Michael Shurkin
Ex-CIA, Ex-RAND, NOT a political scientist. I post on things related to defense, national security, Africa (esp. the Sahel), and all things French military. Sometimes troll antisemites.
- In all seriousness, I want Burkina to win its war. If given a chance to help Traoré, I'd jump at it. I'd wish he'd change some of his tactics...
- Hilarious.
- PSA: I once did CIA-commissioned historical research that unforeseeably led me to become an expert on LGBT in the CIA. CIA made a documentary about it and interviewed me for it. It was on YouTube, but it was taken down. I found it on Amazon Prime, if your interested. www.amazon.com/gp/video/det...
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- Well, what do you know. Qatar reportedly says it will buy 160 Boeings for more than $200 billion.
- What's in the pipeline for my YouTube channel? 💥The Spanish military 💥A lesson on Beaufre 💥The US Army's cancellation of the Booker tank 💥And I've lined up an interview with an expert on Japan's Self Defence Forces.
- I support Israel's war against Hamas, though am deeply critical of its conduct, or of any war that appears devoid of a strategy. Fighting Hamas is legitimate and necessary. As for Syria, there's an opportunity for Israel to give peace a chance, without surrendering to naivete.
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- Pleased to be cited by AFP in this article about Mauritania and terrorism. information.tv5monde.com/afrique/la-m...
- I was planning on sitting in this for a week but recent events made me decide to pull the trigger. I was honored to interview @simnasr.bsky.social about #Syria and al-Sharaa. youtu.be/e_3DmeG5iW8
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- Reposted by Michael ShurkinA hugely important moment in European nuclear deterrence: Macron openly talking about US-style nuclear sharing arrangements, with French bombs deployed in allied countries.
- 🧐
- Did Trump and Pam Bondi make a deal with the Sinaloa Cartel? It would seem so, and now 17 cartel family members have been allowed to enter the U.S. apnews.com/article/el-c...
- Reposted by Michael Shurkin❗️ French President Macron confirmed that all CAESAR wheeled self-propelled howitzers produced in 2025 will be sent to Ukraine. He also emphasized that the best security guarantee for Ukraine is a strong Ukrainian army.
- Monsieur qui se cache derrière une compte anonyme se donne le droit de juger les juifs de France. Et les trouver décevants, bien sûr.
- Aux comptes anonymes qui s'attaquent aux juifs de France en tout sûreté, tandis qu'eux, les juifs, dépendent de la protection de la police et de l'armée de terre, je vous invite à aller vous faire foutre.
- Je vous invite à lire ce texte du président de judaïsme en mouvement, la communauté à laquelle appartient Horvilleur. Juste pour que vous vous fassiez une idée de l’ambiance intra communautaire et de ce que représente une prise de parole comme la sienne judaismeenmouvement.org/actualites/c...
- Reposted by Michael ShurkinWow you mean a force designed for the “operational level” can’t actually do anything but tactics? No way. You’re telling me this for the first time.
- This new Times piece on the last month of American bombing of Yemen has some insane details. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/u...
- Reposted by Michael Shurkin🇫🇷 President Macron is addressing the nation. When asked abt extending France’s nuclear deterrent to rest of Europe, he responds: 1/ that there has always been a European dimension to nuclear deterrence, but that 🇫🇷 will not clarify doctrine to maintain strategic ambiguity..
- My latest on Substack. shurkin.substack.com/p/betting-on...
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- My latest: A conversation with Zineb Riboua about Great Power competition. youtu.be/BZFerUtnbw0
- Lol.
- #Mali's political parties are all hot and bothered. Which leads to a perennial challenge for analysts: How do we assess which parties matter? Do any of them matter? The ability to generate a crowd and make lots of noise in a capital is not a reliable indicator of anything.
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- Thanks. I redid the video to deal with a glitch in the audio. youtu.be/L_Jin_gl4lk
- Anyone else watching the Argentine series on Netflix, Eternauts? Its very good.
- I'm totally taking credit.
- Few details, but the only thing Iran could want from Niger is uranium. I'm sure Niger wouldn't mind some drones. www.tehrantimes.com/news/512450/...
- Have you watched this yet? My intro to the book that's the single best thing you can read, frankly, about how the US Government deals with many, many things. And the single best thing RAND ever published (except my work, of course :) ) www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEdC...
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- My latest on Substack. "Is the European Strategy Toward Trump a Delusion?" open.substack.com/pub/shurkin/...
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- I smell another topic for a video.
- Is there a more satisfying end to an English novel than the end of O'Brian's "Nutmeg of Consolation"?
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- My latest. youtu.be/UdCbh20gui8
- Have you watched this yet? youtu.be/wIStOFfSpe4
- My latest video. youtu.be/wIStOFfSpe4
- An interesting take on Spain's reluctance to spend on defense, and attitudes toward NATO. By @almagroschool.bsky.social macdonnchada.substack.com/p/spains-rel...
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- Best Passover song. Text is at least 1200 years old. Part of the Passover Hagadah. Song by an Israeli in Israel in Jews' indigenous language. The number of people on this site who think it appropriate for her to be raped and murdered is staggering. www.youtube.com/watch?v=puei...
- It's a good thing no one is talking about climate change anymore. Otherwise I might be concerned.
