Is General Joseph Aoun the man to rescue Lebanon’s institutions? Can the Lebanese Armed Forces disarm Hezbollah? Can the Lebanese state recover from years of corruption and poor governance? And what role do external powers—Iran, Israel, Syria, and the Gulf states—play in Lebanon’s fate? Dr. John Bruni speaks with Dr. Imad Harb to unpack the country’s fate under new leadership.

Show Notes:

Connect with Imad:

Arab Center Washington D.C. https://arabcenterdc.org/team/imad-k-harb/

X: @harb3imad

Imad’s Top Publications:

Articles:

The Prickly Issue of Disarming Palestinian Factions in Lebanon

President Trump’s Gulf Trip: Post-Visit Observations

Books:
The Arab World Beyond Conflict
Co-editor: Imad Harb and Zeina Azzam
Published by the Arab Center Washington DC, 2019 newarab.com+11arabcenterdc.org+11chs-doha.org+11
Trump and the Arab World: A First Year Assessment
Editor: Imad Harb
Published by the Arab Center Washington DC, 2017 arabcenterdc.org+5me-policy.org+5arabcenterdc.org+5
Domestic and Regional Challenges to US–Iran Relations
Co-authors: Imad Harb and John Bruni
Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, April 2015 books.google.com+11arabcenterdc.org+11chs-doha.org+11
Higher Education and the Future of Iraq
Author: Imad K. Harb
United States Institute of Peace Special Report No. 195, 2008 globalresilienceconsortium.org+10

Is General Joseph Aoun the man to rescue Lebanon&rsquo;s institutions? Can the Lebanese Armed Forces disarm Hezbollah? Can the Lebanese state recover from years of corruption and poor governance? And what role do external powers&mdash;Iran, Israel, Syria, and the Gulf states&mdash;play in Lebanon&rsquo;s fate? Dr. John Bruni speaks with Dr. Imad Harb to unpack the country&rsquo;s fate under new leadership.
Show Notes:
Connect with Imad:
Arab Center Washington D.C.&nbsp;<a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/team/imad-k-harb/">https://arabcenterdc.org/team/imad-k-harb/</a>
X: @harb3imad
Imad&rsquo;s Top Publications:
Articles:
<a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-prickly-issue-of-disarming-palestinian-factions-in-lebanon/">The Prickly Issue of Disarming Palestinian Factions in Lebanon</a>
<a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/president-trumps-gulf-trip-post-visit-observations/">President Trump&rsquo;s Gulf Trip: Post-Visit Observations</a>
Books:
<ul>
<li>The Arab World Beyond Conflict Co-editor: Imad Harb and Zeina Azzam Published by the Arab Center Washington DC, 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/team/imad-k-harb/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">newarab.com+11arabcenterdc.org+11chs-doha.org+11</a></li>
<li>Trump and the Arab World: A First Year Assessment Editor: Imad Harb Published by the Arab Center Washington DC, 2017&nbsp;<a href="https://www.me-policy.org/2019/09/26/imad-k-harb/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">arabcenterdc.org+5me-policy.org+5arabcenterdc.org+5</a></li>
<li>Domestic and Regional Challenges to US&ndash;Iran Relations Co-authors: Imad Harb and John Bruni Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, April 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/team/imad-k-harb/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">books.google.com+11arabcenterdc.org+11chs-doha.org+11</a></li>
<li>Higher Education and the Future of Iraq Author: Imad K. Harb United States Institute of Peace Special Report No. 195, 2008&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Higher_Education_and_the_Future_of_Iraq.html?id=ksE3f7ciZdMC&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">globalresilienceconsortium.org+10</a></li>
</ul>

The Focus is the flagship current affairs podcast of SAGE International, an independent, Adelaide-based geopolitical  think tank.

Hosted by Dr. John Bruni—a veteran geopolitical commentator with over 24 years in the Australian media—The Focus brings a critical edge to global affairs. John's expertise is built on decades of experience, including time with the Royal United Services Institute of Australia, work as a university lecturer, senatorial foreign affairs adviser, analyst for Jane’s Intelligence Review, and Gulf-based military analyst.

