The Decision Advantage

On April 18, 1983, a vehicle packed with explosives detonated in front of the United States Embassy in Beirut. Those killed in the suicide attack included the entire U.S. intelligence presence in Lebanon at that time. The man sent by the CIA to pick up the pieces was William Buckley. Buckley’s story is the focus of the latest book from New York Times best selling authors Fred Burton and Samuel Kat...

As Great Britain prepared its military to battle Nazi Germany in World War II, a select few were deployed behind enemy lines as part of a new program to lead a resistance, carry out intelligence operations and harass German forces, slowing their ability to solidify control of the continent. In this episode of the podcast, we hear the true story of two brothers tasked with just such a mission. Stra...

As China moves toward what it sees as an imperial dawn, in this episode of the Stratfor Podcast we take a look back at the last time China wielded great power on the global stage with professor and author Stephen R. Platt. Platt sits down with Stratfor Senior Vice President of Strategic Analysis Rodger Baker and Asia Pacific Analyst Evan Rees to discuss his latest book, Imperial Twilight: The Opiu...

What would happen if a U.S. special forces operator with a score to settle brought the insurgent tactics he’d been fighting against overseas back home? That’s the idea behind The Terminal List, the debut novel from former Navy SEAL and Special Operations Task Unit Commander Jack Carr. In this episode of the Stratfor Podcast, Carr sits down with Stratfor Chief Security Officer Fred Burton to discus...

War evolves. From technology and tactics to the strategic imperatives shaping the future of conflict, we explore the evolution of war since World War I in this episode of the Stratfor Podcast. Stratfor Senior Military Analyst Omar Lamrani and Director of Analyst Operation Paul Floyd join Editorial Director Ben Sheen to explore why and how military strategies have changed over the last 100 years an...

On August 17, 1988, PAK-1 crashed near Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Those on board the Pakistani presidential aircraft included President Zia-ul-Haq and multiple members of his joint chiefs of staff. United States Ambassador Arni Raphel and U.S. Army Brigadier General Herbert Wassom were also on board. There were no survivors. In this episode of the Stratfor Podcast, Chief Security Officer Fred Burton re...

Faced with dramatically fluctuating oil prices and pressing demographic realities, Saudi Arabia is working to envision a future beyond reliance on energy markets. That, however, is easier said than done. In this episode of the Stratfor Podcast, we discuss Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan, the motivations for reform and the challenges ahead with Stratfor Vice President of Global Analysis R...

What would a nation do to avoid going to war? That’s the central question in Spy Master, the latest book from New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor. Thor returns to the Stratfor Podcast to discuss the international intrigue, espionage, betrayal and geopolitics behind Spy Master with Stratfor Chief Security Officer Fred Burton. Read our latest analysis on this topic and more at Stratfor World...

About a year ago, Stratfor connected with a group of world geography teachers at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, also known as LASA High School, in Austin, Texas. We were interested to see what would happen if we provided all of their freshman students full access to the geopolitical analysis and forecasting available through Stratfor Worldview. The results exceeded even our expectations. In...

Amid Turkey’s turbulent political and economic environment, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for early elections on June 24. To better understand why he’s making this move now and what it means for Turkey, the Middle East and beyond, Stratfor Vice President of Global Analysis Reva Goujon and Middle East and North Africa Analyst Emily Hawthorne sit down to unravel early Turkish elections i...

Just hours after North Korea destroyed the tunnels at its Punggye-Ri nuclear test site in front of an audience of international reporters, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a formal letter calling off direct talks between himself and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. For more insight on these latest moves and if the summit is in fact off for good, we sit down wit...

Although an enigma to many, there are some with unique insight into life within North Korea’s closed society. One of them is James Church, a former Western intelligence officer who’s written a series of Inspector O mystery novels based on his experience and interactions inside North Korea. In this episode of the Stratfor Podcast, Church sits down with Chief Security Officer Fred Burton to discuss...

