Vedran ’Maz’ Maslic - Podcast Details

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The Voices of War86. Professor Christopher Coyne - Monsters, Empires, and Illusions of Peace: Navigating the Perils of American InterventionismToday, I spoke with Dr Christopher Coyne, who is a Professor of Economics at George Mason University and the Associate Director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center. He is the author of five books and numerous academic articles, book chapters, and policy studies. He joins me today to discuss his latest book, In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace (2022), which is a pragmatic and unashamedly critical appraisal of American foreign policy. Some of the th...2024-07-051h 30

The Voices of War104. Nadim Shehadi – Beyond Gaza: Unpacking the Middle East’s Entrenched Conflicts and Power Dynamics Today, I spoke with Nadim Shehadi, a distinguished Lebanese economist and academic, who delved into the intricate mesh of Palestinian, Israeli, and broader Middle Eastern politics, economics, and conflicts. With a rich background that spans prestigious positions at the Fletcher School, Chatham House, and Oxford as well as personal experiences of previous wars in Lebanon and beyond, Nadim brings a nuanced perspective to the complexities and tragedies of the region. Some of the key topics we covered are: · Gaza Dynamics: Analysing recent events in Gaza, Nadim offers an expert take on the guerrilla warfare tactics of Hamas...2023-11-151h 52

Axons Unleashed#59 - We All Bleed Red with Vedran 'Maz' MaslicGet ready to be transported around the world with our latest episode of Axons Unleashed! This globe-trotting guest covers a lot of ground: fleeing the Bosnian War as a child, playing in German schoolyards, joining the Australian Defence Force (where he met Luke and RT), and deploying to East Timor before finally returning back to Bosnia as a civvie. PHEEEEW 😮‍💨 All of this culminated in his eventual return to the ADF, where he currently serves. This week the boys are joined by one of Luke’s longtime and very best frien...2023-04-131h 03

The Voices of War87. Special Release: Robert Hartley - From War Zone to Ketamine: A Veteran’s Journey Through Trauma and HealingPlease note that this entire episode is available on the public channel. To gain access to all other episodes, please subscribe at https://thevoicesofwar.supercast.com/ ---- Today, I spoke with Robert Hartley, who is a former Australian Army Officer who served for 12 years in the Artillery Corps before transitioning to a civilian career in the technology sector. During his time in the military, Robert deployed on exchange with the British Army on Operation Herrick XII (12) to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010. In his civilian life, Robert has worked for a number of technology companies, including...2023-04-101h 55

The Voices of War85. Dr Elizabeth Boulton - Tackling the Climate Change Hyperthreat: Plan E, Entangled Security and harnessing a Hyper-responseMy guest today is Dr Elizabeth Boulton, who is an eco-military theorist with Destination Safe Earth, and a research affiliate with the ‘Climate Change & (In)Security Project’ which is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR) and the British Army. She joins me today to discuss her thinking behind the concepts of ‘Hyperthreat’, ‘Hyper-response’, and Plan E as a response to tackling climate change. Some of the topics we discussed are: • Elizabeth’s background and journey towards a PhD • Timothy Morton and the Hyperobject • Conceptualising clim...2023-03-131h 11

The Voices of War84. Amos Fox - Beyond the illusion of manoeuvre: Navigating the clash between intentions and reality in modern warfareMy guest today is Amos Fox, who is an officer in the US Army with more than 24 years of service in uniform. Amos has written extensively on war and conflict over the past decade, producing over 60 publications. His work focuses on causal mechanisms to explain patterns in armed conflict. Much of Amos’ current writing addresses proxy war, land warfare, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and military thinking. He joined me to discuss some of his views on the state of Western military thinking, particularly our potential over-reliance on the concept of manoeuvre warfare. Some of the topics we covered ar...2023-02-271h 20

The Voices of War83. Dr Alison Broinowski - How Australia goes to war and the prospect of war powers reformMy guest today is Dr Alison Broinowski AM, who is an Australian academic, journalist, writer, and former Australian diplomat. She is also the President of Australians for War Powers Reform. Alison joined me to explore the current debate on Australian troop deployment, compare it to other democracies, and discuss the possible outcome of the ongoing parliamentary enquiry into war powers. Some of the topics we discussed are: · Alison's background and motivation for war powers reform · Changes in Australian defence policy during Prime Minister Howard's tenure · Impact of Global War on Terror on defence and foreign policy · The current approval process for military interve...2023-02-121h 11

The Voices of War82. Dr Samir Puri - Decoding the echoes of empire: how imperial legacies shape today’s geopoliticsThis a reminder that The Voices Of War is transitioning to a subscription model from February. More info here. Those wishing to subscribe can already do so here. --- My guest today is Dr Samir Puri, who is a visiting lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London and has previously taught at Cambridge and John Hopkins. He joined me for a deep dive into his two most recent books. The first one, ‘The Great Imperial Hangover: How Empires Have Shaped the World’, explores how empires of the past still influe...2023-01-291h 14

The Voices of War81. Professor Greg Barton - Understanding radicalisation, extremism and terrorismThis a reminder that The Voices Of War is transitioning to a subscription model from February. More info here. Those wishing to subscribe can already do so here. --- Today, I’m speaking with Professor Greg Barton, who is a Research Professor in Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University. Greg is one of Australia’s leading scholars of radicalisation, terrorism and countering violent extremism. He is frequently interviewed by the Australian and international media on these topics as well as on Indonesia and the politics of the Muslim world. He joins me tod...2023-01-081h 24

The Voices of War80. Dr Alex Lim - On veterans’ mental health: the good, the bad and the promisingThis a reminder that The Voices Of War will adopt a subscription model. You can hear the explainer here. You can subscribe to the new channel here. -- My guest today is Dr Alexander YC Lim, who is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine with the Queensland Brain Institute. He is a Psychiatrist in private practice, and now almost exclusively looks after members of the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police, and the veteran community more broadly. In 2019, Dr Lim set up Australia’s first integrated ketamine program for veterans, kn...2022-12-221h 21

The Voices of War79. Announcement of a significant change to The Voices Of WarTo make the show sustainable into the future, The Voices Of War is adopting a subscription model starting in January 2023. Key points: This channel will air full episodes until the end of January to allow those who wish to subscribe time to transition to the new channel From February, this current channel will air only the first half of each episode and each episode will be bookended with a notice and link to the subscriber-only channel The current library on this channel will remain unchanged and access to all previous episodes will remain open The subscription fee will b...2022-12-2002 min

The Voices of War78. Ye-Min Wu - Multilateral negotiations: on the trials and tribulations of building peaceMy guest today is Ye-Min Wu, who is the South & Southeast Asia Director at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Ye-Min joined HD earlier this year after more than 15 years as a diplomat representing Singapore at the United Nations, World Intellectual Property Organization, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as the World Trade Organisation. She has also chaired UN negotiations and represented the Group of 77 (plus China) in talks on sustainable development issues. She joins me today to discuss how multilateral negotiations are conducted and explains some of the challenges as well as opportunities inherent in...2022-12-1154 min

