Podcasts about Kandahar

In Part 2 of this deeply emotional and powerful episode, Matt Watkins returns to the Relentless Pursuit Podcast to open up about his experience serving on the color guard in Kandahar, Afghanistan. From performing repatriation ceremonies for fallen comrades to a life-changing encounter with the widow of Lt. Robert Kelly, this story is one of purpose, grief, and healing.Matt walks us through the emotional weight of those ceremonies, the impact ofpost-deployment reflection, and the full-circle moment that helped unlockdeeper healing and reconnection with others affected by war.This episode is about never giving up on what truly matters—and finding meaninglong after the mission ends.

What happens when war is fought from behind a screen? In this episode, host ARBL Murray speaks with Canadian writer and Afghan war veteran Matt Jones about his new novel, Predators, Reapers, and Deadlier Creatures. Set in Kandahar in 2010, the book follows a drone operator wrestling with the moral and psychological weight of remote warfare. Now based in Paris, where he teaches creative writing at SciencesPo, Jones explores the challenge of writing about war for divided audiences—drawing on his journey from soldier to storyteller. Discover more about the author | Buy the book in France | Buy the book in the USA  

Join General Sir Nick Carter, the United Kingdom's former Chief of the Defence Staff, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they discuss the future of warfare through the lens of conflicts in Israel, Ukraine, and Africa. Drawing on his extensive military career - serving in Western Germany, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, General Carter provides his thoughts on the Trump administration's approach to the conflict in Ukraine, Putin's ambitions in Europe, and Russia and China's revanchist power in Africa. He discusses how conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Europe are connected to the looming crisis in the Indo-Pacific associated with China's revanchist agenda, as well as the US-UK relationship and whether he is optimistic for the future prospects of the Free World. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS General Sir Nick Carter served as the United Kingdom's Chief of the Defence Staff from 2018 to 2021, where he led the British Armed Forces as the most senior uniformed military advisor to the British Prime Minister. General Carter previously served in Western Germany during the end of the Cold War, Northern Ireland during The Troubles, and in Bosnia and Kosovo during NATO peacekeeping operations. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan, including command of regional command south in Kandahar.  He also commanded British forces in Basra, Iraq. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

