Ep 269 Trouble in Eurasia: China, Korea, Russia, Ukraine feat Kyle Anzalone

WATCH OR LISTEN ON ROKFIN OR PATREON

Guest: Kyle Anzalone. We discuss a number of new articles written by Kyle about China, Korea, Russia and Ukraine. In a bonus segment we talk about how the war in Ukraine seems to be changing from a conventional war to an insurgency and dirty war. We also talk about Dugin car bombing.

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Ep 269EXTRA Ukraine War Transformation? feat Kyle Anzalone

Ep 269EXTRA Ukraine War Transformation feat Kyle Anzalone

WATCH OR LISTEN ON ROKFIN OR PATREON

Guest: Kyle Anzalone. We discuss a number of new articles written by Kyle about China, Korea, Russia and Ukraine. In a bonus segment we talk about how the war in Ukraine seems to be changing from a conventional war to an insurgency and dirty war. We also talk about Dugin car bombing.

Continue reading “Ep 269EXTRA Ukraine War Transformation? feat Kyle Anzalone”

Ep 227EXTRA Iran and Shifting Priorities to Great Power Competition feat Neda Bolourchi

Ep 227EXTRA Iran and Shifting Priorities to Great Power Competition feat Neda Bolourchi

LISTEN OR WATCH ON PATREON, ROKFIN

Guest: Dr. Neda Bolourchi. We talk about the recent election in Iran: a deep dive about the background, the people involved, the consolidation of power and the outlook for the future. In this bonus segment we talk about the US shifting priorities toward great power competition and what this means for policy and strategy with respect to Iran. 

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Ep 227 Consolidation of Political Power in Iran feat Neda Bolourchi

Ep 227 Consolidation of Political Power in Iran feat Neda Bolourchi

Guest: Dr. Neda Bolourchi. We talk about the recent election in Iran: a deep dive about the background, the people involved, the consolidation of power and the outlook for the future. In a bonus segment we talk about the US shifting priorities toward great power competition and what this means for policy and strategy with respect to Iran. 

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Ep 198 Morrell Hazard (Swapcast)

Ep 198 Morrell Hazard (Swapcast)

Joanne Leon and Kyle Anzalone, hosts of Around the Empire and Conflicts of Interests podcasts, team up for another swapcast. We discuss the 2020 election, upcoming electoral college vote, protests and some of Biden’s potential moral hazard picks for high level positions, like Mike Morrell as director of the CIA. We also talk about the risk of war with Iran and other issues in the Middle East. 

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Ep 196 Iran & Middle East Shifting Priorities? feat Elijah Magnier

Ep 196  Iran & Middle East Shifting Priorites? feat Elijah Magnier

Guest: Elijah Magnier. We talk about the recent assassination of an Iranian top scientist and threats of retaliation proposed by hardline Iranian media, the precarious situation and shifting priorities due to Trump  likely leaving office soon and Netanyahu’s political troubles. We discuss the failure to withdraw US troops from Iraq and the likely consequences, the prospects for rejoining the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal and the things that could complicate that, the stronger influence of Russia and China in the region and finally a bonus question about the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu near the end of his term. 

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Ep 186 Withdrawal From Iran Deal Snaps Back feat Neda Bolourchi

Ep 186 Withdrawal From Iran Deal Snaps Back feat Neda Bolourchi

Guest: Neda Bolourchi. We talk about the recent developments with the JCPOA, withdrawal from Iran deal and how the Trump administration is trying to “have its cake and eat it too”. We discuss the happenings in the UN general assembly and UN Security Council, the news of troop withdrawals from Iraq and a lot more. There is an extra bonus segment for patrons: Ep 186EXTRA Middle East Prospects in the New Cold War Era. 

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Ep 186EXTRA Middle East Prospects in New Cold War Era feat Neda Bolourchi

Ep 186 EXTRA Middle East Prospects in New Cold War Era feat Neda Bolourchi

LISTEN ON PATREON

Guest: Neda Bolourchi. We talk about the recent developments with the JCPOA Iran deal and how the Trump administration is trying to “have its cake and eat it too”. We discuss the happenings in the UN general assembly and UN Security Council, the news of troop withdrawals from Iraq and a lot more. This is an extra bonus segment for patrons: Ep 186EXTRA Middle East Prospects in the New Cold War Era. 

