The Threat Podcast

The Fatwa That Never Ended: The Rushdie Affair and the Conspiracy Behind the Attack

In July, a New York jury convicted 28-year-old Hadi Matar of terrorism for the 2022 stabbing of novelist Salman Rushdie at a literary festival — an attack prosecutors tied to material support for Hezbollah. The verdict got remarkably little coverage, yet it marks the latest chapter in a saga that began in 1989, when Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie's death over The Satanic Verses — a fatwa Iran has never lifted. Jay Solomon is joined by Dr. Suha Hassan, a counterterrorism expert specializing in radicalization, jihadist movements, and the interplay between religious narrative and violence, who earned her PhD from George Mason University and teaches at the American Public University. They discuss why Matar's attack fits a much larger pattern of Iranian operations on Western soil — from the plot against journalist Masih Alinejad to a wave of attacks across Europe; how Iran "weaponizes narrative" to radicalize and mobilize lone actors through what Dr. Hassan calls a "killing vessel" model; why lifting the fatwa was theologically impossible for the Islamic Republic; how AI and social media are now supercharging martyrdom messaging; and why, from Tehran's vantage point, the current conflict with the US may only just be beginning. Find Dr. Suha Hassan's writing at Homeland Security Today, where she is a columnist.

• Transcript

The Millionaire Marxist: Inside the Fergie Chambers Case

On July 10th, Spanish police arrested Fergie Chambers — heir to the Cox Enterprises empire, self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist, and one of the most prolific funders of radical causes worldwide — while he vacationed with his family in Ibiza. The US wants him extradited. His wife says he's been charged with funding the Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas, which she denies. And the global left has rallied around him as a political martyr. Hagar Chemali and Jay Solomon are joined on The Threat by Dan Adler of Vanity Fair, who spent extensive time with Chambers while reporting a landmark 2024 profile — meeting him in New York, then video-calling him from his new base in Tunis after he fled the US. They discuss how Chambers cashed out $250 million in 2023 and channeled it through his Babochki Collective into causes ranging from Palestine to anti-police work in Georgia. They also explore his commune in rural Massachusetts; his role in the radicalization of a 21-year-old protégée, Calla Walsh, now operating out of Lebanon and Iran; the blurry line between genuine ideological commitment and "radical chic" spectacle; and why his extradition fight in a Spain openly hostile to the Trump administration could make him a global cause célèbre. Plus: the horseshoe question — why anti-imperialist rhetoric now echoes from both the far left and the far right. Note: Chambers has not been convicted, and his indictment remains sealed. Much of what's discussed is allegation and open reporting. To learn more about Fergie Chambers and his radical network, please read Dan Adler’s and Jay Solomon’s investigative pieces. The Life and Times of Fergie Chambers by Dan Adler, Vanity Fair May 2024 The Radicalization of Calla Walsh by Jay Solomon, The Free Press March 2026 How Fergie Chambers Buit a Radical Funding Network and Landed in a Spanish Jail by Jay Solomon, The Free Press July 20206

• Transcript

Al-Qaeda's Comeback: How a Terror State Is Rising in West Africa

Most people think Al-Qaeda died with the 9/11 era. It didn't — it's arriving exactly where it always intended to go. In Mali, an Al-Qaeda affiliate known as JNIM has encircled the capital, choked off its fuel supply, and now controls roughly half the country using drones, Starlink terminals, and $50 million ransom payouts. It's on the verge of becoming the first Al-Qaeda affiliate to effectively govern an entire nation — and its leaders are talking about an Islamist superstate across West Africa. Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali are joined by Sarah Harmouch — an expert on Al-Qaeda and counterterrorism, CEO of the risk assessment firm H9 Defense, and a fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism. They discuss why JNIM doesn't want to storm Bamako but simply let it fail, how the group modifies commercial drones and turns captured bases into resupply events, the chain of allegiance linking JNIM back to Al-Qaeda's core leadership, why kidnapping-for-ransom has made it one of the richest jihadist groups alive, and the million-dollar question hanging over it all: when does a local insurgency become a launchpad for the next global attack? Harmouch lays out where West Africa could be in five years — and why, by the time Washington notices, it may already be too late.