The Voices of War77. Special Release: Natalia Konstantinova - How Russians view the invasion of UkraineMy guest today is Natalia Konstantinova, who is better known by her social media handle, Natasha from Russia. She is a popular Russian blogger and vlogger whose original aim was to help explain Russia to the outside world, but since her country's invasion of Ukraine, she has become a prominent voice about how this war is perceived in Russia. Some of the questions we explored are: What does the average Russian believe is happening in Ukraine? How much support is there for the invasion of Ukraine in Russia? What information is consumed by Russians? What does Russian...2022-11-271h 05

The Voices of War76. Andrew Quilty - ’August in Kabul’ and the return of the TalibanMy guest today is Andrew Quilty, an Australian photojournalist, investigative journalist, and author. Andrew is the recipient of eight Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley, for his work in Afghanistan, where he has been based since 2013. He joined me to discuss his recently published book, August in Kabul: America's last days in Afghanistan, which is an intimate and deeply personal account of the fall of Kabul and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August last year. Andrew was one of a handful of foreign journalists who remained in Kabul to witness and document this event. Some of t...2022-11-131h 05

The Voices of WarAustralian Podcast AwardsThe Australian Podcast Awards are taking votes for the Listeners' Choice Award! Please take 30 seconds to vote for The Voices Of War. You can do it here. Thank you! Maz 2022-11-0800 min

The Voices of War75. Dr Pauline Shanks Kaurin - On obedience and the fine line between hero and villainToday, I'm speaking with Dr Pauline Shanks Kaurin who is a Professor of Professional Military Ethics at the US Naval War College where she specialises in military ethics, just war tradition and applied ethics. She is the author of ‘On Obedience: Contrasting Philosophies for Military, Citizenry and Community’, which is a book we discussed today. As you will find out, the subject matter this book addresses goes to the core of what it means to be a soldier and to be a citizen. Some of the topics we covered are: Military ethics as the link between inte...2022-10-301h 15

The Voices of War74. Special Release: Jasmin Mujanovic - On the unfolding constitutional crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Part 2This is Part 2 of my discussion with Dr Jasmin Mujanovic. If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, I suggest you do that first, as elements of the remainder of the conversation may otherwise seem out of context. You can listen to part 1 here. Some of the topics we cover in this part are: Details of the controversial electoral law amendment made by the High Representative Perceptions, real or otherwise, of the High Representative’s bias and conflict of interest Croat nationalism and its influence The role of Croatia and Serbia in Bosnia’s integrity and sovere...2022-10-2659 min

The Voices of War73. Special Release: Jasmin Mujanovic - On the unfolding constitutional crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Part 1My guest today is Dr Jasmin Mujanovic, who is a political scientist and policy specialist in southeast European and international affairs. He has worked as a scholar, policy analyst, consultant, researcher, and writer in both North America and Europe. Jasmin’s academic research concentrates primarily on the politics of contemporary south-eastern Europe, with a particular focus on the politics of the non-EU states of the Western Balkans. He joins me today to discuss the unfolding constitutional crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of the topics discussed in Part 1 are: The political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina Emb...2022-10-2452 min

The Voices of War72. Special Release: Wolfgang Sporrer - On diplomacy alongside combat operations in UkraineMy guest today is Wolfgang Sporrer who is an Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School in Berlin and who was until 2020 the head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE in Ukraine. Wolfgang has joined me on the show twice before, where we discussed the lead-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the ultimate reasons and consequences of Putin’s decision to go to war. You can find links to those episodes here and here. He joins me today to discuss the importance of diplomacy occurring in parallel to the war ef...2022-10-2043 min

The Voices of War71. Dr Alexander Bellamy - R2P, Just War and prospects of World Peace - Part 2This is Part 2 of my discussion with Dr Alex Bellamy, author of ‘World Peace And How We Can Achieve It’, which was the basis for our discussion. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, I suggest you do that first as some discussions in part 2 might otherwise seem out of context. You can listen to part 1 here. Like in part 1, we covered many topics, including: Are humans wired for violence? How states can actively reduce the likelihood of war Clash of ‘Helsinki’ vs ‘Yalta’ visions The paradox of US hegemony The UN as a global project Discus...2022-10-1950 min

The Voices of War70. Dr Alexander Bellamy - R2P, Just War and prospects of World Peace - Part 1Today, I spoke with Dr Alex Bellamy, who is a professor of peace and conflict studies and director of the Asia Pacific Centre for the responsibility to protect at the University of Queensland. He is the author of numerous books, including ‘World Peace And How We Can Achieve It’, which was the basis for our discussion today. However, as you’ll hear, we covered many topics, including: Outline of Responsibility To Protect (R2P) Origins of the World Peace movements Similarities of the extreme left and extreme right Individual rights as a bulwark to collective violence Import...2022-10-1652 min

The Voices of War69. Amanda Hsiao - China, US and Taiwan: A deep diveToday, I spoke with Amanda Hsiao who is the Senior Analyst for China at the International Crisis Group. She joined me to shed some light on the increasing tensions between Washington and Beijing. Amanda did this by tackling questions such as: What are key points of difference in the US and Chinese worldviews? Why are both sides intentionally elevating tensions? What has led to the current change in decades-long status quo? What is the importance of President Xi’s declaration of ‘reunification’ by 2049? Why is Taiwan so important to both China and the US? What do people...2022-10-031h 11

The Voices of War68. Special Release: Dr Mike Martin and John Spencer - An update on UkraineToday, I spoke with Dr Mike Martin and John Spencer who joined me for an update on the situation in Ukraine. This conversation was recorded just after 9pm on the evening of 22nd of September, Ukraine time. Some of the topics we covered are: Impact of recent Russian battlefield losses Significance of Putin’s ‘partial mobilisation’ and what it might mean Attrition vs. Manoeuvre warfare Possible next moves by Ukraine The narrative surrounding the ‘referendums’ and their possible purpose Thoughts on the ongoing weapons debate, such as about ATACMS The risk of a collapsed Russia Pre...2022-09-2339 min

The Voices of War67. Paul Ingram - On the threat of nuclear war and hopes of disarmamentMy guest today is Paul Ingram, who is the Academic Programme Manager at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge. Up to a few months ago, he was also the Director of Emergent Change, which he established to further the understanding and practice of the Stepping Stones Approach (SSA) to nuclear disarmament. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director at British American Security Information Council (BASIC) where he developed the Stepping Stones Approach along with his colleagues from the Swedish Foreign Ministry. Throughout his extensive career, Paul has worked...2022-09-181h 00

The Voices of War66. Dr Jessica Wolfendale - On torture, war crimes and moral responsibility - Part 2This is Part 2 of my conversation with Dr Jessica Wolfendale, who is an author, ethics professor and expert on torture and war crimes. If you've missed Part 1 of this discussion, I suggest you listen to that first here. Some of the topics we covered in Part 2 are: The dispositional account and cognitive-affective personality system Military culture and socialisation Freedom and resentment Moral ignorance is by no means an excuse Integrating the victim’s perspective into military training The power of reconciliation Jessica’s future work on depictions of war crimes During the chat, I made refe...2022-09-0737 min