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Ep 169 EXTRA Sanctioned Countries Collaborate feat Elijah Magnier

Ep 169 EXTRA Sanctioned Countries Collaborate feat Elijah Magnier

LISTEN ON PATREON

Guest: Elijah Magnier. Eventually, sanctioned countries collaborate with each other. In the age of decline of the Anglo-American empire, every tool in the toolbox has been pulled out and weaponized and deployed to maintain dominance and for much longer than is normally effective. Elijah explains how Russia, Venezuela and the axis of resistance in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen) with assistance from China are collaborating to overcome and get around both long standing and ever increasing sanctions by the US and allied countries and also finding ways to be more self sufficient to the point where the sanctions have much less impact and in some ways destructive for those doing the sanctioning. We also talk about the latest developments in Syria and the reconstruction dilemma. 

This is an extra/bonus segment for patrons. Given that this seems like a turning point for the US and the world, I ask Elijah for insights on whether there are parallels in history and for his views on how things are likely to play out. You can find that on Patreon, Episode 169 EXTRA. 

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Ep 169 Sanctioned Countries Collaborate feat Elijah Magnier

Ep 169 Sanctioned Countries Collaborate feat Elijah Magnier

Guest: Elijah Magnier. Eventually, sanctioned countries collaborate with each other. In the age of decline of the Anglo-American empire, every tool in the toolbox has been pulled out and weaponized and deployed to maintain dominance and for much longer than is normally effective. Elijah explains how Russia, Venezuela and the axis of resistance in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen) with assistance from China are collaborating to overcome and get around both long standing and ever increasing sanctions by the US and allied countries and also finding ways to be more self sufficient to the point where the sanctions have much less impact and in some ways destructive for those doing the sanctioning. We also talk about the latest developments in Syria and the reconstruction dilemma. 

There’s an extra/bonus segment for patrons. Given that this seems like a turning point for the US and the world, I ask Elijah for insights on whether there are parallels in history and for his views on how things are likely to play out. You can find that on Patreon, Episode 169 EXTRA. 

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Ep 149 US vs Iran Conflicts feat Danny Sjursen

Ep 149 US vs Iran Conflicts feat Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.)

Guest: Maj. Danny Sjursen, US Army (ret.) We talk about two articles that Danny wrote about US vs Iran conflicts over the last seven decades and what he calls a “timeline of provocations and retaliations”. Also we talk about Iran’s history of relative restraint. 

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Ep 146 Pompeo’s Gulf of Tonkin feat Gareth Porter

Ep 146 Pompeo's Gulf of Tonkin feat Gareth Porter

Guest: Gareth Porter. As the news was breaking of Iranian retaliatory strikes on military bases in Iraq where American troops were deployed, Gareth Porter and I were talking about his analysis comparing the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident in Vietnam to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s apparent strategy to “grease the skids” for war with Iran. 

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Ep 144 What Really Happened in Iraq feat Elijah Magnier

Ep 144 What Really Happened in Iraq feat Elijah Magnier

Guest: Elijah Magnier. We discuss what really happened in Iraq over the past week, leading up to the killing of the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the Iraqi PMU vice commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes. We talk about the reactions, justifications and likely consequences. Also, Elijah provides some more clarification on the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF/PMU or Hashd al-Shaabi) and the way the different Iraqi security forces have been described inaccurately in western media. 

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Ep 143 The Killing of Soleimani feat Neda Bolourchi

Ep 143 Killing of Soleimani feat Neda Bolourchi

Guest: Neda Bolourchi. We talk about the killing of Soleimani, the assassination of Iranian major general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qasem Soleimani by the US military. Was it a punishment for past actions or an attempt at deterrence toward Iran or both? We discuss the impact on the people of Iraq and Iran and the recent protests, the prospects for retaliation by Iran and war throughout the region. 

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