IRAN: WHAT IS INSIDE FORDOW, ISFAHAN AND NATANZ? ANDREA STRICKER, FDD

PREVIEW. The Possibility of a Tale of Two Gazas. David Daoud speaks with John Batchelor about Gaza, now divided with the IDF patrolling one half and Hamas controlling the other. Daoud presents the possibility of a "tale of two Gazas," one destroyed, one rebuilt. The excerpt also mentions a difficult domestic task for al-Sharaa, involving massacres and resistance from Kurds and Druze demanding separation.

PREVIEW. The Possibility of a Tale of Two Gazas. David Daoud speaks with John Batchelor about Gaza, now divided with the IDF patrolling one half and Hamas controlling the other. Daoud presents the possibility of a "tale of two Gazas," one destroyed, one rebuilt. The excerpt also mentions a difficult domestic task for al-Sharaa, involving massacres and resistance from Kurds and Druze demanding separation. V

PREVIEW. Naivety in Solving the Gaza Conflict. Husain Haqqani speaks with John Batchelor about the apparent assumption that Gaza is "solved" following a ceasefire signing in Sharm el-Sheikh. Haqqani observes naivety in American negotiators who believe they are fixing the world forever. Gaza's turmoil is noted to have persisted for at least 2,000 years, resisting efforts by historical powers like the Romans.

PREVIEW. Russia's New Guided Glide Bomb in Ukraine. John Hardie discusses Russia's new version of a glide bomb used against Ukraine. The weapon, which can be released up to 200 kilometers away, allows Russia to avoid air defenses and inflict damage economically with a sizable warhead. The latest version is the UMPK, strapped to a FAB-500, a 500-kilogram class bomb.

PREVIEW. The Domestic and Foreign Ambitions of Syria's al-Sharaa. Ahmad Sharawi describes the two faces of al-Sharaa, Syria's leader. Externally, al-Sharaa seeks international legitimacy, investment, and full sanctions relief via diplomatic visits. Domestically, he faces resistance; there have been two massacres, and groups like the Druze, Kurds, and coastal residents demand separation and autonomy.

PREVIEW. The Continuing Power of Presidential Tariffs. Alan Tonelson discusses the Supreme Court's pending oral arguments concerning the president's "Liberation Day tariffs." Tonelson argues the tariffs are likely to stay, and presidential power will continue. Even if the court strikes down the tariffs under the 1977 statute, the president possesses many other established tariffing authorities under US trade law. Retry

3. LONDINIUM 91 CE. Hollywood and Rome. Gaius and Germanicus concluded their meeting by critiquing Hollywood's portrayal of Roman decline, focusing on Gladiator 2. Gaius admitted he could not finish the film due to its historically inaccurate conclusion. The film's ultimate payoff—the removal of bad emperors and the return to the Republic—is viewed as fundamentally wrong. Gaius argued that empires do not revert to republics, as the republic was "aged out" and the empire was necessary, suggesting that Hollywood confuses the word "republic" with "democracy." Germanicus elaborated on this distortion, noting that societies frequently look back and shape the past into a "golden age" from which they have fallen. The founders of the American republic were informed by Rome and Greece, viewing Rome as a morality play detailing triumph, tragedy, and the ultimate loss of virtue. This tradition of distortion was reinforced by Gibbon's Decline and Fall, which packaged the later empire as corrupted by "barbarism and religion" to suit the ideals of the Enlightenment. This historical lens persists, leading to a simplistic modern conventional wisdom, especially prevalent in Hollywood media, that "republic is good, empire is bad." Hollywood fails to recognize that the imperial institution maintained many of the Republic's institutions and sensibilities. Furthermore, the media elite confuses the Roman imperial office with a "mafia don" or "banana republic dictatorship." The speakers concluded that while they see the world "as it is," American aspirations (like those reflected in Hollywood) see the world "as they want it to be." AGRIPPINA MINOR Retry

