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with Jade McGlynnCheck out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In July, a brutal highway hijacking in southern Syria sparked tit-for-tat clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters. During the week-long violence, over a thousand people were killed and more than 125,000 displaced. Syrian government forces and Israel also entered the conflict.The latest hostilities come less than a year after Syrians celebrated the end of dictatorship and the promise of renewal. The resurgence of sectarian violence raises urgent questions about interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa's leadership and whether his government can truly unify a fractured nation.This week on The Inquiry, we're asking: What does Syria's recent conflict tell us about Al-Sharaa's presidency?Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Richard HannafordContributors: Dr Rim Turkmani, Research Fellow at Director of Syria Conflict Research Programme (CRP)Makram Rabah, Assistant professor of history at the American University of BeirutDr Rahaf Aldoughli, Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster UniversityDr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute
En Libye, la situation politique va-t-elle évoluer ces prochaines semaines ? À l'ouest, le Premier ministre du gouvernement d'union nationale, Abdelhamid Dbeibah, semble en perte de vitesse, suite aux affrontements entre milices qui ont touché Tripoli au mois de mai. Alors qu'à l'est, le maréchal Khalifa Haftar paraît, lui, monter en puissance. La Turquie par exemple, longtemps alliée des autorités de Tripoli, est en train de se rapprocher de lui. Comment expliquer ce probable basculement d'Ankara ? Quelles pourraient en être les conséquences ? Jalel Harchaoui est chercheur associé au Royal United Services Institute de Londres. Il est l'invité de Pierre Firtion. RFI : Est-on à la veille de changements majeurs en Libye ? Jalel Harchaoui : Il n'y a pas de changement spectaculaire. Ça a l'air d'être calme, ça a l'air d'être statique même depuis une demi décennie. En réalité, il y a beaucoup de variables qui évoluent. Il ne faut pas, à mon avis, prêter trop attention à cette impression de calme. Par exemple, il y a notamment l'espèce de pivotage de la part de la Turquie, qui est connue pour avoir soutenu le gouvernement de Tripoli en 2019 et sortir victorieuse de cette intervention en 2020. Depuis, la Turquie est restée enracinée militairement à l'ouest et a tout de suite embrayé sur un effort de séduction, une espèce d'opération de charme vis-à-vis de son ancien ennemi, c'est-à-dire la famille Haftar à l'est. Et ce changement est en train d'accélérer en ce moment, avec des conséquences très néfastes pour la Grèce notamment. Ça veut dire que la Turquie pourrait basculer véritablement dans le camp de l'est dans les prochaines semaines, les prochains mois ? C'est en train de se faire. Si vous regardez par exemple les vols cargo de nature militaire entre la Turquie et Benghazi, vous serez absolument époustouflé par la fréquence des vols militaires. Ce sont des ventes d'armes qui sont en train de se faire. C'est un argument qui est très séducteur aux yeux des Libyens parce que l'industrie d'armement de la Turquie est très appréciée dans la région et dans le monde même. La famille Haftar est en très bonne position, notamment fiscale. Elle a beaucoup, beaucoup, beaucoup d'argent, vraiment des milliards et des milliards de dollars. Donc, le basculement dont vous parlez est en train de se faire, et il est en train de se faire de manière extrêmement fiévreuse, si bien que je m'en inquiète. C'est-à-dire que je trouve que finalement, le calcul de la Turquie, il n'est pas juste limpide, il est aussi naïf. C'est très dangereux parce que les Libyens, c'est leur pays quand même. Quand ils veulent acheter des armes sur les marchés noirs internationaux, ils le font. Ils ont de l'argent sur le côté. Donc, cette idée que la Turquie peut tellement se permettre d'être décontractée par rapport à Tripoli, qu'elle possède soi-disant déjà pour aller fricoter à l'est tout en gardant Tripoli, ça peut très très mal finir cette histoire. Dans ces conditions, le maréchal Haftar pourrait-il être tenté de profiter de l'affaiblissement du gouvernement de l'ouest pour lancer une nouvelle offensive sur Tripoli ? Pas à froid, ça ne se fera pas à froid parce que ce n'est pas possible en termes d'image, en termes de réaction violente de la part de certaines villes qui compte, autres que Tripoli. Je pense notamment à Misrata qui est une ville riche et surtout ultra militarisée, très anti Haftar. En revanche, il y a un scénario qui m'inquiète, ce serait que pour des raisons dues à la paranoïa, assez justifiée finalement du point de vue d'Abdelhamid Dbeibah, qu'il lance la phase deux de la campagne violente qu'il a démarré en mai, parce qu'il y a une phase deux qui est en train de couver, là, elle est en train de fomenter. S'il la lance et qu'il ne réussit pas, c'est-à-dire qu'il ne détruit pas la seule milice qui continue à lui tenir tête à Tripoli, s'il ne la détruit pas en 48 ou 72h, eh bien on aurait une espèce de bourbier urbain dans lequel la famille Haftar interviendra sans doute. Et ça, ça pourrait survenir dans les prochaines semaines, les prochains mois ? Oui, dans les prochaines semaines, parce que l'ONU n'a pas eu de feuille de route précise depuis deux ans à peu près. Et donc elle prépare le dévoilement, si vous voulez, elle va révéler au monde sa nouvelle feuille de route au mois d'août, autour du 15 août à peu près. Et si le langage de cette nouvelle feuille de route inclut des expressions comme nouveau gouvernement unifié à Tripoli, nouveau gouvernement, ça veut dire que dans le plan diplomatique proposé par l'ONU, eh bien, on préconise le départ de la famille de Dbeibah. Eh bien, ça voudra dire que Dbeibah aurait toutes les raisons du monde de lancer son attaque avant pour empêcher ce genre de langage diplomatique. Donc, on assiste à une situation un petit peu comme en avril 2019, parce que, à l'époque, l'envoyé spécial de l'ONU, Ghassan Salamé, était en train de préparer une bonne initiative de paix. Et bien cet argument avait fini par accélérer l'attaque physique, une attaque militaire donc, de la part du maréchal Haftar contre Tripoli. On a le sentiment que le maréchal Haftar travaille son image à l'international. Son fils, Saddam a récemment effectué une tournée diplomatique qui l'a amené notamment aux États-Unis, en Turquie, au Pakistan, en Égypte ou encore en Italie… Oui, c'est le fils le plus actif, le plus ambitieux, le plus audacieux. Le maréchal Haftar a six fils. Au moins six fils. Et Saddam est un des plus jeunes, mais en même temps un des plus voraces. Et donc ce qu'il essaye de faire, c'est s'ériger en tant que successeur presque non controversé avant la mort de son père. Les États étrangers sont contents de lui prêter le flanc, de le flatter, de ne pas le critiquer pour ses nombreuses activités de crime organisé, des choses comme ça, parce qu'on se dit de toute façon, il va sans doute pouvoir s'imposer comme non pas le remplaçant de son père à l'est et au sud, mais il va sans doute, avec le temps, puisqu'il est jeune, parvenir à s'affirmer et s'imposer comme le leader de toute la Libye pour la première fois depuis 2011.