The Voices of War65. Dr Jessica Wolfendale - On torture, war crimes and moral responsibility - Part 1This is Part 1 of my conversation with Dr Jessica Wolfendale, who is an author, ethics professor and expert on torture and war crimes. She joined me to try and tackle the dichotomy of how to reconcile one’s perception of oneself with one’s actions, within the context of atrocities carried out in war. She does this by asking questions such as, ‘How do good people commit atrocities, like torture, and how are their views on killing impacted?’ and ‘Does the military training process make excessive violence acceptable and permissible in certain contexts, such as war?’. Jessica is...2022-09-0442 min

The Voices of WarRequest for helpHere is the link to the 2-minute survey: https://forms.gle/RoxVPkKCZaJzLXq5A Thank you! Maz 2022-08-2600 min

The Voices of War64. John Spencer - On Ukraine, Urban Warfare and lessons learntToday, I spoke with John Spencer who is an award-winning scholar, professor, author, combat veteran, and internationally recognised expert and advisor on Urban Warfare and other military related topics. John currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with the Madison Policy Forum and was until recently the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point. He is also the Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast. John is also the author of the ‘Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender’, which is a short compilation of John’...2022-08-211h 16

The Voices of War63. Dr Ned Dobos - On the unaccounted costs of maintaining a militaryIf you'd like to help improve the show, please visit our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/thevoicesofwar --- My guest today is Dr Ned Dobos, who is a Senior Lecturer in International and Political Studies at the University of New South Wales in Canberra. He joined me to discuss his more-recent book, ‘Ethics, Security, and the War Machine: the True Cost of the Military’. Some of the topics we covered are: Ned’s background and entry into military ethics Explanation of Ned’s thesis, which asks whether justification of war necessarily justifies maintain...2022-08-071h 12

The Voices of War62. Abby Zeith and Ruben Stewart: International Humanitarian Law in Urban WarfareLink to rate or review the podcast: RateThisPodcast.com/thevoicesofwar Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thevoicesofwar --- My guests today are Abby Zeith and Ruben Stewart from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Abby is a Legal Adviser in ICRC’s Arms and Conduct of Hostilities Unit where her work focuses on urban warfare and the conduct of hostilities more generally. Ruben is a Military and Armed Groups Advisor in the ICRC unit that manages relations and dialogue with arms carriers. He focuses on Non-State Armed Groups, battlefield be...2022-07-241h 49

The Voices of War61. Brigadier Mark Ascough - On Military IntelligenceToday, I’m speaking with Brigadier Mark Ascough, who is the current Director General of Intelligence at the Headquarters Joint Operations Command of the Australian Defence Force. Brigadier Ascough joined me to talk about all things intelligence and how he sees the field evolve into the future. Some of the things we covered are: Mark’s background and entry into the Army Life as the J2, HQJOC The role of ‘Intelligence’ Impact of the ‘Five Mores’ Challenges for future intelligence professionals Dangers of bias in intelligence analysis Moral courage in intelligence Training for ethical challenges Importance of understand...2022-07-1059 min

The Voices of War60. Dr Tony Ingesson - On military sub-cultures and their impact on behaviourMy guest today in Dr Tony Ingesson, who is an Assistant Professor of Intelligence Analysis at the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. His current research interests are decision-making, organisational cultures and technological aspects related to intelligence and counterintelligence. For his PhD dissertation, Tony studied tactical decision-making in high-stress situations in several different military units conducting operations in wars ranging from WWII to the UN mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 90s. He joins me today to discuss organisational culture, sub-cultures and their impact on group behaviour. Some of the topics we...2022-06-261h 37

The Voices of War59. My personal reflections on warToday is June 20th, and it is World Refugee Day. It has prompted me to reflect on my most recent episode, where I recorded an update on the situation in Ukraine with guests Arne and Mike. I’m heartened to see the interest the conversation has received—not for bragging rights, but because it helps, ever so slightly, to keep the attention on those who must live with the consequences of this invasion, including the more than 7 million individuals who have already been forced to flee, and whose real battle has only just begun. An unfortunate reality of o...2022-06-2015 min

The Voices of War58. Dr Mike Martin and LTGEN (Ret.) Arne Dalhaug - Update on the Russian invasion of UkraineToday, I spoke with Dr Mike Martin and retired LTGEN Arne Dalhaug, who have both provided regular commentary on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in regular and social media. Mike is a former British Army Officer who subsequently completed his PhD studying war and conflict. He has published a number of books, including ‘An Intimate War’, still one of the go-to books on understanding Afghanistan, as well as ‘Why We Fight’, a book that explores root causes of human conflict and war. Arne is a retired three-star general who was previously the Deputy Chief of Norwegia...2022-06-131h 04

The Voices of War57. John Gartner - Reflections on a lifetime of service in the Special ForcesToday, I spoke with John Gartner, whose career as a professional soldier and security adviser spans more than five decades. During that time, he served in the Australian SAS, Rhodesian SAS, Selous Scouts, South African National Intelligence Service and as a trainer for Sri Lankan Infantry and Special Forces units. He also provided security and close protection advice to a former Saudi Arabian oil minister as well as for the Brunei Royal Family. John joins me today to discuss lessons learnt throughout his career, which is also captured in incredible detail in his memoir titled ‘The Fading Li...2022-05-292h 02

The Voices of War56. Andy Norman - Mental Immunity: Inoculating against conspiracies and disinformationMy guest today is Dr Andy Norman, who is the award-winning author of ‘Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think’. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind’s immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. Currently, Andy directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and is the founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. Some of the topics we covere...2022-05-151h 09

The Voices of War55. Jason Pack - On the ’Global Enduring Disorder’My guest today is Jason Pack, who is the author of ‘Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder’. Jason is also a Senior Analyst for Emerging Challenges at the NATO Defense College Foundation in Rome where he leads a program titled ‘NATO and the Global Enduring Disorder’, which seeks to produce a range of content analysing our current era of geopolitics while proposing actionable solutions to our most pressing collective action challenges. Jason is also the President of Libya-Analysis LLC, a boutique consultancy providing strategic advice to any organisations seeking to make sense of the latest political, economic, commercial...2022-05-011h 22

The Voices of War54. Duncan Spinner - The Fight for at-risk UkrainiansMy guest today is my good friend, Duncan Spinner. Since 2015, Duncan has been working in Ukraine and for four years was the OSCE Head of Operations for Luhansk. Apart from sharing information on the current situation in Ukraine, this episode is also an appeal for your help in getting at-risk individuals out of harm’s way. As you’ll find out, Duncan and a small team of professionals are informally helping some of the most-vulnerable civilians whose lives are in grave danger. Please consider supporting the below GoFundMe page. Every donation helps save the lives of innocent Ukra...2022-04-171h 15

