Generation Jihad | FDD's Long War Journal

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EPISODE 115 – War on Israel update: November 13, 2023

Bill and Joe are back for an update on Israel’s ground incursion into Gaza, and they’re again joined by their FDD colleague and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to provide a deeper, more nuanced analysis on Tehran’s role as puppet master to the various terrorist groups in play.

EPISODE 114 – War on Israel update: November 9, 2023

Bill and Joe are back with an update on Israel’s ground offensive inside Gaza. They’re joined by FDD’s David May to discuss international pressure on Israel, trajectories and timelines, rumors about reporters from western outlets receiving tips and then traveling into Israel alongside Hamas on October 7, and more.

EPISODE 113 – War on Israel update: November 7, 2023

Bill and Joe are back to discuss the latest from Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza, including the established civilian corridor. They talk about Netanyahu’s recent remarks — and Nasrallah’s. They also debunk the latest “attempted Abbas assassination” rumors.

EPISODE 112 – War on Israel update: November 1, 2023

Bill and Joe provide a mid-week update on Israel and Gaza — including Joe’s key takeaway from today’s IDF conference call, IDF tactics on the ground inside Gaza (particularly related to the tunnels), Hezbollah propaganda ahead of Hassan Nasrallah’s Friday speech, and more.

EPISODE 111 – War on Israel update: October 30, 2023

FDD’s Behnam Ben Taleblu is back on the show with Bill and Joe for an update on the latest from Israel and Gaza.

The war goes on; rockets are still raining down on central Israel (including Jerusalem) while Israel continues targeting Hamas leaders in Gaza. But…

Breaking today and over the weekend:

Israeli boots are now on the ground inside Gaza. There was also some IDF activity in Jenin inside the West Bank.
Iran’s President Raisi said in a statement that “the Zionist regime’s crimes have crossed the red lines which may force everyone to take action.”
While Lebanese Hezbollah is still keeping things at a simmer just below the threshold of all-out war, other Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria are very much in the game. Some are even firing at U.S. forces in the region.

Bill, Joe, and Behnam unpack these and related news.

EPISODE 110 – War on Israel update: October 27, 2023

Bill and Joe are back with an update on the latest from Israel and Gaza. Today they’re also joined by their FDD colleague and Turkey expert, Sinan Ciddi, to unpack just how deep Turkey’s relationship is with Hamas.

EPISODE 109 – War on Israel update: October 25, 2023

Bill and Joe are joined again by FDD’s Behnam Ben Taleblu to catch up on and unpack the latest from Israel and Gaza as of mid-afternoon (ET) on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

EPISODE 108 – War on Israel update: October 23, 2023

Bill and Joe talk through the latest headlines surrounding Israel and Gaza as of late afternoon (ET) on Monday, October 23, 2023.

EPISODE 107 – War on Israel update: October 20, 2023

At almost two weeks (!) into the war, we remain on standby for Israel’s anticipated ground invasion of Gaza and continue to watch Israel’s northern border for more activity from Hezbollah. And to complicate the already complicated: an incident yesterday on the Red Sea marked the first active engagement by the U.S. in this ongoing war, when the USS Carney shot down missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthis. So for today’s briefing, Bill and Joe called in their FDD colleague and top expert on Iran, Behnam Ben Taleblu.

EPISODE 106 – War on Israel update: October 18, 2023

Bill and Joe convene (plot twist: in-person) to discuss the latest from Israel at war — including the explosion at the hospital in Gaza. (Episode material up to date as of late morning/early afternoon ET on Wednesday, October 18.)

EPISODE 105 – War on Israel update: October 15, 2023

Bill and Joe give an update on the latest from Israel as of later morning/early afternoon (ET) on October 15, 2023.

EPISODE 104 – War on Israel update: October 13, 2023

Bill and Joe give another update on the latest developments from Israel almost one week into the war.

EPISODE 103 – War on Israel update: October 11, 2023

Bill and Joe discuss the latest news surrounding the war against Israel on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

EPISODE 102 – War on Israel update: “No good options”

Bill is joined again by LWJ’s Joe Truzman to unpack the latest developments from Israel.

EPISODE 101 – Israel: “This is not a conflict. This is a war.”

Bill is joined by LWJ/FDD’s Joe Truzman to talk about the war (yes, it’s officially a war) happening right now in Israel.

EPISODE 100 – Squad Pops Off on Mali

Where in the world might the next state collapse into failure? Hosts Bill and Caleb ultimately narrowed it down to two options: Somalia or Mali.

Shabaab in Somalia has aptly been dubbed “The Taliban of Africa,” given how well-organized, well-armed and effective it is there as a jihadist group. But Mali is actually the weaker state. To boot:

— The UN has undertaken an unprecedented withdrawal of its peacekeeping forces and will no longer have a presence in Mali by the end of this year;
— France, which was a major counterterrorism partner, has already completely withdrawn its troops from Mali;
— There is currently an Islamic Statelet in northern Mali, where the Islamic State controls the majority of an entire province;
— Al Qaeda controls huge swaths of territory in both northern and central Mali, and it increasingly threatens Bamako as it slowly encroaches on the capital;
— And also in the ring: Russia’s Wagner Group.

Despite all of these excellent targets, the country’s ruling military junta in Bamako is threatening open conflict with rebels in the north — a situation that could easily erupt into war.

Bill and Caleb agree: It’s Mali on the brink.

EPISODE 99 – The Kabul Fiasco

Bill is joined by Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson to discuss their new book: Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco — from the Biden administration’s deeply flawed decision to withdraw from Afghanistan to its equally disastrous execution of the withdrawal, which was completed two years ago today.

EPISODE 98 – Fatal Transaction

Hosts Bill and Caleb (yes, Bill still thanks his co-host for joining even though it’s his job, so what) are joined by Caleb’s colleagues from the Bridgeway Foundation: Tara Candland (Vice President of Research and Analysis at Bridgeway) and Ryan O’Farrell (Senior Analyst at Bridgeway and Long War Journal contributor).

They discuss Bridgeway’s June 2023 report co-authored by Caleb, Ryan, and Tara and published with George Washington University’s Program on Extremism: Fatal Transaction: The Funding Behind the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province.

EPISODE 97 – The coup in Niger

Bill and Caleb are joined by expert James Barnett to make sense of the coup in Niger. They discuss the latest developments and implications.

James is a Lagos-based research fellow at the Hudson Institute.

EPISODE 96 – New UN report on al Qaeda and the Islamic State

Bill is again joined by Generation Jihad regular Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss the latest report from the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team (which Edmund previously led). Released on July 25, 2023, the Team’s thirty-second report provides an update on al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Bill and Edmund unpack findings, discuss a few highlights, and also explain some points of disagreement.

Read the UN Report here.

EPISODE 95 – Is Africa the epicenter of today’s jihad?

Is Africa the epicenter of today’s jihad? Bill and Caleb discuss, including in the context of Mali, the drawdown of African Union forces in Somalia, and one of Uganda’s worst terrorist attacks in more than a decade.

EPISODE 94 – Al Qaeda has key roles in Taliban’s Afghanistan

Bill welcomes back to the show Generation Jihad regular Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown. Now a member of the Counter Extremism Project’s advisory board, Edmund previously served as the UK’s Ambassador to Yemen and later as the coordinator of the U.N. Security Council’s Sanctions Monitoring Team.

Edmund’s former team at the U.N. just released its latest report on Afghanistan which details (among other troubling issues) just how embedded al Qaeda is in Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

Bill and Edmund dissect the report’s findings.

EPISODE 93 – Context for Turkey’s election

Host Bill Roggio is joined by two of his FDD colleagues to unpack the context surrounding Turkey’s imminent presidential elections.

Jonathan Schanzer is the Senior Vice President for Research at FDD, where Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow. Both are Turkey experts. (One has taken a harder hit from pro-government Turks on Twitter than the other.)

From President Erdogan’s thinly-veiled political opportunism — like his 180 on Syria; his regional charm offensive, particularly with Israel; and his role as a U.S. “counterterrorism partner” — and his blatant corruption — like his mismanagement of earthquake aid and his allowing Turkey to be a terrorist superhighway — to an opposition candidate’s eleventh hour dropout, this is your starter pack for understanding what’s about to unfold in Turkey.

EPISODE 92 – Islamic State deep dive

Host Bill Roggio and co-host Caleb Weiss are joined by the associate professor for national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, Dr. Craig Whiteside, for a deep dive into the ranks of the Islamic State. They discuss leaders of past and present and their roles within the broader IS.

