War Studies Department of War Studies

What are the dynamics of intelligence and foreign policy in Europe?

The editors of the book “Estimative Intelligence in European Foreign Policymaking”, Professor Michael Goodman, Professor Christoph Meyer, Dr Nikki Ikani, Dr Eva Michaels and Dr Aviva Guttmann, evaluate the performance of the UK, the EU, and Germany during times of surprise, from the Arab uprisings to the rise of ISIS and the Russian annexation of Crimea.

“White supremacy, hate groups and the alt-right movement thrive in secrecy and in dark places. Being able to bring this topic out into the light and have deeper conversations about what these people really stand for, and what they're willing to do in terms of violence, is important to understand the full brunt of the threat”.

In this podcast episode, the Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and freelance journalist Nora Neus talks about her latest book ‘24 Hours in Charlottesville’, which delves into white nationalist riots based on the tumultuous events of August 2017, highlighting anti-racist activists' voices standing up against violence. She shares some of the main challenges for journalists and reporters currently covering war in conflict zones amid a media landscape increasingly dominated by sensationalism.

Learn more about '24 hours in Charlottesville' at https://noraneus.com/

How can we help the armed forces make the best decision when faced with impossible choices? What can we do to minimise the damage to soldiers’ mental health after conflict? And how can we save the highest number of lives?

In this episode, we speak to Professor David Whetham of the Defence Studies Department about military ethics education. We explore the process of educating the armed forces on making better decisions, both within the heat of conflict and in everyday life, learn about the innovative playing cards and app created by Professor Whetham and the King’s Centre for Military Ethics, and dive into his work with the Australian Defence Forces on Justice Brereton’s report on the war in Afghanistan.

Download the Military Ethics playing cards app via Apple:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/military-ethics/id1503360618

Download the Military Ethics playing cards app via Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.corvita.cme&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

"Reconciliation happens when my enemy tells me my story and I am able to say: ‘That is my story" - Stanley Hauerwas.

11 September 1973. Military forces attack La Moneda Palace, the Hawker Hunter plane launches rockets that hit the main wings of the building, fire echoes through the streets of Santiago, the body of President Salvador Allende is found. Fear begins to spread across the country.

50 years have passed since the coup d'état in Chile, which began the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet that lasted 17 years and left more than 40,000 victims. In this episode, Dr Vinicius De Carvalho talks to Francisco Lobo, Chilean lawyer and PhD candidate at the Department of War Studies, about the violation of human rights, the strides made in transitional justice and international accountability, and how the dictatorship continues to permeate Chile's fragmented identity.

“They couldn’t scrape together enough food to feed a family… It was very, very, very desperate.”

On August 15 2021, international troops withdrew from Afghanistan.

Two years on, what has been the impact of the Taliban’s rule? How has the country experienced both conflict and peace? And with a significant humanitarian crisis affecting the country, what can we do to support the people of Afghanistan?

In this episode, Dr Christine Cheng explores the balances of power, security and conflict that led to the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. She discusses the mindsets that led to the USA’s expedited withdrawal, why countries aren’t prepared to send foreign aid to support Afghanistan, and the experiences of people – particularly women – living under the Taliban’s rule.

Please note that this episode contains material of a highly sensitive nature including kidnapping, violence and abuse that may be triggering for some individuals.

In late August 2011, a few months after the assassination of his father Salmaan Taseer, Governor of Punjab, Mr Shahbaz Taseer was dragged from his car at gunpoint and kidnapped by a group of Taliban affiliated militants called the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan(IMU). For almost five years Mr Taseer was held captive, moved from Mir Ali to Zabul Afghanistan, frequently tortured and forced to endure extreme cruelty, his fate resting on his kidnappers’ impossible demands and the uneasy alliances between his captors, the Taliban and ISIS.

Dr Rajan Basra, Senior Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and post-doctoral researcher on the XCEPT programme, speaks to Mr Shahbaz Taseer about his experience and the release of his memoir "Lost To The World - A memoir of faith, family and five years in terrorist captivity". They discuss the details of his kidnapping and the impact it has had on his life since.

Read Shahbaz Taseer's memoir: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/437701/lost-to-the-world-by-taseer-shahbaz/9780552175357