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PODCAST

CONFLICTED

An ex-Al Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy and a former monk turned filmmaker, have been embedded at the heart of conflicts in the Middle East. Together Aimen Dean and Thomas Small unpack the realities of war, fundamentalism and their global implications through first-hand experience.

history

All Episodes

26:49

CC: Dr. Alick Isaacs – Dialogue and Purpose in a...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/08/13

In this week’s Conflicted Community episode we're joined by Dr. Alick Isaacs, a lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and co-founder of Siach Shalom. Siach Shalom is am initiative that brings people from all walks of Israeli and wider Middle Eastern society—religious and secular, left and right—together to foster deep listening and dialogue. This conversation explores Dr. Isaacs' personal journey, from his upbringing as a religious Jew in the UK to his military service in Israel during the

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23:59

CC: Philip Cunliffe - The Return of the National...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/07/30

The Conflicted Community is delighted to welcome back on to the show Philip Cunliffe, Associate Professor of International Relations at UCL and co-host of BungaCast! In this insightful conversation, Thomas and Philip dive into his new book, "The National Interest: Politics After Globalization." They trace the evolution of the national interest from medieval times to today, discussing its distinction from nationalism and how it can foster genuine international cooperation. The episode also explores

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76:50

Conflicted Revisited... The Untold Story of the Druze...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/07/23

Over the past few weeks, Southern Syria has been engulfed in violence, between the Al-Sharaa regime, local Druze militias, and even Israel joining the fray. In season 5, we spoke to Nour Salam, a member of the Druze community from Suwayda, who explained the complex dynamics of the region. So this week, we're returning to that episode, to help you make sense of the events going on there today...Nour Salam is a Druze and a human rights and women’s rights activist whose family are originally from

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24:54

CC: Q&A – From Bunker Busters to Sahel Battlefields

CONFLICTED ·

2025/07/16

Thomas and Aimen return to tackle a barrage of listener questions in this special Q&A episode, offering unparalleled insights into the ever-shifting landscape of Middle Eastern geopolitics.We begin with a deep dive into the recent US strikes on Iran, where Aimen details the real impact of "Bunker Buster" bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities. Did they cause the destruction that many in the US government are claiming? The pair then discuss your questions about the prospect of a more comprehensive

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69:43

The Syrian Civil War Pt.9: Aimen’s Nephew Answers the...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/07/09

Conflicted reaches the final episode of Season 5! We've journeyed from Africa to the historic toppling of the Assad regime in Syria, and now, to bring the season to a close, Thomas is joined once again by Aimen to reassess all the topics we’ve discussed this season.In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Aimen and Thomas discuss the state of Syria following 14 years of civil war, exploring the new complexities for Al-Sharaa’s regime. As with our previous Syria episodes, Aimen then shares a

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38:18

7/7: The Inside Story – A Thursday in July • Episode 1

CONFLICTED ·

2025/07/03

On a regular Thursday in July 2005, the peaceful morning air was shattered as four bombs ripped through the underground in central London. 52 people were killed, over 700 others were injured. London had never seen bombings of this magnitude before, never with this coordination.In the first episode of this special series of Conflicted, we hear from survivors, emergency workers and a former Al Qaeda spy as we recount the heart-pounding and tumultuous events of that fateful Thursday in July. It

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7:24

Introducing - 7/7: The Inside Story

CONFLICTED ·

2025/07/02

On July 7th 2005, four bombs ripped through the maze of train tunnels underneath central London, killing 52 people and injuring over 700 others. 20 years on, this event marks the start of two decades where terrorism, and the perceived threat of it, would change the way in which the UK thinks about its own security, societal integration, and the way in which it conducts itself around the globe. Hosted by Thomas Small, co-host of the award winning podcast Conflicted, this series will form a larger

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76:50

The Syrian Civil War Pt.8: The Untold Story of the...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/06/25

Our penultimate episode of season 5 is here, continuing our journey across Syria to bring you the voices of the revolution and civil war, from all perspectives. In the series so far, we’ve given you the perspectives of a Kurd from Aleppo and Afrin, we’ve parachuted you into the siege of Southern Damascus, we’ve shown you what life was like in Raqqa under ISIS - and now, we bring you another fascinating view of the civil war - that of the Druze from Suwayda, a small city in southern Syria. And it’s

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81:24

Conflicted Revisited... Ayatollah vs. Shah

CONFLICTED ·

2025/06/18

After our emergency episode on Monday about the extraordinary events currently taking place in Iran and Israel, we don't want to leave Conflicted listeners without their Thomas and Aimen fix on a Wednesday, so this week we're bringing you an old episode of Conflicted from Season 3, which explains how the modern state of Iran came into being - the Iranian Revolution of 1979... Find the episode description is below:It's the Iranian Revolution of 1979 - the great showdown! The watershed moment when

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65:22

CC: Israel & Iran’s Day of Reckoning

CONFLICTED ·

2025/06/16

Thomas and Aimen are back together again with an emergency episode to discuss the extraordinary events that took place over the weekend: Israel’s massive wave of attacks throughout Iran - and Iran's subsequent response. Aimen is back with us to detail the implications of the military action, explaining from his sources on the inside just how strategic Israel were in their plans for degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities and killing their army and intelligence leaders. We get into the geopolitical

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25:39

CC: Wassim Nasr – Does Lifting Sanctions Equal...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/06/11

Another old friend is back on the show, to give our Dearest listeners an update on the ever evolving situation in Syria - so welcome back the gallic tones of France 24 journalist and fellow of the Soufan Centre, Wassim Nassr! In this conversation, Thomas Small and Wasim discuss the current state of Syria, focusing on the recent lifting of sanctions by Trump, the implications for President Ahmad Al-Shara's government, and the historical context of Franco-Syrian relations. As the remnants of ISIS

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84:55

The Syrian Civil War Pt.7: Life Under ISIS in Raqqa

CONFLICTED ·

2025/06/04

Conflicted returns with another episode in our series on the Syrian Civil War, welcoming a new guest onto the show to tell us about her experiences of living life under ISIS in the city of Raqqa – Rania Ali.Rania tells us about her experiences growing up in Raqqa, and the city's rich history - a place of conflict throughout the centuries. As the Arab Spring protests began, Rania became involved, and she details the secretive nature of organizing protests under a repressive regime. She tells us

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24:32

CC: Baraa Shiban – Does Trump Spell the End for the...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/05/28

An old friend returns to the Conflicted Community for a chat about his home country of Yemen. Yes, you guessed it, it’s the irrepressible Baraa Shiban…Thomas and Baraa once again discuss the complex and evolving situation in Yemen, focusing on the impact of U.S. administrations, the role of the Houthis, and the broader regional dynamics in the Middle East. The impact of the new Trump administration has entirely changed the situation on the ground there, while increased sanctions and strikes from

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24:29

CC: Rob Geist Pinfold – How the Settlers Captured the...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/05/21

In this episode for our Conflicted Community, we continue our survey of the Israel-Palestine question with another interview, as Thomas Small engages with Rob Geist-Pinfold, a lecturer in defense studies and international security.This week we focus particularly on the Israeli settler movement. The conversation delves into the historical roots of the settler movement, its evolution from a secular to a religiously motivated initiative, and the intricate relationship between settlers and the Israeli

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23:38

CC: Giri Rajendran Pt.2 – Trump's Military Moves and...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/05/14

Giri Rajendran is back for round 2 for the Conflicted Community, continuing our conversation about Donald Trump and his so-called ‘grand strategy’. This second part of our conversation delves into the decline of U.S. global power and the historical context of rising powers, particularly in relation to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In this conversation, Thomas and Giri delve into the complexities of the Ukraine conflict, the implications of NATO's expansion, and the strategic calculations of

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73:48

The Syrian Civil War Pt.6: The Siege Ends, The Regime...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/05/07

This week on Conflicted we are drawing our narrative arc on Syria to a close with our second episode with filmmaker and political activist, Matar Ismaeel.Last time Matar told us about his experiences filming protests in 2011 as the Syrian revolution began, being tortured in Assad’s prisons, and witnessing firsthand the brutal siege of Southern Damascus. This episode Matar finishes his remarkable story with us - from recounting how Friends of his were radicalised by a ISIS to the battles he

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23:52

Conflicted Community: Giri Rajendran - Trump’s New...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/04/30

The Conflicted Community is back to talk about the headlines we can’t seem to escape - Donald Trump and his tearing up of the economic world order. This episode, Thomas sits down with Giri Rajendran, the holder of no fewer than 3 degrees in economics and finance from the London School of Economics. Giri has worked as an economist in transatlantic defence before moving to work in finance, first in private wealth management and then on to asset management, most recently at BlackRock, the largest

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96:15

Tom Khaled Würdemann – Israelism, Palestinianism and...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/04/23

The Conflicted Community returns with another episode on the complex and multifaceted Israel-Palestinian conflict, focusing on the ideological dimensions that shape perceptions and identities. This time, Thomas invites on Tom Khaled Würdemann, a PhD candidate at the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany on the perspective of Palestinian intellectuals towards Israel between 1960 and 2000. He teaches there and at a German police college, and the central focus of his

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62:31

The Syrian Civil War Pt.5: The Siege of Southern...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/04/16

Conflicted returns with another episode in our series on the Syrian Civil War, this time with a new contributor, who begins today a two episode arc where we’ll be looking at the Siege of Southern Damascus…Thomas Small has invited on Matar Ismaeel, a documentary filmmaker and political activist from Masyaf, Syria. Now back in his homeland after years of exile, Matar speaks to us from Masyaf itself, relaying an extraordinary story of resilience and courage in the Syrian capital. Matar tells us

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22:16

CC: Hamza Howidy – Protest, Exile, and a Post-Hamas...

CONFLICTED ·

2025/04/09

This week, Thomas speaks with Hamza Howidy, a Palestinian activist originally from Gaza now living in exile in Germany. Hamza shares his extraordinary story of growing up under Hamas rule and the constant threat of Israeli military action on the one hand, and the brutality of Hamas on the other.Hamza was forced to leave Gaza due to his involvement in protests against Hamas in 2019 and 2023, taking the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean from Turkey to Europe to do so. Hamza offers a vital

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