connecticut-based Wexford Capital and New York-based Ziff Brothers Investments. Among those were the launch of Great White Energy Services, where he was chief operating officer; the creation of Black Mesa Energy Services, where he was president; the formation of Legend Energy Services, where he was executive chairman; and the establishment of Seventy Seven Energy from Chesapeake Oilfield Services, where he served as president of Great Plains Oilfield and remained as an executive through the company's acquisition. Jerome served as CEO of NextStream, a joint venture between GE-Baker Hughes and private partners to bring new technology to the upstream energy sector. Jerome has held board positions with companies in Dongying, China, and Alberta, Canada, in addition to various firms in the U.S. In March 2019, while serving as an energy-sector executive, Jerome was nominated by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, and unanimously confirmed by the Senate, as Secretary of Health and Mental Health in order to bring business principles to the work of government agencies. In his volunteer Cabinet role, he was responsible for driving Medicaid expansion in the State and eventually helped lead the Governor's Covid-19 Task Force responsible for Oklahoma's response to the global coronavirus pandemic. Jerome is currently completing a Master of Studies at the University of Oxford where he is reading practical ethics in the Department of Philosophy and the Uehiro Institute Oxford. He chairs the Honors College board at Baylor University and regularly teaches at the collegiate, community and international levels, primarily in East Africa and Latin America, on faith, public policy and leadership. Jerome and his wife live on an acreage outside Oklahoma City and have two boys.
Welcome to season 3 of Faux Real! To start this season off, I am joined by actor, writer, producer, and activist Jess Jacobs to chat all about her new film If You See Something co-starring Adam Bakri (Accused) and Krystina Alabado (Hazbin Hotel). In the film, Ali (Bakri), an Iraqi doctor seeking asylum who falls for Katie (Jacobs), an emerging New York gallerist and they begin a new romance together. When disturbing news from Baghdad comes back to haunt Ali in the midst of his asylum process, Ali becomes increasingly torn between the new life he's starting with Katie and the life he left behind. See at at a theater near you when it opens wide November 14th! Meanwhile, enjoy the show! Jess Jacobs on IMDb Jess Jacobs Official Site If You See Something on IMDb Special Thanks to Dakota Rosen @ Origin PR for bringing Jess on the program Listen to Faux Real on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and all your favorite podcast platforms! Watch the entire video conversation on YouTube Instagram @FauxRealPod Twitter @FauxRealPod Facebook @FauxRealPod Logo design by Chris Michaud Faux Real is a production of Wilder Entertainment © 2025
When Tony Blair took Britain to war in Iraq in 2003, as part of a US-led and rather limited coalition of nations, it was against the will of large numbers of Brits expressed in possibly the biggest demonstration in British history. He'd also decided to hold a vote in parliament as to whether to go into the war, something he didn't strictly have to do since it was a so-called ‘prerogative power', one of the powers inherited from the monarch though exercised, not by the whole of parliament, but by ministers with no need to obtain parliamentary approval. His decision set a new precedent in requiring parliamentary authority to go to war. He also made it a matter of confidence, so his government would have fallen had he lost.That didn't stop a massive rebellion among Labou MPs, when nearly 40% failed to rally to the government's support. That didn't bring him down or prevent involvement in the war, because the Conservatives came to his rescue. It did, though, mean that he took Britain into the conflict in Iraq in the teeth of opposition both from around the country and from many within his own parliamentary party.To push for support, he'd presented parliament with two dossiers detailing the dangers represented by the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Both have been shown to be shot through with false claims. That meant that the war was fought on false premises. Such a war, fought on that basis, marked the end of what Blair had once seemed to value, the government's commitment to an ‘ethical foreign policy'. It's no surprise that the architect of that policy, Robin Cook, and two other ministers resigned from the government.It also meant that he as well as the victims of the war would be paying a heavy price for having got involved in it. As we'll discover in the next episode.Illustration: ‘45 mins from attack': headline in the Evening Standard newspaper, in response to the September 2002 dossier on supposed weapons capabilities in Iraq.Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License
On this edition of Free City Radio we hear from artist Hala Alsalman speaking on a recent multimedia project called "The Rod and The Ring." This project examines the connections between contemporary Iraqi identity and culture to ancient times, particularly exploring the depth of Mesopotamian wisdom. Learn more about this project here: https://www.halaalsalman.com/the-rod-and-the-ring This interview program is supported in 2025 by the Social Justice Centre at Concordia University. The music track is Passage by Anarchist Mountains. Free City Radio is hosted and produced by Stefan Christoff and broadcasts on: CKUT 90.3 FM in Montreal - Wednesdays at 11am CJLO 1690 AM in Montreal - Wednesdays 8am CKUW 95.9 FM in Winnipeg - Tuesdays 8am CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston - Wednesdays 11:30am CFUV 101.9 FM in Victoria - Saturdays 7am Met Radio 1280 AM in Toronto - Fridays at 5:30am CKCU 93.1 FM in Ottawa - Tuesdays at 2pm CJSF 90.1 FM in Vancouver - Thursdays at 4:30pm CHMA 106.9 FM in Sackville, New Brunswick - Tuesdays at 10am
Tara uncovers the forces shaping today's America—from welfare fraud and illegal immigration to the shadowy plans for global censorship and government overreach. She exposes how millions of non-citizens access SNAP, Medicaid, and other federal benefits, the strain this places on the economy, and the political motivations behind it. Tara also dives into the chilling blueprint for controlling social media and free speech, as well as high-profile White House scandals that mainstream media avoids. Insightful, urgent, and unflinching, this episode connects the dots the elites don't want you to see. From welfare fraud to free speech control—what they're hiding from you. Illegal immigration, SNAP benefits, welfare fraud, Biden administration, Afghan refugees, Somali refugees, Iraqi immigrants, economic policy, Trump trade deals, global censorship, free speech, Barack Obama, John Brennan, Michael McFaulk, Big Tech regulation, Brussels effect, social media control, Secret Service, White House scandal, Hunter Biden, investigative reporting, government overreach Tara delivers a comprehensive look at multiple crises impacting America today. Millions of illegal immigrants are reportedly receiving government welfare benefits, creating economic strain while limiting opportunities for Americans. At the same time, a global censorship initiative led by former Obama officials and international allies threatens to control facts, restrict social media, and silence conservative voices. Adding to the turmoil, Tara reveals a White House cocaine cover-up involving the Secret Service, raising serious questions about accountability at the highest levels. This episode exposes the overlapping pressures on America's economy, civil liberties, and national integrity, connecting the hidden stories that mainstream media ignores.
Tara dives deep into the federal SNAP program and reveals who is actually receiving benefits, highlighting surprising statistics on immigrant households. She explores the economic strain caused by mass immigration, the lack of private-sector job creation, and how government dependency is being used to influence politics. From Afghan, Somali, and Iraqi immigrants on food stamps to the alleged manipulation of job and welfare numbers, this episode exposes what Tara calls “World War E”—the ongoing economic battle shaping America's future.
HEADLINE 1: Israeli forces eliminated three terrorists during a counterterrorism operation in a village called Kafr Qud.HEADLINE 2: The Trump administration announced a new aid package for minorities in Syria.HEADLINE 3: Turkish prosecutors filed new charges against Istanbul's mayor.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Joseph Braude, president of the Center for Peace Communications.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief--Featured FDD Pieces:"Patient Extremism: The Many Faces of the Muslim Brotherhood" - FDD Memo"Qatar's Calculated Bet on the Islamic Republic" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, RealClearWorld"Iraqi polls grapple with Israeli and Iranian relations as country prepares to vote" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, New York Post
Legal Docket on police power, double jeopardy, and attorney-client limits; Moneybeat on the tariff drama with Canada; and History Book on the deadliest modern attack against Iraqi Christians. Plus, the Monday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Asbury University — where students are known, supported, and prepared to lead. Customized visits available. asbury.edu/visitAnd from Cedarville University—a Christ-centered, academically rigorous university located in southwest Ohio, equipping students for Gospel impact across every career and calling. Cedarville integrates a biblical worldview into every course in the more than 175 undergraduate and graduate programs students choose from. New online undergraduate degrees through Cedarville Online offer flexible and affordable education grounded in a strong Christian community that fosters both faith and learning. Learn more at cedarville.edu, and explore online programs at cedarville.edu/online
By the latter part of the twentieth century, the world had become unipolar. The Soviet Empire collapsed even more rapidly than the British one had after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. China was not yet the force it is today. The US was at the pinnacle of its global power.That made it all the more unbearable that it came under assault within its own borders by the terrorists of the 9/11 attack in 2001. A reaction was inevitable. We saw last time how it invaded Afghanistan, but that seemed barely justified since there's no evidence of Afghan involvement in the attacks. By 2003, the US as ready to turn its military aggression against another nation in what it called its ‘war on terror', a strange notion of waging war against an abstract noun. Concretely, its new target was Iraq. Sadly, however, Iraqi contact with the 9/11 attacks had proved as difficult to substantiate as Afghanistan's. But the US put together an international coalition for war there, as it had once before in 1990-91, to throw Iraqi invaders out of Kuwait.This though would be much smaller coalition, with fewer nations prepared to support President George ‘Dubya' Bush's new campaign. It didn't help that it looked suspiciously at least partly aimed at completing the work of his own father, George HW Bush, who'd been president during the previous war on Iraq, by bringing down the dictator Saddam Hussein.One of the nations right alongside the US was Britain. That would leave a lasting mark on Tony Blair's legacy. Which might as a result not have been quite as glowing as he might have liked.Our subject for next week.Illustration: Government buildings burning in Baghdad following a US airstrike in March 2003. Photo Ramzi Haidar / AFP / Getty from ‘The Atlantic'Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License
How did the Israeli economy react to the war against Hamas? Hear from a major player on the ground – Dr. Eugene Kandel, former economic adviser and Chairman of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, discusses Israel's financial resilience after the war against Hamas. Having made aliyah from the Soviet Union in 1977 with his family, Dr. Kandel covers the stock market rebound, missed economic opportunities with Jordan and Egypt, and the success of the Abraham Accords. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Take Action: Elected Leaders: Demand Hamas Release the Hostages Key Resources: AJC's Efforts to Support the Hostages Listen – AJC Podcasts: Architects of Peace The Forgotten Exodus People of the Pod Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman: Professor Eugene Kandel served as economic adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel from 2009 to 2015, and with Ron Sor is a co-founder of Israel's Strategic Futures Institute. He is also chairman of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the only public stock exchange in Israel, known locally as the Bursa. He is with us now to talk about the impact of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza on Israel's economy, the potential and impact so far of the Abraham Accords, and how history could one day view October 7 as a turning point for Israel's democracy. Dr. Kandel, welcome to People of the Pod. Eugene Kandel: Thank you. Thank you for having me. Manya Brachear Pashman: Before we begin, your family came to Israel in 1977. Can you share your family's Aliyah story? Eugene Kandel: Yeah, when I was 14, my family was living very comfortably in the Soviet Union. My father was a quite known writer, playwright, a script writer. And around him was a group of Jewish people of culture that were quite known in their domains, mostly Jewish. And so at some point in 67 he sort of had this vision and started studying Hebrew. But 1970 and then by ‘73 when I was 14 years old, he came to me and said, Look, your mom and I decided to immigrate to Israel. What do you think about it, and I said, I don't know what I think about it. Okay, you know, if we want to immigrate, let's immigrate. I never felt too much belonging there. So unfortunately, Soviet authorities had other ideas about that. So we spent four years as refuseniks. My father, together with Benjamin Fine, were the editors of the underground publication called Tarbut. And for people who did not live there, they put their names on it. So this was, these were typewritten copies of Jewish culture monthly. And there were two names on it. You could go to jail for this. My father was always pretty brave man for his petite size, because during the Second World War, he was very, very hungry, to say the least. So he didn't really grow very much. But he's very big inside. And so the following four years were pretty tough on them, because he couldn't work anywhere. Just like in McCarty years in this country, people would give work to their friends and then publish it under their own name. That's what he did for his friends, and they would share the money with him, or give him most of the money. There were very, very brave people. And then, you know, there was an incident where they wanted to send a message to my father to be a little less publicly outspoken. And so two KGB agents beat me up. And that started a whole interesting set of events, because there was an organization in Chicago called Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry. Pamela Cohen. And I actually met Pamela when I was studying at the University of Chicago. And thanked her. So they took upon themselves to harass Soviet cinema and theater and culture officials. And so they were so successful that at some point, the writers league from Hollywood said that nobody will go to Moscow Film Festival unless they release us because they do not want to associate with people who beat up children. I wasn't a child, I was 17 years old, but still. And that sort of helped. At least, that's how we think about it. So it's worthwhile being beaten up once in a while, because if it lets you out, I would take it another time. And then we came to Israel in a