CONFLICTED

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

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews.
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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.

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.
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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

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.
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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/⁠

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews.
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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

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And YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4⁠

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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