Behind The Lines with Arthur Snell

The New Total War: Bob Seely on Russia's Strategy

From the revolutionary use of drones to staged coups, child abduction and psychological warfare, the war in Ukraine is like no other. It is a new form of total war, combining traditional military force with all the non-military tools of the Russian state. The 2022 invasion was just the next stage of a conflict that Russia has been fighting since 2005, using all the tactics at its disposal to control Ukraine’s politics and wreak havoc. Combining over a decade of research, astute analysis and powerful stories from the front line, and including striking photographs of the people and scenes he encountered along the way, Bob Seely has written the authoritative guide to this new form of conflict. Travelling extensively throughout Ukraine, Seely meets figures such as Panoushka, the sniper who continues to fight despite the loss of her fiancé, and Ksenia, the seventeen-year-old who journeyed through Russia searching for her abducted younger brother. Above all, Seely argues that understanding Moscow’s new total war is critical because Russia considers itself at war with the West as well as Ukraine, directing some of the tactics used there against us. Find Bob's book here: https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/the-new-total-war If you would like to support this podcast please consider taking out a paid subscription to my Substack arthursnell.substack.com or if you don't want the hassle of a subscription you can buy me a coffee! ko-fi.com/snellarthur Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America First: A New Era in Foreign Policy with Jonathan Terra

In this episode, Arthur Snell and Dr. Jonathan Terra delve into the Trump administration's National Security Strategy, exploring its ideological underpinnings, rejection of globalism, and implications for America's role in the world. They discuss the document's views on migration, the Monroe Doctrine, and the contrasting approaches to Europe and Asia, highlighting the administration's isolationist tendencies and the potential consequences for international relations. Have a look at my substack on this subject: https://arthursnell.substack.com/p/americas-weakness-europes-strength Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Crisis in the Sahel: the end of Western intervention and the collapse of Mali

Mali, a vast country larger than most of Western Europe added together is a country whose central authority has largely collapsed and whose capital city Bamako is surrounded by radical Islamist militants. There seems to be a pattern here, with Syria and Afghanistan having fallen as Western countries lose interest. As with Syria, the corrupt Malian government had allied itself with Russia, apparently to little effect. I spoke to Tessa Devereaux of SOAS about Mali and the wider Sahel, and what it means for all of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ukraine Crisis: Will Trump Force Moscow's Deal on Zelenskyy?

I spoke to Quiet Riot regular Alex Andreou as well as Iuliia Osmolowska, former senior Ukrainian diplomat now running the GLOBSEC think tank office in Kyiv about the so-called 28-Point Peace Plan as well as Ukraine and Europe's response. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Abu Ghraib to the White House - How Ahmad Al-Shara'a is Ruling Syria

I spoke to Orwa Ajjoub about the remarkable rise of Syria's new ruler, Ahmad Al-Shara'a, from wanted terrorist to White House visitor. His ruthless pragmatism is his signature and we discussed this in some detail, including his relations with the Kurdish SDF, with Turkey, Israel and the regional states, as well as with the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices