Radio War Nerd

Guest: Rob Ashlar Recorded: September 12, 2026 We continue our series on the pivotal Iraqi insurgency with researcher Rob Ashlar. In part 5, we cover the events of the summer of 2006: the assassination of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) founder/emir Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which the Bush Admin promised would a

Guest: Rob Ashlar Recorded: July 25, 2026 Researcher Rob Ashlar continues his series with us on the Iraq insurgency, which had a powerful influence on jihadi insurgencies and politics ever since. In this episode, Rob takes us through the spring of 2006, as AQI (Al Qaeda in Iraq) and its umbrella hea

Guest: Rob Ashlar Recorded: July 18, 2026 Researcher Rob Ashlar resumes his RWN series on the Iraqi insurgency, now moving into the eventful year 2006. Subscribe to Rob Ashlar's substack. Follow Rob on Twitter here. Read Rob Ashlar's article "Monotheism and Struggle: The Story of Iraqi Insurgency, 2

Guest: Rob Ashlar Recorded: January 28, 2025 We talk to researcher Rob Ashlar about the social-political roots of the jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel, which have only grown and spread with each failed counter-insurgency effort. Glossary: JNIM: Al Qaeda franchise and most powerful jihadist group i

Guest: Rob Ashlar Recorded: July 18, 2024 The first in our 2-part series with Rob Ashlar on the Iraqi insurgency, one of the most important guerrilla movements of the past 50 years. This episode, we trace the early mutations of the Iraqi insurgency 2003-4 ending with the Second Battle of Fallujah. S

Guest: Rob Ashlar Recorded: March 28, 2024 To make sense of the ISKP (Islamic State-Khorasan Province) attacks in Moscow last week, and Iran earlier this year, we dive into its murky origins during the US occupation in Afghanistan and the terrorist group's remarkably friendly relations with occupied