This episode we continue to follow the monk Xuanzang on his path along the silk road.  From Gaochang, he traveled through the Tarim Basin, up over the Tianshan Mountains, to the heart of the Western Gokturk Qaghanate.  From there, he traveled south, through the region of Transoxania to Bactria and the land of Tukhara.  He pushed on into the Hindu Kush, witnessing the stone Buddha statues of Bamiyan, and eventually made his way to the land of Kapisa, near modern Kabul, Afghanistan.  From there he would prepare to enter the Indian subcontinent: the home of the historical Buddha. For more discussion and some photos of the areas along this journey, check out our podcast blog at https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-121   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 121: Journey to the West, Part 2   The cold winds blew through the travelers' doubled up clothing and thick furs.  Cold, wet ground meant that even two sets of boots were not necessarily enough after several days.  The frozen mist would often obscure everything except for the path immediately in front, hiding the peaks and making the sky a uniform white. In many places, the path would be blocked by rock, ice, or snow—the remnants of an avalanche, which could easily take an unsuspecting traveler.  And there was the elevation.  Hiking through the mountains, it was easy enough to reach heights of a mile or higher, and for those not accustomed to that elevation the thin air could take a surprising toll, especially if you were pushing yourself.  And the road was no less kind to the animals that would be hauling said travelers and their gear. And yet, this was the path that Xuanzang had agreed to.  He would continue to push through, despite the various deprivations that he would be subjected to.  No doubt he often wondered if it was worth it.  Then again, returning was just as dangerous a trip, so why not push on?   Last episode we introduced the monk Xuanzang, who traveled the Silk Road to India in the 7th century and returned to China.  He brought back numerous sutras to translate, and ended up founding a new school, known as the Faxian school—or the Hossou school in Japan.   As we mentioned last time, Xuanzang during his lifetime met with students from the archipelago when they visited the continent.  The records of his travels—including his biography and travelogue—are some of the best information we have on what life was like on the silk road around this time. In the last episode, we talked about Xuanzang: how he set out on his travels, his illegal departure from the Tang empire, and his perilous journey across the desert, ending up in Gaochang.  There, King Qu Wentai had tried to get him to stay, but he was determined to head out.  This episode we are going to cover his trip to Agni, Kucha, and Baluka—modern Aksu—and up to the Western Gokturk Qaghanate's capital of Suyab.  From there, we'll follow his footsteps through the Turkic controlled regions of Transoxania and into Tukhara, in modern Afghanistan.  Finally, we'll cover the last parts of his journey before he reached the start of his goal:  India. From Gaochang, Xuanzang continued on, through the towns he names as Wuban and Dujin, and into the country of Agni—known today as the area of Yanqi—which may also have been known as Wuqi.  The route was well-enough known, but it wasn't necessarily safe.  At one point, Xuanzang's caravan met with bandits, whom they were fortunately able to pay off.  The following night they encamped on a river bank with some merchants who also happened to be traveling the road.  The merchants, though, got up at midnight and headed out, hoping to get to the city early so that they could be the first ones to the market.  They only made it a few miles down the road, however, before they encountered more bandits, who slaughtered them and took their goods.  The following day, Xuanzang and his retinue came upon the merchants' remains lying in the road and saw the aftermath of the massacre. This was an unforgiving land, and the road was truly dangerous, even for those who traveled it regularly.  And yet Xuanzang was planning to travel its entire length until he reached India. So with little alternative, they carried on to the royal city of Agni. Agni, or Yanqi, sits on the southwestern edge of the basin, west of Bositeng lake, on the border between the Turfan basin and the larger Tarim Basin.  The name is thought to be a Tocharian—or Turfanian—name for the city, which is also known as Karashr. According to the biography by Huili, Xuanzang and his party didn't stay long in Agni.  Apparently Agni and Gaochang were not exactly on friendly terms, and even though the King of Agni and his ministers reportedly came out to greet Xuanzang and welcome him to their city, they refused to provide any horses.  They spent a single night and moved on. That said, Agni still made an impression on Xuanzang.  He noted how the capital was surrounded by hills on four sides, making it naturally defensible.  As for the people, he praises them as honest and straightforward.  They wore clothing of felt and hemp cloth, and cut their hair short, without hats or any kind of headwear.  Even the climate was pleasant, at least for the short time he was there.  He also notes that they used a script based on India—likely referring to the Brahmic script, which we find in the Tarim basin. However, as for the local lord, the King of Agni, he is a little less charitable.  Xuanzang claimed he was brave but “lacked resourcefulness” and he was a bit of a braggart.  Furthermore, the country had “no guiding principles or discipline and government orders are imperfect and not seriously implemented.”  He also mentioned the state of Buddhism in the country, noting that they were followers of Sarvastivada school, a Theravada sect popular along the Silk Road at the time.  Xuanzang was apparently not too pleased with the fact that they were not strict vegetarians, including the “three kinds of pure meat”.  From Agni, Xuanzang continued southwest, heading for the kingdom of Kucha.  He seems to have bypassed the nearby kingdom of Korla, south of Agni, and headed some 60 or 70 miles, climbing over a ridge and crossing two large rivers, and then proceeding another 200 miles or so to the land of Kucha. Kucha was a kingdom with over one hundred monasteries and five thousand monks following a form of Theravada Buddhism.  Here, Xuanzang was welcomed in by the king, Suvarnadeva, described as having red hair and blue eyes.  While Xuanzang was staying in Kucha, it is suspected that he probably visited the nearby Kizil grotto and the Buddhist caves, there, which include a painting of King Suvarnadeva's father, King Suvarnapuspa, and his three sons. You can still visit Kucha and the Kizil grottos today, although getting there is quite a trek, to be sure.  The ancient Kuchean capital is mostly ruins, but in the Kizil caves, protected from the outside elements, you can find vivid paintings ranging from roughly the 4th to the 8th century, when the site was abandoned.  Hundreds of caves were painted, and many still demonstrate vibrant colors.  The arid conditions protect them from mold and mildew, while the cave itself reduces the natural bleaching effect of sunlight.  The paintings are in numerous styles, and were commissioned by various individuals and groups over the years.  They also give us some inkling of how vibrant the city and similar structures must have been, back when the Kuchean kingdom was in its heyday. The people of Kucha are still something of a mystery.  We know that at least some of them spoke an Indo-European language, related to a language found in Agni, and both of these languages are often called Tocharian, which we discussed last episode.  Xuanzang himself noted that they used Indian writing, possibly referring to the Brahmi script, or perhaps the fact that they seem to have used Sanskrit for official purposes, such as the inscription on the cave painting at Kizil giving the name of King Suvarnapuspa.  The Kucheans also were clothed in ornamental garments of silk and embroidery.  They kept their hair cut, wearing a flowing covering over their heads—and we see some of that in the paintings. Xuanzang also notes that though we may think of this area as a desert, it was a place where rice and grains, as well as fruit like grapes, pomegranates, plums, pears, peaches, and almonds were grown.  Even today, modern Xinjiang grows some absolutely fantastic fruit, including grapes, which are often dried into raisins. Another point of interest for Xuanzang may have been that Kucha is known as the hometown of none other than Kumarajiva.  We first mentioned Kumarajiva back in episode 84.  Kumarajiva was one of the first people we know of who translated many of the sutras from India that were then more widely disseminated throughout the Yellow River and Yangzi river basins.  His father was from India and his mother was a Kuchean princess.  In the middle of the 4th century, when he was still quite young, he traveled to India and back with his mother on a Buddhist pilgrimage.  Later he would start a massive translation project in Chang'an.  His translations are credited with revolutionizing Chinese Buddhism. Xuanzang was initially welcomed by the king, his ministers, and the revered monk, Moksagupta.  They were accompanied by several thousand monks who set up tents outside the eastern gate, with portable Buddha images, which they worshipped, and then Xuanzang was taken to monastery after monastery until sunset.  At one of the monasteries, in the southeast of the city, there were several tens of monks who originally came from Gaochang, and since Xuanzang had come from there, they invited him to stay with them. The next day he met and feasted with the King, politely declining any meat, and then went to the monastery in the northwest to meet with the famous monk: Moksagupta.  Moksagupta himself had made the journey to India, and had spent 20 years there himself.  It seems like this would have been the perfect person for Xuanzang to talk to about his plans, but instead, the two butted heads.  Moksagupta seems to have seen Xuanzang's Mahayana faith as heretical.  He saw no reason for Xuanzang to travel all the way to India when he had all the sutras that anyone needed there in Kucha, along with Moksagupta himself.   Xuanzang's response seems to have been the Tang dynasty Buddhist version of “Okay, Boomer”, and then he went ahead and tore apart Moksagupta's understanding of his own sutras—or so Xuanzang relayed to his biographers.  We don't exactly have Moksagupta's side, and, let's face it, Xuanzang and his biographers are not necessarily reliable narrators.  After all, they followed Mahayana teachings, which they considered the “Greater Vehicle”, and they referred to the Theravada teachings as the “Hinayana” or “Lesser Vehicle”.  Meanwhile, Theravada Buddhists likely saw many of the Mahayana texts as extraneous, even heretical, not believing them to actually be the teachings of the Buddha. It must have been winter time, as the passes through the mountains on the road ahead were still closed, and so Xuanzang stayed in Kucha, spending his time sightseeing and meeting with various people.  He even went back to see Moksagupta, but the older monk shunned him, and would get up and exit the room rather than engaging with him, so they had no more conversations. Eventually, Xuanzang continued on his way west, following along the northern rim of the Tarim basin.  Two days out from Kucha, disaster struck.  Some two thousand or so Turkish bandits suddenly appeared—I doubt Xuanzang was counting, so it may have been more or less.  I imagine that memories of what had happened to the merchants near Agni must have gone through Xuanzang's mind.   Fortunately, for him, they were fighting over loot that they had pillaged from various travelers, and since they couldn't share it equally, they fell to fighting each other and eventually dispersed. He travelled for almost 200 miles after that, stopping only for a night at the Kingdom of Baluka, aka Gumo—the modern city of Aksu.  This was another Theravada Buddhist kingdom.  Xuanzang noted tens of Buddhist temples, and over 1000 Buddhist monks.  The country was not large—about 200 miles east to west and 100 miles north to south.  For reference that means it was probably comparable in size with Kyushu, in terms of overall area, or maybe the size of Denmark—excluding Greenland—or maybe the US state of Maryland.  Xuanzang described the country as similar to Kucha in just about every way, including the written language and law, but the spoken language was different, though we don't get many more details. From Baluka, he crossed northward through the Tianshan mountains, which are classified as an extension of the Pamirs known as the Ice Mountains.  Had he continued southwest, he would have hit Kashgar and crossed over between the Pamir and Tian Shan ranges into the Ferghana valley, but instead he turned north. We don't know exactly why he took this perilous option, but the route that may have been popular at the time as it was one of the most direct routes to the seat of the Western Gokturk Empire, which he was currently traveling through. The Tian Shan mountains were a dangerous journey.  Avalanches could block the road—or worse.  Xuanzang describes the permanent ice fields—indeed, it is the ice fields and glaciers of the Tian Shan that melt in the summer and provide the oasis towns of the Tarim Basin with water, even to this day.  In Xuanzang's day, those glaciers were likely even more prevalent than today, especially as they have been recorded as rapidly disappearing since 1961.  And where you weren't on snow and ice, the ground was probably wet and damp from the melt.  To keep warm, you would wear shoes over your shoes, along with heavy fur coats, all designed to reduce exposure. Xuanzang claims that 3 or 4 of every 10 people didn't survive the crossing—and that horses and oxen fared even worse.  Even if these numbers are an exaggeration, the message is clear:  This was a dangerous journey. After about seven days, Xuanzang came out of the mountains to the “Great Pure Lake”, the “Da Qing Hai”, also known as the Hot Sea or the Salt Sea, which likely refers to Issyk Kul.  The salt content, along with the great volume of water it possesses, means that the lake rarely freezes over, which is likely why it is seen as “hot” since it doesn't freeze when the fresh water nearby does.  This lake is the second largest mountain lake in the world, and the second deepest saltwater lake.  Traveling past the lake, he continued to Suyab, near modern Tokmok, in Kyrgyzstan, just west of the modern capital of Bishkek.  This was an old Sogdian settlement, and had since become the capital of the Western Gokturks.  Sogdians—like Xuanzang's guide, Vandak—were integral to the Gokturk kingdom. Their language was the lingua franca of the Silk Road, and at the time of the Gokturk Khaganate, it was also the official court language, and so when Xuanzang appeared at the court of the Great Khagan of the Western Gokturks, it was likely the language of diplomacy. When we think of Turkic people, many in the English speaking world think of Turkiye, and perhaps of the mighty Ottoman empire.  Some may think of Turkmenistan, Kazhakstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Uzbekistan, among others.  And of course, there are the Uyghur people in Xinjiang.  All of these people claim roots in the ancestral Turkic homeland in the Altai mountains, which sit largely in western Mongolia, north of China's Xinjiang region.  Much like the Xiongnu and the Mongols, they were pastoral nomads, moving their herds across the steppes, often covering great distances.  They would regularly move through different regions, perhaps returning each season, though sometimes not returning for years at a time.  They were often seen as barbarians by settled people living in cities, and yet their goods and horses were highly prized. Nomad and sedentary lifestyles would often collide.  Farmers would turn pastureland into fields, and when the nomadic people returned on their circuits, they would find walls and fences where there was once open land, and the people there would claim to “own” the land, a concept often foreign to people who were always on the move.  Nomadic people, such as the Gokturks, were not necessarily keeping vast libraries of records about themselves and their histories, and so much of what we get comes from external sources, which do not always have incredibly reliable narrators.  To many of the settled agriculturalists, groups like the Turks were marauders who raided their villages and farms.  They were a great bogeyman of the steppes, which required the firm hand of strong defenses to keep out—or so their opponents would want people to think. While they were known for their warfare, which incorporated their mobility, but they were keenly interested in trade, as well.  They understood the value of the trade routes and the various cities and states that they included in their empire.  Thus, the Sogdians and the Gokturks seem a natural fit: the Sogdians were more settled, but not entirely so, as demonstrated by their vast trade networks.  And the Sogdians also were part of the greater central Eurasian steppe culture, so the two cultures understood each other, to a degree.  They are even depicted similarly in art, with slight differences, such as long hair that was often associated with Turks over the Sogdians.  In some areas of the Gokturk empire, Sogdians would run the cities, while the Gokturks provided military aid and protection. Xuanzang's description of the people of Suyab, or the “City of Suye River”, doesn't pick out anyone in particular, and he even says that it was a place where traders of the Hu, or foreign, tribes from different countries mingle their abodes.  He mentions the people here as being called Suli, which is also the name given to the language—this may refer to “Sogdian” in general.  They write with an alphabet that is written vertically rather than horizontally—this may refer to a few scripts that were written this way, possibly based off Syriac or Aramaic alphabets that were adapted to Sogdian and other Iranian languages, but it isn't clear. We are told that the people dressed in felt and hemp clothing, with fur and “cotton” garments.  Their clothes fit tightly, and they kept their hair cut short, exposing the top of their heads—though sometimes they shaved it completely, tying a colored silk band around the forehead. He goes on to describe these people as greedy liars, possibly a reference to the mercantile nature of many of the people at the time. Something to note: The Turks of this time had not yet encountered Islam, which was just now starting to rise up in the Middle East.  The Prophet Muhammad is said to have been born around the end of the 6th century CE and was preaching in the early 7th century, though his teachings would begin to spread outward soon enough.  But that means that the Gokturks were not an Islamic empire.  Rather, their own traditions seem to have focused on the worship of Tengri, an Altaic personification of the universe, often simplified as a “sky god”.  Tengrism can be found amongst the Xiongnu, Mongols, and others, and it was the national religion of the Gokturks themselves, but there were many who also adopted other religions that they encountered, including Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Manichaeism, and Buddhism.  In fact, Xuanzang notes that the Turks he met in Suyab would not sleep or sit on beds made of wood because wood was thought to contain the spirit of fire, which he says they worshipped.  That sounds similar to Zoroastrian beliefs, where fire is associated with Ahura Mazda, who is also worshipped as a sky god.  These may have been beliefs inherited from their Eastern Iranian Sogdian partners. In Xuanzang's biography, we are given more details about his visit to Suyab.  Apparently, as he was headed to the city, he met a hunting party, which we are told was the retinue of Yehu Khan.  Hunting was an important part of life on the steppes, and it continued to be a favorite sport of the Gokturk nobility. Yehu Khan—possibly Yagbhu Khan, though that is up for some debate—is described as being dressed in a green silk robe, with his hair exposed, and wearing  a turban of white silk about ten feet long that wrapped his forehead and hung behind his back.  His “hunting” expedition wasn't just a couple of the guys.  It included about 200 officials, all with plaited hair and dressed in brocade robes—they weren't exactly out there roughing it.  He also had his soldiers, dressed in furs, felt, or fine woolen clothes, and there were so many cavalry that they stretched out of sight.  The Khan seemed pleased to meet Xuanzang, but his hunt was expected to last another couple of days, at least, so he sent an attendant named Dharmaja to take Xuanzang back to wait for the Khan to return. Three days later, Xuanzang was given an audience.  The khan was seated in a large yurt.  Xuanzang noted the seeming incongruity between the khan, sitting there in the tent, decorated with golden flowers, with the officials dressed in magnificent brocade garments sitting in two long rows in front of him and the armed guards behind him, compared to the simple felt walls of the tent. A ”yurt” is a common feature of nomadic life on the steppes.  It wasn't exactly a single person operation to haul them around, but they can be taken down and put up with relative ease.  And while yurts could be relatively simple, there are examples of much more elaborate structures.  There is little reason they couldn't be made larger, perhaps with some extra support.  In later centuries, there are examples of giant yurts that seem like real construction projects.  Use of tents, even in a city, where they had permanent palace buildings, was likely a means of retaining the nomadic steppe traditions, even while enjoying the benefits of city life. Whom exactly Xuanzang met with is a matter of debate.  His records seem to indicate that it was Tong Yabghu Qaghan of the Western Gokturk Khaganate, but other sources say that Tong Yabghu Qaghan died in 628, and the earliest Xuanzang could have been meeting with him was 630, two years later, so if that is the case, he must have met with Tong Yabghu's son, Si Yabghu Qaghan.  It is likely that Xuanzang, who was dictating his accounts years after, mentioned the Qaghan and then, when they looked up who it was, they simply made a mistake.  Remember, Xuanzang would have had everything translated through one or two languages.  He did know what he saw, however, and he recounted what he remembered. Tong Yabghu Qaghan oversaw the height of the Gokturk Qaghanate, and appears to have favored the Buddhist religion, though there were many different religions active in their territories at the time.  They oversaw an extremely cosmopolitan empire covering huge swaths of central Eurasia, including the lucrative silk road.  Xuanzang notes that at the court there were individuals from Gaochang and even a messenger from the Han—which is to say the Tang Empire.  One wonders if Xuanzang—or anyone at that time—realized just how tenuous the Khan'sposition was.  After Tong Yabghu's death, the Qaghanate would decline, and less than a decade later it would fall to the Tang dynasty, who took Suyab and made it their western outpost.  In fact, Suyab is thought to have been the birthplace, over a century later, of a young boy who would find a love of poetry.  That boy's name was Li Bai, or Ri Haku, in Japanese. He would become one of the most famous poets in Chinese history, and his poems were even known and studied in Japan.  And it was largely through Japanese study of Li Bai's poems that his works came to the English speaking world: first through Ernest Fenollosa, who had studied in Japan, and then by the celebrated Ezra Pound, who had used Ernest's notes to help with his own translations of the poems. This was, though, as I said, over a century after Xuanzang's journey.  At the time of our story, the Qaghan was throwing a feast, including Xuanzang and all of the foreign envoys.  Xuanzang comments on the food and drink—his hosts provided grape juice in lieu of wine, and cooked a special vegetarian feast just for him, while the other guests ate a feast of meat, such as veal, lamb, fish, and the like.  There was also the music of various regions along the Silk Road, which Xuanzang found to be catchy, but of course not as refined as the music he was used to, of course.  After dinner Xuanzang was asked to expound upon the Darma, largely about the basic principle that you should be kind to one another—I doubt he was getting into the deep mysteries of Buddhist philosophy. Xuanzang stuck around the court for three more days, during which time the Qaghan tried to get him to stay, but Xuanzang insisted that he had to make it to India.  And so the Qaghan relented.  He found men in his army who could translate for Xuanzang along his journey, and had letters of introduction written to at least as far as the state of Kapisa, in modern Afghanistan. And so, armed with the Qaghan's blessing and a fresh translator, Xuanzang struck out again.  They headed westward for over one hundred miles, eventually reaching Bingyul, aka the Thousand Springs.  This is the area where the Qaghan and his court would spend his summers, and the deer in the area were protected under his orders, so that they were not afraid of humans—which sounds similar to the situation with the deer in Nara.  Continuing on another fifty miles or so—the distances are approximate as Xuanzang's primary duty was not exactly to map all of this out—Xuanzang arrived at the city of Taras, in modern Kazakhstan, another place where the cultures of the Silk Road mixed and mingled.  Xuanzang didn't have much to say about Taraz, apparently, though it is one of the oldest cities in Transoxania, founded near the beginning of the Common Era.  A few miles south of there, Xuanzang reportedly found a village of re-settled ethnic Han that had been captured by the Gokturks and settled here.  They had adopted the dress and customs of the Turkic people, but continued to speak a version of Chinese. Southwest of that he reached the City of White Water, likely referring to Aksukent.  This is the same “Aksu” as the city in Xinjiang, both of which mean “White Water” in Turkic, but this one is in the south of Kazakhstan.  Xuanzang found the climate and products an improvement over what he had experienced in Taras.  Beyond that, he next arrived at the city of Gongyu, and then south again to Nujkend, and then traveling westward to the country of Chach, aka Tashkent.  Both Nujkend and Chach were large cities in nations of smaller, mostly autonomous city-states, which made up a lot of the political geography of Transoxania. I would note that Xuanzang's notes here are much more sparse than previously.  This may be because these were outside of the Tarim basin and therefore of less interest to individuals in the Tang empire.  Or perhaps he was just making his way more quickly and not stopping at every kingdom along the way. From Tashkent, he continued southeast to the Ferghana valley—the country of Feihan.  Oddly, this country doesn't appear in Xuanzang's biography, even though the Ferghana Valley seems to have been fairly well known back in the Tang Empire—it was known as the home of some of the best horses, which were one of its first major exports.  In fact, the Han dynasty even mounted a military expedition to travel to Ferghana just to obtain horses.  Xuanzang is oddly silent on this; however, he does talk about the fertile nature of the land.  He mentions that their language here is different from the lands he had been traveling through up to this point, and also points out that the people of the Ferghana valley were also visibly different from others in the area. From the Ferghana valley, Xuanzang headed west for about 300 miles or more to the land of Sutrushana—perhaps referring to the area of Ushrusana, with its capital of Bunjikat.  This country was also largely Sogdian, and described as similar to Tashkent.  From there, he traveled west through a great desert, passing skeletons, which were the only marker of the trail other than a view of the far off mountains.  Finally, they reached Samarkand, known as the country of “Kang” in Chinese, which was also the term used to mark Sogdians who claimed descent from the people of Samarkand. Samarkand is another of the ancient cities of Central Asia, and even today is the third largest city in modern Uzbekistan.  Human activity in the region goes back to the paleolithic era, and the city was probably founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.  Samarkand was conquered by Alexander the Great, and during the Achaemenid Empire it was the capital of Sogdiana.  During Xuanzang's visit, Samarkand was described as an impenetrable fortress with a large population. For all of his travel, Samarkand was the first place Xuanzang notes as specifically not a Buddhist land.  In fact, there were two monasteries, suggesting that there had been Buddhists, but if any monks tried to stay there then the locals would chase them out with fire.  Instead, they worshipped fire—likely meaning Ahura Mazda and Zoroastrianism.  This leads to a story that I have to wonder about, given the reliability of our narrators. It is said that Xuanzang was met by the King with arrogance, but after staying the night Xuanzang was able to tell the King about Buddhism and its merits.  The king was intrigued, and asked to observe the Precepts, and treated Xuanzang with hospitality and respect.  So when two of Xuanzang's attendants went to the monasteries to worship, they were chased out with fire.  When the king heard about this, he had the people arrested and ordered their hands to be cut off.  Xuanzang could not bear to witness such suffering, however, and he intervened to have them spared.  So instead the king had them flogged and banished from the city.  Ever since then, all the people believed in Buddhism. Some parts of this strike true.  It was likely that the king would entertain this strange wanderer who had arrived with letters from the great Qaghan—that may have even explained why Xuanzang had been encouraged to make the dangerous journey to Suyab in the first place, so that he could obtain such permission.  And it would not be strange for the king to listen to his teachings.  If Xuanzang's attendants were attacked, that would have been a huge breach of hospitality, and however the King felt about it, he no doubt had to do something about it.  And so all of that sounds somewhat believable.  Does that mean everyone suddenly converted to Buddhism?  I don't know that I'm quite willing to go that far.  It is also likely that there were Buddhists there already, even if the majority religion was Zoroastrianism. From Samarkand, Xuanzang traveled farther southwest, to the country of Kasanna, which seems to have been the edge of what we might call Sogdiana.   According to his biographers, however, there was a little more to all of this.  Rather, he headed west to Kusanika.  Then he traveled to  Khargan, and further on to the country of Bukhara, and then to Vadi.  All of these were “An” in Chinese, which was the name element used for Sogdians from this region.  He then continued west to the country of Horismika, on the other side of the Amu Darya, aka the Oxus River of Transoxanian fame. From there he traveled further southwest, entering into the mountains.  The path here was often such that they had to travel single-file, and there was no food or water other than what you brought with you.  Eventually they came to a set of doors, known as the Iron Gate.  This was a Turkic fortress.  It was no doubt fortuitous that he had come from his meeting with the Qaghan, and likely had permission to pass through.  From there, they entered the country of Tukhara. As we noted in Episode 119, Tukhara was in the region of Bactria.  It was bordered by the Pamir range in the east, and the Persian empire in the west.  There were also the Great Snow Mountains in the south, likely referencing the Hindu Kush. Tukhara had been conquered by the Gokturks just within the past couple of decades, and Xuanzang notes that the country had been split into largely autonomous city-states as the local royalty had died without an heir many years before.  With the Gokturk conquest, it was now administered by Tardu Shad, the son of Tong Yabghu Qaghan.  “Shad” in this case was a local title. Here, Xuanzang's narrative gets a little dicey, especially between his biography and his records.  The records of the Western Regions denotes various countries in this area.  It is unclear if he traveled to all of them or is just recounting them from records he obtained.  He does give us at least an overview of the people and the region.  I would also note that this is one of the regions he visited, again, on his return trip, and so may have been more familiar with the region than those areas he had passed through from Suyab on down. For one thing, he notes that the language of the region was different from that of the “Suli”, which appears to refer to the Sogdians.  This was the old territory of the Kushan empire, and they largely spoke Bactrian.  Like Sogdian, it was another Eastern Iranian language, and they used an alphabet based largely on Greek, and written horizontally rather than vertically.  They also had their own coins. This region had plenty of Buddhist communities, and Xuanzang describes the cities and how many monasteries they had, though, again, it isn't clear if he actually visited all of them or not.  These are countries that Li Rongji translates as “Tirmidh”, “Sahaaniyan”, “Kharuun”, “Shuumaan”, etc. It does seem that Xuanzang made it to the capital city, the modern city Kunduz, Afghanistan. Xuanzang actually had something specific for the local Gokturk ruler, Tardu Shad.  Tardu Shad's wife was the younger sister of King Qu Wentai of Gaochang, whom we met last episode.  Qu Wentai had provided Xuanzang a letter for his younger sister and her husband.  Unfortunately, Xuanzang arrived to learn that the princess of Gaochang had passed away, and Tardu Shad's health was failing.  It does seem that Tardu Shad was aware of Xuanzang, however—a letter had already come from Qu Wentai to let them know that Xuanzang was on his way.  As I mentioned last episode, letters were an important part of how communities stayed tied together.  Of course, given the perils of the road, one assumes that multiple letters likely had to be sent just in case they didn't make it.  The US Postal Service this was not. Tardu Shad, though not feeling well, granted an interview with Xuanzang.  He suggested that Xuanzang should stick around.  Then, once the Shad had recovered from his illness, he would accompany Xuanzang personally on his trip to India.  Unfortunately, that was not to be.  While Xuanzang was staying there, he was witness to deadly drama.  Tardu Shad was recovering, which was attributed to the recitations by an Indian monk who was also there.  This outcome was not exactly what some in the court had wanted.  One of the Shad's own sons, known as the Tagin prince, plotted with the Shad's current wife, the young Khatun, and she poisoned her husband.  With the Shad dead, the throne might have gone to the son of the Gaochang princess, but he was still too young.  As such, the Tagin Prince was able to usurp the throne himself, and he married his stepmother, the young Khatun.  The funeral services for the late Tardu Shad meant that Xuanzang was obliged to stay at Ghor for over a month. During that time, Xuanzang had a seemingly pleasant interaction with an Indian monk.  And when he finally got ready to go, he asked the new Shad for a guide and horses.  He agreed, but also made the suggestion that Xuanzang should then head to Balkh.  This may have meant a bit of backtracking, but the Shad suggested that it would be worth it, as Balkh had a flourishing Buddhist community. Fortunately, there was a group of Buddhist monks from Balkh who happened to be in Kunduz to express their condolences at the passing of Tardu Shad, and they agreed to accompany Xuanzang back to their hometown, lest he end up getting lost and taking the long way there. The city of Balkh is also known as “Baktra”, as in “Bactria”, another name of this region.  A settlement has been there since at least 500 BCE , and it was already an important city when it was captured by Alexander the Great.  It sits at the confluence of several major trade routes, which no doubt were a big part of its success.  Xuanzang's biography notes that it was a massive city, though it was relatively sparsely populated—probably due to the relatively recent conquest by the Gokturks, which had occurred in the last couple of decades.  That said, there were still thousands of monks residing at a hundred monasteries in and around the city.  They are all characterized as monks of Theravada schools.  Southwest of the city was a monastery known as Navasamgharama, aka Nava Vihara, or “New Monastery”.  Despite its name, the monastery may have actually been much older, going back to the Kushan emperor Kaniska, in the 2nd century CE.  Ruins identified as this “New Monastery” are still visible south of Balkh, today. The monastery is described as being beautifully decorated, and it seems that it had a relic—one of the Buddha's teeth.  There are also various utensils that the Buddha is said to have used, as well.  The objects would be displayed on festival days.  North of the monastery there was a stupa more than 200 feet in height.  South of the monastery was a hermitage.  Each monk who studied there and passed away would have a stupa erected for them, as well.  Xuanzang notes that there were at around 700 memorial stupas, such that they had to be crammed together, base to base. It was here that Xuanzang met a young monk named Prajnaakara, who was already somewhat famous in India, and well-studied.  When questioned about certain aspects of Buddhism, Xuanzang was impressed by the monk's answers, and so stayed there a month studying with the young monk. Eventually, Xuanzang was ready to continue on his journey.  He departed Balkh towards the south, accompanying the teacher Prajnakara, and together they entered the Great Snow Mountains, aka the Hindu Kush.  This path was even more dangerous than the trip through the Tian Shan mountains to Suyab.   They eventually left the territory of Tukhara and arrived at Bamiyan.  Bamiyan was a kingdom in the Hindu Kush, themselves an extension of the Himalayan Mountain range.  It Is largely based around valley, home to the modern city of Bamyan, Afghanistan, which sits along the divide between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.  Today it is a major center for individuals of the Hazara ethnic group, one of the main ethnic groups in Afghanistan, which is a multi-ethnic state that includes, today, the Pashtun, Hazara, Tajik, and Uzbek people, along with a number of smaller ethnic groups.  Today they largely reside in the mountainous areas of the Hindu Kush. Bamiyan made an impact on our protagonist.   Their language was slightly different from that in Tukhara, but using the same—or similar enough—writing system.  Buddhism was thriving in the capital, and we are told of a rock statue of the standing Buddha, over a hundred feet in height, along with a copper statue of the standing Buddha nearby.    There was also another reclining Buddha a mile or two down the road.  There were multiple monasteries with thousands of monks, and the ruler of that kingdom received Xuanzang well. Xuanzang wasn't the first monk to travel to Bamiyan from the Middle Kingdom—in this he was, perhaps unwittingly, on the trail of the monk Faxian.  Faxian likely did not see these statues, though, as we believe they were built in the 6th and early 7th century—at least the stone Buddha statues.  They were a famous worship site until February 2001, when the Taliban gave an order to destroy all of the statues in Afghanistan.  Despite this, they were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. Fortunately, we have images from before their destruction.  These statues were a blend of Greco-Buddhist and Gandharan art styles—appropriate as it stands between the Hellenistic area of Tukhara and the ancient region of Gandhara—including the modern city of Kandahar and into the Indus Valley region of Pakistan. Continuing east through the mountains, Xuanzang eventually came out at the kingdom of Kapisa.  This may have had its capital around modern-day Bagram, north of modern Kabul, but the country seems to have been quite large.  Kapisa over saw some tens of other countries, and it is thought that at one time its influence extended from Bamyan and Kandahar to the area of modern Jalalabad.  Their language was even more different than that of Tukhara, but they were still using the same writing system.  The king of Kapisa is said to have been of Suli ethnicity—which would seem to indicate that he was Sogdian, or at least descended from people of the Transoxanian region.    Xuanzang notes that the ruler, as rough and fiery as he is described—as a true warlord or similar—he nonetheless made a silver image of the Buddha, eighteen feet in height, every year.  He also gave charity to the poor and needy in an assembly that was called every five years.  There were over one hundred monasteries and some 6000 monks, per Xuanzang's recollection, and notably, they were largely following Mahayana teachings. For the most part the monks that Xuanzang had encountered on this journey were Theravada—Xuanzang refers to them as “Hinayana”, referring to the “Lesser Vehicle” in contrast to Xuanzang's own “Mahayana”, or “Greater Vehicle”.  “Theravada” refers to the “way of the elders” and while Mahayana Buddhism largely accepts the sutras of Theravada Buddhism, there are many Mahayana texts that Theravada Buddhists do not believe are canonical.  We discussed this back in Episode 84. There was apparently a story of another individual from the Yellow River being sent as a hostage to Kapisa when it was part of the Kushan Empire, under Kanishka or similar.  Xuanzang recounts various places that the hostage, described as a prince, lived or visited while in the region.  Xuanzang's arrival likely stirred the imagination of people who likely knew that the Tang were out there, but it was such a seemingly impossible distance for most people.  And yet here was someone who had traveled across all of that distance.  One of the monasteries that claimed to have been founded because of that ancient Han prince invited Xuanzang to stay with them.  Although it was a Theravada monastery, Xuanzang took them up on the offer, both because of the connection to someone who may have been his countryman, but also because of his traveling companion, Prajnakara, who was also a Theravada monk, and may not be comfortable staying at a Mahayana monastery. Xuanzang spends a good deal of ink on the stories of how various monasteries and other sites were founded in Kapisa and the surrounding areas.  He must have spent some time there to accumulate all of this information.  It is also one of the places where he seems to have hit at least twice—once on the way to India, and once during his return journey. The King of Kapisa is said to have been a devotee of Mahayana Buddhism.  He invited Xuanzang and Prajnakara to come to a Mahayana monastery to hold a Dharma gathering.  There they met with several leading figures in the monastery, and they discussed different theories.  This gathering lasted five days, and at the end, the king offered Xuanzang and the other monks five bolts of pure brocade and various other gifts.  Soon thereafter, the monk Prajnakara was invited back to Tukhara, and so he and Xuanzang parted ways. And it was about time for Xuanzang to continue onwards as well.  From Kapisa, he would travel across the “Black Range” and into Lampaka.  This may refer to the area of Laghman or Jalalabad.  Today, this is in modern Afghanistan, but for Xuanzang, this would have been the northwestern edge of India.  He was almost there. And so are we, but we'll save his trip into India for next episode. Until then thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

