Generation Jihad

(…and don’t walk out.) Amidst the chaos of this weekend’s assassination attempt against President Trump, the Israel Defense Forces took advantage of Hamas being on the ropes in Gaza by conducting an operation targeting two of the remaining top brass: top Hamas commander Mohammed Dief and Rafa’a Salameh, Hamas brigade commander in Khan Younis. Bill and Joe unpack the strike and discuss a lesser-known terror group inside Gaza (is it the ‘Popular Resistance Committee’ or ‘The Committee for Popular Resistance’?), and the issue of battlefield longevity with which Israel seems to be grappling.

Bill and Joe catch up on headlines related to the war in Gaza and the additional Iranian-backed conflicts at Israeli borders, including a status update on the latest round of hostage negotiations, action in the West Bank, and how Israel should handle Tehran’s noose-tightening. They also discuss the recent sighting of a top Hezbollah military official and specially designated global terrorist at the funeral of a Hezbollah commander.

Former Afghan military leader, Lieutenant General Sami Sadat, discusses America's role in Taliban's rise, Al Qaeda's presence in Afghanistan, and efforts to establish a democratic Afghanistan post-U.S. withdrawal.

Bradley Bowman, editor of 'Cognitive Combat', and Bill discuss information warfare by China, Russia, and Iran against the US, the importance of objective truth in policy decisions, NATO defense spending, evolving American politics on Israel, weapon system challenges in the Taiwan Strait conflict, and hypothetical scenarios posing risks to national security.

Bill and Will explain why Israel is not fighting an insurgency in Gaza as they unpack (and dismantle) a recent Foreign Affairs article authored by David Petraeus et al: Israel’s War of Regime Change Is Repeating America’s Mistakes: But Israel Can Still Learn From America’s Successes — wait, what successes? Israel should learn from our mistakes by repeating our mistakes? 🤔

Bill and Joe unpack recent headlines related to Israel’s defensive war in Gaza and simmering tensions in its north with Hezbollah, including the IDF chief of staff saying that Hamas brigades in Rafa have been dismantled; thousands of Iran-backed fighters offering to join Hezbollah in a battle against Israel; officials from the Islamic Republic meeting with the Taliban about taking joint action against Israel; how long Egypt will tolerate Israeli forces at its border; and why the Israeli government has yet to share a clear plan for Gaza almost 9 months into the war.

Bill and Behnam discuss new sanctions that dropped this week, including Canada’s designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the U.S. designation of a proxy militia in Iraq; the Houthis sinking yet another ship; and threats made by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to conduct attacks in Cyprus. And an update on the Gaza floating pier because Bill.

Retired Middle East Foreign Area Officer, Will Selber, discusses Al Qaeda's call for global attacks from Afghanistan. They explore the threat's credibility and Al Qaeda's capabilities. They stress the dangers of ignoring enemy threats and the importance of vigilance.

The Islamic Republic of Iran tightening its noose around Israel can be evidenced by activity from the Houthis and in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and — lest we forget — the West Bank. How does the West Bank threat compare to the Gaza threat? Who holds power in the West Bank, and which terrorist groups are active there? Top of the list? Islamic Jihad. They discuss Joe’s recent research on the senior members of Islamic Jihad that were killed in a counterterrorism operation in the West Bank and losses suffered by the group’s Syria branch in Lebanon. 

Bill and Behnam unpack a recent DIA report on the impact of Houthi attacks on international shipping and discuss everything the Houthis have been able to do with the limited resources supplied by Islamic Republic of Iran (and considering the bang for their buck, why wouldn’t they continue to supply weapons?); the perilous pattern of the U.S. ignoring when its enemies scream from the rooftops what their intentions are; and the credibility of claims made by the Houthi leader that an attack against Israel is being planned with help from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq — should we believe him?