S8 Ep529: The duo analyzes Persia's historical resilience, noting that even Rome struggled to subdue the empire and eventually had to treat it as an equal. They argue Americans lack "cultural sensi...
S8 Ep529: Gaius and Germanicus define the 21st-century conflict between the United States and Iran as a "ceremonial war," a ritualistic display of power intended to project dominance without riskin...
S8 Ep528: Abdul-Ahad describes the 2019 Tishreen uprising, where youth and women united against a kleptocratic elite, seeking accountability and an end to the corrupt sectarian system. 8.
S8 Ep528: Abdul-Ahad details the brutal ISIS occupation of Mosul, the grueling house-to-house urban warfare used to reclaim the city, and the immense psychological trauma endured. 7.
S8 Ep528: Abdul-Ahad examines Sunni tribal infighting in Ramadi, the failure of a coherent political project, and how ISIS exploited security cracks to present itself as liberators. 6.
S8 Ep528: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad discusses Iraq's descent into sectarianism under Maliki's corrupt regime, the failed 2010 elections, and how the Syrian civil war allowed jihadis to regroup. 5.
S8 Ep528: Abdul-Ahad recounts Saddam's trial, the vengeful execution, the horror of sectarian dumping grounds, and the resulting mass exodus of Iraqis fleeing the country's ongoing violence. 4.
S8 Ep528: Abdul-Ahad explores the Sunni insurgency, tensions between nationalists and foreign jihadis, and the humiliation of occupation that fueled resistance and further sectarian violence in Ira...
S8 Ep528: Abdul-Ahad reflects on his militarized childhood, the cult of Saddam, and argues that sectarian conflict was a narrative imposed on Iraq after the 2003 invasion. 2.
S8 Ep528: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad describes the fall of Baghdad, witnessing Saddam's statue toppling, and the immense chaos and American disorganization following the initial 2003 military invasion. 1.
S8 Ep528: Shorto highlights the irony of the Glorious Revolution, where the Dutch invaded England, an event that integrated Dutch business methods into the British Empire. 8.
S8 Ep528: Shorto explores George Downing's influence and the Second Anglo-Dutch War, highlighting England's adoption of Dutch finance and the principle of tolerance. 7.
S8 Ep528: Shorto explains how Richard Nichols named New York and established its boundaries, while detailing the creation of New Jersey through royal patronage. 6.
S8 Ep528: Russell Shorto describes the peaceful handover of New Amsterdam, characterizing the English takeover as a merger designed to preserve the colony's unique, diverse commercial society. 5.
S8 Ep528: Shorto connects the English Civil War and Stuart restoration to American history, detailing Richard Nichols' espionage for royals and the eventual renaming of New York. 4.
S8 Ep528: Shorto explores Manhattan's social history, highlighting figures like Dorothia Angola and Catalina Trico, while debunking myths regarding the "sale" of the island and Irving's caricatures...
S8 Ep528: Russell Shorto provides a nuanced perspective on Peter Stuyvesant, explaining how the Director-General matured while managing the Dutch colony's growth and the invention of capitalism. 2.
S8 Ep528: Russell Shorto discusses Richard Nichols' 1664 expedition to conquer New Amsterdam, detailing Nichols' royal connections, Ampthill background, and the involvement of several key colonial ...
S8 Ep528: Tabrizy details a defiant prisoner-led trial in Evin Prison and explains how Iranian women maintain the movement through daily, visible disobedience of mandatory hijab laws. 4
S8 Ep528: Tabrizy describes the IRGC's pervasive control, the state's targeted repression of Kurdish minorities, and how Gen Z's lack of future prospects fuels their ongoing defiance.
S8 Ep528: Tabrizy explains the historical roots of Iranian unrest, citing the 1953 coup against Mossadegh, the Pahlavi dynasty's extravagance, and the eventual 1979 revolution's drive toward brutal...
S8 Ep528: Nilo Tabrizy discusses her book on Iran's 2022 uprising, detailing Jina Amini's death, the "Woman Life Freedom"slogan's Kurdish origins, and her journalist co-author. 1
S8 Ep528: Weichert details Iran's quest for regional supremacy through its proxy network, the failure of the JCPOA's sunset clauses, and potential diplomatic challenges facing the Trump administr...
S8 Ep528: Weichert explores presidential policies from Clinton to Obama, the rise of the Shia Crescent, the JCPOA nuclear deal, and Iran's strategic support for various Palestinian proxies. 3.