very interesting time. We came to Israel four hours after Anwar Sadat left. So we came to a different Israel. On the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. And so that was it. We came to Mevaseret Zion, which was an absorption center. A small absorption center. Today I actually live probably 500 yards from where we stayed. Sort of full circle. And today, it's a significant, it's about 25,000 people town. And that's the story, you know, in the middle, in between then and now, I served in the military, did two degrees at Hebrew University, did two degrees at the University of Chicago, served as professor at the University of Rochester, and then for 28 years, served as professor of economics and finance at the Hebrew University. So I keep doing these circles to places where I started. Manya Brachear Pashman: You say you arrived four hours after Sadat's visit to Israel on the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations? Eugene Kandel: Well, it depends what are your expectations. If your expectation will continue in the war, it definitely did, because, you know, for the last, you know, whatever, 48 years, we didn't have any military activity between Israel and Egypt. And we even have security collaboration to some extent. But if you're thinking about real peace, that would translate into people to people peace, business to business peace, it did not generate that at all. Because there was a very, very strong opposition on the street level and on the intellectuals level. It actually started to break a little bit, because today you can find analysts on Egyptian television that are saying that we are, we are stupid because we don't collaborate with Israel. It is allowed today, It's allowed to be said in, you know, 20-30, years [ago], that person would have been ostracized and would never be allowed to speak. So there is some progress, but unfortunately, it's a huge loss for the Egyptian economy. For Israeli economy, it is probably also a loss, but Israeli economy has a lot of alternatives in other countries. But Egyptians don't seem to be able to implement all the things that Israelis implemented a long time ago. You know, whether it's water technologies, whether it's energy technologies. Lots of lots of stuff, and it's really, really unfortunate that we could have helped Egyptian people, the same people who rejected any relations with us. And that's a pity. Manya Brachear Pashman: The next peace agreement that came was with Jordan in 1994, quite some time later. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations, and where were you in 1994? Eugene Kandel: 1994, I was a professor at the University of Rochester, so I wasn't involved at all. But again, it was a very, very similar story. It was the peace that was sort of forced from above. It was clearly imposed on the people despite their objections, and you saw demonstrations, and you still see. But it was clear to the leadership of Jordan that Israel is, in their case, is absolutely essential for the survival of the Hashemite Dynasty. In the end the Israeli intelligence saved that dynasty, many, many times. But again, it wasn't translated into anything economic, almost anything economic, until in the early 2000s there were some plants in Jordan by Israeli businessmen that were providing jobs, etc. But I was privileged to be the first to go to Jordan together with American officials and negotiate the beginning of the gas agreement. We were selling gas to Jordan, because Jordan was basically going bankrupt because of the high energy costs. Jordan doesn't have its own energy, apart from oil shale. Sorry, shale oil. And for some reason they weren't able to develop that. But Israeli gas that we are selling to them as a result of what we started in 2012 I believe. Actually very important for the Jordanian economy. And if we can continue that, then maybe connect our electrical grid, which is now in the works, between the water-energy system. And now maybe there is a possibility to connect the Syrian grid. If we have an agreement with Syria, it will help tremendously these countries to get economic development much faster. And it will help Israel as well, to balance its energy needs and to maybe get energy, provide energy, you know, get electricity, provide gas. You know, there's all these things where we can do a lot of things together. If there is a will on the other side. There's definitely will on the Israeli side. Manya Brachear Pashman: In addition to gas, there's also water desalination agreements, as well, right? Eugene Kandel: Yeah, there was a Red to Dead project, which was to pump the water all the way from the Red Sea along the Arava Valley. And then there is a 400 meter, 500 meter drop. And so to generate electricity through that desalinate that water that you pump, and then send that water to Egypt, send the electricity that was generated and not needed to Israel and then dump this salt stuff into the Dead Sea. Frankly, I don't know where this project is. Nobody talks about it for the last seven, eight years. I haven't heard. Now there are different projects where you would get energy generated in Jordan and sold to Israel in Eilat, for example, because it's difficult for us to bring electricity all the way South. And so if the Jordanians have large fields of photovoltaic energy they can sell, they can satisfy the needs of a lot, and then in return, we can desalinate water and send it to them. So there's all kinds of projects that are being discussed. Manya Brachear Pashman: But Israel does provide water to Jordan, correct? Eugene Kandel: There are two agreements. One agreement, according to our peace agreement, we are supposed to provide them with a certain amount of water. I don't remember the exact amount. But that's not enough, and so we also sell them water. So think about it. There is a sweet water reservoir called Tiberius, Kinneret, in the north, and we sending water from there into two directions according to the agreement. We're sending it to Amman, pumping it up to the mountains, and then we're sending it throughout the Jordan Valley, all the way along the Jordan River, to the Jordanian side. So it's quite striking when I used to go between Jerusalem and Amman, it's actually an hour and a half drive. That's it. You go down, you go up, and you're there. And so when you're passing the Israeli side, you see the plantations of date palms that are irrigated with drip irrigation. So very, very economically, using the brackish salt water that is pumped out of the ground there. You cross two miles further, you see banana plantations that are flood irrigated at 50-centigrade weather, and the water that comes from them comes on an open canal. So basically, 50% of the water that we send this way evaporates. Growing bananas in that climate and using so much water, it's probably, if you take into account the true cost of water, it's probably money losing proposition, but they're getting the water. The people that are the settlements on that Bank of Jordan River, are getting it for free. They don't care. And if somebody would just internalize that, and instead of sending the water down in an open canal, would send the whole water up to Amman, where there is a shortage of water, enormous shortage of water. And then you would take the gravity and use that water to generate electricity, to clean that water, the sewage, clean it and drip irrigate plantations, everybody would make enormous amounts of money. Literally enormous amounts of money. And everybody's lives would be better, okay? And I'm not talking about Israelis. It's within Jordan. And you can't say that there's no technology for that, because the technology is two miles away. You can see it. And it just puzzles me. Why wouldn't that be done by some entrepreneurs, Jordanian entrepreneurs. We could really help with that. We could even help by buying the water from them back. The water that we give them, we can buy it back. Because in Israel, the water is very expensive. So we could finance that whole thing just by sending the water back, but that would be probably politically unacceptable, I don't know. But it's really, really . . . for an economist, it's just a sad story. Manya Brachear Pashman: Missed opportunities. Well, let's go back. I introduced you as the chair of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the