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Chris draws a powerful parallel between Doge's disruptive strategy and the Rebel Alliance's discovery of the Death Star's critical exhaust vent. He exposes outrageous USAID scams—from stolen solar street lights and bribed opium farmers in Afghanistan to a botched shopping mall project in Kandahar. Markowski challenges us to wake up and stop supporting the deep state's wasteful schemes while real change begins. www.watchdogonwallstreet.com

I like Giants. I like Nephilim. I even like Nephilim Giants. So why don't I like the Nephilim story that is "the Giant of Kandahar?" Welcome Back to The Lore Lodge... https://www.bunkerbranding.com/pages/the-lore-lodge Subscribe on Patreon to support The Lore Lodge for just $1 per month! https://patreon.com/thelorelodge Get our new signature coffee blend at https://tablowroastingco.com/products/the-lore-lodge-mt-pocono-perk Shop our online retail store, find other content, and buy our partners' products at https://linktr.ee/theaidanmattis Discord: https://bit.ly/jointhelodge Shop sustainable products at https://www.gaiaindustrees.com/ using code "LORE" Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctfIbo24UITlmfJbednOqA/join

Katika jimbo la Kandahar nchini Afghanistan Noor Ahmen mkulima wa ngano amenufaika na mradi wa shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la chakula na kilimo FAO unaotoa mafunzo ya kilimo, kugawa  mbegu na pembejeo kwa wakulima. Mradi huu ambao unafadhiliwa pia na Benk ya Dunia umezisaidia familia nyingi za wakulima sio tu kuinua kipato bali pia kuboresha lishe na kukabili changamoto ya kutokuwa na uhakika wa chakula. Bosco Cosmas anafafanua zaidi katika Makala hii

This episode of True Crimecast unpacks the horrifying events of the Kandahar Massacre, a grim chapter in the history of the Afghanistan War. On March 11, 2012, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales embarked on a violent rampage, killing 16 Afghan civilians, including women and children, and leaving behind devastation in two small villages. Jamie and John examine Bales' troubled past, the psychological toll of war, and the systemic failures that may have contributed to his actions. They also explore the legal proceedings, international law implications, and the lasting impact on US-Afghan relations.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crimecast--4106013/support.