With Michael StephensCheck out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
with Charlie GammellCheck out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I spoke to Dutch defence journalist and Russia expert Steven Derix about an important new revelation of Russia's use of chemical weapons in the war in Ukraine, happening as part of direct orders and thousands of times. You can find the original report herehttps://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/07/04/nederlandse-inlichtingendiensten-russen-zetten-in-oekraine-op-grote-schaal-chemische-wapens-in-a4899319Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Ms. Meia Nouwens and Ms. Veerle Nouwens join us to discuss key takeaways from the recent 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. They start by discussing the significance of the dialogue as a high-level forum for discussion between governments on issues impacting Asian security and they highlight some of the major topics that countries repeatedly brought up throughout sessions, with cross-regional security, hybrid threats, and uncertainty in the international order as three of the most prominent. They unpack President Macron's speech, who, they note, is the first European leader who has ever been invited to provide keynote remarks at the dialogue, and describe the emphasis he laid on Europe becoming a more active player in the Indo-Pacific region. Meia and Veerle also discuss the attendance from China's side and point to the notable absence of Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun. They describe China's messaging this year as less focused on the United States and instead with a greater emphasis on China's relationships with regional partners. Similarly, they touch on the variety of current views of China they heard from regional countries during the dialogue, which ranged from viewing China as a cooperative partner, a challenger, and a competitor all to different extents. They describe U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth's remarks and note they believe he succeeded in providing some reassurance to allies and underscored his emphasis that the U.S. can work more with partners in the region through increased forward deployment of troops, cooperation on defense industrial capabilities, and greater interoperability. Finally, Meia and Veerle describe what they heard from countries as shared challenges in the region that transcend boundaries and emphasized the consensus among many for the US and China to find ways to cooperate with each other despite their disagreements. Ms. Meia Nouwens is a Senior Fellow for Chinese Security and Defense Policy. Meia's expertise lies in Chinese cross-service defense analysis, China's defense industry and innovation, as well as China's regional strategic affairs and international relations. She leads IISS research on China's Digital Silk Road, and was a co-lead of the China Security Project with the Mercator Institute for China Studies. Prior to commencing at IISS, she worked for the European External Action Service as a policy officer in Taipei, and as a trade analyst in the EU's delegation to New Zealand. Meia holds a BA Hons in international relations and political science from Macquarie University, a master's in international relations and diplomacy from Leiden University in conjunction with the Clingendael Institute, and an MPhil in modern Chinese studies from the University of Oxford and Peking University. Ms. Veerle Nouwens is the Executive Director for IISS–Asia. Veerle's expertise lies in Chinese foreign and defense policy, as well as the wider Indo-Pacific defense and security environment. She plays a key part in organizing the annual IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, provides intellectual direction for IISS research on the Asia-Pacific, and works to enhance the profile of IISS across the region and beyond. Prior to joining the IISS, Veerle worked as Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, where she established the Indo-Pacific Programme and focused on China and Indo-Pacific security, and as a policy officer in the political section of the European Union Delegation in Singapore. Veerle holds a BA Hons in international relations and political science from Macquarie University, a Master's in international relations and diplomacy from Leiden University in conjunction with the Clingendael Institute, an MPhil in modern Chinese studies from the University of Oxford and Peking University, and has attended a Mandarin semester programme at Tsinghua University.
This is the 100th episode of Behind the Lines podcast. Thank you all for listening and for supporting this show. It's nothing without the listeners.In this episode I discussed the creeping authoritarianism in the United States with Jonathan Terra, a US political scientist based in Central Europe. Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode forms part of a new strand of our podcast: Seapower Past and Present which explores seapower as it is understood and practised in the modern world whilst offering a historical perspective on the themes we explore. Each episode is chosen according to a theme or a location – a hotspot in the modern world where seapower has a major influence on geopolitics. So if you enjoy this episode do please seek out others in this strand – you will shortly be able to find episodes on economic warfare, critical national infrastructure, how technology is changing the nature of warfare at sea; and on hugely significant locations in the modern maritime world – the Black Sea, South China Sea, Middle East and Arctic.To make this series come alive we've teamed up with the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. In each episode you will hear from at least one historian and from at least one practitioner, a member of the armed forces who has direct first hand, personal experience of the topic being discussed.For this episode our host Dr Sam Willis is joined by Dr Ziya Meral Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute and lecturer at the International oriental studies. He is an expert on global trends shaping defence and security, climate change and security, Turkey and Middle Eastern countries, and intersection of religion with global affairs. The second guest in this episode is Commander Edward Black of the Royal Navy. He is the First Sea Lord's Visiting Fellow at Royal United Services. As a Mine Clearance Diving Officer Commander Black has served extensively abroad including Operational Tours in Afghanistan and Bahrain; Loan Service with the Royal Navy of Oman; as Defence Attaché in Mali and Deputy Defence Advisor in Kenya. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As Lenin apparently never said, ‘There Are Decades Where Nothing Happens and Weeks Where Decades Happen'. We are clearly living through the latter. Arthur and Jason attempt to untangle the latest: from the Iranian attack on the US airbase in Qatar to Trump's declaration of forever peace to end what he is cleverly calling the 12 Day War.Arthur and Jason rally in violent unity for Mega Ordering -- whether you advocated for Obama's ‘Iran Deal' or supported Trump's tearing it to shreds, whether you love Benjamin Netanyahu or think he is an evil genius, whether you supported Trump's Beautiful Bunker Busting against Fordow or see it as an illegal and reckless gamble, all sane centrists must now advocate for Western unity in ending the wars in Gaza and Iran. The power balance of the Middle East has been fundamentally reconfigured. It is uniquely favourable for peace. As Arthur and Jason try to Order the Disorder, they discuss if the Europeans can help get us there and why Bibi appears hellbent on spoiling his own achievements.Producer: George McDonaghSubscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow Show Notes Links:Iran fires missiles at US base in Qatar, Trump calls for peace: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-weighs-retaliation-against-us-strikes-nuclear-sites-2025-06-23/Watch How The Iran Israel War Could End - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fymBJbsBDfI Arthur's excellent substack Time to learn about Iran's separatist movements: https://substack.com/home/post/p-166505834 And our Substack, Were the Iranians forewarned? why are the markets so placid? What happens if Hormuz is closed? https://natoandtheged.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/166535764?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fhome Alia Brahimi on the questionable legality of the strikes https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/23/iran-war-israel-us-trump-preventive/Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As oil prices rise, is escalation in the Middle East between Israel and Iran a positive development for Russia? How successful has Ukraine been in downing Russia's fibre optic drone capacity? And is the Kremlin really intent on extending its invasion beyond Nato borders?Lucy and Vitaly answer all that, and discuss the impact of the latest western sanctions with BBC Verify's Olga Robinson and Matthew Savill of the Royal United Services Institute. The producers were Laurie Kalus and Polly Hope. The technical producer was James Piper. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord
I spoke to Chris Coghlan, MP for Dorking and Horley and former diplomat and soldier about the unfolding crisis in the Middle East, the implications for European security and the wider political ramifications. Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Greg Mills directs the Brenthurst Foundation in Johannesburg, working to boost Africa's economic growth. He has spearheaded reform initiatives with governments in Rwanda, Mozambique, Malawi, and South Africa, while also advancing peace building and investment efforts in Colombia and throughout Africa. Before joining Brenthurst, he served as National Director of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and lectured at the Universities of the Western Cape and Cape Town. A Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, Dr. Mills has authored influential books like Why Africa Is Poor, Democracy Works, Expensive Poverty, and The Ledger: Accounting for Failure in Afghanistan. He's also a passionate motorsport enthusiast.----------LINKS:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Millshttps://www.thebrenthurstfoundation.org/people/greg-mills/https://www.rusi.org/people/millshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mills-86017a7/https://kyivindependent.com/author/greg-mills/LVIV MEDIA FORUM:The NGO Lviv Media Forum strengthens media, institutions, and public figures capable of fostering healthy public dialogue in Ukraine and beyond. Our goal is an effective and democratic society united by healthy communication. The organization was founded in 2013 to bring together media professionals from Ukraine and around the world in Lviv for the annual LMF conference. Over the years, we have grown into an ecosystem of people, organizations, and projects that support the media, develop comprehensive solutions for them, and promote the best media practices in Ukraine and globally. We are moving from supporting and developing media and journalists to a broader strategic focus: empowering communication actors, including media, civil society organizations, government bodies, and more. https://lvivmediaforum.com/enhttps://conference.lvivmediaforum.com/----------Your support is massively appreciated! SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon CurtainNEXT EVENTS - LVIV, KYIV AND ODESA THIS MAY AND JUNE.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur first live events this year in Lviv and Kyiv were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. We may add more venues to the program, depending on the success of the fundraising campaign. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------
During a speech to the Spanish parliament earlier this year, the country's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez claimed there's one thing that would guarantee lasting peace in Europe.His idea is the creation of a new army drawn from the 27 countries whose governments already work together as members of the European Union.The concept isn't a new one - and NATO already exists, the military alliance which includes EU member states and other European countries.But talk of a new military force is reappearing as the continent becomes more vulnerable to threats. Its ally the US is increasingly unreliable and unpredictable too.Other European leaders are also backing the ideaThis week we're asking - “Are we closer to a European army?”Contributors:Dick Zandee, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Security and Defence Programme at the Clingendael InstituteDr Ulrike Franke, Senior Policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign RelationsOana Lungescu, Distinguished fellow with the Royal United Services Institute and former NATO spokespersonProf. Dr. Sven Biscop, Director of the Europe in the World Programme at Egmont.Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Daniel RosneyResearcher: Maeve SchafferEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Toby JamesProduction Coordinator - Tammy Snow(Image Credit: FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP via Getty Images)
As Israel and Iran continue to attack each other, how do their militaries compare? Israel's air force dominates the skies, while Iran relies heavily on its ballistic missiles and drones. But who will have the upper hand as the war rages on? In this episode: Mamoun Abu Nowar, Retired Jordanian Airforce General. Marina Miron, Military Analyst and Researcher, War Studies Department, King's College London. Justin Bronk, Senior Research Fellow, Airpower and Technology, Royal United Services Institute. Host: Nick Clark Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Israel has attacked Iranian military and nuclear sites, claiming Tehran was close to producing a nuclear weapon. Tehran says it's a declaration of war. So, how far will it go with its response? And what does it all this mean for its nuclear ambitions? In this episode: Ellie Geranmayeh, Senior policy fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations. Ali Vaez, Director of the Iran Project, International Crisis Group. Samuel Ramani, Defense Analyst, Royal United Services Institute. Host: Cyril Vanier Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
At different engagements throughout the month, NATO allies will meet in Brussels and the Hague to discuss Ukraine and defense spending – with Trump's team putting pressure on the Europeans to up their spending to 5% of GDP. But with the Americans wavering on the alliance as a whole, and these unrealistic spending targets: Can NATO survive?To find out, Arthur Snell speaks with Sten Rynning, professor and director of the Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, and author of ‘NATO: From Cold War to Ukraine, a History of the World's Most Powerful Alliance'. The duo discuss the origins and evolution of NATO, the significance of Article 5, NATO's complex relationship with France, and the challenges faced during the Afghanistan mission. Plus: the contentious issue of NATO's eastward expansion in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union, and the Alliance's role in maintaining Order in the Post-War era. And as they conclude the discussion, they explore the future of European security architecture, the importance of America's role in NATO, and – to Order the Disorder – the need for a cohesive European defense strategy.Producer: George McDonaghSubscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow Show Notes Links:Get Sten Rynning's book, NATO: From Cold War to Ukraine, a History of the World's Most Powerful Alliance - https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/nato-from-cold-war-to-ukraine-a-history-of-the-world-s-most-powerful-alliance-sten-rynning Watch The Paradox of the Anti-Semitic Boulder attack - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7zAO_5CtfE Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today marks the anniversary of D-Day, the historic Allied landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944, which helped change the course of World War II. Brigadier General (Retired), Cliff Walker, past president of the Royal United Services Institute of Regina and former Commanding Officer of the Royal Regina Rifles, joins Evan to remember the bravery of Canadian soldiers and why this day still matters.
I spoke to Dr Mike Martin, MP for Tunbridge Wells and former soldier about the Strategic Defence Review.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I spoke to Iran expert Charlie Gammell in the light of the recent developments in the Iran nuclear negotiations. Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Labor government in the UK launched an audit of the country's relations with China in 2024. The results are set to be released in June. In this episode of the MERICS China Podcast, Charles Parton joins Johannes Heller-John to talk about the UK's China Audit and the importance of science and technology in the China context. Charles Parton is a member of the UK think tank Council on Geostrategy, the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies (RUSI), and a Senior Associate Fellow at MERICS. Read more about the topics covered in this episode here:Publications of Charles Parton at the Council on GeostrategyPublications of the Coalition on Secure Technology
Day 1,189.Today, after Kyiv suffers some of the most intense bombardments of the war, we look at why more drones and ballistic missiles are piercing Ukrainian defences, and assess the significance of Donald Trump saying that Vladimir Putin has gone “absolutely crazy.” Plus we hear another interview from Dom's trip to Estonia, and reflect on how the podcast began with Ukraine's: The Latest's original producer.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dom Nicholls (Associate Editor for Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Giles Gear (Audio Executive Editor). @GilesGear on LinkedIn.With thanks to Dr Jack Watling (Senior Research Fellow at Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies). @Jack_Watling on X.SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/ukraine/ Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.Content Referenced:Russia Is Raining Hellfire On Ukraine (The Economist):https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/05/25/russia-is-raining-hellfire-on-ukraineSlammed by Russian missiles, Ukraine seeks more U.S. air defense systems (Washington Post):https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/26/ukraine-patriot-missiles-air-defense-raytheon/NOW AVAILABLE IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them.Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
En Libye, le gouvernement d'Abdelhamid Dbeibah fait face au mécontentement de nombreux habitants de Tripoli. Des centaines d'entre eux ont même manifesté vendredi dernier pour réclamer son départ. Pourtant, il y a deux semaines, après les combats à l'arme lourde en plein centre-ville, beaucoup pensaient que le Premier ministre Abdelhamid Dbeibah avait renforcé sa position dans la capitale libyenne. Les jours de ce gouvernement sont-ils comptés ? Et le maréchal Haftar pourrait-il en profiter ? Jalel Harchaoui est chercheur associé au Royal United Services Institute de Londres. Il répond aux questions de Christophe Boisbouvier. RFI : Après la mort le 12 mai du chef de la milice SSA, est-ce que le Premier ministre, Abdelhamid Dbeibah, sort renforcé sur la scène libyenne ? Jalel Harchaoui : S'il s'était arrêté là, oui, j'aurais répondu oui. C'est-à-dire que les opérations que vous décrivez, qui ont eu lieu le 12 mai, étaient des opérations violentes, mais qui étaient menées d'une manière chirurgicale et très bien exécutées. Si bien que, si tout le monde était allé se coucher le lundi 12 mai à minuit sur ces victoires tactiques, c'est-à-dire le fait de démanteler une brigade importante connue pour ses pratiques tortionnaires, pour sa corruption, et qui en plus tenait tête, pas d'une manière féroce, mais qui tenait tête quand même au Premier ministre… Et bien un certain nombre d'Etats étrangers auraient applaudi et le Premier ministre Dbeibah, reconnu par l'ONU, je vous rappelle, aurait pu se servir de cette opération réussie pour intimider les autres challengers qui existent à Tripoli. Ce n'est pas du tout ce qu'il a fait. Ce qu'il a fait, c'est qu'il s'est senti renforcé, il pensait avoir une espèce de baraka, il s'est dit « tout ce que je touche se transforme en or, donc je vais me lancer dans une nouvelle aventure contre une autre milice ». Or cette milice n'a strictement rien à voir avec celle que vous avez mentionnée… Je parle cette fois-ci de la Force de dissuasion Al Radaa qui tient le seul aéroport opérationnel de la capitale libyenne, Mitiga. Et cette seconde phase de cette aventure, c'est-à-dire mardi soir 13 mai, a donné lieu non pas à un succès comme lundi, mais ça a donné lieu à un fiasco.Le 13 mai, il s'est cassé les dents…Il s'est cassé les dents et ça s'est traduit par une très grande violence. Donc c'est un véritable massacre. Il y a eu quelque part entre 50 et 70 morts en 24h, dont des civils et en plein centre de Tripoli. Et ça, ça a été fortement rejeté par la population.Et d'autant que cette milice, Al Radaa, elle a des soutiens à l'extérieur de Tripoli, non ? Oui, depuis qu'il est clair qu'elle ne s'entend pas avec le Premier ministre, elle a restauré ses liens avec la famille Haftar à Benghazi. Donc c'est une milice qui, déjà avant la Grande Guerre de Tripoli en 2019, était connue pour maintenir une espèce de dialogue, même de lien, voire logistique et financier, avec la famille Haftar. Et bien tout cela est revenu ces dernières années. Aujourd'hui, pour moi, la force d'Al Radaa, qui contrôle Mitiga, est clairement liée dans une espèce d'alliance tactique avec la famille Haftar à Benghazi.Donc on a aujourd'hui un très fragile équilibre à l'intérieur de la capitale entre le Premier ministre Dbeibah et la Force Al Radaa ? Oui, et ce n'est pas le seul challenger. C'est ça qui rend la chose difficile, c'est que Tripoli, du fait d'une espèce de débâcle dans la nuit du mardi 13 au mercredi 14 mai… Aujourd'hui, Tripoli est poreuse. Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? Ça veut dire que les adversaires du Premier ministre Dbeibah à Zaouïa se manifestent. Zaouïa est une ville de 300 000 personnes, située à 45 kilomètres à l'ouest de Tripoli. Il y a des forces de Zaouïa, qui sont contre le Premier ministre, qui ont réussi à pénétrer le flanc ouest de la ville de Tripoli.Alors tout de même, Abdelhamid Dbeibah, le Premier ministre, il a un atout, c'est Misrata, la cité-État, qui est à l'est de Tripoli et qui exerce une sorte de tutelle stratégique sur tout l'ouest de la Libye depuis au moins cinq ans, non ? D'abord, vous avez raison de parler de Misrata, c'est extrêmement important. Mais je ne dirais pas les choses de cette façon-là. En ce qui concerne le dossier Dbeibah, c'est quand même un personnage qui n'a pas beaucoup aidé sa ville. Donc il s'est targué de venir de la ville de Misrata. Il a utilisé sa ville qui est une ville très importante sur le plan commercial, extrêmement dynamique, avec beaucoup d'hommes d'affaires qui ont réussi, etc. Mais ce n'est pas un bloc, Misrata. Il y a une partie, un réservoir de brigades que Dbeibah aimerait bien recevoir comme étant des alliés à l'intérieur de cette crise tripolitaine et qui ne bouge pas, qui ne lève pas le petit doigt actuellement, parce que cette partie des brigades ne l'aime pas. Et donc c'est vrai que par exemple, en 2019, la force principale qui avait permis à Tripoli de résister contre l'agression du Maréchal Haftar, c'étaient les forces de Misrata. Mais aujourd'hui, je ne dirais pas du tout que Misrata est entièrement mobilisée pour défendre un de ses enfants, c'est-à-dire le Premier ministre Dbeibah, pas du tout.Est-ce que, six ans après son échec devant Tripoli, le Maréchal Haftar peut prendre sa revanche ? Déjà, j'aurais tendance à dire que, aujourd'hui, la famille Haftar est beaucoup plus riche. Ses hommes sont mieux entraînés, il y a une présence russe qui est plus importante. Donc la famille Haftar est beaucoup plus puissante aujourd'hui qu'en 2019. Et donc elle est en train de ne pas juste regarder la crise à Tripoli. Il y a des acteurs aujourd'hui, des acteurs armés qui sont aujourd'hui à l'intérieur de Tripoli et qui sont, si vous voulez, des proxys de la famille Haftar. Donc ce ne sont pas des brigades de la famille Haftar, mais ce sont des alliés extrêmement étroits, extrêmement fiables du point de vue des Haftar. C'est-à-dire que maintenant que la situation de Tripoli a été clairement fragilisée, la famille Haftar se dit « bon, on est très confortable à l'est, on est très confortable à l'ouest, on voit que le Premier ministre à Tripoli a fait une bêtise. Et donc tout cela devient plus poreux. Donc on va essayer de tirer notre épingle du jeu ». Ça, c'est une certitude. Et ça, ce sont les ingrédients de la prochaine crise.
