Today, I spoke with Dr Christopher Coyne, who is a Professor of Economics at George Mason University and the Associate Director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center. He is the author of five books and numerous academic articles, book chapters, and policy studies. He joins me tod…

David McBride, a retired Major and former legal officer in the Australian Army, discusses his actions of leaking information to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that ultimately led to the exposure of alleged war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. David highlights the political manipulation of the war narrative and …

SummaryThe conversation with Meron Rapoport, an Israeli journalist, focuses on the use of AI in Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza. The investigation reveals that an AI machine, called Lavender, was used to create a list of targets, resulting in a high death toll and destruction. The conversation covers the level of involvement in the investigation,…

Chris Gunness discusses the role and mandate of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and the challenges it faces amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He highlights the size and scope of UNRWA's operations, providing education, healthcare, and social services to millions of Palestinian refugees across the Middle …

In this monologue, I reflect on my absence before expressing frustration with the limited and oversimplified coverage of war and conflict, especially Israel's war on Gaza. I unequivocally criticise Israel's actions, highlighting the need to look beyond headlines and focus on immediate reduction of human suffering. I also announce upcoming interview…

As 2023 draws to a close, I want to take a moment in this special year-end episode to reflect on the enlightening journey we've embarked on together through 'The Voices Of War.' This year, we’ve traversed a wide array of topics, spanning more than 35 hours of interviews across 26 episodes, reaching over 100,000 downloads, and connecting with listen…

Today, I spoke with Jason Pack, author of the acclaimed book ‘Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder’, and a recognised expert on the Middle East. Jason also hosts the excellent Disorder podcast and serves as a senior analyst for emerging challenges at the NATO college in Rome. With over two decades of research in the Middle East, Jason brings a un…

Today, I spoke with Professor Greg Barton, a prominent Australian academic with a distinguished career specialising in global Islamic politics and countering violent extremism. His expertise, particularly in the realm of Islamic thought, positions him as a leading authority on issues of terrorism, extremism, and the development of effective interve…

Today, I spoke with Nadim Shehadi, a distinguished Lebanese economist and academic, who delved into the intricate mesh of Palestinian, Israeli, and broader Middle Eastern politics, economics, and conflicts. With a rich background that spans prestigious positions at the Fletcher School, Chatham House, and Oxford as well as personal experiences of pr…

Today, I spoke with Dr David Livingstone Smith, who is a philosophy professor at the University of New England. He specialises in the study of dehumanisation and mass violence. David is the author of several award-winning books, including ‘Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others’ as well as ‘On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and …

My guest today is Chris Gunness who is a seasoned journalist and diplomat with decades of experience reporting on and working in the Middle East. Chris began his career at the BBC in 1982, and for 23 years, he served in numerous capacities including reporter and foreign correspondent. In 2005, he transitioned to diplomacy, joining the United Nation…

In today's episode, I am honoured to host Professor Rashid Khalidi, a distinguished scholar and the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. Known for his profound insights into Middle Eastern politics, Professor Khalidi is also the author of the ground-breaking book ‘100 Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Col…

Today, I welcome back Carl Miller, a leading expert in the ethics of artificial intelligence and the Research Director at Demos, a UK-based think tank. After his insightful discussion on information warfare, cyber-attacks, and weaponisation of social media in Episode 51, Carl returns to delve deeper into the ethical, social, and political ramificat…

In this compelling episode, we explore the challenges and realities of anti-war activism in Russia with Moscow-based educator and activist, Vlad Sakovich. From the risks of questioning the regime to the complexities of fostering dialogue, Vlad provides a nuanced look into the intricacies of activism in a restrictive environment. Brief Summary of Vl…

In today's episode, I sit down with Dr. Jonathan French Flint, an Inamori Research Associate at Case Western Reserve University with a focus on military ethics and strategic theory. Dr. Flint has a background in teaching in the UK and has presented his work at a range of academic venues, including the United States Army Command and General Staff Co…

Today's episode is a compelling and insightful conversation with Yousuf Sediq, a former Afghan Special Forces Operator and the author of '5000 Days of War: The Firsthand Account of an Afghan Special Forces Operator.' Yousuf's book is an honest and vivid portrayal of his experiences in the Afghan war, offering unparalleled insight through the eyes o…

In today's episode, my guest is Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Cutright, a prominent Associate Professor in the Department of English and Philosophy at the US Military Academy, West Point. Kevin's extensive in-the-field experiences have fuelled his exploration into the ethical aspects of military planning and conduct, the role of empathy, and the concept…