Bursa. And I am curious. Let's talk about the economy. Does Israel treat its stock market the same way we do? In other words, are there opening and closing bells at the beginning and end of every day? How does the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange work compared to the United States? Eugene Kandel: Well, we do have the opening bell, but it's usually reserved for some events. We don't have the events every day. Usually, if there's a new listing, or there's somebody celebrating, like, 20 years of listing, we have all kinds. Recently, we had Mr. Bill Ackman came and gave a speech and opened the trading together with us. There are events around Jeffries Conference. But it's much more, you know, ceremony, I mean, it's not really connected to anything. Trading starts whether you press the button or don't. But Israeli stock exchange is unique in the following sense: it is an open limit book. What means that there is, you know, buyers meet sellers directly, and it works like that, not only in stocks, which is similar to what it is everywhere, but it's also in bonds, government bonds, corporate bonds, and in derivatives. So in that sense, we do have our ceremonies, but the interesting thing is, what is happening with the exchange in the last two years. Accidentally, I joined two years ago as the chairman, and over the last two years, the stock exchange, the indices of Israeli Stock Exchange were the best performing out of all developed countries, by far. Manya Brachear Pashman: Did that have something to do with the war? Eugene Kandel: Well, it should have been, you know, in the opposite direction, but, the war is, not this length of war, not this intensity of war . . . but if you look back over at least 25 years, the Israeli economy responds very robustly to military conflict. Usually they're much shorter. If you look at even quarterly returns of the stock exchange, you would not know that there was a war in the middle, definitely not annual. If you look over the last 25 years, and you look at this stock, annual returns of the indices, you would not know that there was anything wrong, apart from our 2003 crisis, and Corona. Even the great financial crisis, you would not see it. I mean it was basically past us, because we didn't have a financial crisis in Israel. We had repercussions from, you know, the rest of the world's financial crisis, but we didn't get our own. And so we do have resilience built in, because we're just so used to it. However, having said that, it's the first time that we have such a long and intensive war on seven, whatever fronts. So it is quite surprising that just like any other time, it took about three months for the stock market to rebound after October 8. It was a big question whether to open the market on October 8. We struggled with it, and we decided that we do not want to give anybody the right to disrupt the Israeli economy. I mean, it was a really tough decision, because there was certain people were saying, Well, how can you do that? It's a national tragedy. And of course, it was a national tragedy. But closing the market would have meant two things. First of all, it would have shown the world that our economy can be interrupted. It would have given the benefit to those people that did these atrocities, that they managed to do more damage than they already did. And we didn't want to do that. And it didn't collapse. It went down, of course, but it rebounded within less than three months. By the end of that year, it was back on the same level. And then it did this comeback, which was quite phenomenal. And it's an interesting question, how come? Because during that time, we had some cases where Israel was boycotted by investors, very few, by the way, but we also saw many, many new investors coming in. You could look at the war from the negative side. Of course, huge costs. But with all that, it was about 10% of annual GDP, because we are, you know, we're a big economy, and we borrowed that very easily because we had a very strong macro position before that. So we now 76% debt to GDP ratio. It's much lower than majority of developed countries. But we still had to borrow that. It was a lot of money, and then the defense budget is going to go up. So there is this cost. But vis a vis that, A, Israeli technology has been proven to be unmatched, apart from maybe us technology in certain cases, but in some cases, even there, we have something to share. And so we have huge amounts of back orders for our defense industries. During the war, and they were going up when some of the countries that are making these purchases were criticizing us. They were learning from what we did, and buying, buying our equipment and software, etc. And the second thing, we removed the huge security threat. If you look before October 7, we were quite concerned about 150,000 missiles, some of them precise missiles in Hezbollah's hands, an uninterrupted path from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah, constantly replenishing. We would bomb them sometimes in Syria, but we didn't catch all of them. We had Hamas, we had Hezbollah, we had Syrians, we had Iranians. We had, you know, not, you know, Iraqi militia. So, Hezbollah doesn't exist. Well, it exists, but it's nowhere near where it where was at. And the Lebanese Government is seriously attempting to disarm it. Syria, we all know what happened in Syria. We didn't lift a finger to do that. But indirectly, from what happened in Hezbollah, the rebels in Syria became emboldened and did what they did. We know what happened with Hamas. We know what happened with Iran. Okay, Iran, even Europeans reimposed the sanctions. So that's the side effect. So if you look at the Israeli geopolitical and security situation, it's much, much better. And in that situation, once the war is over and the hostages are returned, and hopefully, we will not let this happen again, ever, to work hard so we remember that and not become complacent. It's an enormous, enormous boost to Israeli economy, because this security premium was quite big. So that is on the positive side, and if we play smart, and we play strategically, and we regain sort of good relations with some of the countries which are currently very critical of us, and somehow make them immune to this anti Israeli antisemitism propaganda, we can really get going. Manya Brachear Pashman: You mentioned investors. There were more investors after the war. Where were those investors coming from, internally or from other countries? Eugene Kandel: It's interesting that you asked this question, because in 2020, early 2024 a lot of Israeli institutions and individuals moved to S&P 500, and they got really hammered. Twice. Because A, S&P 500 was lagging behind the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. So there was some other players coming in, because otherwise, when you move money, usually, you should see a drop, but you saw an increase. That meant that there are others came in. But the more interesting thing is that shekel was very weak when they bought dollars, and now shekel is about 15% stronger, so they lost 15% just on the exchange rate. And so a lot of money that went to S&P came back in the last six, eight months. So the internal money came back. But on top of internal money, we looked at the behavior of foreign investors right after October 7. They didn't flee the country. Some of them sold stocks, bought bonds. And then so Israeli institutions made money on that, because Israeli institutions bought stocks from them at about 10%, 15% discount, and then when it rebounded, they made money. But that money didn't leave, it stayed in Israel, and it was very costly to repatriate it, because the shekel was very weak. And so buying dollars back was expensive. And the money slowly went into stocks. And then people made quite a lot of money on this. Manya Brachear Pashman: The last topic I want to cover with you is external relations. You mentioned Syria, the potential of collaborating with Syria for water, gas. Eugene Kandel: Electricity. Manya Brachear Pashman: Electricity. And I presume that you're referring to the possibility of Syria being one of the next members to join the Abraham Accords. That has been mentioned as a possibility. Eugene Kandel: Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less. Manya Brachear Pashman: Outside of the Accords. Eugene Kandel: Outside of the Accords, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding. Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less outside of the Accord, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding. You know, I was in UAE, in Dubai on the day of signing of the Accord. I landed in Dubai when they were signing on the on the green loan, on the White House lawn. And we landed. It was amazing. It was the degree of warmth that we received from everybody, from ministers in the economy to ministers that came to speak to us, by the dozen to people in the hotel that were just meeting us. They issued, for example, before signing the Accord, there was a regulation passed by by UAE that every hotel has to have kosher food. We don't have that in Israel. I mean, hotels mostly have kosher food, but not all of them, and, and it's not by law. This was, like, clear, we want these people to feel comfortable. It was truly amazing. I've never, I could never imagine that I would come to a country where we didn't have any relations until today, and suddenly feel very, very welcome. On every level, on the street, in restaurants. And that was quite amazing, and that was the result of us collaborating below the surface for many, many years. Manya Brachear Pashman: Parity of esteem, yes? Suddenly. Eugene Kandel: Yeah, they didn't feel they did exactly the important part when the UAE businessman or or Ambassador order you feel completely no chip on the shoulder whatsoever. They feel very proud of their heritage. They feel very proud of their achievements. They feel and you feel at the same level. They feel at the same level, just like you would with the Europeans. We always felt that there was something like when, when, Arab delegations, always tension. I don't know whether it was superiority or inferiority. I don't know. It doesn't matter, but it was always tension in here. I didn't feel any tension. Was like, want to do business, we want to learn from you, and you'll to learn from us. And it was just wow. Manya Brachear Pashman: Same in Bahrain and Morocco? Eugene Kandel: I haven't been to Bahrain and Morocco. I think Bahrain wants to do business. They were very even, sort of some of, we sent the delegation to Bahrain to talk about sort of Israeli technology and how to build an ecosystem in the same with Morocco. I think it's a bit different. I think it's a bit different because we didn't see much going on from from these two countries. Although Morocco is more advancing much faster than Bahrain. There are a lot of interesting proposals coming out of it. There's a genuine desire there. In the last two years, of course, it was difficult for for anybody to do anything in those but interestingly, when almost no European airlines or American airlines were flying to us, Etihad and Emirates were flying to Israel. They were flying. Manya Brachear Pashman: Past two years? Eugene Kandel: Yeah, they would not stop. And you're just like, wow. Manya Brachear Pashman: So would you say the Abraham Accords have had a significant impact on Israel's economy at all? Eugene Kandel: I do not know. I mean, I don't have data on that by the sheer number. I mean, the the number of Israeli tourists Sue UAE, it's probably 10 or 20 to one to the vice versa. So we've been Israelis flooding UAE. In terms of investments, there are some technology investments. There's some, some more infrastructural investors, like they bought 20% of our gas field. There are collaborations between universities and research centers. So it's hard to measure, but you have to remember that there was a huge amount of trade and collaboration under the surface. So it surfaced. But that doesn't mean that there was an effect on the economy, just people suddenly saw it. So you don't know what the Delta was. If the same amount of business was suddenly coming out of Jordan, we would have seen, you know, big surge. So I'm not sure how much . . . I don't mean to say that there was no impact. I'm just saying that the impact was much more gradual, because there was so much already, right? But I'm sure that it is continuing, and the fact that these airlines were continuing to fly, indicates that there is a demand, and there's a business. Initially a lot of Israelis thought that there was, this was a money bag, and they would go there and try to raise money and not understanding culture, not understanding. That period is over. I mean, the Emiratis conveyed pretty clearly that they not. They're very sophisticated investors. They know how to evaluate so they do when they make investments, these investments make sense, rather than just because you wanted to get some money from somebody. Manya Brachear Pashman: Well, thank you so much. Eugene Kandel: Thank you. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed our last episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC's Director of Congressional Affairs Jessica Bernton. We spoke shortly after receiving the news that a deal had been reached and the hostages from the October 7 Hamas terror attack might finally come home after two years in captivity. That dream was partially realized last week when all the living hostages returned and the wait began for those who were murdered.
4. Saddam's Trial and Maliki's Revenge Abdullahad saw Saddam twice—as powerful youth icon then frail defendant in a trial that became "parody of justice," allowing Saddam to re-dignify himself in Arab consciousness. After December 2006 execution, Saddam's body went to Maliki's house, revealing "petty sectarian mentality." Civil war ended with Sunni defeat, former resistance figures like Hamid who opposed Al-Qaeda disappeared, and hundreds of thousands of educated Iraqis fled.
7. Battle for Mosul and Post-War Corruption ISIS with 20,000 foreigners established brutal caliphate but alienated local Sunnis within two months, leading to defeat through house-to-house warfare causing massive PTSD among Iraqi forces and civilians. Post-battle Mosul suffers not from war damage but widespread corruption and militia control over economic sectors and smuggling, with survivors later losing relatives to corruption-caused tragedies like ferry sinkings.
1. The American Invasion and Start of Chaos The April 2003 American arrival in Baghdad saw Saddam's statue toppled before foreign journalists rather than Iraqi crowds, with contradiction between heavily armed US presence and citywide looting while the Iraqi Museum was ransacked but Ministry of Oil secured. Iraqis initially believed Americans would bring prosperity, leading to disappointment over "criminal negligence," with Abdullahad becoming an accidental journalist after bribing his way out of detention. 1600
1. The American Invasion and Start of Chaos The April 2003 American arrival in Baghdad saw Saddam's statue toppled before foreign journalists rather than Iraqi crowds, with contradiction between heavily armed US presence and citywide looting while the Iraqi Museum was ransacked but Ministry of Oil secured. Iraqis initially believed Americans would bring prosperity, leading to disappointment over "criminal negligence," with Abdullahad becoming an accidental journalist after bribing his way out of detention.
2. Saddam's Evolution and Imposed Sectarianism Abdullahad's first war memory was 1980's Iran-Iraq conflict, leading to bankruptcy and Kuwait invasion amid pervasive militarization. Saddam, initially a pan-Arab revolutionary called "leader of necessity," shifted after Kuwait defeat to pious tribal leader leveraging religion to extend authority. Iraqi society in the 1980s-90s was defined by class and birthplace, not sect—destructive Sunni-Shia conflict was imposed after 2003, created in exile to market regime change.
3. Return of Exiles and Rise of Sectarian War American blunders included disbanding the army and Ba'ath party while returning exiles "frozen in time" whom Iraqis distrusted but Americans relied upon. Resistance began with nationalists like Hamid fighting to restore honor, recognizing danger from foreign jihadis flooding borders seeking Islamic state rather than preserving Iraq. Zarqawi facilitated sectarian quagmire but conditions were created by Americans, exiles, and jihadis, with Mahdi Army becoming death squads dumping hundreds of Sunni bodies at Sada dam.
