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.
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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.
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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.
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Are we living in an age of competitive authoritarianism?
Sara Dorman of Edinburgh University spoke to me about the rising tide of authoritarianism around the world, and particularly the form of competitive authoritarianism.
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Emily Thornberry on British Foreign Policy
As Behind the Lines formally announces joining the Cooler Heads podcast family, making us now the little brother to the massive success that is Quiet Riot - the brilliant politics podcast with Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell, I was delighted to have as my guest none other than Emily Thornberry MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
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Behind the Lines with Arthur Snell is a geopolitics podcast. Every week we give the listener access to the best informed people to help you understand this turbulent world and get a feel for the things that will matter in the future.
I am on Bluesky here and you can read some of my thoughts on world affairs here https://arthursnell.substack.com/
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