JK sent me a link to a War On The Rocks podcast, that’s worth listening to:
It’s a round table kind of discussion on the debacle that is Iraq and Syria between a group of experts, who really offer a lot of interesting insights into the factions, politics, religious strife, policy approaches, history and also some opinions on ways forward at untangling this Gordian knot. It’s a breath of fresh air to hear differing opinions and some discussion that is calm and filled with more than propaganda promoting an agenda.
libertybelle diaries 
Headphones are best used incidentally (but definitely not the “ear-buds”[?] that seem to accouter all the people on YouTube I watch walking into various sidewalk plantings, buildings, the occasional water feature, traffic … etc. Headphones basically, aside from the fidelity, tether the listener ‘elf ‘n safety as the Brits would put it).
And as the podcast features prominently Iraqi ex-Saddam era Ba’athist military personages – in the very early bits … for when after the listener finishes but may still be interested:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-files-show-structure-of-islamist-terror-group-a-1029274.html