Tag Archives: War / Weapons

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Scholars’ Circle – Impact of the US attack on Venezuela – January 11, 2026

January 12, 2026 host

What is the impact of the US invading Venezuela and kidnapping its president and first lady? How might it affect international law, regional security and the American reputation?

President Trump has declared he is the “Peace President” and claims to have ended 8 wars. While this is a dubious claim, he did become the first President to bomb 8 different nations in his first year in office. He then started 2026 with an invasion of Venezuela and a kidnapping of its President Nicolas Maduro as well as his wife Cilia Flores. They await trial in Brooklyn. The President has declared that the US will run the nation and will seize whatever oil it desires. The violation of Venezuelan sovereignty, the colonial approach to its resources, and the precedent this invasion is setting for the US throughout the Western Hemisphere is both significant and potentially quite threatening to peace. On today’s show, we will explore the legal, political and security implications of this brazen invasion. And we will explore what the future of US relations in the hemisphere as well as the President’s rampant use of the military means for the immediate future. [ dur: 58mins. ]

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 .
Carol Wise is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Southern California. She is the author of Dragonomics: How Latin America is Maximizing (or Missing Out) on China’s International Development Strategy and “Conceptualizing China-Latin America Relations in the 21st Century: The Boom, the Bust, and the Aftermath” (with Victoria Chonn Ching).
Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the co-author of “Problems with President Records are Not Just About Trump” with Kenneth Osgood. He is also the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office. He is the host of the podcast This is Democracy.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, Venezuela

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Scholars’ Circle – Story of Christmas Truce during WWI in 1914 ; Science of Compassion, a sense of humanity – December 28, 2025

December 29, 2025 host

Why did soldiers on the front line ( in Flanders on 1914 ) of one of the deadliest wars lay down their arms and play soccer with the very men they were supposed to shoot?

Book Cover of Civil War by Other Means has an red X on the title of the book

We’ll revisit the Christmas truce of 1914 with Stanley Weintraub, author of, Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. [ dur: 23 mins. ]

Stanley Weintraub is a Professor Emeritus of Arts and Humanities at Penn State University. He is the author of more than 50 books including “Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce.“

Then, on the Scholars’ panel, we explore the Science of Compassion. What is it and how does it impact society? Can we learn to be compassionate? [ dur: 35mins. ]

Iain Wilkinson is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research. He is the author of Suffering: A Sociological Introduction and Anxiety in a Risk Society
Dr. Paul Gilbert is the head of the Mental Health Research Unit as well as Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby. His books include Compassion-Focused Therapy: Distinctive Features and The Compassionate Mind: A New Approach to Life’s Challenges
Dr James R. Doty is a Clinical Professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University and Founder and Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. He is the co-author of Surgical Disorders of the Sacrum

This program was first broadcast on Dec. 2017.

Arts and Humanities, Spirituality / Religion, Peace / Nonviolence, War / Weapons

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Scholars’ Circle – Border war between Cambodia and Thailand – December 21, 2025

December 21, 2025 host

Although President Trump claimed that he negotiated a peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia, the border wars are continuing. What is causing this conflict?

map of Thailand-Cambodia with marker on Preah Vihear Temple

How does history and national identity impact this war? Why did the war breakout again in 2025? And who might have the greatest influence for bringing the countries to peace? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Michael G Vann is Professor of History at California State University, Sacramento. He is the co-author of The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empire, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam. You can find his articles in Jacobin. His article on this topic is The Thailand-Cambodia War Was About Shoring Up Elite Power.
John D. Ciorciari is Dean of the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University. He is the author of The Limits of Alignment,Sovereignty Sharing in Fragile States, and Thailand and Cambodia: The Battle for Preah Vihear.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, Cambodia, Thailand

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Scholars’ Circle – Nuclear war an imminent threat to humanity persists – November 16, 2025

November 16, 2025 host

What is Donald Trump trying to accomplish by resuming nuclear testing? And what impact will this decision have on nuclear non-proliferation? It seems that Trump doesn’t understand either nuclear testing or the basics about nuclear weapons. Does this undermine US policy for non-proliferation? Also, the US is unique in that a single person controls the decision to use nuclear weapons? Could the international response to the US announcement of resuming nuclear testing change this command structure? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Ira Helfand, MD is a member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)s International Steering Committee. He is a co-founder and past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), IPPNWs US affiliate. He has co-authored PSRs report Nuclear Famine: 2 billion at Risk?
Wayne Glass is Professor Emeritus in the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California. He is the former Senior Defense Policy Advisor to Senator Jeff Bingaman on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has worked extensively with nuclear weapons policies.
Joe Cirincione is a national security analyst and author with over 40 years of experience. He is the author of the books Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late and co-author of Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats.

Active Campaign by Back from the Brink to prevent nuclear war.

Politics and Activism, War / Weapons, Nuclear Weapons

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The Scholars' Circle Interviews

Tag Archives: War / Weapons

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

Scholars’ Circle – Impact of the US attack on Venezuela – January 11, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Story of Christmas Truce during WWI in 1914 ; Science of Compassion, a sense of humanity – December 28, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – Border war between Cambodia and Thailand – December 21, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – Nuclear war an imminent threat to humanity persists – November 16, 2025

By Maria Armoudian