EPISODE 91 – Global Jihad Update: West Africa to Southeast Asia

Bill Roggio is joined by co-host Caleb Weiss to unpack updates related to the global Jihad from West Africa to Southeast Asia, including CENTCOM’s announcement of a helicopter raid that targeted a senior Islamic State official.

EPISODE 90 – Israel and Her Enemies

To unpack and assess the latest terror threats faced by Israel, Bill had to call in the experts:Dr. Jonathan Schanzer and Joe Truzman. If you’d like to dig deeper on the topics discussed in this episode, check out Joe’s project that maps terrorism in the West Bank and Jon’s book “Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War,” which, according to LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster “If you want to understand the hell in a very small place that is Gaza, read this book.”

EPISODE 89 – Update on the War Between Wars

Host Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu to disuss Behnam’s major new FDD Monograph — Arsenal: Assessing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program — including through the lens of Iran’s shadow war against Israel, AKA “the war between wars.”

EPISODE 88 – al Qaeda and Islamic State findings in new UN report

Host Bill Roggio and (now official) co-host Caleb Weiss are joined by former coordinator of the UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring team Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss findings in the latest UN report on the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

EPISODE 87 – Jihadis in the Sahel

Host Bill Roggio is joined again by (semi-official?) co-host Caleb Weiss to discuss Jihadi control in Africa. In the last several years, Jihadists have moved toward central and southern Mali and are now threatening Bamako, the capital of Mali. In Burkina Faso, Jihadis control around 40% of the country. Bill and Caleb walk through past and present Jihadi attacks, offenses, and operations.

EPISODE 86 – An update on Russia’s war in Ukraine

Host Bill Roggio is joined again by John Hardie, deputy director of FDD’s Russia Program, to discuss the latest developments from Russia’s war in Ukraine, including Russia’s recent change in command of its forces.

EPISODE 85 – The Islamic insurgency in Mozambique

Hosts Bill and Caleb are joined by Ryan O’Farrell, a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation (where Caleb is also a senior analyst) to discuss one of the more obscure Islamic insurgencies in the world: the conflict in Mozambique.

EPISODE 84 – Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson

Bill is joined again by John Hardie — Deputy Director of FDD’s Russia Program — for an update on Russia’s war in Ukraine, particularly to unpack Russia’s Kherson retreat. Where does Putin go from here?

EPISODE 83 – Al Qaeda and Abu Huzaifah al Sudani

Bill is joined again by Caleb Weiss to dive into the various military leaders of Al Qaeda and the dangers of their leadership and legacy — particularly, they dive into the history and background of Abu Huzaifah al Sudani and his role in Al Qaeda.

EPISODE 82 – Zawahiri’s successor and a Shabaab update

Bill is joined again by Caleb Weiss, long-time contributor to Long War Journal and friend of the show. They discuss why al Qaeda hasn’t (publicly) named a successor to Zawahiri, as well as several updates on Shabaab.

EPISODE 81 – An update on Russia’s war in Ukraine

Host Bill Roggio is again joined by John Hardie, deputy director of FDD’s Russia Program, to discuss the latest from Russia’s war in Ukraine, including Putin’s announcements on mobilization and additional annexations as well as other developments from the battlefield.

EPISODE 80 – Where do things stand in Ukraine?

In the first iteration of Long War Journal’s expanding coverage, Bill is joined by John Hardie, deputy director of FDD’s Russia Program, to examine the current state of Russia’s war in Ukraine. They unpack and analyze the latest information, from tactical and theater-level to strategic.

EPISODE 79 – An update on the Islamic State

Bill is joined again by Edmund Fitton-Brown and Caleb Weiss to take a look at the current global footprint of the Islamic State.

EPISODE 78 – The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan turns one

Friend of the show LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster joins Bill once again to discuss America’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan one year ago. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary — including an ongoing close relationship with al Qaeda — the United States designated the Taliban as “partners in peace” and handed the terrorist group keys to a state apparatus. Afghanistan fell and became the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. But it didn’t have to.

EPISODE 77 – Catching up with John Batchelor

In this episode, Bill interviews John Batchelor, host of CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor. Bill has been a regular on John’s radio show for more than a decade and considers him a mentor and friend. They discuss the Long War and how September 11, 2001 shaped both of their careers.

