War College

An economy in deep trouble. A scandal involving billions in off-shore bank accounts and shell companies. Seemingly endless military entanglements. Sounds like a recipe to bring down any world leader. This week, War College looks at what makes Russian President Vladimir Putin the ultimate special case. PARTICIPANTS: Jason Fields, Mark Galeotti, Matthew Gault

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PARTICIPANTS: Jason Fields, Matthew Gault, George Weidman

Video games are an industry worth tens of billions of dollars. Games make more money than Hollywood and the music industry combined. Video games can be great fun and even great art, but they can also be great propaganda.

When Ukraine pulled itself apart in 2014, the world was confused over who was doing the pulling. Was the takeover of Luhansk, Donetsk and other regional capitals all part of a Russian plan, or a local movement? This week on War College, we speak with Antony Butts. He was in Donetsk when it all went down and has a unique story to tell.

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Listen on SoundCloud PARTICIPANTS: Jason Fields, Matthew Gault, Andrea Shalal

This week on War College, we're diving into the weeds on how weapons systems come into existence, from the officer who first sees the need to the bureaucrat who gets it done.

PARTICIPANTS: Jason Fields, Matthew Gault, Scott Swanson

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PARTICIPANTS: Jason Fields, Matthew Gault, Michela Wrong

This week's episode of War College focuses on a secretive nation where everyone serves in the military – and not just for a year or two. In fact, once you get pulled into service in Eritrea, you could be serving for a decade or more. And no one knows how much more it could be. 

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Listen on SoundCloud Participants: Jason Fields, Matthew Gault, Ian McCollum Snipers play a key role in the world’s armies. They target commanders on the opposing side and other targets with an outsize impact. Working by themselves, they can pin down a group, creating fear and confusion.

And now they’re covered in glory. Hollywood cast Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, in the movie American Sniper. Kyle killed at least 160 people with his rifle.

After the Soviet Union fell, NATO expanded. It also lost its main purpose: taking on that same Soviet Union.

President Barack Obama laid out a plan to close the Guantanamo Bay prison this week, where terror suspects are being held indefinitely. The 21 page document he sent to Congress calls for the transfer, imprisonment and trial by military commission of the remaining 91 detainees.

Russia has gone to great pains to display its refurbished and modern weaponry the last few years. First in Georgia, then in Ukraine and now in Syria. Pundits, journalists and bloggers have marveled at how far Moscow’s military has come after the decade of decay following the collapse of the Soviet Union.