Following the resumption of Kirkuk crude exports on September 27, 2025, the oil markets are poised for significant shifts. This development marks a crucial turning point for the Mediterranean oil landscape, as the Iraqi grade reenters the market amid ongoing geopolitical dynamics and supply chain adjustments. In this episode, John Morley is joined by crude oil reporters Luke Stuart and Ernest Puey to explore the potential implications of this reintroduction. They will discuss how the return of Kirkuk crude could affect pricing, regional supply dynamics, and the broader impact on Mediterranean trade flows. Links: Bearish sentiment grows across Med sweet crude complex in oversupplied market (subscriber content) Iraqi Kirkuk's return to Europe could further pressure sour differentials (subscriber content) Kirkuk FOB Ceyhan AAEJD00 CPC Blend CIF vs CPC Dated Brent Strip AAHPL00
This episode covers the return of flows of Iraqi medium sour Kirkuk crude after two-and-half-years How the Kirkuk grade traded before its halt in March 2023 and why it's been absent Now the grade is back online, how much is available and how will it trade with the marketing rights belonging to Iraq's Somo, including the return of the spot market and how that works Will Kirkuk create a place for itself in the Mediterranean crude slate again? Kuganiga Kuganeswaran, Deputy Editor, Crude Oil Lina Bulyk, Associate Editor, Crude Oil
After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the death of Saddam Hussein, scientists who worked for the regime were killed or left the country. When one of them –microbiologist Thamer Abdul Rahman Imran – learned the new regime wanted to arrest him and the insurgents wanted to kill him, he went into hiding. Racing against time, ex–Secret Service agent Steve Monteiro and his team from the Department of Homeland Security set out to find the missing scientist and learn what he knew about the anthrax crisis that was baffling investigators in the United States. The journey took them from the White House to the Middle East as they fight bureaucrats in Washington who seemed to want them to fail. The Gray Bird of Baghdad tells the true story of one's man's quest to protect his country and another man's fight to save his family from the ravages of a country at war.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
As promised, this is a fully functioning BIG BROTHER podcast now and Donny Hadfield, the Big Brother Historian, is walking us down memory lane of the problematic 2006's where the R-word was casually said on TV and production played Indian Snake Charmer flutes behind an Iraqi man praying - It's the first 3 episodes of Big Brother 6!
Have you ever met someone whose story shifts your whole perspective?In the latest episode of Real Talk, I sit down with the electrifying DJ Ahmed, an Iraqi-born refugee who turned the chaos of war and displacement into an unstoppable force for joy, healing, and unity.
Welcome to episode 32 of Offshoot. My guest today is Tony Yousif, Executive Managing Director of SVN, where he's built a nationwide advisory and brokerage platform helping banks, receivers, and institutional capital allocators of all varieties navigate their most complex real estate situations.Born to Iraqi immigrants who fled to America and lived on welfare and Section 8 housing in the city of Chicago, Tony found himself working at a convenience store and borrowing a third of his now-wife's accounting salary just to survive. For 2.5 years he pulled 100-hour weeks before making his first $25,000 commission check. That grit was the foundation for building one of the most trusted names in distressed real estate.But, the genius here isn't just the grind, it's the deep investment Tony has made to relationship-building. He doesn't see himself as a broker; rather the "conductor of the orchestra" sitting between the lenders and local market experts, helping move distressed deals along to their highest and best use. Since 2008, he's helped the likes of Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Colony Capital, and Oaktree navigate their troubled assets. Last year alone, his team valued over 1,500 properties and managed 92 different assets across the country. The best part of this is that Tony hasn't asked for a piece of business in over 10 years and he's not likely someone you've heard a lot about. All of this comes from relationships.Tony's a farmer rather than a hunter in the world of real estate. While most brokers eat what they kill, moving from one deal to the next, Tony plants seeds, nurtures relationships, and harvests when the fruit is ripe. The proof of his success comes in the liberty he has to fire clients – walking away from $80,000 a month because one relationship wasn't mutually respectful. That takes serious cojones and is a luxury of only the successful.Listen into (and behind) what's said as we cover topics that include:How respect for his parents' vision and commitment served as a core motivationThe difference between being a relationship broker versus a transaction broker – and why one builds a business while the other may just pay billsWhy grading your clients and firing the toxic ones can free time for the relationships that matterThe wisdom in allocating time to create harmony across competing interestsThe benefits of striving to live as if you're about to dieThe Sabalers effect - how treating people right means they take you with them to their next employer and give you another clientThe art of saying no to opportunities and instead referring them to competitors without asking for a fee (and how that built his reputation)Why "a rolling loan takes no loss" and how banks' extending and pretending looked genius through the last crisisThe nightly practice with his kids that names three things they're each grateful forThe three circles of life (business, friends/family, self) and why deathbed advice about finding harmony, not balance, changed Tony's perspectiveTony's journey from welfare recipient to trusted advisor for institutions managing billions in distressed assets is a masterclass in patience, perseverance, and the compound value of genuine relationships. I hope you enjoy it.