Produced by Neil Smart, The Focus cuts through the noise of biased media to deliver sharp, informed insights into the major issues shaping Australia and the world. In an age of global disruption and complexity, knowing which questions to ask is more vital than ever.

The Focus&nbsp;is the flagship current affairs podcast of&nbsp;SAGE International, an independent, Adelaide-based geopolitical &nbsp;think tank.
Hosted by&nbsp;Dr. John Bruni&mdash;a veteran geopolitical commentator with over 24 years in the Australian media&mdash;The Focus&nbsp;brings a critical edge to global affairs. John's expertise is built on decades of experience, including time with the&nbsp;Royal United Services Institute of Australia, work as a university lecturer, senatorial foreign affairs adviser, analyst for&nbsp;Jane&rsquo;s Intelligence Review, and Gulf-based military analyst.
Produced by&nbsp;Neil Smart,&nbsp;The Focus&nbsp;cuts through the noise of biased media to deliver sharp, informed insights into the major issues shaping Australia and the world. In an age of global disruption and complexity, knowing which questions to ask is more vital than ever.

The Focus

Lebanon at a Crossroad

In our second episode for 2026, John is joined by returning guest Professor Scott Lucas to talk about the recent tragic events in the U.S. state of Minnesota.

Show Notes:

Episode Description

From Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., Minnesota has become the epicentre of seismic political conflict — from mass protests to intense debates over immigration enforcement, federal power, and public accountability. We explore how the state’s recent upheavals reflect broader shifts in U.S. political life, and what they reveal about leadership, legitimacy, and the social fabric of American civic life.

About the Guest

Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView, a leading site for global political analysis, and a frequent commentator on major international TV and radio outlets.

EA WorldView – https://eaworldview.com/

UCD Clinton Institute – https://www.ucdclinton.ie/

In our second episode for 2026, John is joined by returning guest Professor Scott Lucas to talk about the recent tragic events in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
Show Notes:
Episode Description
From Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., Minnesota has become the epicentre of seismic political conflict &mdash; from mass protests to intense debates over immigration enforcement, federal power, and public accountability. We explore how the state&rsquo;s recent upheavals reflect broader shifts in U.S. political life, and what they reveal about leadership, legitimacy, and the social fabric of American civic life.
About the Guest
Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin.&nbsp;He is the&nbsp;founder and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView, a leading site for global political analysis, and a frequent commentator on major international TV and radio outlets.
EA WorldView &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://eaworldview.com/">https://eaworldview.com/</a>
UCD Clinton Institute &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucdclinton.ie/">https://www.ucdclinton.ie/</a>

The Minnesota Moment

The first episode of The Focus for 2026 opens with a wide-ranging and hard-edged conversation with political theorist and commentator Roy Casagranda.
As global politics enters a period of heightened uncertainty, Dr Bruni and Casagranda examine the strategic, political, and moral pressures shaping the international system — from the Americas to Europe and the Middle East. The discussion explores the return of transactional politics, the limits of moral clarity in foreign policy, and how domestic political shifts are reshaping global decision-making.


This episode sets the tone for The Focus in 2026: analytical, unsentimental, and grounded in strategic reality.

Topics Covered

Transactionalism, power, and the erosion of norms in international affairs
Venezuela, energy politics, and strategic leverage
Europe’s strategic unease and leadership fatigue
Public opinion, populism, and the changing voter landscape
What 2026 reveals about the durability — or fragility — of the global order 

Why This Episode Matters

As governments grapple with overlapping crises — political, economic, and security-related — this conversation cuts through surface-level narratives to examine how power is actually being exercised, justified, and contested.
For policymakers, analysts, and engaged citizens alike, this episode offers a sobering but necessary assessment of where the world is heading.

About the Guest

Roy Casagranda is a political theorist and commentator specialising in political philosophy, leadership, and the intersection of power and morality in modern politics.

