Wading Through History: From Tehran to Baghdad, Islam, Power, and the West’s Blind Spots ep27

Boots on the Ground · Jan 21, 2026 · 57m

Imagine a man who witnessed the 1979 Islamic Revolution from inside Iran, spent nearly 28 years advising multiple U.S. Secretaries of Defense, and later waded through chest-deep sewage in a bombed-out Baghdad basement to rescue the most important collection of Iraqi Jewish history in existence.

That man is Dr. Harold Rhode

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In this extraordinary episode, Ari interviews one of the most unique minds with a deep understanding of the Middle East from inside the system.

Drawing on decades of first-hand experience, Dr. Rhode offers a rare and unfiltered perspective on how Islam, culture, language…