EPISODE 76 – What just happened in Gaza?

Bill is joined again by Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at FDD, and by Joe Truzman, research analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal, to discuss the latest round of violence that emanated from the Gaza Strip this weekend and eventually resulted in an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. They also unpack details about the terrorist group behind the escalation, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) — including where they get their weapons, training, and funding (spoiler alert: it’s Iran).

EPISODE 75 – Zawahiri is dead. Al Qaeda is not.

Edmund Fitton-Brown — outgoing coordinator of the UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring team and longtime friend of the show — joins Bill to discuss the killing of Al Qaeda emir Ayman Zawahiri, who died in a U.S. drone strike last Sunday.

That the leader of Al Qaeda was killed in Kabul “comprehensively disproves” Taliban claims that Al Qaeda has no presence inside of Afghanistan. On the contrary, it proves that the group’s top leadership uses the country as a safe haven.

They talk about what’s next for Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and for its affiliates around the world as well as Zawahiri’s possible successor.

EPISODE 74 – Zawahiri in Afghanistan

Bill flies solo in this episode and expands upon his recent article Long War Journal article: “Ayman al Zawahiri is alive; Taliban and Al Qaeda ‘remain close’, UN reports.”

EPISODE 73 – Prison Break (Jihadi Edition)

You guessed it. Our guest is, indeed, Caleb Weiss. This time, he and Bill discuss how (and which) prison breaks fit into the larger strategy of various Jihadi groups — and why some don’t bother.

EPISODE 72 – Somalia’s controversial ex-NISA chief

Caleb Weiss is back to unpack with Bill the controversy surrounding the former head of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). They discuss his background and build a context for better understanding the recent headlines concerning the ex-chief.

EPISODE 71 – Al Qaeda under Zawahiri

Al Qaeda’s central leadership remains organized with its branches actively carrying out orders passed down from Ayman al Zawahiri who sits at the helm and remains an influential figure in Jihad. Host Bill Roggio is joined by Long War Journal contributor Caleb Weiss to discuss the state of Al Qaeda under Zawahiri’s leadership.

EPISODE 70 – An Israel Update

Host Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Vice President for Research Jonathan Schanzer and Long War Journal’s Joe Truzman to discuss some of the latest and most pressing news from Israel — including the death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.

EPISODE 69 – An Afghanistan Update

Host Bill Roggio briefs listeners on some of the latest news related to Afghanistan — including a few buried headlines you might have missed.

EPISODE 68 – Israel terror wave: 3 weeks. 4 attacks. 13 dead. Here’s what we know.

In just under three weeks, the most recent string of terrorism to strike Israel has so far included four high-profile attacks that left 13 dead and many more injured across Israel — including in heavily-populated civilian areas like Be’er Sheba and Tel Aviv. Just yesterday, a terrorist opened fire on civilians enjoying an evening out on Tel Aviv’s famous Dizengoff Street, known for its bustling nightlife. We’re approaching almost one-year since the 2021 Gaza Conflict. Is any of this related? Who is responsible? Are these lone-wolf attacks? Have any jihadi groups claimed responsibility? Should we believe them? To make sense of what’s happening, host Bill Roggio is joined by Long War Journal’s Joe Truzman to unpack and analyze the latest information from a variety of sources.

EPISODE 67 – Meanwhile in Africa

Host Bill Roggio is joined by two Long War Journal regulars, Caleb Weiss and Andrew Tobin, to give listeners an update on what’s happening on the ground in Africa from the Sahel — including that more than 400 Malians have been slaughtered in under one month — to “elections” and Shabaab attacks in Somalia.

EPISODE 66 – Negotiating with Terrorists

Host Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu to discuss America’s inability, or refusal, to understand its enemies and adversaries. In particular: how the Islamic Republic of Iran’s continued brazenness in targeting American security interests — including its latest missile attack in Iraq just days ago — cannot deter the United States from continuing to engage in nuclear negotiations (vis-a-vis the Russians, no less) with the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror.

EPISODE 65 – CDR Salamander on the Ukraine War

Host Bill Roggio is joined by Commander Salamander, a retired U.S. Navy Commander. Since 2003, like Bill, Sal has been closely tracking and analyzing military issues on his “Commander Salamander” blog and is widely seen as a trailblazer in the arena. The two discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine following Putin’s invasion.