The Voices of War53. Dr Deane-Peter Baker: State Ethics vs Soldier MoralityToday, I spoke with Dr Deane-Peter Baker, a military ethicist, who is an Associate Professor of International and Political Studies in the School of Humanities and Social Science at UNSW Canberra, where he also is co-Convenor of the UNSW Canberra Future Operations Research Group. Deane’s work focuses mainly on the ethics of armed conflict. His current area of focus is on ethics and special operations, and he is a regular consultant to Australia’s Special Operations Command as well as the Australian Defence Force more broadly. He joins me to today to discuss one of h...2022-04-101h 08

The Voices of War52. Dr David Whetham - On the Ethics of War, War Crimes and Ethical Decision MakingMy guest today is Dr David Whetham who is a Professor of Ethics and the Military Profession in the Defence Studies Department of King’s College London. He is the Director of the King’s Centre for Military Ethics and delivers or coordinates the military ethics component of courses for around two thousand British and international officers a year at the UK’s Joint Services Command and Staff College. In 2020 David was appointed as an Assistant Inspector-General to the Australian Defence Force to assist in the final stages of the Afghanistan Inquiry and is the author of the report’s...2022-04-031h 34

The Voices of War51. Carl Miller - On Information Warfare, Social Media and pro-Russian influence campaigns in BRICSMy guest today is Carl Miller who is the co-founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos. For the past nine years, he's been building new machine learning-driven approaches to robustly study online life and has written over 20 major studies spanning online electoral interference, radicalisation, digital politics, conspiracy theories, cyber-crime, and internet governance. His debut book, The Death of the Gods: The New Global Power Grab was published in 2018 and won the 2019 Transmission Prize. He presents programmes for the BBC's flagship technology show, Click and has written for Wired, New Scientist, the Sunday Times, the Tele...2022-03-271h 19

The Voices of War50. Peter W Singer - On Ukrainian information warfare, social media dominance and the power of narrativeToday, I spoke with Dr Peter Warren Singer, who is a Strategist at New America, a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, and Founder & Managing Partner at Useful Fiction LLC. He is a New York Times Bestselling author with a multitude of accolades to his name. His non-fiction books include ‘Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry’; ‘Children at War’; ‘Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century’; ‘Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know’ and most recently, ‘LikeWar: the Weaponization of Social Media’, which is the book we talked about today. Pe...2022-03-1849 min

The Voices of War49. Dmytro Gurin - The view from UkraineToday, I spoke with Dmytro Gurin, who is a currently serving Member of Parliament in Ukraine. Dmytro is originally from Mariupol, the besieged city in South-eastern Ukraine that is capturing global headlines, where he has spent his childhood and where he went to university. In the past, Dmytro has also spent more than a decade living in Moscow and is very familiar with Russian political and media machinations. He joins me today, just after midday on Sunday, 13th of March, Eastern European Time, to discuss the evolving Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some of the topics we covered a...2022-03-131h 05

The Voices of War48. MAJGEN Mick Ryan: On the Russian invasion and his recent book ’War Transformed’My guest today is MAJGEN Mick Ryan, who only days ago officially retired from more than 35 years of service in the Australian Army. During this time, he has deployed on multiple overseas deployments, has commanded troops at platoon, squadron, regiment, task force, and brigade level, and among the many awards for service and excellence he has received, in 2008, Mick was also awarded the Order of Australia for distinguished leadership of the Australian 1st Reconstruction Task Force in Afghanistan. He is a recognised expert in leadership, institutional strategy, technology, organisational adaptation and change management, institutional reform, as well...2022-03-0648 min

The Voices of War47. Arne Dalhaug and Wolfgang Sporrer - On the War in UkraineThis episode was recorded at 1000h CET on 27 Feb 2022. --- Today, I spoke with Arne Dalhaug and Wolfgang Sporrer, both of whom I recently interviewed independently about the crisis in Ukraine (links with longer bios below). Arne is a retired three-star Norwegian Army officer, who also served as a senior officer in NATO and, more-recently, as a senior leader at the OSCE in Ukraine. Wolfgang is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School in Berlin and was recently the head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE in Ukraine. They join m...2022-02-271h 24

The Voices of War46. Marc Garlasco - War through the eyes of a Pentagon Chief of High Value TargetingMy guest today is Marc Garlasco, who began his career as the Chief of High Value Targeting at the Pentagon between 1997 and 2003 where he led targeting teams during operations Iraqi Freedom, Desert Fox, and Allied Force. Marc later worked in senior roles at Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, and the Centre for Naval Analyses. Throughout his time, he has worked in Afghanistan, Gaza, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, and other conflict zones. He is a co-author of the ICRC report on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, and a co-host of the excellent The Civilian Protection...2022-02-201h 41

The Voices of War45. Introducing 2022This is a short introduction to what's in store throughout 2022 on The Voices Of War. As you will hear, the show finally has a Patreon and Buy Me A Coffee page. Please take the time check out the links below and support us if you are able to do so. Every little bit helps to grow the show. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thevoicesofwar Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thevoicesofwar Thank you and I hope you enjoy The Voices Of War throughout 2022. Maz 2022-02-1611 min

The Voices of WarRepost: John Blaxland and Qinduo Xu - On AUKUS, US/China relations and growing tensionsThis is a repost of my conversation with John Blaxland and Qinduo Xu, originally published on 01 Nov 2021. --- Today I spoke with John Blaxland and Qinduo Xu. John is an outspoken commentator and researcher on topics such as Australian military history and strategy, public policy, security, defence, and international relations. Qinduo Xu is a political analyst who frequently contributes to international media outlets on China’s rise and its interactions with the rest of the world. We discussed roots of the AUKUS partnership, difference in Australian and Chinese perspectives, China’s economic and military growth, COVID...2022-02-131h 22

The Voices of WarRepost: Michael Vatikiotis - Southeast Asia and its peculiar role in global politicsThis is a repost of my conversation with Michael Vatikiotis, a mediator at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and author of the excellent book ‘Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in modern Southeast Asia’. This episode was originally published on 22 Nov 2021. -- My guest today is Michael Vatikiotis who is a writer, journalist and private diplomat working in Southeast Asia (SEA) since 1987. He was formerly editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review as well as a journalist in Asia for more than three decades. He currently lives in Singapore and is the Asia Director of the...2022-02-061h 10

The Voices of War44. Special Release: Wolfgang Sporrer - Providing Nuance To The Crisis In UkraineMy guest today is Wolfgang Sporrer, who is an Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School in Berlin. He used to be the head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Kyiv, where he lead the civilian aspects of conflict management and facilitated and promoted dialogue between the opposing sides. Before that, he was the head of the international oil and gas company OMV's representation in the Caspian region, where he spearheaded regional efforts to promote the Southern Gas Corridor for the EU. Previously, he served as the Head of the Eu...2022-02-021h 10

