Behind the Lines with Arthur Snell is a new geopolitics podcast. Every week we give the listener access to the best informed people to help you understand this turbulent world and get a feel for the things that will matter in the future. I am on Twitter @snellarthur and you can read some of my thoughts on world affairs here https://arthursnell.substack.com/ If you enjoyed this podcast please spread the word and give us a positive review - as a brand new title it makes all the difference!" Ho ...
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Veteran foreign correspondent Jonathan Rugman is the author of The Killing in the Consulate about the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. More recently he has produced a fascinating two-part documentary about MBS and his rise to power. You can find it on BBC Iplayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001zprq/the-kingdom-the-worlds…
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Have we entered a post-Western world? What does that mean and how does it look from the other side of the world? Singapore based academic and former British diplomat has published a new book, Westlessness about this idea and I spoke to him for a wide-ranging discussion on the decline of the west, the rise of Asia and the potential implications. Hos…
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James Dorsey is a writer and journalist and author of the new book The Battle for the Soul of Islam - Defining the Muslim Faith in the 21st Century, published by Macmillan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In September last year, an established community in a European country of hundreds of thousands of people was removed in its entirety after a devastating military campaign. This was not Ukraine, but the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has now ceased to exist. To understand this and the dynamics of a little understood region including…
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Back to Ukraine - Away from summitry, what is happening on the ground?
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Away from NATO's glitzy summit 75th anniversary summit in Washington DC, the war in Ukraine drags on. Ian Bond, a former British ambassador and now Deputy Director of the Centre for European Reform think-tank spoke to me about his recent visit to Ukraine and Moldova and what it portends for the war in Ukraine and wider European security. Hosted on …
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The British Elections - an Outsider's perspective with Annette Dittert
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In this episode I speak to Annette Dittert, London correspondent of German TV channel ARD since 2008. She has lived here since 2008, but she remains someone who can look dispassionately at our politics, culture and institutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What have they go to show for fourteen years of power? With Nick Cohen
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I spoke to Nick Cohen, veteran political journalist and author of the Writing from London substack https://nickcohen.substack.com/ about the record of the past 14 years of Conservative government and what we might expect from a Labour one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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EMERGENCY EPISODE: Jason Pack on Biden's debate disaster
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I spoke to Jason Pack about the fallout from President Joseph Biden's poor debate performance on 27 June. Jason has written about this in his substack and also recorded his own podcast on the subject, both available here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-146086715?source=queue We covered: does the poor debate even matter? What is the process (if on…
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President Macron did something truly unexpected when he called a snap election in the aftermath of the European parliamentary elections. It now looks very likely that France's next legislature will contain a plurality of hard right deputies from Marine Le Pen's National Rally. I spoke to Lord Peter Ricketts, former British Ambassador to France abou…
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The Meg-election: Modi gets a shock from India's voters
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I was delighted to speak to Akanksha Narain, Indian political analyst and consultant about the unexpected election results in India where Modi's BJP party fell far short of their target of 400 seats in the 542-seat lower house of Parliament (Lok Sabha). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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The 'Other' Election: Europe Goes to the Polls
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I spoke to Christina Keßler of the Centre for European Reform (CER) about the current EU elections and the possibility of Europe taking a turn to the right. You can find Christina's work at the CER here: https://www.cer.eu/personnel/christina-kessler Separately, I appeared on the new podcast Quiet Riot. Find the episode here: https://open.spotify.c…
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America's political crisis - the historic, structural and ideological roots
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With Trump's criminal conviction, the chaos and division of American politics seems set to increase. But this is about much more than what happened in a New York courtroom, with roots in American history, its political structures and the rise of certain ideological movements. I spoke to American political scientist Jonathan Terra about the backdrop…
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Disinformation and UK politics: will it effect the 2024 election?
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I spoke to disinformation expert Amil Khan about the current state of disinformation in global and UK politics and the risks it could pose to the 2024 UK general election. Amil is Director of Valent projects. His work has been covered in a range of media outlets including Disinformation is on the rise. How does it work?economist.com, and the BBC Ho…
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Georgia: on the frontlines of the global fight between freedom and authoritarianism
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I had the chance to speak to Marika Mikiashvili of the Droa liberal internationalist party in Georgia about the background to the current protests in her country, Russia's history of interference and military intervention and the importance of Georgia's struggle to the wider question of democracy in Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo…
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A critical friend: Helene von Bismarck on Britain and the World
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It was my huge pleasure to speak to German historian of Britain Helene von Bismarck. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky and also on her website https://www.helenevonbismarck.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What might a Labour government try to do in its relations with the EU?
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Following on from the episode on 22 April, the second part of my conversation with Sydney Nash on the UK's relations with Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Kharkiv and Ukraine's will to survive with Jade McGlynn
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At a time when the unbreakable city of Kharkiv faces untold destruction and sustained bombardment by Russian forces it was a privilege to speak to Dr Jade McGlynn, a scholar of Ukraine and Russia, who is based there. We discussed the situation in Kharkiv and across the wider front and also the vital work she is involved with to raise funding for ne…
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Where is the EU going and what does that mean for the UK?
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As ever, British debates about the EU tend to be debates about Britain. We might hope to rejoin, or at least regain a better-functioning trading relationship with the organisation, but we don't do enough thinking about where the EU is headed in its own development. So I spoke to Europe expert Sydney Nash about this over two episodes. The first of t…
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Iran, Israel and the risks of a regional war
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Iran and Israel have been on the brink of open conflict, in the light of Iran's barrage of drone and missile strikes on Israel, which in turn followed Israel's strike on Iran's consulate in Damascus. I spoke to Charlie Gammell, Iran expert, historian and former diplomat, about the crisis and what we might learn from it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.c…
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Politics and Money: a Dysfunctional Relationship, with Seth Thevoz
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How do British political parties get funded? What does that money buy? With only a few weeks to go until the local elections and in a year of a general election I spoke to Seth Thevoz, political and investigative journalist, about how parties are funded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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The tragedy of Haiti and what we can learn from it
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Professor Amalendu Misra of the University of Lancaster is an expert in Latin America and the Caribbean, notably Haiti. I spoke to him about the current crisis there and what it tells us about the wider region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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World War Three? What might it look like?
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Mike Martin (who is on Twitter and elsewhere @threshedthought) is one of the most insightful thinkers on conflict and geopolitics active today. He served in the army in Afghanistan with some distinction and subsequently has worked as an academic and adviser on conflict and strategy. He is now running for parliament as the Liberal Democrat candidate…
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Is Democracy for Sale? with Peter Geoghegan
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Is Democracy for Sale? The degree to which dark money, powerful interests and political power intersects in this country is startling and depressing. One of the most dogged chroniclers of this phenomenon is the investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan whose book, published articles and substack are all essential reading for people that take an inte…
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Returning to our occasional episodes on Britain's relationships with Europe and the EU, I spoke to EU law professor Jacob Öberg about how Britain could evolve its relationship with the EU in future, the realistic possibilities of joining a customs union, the single market and the EU itself, and the need for future governments to start talking hones…
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Ukraine, Russia and the Crisis in Western Militaries
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Frank Ledwidge is a War Studies academic, a former serviceman and an expert on military matters. He made several visits to Ukraine since the start of the current conflict and offers an incisive, clear-eyed account of the challenges faced there, the capacity of the Russian military to learn and the risks the West has brought on itself through chroni…
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Chemical Weapons, Poisons and Assassinations, with Dan Kaszeta
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At the heart of much of the discussion of the multiple crises facing the Middle East is Iran, whose proxies are active across the region. But what is it that Iran itself wants? What is it trying to achieve and and what considerations does it bring to these questions? To try to answer these complicated questions I was fortunate to be joined by Charl…
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Repeated airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen do not appear to have dampened their willingness or their ability to continue strikes against shipping. What are the appropriate responses to this determined and dangerous group? To get a better understanding of their role in Yemen, the wider political context and the regional factors in play, I s…
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Chainsaw Politics: Argentina's Anarchic President
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Argentina's 'anarcho capitalist' president Javier Milei haș a series of policies that are barely believable. I spoke to Leiza Brumat about the political and economic background to his election, his political platform and whether he is likely to get it adopted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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YEMEN BONUS EPISODE: In conversation with Jason Pack
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BONUS EPISODE In conversation with Jason Pack of the Disorder Podcast about Yemen. This is a joint episode with Disorder, so if you are already listening to that show, you won't find too much different between these two. There are some links that were referenced during the show. https://time.com/6555947/houthi-airstrike-history/ https://foreignpoli…
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S2Ep2: EMERGENCY EP: Yemen's Houthis with Hannah Porter - What do they want and why do they want it?