EPISODE 64 – Minority Report: Ukraine

Bill Roggio provides an update on the current situation in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, including a clear-eyed and sober analysis of what’s actually happening on the ground. Bill reminds listeners that the West must understand the enemy and how — if we want to help Ukraine — we must be honest about its predicament.

Mentioned in the episode: read Bill’s latest analysis in DailyMail here.

EPISODE 63 – Know Thine Frenemy

Host Bill Roggio is joined by Hussain Haqqani, South and Central Asia Director at the Hudson Institute and Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the U.S., for an update on Pakistan — from the Taliban’s victory in resurrecting the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the Pakistani state’s hospitality for jihadis and possible future scenarios for Pakistan, its neighbors, and the region.

EPISODE 62 – An Update on the African Jihad

Host Bill Roggio is joined by Caleb Weiss — a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation and long-time contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal — for an update on the latest surrounding various jihadist groups across the African continent.

EPISODE 61 – The State of the Jihad

Host Bill Roggio is joined by Edmund Fitton-Brown, Coordinator of the United Nations Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, to discuss the findings from his team’s latest report on the statuses of ISIS and al-Qaeda.

EPISODE 60 – Iran’s global terrorism strategy

Host Bill Roggio is joined by FDD’s Senior Vice President for Research Jonathan Schanzer to have a wide-ranging discussion about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s role as the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror — ranging from its illicit nuclear program to its destabilization of the region via its proxy terrorist groups.

EPISODE 59 – After Qurayshi: The State of the Islamic State

Yesterday, the U.S. conducted a raid in Syria that led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Host Bill Roggio is joined by Craig Whiteside to unpack the raid and discuss what might happen next within ISIS — including what Qurayshi’s succession might look like.

EPISODE 58 – The Year in Review

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss 5 key stories from 2021 and what they mean for jihadism going forward.

EPISODE 57 – The Emperor Was Nude All Along

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss Tom’s recent testimony before the Senate, why the Islamic State bombed a mosque in Kunduz, and the Pakistani Taliban’s ongoing jihad.

EPISODE 56 – The Resurrection of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Hosts Tom and Bill continue to explore the failures in American leadership that led to the resurrection of the Taliban’s regime.

EPISODE 55 – Afghanistan Falls

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the need for accountability after 20 years of failures.

EPISODE 54 – What Shabaab Wants

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss a new message from Shabaab’s emir. They also discuss their reluctance to report on a video, titled “America Burns,” produced by Al Qaeda’s main propaganda arm.

EPISODE 53 – The Taliban and al Qaeda advance as U.S. completes withdrawal

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss President Biden’s latest defense of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Despite the jihadists’ significant advances since May 1, the president remains steadfastly committed to completing the American retreat.

EPISODE 52 – Mapping the Taliban’s Offensive

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss the Taliban’s massive offensive in Afghanistan. The campaign demonstrates, once again, that the “peace process” is a Western delusion. They also discuss how Bill’s map of the Taliban’s gains has evolved over time.

EPISODE 51 – How the U.N. assesses al Qaeda and ISIS

Edmund Fitton-Brown joins hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio to discuss his team’s most recent report on Afghanistan. Fitton-Brown is a former British diplomat. He is currently coordinator of the U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.

EPISODE 50 – The Unknowns

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the basic epistemological problems that plague analyses of al Qaeda nearly 20 years after 9/11.

EPISODE 49 – Al Qaeda tries to capitalize on conflict between Hamas and Israel

Hosts Tom and Bill discuss recent statements by al Qaeda concerning the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Al Qaeda has commented on Palestinian issues often, but otherwise has had little to do with the situation. Bill also discusses his updated map of the war in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has steadily made gains.

EPISODE 48 – What happens in Afghanistan doesn’t stay in Afghanistan

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss President Biden’s to withdraw U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. It’s understandable that he doesn’t want any more Americans to die there, but the Afghans continue to fight a global jihadist threat.

EPISODE 47 – Designating terrorists

FDD’s Jonathan Schanzer joins the podcast to discuss how the U.S. Treasury Department designates terrorists and America’s current challenges. Jon and host Bill Roggio also discuss their love of Philly sports teams to the disgust of host Tom Joscleyn.