• Transcript

The Enemy Within: How Extremists Go From Hashtags to Terrorism

An upstate New York mother of two is arrested for allegedly raising $30,000 for Palestinian Islamic Jihad. American activists travel to Tehran and chant "death to America" on Iranian state TV. A pop-up extremist group called Dample appears online almost overnight — and just as quickly goes dark. How does radicalization move so fast, and who's pulling the strings from abroad? Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali sit down with Lara Burns — former FBI special agent with over 20 years in counterterrorism, now head of terrorism research at George Washington University's Program on Extremism. She led the DOJ's largest-ever terrorism financing case, the prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation. They discuss how propaganda escalates into material support and violence, why "pop-up" groups no longer need hierarchy or headquarters to mobilize, the unprecedented role of foreign adversaries like Iran and China in sowing discord online, and a chilling historical parallel: how the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran united far-left and Islamist factions to topple a modernizing state. Burns calls it "radicalization by applause" — and argues that defeating it can't fall on law enforcement alone. Find Lara Burns's work at GW's Program on Extremism, and on her podcasts Intifada: Hamas in the US, Then and Now and Echoes of Terrorism.

• Transcript

Flipping the Script on Hezbollah: Inside the Lebanon-Israel Peace Breakthrough

A trilateral framework agreement signed by the US, Lebanon, and Israel has done something that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago — and it's put Hezbollah on its back foot. For decades, the group justified its weapons as the only way to push Israel out of Lebanon. This deal flips that logic entirely: it's Hezbollah's disarmament that will restore Lebanese sovereignty and end the occupation. Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali are joined by Marwan El Amine — a Lebanese Shia oppositionist, activist, and columnist for This Is Beirut and Nida Al Watan — who has faced repeated threats from Hezbollah for consistently calling out its corruption and violence. They discuss why Lebanon has become the linchpin in countering Iranian influence across the region, how the Shia community is responding to the prospect of peace, why Hezbollah's real threat isn't Israel but Lebanese sovereignty itself, and what the US and international community must do to undermine the group permanently — starting, as Marwan puts it, with the head of the snake in Tehran. Find Marwan El Amine's work in This Is Beirut and Nida Al Watan, where he works to give voice to Lebanon's silent Shia majority. Have a question or tip for the show? Reach us at thethreatpod@gwu.edu

• Transcript

When Technology Becomes the Target: The Rise of Anti-Tech Extremism

A man throws a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI's CEO. Gunshots are fired at a lawmaker's house over a data center. Extremist groups with names like the Volcano Group are forming across Europe and Latin America — all united by one thing: opposition to AI and technology. Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali sit down with Dr. Mauro Lubrano, lecturer at the University of Bath and author of Stop the Machines: The Rise of Anti-Technology Extremism, to unpack a threat most people never saw coming. They discuss how anti-tech violence has roots going back to the Luddites and the Unabomber, why fear of AI is now radicalizing a new generation, and where democracies should draw the line between legitimate dissent and terrorism. Find Dr. Lubrano's work at the University of Bath or on LinkedIn. His book Stop the Machines is available on major digital platforms.

• Transcript

Beijing’s Long Reach: How China Exports Repression Beyond Its Borders

How far is the Chinese Communist Party willing to go to silence critics overseas? In this episode of The Threat Podcast, Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali speak with pro-democracy activist and Hong Kong Democracy Council Board Chair Anna Kwok about Beijing’s growing campaign of transnational repression. From secret police stations and surveillance networks to intimidation, bounties, and political influence operations, Anna shares her firsthand experience as a target of the Chinese government and explains how authoritarian regimes extend their reach far beyond their borders. The conversation explores the CCP’s global influence apparatus, threats to democratic societies, and what the United States can do to counter foreign repression on American soil.