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EMERGENCY EPISODE On 11 January US and UK airforces struck targets in Yemen associated with the Huthi militia which has been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, purportedly in solidarity with the plight of the Palestinians. To try to understand the bewildering background to these worrying events I was privileged to be joined by Hannah …
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After a tough year in 2023 and a lack of major progress in regaining territory from the Russians, this year promises to be another challenging one for Ukraine. Looming over all of what Ukraine does is the question of Western support. Will the USA be able to overcome its political turmoil and continue to provide the Ukrainians with the weapons and a…
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Holiday Special Ep 20: Shane O'Mara on the science of memory and what that tells us about nationalism
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With all the pressure of the Christmas season I held off from putting out a 'geopolitical review of the year' or something like that: there's a lot going on and people need some space. Instead, I wanted to finish the year with an episode that is in some ways completely different, but also relevant to the issues we have covered in the podcast earlie…
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Ep 19 The Israel Palestine conflict with James Barr, part II - after the Holocaust
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As the Israeli assault on Gaza, immediately preceded by the Hamas-led massacre in Southern Israel, continues, we return to the history of this conflict. This is the second part of my extended interview with the historian James Barr, author of several books on the history of the Middle East including A Line in the Sand and Lords of the Desert, some …
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Ep 18 James Barr on the History of the Israel Palestine dispute
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The crisis in Israel - Palestine continues, currently unfolding with the Israeli attack on Gaza, immediately preceded by the Hamas-led massacre in Southern Israel. Unpicking the history and origins of these events remains a particularly difficult task, with history used and abused by people with points to prove on all sides. For that reason I was p…
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The sense that our politics isn’t working might be familiar to listeners of this podcast. If you heard last week’s episode you’ll know that I had James O’Brien discussing his book “How they Broke Britain”, which gets to the heart of these questions. But one area that James and I didn’t touch on is our parliament. Britain’s parliament, sometimes sel…
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Ep 16: James O'Brien on How they Broke Britain
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James O'Brien is often described as the voice of liberal England. With this regular radio slot on LBC and his huge online following, he is a reminder that popular doesn’t have to be populism. His patient, forensic but totally accessible unpicking of cynical political dishonsesty, particularly of the Brexist variety, has been a beacon of sanity for …
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Ep 15: Ukraine - Europe's Forgotten War?
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After months of fierce fighting, mostly in the Donbas region, Ukraine's attempt to push through Russia occupation zone to reach the Sea of Azov appears to have failed. Russia's incredibly dense minefields, its increasingly sophisticated use of drones, and its willingness to weather extraordinary casualties have all contributed to a lack of Ukrainia…
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Ep 14: The Gardener of Laskhar Gah - Britain's Afghan Betrayal
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When I worked at the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province, I was largely based at the Forward Operating Base in Lashkar Gah - the main city of Helmand. There, amid the dust and noise of an active military campaign, there was a small, beautifully tended garden inside the base. I’m going to be honest and say that I was too preoccupied w…
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Behind the Lines Episode 13: The UK's Long March back to Europe?