The Unforgotten Women of the Islamic State (Oxford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Gina Vale explores the governance of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization through the lives and words of local Iraqi, Syrian, and Kurdish women. While the roles and activities of foreign (predominantly Western), pro-IS women have garnered significant attention, the experiences and insights of local civilian populations have been largely overlooked. Drawing on the testimonies of 63 local Sunni Muslim and Yazidi women, Dr. Vale exposes the group's intra-gender stratified system of governance. Eligibility for the group's protection, security, 'citizenship', and entrance into the (semi-)public sphere were not universal, but required convergence with the gender norms of IS, through permanent erasure or at least temporary disguise of certain markers of difference. In some cases, this was directed by a pre-meditated 'divide and conquer' strategy, while in others, it manifested as unregulated violences at the hands of individual group members, including women. The structure follows the trajectory of IS's increasing control over its 'citizens' and captive populations: its militarization of society; imposition of law and order; provision of goods and services; and intervention in civilians' private lives. Analysis of diverse first-hand accounts and the group's documentation reveals that the presence, exclusion, and victimization of local civilian women were necessary to the functioning and legitimation of IS's 'caliphate' project, and the supremacy of affiliated men - and women. As a fledgling proto-state, IS needed local Iraqi, Syrian, and Kurdish women. Though far from represented or protected, they were by no means forgotten. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Syria's interim president has told the UN General Assembly that his country has reclaimed its "rightful place" on the world stage. Ahmed al-Sharaa is the first Syrian leader to address the assembly since 1967. Last December, the former Islamist fighter headed a rebel alliance that overthrew the Assad regime. Twenty years ago, Sharaa was a devotee of al-Qaeda and detained in an Iraqi prison. As a leader of Islamist militants, the US Government put out a bounty of $10 million for his arrest.Also in the programme: A generic HIV drug for $40 US dollars per person per year; and from Adam Ant to Culture Club - a look back at London's influential Blitz Club of the 1980's.(Photo: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, September 24, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Jeenah Moon)
Send us a textOnes Ready sits down with Morgan Lerette —author of Guns, Girls, and Greed—to talk about life as a Blackwater mercenary during the chaos of Iraq and Afghanistan. From getting recruited as a broke Air Guard kid, to standing on flight lines wondering if forklifts win Bronze Stars, to suddenly pulling convoys through Route Irish with Navy SEALs and Rangers, Morgan lays it all out: the absurd, the grim, and the downright sketchy. We dive into the wild days of unarmored Peugeots with body armor for window panels, hooker stories from Jordan, and the not-so-fun reality of PMCs running missions with zero backup. And just when you're laughing at zebra-striped POW underwear, Morgan drops the hammer on the modern PMC industry moving kids across the border. Buckle up—this one goes from hilarious to horrifying in record time. Part two is going to be even spicier.Best place to get the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D5JMPTMY/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome back to Ones Ready 02:00 – Blackwater mercenary origins and pipeline discounts 05:00 – Morgan's “construction worker” to Air Guard journey 09:00 – Forklift heroes and Bronze Stars 13:00 – How a Security Forces guy landed at Blackwater 18:00 – Fallujah, no backup, and calling Bragg from a Nokia brick 22:00 – Corkscrew flights, Peugeots with steel plates, and sweaty armor 27:00 – Protecting diplomats with “creative” ROE 32:00 – Contractors vs State Department nerds 38:00 – QRF reality: escort service and car bomb season 42:00 – The flashbang fail and Iraqi cell-jammer pranks 44:00 – Guns, Girls, Greed—why Morgan's book pissed off Blackwater 47:00 – Hooker tales and Harvard economics majors 49:00 – Custer's Battles and the Wild West of PMCs 53:00 – The ugly truth: PMCs moving kids at the border 58:00 – Durable goods, cartels, and why trafficking beats drugs 1:02:00 – Why foreign-funded PMCs are a ticking time bomb 1:04:00 – Zebra-striped underwear POW story to close it out
HEADLINE: Iraqi Intelligence Uncovers Global Islamic State Network, Highlighting African Hub's Expanding Influence GUEST NAMES: Caleb Weiss and Bill Roggio SUMMARY: The Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) has made its first international bust in West Africa, revealing how Islamic State (ISIS) cells, particularly the wealthy ISWAP, are funding global attacks and supporting ISISoperations, including those in Iraq, amidst shifting jihadist strongholds and Western withdrawal from the Sahel. The Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) revealed its first international operation, dismantling an Islamic State (ISIS) cell in West Africa. This cell, linked to the powerful ISWAP, was financing attacks in Europe and supporting ISIS operations in Iraq. This highlights Africa's growing importance as a hub for the global Islamic State network, amidst a complex regional jihadist landscape. 1870 CONGO
CONTINUED HEADLINE: Iraqi Intelligence Uncovers Global Islamic State Network, Highlighting African Hub's Expanding Influence GUEST NAMES: Caleb Weiss and Bill Roggio SUMMARY: The Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) has made its first international bust in West Africa, revealing how Islamic State (ISIS) cells, particularly the wealthy ISWAP, are funding global attacks and supporting ISISoperations, including those in Iraq, amidst shifting jihadist strongholds and Western withdrawal from the Sahel. The Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) revealed its first international operation, dismantling an Islamic State (ISIS) cell in West Africa. This cell, linked to the powerful ISWAP, was financing attacks in Europe and supporting ISIS operations in Iraq. This highlights Africa's growing importance as a hub for the global Islamic State network, amidst a complex regional jihadist landscape. 1901 KITCHENER AND STAFF
Jonathan Speyer reports on Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel, sustained by Iranian, Iraqi, Hezbollah, and even Chinese support. He describes the Houthis as fanatical, religiously and tribally motivated, aiming for "death to America, death to Israel, and curse the Jews." While cutting their supply chain and taking Hodeidah port is militarily feasible for a Western-backed force, a lack of political will currently prevents such aggressive action against their sophisticated smuggling operations. 1932
CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW SCHEDULE 9-11-25 GOOD EVENING: The show begins in Brussels at the Article Four meeting called by Poland. 1942 FIRST HOUR 9-915 McCausland: Jeff McCausland analyzes Russia's drone probes into Poland, viewing them as Vladimir Putin's attempt to intimidate NATO and gather military intelligence. He notes Dmitry Medvedev's aggressive rhetoric against Finland. McCausland also discusses Israel's strike against Hamas in Doha, impacting US-Qatar relations, and US military posturing near Venezuela to intimidate Nicolás Maduro. He warns against "gunboat diplomacy" and a "war on cartels," stressing the dangers of escalation and historical lessons. 915-930 CONTINUED McCausland: Jeff McCausland analyzes Russia's drone probes into Poland, viewing them as Vladimir Putin's attempt to intimidate NATO and gather military intelligence. He notes Dmitry Medvedev's aggressive rhetoric against Finland. McCausland also discusses Israel's strike against Hamas in Doha, impacting US-Qatar relations, and US military posturing near Venezuela to intimidate Nicolás Maduro. He warns against "gunboat diplomacy" and a "war on cartels," stressing the dangers of escalation and historical lessons. 