This week on rabble radio, journalist and filmmaker Nelofer Pazira-Fisk sits down with Libby Davies to discuss her experience completing her late husband's book on Middle Eastern politics and shares her reflections on how Western mainstream media could be doing a better job reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict. For more information about Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East, visit this website.  About our guest Nelofer Pazira-Fisk is an award-winning Afghan-Canadian author, journalist and filmmaker. She was based in Beirut for fifteen years working alongside her late husband, Robert Fisk. She reported for Canadian television and radio as well as UK and Canadian newspapers from Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Egypt and Syria. In 2001, she starred in the film Kandahar, based on her real-life story and has directed and produced several films including Return to Kandahar (2003), Act of Dishonour (2010), and This is Not a Movie (2019). Nelofer's 2006 book, A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan, won the Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize. She is a recipient of Gemini Award, New York's Media Award, Gabriel Award and A.D. Dunton Award of Distinction. She has a degree in journalism and English literature (Carleton University), an MA in Anthropology, Sociology and Religion (Concordia University), and two honorary doctorates from Carleton and Thomson River universities in Canada. Recently, she saw the completion and publication of Robert Fisk's last book – Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East. Nelofer shares her time between Dublin and Ottawa. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

He went to Iraq... he did 47 combat missions, BUT... did he see the Giant of Kandahar. That's the REAL question. #army #giants

This week we talk about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign. Caution: SPOILERS ABOUND!What We're PlayingCall of Duty: Black Ops 6Luma IslandLongvinterBalatroStardew ValleyFO76PhasmophobiaWhat We're ReadingThe Bone Witch by Rin ChupecoFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosIron Flame by Rebecca YarrosA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasA Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. MaasThe Hooligans of Kandahar by Joesph KassabianWhat We're DrinkingQuinta de Infantado Ruby PortDiet Pepsi, the elixir of the gods

What lessons can be drawn from the post-October 7 era? Amid growing isolation and antisemitism, where do opportunities for hope and resilience lie for the Jewish people? In a compelling discussion, AJC CEO Ted Deutch and Bernard-Henri Lévy—renowned French philosopher, public intellectual, and author of Israel Alone—explore these critical questions. Guest-hosted by AJC Paris Director Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache, this conversation offers insight into the challenges Jewish communities face and the possibilities for a brighter future. Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  What's Next for the Abraham Accords Under President Trump? Honoring Israel's Lone Soldiers This Thanksgiving: Celebrating Service and Sacrifice Away from Home The ICC Issues Arrest Warrants: What You Need to Know 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 Conversation with Bernard-Henri Lévy and Ted Deutch: Manya Brachear Pashman: What lessons can be drawn from the post-October 7 era? Amid growing isolation and antisemitism, where do opportunities for hope and resilience lie for the Jewish people? I'm throwing it off to AJC Paris Director Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache to explore these critical questions. Anne-Sophie? Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you, Manya. Welcome everyone to today's special episode of People of the Pod. I'm sitting here in our office near the Eiffel Tower for a special and unique conversation between Ted Deutch AJC CEO and Bernard-Henri Lévy, one of the most, if not the most prominent French philosopher and public intellectuals. Bonjour. Bernard-Henri Lévy:  Bonjour. Hello. Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Today, we will speak about loneliness, the loneliness of the Jewish people in Israel, the explosion of antisemitism in Europe and the United States, the attacks on Israel from multiple fronts since October 7. We will also speak about the loneliness of Western democracies, more broadly, the consequences of the US elections and the future for Ukraine and the European continent.  Bernard-Henri Lévy:, you've recently come back from a tour in the United States where you presented your latest book titled Israel Alone. Ted, you've just arrived in Europe to sound again the alarm on the situation of Jewish communities on this continent after the shocking assault on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam. Israel alone, the diaspora alone, actually the Jewish people, or Am Yisrael alone. As if Israel and Jews all over the world have merged this year over a common sense of loneliness.  So I ask the question to both of you, are we alone? Bernard, let's start with you. Bernard-Henri Lévy:  I am back from a campus tour in the United States of America. I went in USC, in UCLA, in Columbia, in Ohio, University in Michigan. I was in many places, and in these places, in the campuses, it's not even a question. The loneliness is terrible. You have Jewish students, brave, resilient, who have to face every day humiliation, provocations, attacks, sometimes physical attacks. And who feel that, for the first time, the country in the world, America, which was supposed to be immune to antisemitism. You know, we knew about antisemitism in Europe. We knew about antisemitism in the rest of the world.  But in America, they discovered that when they are attacked, of course there is support. But not always from their teachers, not always from the boards of the universities, and not always from the public opinion. And what they are discovering today in America is that, they are protected, of course, but not as it was before unconditionally. Jews in America and in Europe are supposed to be protected unconditionally.  This is minimum. Minimum in France, since French Revolution, in America, since the Mayflower. For the first time, there are conditions. If you are a right wing guy, you say, I protect you if you vote for me. If you don't vote, you will be guilty of my loss, and you will be, and the state will disappear in a few years. So you will be no longer protected. You are protected under the condition that you endorse me. On the left. You have people on the left wing side, people who say you are protected under condition that you don't support Israel, under condition that you take your distance with Zionism, under condition that you pay tribute to the new dark side who say that Netanyahu is a genocide criminal and so on. So what I feel, and not only my feeling, is the feeling of most of the students and sometimes teachers whom I met in this new situation of conditional security and support, and this is what loneliness means in America.  Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you, Bernard. How about you, Ted? Ted Deutch:  Well, it's interesting. First of all, thank you Anne-Sophie, and Bernard, it's an honor to be in conversation with you. It's interesting to hear you talk about America. Your observations track very closely. The comments that I've heard since being in Europe from students in the UK, and from students here who, speaking about America, tell me that their conclusion is that whatever the challenges they face here and the challenges are real, that they feel fortunate to be in university in Europe rather than in the United States.  But the point that you make that's so important everywhere, is this sense that it's not only the Jewish community that expects to have unconditional security. For the Jewish community now, it feels as if expecting that security, the freedom to be able on college campuses, the freedom to be able to pursue their studies and grow intellectually and have different experiences.  That when that security is compromised, by those who wish to exclude Jews because they support Israel, for those who wish to tag every Jewish student as a genocidal baby killer, that when those positions are taken, it's the loneliness stems from the fact that they're not hearing from the broader community, how unacceptable that behavior is. That it's become too easy for others to, even if they're not joining in, to simply shrug their shoulders and look the other way, when what's happening to Jewish students is not just about Jewish students, but is fundamentally about democracy and values and the way of life in the U.S. and in Europe. Bernard-Henri Lévy:  Of course, except that the new thing in America, which is not bad, is that every minority has the right to be protected. Every community, every minority has the right to have a safe space and so on. There is one minority who does not have the same rights. The only minority who is not safe in America, whose safety is not granted, is the Jewish one. And this is a scandal. You know, we could live in a sort of general jungle. Okay, Jews would be like the others, but it is not the case. Since the political correctness and so on, every minority is safe except the Jewish one. Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  So if we are alone, if American Jewish students feel alone, as European Jewish students, we are probably not the only one to feel that way, right? I turn over to you, Mr. Levy, and go to another subject.  Since day one of the Russian invasion, and even before that, you have been a forceful advocate for a steadfast European and American support for Ukraine.  Is Ukraine alone today? And will it be even more during America's second Trump administration? Bernard-Henri Lévy:  I've been an advocate of Ukraine, absolutely and I really believe that the freedom for liberty, the battle for liberty, the battle for freedom today, is waged on two front lines. For the moment, it might be more, but Israel and Ukraine. I wish to make that very clear, it is the same battle. They are the same stakes, the same values, and the same enemy.  I'm not sure that every Ukrainian, every Jew, knows that they have the same enemy. The axis between Iran, Putin, China, more and more, Turkey, and the same axis of authorisation countries. So it is the same battle.  The Ukrainians have not been exactly alone. They have been supported in the last two years and half, but in a strange way, not enough. The chancellery, the West, spoke about an incremental support. Incremental support meant exactly what is not enough, what is necessary for them not to lose, but not to win. This is what I saw on the ground.  I made three documentaries in Ukraine on the field, and I could elaborate on that a lot, precisely, concretely in every spot, every trench they have exactly what is needed for the line not to be broken, but not to win. Now we enter in a new in a new moment, a new moment of uncertainty in America and in Europe, with the rise of populism. Which means the rise of parties who say: Who cares about Ukraine, who don't understand that the support of Ukraine, as the support of Israel, is a question of national interest, a question of national security for us, too. The Ukrainian ladies and gentlemen, who fight in Ukraine, they fight for the liberty. They fight for ours, French, yours, American. And we might enter in a new moment. It's not sure, because history has more imagination than the man, than mankind. So we can have surprises. But for the moment, I am really anxious on this front line too, yes. Ted Deutch:  There are additional connections too, between what's happening in Ukraine and what's happening in Israel, and clearly the fact that Iranian killer drones are being used by Russia to kill Europeans should be an alarming enough fact that jars all of us into action. But the point that you make, that I think is so important Bernard, is that Israel has in many ways, faced the same response, except with a much tighter window than Ukraine did.  Israel was allowed to respond to the attacks of October 7, that for those few days after the World understood the horrific nature of the slaughter, the rape, and the babies burning, the terrible, terrible mayhem, and recognize that Israel had a right to respond, but as with Ukraine, only to a point Bernard-Henri Lévy:  Even to a point, I'm not sure. Ted Deutch:  But then that point ended. It was limited. They could take that response. But now we've moved to the point where, just like those students on campus and in so many places around the world, where only the Jews are excluded, that's a natural line from the geopolitical issues, where only Israel is the country that can't respond in self defense. Only Israel is the country that doesn't have the right to exist. Only a Jewish state is the one state that should be dismantled. That's another reason, how these are, another way they are all tied together. Bernard-Henri Lévy:  Don't forget that just a few days after Israel started to retaliate. We heard from everywhere in the West, and United Nations, calls for cease fire, call for negotiation, call for de-escalation. Hezbollah shell Israel for one year. We never heard one responsible of the UN called Hezbollah for not escalating. The day Israel started to reply and retaliate after one year of being bombed, immediately take care to escalation. Please keep down. Please keep cool, etc, etc.  So situation of Israel is a unique case, and again, if you have a little memory, I remember the battle for Mosul. I made a film about that. I remember the battle against the Taliban in 2001 nobody asked the West to make compromise with ISIS and with al-Qaeda, which are the cousins of Hamas. Nobody asked the West not to enter here or there. No one outside the ground said, Okay, you can enter in Mazar-I-Sharif in Afghanistan, but you cannot enter in Kandahar.  Or you can enter in the western part of Mosul. But be careful. Nobody had even this idea this happened only for Israel. And remember Joe by then asking the Prime Minister of Israel about Rafa? Don't, don't, don't. At the end of the day, he's not always right and he's often wrong, but the Prime Minister was right to enter into Rafa for obvious reasons, which we all know now. Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Ted, let me come back to you more specifically on the US. At AJC, we support democracy. This is in our DNA. Since the organization was founded 1906 we've been strong supporters of the Transatlantic Partnership since day one. We believe in the alliance of democracies in the defense of our common values. And you know here, there's a lot of anxiety about Donald Trump's re-election. So what is your take on the U.S. elections' consequences for Europe, for transatlantic relations? Ted Deutch: I've been coming to Europe for years, as I did as an elected official. Now in this capacity there is that our friends in Europe are always rightly focused on US policy and engaging the level of commitment the US makes to Europe. The election of Donald Trump, this isn't a new moment. There is history. And for four years in the last administration, the focus that the President had on questioning the ties to Europe and questioning NATO and questioning the commitment that has been so central to the transatlantic relationship rightfully put much of Europe on edge. Now, as the President will come back into power, there is this question of Ukraine and the different opinions that the President is hearing. In one side, in one ear, he's hearing from traditional conservative voices in the United States who are telling him that the US has a crucial role to play, that support for Ukraine is not just as we've been discussing, not just in the best interest of Ukraine, but that it relates directly back to the United States, to Europe. It actually will, they tell him, rightly so, I submit, that US involvement and continued support for Ukraine will help to prevent further war across the continent. In the other ear, however, he's hearing from the America first crowd that thinks that America should recognize that the ocean protects us, and we should withdraw from the world. And the best place to start is Ukraine, and that means turning our back on the brave Ukrainians who have fought so nobly against Russia. That's what he's hearing. It's imperative that, starting this weekend, when he is here at Notre Dame, that he hears and sees and is reminded of not just the importance of the transatlantic relationship, but why it's important, and why that relationship is impacted so directly by what's happening in Ukraine, and the need to continue to focus on Ukraine and to support NATO. And to recognize that with all of the challenges, when there is an opportunity for American leadership to bring together traditional allies, that should be the easiest form of leadership for the President to take. It's still an open question, however, as to whether that's the approach that you will take.  Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you, Ted.  Let me sum it up, our conversation for a minute. We said that the Jewish people feels alone, but we said that we are not the only ones. Didn't you feel that on that lonely road of this year, we've also never felt as strong as who we are, both our Jewishness. A French intellectual I know, Bernard Levy would say our Jewish being, être juif, and Jewish unity. Are they the best answers to overcome our loneliness? Let's start with our philosopher. Bernard-Henri Lévy:  I don't believe only in Jewish unity. I believe in Jewish strength. And in one of my previous books, the genius of religion, I spoke about about that Jewish strength, not military strength in Israel, but spiritual strength, and I think that this strength is not behaving so bad. I told you about the campuses. I told you the dark side.  But there is also the bright side, the fact that the students stand firm. They stand by themselves, by their position. They are proud Jews in the campuses. In Israel, come on. Israel is facing the most difficult war and the most terrible war of its history. We know all the previous wars, and alas, I have the age to have known personally and directly, a lot of them since 1960s about this war with terrorists embedded in the civilians, with the most powerful terrorist army in the world on the north, with seven fronts open with Houthis sending missiles and so on. Israel never saw that.  So the people of Israel, the young girls and young boys, the fathers, even the old men of Israel, who enlist, who are on the front, who fight bravely. They do a job that their grandfathers never had to do. So, resilience. Also in Israel. The most sophisticated, the most difficult, the most difficult to win war, they are winning it. And in Europe, I see, as I never saw, a movement of resistance and refusal to bow in front of the antisemite, which I never saw to this extent in my long life. You have groups today in France, for example, who really react every day, who post videos every day.  Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Some are in this room.  Bernard-Henri Lévy:  Some are in this room. Pirrout is in this room, for example, every day about the so called unbound France. Mélenchon, who is a real antisemite as you know, they publish the truth. They don't let any infamy pass without reacting, and this again, is new, not completely new, but I never saw that to this extent.  Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you, Rene. How about you Ted, what do you think?  Ted Deutch:  more important than ever that as Jews, as Jewish community, As Zionists, that we don't allow our opponents to define what's happening, that the response is never to to feel defensive, that the response. Is to be bold, boldly Jewish, boldly Zionist, unapologetically Zionist. To to do exactly what those students are doing across the United States, that I've seen, the students here who have that I that I've met with that in Europe, a student in in London a few days ago, said to me, she said, when someone yells at me, when they when they scream at me and accuse me of genocide, she said it only makes me want to get a bigger Magen David. The person that that stood up at a meeting in New York a few months ago who told me that, before announced in front of a big crowd that that for years, she's been involved in all of these different organizations in her community to to help feed the hungry and to help kids to read, and all these worthy causes. She said, since October 7, she said, I am all Jewish all the time, and I want everyone to know it the and Israel is perhaps the best example of this. It's impossible to imagine the kind of resilience that we see from Israelis. The taxi driver that I had in Israel. He said, This is so difficult for all of us. We've all known people. We've lost people. It's affected all of us, but we're just never going to give up, because our history doesn't allow it. We have prevailed as a people for 1000s of years and have gotten stronger every single time. Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you, Ted. I can keep thinking about this overwhelming challenge that we face as the Jewish people today, which seems to confine us to solitude. Anyway, Jews and Israel are attacked with alternative truths, false narratives. We've witnessed how international justice, our common, universal values, have been turned upside down in the Jewish tradition, we say that we have a mission to repair the world, Tikkun Olam. But how can we make sure to recreate the common world in the first place? Bernard-Henri Lévy:  It's on process number one, continue to try to repair the world, I remind you, and you know that, and Simone Rodan knows it also, in many occurrences, in many situations of the last 30 years when real genocides happened. Real genocide, not imaginary. Real one. In Rwanda, in Srebrenica, in Darfur, when I met with in Chad, with Simone, and so on. The first whistleblowers, the first to tell the world that something terrible was happening, were not exactly Jews, but were ladies and men who had in their hearts the memory of the Shoah. And the flame of Yad Vashem. That's a fact, and therefore they reacted and what could be repaired. They contributed to repair it. Number one.  Second observation, about what Ted said, there is in Europe now, since many years, a tendency to step out, to give up to and to go to Israel. Not only by love of Zionism, but thinking that this is not a safe place any longer for them. I tell you, this tendency starts to be reversed now you have more and more Jews in Europe who say, no, no, no, no. We built this country. We are among the authors of the French social contract.  For example, we will not leave it to those illiterate morons who try to push us away. And this is a new thing. This reaction, this no of the Jews in Europe is something relatively new. And third little remark. 10 years ago in the States, I met a lot of young people who were embarrassed with Israel, who said we are liberal and there is Israel, and the two don't match really well. 10-15, years ago, I met a lot. Less and less today. You have more and more students in America who understand that Israel should be supported, not in spite of their liberal values. But because of their liberal values. And come on, this for a liberal, is a treasure, and it is unprecedented, and there is no example. Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  How about you, Ted? How do you think we can overcome the challenge of those parallel realities we feel we live in? Ted Deutch:  Those students, and I think broadly the Jewish community, after October 7, came to realize that as Hamas terrorists rolled into southern Israel, they made no distinctions about the politics of the Israelis. That great irony, of course, is that the peaceniks, or the brunt of these attacks, living along the southern edge of Israel by Gaza, they didn't make determinations on who to kill based on how they practiced, what their politics were, how they felt about Bibi.  And I think what the Jewish world, certainly it's true for young people that I talk to, came to realize is that connection between Israel and the Jewish people is not theoretical, that that ultimately, what's gone on for the past year is is an attack against Israel, Israel as the stand in for the Jewish people, and that defending Israel is really defending all of us. And I think they've come to understand that.  But going forward, I think what you described, Bernard, is new, this is what it means now to be an Or Lagoyim. This is what it means to be a light unto the nations. That in the face of all of these attacks, that Israeli democracy continues to thrive. That the conversation by those, ironically, the conversation that has attempted to demonize Israel by demonizing Bibi, has highlighted the fact that these protests have continued during the time of war. As you point out that this is this is unlike anything you would see, that what's permitted, the way democracy is thrives and is and is vibrant in Israel, is different than every place else, that this is a message that the world will see, that that the that in the face of these ongoing challenges, that the Jewish community stands not just against against these attacks against the Jews, but stands against what's happening In the streets of so many places in America. Where people march with Hezbollah flags, where they're openly supporting Hamas. It's going to take some time, but ultimately, because of the strong, because of the resilience, because of the strong, proud way that Jews are responding to this moment and to those protests, eventually, the world will realize that standing in support of Hamas terrorism is not just something that is dangerous to the Jews, but puts at risk the entire world. Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you. I'm a Sephardic Jew, so I cannot just end this conversation speaking about loneliness. How about hope? Can we find some? Bernard-Henri Lévy:  I compare the situation of the Jews today to the situation in the time of my dad, for example, there are some change, for example, the Christians and the Catholic Church. 50 years ago, a huge cultural revolution in the world. It is the change of position of the Catholic Church on anti semitism. It was the Vatican Two Council and the Nostra aetate. It seems tiny, but it is huge revolution, and it consisted in a single word, one word, the Catholic Council of Vatican Two said Jews are no longer the fathers of the Christians, as it was said before, in the best of the case, they are the brothers of the Christians.  This is a huge revelation. Of course, Catholics are not always faithful to this commitment. And popes, and especially the pope of today do not remember well the message of his ancestor, but on the whole, we have among the Christians, among the Catholics in Europe and in. Real friends in America among the new evangelical I don't know if they are friends, but they are strong allies. Abraham agreements was again another big revolution which has been underestimated, and the fact that the Abraham agreements, alliance with Morocco, Emirates, Bahrain stands, in spite of the war on seven fronts. Is a proof. It is solid. It is an ironclad alliance, and it holds.  And this is a new event, and we have in the not only in the top of the state, but in the public opinions of the Muslim world. We have a lot of people who who start to be who are more and more numerous, to believe that enough is enough. Too much war, too much misunderstandings, too much hatred, and who are really eager to make the real peace, which is the peace of hearts and the peace of souls with their other brothers, who are the Jews. So yes, there are some reasons to be optimistic.  Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you very much, Bernard. Ted? Ted Deutch:  I don't think that we can ever give up hope. And optimism is necessary, and I think justified. The things Bernard talks about, I mean, at AJC, our focus on on building democracy, our focus on interreligious work, the work we've done with the Catholic Church around Nostra aetate, now 60 years old and and continuing to build the relationship our Muslim Jewish Advisory Council always looking for opportunities to to find those voices that are tired of all of the war. And in our office, in Abu Dhabi, we've, we've continued to go to the Gulf, to the Abraham Accord states, and beyond, even through this entire war, because there is the hope of of getting to a place where, where Israel is in a more normalized position in the region, which will then change the perception and push back against the lies that those who wish to to see a world without Israel continue to espouse.  All of that is hopeful, and we work toward it. But for me, the most hopeful thing to come from this moment is, AJC works around the world and because the Jewish community now understands how connected we all are as a result of the threats that we face, the opportunity to strengthen diaspora Jewry, to help people realize that the connections between the Jewish community in Paris and the Jewish community in Mexico City and the Jewish community in Buenos Aires in Chicago, in Miami and New York, that they're interrelated and that we don't have the luxury of viewing our challenges as unique in our countries.  By standing together, we're in a much, much stronger position, and we have to continue to build that. That's why AJC's Global Forum is always the most important part of the year for us, bringing together the Jewish community from around the world. That's why the antisemitism summit that we'll be doing here with the CRIF is going to be so critical to building those relationships. We have an opportunity coming out of this incredibly dark time to take the strength and the resolve that we feel and to and to channel it in ways that that will lead the Jewish community to places that a year ago seemed absolutely impossible to imagine. Those 101 hostages need to return home. We stand together calling for them to return home. We stand together in our support of Israel as it wages the seven-front war, and ultimately, we stand together as Jewish people. That's what gives me hope every day. Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache:  Thank you so much. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for the conversation between my colleague Benji Rogers, AJC's director for Middle East and North Africa initiatives, and Rob Greenway, director of the Allison center for national security at the Heritage Foundation, and former senior director for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs on the National Security Council, they discuss the opportunities and challenges President-elect Trump will face in the Middle East.

