The Syrian Civil War Pt.3: The Arab Spring Hits Aleppo
12 March 2025 - 1 hour 10 mins explicitThis week on Conflicted, Ronnie Hamada is back with Thomas to describe his experiences as a Kurdish civilian during the Syrian Civil War, as we continue our retrospective on that most complex of conflicts. And this week, after setting up some Kurdish history last time, Ronnie takes us through what it was like to live through the Arab Spring protests as a university student, where he saw his classmates attacked by Assad backed thugs, and as violence increased around him by the day.
In a gripping conversation, Ronnie recounts some harrowing experiences, detailing a terrifying robbery at an internet cafe, the escalating violence in Aleppo, and the eventual decision to flee to Afrin. He shares...
The True Origins of Modern Terrorism
In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist Jason Burke about his new book The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s. Jason explains: Why the origins of modern terrorism lie earlier than the Afghan jihad of the 1980s The global revolutionary ferment of the 1960s and 70s Why early terrorist attacks were often designed to attract attention rather than cause mass casualties The role of Palestinian militant groups in pioneering modern tactics like hijacking Connections between European radicals, Japanese militants, and Middle Eastern groups How states adapted to terrorism through new counterterrorism measures The shift from theatrical violence to mass-casualty and suicide attacks The relationship between secular revolutionary movements and later Islamist militancy The Iranian Revolution as a turning point in the evolution of political violence Why many common narratives about the origins of jihadism are incomplete Find Jason on X: https://x.com/burke_jason Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm Find Conflicted on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 17 mins
16 April Finished
America Blockades Iran
After the peace talks in Islamabad fail as expected, the United States adopts Plan B: a complete blockade of all Iranian maritime trade. Aimen explains this latest move in the Iran War. Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
54 mins
14 April Finished
Iran War: Will the Ceasefire Hold?
Aimen does his best to explain the sudden and somewhat unexpected ceasefire between the United States and Iran which was announced early on Tuesday. Aimen and Thomas discuss: Pakistan's role: what game are they playing? Russia's delicate balancing act between Iran and the GCC How GCC leaders cope with President Trump's erratic shifts in messaging and policy Did Netanyahu know about the ceasefire in advance? The potential coup in Lebanon which Israel's intervention stopped Whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire or not What U.S. military hardware is on its way to the region Why European politicians and diplomats still support containment when it comes to Iran while being gung-ho against Russia How energy dependence helps explain the posture of Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey How the Islamabad talks between Vance and Ghalibaf are likely to go down Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 22 mins
10 April Finished
How Money Laundering Took Over the World
In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist Oliver Bollough about his illuminating new book Everybody Loves Our Dollars: How Money Laundering Won. Oliver and Thomas discuss: Iranian oil money flowing into London property Russian oligarch wealth parked in Western banks Al Capone to Miami: evolution of money laundering Jeffrey Epstein and elite financial fixers network $100 bills fuelling global criminal cash economy White House insiders profiting from crypto and stablecoins Chinese gangs laundering cartel money worldwide Hawala and ancient trade-based money transfer systems Find Oliver on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olbullough/ Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm Find Conflicted on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
59 mins
7 April Finished
Why Freedom Failed in Syria
In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist and author Anand Gopal about his wonderful new book Days of Love and Rage, a profoundly moving and intellectually stimulating history of the Syrian revolution told from the perspective of the northern town of Manbij. Anand and Thomas discuss: Anand's first-hand witnessing of 9/11 How Anand embedded with the Taliban Revolution as a crisis of faith and collapse of social reality Manbij as a microcosm of the tensions of Syrian modernity The failure of Manbij's democratic experiment and the limits of liberalism How ISIS exploited both material grievances and liberal norms Baathism: egalitarian ethos vs authoritarian reality Find Gopal on X: https://x.com/Anand_Gopal Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm Find Conflicted on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 6 mins
2 April Finished
IRGC Sleeper Cells: The Inside Story
As all sides in the Iran War escalate their attacks, another spectre looms on the horizon: Iran-backed sleeper cell agents across the world launching terrorist attacks against strategic assets — including in the West. Aimen opens the lid on this little-known dimension of the IRGC's activity. Aimen and Thomas discuss: How the U.S. will deal with the problem of Bandar Abbas before launching an amphibious assault on islands in the Gulf The recent escalation: the Houthis join the war, an AWACS plane destroyed in Saudi Arabia, a desalination plant attacked in Kuwait The history of the sleeper cell as a tool of revolutionary subversion The five types of Iranian sleeper cell Aimen's experience embedded in sleeper cells as a double agent How Iranian sleeper cells launder money The prevalence of sleeper cells in South America Aimen's work investigating the finances of sleeper cells How London restaurants are secret IRGC fronts Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 17 mins
31 March Finished