Strategy Matters

Episode 17: Between Strategic Rivalry and Uneasy Cooperation: How the Relationship Between Iran and Iraq Shapes the Modern Middle East

This episode of Strategy Matters focuses on the regional dynamic between Iran and Iraq and supports the case study on America and the Greater Middle in the Strategy and Policy Course. Host Dr. Vanya Eftimova Bellinger discusses this consequential relationship between the two neighboring countries with historian Dr. Samuel Helfont and political scientist Dr. Shanin Berenji. The episode begins with a historical discussion of the sources of strategic rivalry between Iran and Iraq. The two countries share almost 1,000 miles of border, have long-lasting disputes about waterways, and fought a prolonged and bloody war in the 1980s. Then the host and the guests explore the role Iran played during the US occupation of Iraq (2003-2011). The discussion also touches on the accuracy of the popular perception, in recent years, of Iraq as a client state of Tehran, as well as the state of today’s Iraqi politics and relations with the United States. Finally, the experts outline the influence the current instability in Iran may have on the region. Guests: Samuel Helfont is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy in the Naval War College program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and a Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Helfont holds a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. His research focuses on international history and politics in the Middle East, especially Iraq and the Iraq Wars. He is also interested in Israeli, maritime, and post-Cold War global history. He is the author of The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, October 2025), Iraq against the World: Saddam, America, and the Post-Cold War Order (Oxford University Press, 2023), and Compulsion in Religion: Saddam Hussein, Islam, and the Roots of Insurgencies in Iraq (Oxford University Press, 2018). He co-edited (with Lisa Blaydes) Ba‘thist Iraq through Archives: Reflections, Explorations, and Opportunities https://www.sup.org/books/history/bathist-iraq-through-archives(Stanford University Press, forthcoming 2026). In 2023, Helfont received the Naval War College’s research award, presented annually to the faculty member whose scholarship demonstrated the highest level of excellence over the past three years. In addition to this academic background, Helfont served as an intelligence officer in the US Navy and Navy Reserve. An Iraq War veteran, he completed deployments both afloat and ashore in the Middle East. He also served on Middle Eastern and counterterrorism missions at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Office of Naval Intelligence, among other commands. He is a Golden Shellback. Shahin Berenji is an Assistant Professor in the Strategy and Policy Department. He earned his Ph.D. and MA from the University of California Los Angeles and his BA from the University of Southern California. Before arriving at the Naval War College, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Albritton Center for Grand Strategy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A & M University. From 2020 to 2022, he worked at Southern Methodist University where he served as a Visiting Assistant Professor and Colin Powell Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Political Science and the John G. Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs. He studies foreign policy decision-making and diplomacy and has a specialization in the Cold War and regional expertise in the Middle East. His research has been published in such academic journals as International Security and Security Studies, and his commentary and op-eds have been featured online with West Point’s Modern War Institute, the National Interest, and E-International Relations. The opinions expressed on this podcast represent the views of the presenters and do not reflect the official position of the Department of War, The US Navy, or US Naval War College.

Episode 16: Henry Kissinger and Cold War Strategy

In this episode of Strategy Matters, we explore Henry Kissinger’s impact on the Late Cold War, focusing on how his background and scholarly interests shaped his emphasis on balance-of-power politics, strategic stability, and the alignment of strategy with capabilities. Host Brendan Neagle is joined by two professors at the United States Naval War College: Dr. Richard Moss and Dr. Marc Genest. The discussion highlights Kissinger’s central role in advancing détente, orchestrating the opening to the People’s Republic of China, and practicing triangular diplomacy to exploit the Sino-Soviet split (which we also learn is the name of a mixed drink). Lastly, the guests examine Kissinger’s belief in stability as a guiding principle of international order and his reliance on personal and informal diplomacy, drawing lessons for today’s great-power competition. The opinions expressed on this podcast represent the views of the presenters and do not reflect the official position of the Department of War, The US Navy, or US Naval War College. Guests: Dr. Richard Moss is a professor in the Russian Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College. He has a PhD in history from George Washington University and specializes in U.S.-Soviet relations during the Cold War. His book “Nixon's Back Channel to Moscow: Confidential Diplomacy and Detente” traced the role Kissinger played in providing the diplomatic back channels that led to a thaw in the Cold War. Dr. Marc Genest is the Forrest Sherman Professor of Public Diplomacy in the Strategy and Policy Department at the US Naval War College. He has a doctorate in international politics from Georgetown University and has written numerous books and articles on international relations, strategic communication, American foreign policy and public opinion.