Greg Germann is an actor known for his work in film, television and on Broadway where he starred with Mark Rylance in BOEING BOEING. He was a member of Circle Repertory Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre and has performed at Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theatre, La Mama, Second Stage among others. Created roles in Stephen Sondheim's Assassins, Steve Martin's Meteor Shower, Only You, Found A Peanut and many more. He has also appeared in numerous films including TALEDEGA NIGHTS, FRIENDS WITH MONEY, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, SWEET NOVEMBER, QUARANTINED, ONCE AROUND, among others. Greg is best known for the many characters he has created on the small screen, including Tom Koracick on GREY'S ANATOMY and Richard Fish on ALLY McBEAL, as well as House of Lies, Once Upon a Time and many more.  During the war in Afghanistan Greg traveled there twice as a goodwill ambassador, visiting thousands of troops from Kandahar to Kabul along with dozens of Forward Operating Bases (F.O.B's) across the country. For over 15 years he's been involved with Anthony Shriver's organization BEST BUDDIES, which is dedicated to creating employment and inclusive living opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).  At one time servingon the California Advisory Board.  For almost 20 years Greg has had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors for THE PEOPLE CONCERN Los Angeles, whichis dedicated not just to manage the unacceptable crisis of people experiencing homelessness, but ending it!  Greg recently served as the Board Chair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateInfo on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScreamIN THIS EPISODE: Did U.S. Special Forces really shoot dead a 12-foot-tall giant in Kandahar, Afghanistan? How much truth is behind the story – and how does fit into the age-old narrative of soldiers, knights, and heroes battling against and vanquishing giants and monstrous creatures? (The Giant of Kandahar) *** Soon after the Cranmer family moved in to their new home on Brownsville Road, it became clear that they were not alone. (The Demon of Brownsville Road) *** The Elephant's Foot was created after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 when reactor 4 exploded, releasing a lava-like mass of radioactive material called corium. So radioactive that it's still dangerous if you try and see it for yourself today. (The Elephant's Foot of Chernobyl) *** When something horrifying happens, it's natural to tell others about your experience. But what if, no matter how much you explain it, people simply don't believe you? We'll look at numerous stories from people who have true tales that they have a hard time getting even friends and family to take seriously. (Nobody Believes Me)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open00:02:27.193 = The Giant of Kandahar00:10:34.092 = Nobody Believes Me00:35:51.315 = The Elephant's Foot00:43:09.440 = Demon of Brownsville Road00:47:22.249 = Show CloseSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Giant of Kandahar” by Angus Wright for the website, Where I Live: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3dyfh6rt“Nobody Believes Me” by Amanda Ashley for Ranker's Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/kxt7ey9k“The Elephant's Foot of Chernobyl” by Natasha Ishak for All That's Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ytfh4n57PHOTO: “Elephant Foot with Photographer” https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/42r22v5eWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: April 21, 2021CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/KandaharGiant