The Voices of WarRepost: Dr Douglas Fields - On ‘Why We Snap‘ and our neural wiring for ViolenceThis is a repost of my conversation with Dr Douglas Fields, author of the excellent and important book 'Why We Snap: Understanding the Rage Circuit in Your Brain', originally published on 15 Nov 2021. --- Today, I spoke with Dr Douglas Fields, who is a neuroscientist and author of numerous books and articles about the brain. We discussed his excellent and important book, Why We Snap: Understanding the Rage Circuit in Your Brain, which focuses on the neuroscience that triggers rage and violence. It turns out, evolution has endowed every single one of us with nine neural pa...2022-01-301h 33

The Voices of War43. Special Release: Lieutenant General (Ret.) Arne Bård Dalhaug: On the current Russia/Ukraine crisisMy guest in this Special Release episode is Lieutenant General (Ret.) Arne Dalhaug, who during his extensive and distinguished career served at the highest levels of the Norwegian Armed Forces, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, as well as NATO. His several final postings in uniform as a three-star general include serving as the Chief of Defence Staff/Deputy Chief of Norwegian Armed Forces, as the Norwegian Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, and as the Commandant at the NATO Defense College. After retiring from the military, Arne served for three years in a senior management position for the...2022-01-261h 21

The Voices of WarRepost: Cian O’Driscoll - A Philosopher’s Take on Just War TheoryThis is a repost of my conversation with Cian O'Driscoll, author of 'Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of Just War', originally published on 10 May 2021. --- My guest today is Cian O’Driscoll. His principal area of research is the intersection between normative international relations theory and the history of political thought, with a particular focus on the ethics of war. His published work examines the development of the just war tradition over time and the role it plays in circumscribing contemporary debates about the rights and wrongs of warfare. These themes are reflected in h...2022-01-231h 18

The Voices of WarRepost: Shannon E. French - On ’The Code of the Warrior’ and Ethics of WarRepost of my chat with Shannon E. French, originally published on 02 Aug 21. --- My guest today is Professor Shannon E. French from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) where she is also the Inamori Professor in Ethics, and the Director of the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence. Prior to her current role, she taught for 11 years at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she was a tenured member of the Ethics department and Associate Chair of the division of Leadership, Ethics, and Law. Shannon’s primary research field is military ethics, wi...2022-01-161h 12

The Voices of WarRepost: Hasan Aygun - The Pragmatic DiplomatRepost of my chat with Hasan Aygun, originally published on 21 Jun 2021. --- My guest today is Hasan Aygun. He is a Turkish national, who has had an extensive career in international relations, global security and conflict management both as a diplomat and later as a political adviser. Hasan joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983, and since then, he has served abroad in various functions, including Vice-Consul, First Secretary, Head of Mission and Counsel General in several different countries including Iraq, Italy, Serbia (at that time still Yugoslavia), Austria, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. 2022-01-091h 50

The Voices of WarRepost: LTCOL Dave Grossman - On killing, combat, sleep, ’blind spots’ and everything else in betweenRepost of my chat with LTCOL Dave Grossman, originally published on 30 Aug 2021. --- Today, my guest is LTCOL Dave Grossman. He requires very little introduction, as I’m sure most of my audience will be intimately familiar with his books, most notably the one that has revolutionised the way we think and talk about combat. The book is of course ‘On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society’, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; has been translated into multiple languages; is on the US Marine Corps Commandant’s Required Reading...2022-01-021h 12

The Voices of WarRe-post: David Livingstone Smith - On DehumanisationRepost of my chat with David Livingstone Smith originally published on 09 Aug 2021. --- My guest today is David Livingstone Smith, who is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England. He has authored nine books with his more recent titles focusing on dehumanisation, race, and propaganda. His 2011 ‘Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others’ won the 2012 Anisfield-Wolf award for nonfiction. David’s most recent book ‘On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It’ was published by Oxford University Press in 2020, and his tenth book, ‘Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumaniza...2021-12-281h 28

The Voices of War42. Special Release: Mark Willacy - On ‘Killing Field‘ and ‘Rogue Forces‘Today, I spoke with Mark Willacy, the journalist behind the ABC report ‘Killing Field’ as well as the recently published book ‘Rogue Forces: an explosive insiders’ account of Australian SAS war crimes in Afghanistan’. Even though I stated that I will recommence publishing new episodes on the 21st of February 2022, I am releasing this one as a Special Release as I feel that the contemporary relevance of this conversation warrants it. As you will hear, some of the topics Mark and I covered include the intent behind his journalism, his initial exposure to war and conflict in the Middle East, how...2021-12-221h 26

The Voices of WarRe-post: Gregg D. Caruso - On the Illusion of Free Will, Myth of Meritocracy and the need to rethink our Justice SystemsRepost of my chat with Gregg D. Caruso originally published on 11 Oct 2021. --- My guest today is Gregg D. Caruso, who is a Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning. He’s also Visiting Fellow at the New College of the Humanities, and Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University, Sydney. Gregg is also a Co-Director of the Justice Without Retribution Network housed at the University of Aberdeen School of Law. His research focuses on free will, moral responsibility, punishment, philosophy of law, jurisprudence, social and political philosophy, moral philosophy, philosophy of mind, moral psyc...2021-12-191h 32

The Voices of War41. My reflections on the first year of The Voices Of WarIn this final episode of 2021, I take a few moments to reflect on the origins of the show, the guests I've had the pleasure of interviewing, some emerging themes, what's in store for 2022 and to give a few important thanks to those who have made the show possible. We will return again on 21st of February 2022. Between now and then, I will be reposting a few of my favourite episodes that didn't get as much attention as I had hoped they would. I wish you all a safe festive season and a happy New Year! ...2021-12-1229 min

The Voices of War40. Samuel Moyn - On ‘Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War‘Today, I spoke with Samuel Moyn, who is the Henry R. Luce Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School and a Professor of History at Yale University. We discussed his latest book, Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War, published in September this year. As you will hear, I found this book to be of immense importance and hope that its contents get attention far and wide, most notably amongst those who send us to war. Some of the topics Sam and I covered are how the idea of humane war entered our collective...2021-12-071h 08

The Voices of War39. Toby Harnden - A deep dive into ‘First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11‘My guest today is Toby Harnden, who is an author, journalist, and winner of the Orwell Prize, UK’s most prestigious prize for political writing. His most recent book, First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11, is the story of the first US team into Afghanistan post the attacks of September 11, 2001. A former Royal Navy officer before becoming a journalist for the likes ofThe Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph who has subsequently reported from 33 countries, was imprisoned in Zimbabwe, and faced prosecution in Britain for protecting confidential sources, Toby is uniquely qualified to tell th...2021-11-281h 31

The Voices of War38. Michael Vatikiotis - Southeast Asia and its peculiar role in global politicsMy guest today is Michael Vatikiotis who is a writer, journalist and private diplomat working in Southeast Asia (SEA) since 1987. He was formerly editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review as well as a journalist in Asia for more than three decades. He currently lives in Singapore and is the Asia Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Geneva-based private foundation that facilitates dialogue to resolve armed conflicts. Michael has written two novels set in Indonesia and three books on the politics of SEA, including ‘Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in modern Southeast Asia’, which we f...2021-11-211h 10

The Voices of War37. Dr Douglas Fields - On ‘Why We Snap‘ and our neural wiring for ViolenceToday, I spoke with Dr Douglas Fields, who is a neuroscientist and author of numerous books and articles about the brain. We discussed his excellent and important book, Why We Snap: Understanding the Rage Circuit in Your Brain, which focuses on the neuroscience that triggers rage and violence. It turns out, evolution has endowed every single one of us with nine neural pathways that, when activated, will lead to a violent and oftentimes involuntary and non-conscious response. During our chat, Doug explained these circuits—captured in the mnemonic LIFEMORTS—and how they relate to many important issues, including: their appli...2021-11-141h 33

The Voices of War36. Arjan Verdooren - ‘Cultures don‘t meet, people do‘Today, I spoke with Arjan Verdooren, an intercultural communication consultant and lecturer. He is also the co-author, together with Dr Edwin Hoffman, of the book ‘Diversity Competence - Cultures Don’t Meet, People Do’, which is a deep dive into improving our individual and collective intercultural competence. Arjan has authored various other publications on intercultural communication, intercultural competence, cultural diversity, and multiculturalism. We touched on many topics, such as the origins of ‘studying’ culture; cultural relativism, universalism, and pluralism; meaning behind ‘cultures don’t meet, people do’; the TOPOI model; building rapport and how to reduce intercultural miscommunication. Additional epi...2021-11-071h 31

The Voices of War35. John Blaxland and Qinduo Xu - On AUKUS, US/China relations and growing tensionsToday I spoke with John Blaxland and Qinduo Xu. John is an outspoken commentator and researcher on topics such as Australian military history and strategy, public policy, security, defence, and international relations. Qinduo Xu is a political analyst who frequently contributes to international media outlets on China’s rise and its interactions with the rest of the world. We discussed roots of the AUKUS partnership, difference in Australian and Chinese perspectives, China’s economic and military growth, COVID-19, Double standards, lack of transparency, projection of strength, culture and many other topics. You can follow John and Qinduo on t...2021-10-311h 22

The Voices of War34. Tom and Jen Satterly - The All Secure FoundationToday, I spoke with Tom and Jen Satterly. Tom is a highly decorated combat veteran who has spent 25 years in the US Army, with the last 20 in Delta Force. Jen was an award-winning filmmaker and photographer for who has spent several years as Director of Film and Photography at an elite Special Operations training company fully embedded with Navy SEALS, Green Berets, and Army Rangers. We talked about Tom’s first combat experience in Mogadishu, the price of service paid by those in uniform and their families, trauma, recovery, their joint non-profit ‘All Secure Foundation’, and many other topics. Y...2021-10-241h 29

The Voices of War33. Gregg D. Caruso - On the Illusion of Free Will, Myth of Meritocracy and the need to rethink our Justice SystemsMy guest today is Gregg D. Caruso, who is a Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning. He’s also Visiting Fellow at the New College of the Humanities, and Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University, Sydney. Gregg is also a Co-Director of the Justice Without Retribution Network housed at the University of Aberdeen School of Law. His research focuses on free will, moral responsibility, punishment, philosophy of law, jurisprudence, social and political philosophy, moral philosophy, philosophy of mind, moral psychology, and neurolaw. He’s published numerous books, including Rejecting Retributivism: Free Will, Punishment, and Criminal Justice (2021); Just Dese...2021-10-101h 32

The Voices of War32. Steve Dennis - On getting shot, kidnapped and the court case that sent tremors through the humanitarian aid industryMy guest today is Steve Dennis. After working as a civil engineer in Canada in the late 1990’s, Steve started working as a field-based humanitarian aid worker in 2002. He worked in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, for various NGOs and UN agencies, which include the World Food Programme, Médecins Sans Frontières, United Nations Department of Safety and Security, and others. In 2012, while working with an organisation in Kenya, armed men attacked a convoy Steve was travelling in. In the attack, one staff member was killed, and Steve and two other colleagues were wounded. He and...2021-10-031h 41

The Voices of War31. Stephanie Speck - Strategic Communication: A Tool For ChangeMy guest today is Stephanie Speck, who has lived and worked in more than 20 countries, accumulating almost 25 years experience as a strategy and communications adviser, supporting democratic reform in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Stephanie’s expertise includes the design and programming of cross-government reform strategies, strategic communication, and advocacy initiatives; public policy development; counter-terrorism communication strategies, government public affairs and crisis communications. Stephanie has launched TV channels (including the Middle East’s most popular, MBC Action); was Deputy Director of the first Palestine Investment Forum; led a US$1billion governance reform portfolio in Afghanistan; developed maternal health campa...2021-09-261h 15

The Voices of War30. Adam Cooper - Mediation, Diplomacy and Digital ConflictMy guest today is Adam Cooper. He is the Director of Digital Conflict for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, or HD. Adam has been with HD for over a decade and now oversees a global programme of work mediating offensive cyber operations and disinformation on social media. He also hosts ‘The Mediator’s Studio’ podcast, which provides some incredible insights into what happens behind closed doors when peace agreements are negotiated. Prior to his current role, Adam managed HD’s Myanmar operations. And before joining HD, he coordinated election observation missions in Asia and served as an adviser...2021-09-1955 min

The Voices of War29. The Story Behind ‘The Voices Of War‘Since starting 'The Voices of War', many people have asked me how this podcast came about. A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Pascal Gemperli who runs the popular 'Conflict transformation, Peacebuilding and Security' (CoPeSe) group. Pascal was kind enough to give me ample time and space to share a bit of my own background and the story behind The Voices of War podcast. We touched upon my early experiences as a refugee, life in the Army, the story behind starting CrossFit Sarajevo, my exposure to the world of development work and ultimately the motivations behind t...2021-09-151h 12

The Voices of War28. Sahar Fetrat - On the plight of women and girls in AfghanistanMy guest today is Sahar Fetrat, a young Afghan living and studying in London. Born in Afghanistan but forced to flee when she was only one year old, Sahar returned with her family to Kabul when she was 10 and stayed there until graduating from university. She then moved to Budapest to pursue her first Masters at the Central European University before moving onto her second Masters in War Studies at King’s College London, where she is currently a student. Sahar introduces herself as a ‘feminist who’s navigating her way between activism and academia’—a journey that has s...2021-09-121h 20

The Voices of War27. Dr Ghassan Jawad Kadhim - Still ‘The Last Optimist In Baghdad‘?My guest today is Dr Ghassan Jawad Kadhim, who is a political advisor and analyst of politics of the Middle East. His expertise lies in his own homeland, Iraq, where he has spent nearly twenty years supporting dialogue and development. He has worked extensively with local as well as international actors on diverse projects seeking to promote national reconciliation, co-existence, and peacebuilding. He has served as an adviser on anti-corruption, security, and political stability. Ghassan is one of those people who seems to know everyone and is never far from decision makers. His enthusiasm to get things...2021-09-051h 27

