On February 3, President Biden announced the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of the Islamic State, in a U.S. special forces raid on his hideout in northern Syria. The leader, better known as Hajji ‘Abdallah, had been the Islamic State’s so-called caliph since October 2019, following the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Who was Hajji ‘Abdallah and how did he end up in a small town on the border with Turkey? How impactful will his loss be to the terrorist organization he headed? How great of a threat does the Islamic State continue to pose to the region? Aymenn al-Tamimi, a British expert on Islamic militant groups in Iraq and Syria, shares his unique perspective on these questions and more in this episode.
Cole Bunzel
Videos
What to make of the Cold War rivalry over AI and the prospects of a Chinese move on Taiwan? Hoover fellow and Sino expert Eyck Freymann discusses the state of U.S.-China relations, followed by a look at Russia’s war of attrition and Vladimir Putin’s options 55 months after his country launched this century’s second invasion of Ukraine.
September 23, 2026
Videos
H.R. McMaster and Vladimir Kara-Murza discuss the state of the war in Ukraine, the prospects and perils facing Russia's opposition, the shifting currents of Russian domestic politics, the effort to organize the Russian diaspora into a coherent political force, and prospects of a post-Putin Russia.
September 23, 2026
Videos
Rising energy demand makes energy pragmatism—not climate alarmism—more essential than ever to secure abundant, reliable, sustainable power while remaining environmentally responsible.
September 22, 2026
