Libya: The Return of the Arab Strongman?

2026-08-13

Turning their attention away from Iran and toward another Middle Eastern hotspot, Aimen and Thomas explain the course of events in Libya since the Arab Spring. Seismic political events are underway in that sad country, which has been riven by civil war and political division for over fifteen years.

They discuss:


The difference between East and West Libya

First Libyan Civil War: state collapse and militia fragmentation

NATO intervention and Western short-termism

Khalifa Haftar: from Gaddafi officer to eastern strongman

Second Libyan Civil War: Operation Dignity and divided government

Libya proxy war: Egypt, UAE, Russia, Turkey and Qatar

Libyan oil politics: NOC, Central Bank and Haftar’s leverage

U.S.-backed Libya deal: Saddam Haftar, Dbeibah and Pakistan mediation


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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.
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No. of episodes

242

Latest episode

2026-10-15

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An ex-Al Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy and a former monk turned filmmaker, have been embedded at the heart of conflicts in the Middle East. Together Aimen Dean and Thomas Small unpack the realities of war, fundamentalism and their global implications through first-hand experience.