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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

Message Heard

An ex-Al Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy and a former monk turned filmmaker, have been embedded at the heart of conflicts in the Middle East. Together Aimen Dean and Thomas Small unpack the realities of war, fundamentalism and their global implications through first-hand experience.

CONFLICTED

Aimen's away this week. But not to worry! Sitting in his seat is Mohammed al-Basha: a Yemeni-American analyst with over twenty years of experience. Basha is the perfect person to help us understand better the larger forces at work in the Yemen Civil War — with consequences for the entire world.

For world-class Q&A's with Aimen, join the CONFLICTED COMMUNITY here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Basha and Thomas discuss:

 How the Houthis Smashed Yemen’s Western Front in Just Seven Days

 Inside the Houthi Machine: From Mountain Rebels to a Revolutionary State

 Abdul-Malik al-Houthi: The Hidden Leader His Followers Treat Like a Sacred Authority

 How Gaza Supercharged Houthi Recruitment, Weapons and Global Ambition

 Why Yemen’s Anti-Houthi Forces Keep Falling Apart

 Tareq Saleh: The Warlord Who Embodies Yemen’s “Game of Thrones”

 Saleh Co-Opted the Tribes — the Houthis Are Trying to Crush Them

 Could the Houthis Take All of Yemen — and Would Yemen Survive It?

Find Basha on X: https://x.com/BashaReport

And on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bashareport

Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

The Houthis Are Winning — Here’s Why

In this latest Conflicted Conversation, historian Anthony Kaldellis of the University of Chicago discusses his new book 1453: The Conquest and Tragedy of Constantinople.

For deeper dives and world-class Q&As with Aimen Dean, join the CONFLICTED COMMUNITY here: ⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠ 

Anthony explains:

 Why the ‘Byzantines’ were really Romans

 The Roman state’s extraordinary longevity

 Constantinople’s strategic importance

 The rise of the Ottoman state

 Ottoman slavery, the devşirme, and the janissaries

 Romans, Italians and Turks living side by side

 Venice and Genoa’s role in the East

 Ottoman cannon and the myth of Orban

 Why the siege was not inevitable

 The enslavement and dispersal of the Romans

 How ‘Byzantium’ was reinvented after its fall

Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

1453: The Catastrophe That Ended Rome

In this week’s Conflicted Conversation, UCL associate professor Philip Cunliffe makes a provocative case: far from being polar opposites, global Islamism and American unipolarity were born of the same globalised order. But what happens when that order starts to fall apart? And is today’s rising New Left inadvertently fighting to save the liberal-imperial system it says it wants to destroy?

For deeper dives and world-class Q&As with Aimen Dean, join the CONFLICTED COMMUNITY here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm 

Philip and Thomas discuss:

 How U.S. unipolarity and globalisation reshaped the world after the Cold War

 Why Cunliffe thinks ‘global Islam’ is a distinctly modern political phenomenon

 How early state-seeking Islamism gave way to transnational Islamism and jihadism

 Why neoliberal globalisation weakened state sovereignty and boosted Islamist networks

 The strange overlap between liberal humanitarianism and jihadist causes

 How the CIA, Afghanistan and Syria blurred the line between ally and enemy

 Why the new American Left could revive the logic of liberal interventionism over Israel

 What comes after the decline of American empire: sovereign nation-states or rival new blocs?

Find Philip on X: https://x.com/thephilippics

Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

Globalisation Made Global Jihad Possible

Every region-watcher was stunned over past week as the anti-Houthi forces in Yemen suffered an extremely brutal reversal—with global consequences. Aimen lifts up the curtain of inter-Gulf politics to help Thomas understand better what went wrong, and why Saudi Arabia's confused foreign policy may deserve the lion's share of the blame.

For mind-expanding Q&A's with Aimen, join the CONFLICTED COMMUNITY here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Aimen and Thomas discuss:

 Did Iran dupe Saudi Arabia?

 How the Houthis humiliated their rivals

 Mocha falls: Bab al-Mandab exposed

 Saudi Arabia’s oil lifeline gets hit

 Why Yemen’s anti-Houthi coalition imploded

 The bitter Saudi-UAE divorce

 Has Qatar reshaped Saudi foreign policy?

 Why Trump refused MBS’s rescue call

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

Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Disaster

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Aimen and Thomas take a deeper, wider look at the historical, ideological, and geopolitical context on either side of that momentous world-changing event.

Join the CONFLICTED COMMUNITY here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Aimen and Thomas discuss:

 Was 9/11 an ending as well as a beginning?

 The myth of the peaceful 1990s

 America inherited a geopolitical mess after the USSR's collapse

 America as a revolutionary power

 Could preserving Middle Eastern monarchies have prevented later disasters?

 Al-Qaeda and liberal globalisation

 Jihadism amid the wreckage of earlier promises

 Was the War on Terror a rupture or an acceleration?

 Bin Laden’s selective use of history

 History without a puppet master

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

Re-Interrogating 9/11: A 25th Anniversary Debate

Where did the nation-state come from—and what happens if the conditions that made it powerful are now disappearing?

Thomas discusses these questions and much more in this wide-ranging Conflicted Conversation with award-winning novelist and essayist Rana Dasgupta, whose new book After Nations: The Making and Unmaking of a World Order sets out to explain where our world order came from and where it could be going.

