123. Hezbollah: The Party of God

How did Ayatollah Khamenei ensure his son, Mojtaba, would take over after his death? How is this war a product of deep historical trends? What internal crises have been plaguing Iran’s government in recent years? Is there hope for Iran after this war? **To listen to the rest of t ...  Show more

Mao has declared that China is a communist republic. How did life change for ordinary people living in this new nation? To what extent was Mao’s China modelled on the USSR, and how did Mao and Stalin feel about each other? And how did Mao destroy the pillars of traditional cultur ...  Show more

Some four decades ago, out of the chaos of the Lebanese civil war, a Shia militant group was born who would grow into one of the most dominant and malign forces in Lebanese politics. A proxy for Iran, staunchly opposed to Israel and aggressive in their aims, they have now effecti ...  Show more

Hezbollah buys grassroots support in Lebanon where and when it can, but the group turns to intimidation and even murder when a vocal opponent can’t be bought. Hezbollah’s elite, highly-secretive Unit 121 is the group’s death squad, which carries out assassinations of Lebanese pol ...  Show more

On today's episode we discuss the origins of Hezbollah, focusing on three key factors in its creation: Iran and Khomeini, The tenuous relationship between Palestinians in south Lebanon and the native Shia communities, as well as Israeli occupation and influence in southern Lebano ...  Show more

Discussion on Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and political impunity in Lebanon begins at 16:45. Nizar and Timour are joined this week by political researcher and commentator Ziad Majed to discuss the lack of accountability over political assassinations in Lebanon, the differences b ...  Show more