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This week we’re covering arguably the most important question in British foreign policy: our relationship with Europe and, specifically - what the circumstances and process might be for Britain to rejoin the EU. Nobody thinks this is an easy issue, or something that can be achieved quickly. But it’s something that everyone with any sense of a Europ…
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Behind the Lines Ep 12: Bella Omnium Contra Omnes?
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Dr Mike Martin, former soldier, military strategist and author of How to Fight a War joined me to discuss how Israel and Hamas are fighting their war. Our discussion took us into a wider exploration of conflict in the modern age and the risk of escalation and agglomeration of individual conflicts into global ones. Mike can be found on Twitter where…
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Understanding the risks of a regional war between Israel and its antagonists feels like the most important issue at the present time. I was able to speak to Michael Stephens, former head of the Middle East programme at RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, about the complex diplomatic and strategic relations that exist across the region. We co…
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Behind The Lines Ep 10 - Trumps Dirty Roubles With Greg Olear
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In this episode I wanted to go back to something that Paul Mason said in an earlier episode which struck a chord. He identified that the weakest link in International democratic politics is the world’s greatest democracy, the United States. Here’s Paul’s line “the key to the international situation is America. we could wake up in November 2024 with…
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Behind The Lines Ep 9 - Israel’s Gaza challenge
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Following Hamas’s horrific assault on Israel, attention turns to Israel’s reaction. Gaza is under siege and Israel has mobilised over 300,000 reservists. Israel claims that it plans to destroy Hamas. What does that mean in practice? And what does it mean for the civilians that live in Gaza? This sits in a wider context of regional relationships, Is…
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Behind The Lines Emergency Episode - Hamas' War Against Israel with Jason Pack
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EMERGENCY PODCAST We’re only 4 days after the stunning horror of Hamas’s attack on Israel. Much remains unclear, but we now know that a major Hamas operation completely blindsided Israel’s defences and nearly 1,000 Israelis, mostly civilians are dead, with several hundred taken as hostages to Gaza. Israel has regained control of the towns that were…
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Behind The Lines Ep 7 - How to Stop Fascism, with Paul Mason
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In 2021, Paul Mason, a veteran journalist familiar to viewers of Newsnight and Channel 4 News, published a book called How to stop Fascism, History Ideology, Resistance. His book came in the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection in Washington DC and the spectre of rising authoritarian nationalism across the world. A year later, Paul found himse…
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Behind The Lines Ep 6 - Still Beautiful? The Cynical World of Globalised Football
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We’re living in an age of the self-confident autocrat: China is rising, President Erdogan coasted to a managed re-election and in the Gulf, the Arab monarchies are riding high on oil prices boosted by Putin’s war in Ukraine. And what do the autocrats do with their money? They use it to buy influence. And one of the ways that they can do this is thr…
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Behind The Lines Ep 5 - Libya and the Disordered World
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Storm Daniel passed through the Mediterranean in early September, one of a bewildering number of extreme weather events in recent months. When it hit Libya on 10 September, torrential rainfall led to catastrophic floods in the Town of Derna. At the time of recording as many as 20,000 people are missing, feared dead. It was an example of the terrify…
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Behind The Lines Ep 4 - The Threats To Global Democracy
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On the 30th August a military coup took place in Gabon in West Africa, dislodging the president Ali Bongo, whose family has controlled the country for nearly 60 years. That military takeover in Gabon followed swiftly on the heels of a coup in Niger, one month earlier. There seems to have been a spate of these in the Sahel region of Africa. Indeed, …
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Behind The Lines Ep 3 - Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Dictatorship
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Since independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has been controlled by one political movement - ZANU-PF. Outside the country this was often seen as the personal fiefdom of one man, Robert Mugabe. Undoubtedly he was the key figure, but after his removal from power in 2017, the party has continued to control Zimbabwe’s politics and its institutions. So it is a …
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