As the humanitarian situation in Gaza descends to unimaginable levels, and the war of words between Benjamin Netanyahu and the West escalates, I spoke to Michael Stephens of RAND Europe and RUSI about the situation.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode I discuss recent allegations of war crimes committed by UK Special Forces in Afghanistan. These featured in a recent BBC Panorama episode which can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001ykkf/panorama-special-forces-i-saw-war-crimesMy guest on this episode is Professor Matthew Ford, a military expert based at the Swedish Defence University. We covered these allegations, wider questions of counter-insurgency and what it means for modern warfare as the western alliance faces existential challenges.You can find Matthew Ford here https://bsky.app/profile/warmatters.bsky.socialYou can find me here https://arthursnell.substack.comYou can find our new Bookshop.org affiliate shop here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/behindthelinesCheck out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Les experts et journalistes de RFI répondent aussi à vos questions sur la levée des sanctions américaines en Syrie et des affrontements entre groupes armés à Tripoli. Football : qui pour remplacer Carlo Ancelotti au Real ? Après quatre ans sur le banc du Real Madrid, l'entraîneur Carlo Ancelotti a été nommé sélectionneur de l'équipe nationale du Brésil jusqu'à la Coupe du monde 2026. Malgré une saison blanche avec les Merengues, pourquoi l'Italien a-t-il été choisi par la Fédération brésilienne ? Qui pour le remplacer au Real ?Avec Antoine Grognet, journaliste au service des sports de RFI.Syrie : levée des sanctions américaines, mais à quelles conditions ? Lors de sa visite en Arabie Saoudite, Donald Trump a créé la surprise en annonçant la suspension des sanctions américaines contre de la Syrie. Cette décision a suscité des manifestations de joie dans les rues de Damas. Quelle était la nature de ces sanctions ? En contrepartie, les Américains ont-ils fixé des conditions ?Avec Frédéric Encel, professeur en géopolitique à Sciences-Po Paris. Auteur de l'ouvrage « La Guerre mondiale n'aura pas lieu: Les raisons géopolitiques d'espérer » (éditions Odile Jacob).Libye : flambée de violences à Tripoli Le chef de l'importante milice de l'Autorité de soutien à la stabilité (SSA), Abdelghani el-Kikli dit « Gheniwa », a été tué à Tripoli dans de violents affrontements entre groupes armés. Comment expliquer ces violences ? Que revendiquent ces groupes armés ?Avec Jalel Harchaoui, géopolitologue spécialiste de la Libye, chercheur associé au sein du Royal United Services Institute de Londres.
On this edition of Ctrl Alt Deceit: Democracy in Danger, we are live at the Royal United Services Institute. Nina Dos Santos and Owen Bennett Jones are joined by a world-class panel to discuss the dangers posed by the waves of dark money threatening to overwhelm our democratic institutions.Panelists:--Tom Keatinge, Director, Centre for Finance and Security, RUSI--Darren Hughes, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society--Gina Neff, Executive Director, Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at the University of Cambridge, and Professor of Responsible AI, Queen Mary University London Producer: Pearse Lynch Executive Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics
On this episode I speak to Iona Craig, the veteran Yemen expert and journalist about recent events, including the UK's decision to join the US in carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis.Iona mentioned an earlier episode of this podcast with Laura Cretney, which is worth listening to if you are interested in Yemen. You can find it here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/behind-the-lines-with-arthur-snell/id1704344656?i=1000643933101Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this edition of Ctrl Alt Deceit: Democracy in Danger, we are live at the Royal United Services Institute. Nina Dos Santos and Owen Bennett Jones are joined by a world-class panel to discuss the dangers posed by the waves of dark money threatening to overwhelm our democratic institutions.Panelists:--Tom Keatinge, Director, Centre for Finance and Security, RUSI--Darren Hughes, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society--Gina Neff, Executive Director, Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at the University of Cambridge, and Professor of Responsible AI, Queen Mary University London Producer: Pearse Lynch Executive Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science
On this edition of Ctrl Alt Deceit: Democracy in Danger, we are live at the Royal United Services Institute. Nina Dos Santos and Owen Bennett Jones are joined by a world-class panel to discuss the dangers posed by the waves of dark money threatening to overwhelm our democratic institutions.Panelists:--Tom Keatinge, Director, Centre for Finance and Security, RUSI--Darren Hughes, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society--Gina Neff, Executive Director, Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at the University of Cambridge, and Professor of Responsible AI, Queen Mary University London Producer: Pearse Lynch Executive Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I spoke to Romeo Kokriatski, presenter of the Ukraine without the Hype podcast about recent events in his country, including the Trump betrayal.We mentioned Operation Sky Shield, a plan which you can read about here.Check out our Bookshop.org affiliate site behindthelines and please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and/or follow me on Bluesky@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this edition of Ctrl Alt Deceit: Democracy in Danger, we are live at the Royal United Services Institute. Nina Dos Santos and Owen Bennett Jones are joined by a world-class panel to discuss the dangers posed by the waves of dark money threatening to overwhelm our democratic institutions.Panelists:--Tom Keatinge, Director, Centre for Finance and Security, RUSI--Darren Hughes, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society--Gina Neff, Executive Director, Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at the University of Cambridge, and Professor of Responsible AI, Queen Mary University London Producer: Pearse Lynch Executive Producer: Lucinda Knight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Donald Trump famously promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of returning to the White House. But he is just over 100 days into his presidency, and the war is certainly not over. With Kyiv opposed to territorial concessions, and with Russia's military campaign showing no signs of slowing down, the Trump administration has threatened to walk away from the conflict if both sides don't agree to a cease-fire and a path to peace—leaving Ukraine and its European partners planning for a future in which Russian aggression continues, but U.S. support does not. In a recent article for Foreign Affairs, Jack Watling, senior research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute in London, argues that Europe can, in fact, replace the United States as Ukraine's primary backer. Senior Editor Hugh Eakin spoke with Watling on April 28 about the latest developments on the battlefield—and what the coming months will demand of Ukraine and its partners in order to avoid a catastrophic defeat. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.
