The Loopcast

Episode 93 - Cyber security at the national level

Jack Whitsitt (@sintixerr) discusses cyber security at the national policy and institutional level with the Loopcast.

Please check out Jack's blog which features a lot more content that expands upon what we discussed in the show.

Make sure to check out the Loopcast's tumblr.

Episode 92 - "Iran's Policy on Afghanistan: The Evolution of Strategic Pragmatism"

Bruce Koepke talks to the Loopcast about this new paper "Iran Policy on Afghanistan: The Evolution of Strategic Pragmatism"

Check out the Loopcast's tumblr for more!

Episode 91 - Al Shabaab's media and recruitment

Chris Anzalone (@ibnsiqilli) discusses Al Shabaab's use of media and it's recruitment strategy. 

Please check out the Loopcast's tumblr with links, maps and more.

Episode 90 - "The Dogs are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan"

Graeme Smith (@smithkabul) discusses his book "The Dog are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan"

Episode 89 - (Lack of) Law and Order in the Sinai

Mara Revkin (@mararevkin) discusses the problem of law and order in the Sinai with the Loopcast.

Make sure to check out Mara's article:  "Sharia Courts of the Sinai"

Episode 88 - Politics, political participation, and information security

Josh Corman (@joshcorman) talks to the Loopcast about the intersection of politics, the political process and information security.

Below are links that will add context and formed the back ground to the discussion:

"Building a better Anonymous" Series

"World War 3.0"

"DEFCON 19 Panel: Whoever Fights Monsters..."

"DEFCON 20 Talk: World War 3.0: Chaos, Control, & The Battle for the Net"

"The Cavalry isn't Coming: Starting the Revolution to Fsck it All!"

I am The Cavalry and @iamthecavalry

Episode 87- Update on the insurgency in Syria and a profile of the shabiha

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi (@ajaltamimi) and Phillip Smyth (@phillipsmyth) discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria and profile the shabiha, pro Assad militias. 

Check out the two updates from Syria Comment which formed the basis of this conversation: "Islamist Groups Declare Opposition to National Coalition and US Strategy" and "A Case Study of "The Syrian Resistance," a Pro-Assad Militia Force"    

Episode 86 - Counter Terrorism in the Horn of Africa: The region and al Shabaab

Clinton Watts (@selectedwisdom) talks to the Loopcast about the West Gate Mall attack, shifts in al Shabaab's strategy, the larger issue of the Horn of Africa in US counter terrorism policy, and ending with Omar Hammani's legacy. 

Check out Clint's blog and his latest: "The Siege in Nairobi"

Make sure to check the Loopcast's Tumblr later this week for more articles related to this episode.

Episode 85- Insurgency in the Sinai

Zack Gold (@zlgold) and Chelsea Daymon (@cldaymon) speak to the Loopcast about the insurgency in the Sinai.

Zack's latest: "Why Israel will miss Morsi: As Egypt's military cracks down, Sinai descends into chaos"

Also make sure to read Chelsea's essay "The Egyptian Sinai: A New Front for Jihadist Activity"

Episode 84- Understanding the Syrian Insurgency with Charles Lister and Aaron Zelin

Charles Lister (@charles_lister) and Aaron Zelin (@azelin) discuss the Syrian insurgency. Below I've listed an outline of the conversation and the questions we covered.

First, update us on the war. What is the state of the insurgency post chemical weapon use? At this point in the war how can we relate FSA to other parts of the insurgency (jihadis, Islamist, etc)[ infighting ]. Where do we factor in sectarianism? Where do we factor in the level of violence?

 How much of the insurgency can be considered "secular" vs "Islamist" vs "jihadi"? How would you define each category, and more importantly has there been shift from one category to another?

In the US there has been a heated debate about the "good" and "bad" guys: Broadly, is it possible to define and separate the "good" from the "bad" in a complex insurgency? How has funding and arming affected the aforementioned categorization?

Whenever experts and or intelligence services can offer foreign policy decision-makers nuance and in depth view of a complex event, that analysis meets (a) entrenched policies and party pressures, (b) the impressive force of lobbyists and interested campaign contributors, and (c) uninformed or misinformed popular public opinion, which will likely turn into votes next time around.

What has been your experience in dealing with the pressures in producing a genuinely in depth and nuanced product vs the political forces and domestic politicization of the conflict in Syria particularly in dealing with the call for intervention?