Episode 15: The Reality of War with Limited Objectives: The US Media and Vietnam

In this episode of Strategy Matters, we explore whether US media coverage influenced the course of the US involvement in Vietnam. Host Vanya Eftimova Bellinger is joined by the historians Dr. Nicholas Evan Sarantakes and Dr. Cavender Sutton. The discussion reveals that, contrary to later perceptions, the Saigon Press Corps largely supported the war. The animosity between the military and media came later, rather a product of the blame game after the fall of South Vietnam. The US media could not ignore the difficulties the US forces encountered, a situation made worse by the US political and military leadership’s failure to communicate a clear and realistic strategy. Outlining the difficulties of war with limited objectives, the host and the guests discuss the need to rethink communication and home front preparedness when embarking on such a war. The opinions expressed on this podcast represent the views of the presenters and do not reflect the official position of the Department of War, The US Navy, or US Naval War College. Guests: Dr. Nicholas Evan Sarantakes is a Professor at the Strategy and Policy Department and earned a B.A. from the University of Texas, an M.A. from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, all in history. He is an award-winning author with multiple publications. His most recent book, The Battle of Manila: Poisoned Victory in the Pacific War (2025), is a groundbreaking account of this crucial campaign from the American, Japanese, and, significantly, Filipino perspectives. Dr. Cavender Sutton is currently an assistant professor at the US Air War College, but previously served as a Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow in the Strategy and Policy Department (2024-2025). He received his B.A. in History from the University of Georgia, his M.A. in History from East Tennessee State University, and his PhD in Military History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before his academic career, Dr. Sutton served four years in the United States Marine Corps, during which he deployed to Afghanistan twice. His forthcoming book is The Road to Hue: US Marine Combined Action Platoons and the Battle that Changed the Vietnam War.

Episode 14: Reassessing Chiang Kai-shek: Strategy, Defeat, and Legacy

This episode of Strategy Matters focuses on Chiang Kai-shek, the often-overshadowed rival of Mao Zedong, to assess his leadership, ideology, and strategic legacy. Host Brendan Neagle is joined by historians and Strategy and Policy Professors Ken Swope and Anatol Klass. The discussion provides a broad spectrum of factors that affected Chiang’s strategic decision making and effectiveness as a leader. The episode explores Chiang’s ideological foundations, his relationship with the United States, and the influence of Madam Chiang. The conversation concludes by examining how Chiang is viewed today in China and Taiwan, and by drawing broader strategic lessons relevant to modern strategists. The opinions expressed on this podcast represent the views of the presenters and do not reflect the official position of the Department of War, The US Navy, or US Naval War College. Guests: Dr. Kenneth Swope earned his B.A. at the College of Wooster (OH) and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. A specialist in the military history of late imperial China and East Asia, he has previously taught at Marist College, Ball State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. He also served as the Dr. Leo A. Shiffrin Chair of Naval and Military History at the United States Naval Academy. Dr. Swope has lived and conducted research in Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China, and South Korea. He has published numerous books and articles on Ming-Qing dynasty military history, including the award-winning, Struggle for Empire: The Battles of General Zuo Zongtang, published by the Naval Institute Press. He is currently working on a book on the Three Feudatories Revolt (1673-1681) in China Dr. Anatol Klass is an assistant professor in the Strategy & Policy Department. He studies modern Chinese history and is writing a book about the bureaucratic development of the institutions through which the Chinese state engages with the world and the professional identities of experts working within those institutions. He has a Ph.D. in history from Berkeley and held fellowships at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, and the Columbia-Harvard China & the World Program. His research has been published in the International History Review and Cold War History, and his writing has appeared in the Washington Post and Foreign Policy.

Episode 13: Propaganda in WWII: The Strategic Lessons for Winning the Information Battlefield

In this episode of Strategy Matters, we explore the legacy of the forgotten World War II propaganda hero, Sefton Delmer, to uncover best practices for shaping the information domain. Vanya Eftimova Bellinger talks with the Ukrainian-born British journalist Peter Pomerantsev, the author of How to Win the Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler. In the episode, Pomerantsev disavows common misunderstandings about propaganda and misinformation. He explains how and why the Industrial Revolution and advanced technology made people more susceptible to them. Pomerantsev also summarizes some of Delmer's provocative yet effective ideas for understanding the role of propaganda in modern war. Finally, the guest explains why the information warfare feels so new and overwhelming, and how strategists can navigate it. Guest Peter Pomerantsev is a Ukrainian-born British journalist, author, and TV producer. Pomerantsev has written two books about Russian disinformation and propaganda—Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible (2014), and This Is Not Propaganda (2019). His most recent book, How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler (2024), discusses the life and legacy of Sefton Delmer, a British propagandist during World War II. The opinions expressed on this podcast represent the views of the presenters and do not reflect the official position of the Department of War, The US Navy, or US Naval War College. Guest: Peter Pomerantsev is a Ukrainian-born British journalist, author, and TV producer. Pomerantsev has written two books about Russian disinformation and propaganda—Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible (2014), and This Is Not Propaganda (2019). His most recent book, How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler (2024), discusses the life and legacy of Sefton Delmer, a British propagandist during World War II.