Tag Archives: War / Weapons

Ever since Russia attacked Ukraine, there have been predictions that the normative order against aggressive war was under threat. Then the US and Israel attacked Iran. Numerous scholars have predicted this would encourage China to attack Taiwan. The normative restrictions on war are loosening and the US is distracted and hence not able to help defend Taiwan. But two clear developments challenge this prediction. Russia, after 4 full years of war, is not likely to win this war anytime soon. And the US, despite the President’s continual assertions that it has won the war, clearly has not. Technology such as drone warfare might be a reason. Defensive tactics could be another. So on today’s show, we will explore the future of warfare in light of the Russian and American wars and their current lack of success. [ dur: 1h18m ]

Yvonne Chiu is a Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and serves on the board of directors for the International Society for Military Ethics. She is the author of “Strategic Ambiguity Out of Balance: Updating an Outdated Taiwan Policy” in The Strategy Bridge.
David McCourt, Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of The Dragon Defined: How Washington, Canberra, and London Reimagined China.
Ricardo A. Crespo is Associate Professor of Political Science and the chair of the Political Economy Department at Grossmont College. He is the author of “Currency Warfare and Cyberwarfare” in Comparative Politics, and “Currency Warfare and Just War” in the Journal of Military Ethics.
Robert Williams Professor of Political Science at Pepperdine University. He is the author of Seeking Security in an Insecure World, with Dan Caldwell.

We are live in front of an audience at the International Studies Association’s West Regional meetings in Pasadena, California.

Politics and Activism, Governance / Law, War / Weapons, Diplomacy, Militarism, Russia, Ukraine, United States, China, Iran

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Drone warfare and Author interview : The Crime of Aggression and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – August 30, 2026

August 31, 2026 host

The 21st century, and in particular the last five years, have seen a significant increase in the use of drones in warfare. Unmanned weapons, often cheaper than many of the more complicated and advanced weapons used by major powers like the US and Russia, seem to be aiding defenders and making the battlefield more even. What can these drones do? Do they make wars more likely to break out? Or do they improve the defenders abilities and hence serve as cautionary tale against aggression? And how do they change the battlefield? [ dur: 30mins. ]

Ori Swed is Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas Tech University. He is Director of the Peace, War & Social Conflict Laboratory. He is the co-author of “Emulating underdogs: Tactical drones in the Russia-Ukraine war” And “The Empirical Determinants of Violent Nonstate Actor Drone Adoption“
Roberto J. González is a professor of anthropology at San Jose State University. He is the author of The Quest to Automate Conflict, Militarize Data, and Predict the Future (2022)
Hugh Gusterson is Professor of Anthropology and Public Policy at the University of British Colombia. He is the author of Drone: Remote Control Warfare and with Professor Gonzalez the co-editor of Militarization: A Reader.

In response to the devastation of World War I, world leaders lead by France and the US negotiated the Kellogg-Briand Pact. This outlawed aggressive war and outlined the crime of aggression. It was the legal foundation for one of the crimes prosecuted at Nuremberg and Tokyo following World War II. And the UN Charter, specifically Article 2 (4), not only outlaws aggressive war but even threatening aggressive war. But the definition of aggressive war has been a legal and political challenge for the last 100 years. Perhaps no current scholar has been more committed, more influential, and more productive on this specific issue than our current guest. [ dur: 28mins. ]

Book cover with title - The Crime of Aggression and Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Jennifer Trahan has a new book on this precise issue. In The Crime of Aggression and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, she uses this very current and incredibly important case to demonstrate the historical development of this crime and the need to harmonize its definition and to prosecute its violation.

Jennifer Trahan is a Clinical Professor and Director of the Concentration in International Law and Human Rights at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, drones, warfare, laws on war

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Pathways to End the War on Lebanon and Iran – June 14, 2026

June 15, 2026 host

The War between Israel and the US on one side and Iran and Lebanon on the other is in its fourth month. Despite claims from the White House that a deal is imminent, the war and the destruction have continued. Indeed the concept of a cease fire is undermined with every attack. The global economy is struggling with the increased energy costs due to the closing of the Straits of Hormuz. And people continue to die. So on today’s show we update the news on the war, explore any potential pathways to end the war and examine the impact of the war particularly on both Iran and Lebanon. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Yeghia Tashjian is the Regional and International Affairs Cluster Coordinator of Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy & International Affairs (IFI) and a part time Instructor at American University of Beirut. He is the author “The International North-South Transport Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative in the South Caucasus,” published in the edited volume of Routledge Handbook of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Eurasia (2025).
Ervand Abrahamian is Professor Emeritus at City University of New York. He is the author of A History of Modern Iran and Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran and Syria.
Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of numerous publications including Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism, Western Sahara: War, Nationalism and Conflict Irresolution co-authored with Jacob Mundy.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, Middle East, Iran, Israel, Lebanon , US

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Prosecuting War Crimes – May 3, 2026