What does the climate crisis mean for sovereignty in a world where certain countries face existential risk? I spoke to Taukiei Kitara, a native of Tuvalu, about the case of low-lying Pacific Islands, including his native Tuvalu.Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
US President Donald Trump has hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time since returning to office in January. Iran and Gaza were the main topics discussed. Why did the meeting take place and what does it signal? In this episode: H A Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute. Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Daniel Levy, President, US / Middle East Project. Host: Dareen Abughaida Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
"We have to have it" -- the words of Donald Trump as he makes a bid for Greenland. He says he wants the Danish territory for "international safety and security". His Vice President is visiting the island this week. So why is Trump so fixated on Greenland? And could he take it by force? In this episode: Marc Jacobsen - Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defence College Jim Townsend - Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, he served as President Obama's deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO Ed Arnold - Research Fellow for European Security at the Royal United Services Institute, a defence and security think-tank Pele Broberg - leader of the pro-independence Naleraq party in Greenland. Host: Elizabeth Puranam Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Reviving a shattered ceasefire: Egypt has proposed a new plan to end Israel's war on Gaza. Hamas is said to be ready to release more hostages. But with Benjamin Netanyahu under growing pressure at home, would he accept the new deal? In this episode: H.A. Hellyer - senior fellow in geopolitics, international security and Middle East studies at the Royal United Services Institute. Akiva Eldar - political analyst and former columnist for Haaretz newspaper. Khaled Elgindy - visiting scholar at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University Host: James Bays Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
What's to stop Russia from escalating the conflict? Who is Steve Witkoff? Can Trump stop Ukraine from joining Nato? These are some of the questions you've been sending in - and today, Lyse, Vitaly and Matthew Savill from the Royal United Services Institute think tank, joined presenter Christian Fraser to answer them on the BBC News channel.The producers were Ben Carter and Ryan Johnston. The series producer is Tim Walklate. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will go for talks with the US this week in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Samuel Ramani, Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, previews the meeting.
Dr. Karin Von Hipple, former Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute and former Senior Adviser in the Bureau of Counterterrorism in the US Department of State
A quick run down on how the conflict developed - from attempted coup to war of attrition.Guest: Michael Clarke, Visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies, King's College, London and former Director of the Royal United Services Institute.This is part of a new mini-series called the The Briefing Room Explainers. They're short versions of previous episodes of the Briefing Room.Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Studio Manager: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
A special crosspost from our geopolitics podcast This Is Not A Drill. After 15 months of horror, a ceasefire and hostage release deal triggers rejoicing in Israel and Palestine. But the deal is ambiguous and built around only a gradual release of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages, with no agreement to end the war yet. While Trump rushes to claim credit, some fear the deal is so loose it might collapse. Could this conflict reignite? Gavin Esler talks to Middle East expert Dr H.A. Hellyer of RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security, about Israel and Gaza's fragile moment of hope. • No longer on Twitter? Follow Gavin Esler and This Is Not A Drill on BlueSky. • Support This Is Not A Drill to continue by backing us on Patreon. You'll get early, ad-free editions, merchandise and more. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After 15 months of horror, a ceasefire and hostage release deal triggers rejoicing in Israel and Palestine. But the deal is ambiguous and built around only a gradual release of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages, with no agreement to end the war yet. While Trump rushes to claim credit, some fear the deal is so loose it might collapse. Could this conflict reignite? Gavin Esler talks to Middle East expert Dr H.A. Hellyer of RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security, about Israel and Gaza's fragile moment of hope. • From next week TINAD will be coming out every Thursday instead of Wednesdays, to give us more time to react to developing news stories. Patreon people will still get episodes as early as possible. • No longer on Twitter? Follow Gavin Esler and This Is Not A Drill on BlueSky. • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is supported by Incogni, the service that keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There's a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – go to Incogni.com/notadrill to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support This Is Not Drill on Patreon to continue by backing us on Patreon. You'll get early, ad-free editions, merchandise and more. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode with Dr. Babb, we discuss how all the antisemitic issues erupting in Canada are impacting politics, the education system, and the world. There is something rotten in the state of Canada and we are going to address that.Dr. Casey Babb is a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a fellow with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, an associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute in London, and an adviser with Secure Canada in Toronto.
