The Loopcast

Episode 83 - A talk with Nada Bakos

Nada Bakos (@nadabakos) talks to the Loopcast about her time as a target analyst in Iraq and the Emmy award winning documentary "Manhunt".

Nada blogs here. Check it out! 

Episode 82 - Thinking about software development

Marcus J Carey (@marcusjcarey) discusses software and tool development with the Loopcast.

Make sure to check out Threat Agent on twitter and on the web.

Please make sure to check out Threat Agent's blog including the last couple posts: "Who's that peeking in my Dropbox," and "Three reasons why Dropbox previews are security and privacy nightmares"

Also check out training opportunities with Threat Agent.   

Episode 81- A conversation about Shiism with Hayder al-Khoei

Hayder al-Khoei (@Hayder_alKhoei) talks to the Loopcast about Shiism in the modern world. Our conversation roughly follows the outline below.

Describe Shiism in the modern world: What is the relationship between the state, the clergy, and the followers. Are there Shia Islamists? Islamists being defined here as a "Shia Ikwan" lay people who use religion as a method to access politics.

Najaf and Qum are the two most important cities in Shiism. How would you describe the relationship between them? How is politics structured between them? Where do we place Karbala?

How would you describe Iran's approach to Shiism, and Iraq's approach to Shiism as far as the individual experience is concerned? Has the differing ideologies of the state have had a different effect on the respective clergy and seminary schools?

 How would compare the scholarship and students of Iran vs Iraq? The relationship between government, scholarship, and students?

 In navigating the politics of the faith where do we place young men who have lesser religious credentials but are in the position of leadership like Sadr and Nasrollah? Moreover how important is the idea of marja taqlid to leadership in the faith if Sadr, Nasrollah, and even Khamenei have all used politics to circumvent it?

Syria: how do we understand Syria within the context of Shiism. It seems that the Sayyida Zayneb, the protection of it, is playing a large role in defining the conflict in starkly sectarian terms. Furthermore, a great deal of the media being produced by Shia militias have evoked sectarianism ( vs jihadis of the opposition) as reason to fight. Can we consider Syria as a "Shia transnational jihad" in the vein of the role that Afghanistan in the 80s played for Sunni jihadists?

Episode 80- Iran in Syria Update

Will Fulton (@fultonwill) gives the Loopcast an update on Iran's involvement in Syria.

You can find Will's work at AEI's Iran Tracker including a long post on the various Iranian official's reactions to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

You can listen to Will's previous interviews on the Loopcast including a discussion of IRGC's political influence in Iran and Iran's strategy in Syria: here and here.

Episode 79 - Iran's interests in Afghanistan

Thomas Ruttig (@aantru) discusses Iran's historic, political and economic interests in Afghanistan with the Loopcast.

You can check out Thomas' latest at the Afghan Analysts Network: "Can Kabul Carry Two Melons in One Hand? Afghanistan and Iran sign strategic cooperation document." 

Episode 78- "The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America's war in Arabia"

Gregory D Johnsen (@gregorydjohnsen) talks to Chelsea Daymon (@cldaymon) about Gregory's book "The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America's war in Arabia."

Make sure to check out more of Gregory's work:

"How We Lost Yemen"

"Did a 8 yr old spy for America?"

Episode 77- Malware and hacking techniques used in Syria

Eva (@evacide) discusses the malware and hacking techniques used in Syria. We began our conversation with a look at what groups are doing the phishing and the ones that are distributing/using malware, then we discussed the types of malware being used and the programs and people being targeted, and we end our conversation with how can activists and opposition members can protect themselves from these types of attacks and what the infosec and hacker communities can do in terms of collection and analysis of Syrian malware.

If you are interested in helping EFF's project of collecting and analyzing the malware being used in Syria please contact Eva at EFF either through email or twitter. Your technical skills and insights would be a great help to an incredible project. Thank you!

If you're interested in the research already done, feel free to poke through the links listed below.

The Internet is Back in Syria and So is Malware Targeting Syrian Activists

Pro-Syrian Government Hackers Target Activists With Fake Anti-Hacking Tool

Fake Skype Encryption Tool Targeted at Syrian Activists Promises Security, Delivers Spyware

Campaign Targeting Syrian Activists Escalates with New Surveillance Malware

Fake YouTube Site Targets Syrian Activists With Malware

Syrian Activists Targeted with Facebook Phishing Attack

How to Find and Protect Yourself Against the Pro-Syrian Government Malware on Your Computer

Long Read: A Call to Harm: New Malware Attacks Target the Syrian Opposition

Binary samples: Syrian Malware Samples

 

Episode 76- Al Qaeda and jihadi movements post 2008

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (@daveedGR) and J.M. Berger (@intelwire) discuss Al Qaeda post 2008 in terms of organization, leadership, and goals.

Episode 75-Somalia and Somaliland

Armin Rosen (@arminrosen) and I (@rejectionking) discuss Somalia and Somaliland.

Episode 74-Afghanistan and Pakistan on the eve of the American pullout from the region

Naheed Mustafa (@naheedmustafa) and I (@rejectionking) discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan on the eve of the US withdrawal of the region.