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
Religion & Spirituality
76
Subcontinental Rift
From the Arab world, we now journey eastward to the Indian Subcontinent. Ancient, vast, and spiritually rich, the lands that comprise the nation-states of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh underwent one of the great traumas of the 20th century: the end of British rule and the Partition of the Raj.
75 min
77
Gaddafi: The Arab Madman Cometh
Now that we’ve told the story of the rise and fall of Nasserism, we turn to Libya and its handsome and charismatic dictator, Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
87 min
78
Arab-Israeli Blitzkrieg
We’ve finally reached the climax of the Cold War in the Middle East: the 6-Day War of 1967 and its dramatic sequel, the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The outcomes of both wars are well known; less so the political machinations leading up to them.
63 min
79
Hashemites!
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Jordan and Iraq both received Hashemite monarchs—and the rivalries and ideological conflicts that followed still reverberate today, perhaps nowhere more powerfully than on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
76 min
80
The State of Syria
In this episode, we talk about Syria. Or ask the question, really: What is Syria? Syria has been described as a “ fulcrum of geopolitical hegemony...” — a bit like Ukraine, interestingly — “...a fulcrum of geopolitical hegemony in the Middle East.”
67 min
81
Introducing: Behind the Sun
Before the next episode, we have something a little different for your ears - an intro to a whole new podcast - Behind the Sun.
46 min
82
Zionism and It's Discontents
Having avoided it for as long as possible, Aimen & Thomas finally turn their attention to the state of Israel: its backstory, its modern re-emergence, and its impact on the civilizational fault lines criss-crossing the Middle East.
62 min
83
Nasser: The Arab Strongman Cometh
Following on from our last episode, another CIA adventure in the Middle East kicks off this episode on Egypt.
65 min
84
The Soul of Iran
In this episode, we shift our focus to Iran. Nobody could have known this at the time, but with hindsight we can see that at the beginning of the Cold War, Iran had somehow become a whirlpool swirling with all of the 20th century’s clashing ideological and political forces.
64 min
85
Borderline Post-Soviet Disorder
In the last episode we talked about how the American half of the Cold War was established in Saudi Arabia. Today, we’re shifting our focus to the other half of that epic conflict: the Soviet Union.
57 min
86
Spying for Saudi
In this week’s episode, we focus attention on Aimen’s homeland: Saudi Arabia. Arabia is as old as time, and we explore how the depth and profundity of its history inform the present day.
75 min
87
Clash of Civilisations
Listen to Thomas and Aimen travel back in time once again to the Cold War, how the two world superpowers collide, the repercussions on other continents, and how The Middle East is involved..
54 min
88
Afghanistan Continued
In our first episode of the season Thomas and Aimen finish what they started and introduce us to idea of the “Clash of Civilizations”… Buckle up.
58 min
89
Conflicted Season 3 Trailer
Conflicted podcast is back with Season 3 on January 19 with more fresh takes to widen our lens. In our most ambitious season yet, we draw connections between the unexpected to redefine how we think about the Middle East.
1 min
90
Afghanistan and the Taliban
This year marks twenty years since 9/11 and the start of the war in Afghanistan. A war which is now reaching a tragic and extraordinary finale. In this special episode, Thomas and Aimen are back for a deep dive into the ancient and modern history of Afgh...
77 min
91
Iran and the Nuclear Bomb
In November, Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated, and so Thomas and Aimen return to discuss the regional context of Iran’s nuclear program, what’s next for the region once Joe Biden takes office, and Aimen reveals how the ass...
42 min
92
Introducing Untold Killing: Episode 1 - The Siege
In this bonus episode, Thomas introduces a new show from the producers of Conflicted about the Srebrenica genocide. Tune in to hear the first episode of Untold Killing in full. The story of the last European genocide starts with the Bosnian War in 1992...
45 min
93
Introducing: UNTOLD KILLING
Thomas introduces a new podcast about a subject familiar to Conflicted listeners: the Bosnian War. Untold Killing is a deep dive into one particularly tragic event during the war - the Srebrenica Genocide. Listen to the teaser and subscribe to the new sh...
2 min
94
Bonus Episode
In this special episode, Thomas and Aimen sit down to answer your questions. They dig deeper into past discussions as well as touch on topics we haven’t covered in the podcast before. Expect to hear discussion about how COVID-19 is impacting the Middle E...
78 min
95
Climate Crisis
As the financial crisis moved off the front pages, activists and politicians began to organize around another global emergency: climate change. In this episode, Aimen and Thomas discuss and debate their way through the science and politics around this ho...
55 min
96
Wall Street
From a bomb maker to double agent to… banker? In this episode, Aimen draws on his experience helping banks combat financial terrorism as our hosts explore the 2008 Financial Crisis and its impact on the New World Order. Join the Facebook group here: ht...
58 min
97
China 3.0
From the protests in Hong Kong, to the persecution of the Uighurs and the building of the New Silk Road, this episode explores the role China has played in the New World Order. Join the FB group here: http://bit.ly/37cqJAYRead the transcript here: htt...
66 min
98
Enter Russia
After the Iron Curtain fell, America aimed to bring Russia into the fold of their New World Order. Things didn’t go according to plan. In this episode, Thomas and Aimen discuss the rise of Putin, the Second Chechen War and Russia’s role in Syria. For m...
44 min
99
New World Order
In 1990, George Bush proclaimed the dawning of a New World Order. The Cold War was over, the nation-state and capitalism had won, and the US was ready to deliver their strategy for global governance of the world. Aimen and Thomas discuss how this played ...
45 min
100
World War Iran
With the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the world found itself teetering on the edge of a conflict, the scale of which has only been threatened a few times since 1945. Aimen and Thomas kick off Season 2 looking at who Soleimani was, hi...
54 min