Episode 98 of The Fifth Court podcast was recorded LIVE at the Allingham Festival in Donegal, on Friday 8 November 2024.Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL chatted to the amazing Nelofer Pazira, whose life story is quite extraordinary. She has also has recently completed work on the final book of her late husband, the renowned journalist, Robert Fisk.Nelofer Pazira is a remarkable storyteller, journalist, filmmaker, and humanitarian. Born in Afghanistan, Nelofer's life journey has been one of resilience, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of truth. She may be best known for her critically acclaimed film, "Kandahar", which offered a rare, poignant look into the lives of Afghan women under Taliban rule. Her work combines powerful storytelling with deep cultural insights, bringing voices from the margins to the forefront.As a journalist, Nelofer has been a beacon of truth, using her platform to highlight stories of war, displacement, and the human spirit's resilience. Her writings and speeches continue to inspire action and awareness on global humanitarian issues. Her book, "A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan", is a deeply personal memoir that sheds light on the complexities of identity, exile, and belonging—a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of Afghanistan's history and culture.Beyond her creative endeavors, Nelofer is a passionate advocate for women's rights, education, and peacebuilding in war-torn regions. Her work reminds us of the power of art and storytelling to foster understanding and change."We are extremely grateful to our sponsors for this episode, Parte and Associates, solicitors, of Baggot Street, Dublin 4, specialists in Elder Law and Mental Health Law."#Storytelling #HumanRights #Filmmaking #Leadership #Advocacy #GlobalVoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt talks with award-winning comedian & writer Erica Sigurdson about the best show she ever did, how to stay present on stage & what she would do differently.Erica Sigurdson's Website: https://www.ericasigurdson.comErica Sigurdson's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericacomicMatt Falk's Links: https://linktr.ee/mattfalkTell a friend about us!Credit: Music: https://www.purple-planet.comMy guest today is a comedian, writer, actor and Keynote Speaker based out of Vancouver British Columbia. She's appeared at the Ha!ifax Comedy Festival, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and Just For Laughs on countless occasions. And when I say that, I mean it literally. I genuinely couldn't count. I'm estimating that she's made between 20-30 TV appearances at those festivals combined. Which is absolutely staggering. One of those was with Wanda Sykes in Montreal a few years ago.She's a two time Leo Award winner, a 2 time Canadian comedy award nominee and one of her awards is for being a writer on the Gemini awards. She's also lended her writing talents to Corner Gas Animated and Mr. D.She's a favourite on CBC's the Debaters, appearing on over 50 episodes of the show. She's also performed in the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Iceland and Afghanistan where she recorded the CBC show Stand Up in Kandahar. She was a finalist in the Seattle International Comedy Competition, she's made numerous appearances on the hit podcast, Stop Podcasting Yourself. You can catch her in the SNOWED IN COMEDY TOUR which is the biggest comedy tour in the country. It's been running for sixteen years and played in 70 cities this last year.It's…ERICA SIGURDSON! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, we delve into the significance of a day rooted in history and solemn remembrance—known as Remembrance Day in Canada. While it may seem tangential to leadership at first glance, the profundity of this day holds critical lessons for leaders across all domains. Remembrance Day, observed annually on November 11th, marks not just the end of the First World War but also serves as a moment to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Its essence goes beyond a simple commemoration; it is a call for leaders to reflect on the values of sacrifice, duty, and the human cost of conflict. For leaders, understanding these aspects is crucial. It's an opportunity to reinforce the principles of empathy, respect, and reflection within their teams and organizations. Observing such a day encourages leaders to cultivate a workplace culture that honors contributions and recognizes the gravity of sacrifices made for the greater good. Additionally, it offers a somber reminder of the importance of striving for peace and the stark realities of leadership in times of conflict. Through observing Remembrance Day, leaders can instill a deep sense of appreciation for the past, fortify their commitment to humane leadership, and inspire those they lead to value altruism and collective well-being. Timestamped Overview [00:00:56] Monday Military Leadership Insights: Insight into this specific segment focusing on military leadership experiences and lessons.[00:01:56] Remembrance Day Significance: Explanation of Remembrance Day and its importance in Canada, compared to similar observances in other countries.[00:03:50] Personal Reflections on Sacrifice: Personal reflections on the sacrifices of fellow soldiers, including names and stories of those lost in various conflicts. [00:05:18] Honoring the Fallen, Not Glorifying War: Emphasis on the solemnity of Remembrance Day, differentiating it from glorification of war.[00:06:15] Call to Reflect and Respect: Encouragement for listeners to take two minutes to reflect and honor those who did not return from service, regardless of their nationality. For the complete show notes be sure to check out our website: https://leaddontboss.com/312

Check out Shane Smith's New Podcast Shane Smith Has Questions, https://tinyurl.com/SSHQPOD  Shane Smith is the founder of Vice, an Emmy winning investigative journalist, and a master story-teller. He is promoting his new podcast Shane Smith Has Questions. Bill and Shane cover a ton of topics, like Shane's parasite from Afghanistan, drinking tea with the Taliban, Japanese toilets and global bathroom experiences, the origins of Vice as a magazine in Canada, HBO's involvement and the Vice TV show's global impact, Vice's coverage of North Korea and Dennis Rodman's trip, Bill grills Shane on the worst places in the world to live, Shane's travels to volatile regions like Yemen and Kandahar, nostalgia for the 90s and being the "last sane generation,"  the human experience in combat zones and areas of conflict, and of course, Diddy. Go to https://www.PDSDebt.com/random to get debt free, today! Follow Club Random on IG: @ClubRandomPodcast Follow Bill on IG: @BillMaher Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/ClubRandom Watch Club Random on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ClubRandomYouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

His colleagues described it as one of the "greatest single acts of bravery" they'd ever seen. In 2009, while deployed as part of an anti-explosives team in Kandahar, Bruno Guevremont became the only Canadian Armed Forces member to defuse a live suicide bomber. In episode two of Forgotten War, Guevremont describes the day that changed his life, the "cat-and-mouse game" between him and the Taliban during his second tour in Afghanistan, the difficulty of coming home, and how he healed from the psychological wounds that have been ignored throughout most of the history of war. This video was made in partnership with Canada Company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello and welcome everyone. Tonight, we talk about the infamous Kandahar Giant of Afghanistan. Did it actually happen? Was it all an internet creepy pasta type story? and why are there other mention of giants around the modern-day world "Solomon Islands"? These are a few of the questions we ask and speculate about. contact us at eothpodcast@outlook.com, if you have a story you would like to share. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robert-larsen3/support

Agents Scott and Cam outrun hellfire missiles in the desert while taking on the 2023 Gerard Butler spy action-thriller Kandahar.   Directed by Ric Roman Waugh. Starring Gerard Butler, Navid Negahban, Travis Fimmel, Ali Fazal, Bahador Foladi, Nina Toussaint-White and Mark Arnold.  Become a SpyHards Patron and gain access to top secret "Agents in the Field" bonus episodes, movie commentaries and more! Purchase the latest exclusive SpyHards merch at Redbubble. Social media: @spyhards View the NOC List and the Disavowed List at Letterboxd.com/spyhards Podcast artwork by Hannah Hughes. Theme music by Doug Astley.

In This Episode: Uncover the truth behind Noah's Ark—could it really be found on a Turkish mountainside? And seen on Google Maps? Explore the connections between ancient, cannibalistic red-headed giants and the mysterious Nephilim. What role do fallen angels play in the hidden history of mankind? Today, Jim, John, and Lonaiah take you on a wild ride through some of the most intriguing topics we've ever tackled. We dive headfirst into the work of Rick Renner, whose groundbreaking research links the giants and fallen angels of biblical times to the world we live in today. Have you ever wondered about the archeological evidence of Noah's Ark and the flood? Could the Nephilim still have a role to play in our future? Why is the mountain of Mesha mentioned in Genesis 10:30 so significant? And what about the strange reports of red-headed giants, like the Giant of Kandahar? We'll explore how these beings may have roamed the Earth long after the flood—and why institutions might be hiding the truth. And what about the Book of Enoch? While not part of the official canon, its parallels with Genesis are hard to ignore. Could its contents hold the key to understanding what's coming? Jesus said the last days would be like the days of Noah. What does that really mean for us? Prepare to have your perspective shifted, and be ready to ask yourself: How much of what the world considers myth is actually fact? Remember to subscribe and hit the notification bell to never miss an episode. #TheFinalHourPodcast #ChristianPodcast #Nephilim #GreekMythology #GiantsInTheBible #RickRenner #DeadSeaScrolls #BiblicalProphecy #EndTimes #FallenAngels #BookOfEnoch #Mermaids #UFO #NoahsArk #MountHermon #BiblicalMysteries #NoahsFlood #FinalHourPodcast #AncientGiants #SupernaturalHistory #EndTimesSigns #MythicalCreatures #MythicalBeasts

In today's episode of the Bigfoot Club podcast, hosts Robert and Steven explore the urban legend of the Giant of Kandahar, a fascinating tale that intertwines military folklore with cryptid mythology.They discuss the origins of this legend, which allegedly involves a U.S. military encounter with a giant humanoid creature in Afghanistan, often described as towering over soldiers and possessing immense strength. The hosts delve into various eyewitness accounts and the implications these stories have on our understanding of both folklore and military history.Throughout the episode, Robert and Steven balance skepticism and open-mindedness, inviting listeners to consider the broader cultural significance of such legends. They emphasize how these narratives reflect human curiosity about the unknown and the often blurry line between myth and reality. The discussion is enriched with personal anecdotes, encouraging audience engagement and reflection on their own experiences with similar tales. Bigfoot Club https://www.bigfootclubpodcast.com Our social media, podcast platforms, YouTube, Pay Pal and Venmo links https://linktr.ee/BigfootClub Steven Dominguez https://linktr.ee/bigboyjones2029  

Scott Ryder served for 22 years with the Australian Army, including 16 years as an operator with the 2nd Commando Regiment. He served in East Timor and multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq. He holds numerous commendations and a Masters of Business, and he works in veteran charities to improve the life of veterans and their families.From the age of 12, Scott Ryder knew he wanted to join the army, and he signed up as soon as he could. After serving as a paratrooper and in East Timor with 3 RAR, he wanted more. He trained all summer and took the gruelling selection course for the commandos, earning the prized green beret on his second attempt. His book "Forged in Fire' takes us inside the secretive world of the commandos. Ryder shares battlefield stories from his tours to Afghanistan, where his regiment saw some of the heaviest fighting Australian forces have experienced since the Vietnam War. After being seriously injured in a shocking Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kandahar, he was the only survivor to return to active service. Forged in Fire can be purchased through retailers Dymocks, Collins, Readings, Audible and Amazon just to list a few. Audiobook is on Apple Books, Spotify and Audible.Follow Scott https://www.instagram.com/scott_ryder_zero79/Follow the podcasthttps://mtr.bio/onemomentpleasepodcastOnemomentpleasepodcast.comIG:@onemomentpleasepodcastFB: OneMomentPleaseNow on YouTubehttps://rb.gy/xzrvlx

Kris and TJ discuss significant dates in the Flood story, and less significant places. Then they talk about the “Giant of Kandahar.”

Kris and TJ discuss significant dates in the Flood story, and less significant places. Then they talk about the “Giant of Kandahar.”

In this episode of the Drink Beer and Bullshit Podcast, the hosts introduce two new permanent members to the show. They then dive into the topic of giants, discussing stories and evidence from around the world. They mention the Giants of Kandahar, the Lovelock caves in Nevada, and the Smithsonian's alleged cover-up of giant remains. The hosts also touch on the biblical perspective of giants, referencing the story of David and Goliath. The tallest man recorded in modern history is mentioned, as well as the physical characteristics of giants like Goliath. The possibility of genetic mutations and interbreeding is considered as a potential explanation for the existence of giants. The conversation also touches on the Sumerian civilization and their belief in the existence of giants. The Vatican's giant doors are mentioned as a curious architectural feature. The concept of Nephilim, fallen angels who mated with human women, is discussed, along with their description as mighty men of old. The conversation concludes with a mention of the book of Enoch and the measurement of giants in cubits. They mention that the fallen ones, or Nephilim, were also known as the Eljo or Gaborim. They talk about King Og, a biblical giant who was even taller than Goliath. The hosts debate whether giants were real or just mythological creatures. They also discuss the possibility of modern-day giants and the genetic conditions that can cause abnormal growth. The conversation ends with a discussion about the Giants of Kandahar, a reported encounter with a 13-foot-tall giant in Afghanistan. The conversation explores the possibility of extraterrestrial life and its compatibility with biblical beliefs. The discussion touches on the existence of angels and their different forms, as well as the purpose of various animals on Earth. The participants consider the idea that aliens may have their own belief structure and question the reason for their existence. They also discuss the limitations of human understanding and the need for further exploration and discovery. The conversation delves into the theological differences between different religions, particularly Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The hosts discuss the belief in the same God but with different interpretations and the role of Jesus in each religion. They explore the concept of the Nephilim and giants mentioned in the Bible and how it is interpreted. The conversation also touches on the importance of studying the Bible and understanding the cultural context. The hosts emphasize the need to know what you believe and why you believe it. In this final part of the conversation, the hosts and guest discuss their final thoughts on giants. They express belief in the existence of giants, but not in the exaggerated sizes mentioned in ancient texts. They also joke about their own heights and head sizes. The hosts announce upcoming plans for live shows and a new streaming platform. They wrap up by encouraging listeners to follow them on social media and subscribe to the podcast.Drink Beer N Bulls#!t Podcast consists of 5 individuals. Swih-Medie-Rigo-Art-Johnny. The show will center around the discussion of various topics from the super natural like ghosts and hauntings to elusive mythical creatures including the likes of Bigfoot, Nessy, Champ, & The Jersey Devil ect. The show will cover anything and everything in-between as well, like Sports, Movies, Music & current events. All this while having some drinks to lighten the mood. We hope to bring an entertaining show to listeners and share some of our own personal stories and perspective for all to hear. We are not experts or professionals, we just want to Drink Beer N Bulls#!t. Click the link for all our social media pages and streaming platforms for our Drink Beer N Bulls#!t Podcast.https://linktr.ee/drinkbeernbspodcast

Ruchi Ghanashyam joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1982. During her career of thirty-eight years, she worked in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs, the Government of India, including as director (Pakistan) and secretary (West). Outside India, she served in the Indian embassies in Damascus, Kathmandu, Brussels and Islamabad, as well as the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York. She was India's high commissioner to Ghana, South Africa and the UK, where she retired in 2020. Post retirement, she has written newspaper columns and articles as well as chapters for books. She has also participated in seminars and panel discussions, speaking on India's foreign policy to students in India and the UK as well as at think tanks. She is a member of the board of patrons at the India Centre for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development, University of Southampton, and adjunct faculty at the Manipal Centre for European Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. She is also involved in social work. She is married to A.R. Ghanashyam, who joined the IFS in 1982 and retired as India's high commissioner to Nigeria.

In 2002,, according to this legend, a special forces unit which had been sent to find a missing patrol  in the remote mountain area of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, encountered a 12 foot tall giant just outside a cave mouth, the floor of which was littered with bones and pieces of communication equipment. The Giatnt carried a spear, with which he attacked on of the soldiers, running the spear through him, all the while growling and showing signs of wanting to kill them all. They began firing and eventually the giant fell dead. he was picked up by a helicopter using a cargo net and removed from the area. The soldier who had been speared died. The event was hushed- again, according to legend. Author and giant hunter L.A.Marzulli and partner have brought the story to life through  books (The Long Walker- The Return of the Nephalim) and Interviews (On The Trail of the Nephalim) as they continue the search for biblical creatures called Nephalim which may still inhabit remote areas of the Kandahar Province.  In this story we also dig into the biblical accounts of giants (Nephalim) and giant folklore home and abroad, including written accounts of giants given by Capt. John Smith, A Paiute storyteller,  and hunter-showman Buffalo Bill Cody. 

After a watershed moment for Kamala Harris at potentially her only debate with Donald Trump, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy appraises her performance and warns his party is ignoring something critical. Then, in his first exit interview, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg talks triumphs and regrets after ten years at the top of the world's largest military alliance. Plus, Filmmaker Pamela Yates and activist Gabriela Castañeda talk about their new film “Borderland” which exposes the secret infrastructure within the US that could be laying the ground for mass deportations. In the Amanpour Archive, an interview in Kandahar, and by lamplight, with Hamid Karzai after he had united Afghanistan against the Taliban in 2001.  And Finally – “Slave Play” Playwright Jeremy O. Harris tells Christiane Amanpour that current theater prices are “unsustainable” and what he's doing to change it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JOSEPH N. COHEN is a media investment banker and film financier who founded American Entertainment Investors, AEI, which has advised independent production companies including Alcon, known for THE BLIND SIDE, River Road (12 YEARS A SLAVE) and Black Label (SICARIO). Earlier, he held senior positions at Salomon Bros. and Lehman Brothers before becoming president of Largo Entertainment, with hits including POINT BREAK and MALCOLM X. With over 20 producing credits include WORDS AND PICTURES and KANDAHAR, he is also the author of “Investing in Movies.”                          Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

Adversity is one of the greatest forms of persistent resilience one could ever ask for. It helps to build up our character and our ability to reason when challenging times strike. One place where this is particularly evident is in the military. According to the Pew Research Center, one out of every ten veterans alive today was seriously injured at some point while serving in the military, and three-quarters of those injuries occurred in combat.   Brian Fleming is a combat-wounded war veteran who was injured by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. He turned his injury into a highly profitable and influential speaking career and has been a professional speaker, author, and resilience trainer for over 17 years. He is the Founder of UseYourStory, where he shows other business-minded people how to make a difference and a side income by sharing their own stories at UseYourStory.com.   "After being severely injured by a suicide bomber who exploded 3 feet away from me in Kandahar, Afghanistan, I spent 14 months in a hospital undergoing painful burn treatments, reconstructive surgery, and brain injury rehabilitation. After leaving the military, I became an author & speaker because I wanted to help other people with the lessons I'd learned that helped me overcome my war injury. Over the past 17 years, I've spoken to over half a million people in live audiences globally, including the US military and several of the Fortune 500. I have written 4 books and have been featured on almost every major news network in America on the topic of resilience and how to stand firm when everything around you is blowing up! The greatest healing aspect of my recovery came through sharing my story because I saw it was helping other people and it also allowed me to be financially productive for my family.   For more information, visit https://www.useyourstory.com/. To book Brian to speak, visit blownupguy.com.

Topics discussed on this episode include Wes' inability to recognize when people are wearing wigs, the current state of play in the presidential race, the bombing of the Nord Stream pipeline, a massive revision in the most recent jobs report, Kamala Harris wanting to build that wall, astronauts stuck in space, predictions for the upcoming NFL season, the return of college football, the possible release of the JFK files, Les Stroud's Bigfoot experience, a review of the film Alien: Romulus, and the Legend of the Kandahar Giant.

La taekwondista afgana Zakia Khudadadi ha conseguido la primera medalla de la historia para el equipo de refugiados en unos Juegos Paralímpicos. Su grito de celebración, como cualquier sonido de la voz de las mujeres, está prohibido en Afganistán. Las mujeres afganas se han atrevido a desafiar al régimen talibán con un arma tan poderosa como la música. Vamos a estar en Alemania a dos días de las elecciones en Turingia y Sajonia con la inmigración como tema central. Estaremos con la corresponsal de Radio Nacional de España en Berlín y tendremos una entrevista sobre los resultados de la últimas encuestas en esas regiones. Sabremos qué dicen desde laDos mujeres en la calle en Kandahar, Afganistán en agosto de 2024 sobre la posibilidad de levantar las limitaciones a Ucrania para que use su armamento en suelo ruso. También en Francia, con los vaivenes en la búsqueda de un nuevo primer ministro y en Reino Unido que se plantea restringir más la ley antitabaco. También conmemoraremos el Día Internacional de las Víctimas de Desapariciones Forzadas sobre todo en América Latina con una entrevista con Amnistía Internacional. Escuchar audio

Watch the Netflix show IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, based on true events. Show comes out on 29th August. Find it here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81265803 “Cabin crew, prepare for takeoff.” As soon as the pilot utters those words, you completely submit yourself to them. You know for a fact you're in their hands, literary and figuratively. An anxiety and excitement grip; being 30,000ft in the air does that. But deep down, you want to land. You want to touch earth again. You want to walk. The passengers of Indian Airlines IC 814 were no different. When the captain of that flight uttered “Cabin crew, prepare for takeoff,” from Kathmandu Airport's tarmac, the 178 passengers must've felt the same anxiety, and excitement. They must've wanted to walk. But they did not. Of those 178 passengers, 5 were terrorists, committed to hijacking this Airbus A300. This is the story of the airplane that never landed in Delhi. This is the story of the Kandahar Hijacking.  For extra episodes, early access, silly bloopers, subscribe at: https://www.patreon.com/thedesistudios or join our YouTube family https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbfV0YvrxWMq3h0hmo13Jg/join To buy Desi Studios merch, visit: https://kadakmerch.com/collections/desi-studios For fastest updates, follow our socials at: https://www.instagram.com/desicrime/ Want our content in video formats instead? Head over to YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedesistudios?si=HBkPuoi3bFxx46tU Love horror content too? Subscribe to The Bhootbusters Podcast:  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bhootbusters-podcast/id1728625464  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3I4KvQugyBJIjf69WlJvVh?si=Leb_m209R8exHTqlJlXcKQ  Amazon: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/564ff27d-d49f-443b-9fa1-318fab5630aa/the-bhootbusters-podcast Our personal: Aryaan: https://www.instagram.com/aryaanmisra/  Aishwarya: https://www.instagram.com/aishwaryasinghs/

The Giant of Kandahar: Unveiling the chilling tale of an enormous humanoid creature reportedly encountered by U.S. soldiers on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan. This cryptid, shrouded in mystery and intrigue, has sparked countless debates among believers and skeptics alike. Was this giant a myth, a military secret, or a true encounter with the unknown? Join us as we explore the eerie details of this legendary creature and its impact on modern cryptozoology.  Movie reviews include Digging Up The Marrow, Lover Stalker Killer, and Infested. Scaredycast is presented by Evil Izzy's Haunted Emporium in Phoenix, AZ! Head to Evil Izzy's for your spooky costume and make-up needs or grab some sweet horror merch! https://evilizzys.com/ This episode is sponsored by: ValuSesh! Want to feel the vibes, but don't want to spend an arm and leg? Sesh For Less and use code SCAREDY at Checkout! https://valusesh.com/ Culture Shock Apparel! From cryptids to the supernatural, and retro pulp art styles, our unique designs dive into the eerie and mysterious. Each shirt is silkscreened in-house, ensuring top quality, and made from the softest, most comfortable materials. https://cultureshockapparel.net/ Check out our YouTube where you can now WATCH episodes of Scaredycast! And follow us on social! https://linktr.ee/scaredycast Become a PATRON to support the show and get spooky exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/scaredycast Original music by Mangy Bones Recorded at XYZ Podcast Studio in Tempe, AZ. Get your horror movie news, reviews, and thoughts at HorrorPress.com! True crime, haunted happenings, UFO sightings, horror movies, and cryptid creatures. All the spooky you can endure inside one little horror podcast. Get the thirst of your morbid curiosity quenched when you check out Scaredycast!

In this episode of The Last 10%, host Dallas Burnett engages in an illuminating conversation with Mark Gasparotto, a decorated military officer, entrepreneur, author, and leadership development professional. Mark shares his harrowing experiences in Kandahar, the transformative journey from book author to documentary subject, and the foundational principles that guide his approach to leadership and resilience. The discussion touches on Mark's career transitions, the importance of trust, self-leadership, and resilience, and the strategies he employs to maintain emotional and psychological well-being post-military. Mark also delves into his current entrepreneurial ventures, including his leadership development company, The Gasparotto Group, and a unique 'Outside the Wire' program that offers military-inspired team-building experiences. The episode concludes with Mark's plans for an ambitious 1000-kilometer canoe trip, aimed at gathering insights for his next book on resilience.Find out more about Mark and his company: https://gasparotto.co/

It has long been said that the United States has benefited from its geography, when it comes to national security. This is attributed to vast oceans to the east and west, along with friendly neighbors to the north and south. The same can be said for Canada, with Santa being a pretty friendly neighbor to the north, one would assume. Do to this shared advantage, which might be less true today, Canada and the United States have long worked together to secure "Fortress North America". From the defensive structures of NORAD and NATO, to the continued force projection taking on some of the biggest challenges of the day, these two countries have collaborated in a number of military spaces.While it would take too long to dive into all the shared challenges that these countries face on the global stage, we did take a special opportunity to speak with the Canadian Defense Attaché to the United States about several of the biggest issues of the day. Major General  Michel-Henri St-Louis of the Canadian Armed Forces graciously gave his time to talk about NATO, NORAD, Ukraine, and the current state of Canada's military and integration with American forces. With a thirty-plus year military career, the Major General has held many high level commands across multiple theatres, as he has helped to ensure Canada upholds its international security obligations. This episode tackles important questions, from what challenges do the armed forces face in terms of readiness, what support has the Canadian government provided to Ukraine, and how our adversaries actively work to undermine important foreign policy conversations here in the US and Canada. This fascinating and unique conversation provides access to top level military thinking, accessible for all.Major-General Michel-Henri St-Louis is an infantry officer from le Royal 22e Régiment, currently serving as the Defence Attaché to the United States. Born in Managua, Nicaragua, he and his family moved to the south shore of Montreal in 1978 during the time of the Sandinista Revolution. Before assuming his current responsibilities at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, MGen St-Louis was the Acting Commander of the Canadian Army. This followed his appointment as the Canadian Army's Training Authority. Preceding this, he served as the Commander of Joint Task Force - IMPACT in the Middle East for more than a year (mid 2019 – mid 2020). Other previous commands and appointments include Deputy Commanding General for Operations of America's First Corps (I Corps - US Army) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (2017-2019), command of 5e Groupe-Brigade Mécanisé du Canada (2015-2017), as well as commander of the last Canadian Battle-Group in charge of combat operations in Panjwai, Kandahar (2010-2011).Through his service he and his family have lived in Saint-Jean, Québec City, Oromocto, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Washington, D.C., Washington State and Kingston (Ontario). He has deployed on 6 different missions, to such places as Srebrenica (Bosnia), Rastevic (Croatia), Zgon (Bosnia), Kabul, Kandahar (Afghanistan) and the OP IMPACT Middle East area or operations (Kuwait-Iraq-Jordan-Lebanon).He has attended the US PINNACLE and CAPSTONE Leadership Programs, followed seminars at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NDU) and the US Army War College. He is a graduate of the National War College (Washington, D.C., U.S.A.), the Canadian Forces College, le Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean, the Royal Military College in Kingston, and the Canadian Army Command and Staff College. His three Masters degrees have focused on the study of war, defence and strategy. He served as chief of staff at the operational level in the 1st Canadian Air Division. In addition, he served three times at the strategic level with the Director General of Strategic Planning, within the Canadian Army Staff and with the Strategic Joint Staff.

