The Loopcast

Episode 63- Shia Mobilization Frames and the War in Syria

 Christopher Anzalone (@ibnsiqilli) talks to me (@rejectionking) about his latest paper in the CTC: "Zaynab's Guardians: The Emergence of Shi'a Militias in Syria." In our discussion we talk about the media used by Shia militias to create mobilization frames including how religious imagery is meshed with political images, then we discuss how Sunni jihadists factor into these mobilization frames and end with a discussion on if the Syrian war can be thought of as a transnational "Shia Jihad."

Episode 62-The IRGC Command Network: Formal Structures and Informal Influence

Will Fulton (@FultonWill) talks to me (@rejectionking) about his new paper "The IRGC Command Network: Formal Structures and Informal Influence". The focus of the interview includes a discussion of Will's paper, the history of the IRGC's command network, what are the views of this group on pressing Iranian security issues, its reaction to Hassan Rouhani, and lastly what should we expect of Rouhani in regards to how he will deal with the IRGC command network.

You can check out more of Will's work at Iran Tracker, part of AEI's Critical Threats Project including Iranian Strategy in Syria.

Episode 61-Discussing Weev and the CFAA with Tor Ekeland

Tor Ekeland (@torekelandpc), who is representing Andrew Auernheimer aka Weev pro bono, and I (@rejectionking) discuss Weev's case, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the implications for security research.

You can find links to amicus briefs on Tor Ekeland's website including briefs from prominent security researchers, the Mozilla Foundation, the Digital Media Law Project, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Make sure to check out the appeal filed with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals which you can find here.

For those interested in the original criminal complaint you can find it here.

Episode 60- Iran's Economy

Kevan Harris (@kevanharris) talks to me (@rejectionking) about the Iranian economy including history, key actors and factors, the role sanctions have played, and the challenges of the economy that Rouhani faces.

You can check Kevan's work out here.

Episode 59-Gulf Politics, Security, and Policy

Dr. F Gregory Gause III of the University of Vermont and Brookings Institute Doha talks to me (@rejectionking) about politics in the Gulf, security posture, and policy towards the Arab Spring, Syria, and Iran.

Make sure to check Dr. Gause's book "The International Relations of the Persian Gulf."

You can also check out Dr. Gause's research here, including a full bibliography of The International Relations of the Persian Gulf.

Episode 58- Jordanian Politics, Jordan during the Arab Spring and Syrian War

Michael Sharnoff (@michaelsharnoff) talks to Chelsea (@cldaymon) about Jordanian politics and Jordan during the Arab Spring and the Syrian war.

Please checkout Michael's website "Sharnoff's Global Views"

Episode 57- A discussion on Hassan Rouhani

Dr. Farideh Farhi talks to me (@rejectionking) about new Iranian president Hassan Rouhani including his role in Iranian history and politics, his political views and book "National Security and Nuclear Diplomacy", potential effect on foreign and domestic policy.

Episode 56- Syrian Jihad: Jabhat al Nursa and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi (@ajaltamimi) talks to me (@rejectionking) about the Syrian jihad including the key players, Iraq's role in the conflict, the political goals of groups like Jabhat al Nursa and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, and the role of foreign support.

Check out Aymenn's latest: "Where does Jabhat al-Nursa end and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham begin?" and "The Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham expands into Rural Northern Syria."

You can check out Aymenn's complete body of work here.

Episode 55- Social Engineering, Importance of Vulnerability Assessments and Red Teaming

Shane MacDougall (@tactical_intel) and I (@rejectionking) discuss social engineering attacks, the importance of vulnerability assessments and red teaming, and end with ethics and whether "hack back" is a good idea.

Make sure to check out Tactical Intelligence's website here.

Episode 54-Islamists and Salafi Jihadis during the Arab Spring

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (@daveedGR), Will McCants (@will_mccants) and I (@rejectionking) discuss how Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Ennahda Movement in Tunisia have fared during the Arab Spring.