The Voices of War26. LTCOL Dave Grossman - On killing, combat, sleep, ’blind spots’ and everything else in betweenToday, my guest is LTCOL Dave Grossman. He requires very little introduction, as I’m sure most of my audience will be intimately familiar with his books, most notably the one that has revolutionised the way we think and talk about combat. The book is of course ‘On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society’, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; has been translated into multiple languages; is on the US Marine Corps Commandant’s Required Reading List; and is required reading at the FBI academy and numerous other academies and colleges around the worl...2021-08-291h 12

The Voices of War25. Dr Mike Martin & Dr Christopher Ankersen - Afghanistan Update and FutureToday, I’m speaking with Dr Mike Martin and Dr Christopher Ankersen. I have spoken with Mike at the beginning of this crisis (link here) as well as a few months back (link here). Suffice to say that he is considered an expert on Afghanistan and is the author of the book ‘An Intimate War’, considered by many as the most authoritative book on the political, social and economic dynamics of Afghanistan. Dr Christopher Ankersen is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU. Prior to joining NYU, he enjoyed a colourful and eclectic career...2021-08-2854 min

The Voices of War24. Hizbullah Khan - On the current situation and the future of AfghanistanToday, I once again spoke with Hizbullah, an Afghan security analyst and journalist, who remains in Kabul. We recorded our first discussion on 17th of August, only a day after the Taliban took control of Kabul where we discussed how we got to where we are now (you can access that episode here). Today, we spoke about the current situation and what the future might hold for the people of Afghanistan. 2021-08-2333 min

The Voices of War23. Ehsaan - The Life of a Coalition Interpreter in AfghanistanToday, I spoke with Ehsaan who came to Australia in December 2013 as a refugee from Afghanistan. He worked as an interpreter first for the Americans, then the Dutch and finally for Australian forces from 2009- 2013, He was ultimately resettled to Australia with his family due to an increasing threat to his life. He joins me today to discuss the reality faced by many of those who have worked with Australians and other coalition forces over the past 20 years. Ehsaan is someone who has personally experienced the fear and uncertainty that many are going through in Afghanistan today. During our...2021-08-2248 min

The Voices of War22. Hizbullah Khan - Situation in Afghanistan as seen by a local analyst and journalistThis morning I spoke with Hizbullah Khan, a journalist and political analyst, who has been writing about the war and terrorism in Afghanistan since 2014. He has reported for outlets like the BBC World, The Independent, The Diplomat, The Globe Post and many other global publications. He joins me on the morning of 17th of August from Kabul, where it’s a few hours past midnight, to discuss the unfolding situation. 2021-08-171h 04

The Voices of War21. Dr Kay Danes - On Interpreters and Locally Employed Staff stuck in Kabul*** Before reading the rest of the show notes, keep in mind that, as at 21st of Nov, Kay and her team have successfully assisted over 3500 Afghan-Australian visa holders from Afghanistan. Keep this amazing feat in the back of your mind while your read the notes and listen to the episode.*** My guest today is Dr Kay Danes, OAM. She is the recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the international and Australian community in human rights & social justice. Kay has a PhD (Law & Justice) and her thesis explored the e...2021-08-1645 min

The Voices of War20. Dr Mike Martin - Update on unfolding situation in AfghanistanToday, I spoke with Dr Mike Martin about the current situation in Afghanistan. As there is a lot of international interest in the unfolding crisis, I am releasing the episode slightly ahead of my regular publishing cycle and only two hours since recording. You can hear Dr Mike’s full bio in our previous episode linked below as well as through his own website, which is also linked below. In short, Dr Mike has spent years studying Afghanistan, served there as a British Army Officer, did his PhD on British involvement in Helmand, is a fluent Pashto sp...2021-08-1542 min

The Voices of War19. David Livingstone Smith - On DehumanisationMy guest today is David Livingstone Smith, who is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England. He has authored nine books with his more recent titles focusing on dehumanisation, race, and propaganda. His 2011 ‘Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others’ won the 2012 Anisfield-Wolf award for nonfiction. David’s most recent book ‘On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It’ was published by Oxford University Press in 2020, and his tenth book, ‘Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization’ will be published by Harvard University Press later this year. David is an interdisciplinary...2021-08-081h 28

The Voices of War18. Shannon E French - On ’The Code of the Warrior’ and Ethics of WarMy guest today is Professor Shannon E. French from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) where she is also the Inamori Professor in Ethics, and the Director of the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence. Prior to her current role, she taught for 11 years at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she was a tenured member of the Ethics department and Associate Chair of the division of Leadership, Ethics, and Law. Shannon’s primary research field is military ethics, with a special focus on conduct of war issues, ethical leadership, command climate, sacrifice and responsibility, warrior tr...2021-08-011h 13

The Voices of War17. Will Yates and Joe McCleary - On Trial for War Crimes: A Soldier’s ExperienceMy guests today are Will Yates and Joe McCleary. Will is a freelance writer, documentary producer and investigative researcher for television, film and radio with more than 18 years’ experience producing factual programming for outlets such as The National Geographic, BBC and the History Channel. Throughout his career, he has spent many years investigating the war in Iraq and recently published his first book titled ‘War Trials: Investigation of a Soldier and the Trauma of Iraq’. The book is a true account of Joe’s time serving in Iraq as a British soldier in 2003 and his role in the trag...2021-07-251h 48

The Voices of War16. Andrew Quilty - Perspectives of a Photo- and Investigative- JournalistMy guest today is one of Australia’s most-prominent photo/investigative journalists, Andrew Quilty. Andrew started his career in Sydney, then moved to New York City and eventually to Kabul, Afghanistan, after a two-week trip to photograph the Afghan cricket team turned into an odyssey now into its eighth year. He has worked in all but a handful of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, photographed for most of the world's premiere publications and won several accolades, including a World Press Photo Award, a Polk Award, several Picture of the Year International awards and the Gold Walkley, Australian journalism's highest honour. Mor...2021-07-181h 26

The Voices of War15. John Blaxland - Reflexions on Australian military operations and lessons learntMy guest today is John Blaxland, who is a Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies and former Head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University. Prior to his academic pursuits, John enjoyed an extensive career as an Intelligence Officer in the Australian Army including as the principal intelligence staff officer for the Australian infantry brigade deployed to East Timor in September 1999, an intelligence exchange officer in Washington DC, Director Joint Intelligence Operations at Headquarters Joint Operations Command and Australia’s Defence Attaché to Thailand and Myanmar. John's full biography, alo...2021-07-111h 07

The Voices of War14. Džemil Hodžić - Finding Light in the DarkMy guest today is Džemil Hodžić who was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was only nine years old when the war started in 1992. In this episode, Džemil describes in intimate detail the hugely traumatic and emotional experience of watching his brother, Amel, killed by a Serb sniper while playing in the street. As such, this episode may be quite disturbing to some listeners. Having survived the war, his experiences inspired him to launch the ‘Sniper Alley Project’ in 2019. The mission and goal of the project was initially to find photos of his brother...2021-07-041h 26

