Insider: Short of War

Explore how Ukraine is converting years of high-intensity counter-UAS combat into powerful diplomatic, economic, and strategic leverage. In this deep dive, we break down the operational lessons learned from Iranian-designed drone swarms, the defense foresight gaps facing Western militaries, and how Kyiv's cost-effective defense innovations are creating new global security partnerships from Europe to the Gulf.

In this deep dive episode, we examine the evolution of global terrorism a quarter-century after September 11. Despite decades of U.S. counterterrorism pressure, al-Qaeda and its global affiliates are reconstituting, expanding their reach, and continuing to influence Western political dynamics. We break down the group's global footprint, its ideological resilience, and why the United States cannot afford to look away from the region.

In this deep-dive episode, we unpack the structural dynamics of irregular warfare partner forces through the historical lens of 18th-century French-Canadian partisans and their sovereign Indigenous allies. Moving beyond the popular military legacy of Rogers' Rangers, we examine why local legitimacy, mutual interest alignment, and lateral accountability dictate partner force success far more than material capability or tactical training. We also explore modern parallels—including the Afghan Local Police program—to illustrate why field-level tactical triumphs inevitably crumble when external strategic political frameworks collapse.

In this episode, we unpack the strategic potential of asymmetric maritime warfare across Southeast Asia's maritime chokepoints. Analyzing lessons from recent low-cost drone operations and sea-line interdictions, this deep dive explores how uncrewed surface vehicles, partner network integration, and tailored operational pathways can disrupt supply lines and impose disproportionate costs on major adversaries in a protracted Pacific conflict.

In this episode, we explore the convergence of high-tech surveillance, targeted strikes, and political off-ramps that led to the dissolution of the PKK insurgency. Analyzing Türkiye's intelligence-strike loop alongside political negotiations, this discussion examines why persistent military pressure alone cannot end an insurgency—and why political pathways are essential to closing a conflict.

In this episode, we unpack how Russian psychological operations and information warfare are deployed across the Middle East and North Africa. From RT Arabic and Sputnik to targeted disinformation campaigns surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict, we explore Moscow’s strategic playbook, its exploitation of anti-Western sentiment, and the complex challenges of countering these deeply entrenched digital campaigns.

In this episode, we unpack how state proxies, transactional violence, and hybrid tactics are reshaping security across Europe. We explore the operational shift from traditional, ideology-driven movements to disposable terror networks and fluid online radicalization. Join us as we examine why current legal and intelligence frameworks struggle to keep pace with these evolving threats and what structural adaptations are required to bridge the gap.

A deep-dive conversation exploring how strategic demand, historical mythology, and institutional feedback reshape U.S. Special Forces force design. This episode examines whether the Green Berets drifted from their unconventional warfare roots or evolved into an indispensable instrument of modern political warfare.

In this episode, we unpack the strategic argument for employing private cyber actors ("cyber corsairs") to deter state-sponsored cyber aggression. We analyze historical 17th-century maritime privateering parallels, economic asset recovery mechanisms, constitutional precedents under Article I, Section 8, and a proposed federal interagency oversight framework.

In this episode, we explore Iran’s "Hormuz Safe" proposal—a Bitcoin-backed insurance mechanism for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. We discuss how Tehran uses digital assets, geography, and legal ambiguity to execute grey-zone coercion without initiating kinetic conflict, and examine the compliance challenges this poses for global shipping.