War College

It’s the greatest story you probably don’t know anything about. Or, at least, you have no idea how bad it actually is. The U.S. 7th Fleet is the most powerful Navy in the history of the world. Its area of operations stretches throughout the Pacific. It comprised of up of upwards of 70 ships, 400 aircraft, and around 40,000 sailors and Marines. For about a far too many years it was the plaything of a Malaysian playboy who grifted a fortune off the American taxpayer.We’re finally doing it. We’re finally doing a Fat Leonard episode.Our guest today is journalist, best selling author, and host of the incredible Fat Leonard Podcast, Tom Wright. The nine part Fat Leonard Podcast is, for my money, the most comprehensive and well researched version of the story we’re going to lay out for you here. If you’re interested at all in what you’re about to hear, you must check it out.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is the Syrian civil war over? Did Bashar al Assad win it? And if he did, what does winning even mean for a country of rubble?And most importantly, what’s next for the dictator and the people who live within the sort-of nation’s borders?To help us understand what’s happening, we’ve got Washington Post correspondent Liz Sly. She’s covered the war since it began in 2011 and has made many trips to Syria. She’s also a fantastic writer and multiple award winner.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When the United States Air Force tests a new aircraft it needs to make sure it won't crash should a stray bird slam into the plane's side. Thankfully, the military has an artillery piece with a 60-foot barrel that hurls chicken more than 400 miles an hour. The chicken gun allows the military to make sure no stray bird will foul up its expensive jets while they're mid-flight. If you think the chicken gun is weird, it’s only the tip of a strange and fascinating iceberg.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out infor

Ukraine. It started with pro European protests in the Winter of 2013. Then came the annexation of Crimea, the little green men, Igor Strelkov, the Donbas, and a long simmering war in the Eastern Ukraine. Things are changing. Ukraine’s president said that Russia has amassed 100,000 troops on the border, Latvia has mobilized its National Guard, and Poland called for an emergency meeting of NATO. To say tensions are rising would be an understatement. Here to walk us through what’s happening is Coffee or Die Magazine senior editor Nolan Peterson. Peterson is a journalist and a former United States Air Force special operations pilot. He’s published a lot of great journalism from the frontlines of the war in the Donbas. His latest is A Brief History of Russia’s War Against Ukraine.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTun

Guns. Guns. Guns. We Americans love them, don’t we folks?But the culture is different in other parts of the world and people who want to build their own weapons, make their own Ammo, and fire down range with a sweet semi-automatic have to break the rules to do so. Thanks to 3D printing, that’s getting a lot easier to do as groups like Deterrence Dispensed spread the good word—and the plans—of making guns at home. Is it for home defense? Is it all in good fun? Or is it part of a broader ideology? Here to help answer those questions is journalist, podcaster, and documentarian Jake Hanrahan. Deterrence Dispensed and 3D guns in Europe is the subject of Jake’s latest Popular Front documentary Plastic Defence, which is on YouTube.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly

Militaries around the world are preparing for climate change. That’s true even in countries where politicians are indifferent to global warming.But what about the emissions being spewed by those militaries themselves?Joining us to talk about that today is Doug Weir. He’s Research and Policy Director, The Conflict and Environment Observatory, and has studied the issue.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hawaii. America’s latest state is a tropical paradise, a vacation hotspot, and an important strategic military asset. If you’ve never been to Hawaii you might be shocked at how much of a presence the Pentagon has on the islands.It’s America’s gateway to the Pacific and an important part of its Naval might. Something we’re going to learn the broader importance of in an upcoming episode. Here with us today to talk about Hawaii is someone who has spent the last few years there covering the military. It’s Angry Planet producer Kevin Knodell.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://supporter.acast.c

Sea power was the secret of the Phoenicians, the Greeks - even the landlubber Romans when they took the upper hand against Carthage. More recently - which isn’t hard - the British Empire was won on the seas and an empire with tall ships.But how much navy is enough navy? And can a smaller, lighter, more advanced fleet do the job?Joining us today to talk about the future of the US Navy is Dr. Jerry Hendrix. Hendrix serviced 26 years in the Navy and retired a captain. He is now a vice president at Telemus Group, a strategic consultancy.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/w

The Forever War. It may be gone from Afghanistan but it’s not gone from our hearts. Our minds. Our souls. The body politic is riddled with the consequences of the last twenty years of conflict. The Department of Homeland Security is my go to. The first half of my life it didn’t exist. Now I am faced with the consequences of its disastrous policies on a daily basis.With us today is Spencer Ackerman. Ackerman is a journalist and war correspondent who has spent his entire career reporting one the Forever War. His new book is Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump. It’s an excellent book. It has the feel of a journalist stopping midway through a career turning behind them and asking “What the fuck just happened?”Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow ou

The idea of terrorism as a franchise isn’t new, maybe, but nobody’s done it better than Islamic State. Most Americans thought the fight against ISIS was over with the fall of Raqqa. But on August 26, at least 169 Afghans and 13 US troops were killed in Kabul by a group calling itself ISIS-K. Islamic State, apparently, lives on.Joby Warrick of the Washington Post joins us to talk about ISIS - how it started and what it is now. Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

North Korea is back in the headlines, and as usual, it’s not because they’ve invented a new soft drink. No, Kim Jong Un’s fiefdom has once again launched missiles into the sea, claims to have invented hypersonic ones, is building up their capability to launch nuclear-tipped missiles from submarines and is restarting everyone’s favorite nuclear reactor at Yong Byon.So, why are we here again, and what does it mean?Well, Jean Lee rejoins the show to help us understand what’s going on and what we can expect next.In a first for America, Jean opened the Associated Press’ bureau in Pyongyang in 2012. She’s now a North Korea expert at the Wilson Center and is co-host of the Lazarus Heist, a podcast from the BBC.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplan

Instagram is a world of influencers, models, bizarre ads and aspirational living. It’s a place where artists share their work and people go to see and be seen. It’s also the epicenter of gang violence in America and, increasingly, an important resource for law enforcement looking to solve murders and disrupt street violence. Read the charging documents or warrants of a gang-violence related case and you’ll be confronted by a wealth of Instagram posts.Why?With us today is Danny Gold. Gold—a returning guest—is a writer and producer who focuses on crime and conflict. He’s also a reluctant podcaster who co-hosts the excellent Underworld Podcast.The Underworld Podcast.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebo

A special production of Angry Planet and David Axe explores how a group of scruffy contractors pioneered the use of drones during the Vietnam War.Axe’s book, Drone War Vietnam, is out now.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The facts on the ground are undeniable. The U.S. is out, the Taliban is back in.The end was ugly and there were plenty of ugly spots along the way.Since we’re all doing what ifs, here’s ours: what would the off-ramp have looked like, and did we ever at least have our turn signal on?Joining us today is a guy who was in the room. Former diplomat Frank Ruggiero dealt directly with the Taliban, as well as managing U.S relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan between 2010 and 2012. Hillary Clinton gave him the State Department’s distinguished honor award.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://suppo

Space… Is it still the final frontier? And does anyone really care about it anymore, aside from a few billionaires and maybe a millionaire or two?Does NASA have any mojo left? And are any of us alive now going to see a landing on Mars?These are all questions dear to my heart, so we have Christian Davenport who covers space for the Washington Post and is the author of the Space Barons on the show today. Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Afghanistan. If you’re listening to this show you’ve probably been following the news. Despite what the Pentagon or White House will tell you, the evacuation isn’t going great. There is a dichotomy between what officials tell us and what’s actually happening that—in the age of mass communication—seems … insulting.That dichotomy and how it affected America’s view of Afghanistan is at the heart of the new book—The Afghanistan Papers. Craig Whitlock, its author, is here with us today. Whitlock is an investigative reporter for The Washington Post who has covered America’s War on Terror since the beginning.Recorded August 25, the day before the attacks.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Conquerors and nations have been trying to rebuild Afghanistan in their own image for thousands of years. The U.S. is just the latest to fail.The Soviet Union also failed, with a little push from the United States. But they learned their lesson in only 10 years, from 1979-1989.Mark Galeotti joins us today to talk about the lessons the U.S. probably should have learned from the USSR. He’s Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and has literally written the book - no three books! - on this very subject. We’ll put links in the show notes.Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz seize Kabul, Soviet-Afghan War 1979The Panjshir Valley 1980–86Afghanistan: The Soviet Union's Last War  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

America is leaving Afghanistan. President Joe Biden has set a September 11th withdrawal date and things are continuing apace. As America packs up its gear and goes home it’s leaving behind something far more valuable than MRAPs and M16s—people.For two decades individual Afghans have stepped up to help the United States and as it leaves the battlefield, some of these interpreters are being left behind.With us today is former Marine Sergeant, Afghanistan War veteran, and Purple Heart recipient Michael Wendt. He’s an advocate for interpreters and recently published an op-ed in The Hill titled “Getting Afghan interpreters out of Afghanistan isn't progressive: It's the right thing to do.”  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are we living in a declining empire in need of renewal? Maybe.But one thing to keep in mind? Romans thought the same thing centuries before the great empire fell.So what’s up with the fascination with the decline and fall of Rome? And what lessons does it have for US politics?To help us answer that question, we’ve got Edward J. Watts. He’s a professor of history at UC San Diego and the author of a new book, The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Life in Haiti has rarely been easy. It’s the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Corruption is rampant. And it’s been invaded more than once since independence, including by the United States.It’s little wonder that the half-Island nation has suffered repression and political turmoilAnd, on July 7, it’s president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated.To help us understand the current situation -- and a bit of the history as well -- I’m joined by Francois Pierre-Louis of Queens College in New York.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.