May 3, 2026 host

The last few years have been a particularly challenging time for the international law framework outlines at Nuremberg. The trial of the German leadership at the end of the Second World War, coupled with the creation of the UN and the UN Charter, codified a series of legal obligations for state leaders. It outlawed waging war or even threatening war. It held individual leaders as criminally liable for violating the rules of war. And it promised prosecutions as a result of these violations. While it had never realized its promise, the past few years, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to terrorist attacks against Israel and Israel’s waging of war in Gaza and Lebanon, to the Israeli and American war against Iran, have been a particular challenge to the so-called Nuremberg principles. So on today’s show, we explore what these principles are whether international actors can return to their promise. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Elizabeth Borgwardt is former Pozen Professor of Human Rights at the University of Chicago. She is the author of A New Deal for the World: America’s Vision for Human Rights and the upcoming The Nuremberg Idea: Thinking Humanity in History, Law and Politics.
Jennifer Trahan is a Clinical Professor and Director of the Concentration in International Law and Human Rights at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. She is also Convenor of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression, and is the author of Existing Legal Limits to the Use of the Veto in the Face of Atrocity Crimes. And the forthcoming The Crime of Aggression and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.
Mark Drumbl is Professor at Washington and Lee University, School of Law, and Director of the University’s Transnational Law Institute. He is the author of Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law and is the co-editor of Sights, Sounds and Sensibilities of Atrocity Prosecution with Caroline Fournet.
Hurst Hannum is Professor Emeritus of International Law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is the author of Autonomy, Sovereignty, and Self-Determination: The Accommodation of Conflicting Rights, Rethinking self-determination and Rescuing Human Rights: A Radically Moderate Approach.

Politics and Activism, Human Rights, Peace / Nonviolence, War / Weapons, War Crimes, Justice

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Türkiye’s interest in the war with Iran and book author interview – “I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany” – March 29, 2026

March 30, 2026 host

The Israeli and American war on Iran has vast regional implications with the potential to draw other countries into the conflict. Today we explore Türkiye’s interests in the war with a particular focus on the ramifications of arming the Kurds to fight against Iran. [ dur: 28mins. ]

Serhun Al is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Izmir University of Economics in Türkiye. He is the author of Human security versus national security: Kurds, Turkey and Syrian Rojava and Is Turkey Ready for the Post-Erdoğan Era? Roadblocks to a Democratic Transition.
Mohammad Homayounvash is Founding Director of the Jaffer Institute for Interfaith Dialogue & Education at Miami-Dade College. He is the author of Iran and the Nuclear Question.

bookcover of I Will Not Abandon You- Queer women in Nazi Germany by Samuel Clowes Huneke shows abstract art of two women facing each other.

There were many victims of Nazi atrocities and genocide but one group has only recently been given recognition for the oppression they endured: the LGBTQ+ community. Today we explore the specific treatment and oppression of the lesbian community under Nazi Germany and how their experiences influence the larger conversation about women under Nazism. We interview the author on his new book titled, “I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany” (Toronto University Press, April 2026). [ dur: 30mins. ]

Samuel Clowes Huneke is Assistant Professor of History at George Mason University. He is also the author of States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany.

Politics and Activism, Human Rights, War / Weapons, Gender, Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans, Iran, Israel, Turkey, Refugee

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – War spreads to Lebanon – March 22, 2026

March 22, 2026 host

Recent escalations in Israel’s war kill or wound the equivalent of one classroom of children every day, according to the deputy chief of the UN Children Fund (UNICEF). The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said on Thursday that it has recorded more than 10,000 air and ground violations inside Lebanese territory since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect at the end of 2024. Israel’s attack on Lebanon has created both a humanitarian crisis and a potential collapse of the Lebanese government. We explore this attack, the role of Hezbollah, and the future of Lebanon from two different expert perspectives. Our guests join us from Lebanon. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Yeghia Tashjian is the International Affairs Cluster Coordinator of Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy & International Affairs (IFI) and Instructor at American University of Beruit. He is the author of U.S. policy in the South Caucasus: Keep Turkey in, Russia down and Iran out.
Makram Rahab is lecturer of History at American University of Beirut & the Lebanese American University. He is the author of Conflict on Mount Lebanon: Collective Memory and the War of the Mountain.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, Refugees, Middle East, Israel, Humanitarian Crisis

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Iran War and War Crime Analysis – Insights on the Study Powerful People Lack Empathy – March 15, 2026

March 15, 2026 host

The Israeli/American War against Iran continues. On today’s panel we wrestle with the question of the war’s legality. In doing so, we reject US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s assertion that the US will fight this war with “no stupid rules of engagement,,” and his assertion that there will be “no politically correct wars,” and “no nation-building quagmire.” While he dismisses the importance of international laws on war, we do not. So, we ask, is this war legal? Are the tactics of Israeli and American militaries legal? Is Iran’s response aligned with international law? [ dur: 40 mins. ]

Gabor Rona is Professor of Practice at Cardozo Law School. He is the author of Venezuelan Boat Attacks: Utterly Unprecedented and Patently Predictable ,Is There a Way Out of the Non-International Armed Conflict Detention Dilemma? and State Responsibility to Respect, Protect and Fulfill Human Rights Obligations in Cyberspace .
Jennifer Trahan is a Clinical Professor and Director of the Concentration in International Law and Human Rights at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. She is also Convenor of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression, and is the author of Existing Legal Limits to the Use of the Veto in the Face of Atrocity Crimes. Her book forthcoming this spring is entitled: The Crime of Aggression and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Studies show that powerful people feel less empathy. What does that mean for societies? [ dur: 18mins. ]

Michael Inzlicht is Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto. He is co-author of Stereotype Threat: Theory, Process, and Application and co-author of the article Power Changes How the Brain Responds to Others.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, Middle East, Iran, Israel, humanity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Insights on US and Israel Bombing Iran and Its Wider Effects on the Middle East and the World – March 8, 2026

March 9, 2026 host

The attack on Iran by the US and Israel will have devastating consequences for Iran and the region. Is the intent to foment ethnic conflicts as a means to weaken Iran? What are the greater implications of this war, for Iran, the region, and the globe? What are the possibilities of successful resistance to American and Israeli aggression for an unpopular war, domestically and around the world? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of numerous publications including Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism, Western Sahara: War, Nationalism and Conflict Irresolution co-authored with Jacob Mundy.
Ervand Abrahamian is Professor Emeritus at City University of New York. He is the author of A History of Modern Iran and Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran and Syria.
Hawzhin Azeez taught at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS). She was Co-Director of The Kurdish Center for Studies. She has worked closely with refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Rojava while a member of the Kobane Reconstruction Board after its liberation from ISIS. Her articles can be found on The Kurdish Center for Studies website.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, Middle East, Iran, Israel. USA

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – State and Nature, the effects of climate change on security; Insights on street protests in Iran – February 8, 2026

February 8, 2026 host

Under what circumstances might climate change lead to negative security outcomes? Over the past fifteen years, a rapidly growing applied field and research community on climate security has emerged. While much progress has been made, we still don’t have a clear understanding of why climate change might lead to violent conflict or humanitarian emergencies in some places and not others.

book cover showing dry landscape with one person walking through it. Book title is State and Nature, the effects of climate change on security.

Busby develops a novel argument – based on the combination of state capacity, political exclusion, and international assistance – to explain why climate leads to especially bad security outcomes in some places but not others. This argument is then demonstrated through application to case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. This book will provide an informative resource for students and scholars of international relations and environmental studies, especially those working on security, conflict and climate change, on the emergent practice and study of this topic, and identifies where policy and research should be headed. [ dur: 38mins. ]

Joshua Busby is a Professor of Public Affairs and a Distinguished Scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. He is the author of State and Nature the effects of climate change on security ( The 2026 winner of the Grawemeyer Prize for Ideas Advancing World Order ) and many other publications.

With protests rocking Iran, how much are these protests historically consistent with the long history of protests in Iran. We explore this history in light of the new round of protests How much more violent has the Iran state been against protesters? [ dur: 20mins. ]

Ervand Abrahamian is Professor Emeritus at City University of New York. He is the author of A History of Modern Iran and Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran and Syria.

Climate Change, Human Rights, War / Weapons, Refugees, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Security

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – US threat to own Greenland is causing Europeans to rethink its longtime alliance with US – January 25, 2026

January 26, 2026 host

One of the most notable international initiatives of the Trump Administration has been its pursuit of Greenland. Recently the President has declared that the island is a national security issue and the US needs sovereignty over Greenland. It is currently an autonomous territory under the Danish flag. As of this recording, the US has stated it will not use military force to seize the island and there is a “concept of a deal” over the island. But this is an issue that is far from resolved. What is the US interest in Greenland? How does this campaign to acquire the territory frame the potential for future competition and conflict in the Arctic region? And what do American threats against allies, specifically members of the NATO alliance, indicate about the relationship between the US and Europe? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Map of Greenland and it's Nordic neighbors

Robert English is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Russia and the Idea of the West: Gorbachev, Intellectuals and the End of the Cold War and The Other Side: How Soviets and Americans Perceive Each Other.
Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and as Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice in the Center, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is a former foreign service office for the US State Department, serving as Ambassador to Cape Verde between 2015-2018. He is also the author of “Trump’s Greenland quest threatens alliances that helped build the modern world order” in The Conversation

Politics and Activism, Governance / Law, War / Weapons, North Atlantic, Greenland

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Scholars' Circle Interviews

Tag Archives: War / Weapons

Scholars’ Circle – We Explore the Future of Warfare – October 4, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Drone warfare and Author interview : The Crime of Aggression and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – August 30, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Pathways to End the War on Lebanon and Iran – June 14, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Prosecuting War Crimes – May 3, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Türkiye’s interest in the war with Iran and book author interview – “I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany” – March 29, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – War spreads to Lebanon – March 22, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Iran War and War Crime Analysis – Insights on the Study Powerful People Lack Empathy – March 15, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Insights on US and Israel Bombing Iran and Its Wider Effects on the Middle East and the World – March 8, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – State and Nature, the effects of climate change on security; Insights on street protests in Iran – February 8, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – US threat to own Greenland is causing Europeans to rethink its longtime alliance with US – January 25, 2026

By Maria Armoudian