2. LONDINIUM 91 CE. Seven Warnings, Part II. The conversation continued with Germanicus detailing the remaining maxims, noting that the United States seems to follow this list of strategic errors as if it were a program. (5) Never think "it will never happen to us"—this belief stems from American exceptionalism, the idea that the US is superior because "democracy makes us smarter." The shameful US withdrawal from Afghanistan was cited as a major instance of this failure, especially when contrasted with the Soviet withdrawal, which was conducted with dignity and left a regime that lasted three more years. The US, believing itself to be the "gods of war" after World War II, relied on the myth of technological superiority, a mindset preserved even in the proxy war in Ukraine where elites underestimated Russia based on GDP. The danger of biased judgment (Maxim 4) was re-emphasized through the Korean War, where the US despised the Chinese, who ultimately defeated the US in a strategic campaign. The Chinese military adapted to American fire with unconventional tactics, overwhelming US lines, a capability the US disallowed because it viewed the enemy as a "lesser force." This mindset gives a gift to the enemy, allowing them to rely on US unpreparedness (e.g., letting Russians build vast fortifications in Ukraine). (6) Never follow a strategic course of action that makes your enemy stronger—this requires understanding the enemy's source of strength (like the morale and spirit of the Taliban), which the US often fails to attack. The speakers applied this warning to potential US intervention in Venezuela, which is being encouraged by the opposition. The strategy of using overwhelming air power and insufficient ground forces—bombing them into submission—will fail and only make the enemy stronger. Insufficient tactics like leadership decapitation, even if inspired by Israeli actions, will not succeed if the enemy army chooses to resist. The centurions noted that the Romans consistently avoided one mistake: forgiving the enemy.

1. LONDINIUM 91 CE. Seven Warnings, Part I. Gaius and Germanicus, joined by retired centurions, convened at the Friends of History Debating Society to discuss Germanicus's list of seven maxims detailing how empires, specifically the US, engage in self-harm or self-destruction. Gaius offered the example of the emperor deciding Nigeria needs attention due to the killing of Christians, asserting America has no interest whatsoever in this venture. He contrasted this unnecessary entanglement with Rome's historical method of handling threats in its self-interest. Rome, when it decided to win, completely wiped out resisting enemies, as demonstrated by the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE and the earlier obliteration of Sepphoris, the capital of Galilee, around 4 BCE. The Romans even renamed Judea to Palestine to deny the populace their historical identity. Germanicus then presented the first four maxims routinely ignored by US war fighters: (1) Never let a foreign power define your interests and objectives—this warning cited historical entanglement examples, including the British in two World Wars and modern manipulation by Ukraine, NATO countries, and Israel; (2) Never let initial success fool you into thinking you're winning—Germanicus noted that this "victory disease" affected the Japanese after Pearl Harbor and the US during the invasion of Iraq and the initial stages of the Ukraine war; (3) The failure chosen now is always better than the failure forced upon you later—this maxim addresses the destructive "stay the course" mentality, exemplified by the Vietnam War, driven by courtiers worried about reputation rather than effectiveness; (4) Judgment of the enemy should not be confirmed by internal biases—this bias leads to disastrous strategy, such as the initial belief that the Japanese could not fly effectively due to poor eyesight, viewing Pearl Harbor as a "freak." NERO

The Legacy and Hidden History of the Graces' Style. The full set of fashion plates documenting this radical style revolution was rediscovered at the Morgan Library after being incorrectly cataloged. The true story of this fashion was radical and had been "concealed from the world." The three women, known as the Graces, became world-famous celebrities. Josephine (Rose), who missed Napoleon "terribly" after their divorce, died in 1814. Teresia, a woman "in charge of her own sexuality" with five different fathers to her nine surviving children, married a Belgian prince and died a true princess. She was visited by figures like the Duke of Wellington after Waterloo. Juliet maintained her identity as a "perpetual virgin," serving as the pure white symbol until her death. Despite Napoleon forcing a separation, Teresia and Josephine tried hard to continue seeing each other. 1807 JOSEPHINE