EPISODE 46 – Waiting for a withdrawal decision

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio briefly discuss recent reporting on the Biden administration’s deliberations concerning a withdrawal from Afghanistan. They also discuss ISIS’ surge in Mozambique.

EPISODE 45 – President Biden’s Decision Points

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio explain why President Biden should be clear-eyed when it comes to making decisions about the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan and Iraq. Some argue the U.S. should stay in Afghanistan to further the “peace process,” but there is no evidence that such a “process” even exists.

EPISODE 44 – The Abraham Accords

Varsha Koduvayur, a senior research analyst at FDD, joins the podcast to discuss the Abraham Accords, recent announced reforms in Saudi Arabia and the war in Yemen.

EPISODE 43 – The Status of ISIS and Al Qaeda

Edmund Fitton-Brown again joins the podcast to discuss the United Nations Security Council’s latest report on ISIS and Al Qaeda.

EPISODE 42 – Groundhog Day in Afghanistan

In Episode 42 of Generation Jihad, hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s comments on the U.S.-Taliban deal. They explain why there isn’t much for the Biden administration to assess. The Taliban was never interested in peace and hasn’t taken any steps to break with al Qaeda.

EPISODE 41 – The Jihad in West Africa

Caleb Weiss joins Tom and Bill to discuss France’s intervention in West Africa. Branches of both Al Qaeda and ISIS are fighting for territory, but France’s patience may be starting to wear thin.

EPISODE 40 – Al Qaeda in Iran – and Afghanistan

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss and critique Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech on the Iran-Al Qaeda axis. Contrary to much reporting, there is a long history of ties between the two. But there’s also much evidence pointing to al Qaeda’s ongoing alliance with the Taliban, an issue Pompeo is eager to downplay. The guys also explain why the 2001 AUMF isn’t being used to start a war with Iran.

EPISODE 39 – Countering Extremism

Robin Simcox joins hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio to discuss the ongoing jihadist threat in Europe and efforts to combat extremism in the U.K. and elsewhere. Simcox is the director of the London-based Counter Extremism Group.

EPISODE 38 – The Airing of Grievances

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio air and discuss their 2020 grievances, which pale in comparison to the problems faced by so many around the world today.

EPISODE 37 – How Hezbollah Profits from Black Cocaine

FDD senior fellow Emanuele Ottolenghi joins hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio to discuss the history of Iran’s and Hezbollah’s illicit activities across Central and South America, including the trafficking of “black cocaine.”

EPISODE 36 – The U.S. withdraws from Somalia

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss President Trump’s decision to order the withdrawal of a small American force from Somalia. Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, will continue to fight on, waging an insurgency against the Somali government while threatening countries throughout the region and possibly elsewhere as well.

EPISODE 35 – The Shadow War Inside Iran

FDD senior fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu joins the podcast to discuss recent assassinations inside Iran and the state of the Iranian regime’s various proxy wars.

EPISODE 34 – An Assassination in Tehran

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the killing of al Qaeda’s deputy emir in Tehran. The operation was reportedly conducted by Israeli assassins at the behest of the U.S.

EPISODE 33 – A Conversation with H.R. McMaster

LTG (ret.) H.R. McMaster joins hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio to discuss his new book, his career in the U.S military and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

EPISODE 32 – What Will Biden Do?

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the decisions awaiting the incoming Biden administration with respect to the ongoing conflicts in several countries. They also discuss the State Department’s decision to delist al Qaeda’s Uighur affiliate.

EPISODE 31 – Al Qaeda’s Media Chief Killed in Taliban Country

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the demise of Husam Abd-al-Ra’uf, al Qaeda’s media chief. Afghan forces hunted him down in a Taliban-controlled village nearly eight months after the U.S. State Department trumpeted the Taliban’s supposed counterterrorism assurances.

EPISODE 30 – The Would-be Caliph was a Snitch

Craig Whiteside joins hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio to discuss the biography of the Islamic State’s leader. Recently released files show that he snitched on his fellow jihadists during his time in U.S. custody.

EPISODE 29 – An Interview with Edmund Fitton-Brown

Edmund Fitton-Brown joins hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio to discuss his work for the United Nations Security Council. Fitton-Brown is a former British diplomat. He is currently coordinator of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.