S8 Ep528: Weichert analyzes the 1979 hostage crisis, Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, and the negative legacy of the Carter Doctrine regarding permanent American involvement in the region. 2.
S8 Ep528: Brandon Weichert discusses US interference in Iran, specifically the 1953 coup and Ambassador Sullivan's 1978 memo suggesting the Carter administration replace the Shah with Khomeini. 1.
S8 Ep527: Jeremy Zakis discusses shifting bird alliances in New South Wales, noting minor birds ganging up with vandalistic cockatoos to form a second front against property.
S8 Ep527: Jeremy Zakis reports on kangaroos' protective instincts during bushfires and warns of aggressive bull sharks entering Sydney's muddy freshwater waterways due to recent heavy rainfall.
S8 Ep527: Jeremy Zakis details significant outback flooding and Sydney rainfall, explaining how these unseasonal tropical conditions have fortunately suppressed the immediate threat of catastrophic...
S8 Ep527: Jeremy Zakis analyzes the Australian men's T20 cricket team's poor cohesion and experimental failures while highlighting the consistent, professional success of the national women's team.
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy concludes with the legacy of the "Sisterhood," noting where key women are now and the persistent struggles for credit and promotion within CIA culture. 8.
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy reports that after Jennifer Matthews' tragic death, targeters like "Maya" traced Bin Laden's courier to Abbottabad, emphasizing the incredible precision of the analysts' intell...
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy reports that following 9/11, CTC women stayed at their posts despite the danger, recounting their grief, the sense of failure, and the difficulty of convincing leaders. 6.R
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy details Alec Station's operation where female analysts developed targeting skills, though their early warnings about al-Qaeda faced significant bureaucratic resistance and publ...
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy reports that the 1985 Malta hijacking shifts Heidi's focus to terrorism, as analysts Cindy Storer and Barbara Sude begin identifying Osama bin Laden within the newly formed CTC...
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy describes Heidi August's transition from clerk to case officer, her recruitment of a foreign asset in Geneva, and her appointment as a station chief. 3.
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy details how Heidi August witnesses the 1969 Libyan coup and burns out her station, while describing the CIA's restrictive policies forbidding marriage and children for female o...
S8 Ep526: Liza Mundy discusses Mary Bancroft's WWII OSS work in Switzerland, highlighting her vital intelligence gathering and the era's dismissive treatment of highly capable female spies. 1.
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger discusses the suspicious timing of the hostage release during Reagan's inauguration and the broader historical pattern of Republican interference in American presidential elec...
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger recounts his 2014 trip to Iran, visiting the former American embassy and interviewing Mohsen Rafiqdoost, who hinted at meetings with Republican representatives. 7.
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger analyzes the alleged Paris meeting involving George H.W. Bush and confirms Casey's Madrid meeting, where they negotiated delaying the 1980 hostages' release. 6.
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger explores the Safari Club's covert operations and how Bill Casey utilized double agents and secret Israeli channels to facilitate off-the-books international arms deals. 5.
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger describes Newsweek's dismissal of the October Surprise story and how reporter Bob Parry discovered crucial documents hidden in a House office building bathroom. 4.
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger discusses his investigative journey and source Ari Ben-Menashe's allegations that Bill Casey secretly met Iranians in Madrid to delay the hostage release. 3.
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger details Bill Casey's role as Ronald Reagan's campaign manager, highlighting his background in espionage and his secret international intelligence and arms-dealing networks. 2.
S8 Ep526: Craig Unger discusses his book "Den of Spies," focusing on the 1980 failed hostage rescue mission and its lasting impact on President Carter. 1.
S8 Ep526: Sonia Pernell discusses Pamela's tenure as Ambassador to France, her role in Bosnia peace negotiations, her final legal struggles, and Bill Clinton's heartfelt funeral tribute. 8.
S8 Ep526: Sonia Pernell highlights Pamela's mentorship of Bill Clinton, her strategic fundraising for the Democratic Party, and her diplomatic influence in fostering relations with Soviet leaders. 7.
S8 Ep526: Sonia Pernell recounts Pamela's marriage to Averell Harriman, her transformation into a Democratic powerhouse, and her influential role in fundraising and advancing women's political care...
S8 Ep526: Sonia Pernell explores Pamela's move to America via Leland Hayward, her Broadway ventures, her friendship with JFK, and financial instability following Hayward's 1971 death. 5.
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