Gideon hosts an end-of-year discussion with Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Jeremy Shapiro of the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Karin von Hippel of the Royal United Services Institute. They discuss what we can expect from the incoming Trump presidency, the prospects for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, and China's strengthening ties with Russia. Clip: Fox 13 NewsFree links to read more on this topic:FT Person of the Year: Donald TrumpPutin says Trump's Ukraine proposals merit attentionXi Jinping prioritises consumers over chips as concerns over growth mountAI admin tools pose a threat to national securitySubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
China's push to revise the international security order entered a new phase with the launch of the Global Security Initiative (GSI) in April 2022. A few months after Xi Jinping proposed GSI, host Bonnie Glaser did a podcast episode with Manoj Kewalramani to discuss the drivers behind GSI and analyze the initial statements outlining its content. More than 2 ½ years have elapsed since then, and scholars have begun to investigate how China is implementing GSI in various regions around the world. A new report from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) examines how GSI is being operationalized and received in two priority regions of Chinese foreign policy: mainland Southeast Asia and Central Asia. The study draws on field research in both regions. The report is titled “China's Global Security Initiative Takes Shape in Southeast and Central Asia.” The report has three authors: Bates Gill, Carla Freeman and Alison McFarland. Bonnie Glaser is joined by Bates Gill for this episode to discuss the report's findings. Bates is a senior fellow with the National Bureau of Asian Research, a Senior Associate Fellow with the Royal United Services Institute, and associated with USIP.Timestamps[00:00] Start[01:53] Objectives of China's Global Security Initiative [04:22] GSI as an Additive or a Replacement[07:21] Fieldwork in Southeast and Central Asia[12:06] Concerns about China's Intentions and Influence[15:24] GSI Initiatives and Sources of Funding[19:58] GSI and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation[23:55] Moscow's View of GSI [29:27] Implications of GSI for the United States
When protests against decades of rule by the Assad family were crushed by Syrian government forces in the spring of 2011, opposition groups took up arms and the country descended into civil war. The conflict drew in Syria's Kurds, jihadi groups including Islamic State and al-Qaeda, and the international community.13 years on President Assad controls around two thirds of the country, but northern Syria remains out of the regime's grip and is highly volatile. Internal divisions, international influences and a worsening humanitarian situation may be about to further destabilise the region, with potentially serious consequences for Syria and the world. So, in this episode of The Inquiry, we're asking ‘What's the future for Syria's divided north?'Contributors Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute. Charles Lister, Director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs, Middle East Institute. Qutaiba Idlbi, Director of the Syria Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Emma Beals, Senior Advisor at the European Institute of Peace and a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington.Presenter: Emily Wither Production: Diane Richardson and Matt Toulson Broadcast Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover & Liam Morrey Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Day 1,003.Today, we report on Russia's use of a new intermediate range ballistic missile and Vladimir Putin's threat to attack the United States and Britain in revenge for their assistance to Ukraine on the battlefield. Contributors:Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X.James Kilner (Foreign Correspondent). @jkjourno on X.James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.With special thanks to our guest Matthew Savill, Director of Military Sciences at the Royal United Services Institute. @MTSavill on X.Articles referenced:My 24 hours strapped into Putin's propaganda machinehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/11/15/putin-propaganda-24-hours-of-russian-media/Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Day 997.Today, we assess the state of the Russian army, hear new revelations from inside the Biden administration, and look deeper at the impact of this war in other theatres, such as Korea and Africa.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X.With thanks to Dr Samual Ramani of the Royal United Services Institute and Oxford University. @SamRamani2 on X. Dr Samuel Ramani's latest book is Putin's War on Ukraine:https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/putins-war-on-ukraine/Articles Referenced:The best books on Ukraine in 2024, from Chernobyl to Zelensky (Ada Wordsworth in The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/non-fiction/best-ukraine-books-2024-zelenskyy/Record Death Toll: What We Know About Russia's Losses in Ukraine by November (BBC):https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/cjr4zy2nye5oThe ‘Deathonomics' Powering Russia's War Machine (Wall Street Journal):https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-ukraine-war-military-death-pay-6cfe936e?mod=Searchresults_pos6&page=1Biden's escalation paralysis has devastated Ukraine (The Hill):https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4988504-biden-administration-ukraine-war/Former Governor Confirms Russian Military Engaged in Looting in Kursk Region Villages (Meduza):https://meduza.io/news/2024/11/14/byvshiy-gubernator-podtverdil-chto-rossiyskie-voennye-zanimalis-maroderstvom-v-selah-kurskoy-oblastiPutin cuts payments for wounded in war against Ukraine (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/putin-approves-reduction-of-payments-for-injured-in-war-against-ukraine/?mc_cid=f0af270ac7&mc_eid=08d0680a95In echo of Soviet era, Russians are informing on each other over Ukraine (Reuters)https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/more-russians-denounce-each-other-over-ukraine-echo-soviet-era-2024-11-15/Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ukraine's President Zelensky recently presented his ‘Victory Plan' to end the war in Ukraine to both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the two candidates competing to be the next President of the United States of America. President Zelensky's view is that if his plan is supported by Ukraine's allies, then the war could be ended by next year. But both US Presidential candidates, whilst in agreement that the war has to stop, have expressed a very different approach to how they would work towards that. And there are concerns from Ukraine that there will be a significant decrease in getting support in the future, regardless of who will be sitting in the White House. The United States is the top donor to Ukraine in terms of military, financial and humanitarian aid, but if their support did wane, it would mean Ukraine would have to become much more reliant on European backing. Whilst Europe has pledged much in terms of military support, it has yet to deliver everything it has promised. And there is the issue of Europe's political will and financial backing to fulfil its pledge. In light of this President Zelensky is hoping Europe too will be convinced by his ‘Victory Plan' and perhaps act as an insurance plan to keep the US focus on this war. So, on this week's Inquiry, we're asking ‘How might the next US President affect the war in Ukraine?' Contributors: Mariia Zolkina, Head of Regional Security and Conflict Studies, Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Kyiv, Ukraine Mary Anne Marsh, Democratic Strategist and Political Analyst, Boston, USA Matthew Kroenig, Vice President and Senior Director, Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Washington DC, USA Matthew Savill, Director of Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute, London, UK Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Ben Houghton Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson(Image: BBC file photo)