The Red Line

Half way down the old Silk Road lies the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, the republic that connects all of the Central Asian states. With the passing of their long-term dictator Uzbekistan is now making big steps forward but the weights left over from their past will be hard to shake, one of those being an entire rotting island that once housed the Soviet biological warfare program now radiating out into the desert. On the panel this week - Joanna Lillis (The Economist) - Nikita Makarenko (Uzbek Journalist) - Kristaps Andrejsons (The Eastern Border) - Bruce Pannier (Radio Free Liberty) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael in @MikeHilliardAus For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With each major technological leap forward in warfare the rules of war also change, and the new frontier of Cyber Warfare has completely thrown out the conventional concept of the first strike. With tens of thousands of cyber-attacks are occurring each day from all of the major players how prepared any nation is to be able to defend itself is now a giant question mark. On the panel this week - Tom Uren (ASPI) - Brandon Valeriano (CATO) - Jody Westby (Global Cyber Risk) - Bruce Schneier (Harvard University) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Northwestern edge of the Sahara desert lies the former Spanish colonial possession of Western Sahara. The region has been in various states of conflict for over 50 years, with Morocco's Royal Armed Forces and the Algerian-supported Arab Sahrawi Democratic Republic battling it out for control. We look at the origins of this conflict, the difficulties in resolving it, and the consequences for failing to do so for the stability of Western Africa. On the panel this week Stephen Zunes (Cornell University) Riccardo Rabiani (Crisis Group) Jalel Harchaoui (Global Initiative) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliard For more in please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1823 US President James Monroe declared "The Monroe Doctrine", that the Western hemisphere would be the backyard of the United States. That doctrine is now almost 200 years old and the world is a very different place, European powers such as the Netherlands, UK and France all hold colonies in the Sea; and other players such as Venezuela and Cuba are putting forward competition as well. The real threat for the US though may come from outside powers shopping around for strategic footholds in an area the US regularly overlooks. On the panel this week. Ivelaw Griffiths (CSIS) Vicki Assevero (Atlantic Council) Victor Bulmer-Thomas (Chatham House) For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on - @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on - @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Georgia has been at the heart of regional geopolitics for decades now, smashed between three expanding areas of influence from Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, with Georgia desperately trying to act as the neutral ground. But war is already there in the Georgian homeland, with the two breakaway Moscow facing republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, adding more complications to an already tumultuous region. On the panel this week. Gerard Toal (Geopolitical Author) Natia Seskuria (RUSI) Neil Hauer (Conflict Journalist) Thomas De Waal (Carnegie Europe) Follow the show in @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Obama left the White House he stated that the thing that kept him up at night more than anything else was the potential for Pakistan and India to stumble into an unplanned nuclear exchange. What was once a regional conflict has now drawn in a number of great powers such as China, and the US, but no side yet has a real plan to try to avert the risk of this simmering conflict going nuclear. The estimate is that in the event of an Indian invasion toward Islamabad the Pakistani command may only have around 6 hours to either "use or lose" their nuclear weapons, so we ask our panel what the likely outcome will be for this nightmare scenario. On the panel this week. Ayesha Jalal (Tufts University) Adam Weinstein (Foreign Policy) Andrew Small (George Marshall Fund) For more information please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a number of years Iraq has been spiraling, with worsening insurgencies, sectarian violence and numerous regional players all treating Iraq like a political battleground. How did we get here though? What was the decision made to bring Iraq to the point we stand at now, and will decisions coming up better or worsen the situation? On the panel this week. JAMES LEBOVIC (George Washington University) DIYAR AMEEN (Kurdistan Mission to the EU) JOSEPH VOTEL (Rtr 4-Star US General) For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dont think much about it but Rare Earth elements are a huge part of our everyday life, powering our phones, laptops, satellites and cars. The thing we all overlook though is where those Rare Earths are coming from, and right now China controls 98%+ of the market, meaning that every single high technology item we use at some point relies on China. That issue compounds as well when you realise that this problem extends to the defence industry, with state of the art US fighters such as the F-35 being unbuildable if the Chinese refuse to do their part of the process. The situation is far more complicated than many people realise, and we may be a decade from any real solution. This weeks guests - Guillaume Pitron (Le Monde Diplomatique) - Julie Klinger (University of Delaware) - Teague Egan (EnergyX) - Sophia Kalantzakos (New York University) For more information please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on - @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on - @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lake Chad has shrunk by almost 90% since 1960, and the situation on the