The Red Line

For decades Algeria has been tussling for the leadership position in North Africa with its Western neighbour Morocco, the fighting has stretched from Western Sahara, to the Sahel, and even to competing economies. Now the conflict is beginning to bubble up again, will it mean victory for Algeria, or internal collapse for Africas largest nation. We ask our expert panel.  On the panel this week. - Jalel Harchaoui (Global Initiative) - Robert S. Ford (Fmr US Ambassador) - Riccardo Fabiani (Intl Crisis Group) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vietnam is quickly become the new frontline in the South China Sea, with the nation standing in the direct path of an expansionist China. Will Vietnam be able to once again be the rock great empires crash upon, or will they be pulled into Beijing's gravitational orbit.  On the panel this week  Sebastian Strangio - The Diplomat Huong Le Thu - ASPI Gordon Flake - Perth USAsia Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space has become the newest battlefield to undergo wide-ranging militarization, with everything from Nuclear Weapons to Kamikaze Satellites being deployed into orbit. What was once just a two-horse race between the US and the USSR has now burst right open, and the dominant position in space may be up for grabs; with serious geopolitical consequences here on Earth.  On the panel this week.  - Bleddyn Bowen (University of Leicester) - Alexey Muraviev (Curtin University) - John B. Sheldon (Policy Exchange) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1994 Belarus has been ruled by Alexander Lukashenko, better known as Europe's last dictator. 2020 though brought a brand new wave of protests and Lukashenko's position in power has become somewhat shakey, and he is beginning to outlive his usefulness to the Kremlin. Will the Kremlin fight to keep him there, or place someone else on the throne? Is there a future for Belarus in the West?  On the panel this week - Scott Rauland (Fmr US Amb to Belarus) - Heather Conley (CSIS) - Steven Pifer (Fmr US Amb to Ukraine) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkey and Greece have been battling each other for influence over the Eastern Mediterranean now for centuries, and nowhere is that struggle more evident than on the island of Cyprus. The island is currently divided into 3 parts, and for decades the conflict has remained stagnant, but will the conflict reignite with the discovery of a range of new gas fields off the coast?  On the panel this week - Madalina Vicari (Geopolitics Writier) - Andreas Theophanous (Uni of Nicosia) - Matthew Bryza (Fmr Ambassador) - Robert M Cutler (NATO Canada) Follow the show on - @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on - @MikeHilliardAus More info at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South America's largest nation is currently in the middle of a tumultuous period, with war at home and a looming financial crisis on the horizon. What does the next decade hold in store for the heart of the continent, and will the military retake control of the country? We ask our expert panel.  - Christoph Harig (HSU Hamburg) - Victor Pougy (Intercept Brazil) - Christopher Sabatini (Chatham House) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the attention of the world focused elsewhere, a conflict that threatens the stability of an entire continent has slipped under the radar. Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict has rapidly spiralled out of control, decimating their Armed Forces and sending the country toward the brink of collapse. With few options left, the now desperate Ethiopian Government is recalling their peacekeepers from dozens of hotspots across Africa, opening the door for conflicts throughout the continent to reignite.  On the panel this week. Kjetil Tronvoll (Oslo Analytica) Alan Boswell (Crisis Group)Alex De Waal (World Peace Foundation)For more info please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diamonds have been used to pay militias and rebel groups for decades due to their ease of transportation, global demand, and reliable value. After diamonds fuelled conflict across Africa, the Kimberley Process was created to stop the use of conflict diamonds, but its limitations have left key loopholes open. Exploiting these has allowed this trade to rampage through the African continent once again. How can this process be reformed? And who will pay the price? On the panel this week. Brad Brooks Rubin - Global Initiative Russel Shor - Minerals Journalist Shamiso Mtisi - Kimberley Process Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dubai's transformation from a fishing village to a global hub epitomises the unlikely country that is the United Arab Emirates. Massive oil wealth has enabled them to punch above their weight, but as the world marches away from oil, the pressure is building to secure their future while they still can. How will the UAE diversify? And what is its ambitious Red Sea strategy? We ask our expert panel: Hilal Khashan (American University of Beirut) Helen Lackner (ECFR) Bilal Saab (Middle East Institute) For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To counter an ever-expanding China, Tokyo is turning abroad in search of allies. Key to this is the recent revival of "The Quad", a strategic dialogue between The US, Australia, Japan and India. Will it be enough to counter their rising neighbour across the East China Sea? Is this the first step to creating an "Asian NATO", and what will Chinas response be? We ask our expert panel. On the panel this week: Owen Swift (ASPI) John Nilsson-Wright (Cambridge) John Coyne (ASPI) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices