Generation Jihad

Bill and Joe catch up on the latest headlines from the war in Gaza.They discuss the IDF's operation along Gaza's border with Egypt in Rafah, which last night included the rescuing of two hostages; how Hamas fighters are resurfacing in Khan Younis; and the uncomfortably palpable uptick in international pressure on Israel as it continues its defensive war, most notably from the U.S.They also start to unpack some of this UNRWA baggage, like the newly-discovered Hamas operations hub found beneath an UNRWA school (to ironically quote DJ Khaled: "another one"); the UNRWA chief's subsequent statement about "alleged tunnels" (which Bill points out is interesting, given that something either is or is not a tunnel); new consequences for the UN organization still reeling from funding cuts after it was revealed that several of its employees participated in the October 7 attack on Israel; and whether (and how) Israel might continue to work with UNRWA to facilitate the transfer of aid into Gaza.

This episode features the most special guest to join Generation Jihad in two years: Thomas Joscelyn. Bill's OG partner in crime is back on the show to discuss the newest variant of Disconnect-the-Dots Disease and its primary benefactor — who also happens to be the arsonist behind the dumpster fire currently engulfing the Middle East — and the dangerous cost of American ambivalence. 

Bill and Caleb are joined again by Edmund Fitton-Brown — former coordinator of the UN’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team — to discuss the group’s latest report on the threat posed by al Qaeda and the Islamic State. They unpack the report’s highlights and key takeaways, including uncertainty surrounding the new IS leader and why the reason behind it could be “earth-shattering;” West Africa’s slide into even deeper chaos; how only one ‘member state’ (🤔) denied that al Qaeda’s leader is inside Iran, the state which Edmund says is “the spider at the center of the web;” and more.

Bill is joined again by FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power CMPP) senior director Bradley Bowman to discuss broader U.S. military posture in the Middle East amidst the the death of three American service members last weekend in Jordan.Housekeeping note: This was (naturally) recorded just hours before the U.S. announced that retaliatory strikes are in fact underway in Iraq and Syria on Friday, February 2.Keeping this in mind while listening, all points are still relevant. Stay tuned for LWJ and CMPP coverage and analysis of the strikes — and for real-time hot takes, follow @billroggio and @Brad_L_Bowman on X.

Bill and Joe are joined by their FDD colleague Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power, to discuss yesterday's tragic news of three U.S. service members killed in Jordan.

Exploring recent Israeli strikes on Iranian assets in Lebanon, the intensity of conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, the pervasiveness of the IRGC in Lebanon, challenges of understanding Iran's proxy strategy, analyzing Hezbollah's multifaceted nature, and navigating cognitive dissonance in policy making.

In this podcast, Bill and Joe discuss the latest news from the Middle East, including US pressure on Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli casualties in Gaza, Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and the ongoing challenge of countering the Houthis. They also analyze the hostage situation between Israel and Hamas, the need for victory over Hamas, and the Iranian threat in the region. The podcast provides insights into the complexities of the conflicts in the Middle East.

Bill and Behnam discuss the recent attacks in Iraq as well as the latest string of Houthi incidents and U.S.-led coalition's response. 

Bill and Joe discuss stats released this week by the IDF pertaining to its operations in Gaza and why escalation at Israel’s northern border with Lebanon is "just a matter of time.”

Bill and Behnam unpack the details they’ve been able to gather so far surrounding the U.S. and UK-led coalition strike against Houthi targets inside Yemen and whether this will restore deterrence. Accurate preview courtesy of Behnam: “We like to say ‘freaky Fridays’ here [we do not] — it can’t get freakier than the first-ever, historic use of force since October 7 by the U.S. and UK against the Houthis.”