ground is becoming a breeding ground for regional terrorism. Outfits like Boko Haram, and ISIS in Africa are now capturing big patches of land in Lake Chad Region. France, the US, and their regional partners are trying desperately to avoid the situation spinning out of control, but with a shrinking lake how successful can they be? This weeks panel Tomasz Rolbiecki (Uni of Gdansk) Vincent Foucher (CNRS + Crisis Group) John Campbell (CFR + Fmr US Ambassador) For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russias entire defense strategy relies on a friendly or neutral Ukraine, so when Ukraine almost turned to the west in a revolution in 2014 panic swept the Kremlin; and Russia invaded and occupied the Crimean peninsula and the Donbas region in the East. Will this war slow down to frozen conflict like in Transnistria, or will it roar back to life like in Karabakh, we ask our expert panel. This week Steven Pifer (Brookings Institute) Gustav Gressel (European Council of Foreign Relations) Thomas Graham (Yale University) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus More info at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Xi has thrown down the gauntlet and stated that Taiwan will return to the Peoples Republic of China by 2049, whether Taiwan wants it or not. So now a countdown timer has started, and Taiwan scrambles to prepare for what Beijing may throw at it. Should they build a large navy? Should they try and push the Chinese back into sea fighting on the beaches? Should the Taiwanese retreat to the jungles and fight a bloody insurgency from there? We ask our expert panel what strategy Taiwan is likely to take, and whether or not it is likely to be effective against the entire PLA. This weeks panel Eric Gomez (CATO Institute) Sheena Chestnut Greitens (University of Texas) Robert D Kaplan (Geopolitics Author) More info at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No country could possibly feel more like "the edge of the known world" than the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan. A nation where the president has been in power since '92 and has ruled the country with an iron fist, amassing a huge amount of wealth for himself using everything from Aluminum to Heroine; but things are beginning to change and Dushanbe could very soon be answering to new masters. Tajikistan is the latest battleground between Beijing and Moscow, the winner of which is yet to be decided. This weeks panel Peter Leonard (Eurasianet) John Heathershaw (Exeter University) Edward Lemon (Oxus Society) Mathieu Boulegue (Chatham House) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Or follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus More info at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Support the show at - https://www.patreon.com/theredlinepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colombia has always been closely associated with the international Cocaine trade, but the situation there is far more complicated with wider ramifications for the entire region. The government of Bogota has been at war with the rebels in a 6-way struggle for almost 60 years, with a peace deal now sitting on the table. Is this deal a workable peace though, or just the start of the next phase? We ask our expert panel. Allison Fedirka (Geopolitical Futures) Ted Piccone (Brookings Institution) Chris Sabatini (Chatham House) For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like many of the ex-soviet republics, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been part of the frozen conflict now since the early '90s, but Azerbaijan has spent the last few years building up a massive modern army. Baku has now used that army to engage in a full-scale war with Armenia in an attempt to recapture the land lost in 91. With the Armenians in full retreat and the Azeris moving into their old positions what will this mean for the region? Will Ankara or Moscow have the final say on the battlefield? We ask our expert panel. ALEX RAUFOGLU (Eurasia Journalist) NICK MUTCH (Byline Times) CAREY CAVANAUGH (Fmr US Ambassador) LAURENCE BROERS (Chatham House) More info on - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Support the show at - www.patreon.com/theredlinepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a new cold war between the USA and China looming on the horizon the balance of power in Asia is being drawn up, with Beijing and Washington vying for influence in the region. Of all the nations of importance though none will be as crucial as Indonesia. Set to be the 4th largest economy by the year 2050 Indonesia is quickly becoming a regional leader, one that could dictate the direction for ASEAN and SE Asia for decades to come. So we sat down with our expert panel to talk about the future of this soon to be giant. On the panel this week Kyle Springer (US Asia Centre) Natalie Sambhi (Verve Research) Gordon Flake (US Asia Centre) For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was once considered a Soviet lake is now quickly becoming one of the most important strategic locations in the region, with Russia working hard to maintain its grip over the sea. The important part though may be what lies beneath its surface, that being enough gas to power Europe and blunt Russia's gas monopoly. So whoever controls the Caspian, will have major leverage over the European powers, but to discuss this further we turn to our expert panel. Eugene Chausovsky (Centre for Global Policy) Stanislav Printchin (ECED) Robert M Cutler (NATO Canada) For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we take a deep dive into how to manipulate elections, whilst breaking open a large story connecting Brexit and the Russian ambassador. We also go through how Murdoch consolidates media outlets, how foreign nations conduct PsyOps as well as how companies likely Cambridge Analytica are hired to swing elections. 