930-945 Mary O'Grady analyzes Argentine President Javier Milei's significant election loss in Buenos Aires, attributed to a corruption scandal involving his sister and the slowing economy. His brash style, while initially appealing and celebrated internationally, now alienates potential congressional allies and conservative voters. O'Grady suggests this approach is ill-suited for governing, hindering his economic reforms, as he struggles with high inflation and cuts to public subsidies, impacting public perception.945-1000 Chris Riegel, CEO of scholar.com, counters AI doomsayers like Geoff Hinton, emphasizing AI's transformational potential as a tool. He highlights the mmense investment, hundreds of billions, in building gigawatt-plus data centers across the United States. This infrastructure drive is creating new industries and jobs, establishing the US as a global leader in AI, while also noting Asia's keen interest in US AI technology and Europe's lack of a cohesive strategy. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Jonathan Conricus observes Qatar's unprecedented move to engage beyond conventional tools, which Israel is closely monitoring. He suggests Israel's recent strike could signify a new deterrence doctrine, making Hamas leaders in Doha more vulnerable. This pressure might compel Hamas to accept Israel's terms for ending the conflict, which include releasing hostages and surrendering, thereby preventing further destruction and suffering in Gaza, despite the significant costs involved for Israel.1015-1030 CONTINUED Jonathan Conricus observes Qatar's unprecedented move to engage beyond conventional tools, which Israel is closely monitoring. He suggests Israel's recent strike could signify a new deterrence doctrine, making Hamas leaders in Doha more vulnerable. This pressure might compel Hamas to accept Israel's terms for ending the conflict, which include releasing hostages and surrendering, thereby preventing further destruction and suffering in Gaza, despite the significant costs involved for Israel.1030-1045 Ben Baird reveals US government agencies, under both Obama and Biden administrations, continuously funded extremist Muslim groups. Despite warnings and previous Trump administration cuts, over $25 million in grants went to organizations with alleged ties to terrorism, antisemitism, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas. This included partnering with groups like CAIR, which also provided firearms training to radical mosques, raising serious questions about oversight and vetting standards for federal funds.1045-1100 Jonathan Speyer reports on Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel, sustained by Iranian, Iraqi, Hezbollah, and even Chinese support. He describes the Houthis as fanatical, religiously and tribally motivated, aiming for "death to America, death to Israel, and curse the Jews." While cutting their supply chain and taking Hodeidah port is militarily feasible for a Western-backed force, a lack of political will currently prevents such aggressive action against their sophisticated smuggling operations. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 Anatol Lieven explains that Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus is a Soviet loyalist, not a Putin stooge, but was driven to Russia by Western sanctions. He discusses Russian drone incursions into Poland, likely an intentional message to NATO to test air defenses and warn against deploying troops to Ukraine. Russia may also seek to maintain Belarus firmly in its orbit by disrupting its multi-vector foreign policy initiatives, particularly any attempts at détente with the West.1115-1130 CONTINUED Anatol Lieven explains that Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus is a Soviet loyalist, not a Putin stooge, but was driven to Russia by Western sanctions. He discusses Russian drone incursions into Poland, likely an intentional message to NATO to test air defenses and warn against deploying troops to Ukraine. Russia may also seek to maintain Belarus firmly in its orbit by disrupting its multi-vector foreign policy initiatives, particularly any attempts at détente with the West.1130-1145 Veronique de Rugy critiques US tax "carveouts," identifying them as inefficient special interest deductions that often fail to incentivize desired behaviors, citing employer health insurance and mortgage interest deductions. While a flat tax would streamline the system and boost economic growth by focusing on consumption, de Rugy emphasizes that no tax system alone can resolve the severe US debt crisis; crucial reforms to Social Security and Medicare are indispensable.1145-1200 Ronan Wordsworth addresses a persistent recruitment and retention crisis in Five Eyes militaries, spanning decades. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, favor STEM careers offering flexibility and better pay over military discipline. Militaries are responding with increased advertising, flexible service models, lateral entry for skilled professionals, and significant pay raises and bonuses. Low morale, stemming from unpopular past wars and perceived institutional guilt, also significantly impacts retention rates. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Professor Evan Ellis details Peru's complex political landscape under unpopular President Dina Boluarte, its strategic importance due to mineral resources, and substantial economic ties with China, including the Chancay deepwater port. He also addresses the escalating Venezuelan situation, with a US Marine Air-Ground Task Force deployment and bounties on Nicolás Maduro, suggesting potential military action. Additionally, he touches on Bolsonaro's trial in Brazil and Guyana's newfound oil wealth amid Venezuelan threats.1215-1230 CONTINUED Professor Evan Ellis details Peru's complex political landscape under unpopular President Dina Boluarte, its strategic importance due to mineral resources, and substantial economic ties with China, including the Chancay deepwater port. He also addresses the escalating Venezuelan situation, with a US Marine Air-Ground Task Force deployment and bounties on Nicolás Maduro, suggesting potential military action. Additionally, he touches on Bolsonaro's trial in Brazil and Guyana's newfound oil wealth amid Venezuelan threats.1230-1245 CONTINUED Professor Evan Ellis details Peru's complex political landscape under unpopular President Dina Boluarte, its strategic importance due to mineral resources, and substantial economic ties with China, including the Chancay deepwater port. He also addresses the escalating Venezuelan situation, with a US Marine Air-Ground Task Force deployment and bounties on Nicolás Maduro, suggesting potential military action. Additionally, he touches on Bolsonaro's trial in Brazil and Guyana's newfound oil wealth amid Venezuelan threats.1245-100 AM CONTINUED Professor Evan Ellis details Peru's complex political landscape under unpopular President Dina Boluarte, its strategic importance due to mineral resources, and substantial economic ties with China, including the Chancay deepwater port. He also addresses the escalating Venezuelan situation, with a US Marine Air-Ground Task Force deployment and bounties on Nicolás Maduro, suggesting potential military action. Additionally, he touches on Bolsonaro's trial in Brazil and Guyana's newfound oil wealth amid Venezuelan threats.
PREVIEW: Malcolm Hoenlein: Iraq accuses Iran of disguising its crude as Iraqi exports to bypass sanctions, launching a high-level probe into the oil smuggling network, signaling a major relationship shift. MORE LATER. 1900 BAGHDAD
In Episode 254, Part 3 of the Mike Drop podcast, host Mike Ritland continues his conversation with former Green Beret Mark Gianconia, delving into the complex motivations behind the Iraq War and Mark's post-combat transition. The episode opens with a discussion on the murky intelligence surrounding weapons of mass destruction and the decision to invade Iraq, exploring whether it was a justified response to perceived threats or influenced by ulterior motives. Mark reflects on the chaotic post-invasion landscape, including his role in devastating airstrikes against the Iraqi military, navigating minefields, and managing volatile tribal factions in Tuz. He shares the emotional toll of combat, including feelings of guilt and fear, which led to his decision to leave special operations. Mark's career pivots dramatically as he becomes an instructor for the 18 Fox intelligence course, mastering geospatial intelligence and coding, which propels him into a tech career. He also discusses his book, One Green Beret, a cathartic effort to process his experiences, and his current role in geospatial technology, emphasizing AI as a tool rather than a threat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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