Next week we will release the new book by Saul Singer and me: "The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World", which you can order now at: www.amazon.com/Genius-Israel-Small-Nation-Teach/dp/1982115769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LKV3ZLWLBOL1&keywords=dan+senor&qid=1694402205&sprefix=dan+senor%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1 OR www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-genius-of-israel-dan-senor/1143499668 The speech that I reference in today's episode -- in which I discuss the resilience of Israelis in this moment -- can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WygtNbwf-tk By the time you listen to this episode, we may be witnessing escalation on Israel’s Northern border. Certainly there’s a highly anticipated address by Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah. This will be his first major address since the October 7 War began. If there is major escalation, we will be dropping an emergency episode with Dr. Matthew Levitt, an expert on Hezbollah who was on this podcast last week. Today’s guest is Dr. Fred Kagan, an expert in understanding war theaters – as he tries to help us understand the various battlefields in which Israel is currently fighting or might be fighting in the future. Fred is a former professor of military history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He spent meaningful time in the Middle East informally advising US military commanders. You can find more of Fred’s work at: The Critical Threats Project – https://www.criticalthreats.org/ Institute for the Study of War – https://understandingwar.org/

Fred Kagan, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a strategic military analysis expert, joins the discussion to delve into the complexities of modern warfare. He shares insights on Ukraine's military strategies and how the U.S. can navigate future conflicts with Russia. The conversation highlights the shifting dynamics of the Ukraine war, contrasting Russian and Ukrainian tactics, and touches on Putin's conflicted narrative on conscription. Kagan also addresses the implications of drone technology and the ongoing situation in Israel, connecting these geopolitical issues with historical contexts.

Listen as Dr. Fred Kagan, Director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses the Russia-Ukraine war and Putin's hold on power. Topics include the mutiny and execution of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the current state of the war, the debate on providing weapons to Ukraine, and the importance of winter preparedness.