3 big stories on the 1 year anniversary of the show. with KEVIN RUDD (Fmr Australian Prime Minister) NICK MUTCH (The Daily Beast, Der Spiegel) WILLIAM MARCELLINO (RAND Corporation) For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smashed between Russia and China, Mongolia has a difficult position to begin with; but it was from that position that it once managed to create the largest contiguous empire known to man. What is the situation in Mongolia today though? Why has Mongolia become a peacemaker in Asia? and where does the future for Mongolia lie, In Moscow, in Beijing or in Washington? We sit down with our expert panel this week. Morris Rossabi (Columbia University) Andrew Leung (International Consultant) Julian Dierkes (University of British Columbia) For more details visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US has now been at war in Afghanistan for almost 20 years, and three administrations have all failed to find a solution to this war. Now the clock is ticking, with the Taliban gaining more and more ground every day, and the US risks a second "Rout from Saigon". So the US is looking to a peace deal, but will it actually bring stability to the region or simply further splinter an already expanding civil war. This week's guests are Sahar Khan (CATO) John Glaser (CATO) Jarrett Blanc (Carnegie) For more info visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somalia is often referred to as a failed state, with the nation being fractured into 4 parts, piracy and Al Shabaab controlling large chunks of the country, but Somalia seems to be getting back on its feet now. What will this mean for the rest of East Africa, and who might be working to knock Somalia back down? We speak to our panel of experts about the regional ramifications. This weeks panel is Omar Mahmood (Crisis Group) Degan Ali (Adeso Africa) Alex De Waal (Tufts University) Follow the show on >> @theredlinepod or Michael on >> @MikeHilliardAus More info at www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India is fast becoming one of the world's great powers, set to take the number 2 or 3 slot by 2050. This is unless another country were to derail India's current path, and the list of potential derailers is fairly long. So this week we take a look into who will be India's great strategic threats over the next 3 decades, and where India sits in the power struggle for leadership of South Asia today. This weeks guests are Swaminathan Aiyar (CATO Institute) Dhruva Jaishankar (ORF/Brookings) Harsh V Pant (Kings College London) More Info available at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show at @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thailand has for a long time been the centerpiece of South East Asia, and many powers are starting to relearn its importance when it comes to shifting the direction of the region. With the boom in internationalism and regional trade, we also see a boom for drug cartels as well; so this week we layout just how chemicals in Southern China travel through a number of nations to be sold as Methamphetamine on the streets of Vancouver and Sydney. Guests this week are Matt Wheeler Josh Kurlantzick John Coyne More info at www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show at @TheRedLinePod or @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kosovo has spent the last 2 decades fighting for its own independence, but with ever-increasing obstacles standing in their way will this mountainous nation ever achieve its lifelong dream? This week we take a look into the Western Balkans, Serbia's geopolitical aspirations, as well as Moscow's re-entry into an area it once viewed as its own backyard; and what it means for the future of the Kosovan people. On this episode Marija Ristic (Balkan Insight) Bodo Weber (Democratization Policy Council) Vessela Tcherneva (European Council on Foreign Relations) More info at www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we covered the Libyan Civil War in February it looked like Haftar was about to be victorious, shelling the very gates of his enemies capital in Tripoli; but 5 months can make all of the difference. The GNA has turned the tide and now Haftar is on the run and held up in the fortress city of Sirte, taking the city though may mean Turkey and Russia escalating to all-out war. This weeks guests are Jalel Harchauoi (Clingendael Institute) Frederic Wehrey (Carnegie Centre) Jonathon Winer (Fmr Asst Secretary of State for the USA) Find more info at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show at @TheRedLinePod or Michael the host at @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South China sea is the new battleground between Beijing and Washington with the winner controlling the trades routes; and therefore the future of Asia. Caught in the middle is The Philippines, now torn between their military partners in Washington and their economic partners in Beijing, with the decision-maker being a wildly popular president accused of numerous human rights abuses. Manila is the linchpin for both sides, and we ask our guests in which direction the nation is heading. This weeks guests are Aaron Jed Rabena (Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress) Sheena Greitens (Brookings Institute) Derek Grossman (RAND Corperation) Oriana Skylar Mastro (Stanford University) For more information visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Or follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Or follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While everyone has their eyes on its imploding neighbours Guyana is entering its own new phase, one that is likely to make it one of the world's next big geopolitical flashpoints. With Iranian missiles, Cambridge Analytica buying elections, and a country up for sale this isolated jungle nation could be the next launchpad to threaten the world superpower at home. Thie week we sit down with Brittany Kaiser (Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower) Ivelaw Griffiths (International Institute for Strategic Studies) Michael