The General & The Journalist

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The Times
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How wars start, how they are won and what they leave behind them. General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn first met in a war zone. Drawing on their real-life experience of armed conflict, they bring you the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and the dozens of other bitter struggles being fought across our increasingly divided planet. From interviews with key people on the frontlines of modern warfare to discussing the future of nuclear weapons and where Russia will attack next, this podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times also faces up to the biggest question - how ready are we for war, right now, if we had to fight one? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 5h ago

    How Iran helped turn the Houthis into a global threat

    The Houthis have advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast threatening one of the world’s most important shipping routes through Bab al-Mandab. Yemeni government forces are fighting back, but the Iran-backed group’s ability to disrupt global trade and strike across the region continues to grow. Yemen expert Nadwa Al-Dawsari joins Tom and Patrick to explain how the Houthis became a regional military power, how much control Iran really has over them, and whether Yemen is becoming another front in Tehran’s wider proxy war. So, how far can the Houthis expand, and can they be stopped? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:49 — The Houthis fight to seize Yemen’s Red Sea coast 02:58 — How Iran helped build Houthi military power 07:01 — Why the Bab el-Mandeb threatens global shipping 14:07 — Who are the Houthis and their enemies 22:13 — Can the US stop the Houthi threat? Guest: Nadwa Al-Dawsari, Fellow at the Centre on Armed Groups and Associate Fellow at the Middle East Institute Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn Patrick brings his experience as a former head of the British Army to the podcast. He is also a Conservative peer and advises the party on defence. Producers: Julia Webster with help from Robert Wallace Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How Iran helped turn the Houthis into a global threat

  2. Sep 30

    Will Putin attack NATO? Former MI6 chief on Russia’s next move

    As Russia steps up sabotage, interference and intimidation across Europe, how far is Vladimir Putin prepared to go? Former MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett joins Tom and Patrick to explain what Putin wants in Ukraine, whether Russia could escalate into a direct confrontation with NATO, and why intelligence back channels may be crucial to preventing escalation. Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 05:28 - Did the West misjudge Putin?09:46 - Is Putin under pressure?15:04 - What does Putin want in Ukraine?17:30 - Russia’s hybrid war against NATO23:49 - Why the CIA Chief went to Moscow Guest: Sir John Scarlett, former MI6 Chief and co-founder of SC Strategy Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn Patrick brings his experience as a former head of the British Army to the podcast. He is also a Conservative peer and advises the party on defence. Producer: Julia Webster, Shabnam Grewal Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia Image: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Will Putin attack NATO? Former MI6 chief on Russia’s next move

  3. Sep 27 ·  Video

    EXPLAINER: How America's aircraft carrier crisis reveals a military decline

    America has 11 aircraft carriers. So why is the US Navy struggling to deploy more than three at once? In this bonus video explainer, The Sunday Times’s Mark Urban examines the growing strain on America’s carrier fleet. These 100,000-ton floating airfields have long been symbols of US military power, but delayed ships, lengthy repairs and overstretched crews are making it increasingly difficult to keep them at sea. If Washington cannot reliably deploy the fleet it already has, what does that mean for America’s ability to project power around the world – and are aircraft carriers becoming a symbol not of US strength, but of its limits? 00:00 – America’s aircraft carrier problem 00:53 – Delayed ships and ageing carriers 02:24 – Trump’s proposed carrier redesign 03:25 – Longer deployments, greater strain 04:50 – The carrier gap in the Pacific 06:09 – The $25 billion carrier group at risk 07:30 – The cost to the wider fleet 08:38 – Shipyard decline and military power Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Producer: Yasmin Butt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    EXPLAINER: How America's aircraft carrier crisis reveals a military decline

  4. Sep 23

    Is the future of the SAS at risk?

    More than 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, Britain remains bitterly divided over how to resolve legacy cases from the Troubles. The government’s new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill would allow some halted inquests to resume and reform the system for investigating legacy cases, with ministers insisting that veterans will be protected from unnecessary repeat investigations. But former senior SAS veterans Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and George Simm argue it could reopen the door to repeated investigations that erode soldiers’ trust in the Government and ultimately weaken the SAS itself. Can Britain deliver justice for the past without undermining the soldiers it may need for the wars of the future? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:47 – Inside the SAS10:24 – Northern Ireland legacy lawfare16:29 – Loughgall and shoot-to-kill claims22:15 – How lawfare is damaging the SAS27:30 – The fight to protect British soldiers Guests: Former SAS Squadron Commander Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and former SAS Regimental Sergeant Major George Simm Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn Producer: Julia Webster Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia Image: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Is the future of the SAS at risk?

  5. Sep 16

    Russia’s war “will last as long as Putin lives”

    Russia is holding its first State Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the Kremlin has worked to ensure the outcome is never truly in doubt. Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of the former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, joins us to examine what the vote reveals about Putin’s rule and how the war in Ukraine is mounting pressure on Putin. With public patience under strain and unease growing among the elite, how much longer can Putin keep pressing this war on? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:55 – Nina Khrushcheva on Putin’s Russia 07:50 – Inside Russia’s rigged election 16:37 – Putin’s mobilisation gamble 23:04 – Russia’s war economy and breaking point 30:04 – Putin’s escalating threat to NATO Guest: Nina Khrushcheva, professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York City Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn Patrick brings his experience as a former head of the British Army to the podcast. He is also a Conservative peer and advises the party on defence. Producer: Julia Webster, Shabnam Grewal Executive producer: Dan Box, Tim Walklate  Image: Dana Chan, Getty   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Russia’s war “will last as long as Putin lives”

  6. Sep 9

    Who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline?

    It was one of the most audacious acts of sabotage in modern history - in September 2022, explosions ripped through the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia underneath the Baltic Sea. The attack reshaped European geo-politics but at the time, no one knew who ordered the bombing, or carried it out. Journalist Bojan Pancevski has spent three years tracing the operation - and says the answers to those questions involve a tiny team of divers, a rented yacht and a former erotic model known only as ‘Freya’.  Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:00 – Who blew up Nord Stream? 02:55 – Why Nord Stream mattered 06:39 – Inside the sabotage mission 17:19 – Russia, CIA or Ukraine? 24:00 – Evidence, arrests and who ordered it Guest: Bojan Pancevski, chief European political correspondent for the Wall Street Journal Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn Producer: Julia Webster Executive producer: Dan Box Image: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Clips: Getty Images, Danish Defence Command Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline?

  7. Sep 8 ·  Video

    EXPLAINER: Could Russia Attack NATO by 2030?

    Across Nato’s eastern flank, defence planners are increasingly focused on one date: 2030. War games, military assessments and troop deployments are being shaped around a stark question – could Moscow be ready to test Nato within the next few years? The Times’s defence editor Larisa Brown examines why 2030 has become such a crucial deadline for European defence, how Russia could try to probe Nato’s borders and whether the alliance is moving fast enough to deter Vladimir Putin. Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Producer: Jack Feeney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    EXPLAINER: Could Russia Attack NATO by 2030?

  8. Sep 2

    The new Middle East: Can a ‘NATO of the East’ work?

    Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Mecca Pact, a new defence alliance built around the promise that an attack on one is an attack on all. Together they bring Saudi money and religious authority, Turkey’s military strength and defence industry and Pakistan’s army and nuclear power. But would any of them really go to war for the others?  Tom and Patrick are joined by Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall to explore why the pact has emerged now. Is it a response to Iran’s decline, growing doubts over America’s reliability or the changing relationship with Israel? Or is the Mecca Pact merely a strategic hedge, or the beginning of a new balance of power in the Middle East? How do you think the Mecca Defence Alliance will impact the region? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk 00:00 - Mecca Pact Explained05:04 - Saudi–Turkey–Pakistan Defence Alliance13:02 - Why the Mecca Pact Matters Now23:32 - Is the Mecca Pact a New NATO?32:53 - Future of Middle East Security Guest: Ltn Gen Sir Simon Mayall, KBE, CB, retired British Army officer and a Middle East Adviser at the Ministry of Defence. Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn. Patrick brings his experience as a former head of the British Army to the podcast. He is also a Conservative peer and advises the party on defence. Producer: Julia Webster and Shabnam Grewal Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia  Image: Dana Chan, Getty Clips: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The new Middle East: Can a ‘NATO of the East’ work?
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How wars start, how they are won and what they leave behind them. General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn first met in a war zone. Drawing on their real-life experience of armed conflict, they bring you the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and the dozens of other bitter struggles being fought across our increasingly divided planet. From interviews with key people on the frontlines of modern warfare to discussing the future of nuclear weapons and where Russia will attack next, this podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times also faces up to the biggest question - how ready are we for war, right now, if we had to fight one? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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