EPISODE 28 – Our Review of The Outpost

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn review The Outpost, a new movie based on a book by CNN’s Jake Tapper. The book and movie are excellent, but the guys discuss how al Qaeda is often left out of such stories. Still, The Outpost reveals many truths about the war in Afghanistan.

EPISODE 27 – Counting Al Qaeda

Senior U.S. officials claim there are fewer than 200 al Qaeda members in Afghanistan. Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn explain why that estimate, like all others before it, isn’t credible. The U.S. has consistently downplayed al Qaeda’s presence for more than a decade.

EPISODE 26 – Zawahiri’s Bizarre 9/11 Anniversary Message

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss al Qaeda’s weak media output on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 hijackings. Despite this shortcoming, the group remains resilient. And the guys explain why an op-ed by the new director of the National Counterterrorism Center misses the mark.

EPISODE 25 – Another Coup in Mali

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio are joined by Caleb Weiss, a longtime contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. They discuss the recent coup in Mali and what it will mean for ISIS and al Qaeda.

EPISODE 24 – America Remains in Iraq

Despite decrying America’s role in “endless wars,” President Trump recently defended the role of a small U.S. force in the country. Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss this apparent contradiction, as well as current events in Afghanistan and Somalia.

EPISODE 23 – Joe Biden Can’t End the Jihad

…Nor can President Trump. Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss former VP Joe Biden’s intent to “end” the “forever wars.” President Trump has pledged to do the same, but hasn’t delivered. Why? The jihad continues.

EPISODE 22 – Conspiracies Everywhere

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the prevalence of conspiracy theories in the post-9/11 era. Osama bin Laden was upset that some pretend al Qaeda wasn’t responsible for 9/11, but bin Laden was a conspiracy theorist himself. Al Qaeda was founded on the nonsensical claim that there’s a “Zionist-Crusader” alliance against Muslims.

EPISODE 21 – An ISIS Jailbreak in Afghanistan

ISIS orchestrated an assault on the main prison in Jalalabad earlier this month. Afghan officials immediately accused the Taliban of planning the attack. Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss this allegation, as well as other recent events.

EPISODE 20 – How China’s repressive policies could fuel the jihad

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s repressive policies in the Xinjiang region. The CCP claims to be fighting terrorism, but it could drive more people into the jihadists’ arms. The guys discuss the history of the Turkistan Islamic Party, an al Qaeda group that seeks to exploit the CCP’s actions.

EPISODE 19 – Al Qaeda in 2020

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss what al Qaeda looks like in 2020. Nearly 19 years after the 9/11 hijackings, the group is alive, but still widely misunderstood. Despite suffering setbacks, al Qaeda’s members fight on in multiple countries.

EPISODE 18 – What We Don’t Know About Russian Bounties

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss reports saying that Russia offered bounties to Taliban fighters to attack Americans. While this wouldn’t be surprising, there are still many unanswered questions concerning the reported bounties. The Taliban has been fighting American forces for nearly 19 years, and its jihadists don’t need any extra incentives.

EPISODE 17 – The CIA in Libya

Former CIA Officer Sarah Carlson joins the podcast to discuss her new book, In The Dark of War. Sarah discusses her career as a counterterrorism analyst, the jihadist scene in Libya and the U.S. evacuation from Tripoli in 2014.

EPISODE 16 – Al Qaeda’s Never-ending Problems in Syria

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss al Qaeda’s problems in Syria, where a series of disputes have upset the group’s chain of command. They also discuss the State Department’s latest terrorism report and what it says about Pakistan’s sponsorship of the Taliban.

EPISODE 15 – Don’t Call It Nation-Building

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio explore how President Trump’s rhetoric on Afghanistan and other post-9/11 conflicts changed from 2017 to 2020. While there is much to criticize about these wars, some of the common talking points don’t reflect reality. The guys also discuss recent counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda.

EPISODE 14 – The Demise of an Al Qaeda Emir in Mali

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the life and reported death of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s emir, Abdulmalek Droukdel. They also review some of Osama bin Laden’s files to piece together AQIM’s history.

EPISODE 13 – Send in the Military?

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn take a break from the jihad overseas to discuss the turmoil at home and whether it is a good idea to deploy the U.S. military in American cities. They also discuss a new report by a U.N. monitoring team alleging multiple ongoing ties between the Taliban and al Qaeda.

EPISODE 12 – The ISIS Spokesman’s Latest Rant

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss the latest diatribe released by Abu Hamza al-Qurashi, the Islamic State’s spokesman, who portrays the coronavirus as an act of divine retribution against the West and accuses the Taliban of working with the “Crusaders.” Bill and Tom also discuss a new report outlining the Taliban’s reluctance to “publicly break” with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State’s resiliency in Iraq and Syria.

EPISODE 11 – An Al Qaeda Sleeper Agent in Pensacola

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss the FBI’s breakthrough in the investigation into the Dec. 6, 2019 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola. It took more than four months for the FBI to crack the terrorist’s phones, but the hosts argue that Americans shouldn’t give up their privacy in the name of security. They also discuss the Taliban’s reluctance to publicly break with Al Qaeda and the Defense Department’s reluctance to release data concerning the war in Afghanistan.

EPISODE 10 – Endless Jihad

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss the “endless wars” narrative, explaining why it is more accurate to call the conflicts unleashed by 9/11 an “endless jihad.” While there are plenty of legitimate criticisms of America’s warfighting, the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere continue because the jihadists fight on.

EPISODE 9 – The Drone Wars

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss the history of America’s drone campaign against al-Qaeda and ISIS. They discuss some of the drone campaign’s biggest successes, civilian casualties and why the unmanned aerial vehicles are a tactic, not a strategy for defeating terrorist organizations.

EPISODE 8 – The Islamic State’s Foundational Texts

Craig Whiteside joins hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn to discuss his new book, The ISIS Reader: Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement. Coauthored with Haroro Ingram and Charlie Winter, the book reviews key texts in the evolution of the would-be caliphate. Craig and Bill discuss their time in Iraq, including how they witnessed the earliest days of ISIS.

EPISODE 7 – Jihad in the Time of Coronavirus

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross joins hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn to discuss how jihadists are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic. The three colleagues discuss their years working in the counterterrorism field and how some erroneous ideas just won’t die. They also offer some advice for new analysts entering the field.

EPISODE 6 – Hezbollah’s Main Man in Iraq

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss Hezbollah’s influence in Iraq and the State Department’s decision to offer a $10 million reward for information concerning the group’s main man in the country. They also discuss: a new video from the Pakistani Taliban that illustrates how the jihadi syndicate in Afghanistan and Pakistan works, a recent batch of al-Qaeda infographics and an alleged ISIS plot that was foiled by authorities in Germany.

EPISODE 5 – Banned in Pakistan

A Pakistani court recently overturned the convictions of Omar Saeed Sheikh, a jihadist who allegedly planned and carried out the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. Pearl was then murdered by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the chief planner of the 9/11 hijackings. A higher court may overturn the decision and Sheikh remains in custody. But hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss how this affair highlights deeper problems within Pakistan. After all, FDD’s Long War Journal is banned in Pakistan, while many jihadists are not.

EPISODE 4 – ISIS: A History of the Caliphate

Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss the rise and fall of ISIS – the would-be caliphate. More than a year has passed since ISIS lost the last town under its control. Tom and Bill discuss the history of the ISIS and how the idea of building a caliphate in Iraq evolved over time. Bill witnessed the jihadists’ earliest state-building efforts during multiple embeds in Iraq.

EPISODE 3 – AQAP Names A New Emir

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn profile Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) new emir, Khalid Batarfi. They explain how Batarfi came to his leadership position, what’s ahead for the group’s local and global operations, and what AQAP can teach us about Al Qaeda’s larger structure and the ambitions of jihadist insurgencies the world over.

EPISODE 2 – Wishcasting in Afghanistan

In a follow up to episode one, hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn explain why wishful thinking in Afghanistan has led the U.S. to portray the Taliban as something it is not. True peace is not on the horizon. Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda views the U.S.-Taliban deal as a boon for the jihadists’ cause. Al-Qaeda’s affiliates are already attempting to use the agreement as a framework for gaining legitimacy elsewhere.

EPISODE 1 – The U.S.-Taliban Withdrawal Agreement

Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn review the U.S.-Taliban withdrawal agreement. They discuss why it isn’t a true peace deal, the Taliban’s ongoing alliance with al-Qaeda, and how the U.S. never dealt with Pakistani duplicity in America’s longest war.