The first episode of The Focus for 2026 opens with a wide-ranging and hard-edged conversation with political theorist and commentator Roy Casagranda. As global politics enters a period of heightened uncertainty, Dr Bruni and Casagranda examine the strategic, political, and moral pressures shaping the international system &mdash; from the Americas to Europe and the Middle East. The discussion explores the return of transactional politics, the limits of moral clarity in foreign policy, and how domestic political shifts are reshaping global decision-making.
 This episode sets the tone for The Focus in 2026: analytical, unsentimental, and grounded in strategic reality.
Topics Covered
Transactionalism, power, and the erosion of norms in international affairs Venezuela, energy politics, and strategic leverage Europe&rsquo;s strategic unease and leadership fatigue Public opinion, populism, and the changing voter landscape What 2026 reveals about the durability &mdash; or fragility &mdash; of the global order&nbsp;
Why This Episode Matters
As governments grapple with overlapping crises &mdash; political, economic, and security-related &mdash; this conversation cuts through surface-level narratives to examine how power is actually being exercised, justified, and contested. For policymakers, analysts, and engaged citizens alike, this episode offers a sobering but necessary assessment of where the world is heading.
About the Guest
Roy Casagranda is a political theorist and commentator specialising in political philosophy, leadership, and the intersection of power and morality in modern politics.

Pax Trumpicana

Britain enters 2025 facing economic strain, strategic uncertainty, and intensifying global competition. In this hard-hitting year-end special, Dr John Bruni sits down with former Royal Navy submariner and intelligence specialist CDRE Pat Tyrrell OBE (Ret.), and investigative journalist Pete Warren, for an unfiltered assessment of the UK’s political and strategic direction.

We break down the British Budget, stalled growth, defence underfunding, and the question of whether the UK can still project credible power. We explore Britain’s shifting foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, Russian hybrid provocations, cyber intrusions, and the fragility of European security.

The panel also examines Keir Starmer’s political survival, public fatigue, the rise of the Reform Party, and what Britain must do to avoid strategic drift in 2025.

If you care about the UK’s future — its defence, diplomacy, politics and global role — this is your must-watch end-of-year episode.

Show Notes:

Contact Chris

X: @chrismullinexmp

Website: https://www.chrismullinexmp.com/ 

Books by Chris Mullin - 1982 A Very British Coup 1986, Error of Judgement 2009, A View from the Foothills 2010, Decline & Fall 2011, A Walk-On Part 2016, Hinterland 2019, The Friends of Harry Perkins 2023, Didn’t You Used to be Chris Mullin? 

Contact Pat

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-tyrrell-3479b6

Articles by Pat - AUKUS: A Tale of Politics, Strategy, and Submarines — published 04 Aug 2022, Crash-Diving into Australia’s Submarine Dilemma — published 13 Jul 2022, Adrift and Rudderless – The Sad Story of SS United Kingdom, Monty Python Politics: A Reflection on the Tumultuous Reign of PM Liz Truss, Nov. 2022, Rip van Winkle and the Age of Complacency, Aug. 2022, A Peace that Dares Not Speak its Name — a co-authored piece (with Dr. John Bruni) June 2022

Bruni, John; Jain, Purnendra; Tyrrell, Patrick J. “Why Australia, the UK and Japan need closer security cooperation.” SAGE International Australia Strategic Concept Paper, 12 August 2020.

Bruni, John; Jain, Purnendra; Tyrrell, Patrick J. “A New Strategic Trilateral of the UK, Australia and Japan?” The Naval Review, vol. 108, no. 4 (2020), pp. 362–368. 

Pat also contributed as part of a larger report for SAGE International Australia, writing sections on the UK and France in a 2020 Indo-Pacific strategic assessment. 

Contact Pete

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/petewarren 

Website: https://www.futureintelligence.co.uk/ 

Books by Pete Warren - AI on Trial – with Mark Deem 2025 (2nd edition), Cyber Crime & Warfare: All That Matters – with Michael Streeter 2013, & Cyber Alert: How the World Is Under Attack from a New Form of Crime – with Michael Streeter 2005.