My guest today is Heidi Langbein-Allen who recently published the memoirs of her father, Willi Langbein, who at the age of 13 was forced to fight for the Nazis. The book is called ‘Save the Last Bullet: Memoir of a boy soldier in Hitler’s Army’ and it vividly explores the use of propaganda and misinformation to give moral weight to an otherwise los…

Today, I spoke with Dr Mike Martin who is one of the go-to voices for insights and analysis of the war in Ukraine. Mike has authored several books, amongst which is still one of my favourites on conflict titled ‘Why We Fight’. Mike also recently released a new book titled, ‘How to Fight a War’, that details why wars are won and why they are lost. T…

Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Neil Greenberg, an esteemed clinical and academic psychiatrist based at King's College London. With a remarkable 23 years of experience in the United Kingdom Armed Forces, Neil has provided psychiatric care and conducted extensive research in challenging environments, including Afghanistan and Iraq. In…

My guest today is Hasan Aygun, who is a prominent Turkish security analyst with an extensive career in international relations, global security issues and conflict management both as a diplomat and later as a political adviser. Some of our long-time listeners might recognise Hasan’s biography, as he appeared on the show all the way back in June of …

Today, I spoke with Dr Greta Uehling, who is a lecturer at the University of Michigan and whose scholarship is concerned with international migration and forced displacement. Her most recent project explored the subjective experience of the military conflict and forced displacement in Ukraine. Based on years of research living in Ukraine, she docum…

My guest today is Dr David Kilcullen, who is a renowned military strategist, scholar, and former soldier and diplomat who has served both the Australian and United States governments for three decades now. He is an expert in the fields of guerrilla warfare, terrorism, urbanisation, and the future of conflict. David has authored several influential …

My guest today is Dr Robert ‘Bob’ Bowker whose career in the politics and analysis of the Middle East spans five decades. He spent 37 years as an Australian diplomat in the region, firstly on postings to Saudi Arabia (74-06), and Syria (79-81) and later as the Australian ambassador to Jordan (89-92), Egypt (05-08) as well as non-resident ambassador…

Today, I spoke with Will Storr, who is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in titles such as The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The New Yorker and The New York Times. He is the author of six critically acclaimed books, including ‘Selfie: How the West became self-obsessed’, ‘The Heretics: Adventures with the enemies of science’, as well as …

Please note that this entire episode is available on the public channel. To gain access to all other episodes, please subscribe at https://thevoicesofwar.supercast.com/ ---- Today, I spoke with Robert Hartley, who is a former Australian Army Officer who served for 12 years in the Artillery Corps before transitioning to a civilian career in the tech…

My guest today is Dr Elizabeth Boulton, who is an eco-military theorist with Destination Safe Earth, and a research affiliate with the ‘Climate Change & (In)Security Project’ which is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR) and the British Army. She joins me today to discuss…

My guest today is Amos Fox, who is an officer in the US Army with more than 24 years of service in uniform. Amos has written extensively on war and conflict over the past decade, producing over 60 publications. His work focuses on causal mechanisms to explain patterns in armed conflict. Much of Amos’ current writing addresses proxy war, land warfar…

My guest today is Dr Alison Broinowski AM, who is an Australian academic, journalist, writer, and former Australian diplomat. She is also the President of Australians for War Powers Reform. Alison joined me to explore the current debate on Australian troop deployment, compare it to other democracies, and discuss the possible outcome of the ongoing …

This a reminder that The Voices Of War is transitioning to a subscription model from February. More info here. Those wishing to subscribe can already do so here. --- My guest today is Dr Samir Puri, who is a visiting lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London and has previously taught at Cambridge and John Hopkins. He joined me for a deep div…

This a reminder that The Voices Of War is transitioning to a subscription model from February. More info here. Those wishing to subscribe can already do so here. --- Today, I’m speaking with Professor Greg Barton, who is a Research Professor in Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University. Greg is one of Australia’s leading scholars of radicalisati…

This a reminder that The Voices Of War will adopt a subscription model. You can hear the explainer here. You can subscribe to the new channel here. -- My guest today is Dr Alexander YC Lim, who is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine with the Queensland Brain Institute. He is a Psychiatrist in private practice, and now almost exclusively look…

To make the show sustainable into the future, The Voices Of War is adopting a subscription model starting in January 2023. Key points: This channel will air full episodes until the end of January to allow those who wish to subscribe time to transition to the new channel From February, this current channel will air only the first half of each episod…

My guest today is Ye-Min Wu, who is the South & Southeast Asia Director at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Ye-Min joined HD earlier this year after more than 15 years as a diplomat representing Singapore at the United Nations, World Intellectual Property Organization, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as the World Trade Organi…

