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...
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- The Russians are not propping him up. Their role in Burkina is marginal. Different story in Mali.
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- He's attempting to save his country from jihadists, albeit ineptly?
- 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...
- 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.
- And, I have in mind a deep dive on Fulanis and terrorism.
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- 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...
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- Not a ridiculous question.
- 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.
- If al-Sharaa succeeds, and if he's really "all that," the rewards for everyone in the region, Israel included, would be vast. Yes, there's risk, but the risk of not helping him and weakening Syria further carries much more risk, and very little benefit.
- It's rather like Pascal's wager.
- 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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- We talked about al-Sharaa's background, the Alawite massacres, the Druze, Israeli intervention, etc. I invite you to learn as much as I did.
- Interesting comments. It seems Al-Sharaa may have been groomed by Mossad. Lol.
- Pleased to be cited by AFP in this article about Mauritania and terrorism. information.tv5monde.com/afrique/la-m...
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View full threadWell...
- Monsieur qui se cache derrière une compte anonyme se donne le droit de juger les juifs de France. Et les trouver décevants, bien sûr.
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- Coward. Vous êtes qui pour inviter aux autres à juger la communauté ?
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- Ayez la courage d'ôter votre masque. Et pensez à défendre votre communauté au lieu d'obliger un américain de le faire. Ça vous rendre lâche et méprisable.
- NYT: Some Israeli officers admit privately that Gaza actually is on brink of famine and starvation. I mean, Israel’s policy is designed to create a famine and starvation. That’s the point of a total blockade of food. So is this an admission or taking credit? www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/w...
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View full threadSpeaking as if Hamas was the only active player in the region, and Israel being just unfortunately incapable to stop committing war crimes independently of the actions of Hamas.
- What made you a Hamas apologist?
- 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...
- It's revealing that even if it's on the brink, Hamas still isn't releasing hostages, and Gazans still aren't forcing them to do so (would be hard, I acknowledge). Hamas is playing chicken with the lives of the people they ostensibly serve.
- My latest on Substack. shurkin.substack.com/p/betting-on...
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- I think they're gone. But I've also lost track.
- My latest: A conversation with Zineb Riboua about Great Power competition. youtu.be/BZFerUtnbw0
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- On n'a rien accompli. Echec total.
- 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.
- 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.
- "a dominant air and space force is the absolute key ...We’ve done it over and over ... run these, high tempo, lethal parallel combat ops and just absolutely crush our enemies. You saw it in ... Afghanistan" afa.org/agenda/winni... Hmm.
- That explains why we so consistently have been winning wars, right? An unbroken string of victories since 1945.
- 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...
- My latest on Substack. "Is the European Strategy Toward Trump a Delusion?" open.substack.com/pub/shurkin/...
- I smell another topic for a video.
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- Oui, j'ai dit ça. Et je dis ça toujours.
- Is there a more satisfying end to an English novel than the end of O'Brian's "Nutmeg of Consolation"?
- My latest. youtu.be/UdCbh20gui8
- Have you watched this yet? youtu.be/wIStOFfSpe4
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- I need this. Thanks for posting.
- 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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- "Perfect victims"? What is that?
- 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.
