FDD Podcasts

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Channel • 4 Shows

News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated weekly
News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated weekly
News Commentary

News Commentary

Every-two-weeks series
News Commentary

News Commentary

Monthly

12/04/2024

The Thickening Fog of War

Six months after Iranian-backed terrorists perpetrated the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, Israel’s ground war against Hamas in Gaza, its conflict with Lebanon-based Hezbollah in Israel’s north, and Tehran’s multi-front shadow war against the Jewish state continue. For a status update, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power, and Brigadier General (Res.) Jacob Nagel, a visiting fellow at FDD and former Israeli national security advisor under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They discuss Israel’s withdrawal of most troops from Gaza; the necessity of closing the tunnels from Egypt through which Hamas has received huge quantities of arms and ammunition; the difficulties of providing aid to Gazans while Hamas holds hostages and kills Israelis whenever possible; where Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are likely hiding; and the strategic imperative of defeating the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah. They also discuss President Biden’s wavering support for Israel; Israel’s April 1 assassination of an IRGC-QF commander in Damascus; and Tehran’s threat to take revenge.

12/04/2024

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55 min
05/04/2024

Israel's Shadow War

The Israeli airstrike next to Iran’s embassy in Damascus on April 1 targeted several high-ranking members of Iran’s Quds Force — an elite division of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, which is designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. Among those killed: top IRGC-QF commander in Syria and Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Zahedi. The regime in Tehran has vowed revenge, and Israel is on high-alert for escalation by Iran’s proxies on seven possible fronts. To discuss the strategic thinking behind Israel’s strike and possible Iranian responses, host Cliff May is joined by FDD experts Behnam Ben Taleblu and Hussain Abdul Hussain. They explain why diplomatic immunity was not in play in Damascus, and revisit Iran’s history of not respecting such diplomatic niceties and protocols; analyze reactions from the Biden administration and “international community” — including at the United Nations where the Russian Federation protects and defends Tehran, where Security Council resolutions beneficial to Israel are not enforced, and where“international law” seems to only apply to Israel and the U.S.

05/04/2024

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53 min
09/02/2024

A moment of decision for Americans

The U.S. is in a decisive moment. Harried by turmoil and challenges at home, many Americans look overseas and see a world on fire. Ukrainians are fighting for their lives against Putin, wondering whether the west will abandon them; Beijing is undertaking an unprecedented military expansion in preparation for potential aggression in the Taiwan Strait; Iran-backed terrorists are attacking U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, while waging the worst campaign against international shipping in decades; and Israel is trying to finish the job against Hamas in Gaza while eyeing Hezbollah, the Iranian nuclear program, and concerning political pronouncements in Washington. Guest host Bradley Bowman is joined by fellow FDD expert RADM (Ret) Mark Montgomery to discuss the essential state of play in Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel; why the outcome of their struggles matters to Americans; and what role the U.S. should play in helping them.

09/02/2024

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47 min
28/06/2024

FDD Morning Brief | feat. Lina Khatib (Jun. 28)

FDD Senior Fellow David Daoud delivers timely situational updates and analyses on Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the war in the Middle East, followed by a conversation with Lina Khatib, Director of the UK-based SOAS Middle East Institute. Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

28/06/2024

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17 min
20/11/2023

How Hamas Co-opts the Media

Although six weeks have passed since Iran-backed Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and butchered more than 1,200 innocent civilians while taking hostage another 240, this is just the beginning of Israel’s multi-front defensive war. One key battlefield: the information space. Historically, the odds of winning in this arena have not been in Israel’s favor. They don’t seem to be now, either. To understand why, host Cliff May and Israeli journalist and author Matti Friedman dissect both past and present media coverage of Gaza. They explain how almost all the foreign press’ current work inside Gaza is being conducted by local “fixers” who either support or dare not cross Hamas. In either case, Hamas controls the narrative. Despite an ethical imperative, most news organizations are not transparent about these restrictions that ultimately shape their coverage. And while this helps explain the “almost eagerness” of the press to accept without question and package as news Hamas talking points, Matti tells Cliff that a “deeper psychology” is also in play.

20/11/2023

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1h 1m
18/02/2022

Enemies and Allies, Villains and Heroes

Joel C. Rosenberg is a New York Times-bestselling author. He’s written 15 novels and four non-fiction books with five million copies in print. Among his readers and fans: George W. Bush, Mike Pence, and Mike Pompeo. He also has a second vocation as what you might call a religious-political activist. And he has a new book based on that work. It’s titled: “Enemies and Allies.” Joel talks about his life and his literature with FDD Senior Fellow Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former Middle East specialist at the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, and "Foreign Podicy" host Cliff May.

18/02/2022

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1h 4m
02/08/2024

What just happened in the Middle East?

In response to an attack last weekend that killed 12 Israeli children playing soccer in the Golan Heights, a top Hezbollah commander was killed in Beirut. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was also killed this week in Tehran. In response to the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist leaders meeting their demise, Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei threatened “severe punishment,” while Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah suggested he wants “a real response, not a performative response.” The region is teetering on the brink of a major escalation. To discuss the events that unfolded this week and what could happen next, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power and guest host Bradley Bowman is joined by his FDD colleagues Jonathan Schanzer and Behnam Ben Taleblu.

02/08/2024

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55 min
16/02/2024

The Battle in Rafah, the War with Tehran

As Israel's defensive war in Gaza enters its fifth month, host Cliff May is joined by FDD experts retired Major General Amir Eshel and retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery to talk about the current state of the war including how many Hamas terrorists are thought to remain active on the battlefield in Gaza; the whereabouts of Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif; and IDF efforts to reduce civilian casualties during what’s expected to be a major battle in Rafah. They also discuss the threat from Hezbollah across Israel’s northern border in Lebanon; the impact of Ramadan which begins on March 10; whether weapons from Iran’s rulers could still be flowing into Gaza through tunnels under its Egyptian border; what Egypt is and should be doing; what the U.S. stands to learn from Israel’s hard lessons on and after October 7; and President Biden’s changing rhetoric on the Hamas-Israeli war.

16/02/2024

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56 min
27/10/2023

Studying War Some More

It is the opinion of your Foreign Podicy host, Cliff May, that Andrew Roberts is the world’s greatest living historian. In recent years, he has written groundbreaking biographies of Churchill, Napoleon, and King George. He’s a Bradley Prize winner, and Cliff is the one who nominated him. However, Cliff was outdone by His Majesty Charles the Third, as Andrew is now Lord Andrew Roberts — the sovereign has conferred upon him the title of Baron Roberts of Belgravia. Lord Andrew Roberts joins Cliff to discuss his most recent book, co-authored with retired General David Petraeus, "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine.” This New York Times best-seller reached bookstores as the war between Hamas and Israel entered its second week.

27/10/2023

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58 min
03/11/2023

The War to End All Wars Against Hamas

Nearly a month ago, Hamas invaded Israel and murdered over 1,400 men, women, and children. It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since World War II, which was also a war against the Jews that culminated in the Holocaust. The Israel Defense Forces are now in Gaza aiming to cripple Hamas’s military capabilities, and it’s a challenging mission. To discuss, host Cliff May is joined by three FDD experts: Bradley Bowman, Hussain Abdul-Hussain, and Retired Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel (former commander in chief of the Israeli Air Force). They talk about the status of Israel's ground operation inside Gaza, including why forces are current concentrated in the northern part of the Strip; how the IDF might deal with Hamas' extensive system of underground tunnels; what happened at Al Shifa Hospital and why Hamas is using ambulances; if there's a difference between a ceasefire and 'humanitarian pause' as well as Israel's conditions for agreeing to the former; how Israel's Arab neighbors are reacting to the war; Saudi Arabia's interception of missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen at Israel — and other related issues.

03/11/2023

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42 min

The FDD Podcasts channel is home to FDD's Foreign Podicy with Cliff May, The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz, Generation Jihad with Bill Roggio, The FDD Morning Brief with Jonathan Schanzer, and The FDD Events Podcast.

Website

FDD Podcasts

Top Shows

The Thickening Fog of War

Israel's Shadow War

A moment of decision for Americans

FDD Morning Brief | feat. Lina Khatib (Jun. 28)

How Hamas Co-opts the Media

Enemies and Allies, Villains and Heroes

What just happened in the Middle East?

The Battle in Rafah, the War with Tehran

Studying War Some More

The War to End All Wars Against Hamas

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