Echoes of the Cold War are increasingly emerging today. Nowhere is that trend toward more clandestine activities, espionage and subterfuge more apparent than the unfolding drama in the United Kingdom surrounding the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Backtracks Episodes Master Backtracks Episodes Master 100% 10 E625 After more than a year of soaring tensions and heated rhetoric between the United States and North Korea, two key summits on the horizon could change the dynamic completely. Following an inter-Korean summit on April 27, President Donald Trump will potentially sit down with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for direct talks. For more on wha...

With its close proximity to major regional conflicts, artificial borders dictated by imperial politics instead of geography, limited natural resources and a swelling refugee population, we sit down to discuss the geopolitics of Jordan in this episode of the Stratfor Podcast. Stratfor analysts Emily Hawthorne and Mark Fleming-Williams take close look at Jordan’s rich history, incredible success mai...

On March 18, Russians re-elected Vladimir Putin as president. Beyond questions of whether the elections were fair or if opposition candidates were allowed the opportunity to campaign in earnest, the interesting question for Stratfor analysts is what comes next. With a stagnant economy, rising poverty, ongoing sanctions and a highly divisive political climate, Russia faces a wide range of challenge...

When Stratfor analysts work to understand the constraints and compulsions of nations, they always begin with geography. It’s at the core of our unique methodology, grounded in the practice of applied geopolitics, that shapes how we view the world. In this episode of the podcast, we explore the geopolitics of Spain and the primary geographic challenges that come from within its own borders. From th...

New York Times Bestselling Author Ronen Bergman sits down with Stratfor Chief Security Officer Fred Burton in this episode of the Stratfor Podcast to discuss his latest book, Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations. Bergman’s book, described as the first definitive history of the Mossad, Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces’ targeted killing programs, is the r...

From parental leave and women in the workforce to the economic fate of nations, we mark International Women’s Day in this episode of the Stratfor Podcast with a discussion on women and geopolitics. Stratfor Vice President of Global Analysis Reva Goujon sits down with Senior Science and Technology Analyst Rebecca Keller and Middle East and North Africa Analyst Emily Hawthorne to examine the evolvin...

North Korea held its annual military parade a day before the opening of the 2018 Winter Olympics just 40 miles from its border with South Korea. While the timing was no surprise, in this episode of the podcast we take a closer look at the messages Pyongyang meant to send as well some of the hardware they chose to put on display. We also dive into renewed discussions about reviving military parades...

Forecasting global trends and developments can prove challenging even when you have the best information available. Stratfor leverages the study of applied geopolitics, tools of intelligence analysis and public report cards on our work to constantly improve our forecasting process. The team at Good Judgment Inc. seeks to directly quantify their forecasts with numerical probability assessments.   I...

One of the executive security risks Stratfor continues to track closely is the kidnapping threat to high net worth individuals and their families. In this episode of the podcast, we turn back the clock to the 1960s and take a look at the high-profile kidnapping of brewing empire heir Adolph Coors III. Stratfor Chief Security Officer Fred Burton sits down with author Philip Jett to discuss his book...

As South Korea prepares to host the 2018 Winter Olympics just a short drive from its border with North Korea, we sit down to discuss security at the games in this episode of the podcast. From heightened political tension with North Korea to the ongoing security threats facing every iteration of the games, Stratfor Chief Security Office Fred Burton shares his experience working security at the Olym...

Stratfor’s model of applied geopolitics always starts with geography. We look at how mountains, plains, rivers and mineral resources constrain a nation’s political, security and economic imperatives. In this episode of the Stratfor Podcast, we explore the increasing implications of water scarcity around the globe. Stratfor South Asia Analyst Faisel Pervaiz and Senior Science and Technology Analyst...

The world isn’t getting any less complicated. Governments, international companies and globally engaged individuals face an ever-increasing mountain of information as they work to make sense of the news each day. The current international environment, however, doesn’t need to be difficult to understand if you know where to focus your energy. In this episode of the Stratfor Podcast, we share a keyn...