The Voices of War13. Hasan Aygun - The Pragmatic DiplomatMy guest today is Hasan Aygun. He is a Turkish national, who has had an extensive career in international relations, global security and conflict management both as a diplomat and later as a political adviser. Hasan joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983, and since then, he has served abroad in various functions, including Vice-Consul, First Secretary, Head of Mission and Counsel General in several different countries including Iraq, Italy, Serbia (at that time still Yugoslavia), Austria, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. He later became a senior political adviser for NATO where over the years he provided...2021-06-201h 50

The Voices of War12. Roger Noble - A Major General’s PerspectiveMy guest today is Major General Roger Noble, AO DSC CSC, who recently retired from the Australian Defence Force as a senior officer in the Australian Army. During his extensive career, he has commanded the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the Al Muthanna Task Group in Iraq and was also Commander 3rd Brigade. Throughout his years of service, he has deployed six times on operations to East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq. Most recently, General Noble was appointed as Australia's Ambassador for Counterterrorism and is responsible for leading international engagement and representation at bilateral, regional and multilateral forums in the f...2021-06-061h 19

The Voices of War11. Harry Moffitt - A Humble WarriorMy guest today is Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt, a recently retired veteran of the Australian Defence Force where he served for nearly 30 years. Most of that time, he has spent in the Special Air Service Regiment, more commonly known as the SAS. During his time, he completed 11 active service deployments amassing nearly 1000 days on Special Operations globally. Since leaving the Army, Harry has become a registered psychologist and runs a human performance consultancy working with sports teams, the military and industry. He is also the Asia-Pacific Director for the Mission Critical Team Institute. He is also the lead sing...2021-05-231h 43

The Voices of War10. Cian O’Driscoll - A Philosopher’s Take on Just War TheoryMy guest today is Cian O’Driscoll. He is originally from Limerick, in the Southwest of Ireland where he completed his schooling and undergraduate degree, before moving to Nova Scotia, and then Wales, for Grad School. He completed his PhD at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and worked at the University of Glasgow before joining the Australian National University, Canberra in 2020. His principal area of research is the intersection between normative international relations theory and the history of political thought, with a particular focus on the ethics of war. His published work examines the development of...2021-05-091h 18

The Voices of War9. Philippa (Pip) Weiland - Perspectives of an Army PsychologistMy guest today is Pip Weiland. She commissioned into the Australian Army Psychology Corps in 2003, and in her career performed diverse roles across clinical, organisational, professional development, research and staff positions. She has deployed to the Solomon Islands, Iraq, and to Afghanistan on two occasions. Whilst deployed to Afghanistan, she was the lead in the critical incident response to Australian Army soldiers killed in action. She ended her military career in 2020, as the Commanding Officer, 1st Psychology Unit. Pip was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for the superior management of several se...2021-04-251h 16

The Voices of War8. Brendan Cox - A Lifetime of ServiceMy guest today is Brendan Cox. He has served in the Australian Army for 25 years, first as a soldier, and later as an officer in the Infantry Corps. During his time, he has done a number of operational tours including to Bosnia, East Timor and Afghanistan. For his exemplary service, he has received a number of awards, including a Commendation for Distinguished Service in the Australia Day Honours List in 2014. Brendan is now the Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Brisbane, an organisation that supports families who are experiencing hardship due to the loss or injury of a l...2021-04-111h 03

The Voices of War7. Tomislav Cvitanusic - From Soldier to Extreme AthleteMy guest today is Tomislav (Tomo) Cvitanusic. He is a well-known figure across the Balkans and beyond, not only for being an extreme alpinist and long-distance athlete, but also for his promotion of cooperation and unity across the region. As one of the many who served in the Bosnian Army from 1992-1995, Tomo spent the whole war in his city, Sarajevo. At the end of the war, he became a beacon of positivity across the region by promoting tolerance, hard work and patience. He was one of the few who in the early days after the war sought to...2021-03-2856 min

The Voices of War6. Paul Marshall - On Conflict Recovery, Combat Support and PeacekeepingMy guest today is Paul Marshall. He is a recently retired British Army officer who spent 34 years in uniform. He has deployed on multiple military operations all over the world including on combat, peacekeeping and post-conflict recovery operations. He started his career in South Korea as a UN observer before spending time in Bosnia and Herzegovina during some of the most difficult times of the war. He also took part in both Gulf wars as part of the fighting forces. In the subsequent years he supported a number of global crises and natural disasters before once again returning to...2021-03-141h 21

The Voices of War5. Dr Mike Wessells - On Child SoldiersMy guest today is Dr Mike Wessells, Professor at Columbia University in the Program on Forced Migration and Health. Over the decades, Mike has conducted extensive research on the holistic impacts of war and political violence on children, and he is author of the book ‘Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection’. Currently, Mike is the lead researcher on inter-agency and multi-country action research on strengthening community-based child protection mechanisms. He also regularly advises UN agencies, governments, and donors on issues of child protection and psychosocial support, including in communities and schools. Some of the...2021-02-281h 14

The Voices of War4. Ashley Judd – On Combat, Mental Health And The Road To RecoveryToday I’m proud to be bringing to you an episode on a topic that, as an Army officer, I think is not discussed enough—Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) amongst war veterans. My guest, Ashley Judd, and I went through our Army officer training at the Royal Military College – Duntroon together, way back in 2007. Since then, Ash spent 8 years in the Army and is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Due to his experiences of that war, and his actions and responsibilities in the line of duty, Ash faced significant challenges and was ultimately diagnosed with PTSD. In the...2021-02-181h 18

The Voices of War3. Dr Mike Martin - a Soldier-PhilosopherToday I’m speaking with Dr Mike Martin, a former British Army Officer who has since become a prominent speaker and writer on conflict, particularly its causes. Mike has published several books on the subject, including ‘An Intimate War: An Oral History of the Helmand Conflict 1978-2012’—which landed him in some hot water—and ‘Why We Fight’, a deep dive into the evolutionary reasons for war and conflict. More recently, Mike has been engaged by the Australian Defence Force to deliver a course on the impact cultural understanding can have on a conflict as a way to improve our collective...2021-02-161h 35

The Voices of War2. Dejan Mujkanovic - from Bosnian refugee to Australian Army OfficerMy guest today is Dejan Mujkanovic. He is an Australian Army officer with 19 years of military experience. He has completed several tours of Afghanistan and also deployed to East Timor. He was born in Bosnia in 1980 and experienced the full brunt of the civil war in the 90’s. His hometown of Prijedor made global news due to the campaign of ethnic cleansing committed by the Bosnian Serb forces seeking to forcefully remove the Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat populations from the area. As a result of these crimes, many of Dejan’s extended family members were lost in concentration camp...2021-02-141h 24

The Voices of War1. Podcast IntroductionA short introduction to this podcast, how it came about, and what we'll be exploring in the episodes to come. Thank you for joining me. Maz 2021-02-1305 min