• Transcript

Cuba on the Brink? Inside Trump’s Pressure Campaign Against the Castro Regime

As tensions between Washington and Havana escalate, The Threat Podcast examines whether the Cuban regime is facing its most dangerous moment in decades. Hosts Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali sit down with investigative journalist and ADN Cuba founder Gelet Martinez Fragela to unpack the Trump administration’s growing pressure campaign against the Castro government — including new sanctions, espionage concerns, military signaling, and accusations of Cuban involvement in global extremist networks. The conversation explores Cuba’s historic ties to the Soviet Union, Venezuela, Iran, and Palestinian militant groups, as well as allegations of intelligence operations targeting the United States. Fragela also discusses the regime’s influence campaigns, the role of activist networks in the U.S., and what a potential post-Castro transition could look like after nearly 70 years of communist rule. Could the Cuban government actually collapse? Is the U.S. preparing for regime change? And what would the fall of the Castro system mean for Latin America and American national security? This week on The Threat, we go deep inside one of the world’s longest-running authoritarian regimes.

• Transcript

Inside the Mind of a Lone Wolf Assassin

On April 26th, 31-year-old software engineer Cole Tomas Allen allegedly attempted to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C. Despite having no known history of violence and recently being named “Teacher of the Year” by his tutoring program, Allen reportedly charged toward Secret Service agents armed with multiple weapons before being stopped. In this episode of The Threat, we examine the psychology, history, and evolution of the lone wolf assassin in America. From John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of President Lincoln to John Hinckley Jr.’s attempt on Ronald Reagan, what drives seemingly isolated individuals to commit acts of political violence? Are these attacks ideological, personal, or fueled by a deeper obsession with fame, power, and notoriety? Host Jonathan Schanzer is joined by Program on Extremism colleague Jeffrey Parsons, a former federal prosecutor and counterterrorism expert who spent two decades investigating terrorism and political violence in the United States and abroad, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Together, they discuss the warning signs of lone wolf terrorism, the rise in domestic political violence, possible foreign influence operations, and how law enforcement distinguishes between dangerous rhetoric and credible threats. They also explore what more can be done to prevent political violence before it turns deadly.

• Transcript

A “Pop Up” Terrorism Network Has Ensnarled Europe

Since the U.S. war on Iran broke out in late February, a rash of terrorist attacks have struck Europe and primarily targeted Jewish communities. Western intelligence agencies believe Iran is likely behind these operations. But London-based counter-terrorism expert, Roger Macmillan, tells The Threat that this network is nearly impossible to track. It’s recruitment and propagandizing takes place through social media channels. and most of its operatives are simply paid teenagers. This is the story of the HAYI terrorist network.

• Transcript

Inside Hezbollah: A Voice They Tried to Silence

In this episode, we discuss with expert and journalist Hanin Ghaddar the threats posed by Hezbollah - a terrorist group, Iranian proxy, and organized crime syndicate based in Lebanon. Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Her work primarily addresses Shia politics throughout the Levant . and she works closely on Hezbollah. She is the author of the book, "Hezbollahland - Mapping Dahiya and Lebanon's Shia Community," which explores the intricacies of Lebanon's Shia community. And before arriving at the Washington Institute, Hanin had a long history as a journalist based in Beirut. What Hanin’s bio does not reveal, however, is that she herself is a Shia Lebanese woman from the South of Lebanon. And because of her work to expose Hezbollah’s nefarious behavior and criminal activity, Lebanon’s military court, which is influenced and controlled by Hezbollah, sentenced her in absentia, but was then forced to drop the sentence due to U.S. pressure. So, her case is now sitting somewhere in a civil court. And so, she has a unique and intimate understanding of this terror organization and the threats it poses - both within Lebanon and globally. Read her book for free here: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/sites/default/files/pdf/PolicyFocus172Ghaddar_1.pdf Read her testimony on Hezbollah here: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/targeting-hezbollahs-broader-ecosystem-power

• Transcript

I Built the IRGC: Inside Iran’s ‘Monster’ Machine

This week on The Threat, Jay and Hagar sit down with Mohsen Sazegara, an Iranian dissident who, in his earlier life, helped create Iran’s most lethal military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a top aid to the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Sazegara described to us how the IRGC grew into a multi-headed “monster”; how Tehran oversees its terror cells in the West, and what he sees as the most effective way for the U.S. to help promote regime change in Tehran. Have a listen.

• Transcript

The Threat — Official Trailer

The Threat podcast will analyze and discuss the most pressing, yet not always so visible, threats to global security and the movements and ideologies that fuel extremism and terrorism.