What happened in this episode?
Joby Warrick, a Washington Post reporter and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, joins Julian Dorey to discuss contemporary Middle East conflicts and Warrick’s reporting on terrorism history. In the opening section, Warrick argues that cycles of violence create long-term “blowback”, citing US support for Afghan mujahideen in the 1980s as an example. He describes staying in touch with King Abdullah II of Jordan and says the king has personally taken part in aid overflights to Gaza; Warrick recounts being told the destruction resembles Dresden after the Second World War and that, once journalists can report freely on the ground, “they won’t believe it”. Warrick also claims early signals from Washington suggested Jordan might be pressed to absorb Palestinian refugees, which he says the palace views as politically untenable.
The conversation then turns to Syria, where Warrick says former jihadist leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (previously known as al-Jolani) has surprised observers by presenting as pragmatic while, in Warrick’s view, the situation remains precarious. Warrick and Dorey discuss sanctions as a long-running policy tool; Warrick argues sanctions contributed to unintended consequences in Syria, including the regime’s reliance on Captagon trafficking.
The latter half focuses on Warrick’s forthcoming book about Carlos the Jackal. Warrick outlines Carlos’s role in 1970s–80s terrorism and describes how he obtained permission to meet him in a French prison under strict conditions, including a ban on recording equipment and limits on direct quotation. Warrick also recounts claims from Jordanian intelligence sources that they once tried to befriend Carlos while he was secretly in Amman.