Britain enters 2025 facing economic strain, strategic uncertainty, and intensifying global competition. In this hard-hitting year-end special, Dr John Bruni sits down with former Royal Navy submariner and intelligence specialist&nbsp;CDRE Pat Tyrrell OBE (Ret.), and investigative journalist&nbsp;Pete Warren, for an unfiltered assessment of the UK&rsquo;s political and strategic direction.
We break down the&nbsp;British Budget, stalled growth, defence underfunding, and the question of whether the UK can still project credible power. We explore Britain&rsquo;s shifting foreign policy, the war in&nbsp;Ukraine, Russian hybrid provocations, cyber intrusions, and the fragility of European security.
The panel also examines&nbsp;Keir Starmer&rsquo;s political survival, public fatigue, the rise of the&nbsp;Reform Party, and what Britain must do to avoid strategic drift in 2025.
If you care about the UK&rsquo;s future &mdash; its defence, diplomacy, politics and global role &mdash; this is your must-watch end-of-year episode.
Show Notes:
Contact Chris
X: @chrismullinexmp
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTdhWXY3bUNZWnNIek1sQjhnbnZjOTdxc1NiUXxBQ3Jtc0tsRjlXWU5Gano3TEgzWk9Hc2MyVHZ4YTBMdEUzUE45eW05T0tQUkFRYXJxWWlBU056OHNjcTlTRGl2TWJIYkxWalo2VU1fcWptRVdxbXBhQ3hCNHVSM19Ec0tnMlJUYkY5SnZkV0loRHBOXzFIYy16bw&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chrismullinexmp.com%2F&amp;v=e9dU9m40-DU">https://www.chrismullinexmp.com/</a>&nbsp;
Books by Chris Mullin - 1982 A Very British Coup 1986, Error of Judgement 2009, A View from the Foothills 2010, Decline &amp; Fall 2011, A Walk-On Part 2016, Hinterland 2019, The Friends of Harry Perkins 2023, Didn&rsquo;t You Used to be Chris Mullin?&nbsp;
Contact Pat
LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-tyrrell-3479b6">linkedin.com/in/patrick-tyrrell-3479b6</a>
Articles by Pat -&nbsp;AUKUS: A Tale of Politics, Strategy, and Submarines&nbsp;&mdash; published 04 Aug 2022,&nbsp;Crash-Diving into Australia&rsquo;s Submarine Dilemma&nbsp;&mdash; published 13 Jul 2022,&nbsp;Adrift and Rudderless &ndash; The Sad Story of SS United Kingdom,&nbsp;Monty Python Politics: A Reflection on the Tumultuous Reign of PM Liz Truss, Nov. 2022,&nbsp;Rip van Winkle and the Age of Complacency, Aug. 2022,&nbsp;A Peace that Dares Not Speak its Name&nbsp;&mdash; a co-authored piece (with Dr. John Bruni) June 2022
Bruni, John; Jain, Purnendra; Tyrrell, Patrick J.&nbsp;&ldquo;Why Australia, the UK and Japan need closer security cooperation.&rdquo;&nbsp;SAGE International Australia Strategic Concept Paper, 12 August 2020.
Bruni, John; Jain, Purnendra; Tyrrell, Patrick J. &ldquo;A New Strategic Trilateral of the UK, Australia and Japan?&rdquo;&nbsp;The Naval Review, vol. 108, no. 4 (2020), pp. 362&ndash;368.&nbsp;
Pat also&nbsp;contributed as part of a larger report for SAGE International Australia, writing sections on the UK and France in a 2020 Indo-Pacific strategic assessment.&nbsp;
Contact Pete
LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="http://linkedin.com/in/petewarren">linkedin.com/in/petewarren</a>&nbsp;
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.futureintelligence.co.uk/">https://www.futureintelligence.co.uk/</a>&nbsp;
Books by Pete Warren -&nbsp;AI on Trial&nbsp;&ndash; with Mark Deem&nbsp;2025 (2nd edition),&nbsp;Cyber Crime &amp; Warfare: All That Matters&nbsp;&ndash; with Michael Streeter&nbsp;2013, &amp;&nbsp;Cyber Alert: How the World Is Under Attack from a New Form of Crime&nbsp;&ndash; with Michael Streeter&nbsp;2005.

Lebanon at a Crossroad

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