Insider: Short of War

Gray Zone Clarity: Building Irregular Maritime Intelligence through Civilian-Linked Networks

This episode explores how civilian-linked maritime intelligence can shift the balance in gray zone competition. It explains why local observers, when connected to regional analytic hubs, can generate faster attribution, reduce ambiguity, and strengthen partner decision cycles. Through examples from the Pacific Fusion Centre to the 2024 Second Thomas Shoal crisis, the episode examines how community-linked alert networks, tactical intelligence cells, and multilateral partnerships can reshape escalation dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.

Chance and Necessity: Evolving the Supporting Role of SOF to Cyber Operations

In this episode, we examine the evolving role of USSOF cyber operations. From lessons in Ukraine to integrating technology and industry partnerships, learn how Special Operations can enhance strategic outcomes and maintain relevance in modern conflict.

Resistance is Victory: Taiwan’s 2025 National Defense Report and Resisting Cognitive Coercion

In this episode, we explore Taiwan’s 2025 National Defense Report and its powerful shift toward national resistance, cognitive resilience, and irregular deterrence. Learn how Taiwan confronts PRC gray zone harassment, cognitive warfare, and narrative manipulation while strengthening societal resilience, military readiness, and whole-of-nation defense. This full-length reading presents a detailed, accessible breakdown of the report’s most important insights for policymakers, security practitioners, and listeners interested in Indo-Pacific security.

Sabotage as a “New Normal”

This episode explores how Russian sabotage in Europe has evolved into a defining feature of the continent’s security landscape. Drawing on recent incidents—from attacks on undersea cables to arson targeting political figures—the narrative examines why sabotage offers Moscow a low-risk, high-reward strategy. We break down misleading trends, the gig-economy model of recruiting saboteurs, vulnerabilities across European infrastructure, and why these operations persist despite increased Western coordination. The episode concludes with policy implications, deterrence challenges, and what NATO must change to confront sabotage as part of the new normal.

Proxies in Hybrid Operations: Insights from the Partnership for Peace Consortium Workshop Helsinki, Finland, August 2025

In this episode, we explore insights from the 2025 Partnership for Peace Consortium workshop on proxies in hybrid operations. Hear how experts from 12 countries examine Russia’s evolving proxy strategies, regional case studies, and emerging hybrid threats. The discussion outlines a four-pillar framework for understanding and countering proxy activity and highlights the launch of a new collaborative research initiative shaping future democratic resilience.

The Pentagon Just Issued New Guidance on Irregular Warfare: What Does It Say and Why Should You Care?

This episode examines the Pentagon’s new irregular warfare instruction—what it says, why it was issued, and how it could reshape U.S. military strategy. We break down the updated definition of irregular warfare, explore its expanded scope across domains like cyber and space, and analyze the practical implications for the services, policymakers, and future conflict.

Review of “The Mad and the Brave: The Untold Story of Ukraine’s Foreign Legion” by Colin Freeman

In this episode, IWI's Chris Booth reviews The Mad and the Brave by Colin Freeman—a vivid account of Ukraine’s Foreign Legion. Discover how foreign volunteers shaped the war, the leadership missteps that limited their impact, and what their experiences reveal about modern irregular warfare.

Culture on the Front Line: Building Indo-Pacific Resilience through Cultural Property Protection Training

In this episode, we explore how Cultural Property Protection can serve as a powerful tool of irregular warfare in the Indo-Pacific—strengthening regional resilience, countering illicit trafficking, and building trust through shared heritage and preservation.

Media, Martyrdom, & Manipulation

In this episode, we explore how the Kosovo Liberation Army used propaganda, martyrdom, and media manipulation to shape Western narratives during the Kosovo conflict. Learn how perception management, strategic timing, and emotional storytelling influenced NATO’s decision to intervene and redefined modern warfare’s psychological front.

Kings, Usurpers, and Shadow Wars: Lessons on Irregular Warfare from Shakespeare

In this episode, we explore how Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Julius Caesar, Richard III, and Coriolanus offer surprising insights into the psychology and strategy of irregular warfare. From narrative control to the weaponization of public sentiment, Shakespeare’s dramas reveal how legitimacy, loyalty, and perception shape modern conflict more than firepower ever could.