Send us a Text Message.On today's Zero Limits Podcast I chat with former Australian Special Forces soldier Scott Ryder from the 2nd Commando Regiment and Author of “Forged in Fire : An Australian commando's story of life and death on the frontline”Scott served 22 years with the Australian Army, after enlisting as a paratrooper and deploying to East Timor with 3 RAR, Scott attempted special forces selection, passed and completed special forces training to become an operator at the 2nd Commando Regiment spending 16 years as an operator in the unit. He served in East Timor and multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq.Forged in Fire takes us inside the secretive world of the commandos. Ryder shares battlefield stories from his tours to Afghanistan, where his regiment saw some of the heaviest fighting Australian forces have experienced since the Vietnam War. Scott was seriously injured in a helicopter crash on 21 June 2010 in Northern Kandahar, Afghanistan which claimed the lives of 3 Australian Commandos and a United States of America soldier.  They were among 10 Australians from the Special Operations Task Group on the coalition forces helicopter when it crashed in rugged terrainAfter being seriously injured in the Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kandahar, he was the only survivor to return to active service.www.getsome.com.auInstagram @getsome_auDiscount Code ZEROLIMITS www.3zeroscoffee.com.auInstargram @3zeroscoffee Discount Code 3ZLimits Website - www.zerolimitspodcast.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/zero.limits.podcast/?hl=en

The most-watched livestream in Failure to Stop history with 20,550+ views. Eric Tansey and Mike the Cop are joined by former US Army Special Forces operator, former LEO Firearms Instructor Matthew Tardio to discuss his knowledge of the Giant of Kandahar and other strange phenomena in Afghanistan. He's also the co-host of the Speak the Truth podcast. First aired on Mar 1, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Shane Lazenby of Lazenby Law Group (https://lazlawgroup.com/).   Rate and review GTP on iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review.   View/Download Trial Documents   Case Details: Former defense attorney and U.S. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps veteran Shane Lazenby of Lazenby Law Group explains how he secured justice in the wrongful death of Kip Holland, a 50-year-old intellectually disabled pedestrian who was hit by a weaving, out-of-control tractor-trailer in Gainesville, Georgia. At trial, Shane Lazenby demonstrated that James Harper, the 76-year-old tractor-trailer driver who died before the case went to trial, lied on his Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration medical exam, took prescription narcotics four times a day, performed breathing treatments for COPD in his trailer and was regularly admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. In 2020, a Gainesville, Georgia jury returned a verdict in favor of Kip Holland's grieving family and awarded $21,029,363 in damages, litigation expenses, and attorney's fees.   Guest Bio: Shane Lazenby Shane Lazenby is the founder and managing member of Lazenby Law Group. After more than a decade of defending those accused of negligence in personal injury cases, Shane decided to reverse course and help the victims of serious injuries. With unparalleled compassion and limitless commitment, Shane quickly learned how much more rewarding and uplifting service as a victim's advocate can be. Shane now focuses his practice on helping the victims of catastrophic personal injury and the families whose loved ones have passed as a result of another's negligence. Shane received his law degree in 1999 at the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. While at Mercer, Shane was a member of the Moot Court Board and the Mercer Law Review where he served as the Eleventh Circuit Survey Editor. Shane also received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a minor in Latin, from Mercer in 1994. Following law school, Shane returned to the United States Army, where he served as a Judge Advocate with the 82d Airborne Division. Shane's service included duties as the Regimental Judge Advocate for the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, where he obtained a 100% conviction rate in the most active military justice jurisdiction in the United States Army. Shane was also selected to be the first Judge Advocate from the 82d Airborne Division to deploy to the Global War on Terrorism as counsel to the Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Shane was then selected to be the Operational Law Attorney for the 82d Airborne Division Commander in Bagram, Afghanistan, where he served until returning home. In December 2010, Shane retired from the Georgia Army National Guard after 21 years of total military service with the Georgia National Guard, United States Army, and Army Reserve. Shane joined the military in 1989, first serving as a combat medical specialist. In 1993 Shane graduated from Officer's Candidate School and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer. Shane served as an Infantry Platoon Leader, Signal Platoon Leader, and Operations Officer with a Ranger-led, Airborne Long Range Surveillance Unit. He then returned to the active Army for his tour of duty as a Judge Advocate before transitioning into the Army Reserve. In the Army Reserve, Shane continued service as a Judge Advocate, but was then selected for Command as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander for the 335th Signal Command. Thereafter, Shane transitioned back into the Georgia Army National Guard where he returned to his Infantry roots and became the Executive Officer of the 3-108th Cavalry Squadron; his retirement assignment. Shane's service awards include the coveted Ranger tab, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Bronze Star for service in the Republic of Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Shane's service as an Army Ranger also included competition in the LTG David E. Grange Best Ranger Competition in 2002. After his return from Afghanistan, Shane transitioned into private practice with a prestigious trial defense firm in Atlanta, Georgia, where he gained invaluable experience and growth alongside some of Georgia's finest defense and plaintiff attorneys. After deciding to depart big city life, Shane settled with his family in Gainesville, Georgia. In Gainesville, Shane continued honing his skills as a partner with a Gainesville firm specializing in the defense of physicians accused of medical malpractice. In his career, Shane has tried more than fifty cases to verdict. His extensive experience was noted when he was selected as an Atlanta Magazine Georgia Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Shane was also pleased to be selected as a Georgia Super Lawyer for Plaintiff's Personal Injury in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019,  a peer-reviewed award limited to only the top 2.5% of Georgia's attorneys. Shane also maintains a coveted AV Rating from Martindale Hubbell – the highest possible rating in terms of both legal ability and ethical standards. Shane was also fortunate to graduate from Leadership Georgia in 2013 and Leadership Hall County in 2016. Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

"Damn the Valley" is the mantra of every soldier from 2 Fury who fought in this infamous Taliban stronghold and is also the title of guest Will Yeske's memoir. Operating as the gateway to Kandahar, this area saw months of the fiercest combat—yielding a 52% casualty rate as coalition forces attempted to pacify this hotspot in 2009 and 2010. At one point, the entire prosthetics unit of Walter Reade Hospital was filled with men who had patrolled that deadly area, and yet it garnered little attention from government officials or the media.  Serving in the 1st platoon, Bravo Company, 2-508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 82nd Airborne, Will shares his dramatic and moving account with the aim of making us all aware of the price paid in blood and tears  when we deploy military forces overseas.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com

1/2: #AFGHANISTAN: Alleged cutthroat Police Chief of Kandahar and the US war aims. Bill Roggio, FDD https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/world/asia/afghanistan-abdul-raziq.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb1848 Khyber Pass

2//2: #AFGHANISTAN: Alleged cutthroat Police Chief of Kandahar And the US war aims. Bill Roggio, FDD https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/world/asia/afghanistan-abdul-raziq.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb 1898 Khyber Pass

PREVIEW: Afghanistan: Conversation with colleague Bill Roggio re the NYT investigation of the Kandahar Police chief Abdul Raziq -- allegedly responsible for hundreds or more disappeared Afghans in a reign of murder. Details tonight. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/world/asia/afghanistan-abdul-raziq.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb 1900 Khyber Road

Amy is joined by Sola Mahfouz & Malaina Kapoor to discuss their book, Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for Education, and explore the ongoing struggle for women's education in Afghanistan as well as Sola's remarkable journey from Kandahar to quantum computing.Sola Mahfouz was born in Afghanistan and immigrated to the United States in 2016 to attend college. She is currently a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University Quantum Information Group. In her free time, she is focusing on reading and studying different styles of fiction, as well as writing about the rugged homeland he's left behind. Malaina Kapoor is a writer from Redwood City, California. She previously served as a fellow at PEN America, where she advocated for international hu man rights, press freedom,. and election integrity. Kapoor served on the management team of a refugee resettlement organization an was the producer of In Deep, a nationally syndicated public affairs radio broadcast program. She as received national awards for her poetry, personal essays, and short stories, and will graduate from Stanford University in 2025.

Timothy Alberino is back and I wanted to talk to him about some of the things that have popped up lately with this declassified Kona Blue document which is a project proposal meant to address the retrieval and handling of non-human craft. It was the subject of some public conversation recently and so tonight we see what Timothy thinks. We'll also get the story of the Kandahar Giant and follow up questions from the audience. Watch the video rerun here: https://share-link.pilled.net/topic-detail/897688 Proudly Sponsored By: Blue Monster Prep: An Online Superstore for Emergency Preparedness Gear (Storable Food, Water, Filters, Radios, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, and so much more). Use code 'FRANKLY' for Free Shipping on every purchase you make @ https://bluemonsterprep.com/ SUPPORT Quite Frankly: Official Merch: https://tinyurl.com/f3kbkr4s Official Coffee: https://tinyurl.com/2p9m8ndb Sponsor through QFTV: https://www.quitefrankly.tv/sponsor SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/quitefrankly One-Time Tip: http://www.paypal.me/QuiteFranklyLive Sign up for the Free Mailing List: https://bit.ly/3frUdOj Send Crypto: BTC: 1EafWUDPHY6y6HQNBjZ4kLWzQJFnE5k9PK LTC: LRs6my7scMxpTD5j7i8WkgBgxpbjXABYXX ETH: 0x80cd26f708815003F11Bd99310a47069320641fC FULL Episodes On Demand: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/301gcES iTunes: http://apple.co/2dMURMq Amazon: https://amzn.to/3afgEXZ SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/2dTMD13 Google Play: https://bit.ly/2SMi1SF BitChute: https://bit.ly/2vNSMFq Rumble: https://bit.ly/31h2HUg Streaming Live On: QuiteFrankly.tv (Powered by Foxhole) DLive: https://bit.ly/2In9ipw Rokfin: https://bit.ly/3rjrh4q Twitch: https://bit.ly/2TGAeB6 YouTube: https://bit.ly/2exPzj4 Rumble: https://bit.ly/31h2HUg How Else to Find Us: Official WebSite: http://www.QuiteFrankly.tv Official Forum: https://bit.ly/3SToJFJ Official Telegram: https://t.me/quitefranklytv GUILDED Hangout: https://bit.ly/3SmpV4G Twitter: @QuiteFranklyTV Gab: @QuiteFrankly Truth Social: @QuiteFrankly GETTR: @QuiteFrankly MINDS: @QuiteFrankly

In Episode 623: Sacrificing To Kandahar Giants, we are joined by Ray who discusses his grandmother's involvement in witchcraft in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and her interactions with the giants and Jinn. He recounts his father's experiences and stories about his grandmother, who practiced witchcraft and was known to make offerings to giants in caves with livestock. Additionally, Ray shares accounts of Jinn encounters within his family, illustrating a deep-rooted generational connection with these supernatural entities. Tony and Ray explore the intersection of his family history, cultural legends, and personal experiences with the unexplained. The Confessionals Members App: Apple Store: https://apple.co/3UxhPrh Google Play: https://bit.ly/43mk8kZ Become a member for AD FREE listening and EXTRA shows: theconfessionalspodcast.com/join Watch The Shape of Shadows: https://www.merkel.media/stream-now Watch Expedition Dogman: https://bit.ly/3CE6Kg0 AFFILIATES Get your Nephilim Blaster 2000: https://alnk.to/9mnHak1 Bluecosmo Satellite phones: https://alnk.to/e769Eip See Bigfoot with Sionyx night vision: https://alnk.to/bEhxr3F Emergency medical with My Medic: https://alnk.to/dpr6QM4 Black Beard Fire Starters: https://alnk.to/4BFcIbe Prepare with Valley Food Storage: https://alnk.to/2uG55AO EcoFlow Power Generators: https://alnk.to/flvpAQw GoDark Faraday Bags: https://alnk.to/5jke3rk EMP Shield: empshield.com Coupon Code: "tony" for $50 off every item you purchase! SPONSORS FACTOR MEALS: factormeals.com/confessionals50 SIMPLISAFE TODAY: simplisafe.com/confessionals Hello Fresh: hellofresh.com/confessionalsfree Promo Code: "confessionalsfree" for FREE BREAKFAST FOR LIFE!!! CONNECT WITH US Website: www.theconfessionalspodcast.com Email: contact@theconfessionalspodcast.com Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/the-newsletter MAILING ADDRESS: Merkel Media 257 N. Calderwood St., #301 Alcoa, TN 37701 SOCIAL MEDIA Subscribe to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/2TlREaI Discord: https://discord.gg/KDn4D2uw7h Show Instagram: theconfessionalspodcast Tony's Instagram: tonymerkelofficial Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheConfessionalsPodcas Twitter: @TConfessionals Tony's Twitter: @tony_merkel OUTRO MUSIC Joel Thomas - Pulp YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify