CONFLICTED

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to bestselling novelist and historian Jack Carr. A former Navy SEAL sniper, Carr talks about his phenomenal book Targeted: Beirut: The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing and the Untold Origin Story of the War on Terror as well as his upcoming novel The Fourth Option.

Jack describes:

His path from childhood fascination with war to becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper

SEAL training: Hell Week, mental fortitude, and what separates those who quit from those who don’t

Boarding Iraqi oil tankers: enforcing sanctions at sea and policing the post–Gulf War international order

His experience as a sniper in Iraq and Afghanistan

The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and its role in shaping modern terrorism and U.S. foreign policy

The mistakes in US counter-terrorism policy: how limited responses can shape enemy strategy over time

From warfighter to writer: how Carr’s military experience informs his novels and nonfiction on the War on Terror

Jack Carr's official website: https://www.officialjackcarr.com/

Find Jack on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackcarrusa/

Find Jack on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackcarrusa/

Find Jack on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JackCarrUSA

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Alan Leer.
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Aimen describes the counter-coup which has taken place inside the Islamic Republic against Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, the key to understanding the failure of the Islamabad peace talks.

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.
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In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist Jason Burke about his new book The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s.

Jason explains:

Why the origins of modern terrorism lie earlier than the Afghan jihad of the 1980s

The global revolutionary ferment of the 1960s and 70s

Why early terrorist attacks were often designed to attract attention rather than cause mass casualties

The role of Palestinian militant groups in pioneering modern tactics like hijacking

Connections between European radicals, Japanese militants, and Middle Eastern groups

How states adapted to terrorism through new counterterrorism measures

The shift from theatrical violence to mass-casualty and suicide attacks

The relationship between secular revolutionary movements and later Islamist militancy

The Iranian Revolution as a turning point in the evolution of political violence

Why many common narratives about the origins of jihadism are incomplete

Find Jason on X: https://x.com/burke_jason

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews.
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After the peace talks in Islamabad fail as expected, the United States adopts Plan B: a complete blockade of all Iranian maritime trade. Aimen explains this latest move in the Iran War.

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.
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Aimen does his best to explain the sudden and somewhat unexpected ceasefire between the United States and Iran which was announced early on Tuesday.

Aimen and Thomas discuss:

Pakistan's role: what game are they playing?

Russia's delicate balancing act between Iran and the GCC

How GCC leaders cope with President Trump's erratic shifts in messaging and policy

Did Netanyahu know about the ceasefire in advance?

The potential coup in Lebanon which Israel's intervention stopped

Whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire or not

What U.S. military hardware is on its way to the region

Why European politicians and diplomats still support containment when it comes to Iran while being gung-ho against Russia

How energy dependence helps explain the posture of Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey

How the Islamabad talks between Vance and Ghalibaf are likely to go down

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices