Insider: Short of War

Russian Psychological Operations and Informational Warfare in the Middle East and North Africa

In this episode, we unpack how Russian psychological operations and information warfare are deployed across the Middle East and North Africa. From RT Arabic and Sputnik t

Terrorism After Ideology

In this episode, we unpack how state proxies, transactional violence, and hybrid tactics are reshaping security across Europe. We explore the operational shift from tradi

Meaning, Myth, and Force Design in U.S. Special Operations

A deep-dive conversation exploring how strategic demand, historical mythology, and institutional feedback reshape U.S. Special Forces force design. This episode examines

A Case for Cyber Privateering

In this episode, we unpack the strategic argument for employing private cyber actors ("cyber corsairs") to deter state-sponsored cyber aggression. We analyze historical 1

What Iran's Crypto Insurance Proposal Means for Irregular Warfare and Shipping in Asia

In this episode, we explore Iran’s "Hormuz Safe" proposal—a Bitcoin-backed insurance mechanism for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. We discuss how Tehran uses digit

Pakistan’s Nuclear Arsenal is Becoming More Vulnerable

Explore a deep-dive discussion on how the escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict and shifting geopolitical dynamics are straining Pakistan’s nuclear security. This epis

Why Iranian Propaganda Is Getting Uncomfortably Good

In this deep-dive episode, we unpack how state messaging transitioned from rigid revolutionary rhetoric into fluent, algorithm-optimized digital content. We explore the c

Mexico’s Network War—Without a Network Strategy

In this episode, we unpack why Mexico’s two-decade security campaign against organized crime has operated as irregular warfare without a true network strategy. We discuss

AI in Cyber Conflict: Short-term Offensive Opportunities, Long-term Defensive Advantage

Join us for a deep dive into "AI in Cyber Conflict: Short-term Offensive Opportunities, Long-term Defensive Advantage." This episode unpacks the complex automation gap be

The Future of Conflict and Special Operations Forces

This episode explores how rapid technological shifts, persistent gray-zone competition, and accelerating innovation are dissolving traditional military advantages. It arg

Irregular Warfare Is Not A Thing

This episode argues that "irregular warfare" is an artificial construct rather than a cohesive concept, which has led to muddled doctrinal definitions that create strateg

The Afghan Army: What Advisors Couldn’t See and Officers Couldn’t Change

The collapse of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces was not a conventional military defeat, but the inevitable culmination of two decades of systemic institut

What Makes a Weapon Too Horrific to Use?

Public support for military force is heavily driven by the legitimacy of the weapon type and the prevention of civilian harm, rather than tactical effectiveness alone. Be

Floating Liabilities: Aircraft Carriers in the Age of Precision Strike and Irregular Warfare

This podcast explores how aircraft carriers have transitioned into highly vulnerable, conditional instruments of power, as demonstrated by mid-tier adversaries using low-

Thin Margins, Strategic Effects: Irregular Warfare and Contested Logistics in the Arctic

This episode explores how adversaries like Russia and China can exploit Alaska’s highly concentrated, commercially dependent logistics systems through below-threshold irr

Kurdish Underground Resistance and Civil Disobedience Against the Iranian Security State

An in-depth, analytical discussion exploring the strategic shift of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups from armed confrontation to organized civil disobedience. This episo

Gray Zone Contestation Between North and South Korea in the Yellow Sea

An analytical deep dive into North Korea's shifting strategic paradigm. This episode explores the emerging risk of gray zone operations in the West Sea following Pyongyan

Information Disorder and Irregular Warfare: Three Things to Know

In this episode, we dive deep into how "information disorder"—an environment of low barriers to content creation, rapid spread of falsehoods, and algorithmic amplificatio

Between Scylla and Charybdis: The Gulf’s Irregular Tomorrow

In this episode, we dive deep into the shifting security paradigm of the Arabian Gulf. As traditional U.S. security guarantees face unprecedented strain following key reg

Protocol Insurgency: Winning the War of Conditions in the Digital Age

In this deep-dive discussion, we explore the evolving digital landscape of modern irregular warfare. Shifting from physical battlegrounds to the intangible infrastructure