My guest today is Natalia Konstantinova, who is better known by her social media handle, Natasha from Russia. She is a popular Russian blogger and vlogger whose original aim was to help explain Russia to the outside world, but since her country's invasion of Ukraine, she has become a prominent voice about how this war is perceived in Russia. Some o…

My guest today is Andrew Quilty, an Australian photojournalist, investigative journalist, and author. Andrew is the recipient of eight Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley, for his work in Afghanistan, where he has been based since 2013. He joined me to discuss his recently published book, August in Kabul: America's last days in Afghanistan, …

Today, I'm speaking with Dr Pauline Shanks Kaurin who is a Professor of Professional Military Ethics at the US Naval War College where she specialises in military ethics, just war tradition and applied ethics. She is the author of ‘On Obedience: Contrasting Philosophies for Military, Citizenry and Community’, which is a book we discussed today. As …

This is Part 2 of my discussion with Dr Jasmin Mujanovic. If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, I suggest you do that first, as elements of the remainder of the conversation may otherwise seem out of context. You can listen to part 1 here. Some of the topics we cover in this part are: Details of the controversial electoral law amendment made by th…

My guest today is Dr Jasmin Mujanovic, who is a political scientist and policy specialist in southeast European and international affairs. He has worked as a scholar, policy analyst, consultant, researcher, and writer in both North America and Europe. Jasmin’s academic research concentrates primarily on the politics of contemporary south-eastern Eu…

My guest today is Wolfgang Sporrer who is an Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School in Berlin and who was until 2020 the head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE in Ukraine. Wolfgang has joined me on the show twice before, where we discussed the lead-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the ultimate reasons and consequences of…

This is Part 2 of my discussion with Dr Alex Bellamy, author of ‘World Peace And How We Can Achieve It’, which was the basis for our discussion. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, I suggest you do that first as some discussions in part 2 might otherwise seem out of context. You can listen to part 1 here. Like in part 1, we covered many topics, …

Today, I spoke with Dr Alex Bellamy, who is a professor of peace and conflict studies and director of the Asia Pacific Centre for the responsibility to protect at the University of Queensland. He is the author of numerous books, including ‘World Peace And How We Can Achieve It’, which was the basis for our discussion today. However, as you’ll hear,…

Today, I spoke with Amanda Hsiao who is the Senior Analyst for China at the International Crisis Group. She joined me to shed some light on the increasing tensions between Washington and Beijing. Amanda did this by tackling questions such as: What are key points of difference in the US and Chinese worldviews? Why are both sides intentionally elevat…

Today, I spoke with Dr Mike Martin and John Spencer who joined me for an update on the situation in Ukraine. This conversation was recorded just after 9pm on the evening of 22nd of September, Ukraine time. Some of the topics we covered are: Impact of recent Russian battlefield losses Significance of Putin’s ‘partial mobilisation’ and what it might …

My guest today is Paul Ingram, who is the Academic Programme Manager at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge. Up to a few months ago, he was also the Director of Emergent Change, which he established to further the understanding and practice of the Stepping Stones Approach (SSA) to nuclear disarmament. …

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Dr Jessica Wolfendale, who is an author, ethics professor and expert on torture and war crimes. If you've missed Part 1 of this discussion, I suggest you listen to that first here. Some of the topics we covered in Part 2 are: The dispositional account and cognitive-affective personality system Military culture…

This is Part 1 of my conversation with Dr Jessica Wolfendale, who is an author, ethics professor and expert on torture and war crimes. She joined me to try and tackle the dichotomy of how to reconcile one’s perception of oneself with one’s actions, within the context of atrocities carried out in war. She does this by asking questions such as, ‘How …

Today, I spoke with John Spencer who is an award-winning scholar, professor, author, combat veteran, and internationally recognised expert and advisor on Urban Warfare and other military related topics. John currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with the Madison Policy Forum and was until recently the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies…

If you'd like to help improve the show, please visit our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/thevoicesofwar --- My guest today is Dr Ned Dobos, who is a Senior Lecturer in International and Political Studies at the University of New South Wales in Canberra. He joined me to discuss his more-recent book, ‘Ethics, Security, and the War Machine: th…

Link to rate or review the podcast: RateThisPodcast.com/thevoicesofwar Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thevoicesofwar --- My guests today are Abby Zeith and Ruben Stewart from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Abby is a Legal Adviser in ICRC’s Arms and Conduct of Hostilities Unit where her work focuses on urban warfare and the…