Rana explains:

 The origins of the modern nation-state and the decline of universal sacred empires

 Louis IX, the Crown of Thorns and the sacralisation of the French state

 How Enlightenment political theology transformed God, sovereignty and individual rights

 Industrialisation, mass democracy, welfare states and the political power of workers

 Liberalism, populism and the changing relationship between elites and mass democracy

 The origins of international law in empire, property rights and global capitalism

 Why the postwar rules-based international order is now weakening

 The East India Company, Silicon Valley and the rise of quasi-sovereign corporate power

 China as an alternative model of state power and control over private capital

 Climate change, mass migration and whether the nation-state can survive a new ‘nomad century’

Find Rana on X: x.com/byranadasgupta

Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

The End of the Nation State?

In this Conflicted Conversation, journalist Chris Horton talks about his new book Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and Its Struggle for Survival.

Chris explains:

 Why China wants Taiwan and why the island is vital to control of the western Pacific.

 Taiwan’s strategic position in the First Island Chain between China, Japan and the Philippines.

 How a Chinese invasion, blockade or maritime quarantine of Taiwan could unfold.

 Why a war over Taiwan could devastate global trade and the world economy.

 What Taiwan’s fall would mean for US power, Japan and the Philippines.

 Why Taiwan is an independent democracy but still officially called the Republic of China.

 Who the Taiwanese are: Indigenous peoples, Hoklo, Hakka and post-1949 mainlanders.

 How martial law, dictatorship and democratisation created modern Taiwanese identity.

 Why the Kuomintang, once Communist China’s enemy, is now Taiwan’s most Beijing-friendly major party.

 Whether Taiwan could eventually choose closer integration with China through democracy rather than war.

Find Chris on X: www.x.com/heguisen

Visit Chris’s website: www.chrishortonwriter.com

Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

The Battle for Taiwan

Aimen's prediction on 4 August came true, and in the intervening weeks the United States have ramped up the economic pressure on the Iranian regime. The question is: how with the IRGC react? The war re-escalated over the weekend, and as the Iranian people began to make their feelings felt, all indications are that peace is farther away than ever.

Aimen and Thomas discuss:

 Operation Economic Outcast: US sanctions and regional trade restrictions tighten Iran’s economic isolation.

 Strait of Hormuz: US demining, Gulf oil exports and Iran’s new underwater drone threat reshape the naval war.

 Iran’s economic crisis: collapsing rial, inflation, shortages and possible unrest increase pressure on the IRGC.

 UAE-Iran trade: Dubai’s historic commercial role shrinks as Gulf states join Washington’s economic campaign.

 US strategy in the Gulf: Trump administration cohesion, long-term military deployment and growing concern about China.

 Iran escalation risks: attacks on Gulf infrastructure, domestic repression and renewed US-Iran fighting.

 Tactical nuclear weapons: Aimen warns the conflict could cross the nuclear threshold if escalation continues.

Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

Trump's Strangulation Strategy

In this Conflicted Conversation, Simon Sebag Montefiore returns to the show, this time to talk about his new book The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East.

Simon explains:

 How Britain and France tried — and often failed — to shape the post-Ottoman Middle East

 Why Sykes–Picot is a misleading shorthand for the region’s modern borders

 How Atatürk, Nasser and other Middle Eastern leaders remade the region through their own choices

 The violent shift from Ottoman pluralism to nationalist, more homogeneous states

 Why Nasser’s charisma produced a powerful Arab myth but a disastrous authoritarian model

 Why traditional monarchies in Morocco, Jordan and the Gulf often outlasted revolutionary republics

 How America became the Middle East’s dominant anti-imperial imperial power after Europe’s retreat

 Why militias, parastates and insurgencies make “total victory” in today’s Middle East so elusive

Find Simon on X: x.com/simonmontefiore

Visit Simon’s website: www.simonsebagmontefiore.com

Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

Simon Sebag Montefiore: How the Modern Middle East Was Made

In this Conflicted Conversation, Ian Kumekawa (a fellow of Harvard University and a lecturer at MIT) talks about his book Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Ship.

Ian explains:

 The offshore global economy: where loopholes, ships and responsibility slip beyond ordinary jurisdiction

 From Little Toot to rusting barges: how industrial capitalism lost its confident postwar world

 Sweden’s socialist shipyards, private tax dodges, and the strange birth of the Vessel

 Containerisation’s hidden cost: how global trade hollowed out Manhattan’s working waterfront

 The Falklands War, Thatcherism, and the private infrastructure behind imperial sovereignty

 New York’s floating prison: mass incarceration meets offshore legal ingenuity

 Wall Street goes offshore onshore: banks, deregulation and International Banking Facilities

 Neoliberalism, legality and injustice: when the modern economy makes the immoral lawful

Visit Ian’s website: www.iankumekawa.com

Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews.
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The Rise of the Offshore World

After a tragic shooting in Washington, D.C., Thomas and Aimen trace the story back to Afghanistan and to the CIA-backed Zero Units that carried out some of the coalition’s most clandestine kill-or-capture missions.

They discuss:

 The November 2025 D.C. shooting and the alleged link to a former Zero Unit operative

 What the Zero Units were designed to do and why they were so controversial

 Afghanistan's geography of terrorism and counterterrorism

 The lifelong psychological damage caused by black ops

 How the Doha Agreement sidelined the US’s Afghan partners

 The halfway house vetting pipeline through German

 The problem of PTSD, monitoring, and support for both Afghan allies and U.S. veterans

 Whether America can fight future wars if local allies believe they’ll be left behind

Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ 

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And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The CIA’s Zero Units in Afghanistan

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