Murtaza Hussain

Great to have Joseph on this episode of the show.

@grumplicio.us Hey David, is there an email I can reach you at?

Clearer video of Israeli airstrike on the Tajrish neighborhood of Tehran on June 15. The attack struck a crowded traffic junction with what appears to be a Rampage air-launched ballistic missile. From the footage one can only conclude that the civilian casualties were intended:

Death and Exile: An Israeli Genocide in Gaza An analysis of intent and action in the Israeli war in Gaza

Strong essay by @mazmhussain.bsky.social on why Gaza is a genocide. mazmhussain.substack.com/p/death-and-...

U.S. and Iran Talks: Is War Imminent? As the U.S. heads into new talks with Iran, Israel is threatening to strike.

My podcast interview with @mazmhussain.bsky.social on US Iran talks and prospects for breakthrough or war www.dropsitenews.com/p/us-and-ira...

Did Al Qaeda Win the War on Terror? Reflections on the long road to Damascus

New article on Substack: Did Al Qaeda Win the War on Terror?
mazmhussain.substack.com/p/did-al-qae...

Murtaza Hussain (@mazmhussain.bsky.social) Writing @dropsitenews. Interested in books, tech, history, global affairs, and language. فارسی/اردو/TR/EN

“The US… famously won every battle in the Vietnam War. After all the blood has been spilled, Israelis will still be surrounded by a hostile region that is now rearming and reorienting itself around Tel Aviv as its primary threat.”

mazmhussain.substack.com/p/netanyahus...

@mazmhussain.bsky.social

On the @dropsitenews.com podcast with @mazmhussain.bsky.social about…

The president’s unchecked authority to start economic wars

The dangerous way US economic policy is now a subset of national security policy

The impact of Trump’s tariffs on de-dollarization

www.dropsitenews.com/p/trump-decl...

Grassroots Resistance Builds Against Israeli Occupation of Southern Syria Locals in southern Syria have begun taking up arms against an Israeli occupation of the region that began after the fall of the Assad regime.

NEW at @dropsitenews.com | Grassroots Resistance Builds Against Israeli Occupation of Southern Syria

Locals in southern Syria are taking up arms against an Israeli occupation that began after Assad’s fall.

By @mazmhussain.bsky.social

www.dropsitenews.com/p/syria-occu...

The State Department and the Pentagon Are Battling the Deep State Over the Future of India and China Pulling on the thread of a flagrant lie inserted into Trump’s congressional address unravels a hidden clash in Washington.

NEW: DoD and State are in an internal fight with the CIA over the future of U.S. policy in Asia. The issue relates in part to the role of the Pakistani military-intelligence establishment, with the CIA favoring close ties and DoD and State wanting distance. www.dropsitenews.com/p/trump-kabu...

What is to Be Done? Rethinking the world after Gaza

Thoughtful and provocative by @mazmhussain.bsky.social. mazmhussain.substack.com/p/what-is-to...

What is to Be Done? Rethinking the world after Gaza

New Substack post with a personal reflection on the war in Gaza: mazmhussain.substack.com/p/what-is-to...

"The level of callousness and disregard for likely civilian casualties." @mazmhussain.bsky.social on what the Signal leaks reveals about the Trump national security team.

Sure let’s hear it

New book haul

New books:

Popular Gaza Creator May Have Been Killed By Gunshot, Not Shrapnel, Doctors Say Medo Halimy, who showed day-to-day life in Gaza, was reported killed as a bystander to an airstrike. Doctors say he may have been shot in the head.

Medo Halimy was a TikTok influencer in Gaza who gained nearly 200K followers for videos showing his “tent life.”

Halimy was killed in August what was reported as an airstrike. But doctors and CT scans suggest he was actually killed by a gunshot wound to the head: open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...

Columbia University’s Secret Disciplinary Process for Students Critical of Israel As Trump threatens sweeping action against “illegal protest” on college campuses, Columbia is already using secret processes to punish pro-Palestine students

NEW: Columbia University has launched a new office to secretly investigate students over Israel-Palestine protests using Title VI civil rights legislation that would deem protests against Israel as "discriminatory harassment" punishable by law. www.dropsitenews.com/p/columbia-u...

A Recommended Reading List for Young People A Guide For the Perplexed prompted by recent conversations

After speaking with many young people recently who have expressed feeling a sense of ennui and psychological drift I have put together a reading list of books that were most influential on me over the years. Hope its helpful: mazmhussain.substack.com/p/a-recommen...

Israel Launches Major Air Assault on Damascus Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions threaten to destabilize Syria as it struggles to recover from a decade-plus civil war

NEW at @dropsitenews.com: Israel Launches Major Air Assault on Damascus

Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions threaten to destabilize Syria as it struggles to recover from a decade-plus civil war

Story by @mazmhussain.bsky.social & Ali Younes

www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-lau...

The water’s nice, come on in

As Modi Visits D.C., Sikh Americans Say Surveillance and Threats Continue An alleged transnational campaign of killings and intimidation targeting Sikh dissidents has not abated

NEW from @dropsitenews.com: As Modi Visits D.C., Sikh Americans Say Surveillance and Threats Continue

An alleged transnational campaign of killings and intimidation targeting Sikh dissidents has not abated.

Read the full story by @mazmhussain.bsky.social ⬇️

www.dropsitenews.com/p/as-modi-vi...

Pankaj Mishra on the Meaning of the Genocide in Gaza The Indian author and journalist Pankaj Mishra discusses his new book “The World After Gaza: A History."

🎧 NEW at @dropsitenews.com: Pankaj Mishra on the Meaning of the Genocide in Gaza

Indian author and journalist Pankaj Mishra joins Drop Site’s @mazmhussain.bsky.social for a discussion about his new book “The World After Gaza: A History."

www.dropsitenews.com/p/pankaj-mis...

The Road to Damascus Personal reflections on a recent trip to Syria

Love this report from inside post-Assad Syria by @mazmhussain.bsky.social mazmhussain.substack.com/p/the-road-t...

The Road to Damascus Personal reflections on a recent trip to Syria

Personal reflection on a recent journey to postwar Syria: open.substack.com/pub/mazmhuss...

Every one of these guys thinks they’re Oppenheimer mixed with Andrew Carnegie and they own something called SplortDotCom that got bought by Boozoo

Dispatch from Damascus: The Shia Shrine That Could Define the Future of Syria The Syrian government has vowed to protect Sayyida Zeinab, but threats are mounting

Here’s my latest filed from Damascus. It’s about a famous shrine called Sayyida Zeinab in the Damascus suburbs and how it now may help determine the future of Syria: www.dropsitenews.com/p/damascus-s...

Who knows if these anecdotes are entirely true but it's interesting to reflect on the difference between how a foreign policy perma-elite (cycling between govt and think tank) must deal with partners who they will likely see again and again vs. independently wealthy non-experts who don't give a shit

The Search for Austin Tice Goes Beyond Syria The U.S. is investigating claims that missing journalist Austin Tice may have been moved at some point before Assad's overthrow.

NEW: Former Syrian intelligence officials we spoke with say missing American reporter Austin Tice may have been moved out of Syria by the regime prior to its collapse. The U.S. government is also investigating this possibility as it continues to search for him: www.dropsitenews.com/p/austin-tic...

Every story like this reminds me of the epilogue to The Elementary Particles by Michel Houellebecq.

I actually didn't enjoy most of the book but the ending left me genuinely shaken.