Unbehauen (US Army/Acamar Consulting) Find more info on the show at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Often referred to as the North Korea of Central Asia, Turkmenistan is simply a desert of contradictions. A nation where you memorize poems to get your driver's license, where the president raps on TV, and where many Guinness world records are broken; but more importantly a nation of starving people on top of the 4th largest gas reserves in the world. We go deeper into this reclusive society and talk about their abandonment of Moscow and their newfound masters in Beijing, as well as how this country tries its best to stay neutral in a very dangerous geopolitical neighborhood. Guests this week are Peter Leonard (Eurasianet) Naz Nazar (Radio Free Europe) Alexander Cooley (Harriman Institute) More info at -- www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on - @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on - @MikeHilliardAus Support the show on - https://www.patreon.com/theredlinepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan lies an island of Armenians in the middle of Azerbaijan, two countries now firmly at war with each other. The Armenians have invaded and now occupy a quarter of the Azeris territory, but they assert are only doing to protect their people from the government who threatens to "cleanse" the pocket of Armenians. A complicated conflict with Russia selling to both sides and Turkey (and therefore NATO) obligated to defend the other, this war is a classic situation of "the tail wagging the dog". Will we see another 1914 with a small mountain nation dragging the great powers into war, well for that we turn to our experts? Svante Cornell (Institue for Security and Development) Tyrone Shaw (Conflict Zone Author) Thomas De Waal (Carnegie Europe) More details >> www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few geopolitical flashpoints in the world more dangerous than North Korea, and with instability at the top of the regime we can add another layer of complexity to an already shaky situation; one that few people truly understand. USA, China, Seoul and Pyongyang all have competing goals and needs to keep their own domestic politics in check, but some of those goals infringe upon others, and with a few minor missteps the Korean peninsula could easily break out in full war again. The difference this time is that there are 60+ nuclear weapons to factor into the equation. So this week with sit down with Eric Gomez (CATO) Jacob Bogle (Access DPRK) Soo Kim (RAND/CIA/DHS) More information on --- www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a 30 year war with Sudan, South Sudan finally gained its independence, but with no external enemy, a power vacuum quickly told hold. Two men lead a nation into a civil war that destroyed the country and broke the future for this African nation even further. Now peace talks are starting again and people are wondering if this will this be the peace deal that finally brings stability, or will the nation once again backslide into mass slaughter? That decision lies in the hand of just two men, the same two who started this war almost 7 years ago. Guests this week are Alan Boswell Ahmed Soliman John Campbell More info at --- www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @theredlinepod Or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The coldest battlefield in the world is opening up, and old regional rivalries are beginning to flare. This is moving trade routes from the US's backyard toward the Russians. A battle is about to begin for the far North, but only one side is really prepared. Russia is rolling out Arctic divisions, new bases and groundbreaking new missiles which threaten the US naval dominance across the world's oceans. Are these new missiles going to make carriers obsolete or are they just the next step in the rapidly changing landscape? We pose this question to our panel of experts. This weeks experts Marlene Laurelle Stephanie Pezard Paul Josephson Rob Huebert More info available at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @theredlinepod or Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Private militaries or PMC's have been popping up in all of the worlds conflict zones, guns for hire being paid to the dirty work nation-states don't want to do. Is this the future of war or is this a slippery slope that takes all the accountability out of the battlefield? This week we do a deep dive into the Wagner group (Putin's private army) and Blackwater/Frontier Services Group (Erik Princes Hong Kong-based White House hit squad). We go through what they have been up to, and where they are likely to pop up over the next few years Guests this week are Sean McFate Alex Kirsch Sahar Khan and Candace Rondeaux Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus More info at www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Venezuela, home to the largest proven oil reserves in the world was once the jewel of South America, the envy of the Latin world, but now the country sits on the brink of collapse. Venezuela has gone so far now that other nations like China, Russia, and the US have begun circling like hungry vultures, looking to smash apart the nation and divide up the assets. So this week we sit down and ask where will it all go, how did we get here and what is next for this South American titan. Giancarlo Fiorella - (Bellingcat institute) Nick Mutch - (Conflict Journalist) Christopher Sabatini - (Chatham House) More info at -- www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Libyan civil war is ramping to a climax, general Haftars forces have arrived at the gates on the capital Tripoli and the entire world is taking sides. Russia, the UAE, Turkey, France, Italy, Qatar and Egypt are all throwing fuel onto this already raging fire, not realising those flames are unlikely to remain contained inside Libya. Three huge guests for this episode. Jonathon Winer (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the USA) Jalel Harchaoui Tarek Magerisi For more information check out -- www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Foreign aid is one of the most misunderstood parts of any nations budget, why would a country give money to another country when they have hungry people at home? What people may not realise is that that 0.22% of your budget may be the only thing standing between you and your enemy setting up its armed forces in your backyard. This weeks guests are Matt Mcdonald Tess Newton Cain and Will Clapton More info at >> www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every month we seem to escalate the tensions with Iran, drawing Iran and the West closer and closer into large scale conflict. One that would likely drag in the rest of the nations in the Middle-East and then crash the world economy. This week we sit down with 4 expert witnesses to go through exactly how difficult an invasion of Iran will be, and what risks we would be taking on to do so. www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyrgyzstan stands at one of the most important decisions the country will ever make about its future, to look toward Moscow or to look toward Beijing.... The Kyrgyz people live upon some of the most important real estate in all of Asia, and now all the superpowers are beginning to compete for access to this vital crossroad. Guests are Chris Schwatz - (University of Leuven) Erica Marat - (National Defence University) Alexander Cooley (Columbia University) For more information please visit >> www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2020 is set to be one of the most impactful years for human history, where we will make choices that will steer our future for a decade to come. With critical elections, wars, and crises set to shape the next 12 months, next year will be year will we discuss in history classes for generations. We sit down with three of the world's top experts to see what they think will be the biggest stories for 2020. This weeks guests are Andrew Hindmoor (University of Sheffield) Jake Hanrahan (Popular Front) and Brian Glyn Williams (CIA and NSA advisor) For more information please visit >> www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between Moldova and Ukraine lies the breakaway republic of Transnistria the last nation to hold the hammer and sickle upon its flag, this unrecognized nation doesn't exist on any map but does hold the entire balance of power in Eastern Europe. This is the last barrier between the encroachment of the EU and the heartlands of Russia, so to better understand this breakaway republic we turn to 3 expert witnesses. The week we speak to Tyrone Shaw (University of Northern Vermont) Dmitri Tokarev (University of Tiraspol) Kristaps Andrejsons (Host of the Eastern Border) For more information please visit >> www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The UK has been polarised and dragged to a stop over the biggest issue to face the country since WW2....Brexit. With the government paralyzed the mandate has been turned back to the people with an early election, son we sit down with 3 expert guests to analyze what each party stands for and what they offer to right the path of Britain. Guests this week Peter Sloman (University of Cambridge) Imke Henkel (University of Lincoln) Alan Wager (Kings College London) For more information please visit >> www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yemen is currently the home to the worst humanitarian crisis of our time, with a civil war that has dragged in countries from all around the globe. This small desert country is now the 5-way battleground for the world's powers, with the world's oil routes at stake. Guests for this episode are Helen Lackner (Oxford University) Laura Kasinof (The New York Times) and Thomas Small (BAFTA award-winning documentary maker) For more information please visit >> www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Housing and shelter is one of the most basic needs a person has, but all around the world it is increasingly difficult for people to obtain a house of their own. The board is being stacked against many of us, and this may be the thing that brings the Australian economy down with it. Is there a recession coming in Australia? We pose this question to our expert guests. This shows guests are Graham Cooke (Finder.com.au) Alex Saunders (Nuggets News) Peter Tinley (Minister of Housing in WA) Jakob Madson (Professor of Macroeconomics) Hosted by Michael Hilliard For more information please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Only swimming distance from the borders of Australia lies the island of Guinea, where half the population is currently fighting to become free from an increasingly strict Indonesian government. Its an issue we need to talk about with helicopters, phosphorus and corruption all throughout, with people dying every day at the hand of one of our closest neighbours. This week we chat to 3 expert witnesses about the West Papuan movement. Raki Ap (One of the leading voices on the West Papuan movement) Dr Janet Steele (The director for the institute of public diplomacy and global communication) Jason Macleod (Teaches civil resistance training and education for people in non democracies at the university of Sydney). For more info you can follow The Red Line at www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been 18 years since NATO declared war on Afghanistan, and what do we have to show for it? Where is the war at today? Im joined by three expert witnesses who are going to give us Afghanistans past, present and likely future. This weeks guests are Brian Glyn Williams (CIA and NSA expert on Afghanistan) Thomas Barfield (Professor of Anthropology at Boston university) Suma Sayeed (Advisor to the State Department in Afghanistan) You can follow the show on Twitter >> @theredlinepod Facebook >> @theredlinepod www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices