Former “Diplomat” on Iraq, Gaza, and Espionage | Chris Merritt

Former “Diplomat” on Iraq, Gaza, and Espionage | Chris Merritt

Author: dee takos May 30, 2026 Duration: 1:39:32
Former British Foreign Office official Chris Merritt joins us to discuss his time as a diplomat in Iraq, Gaza, and Jerusalem, including Basra’s deteriorating security situation, Iranian-backed militias, Hamas, the Fatah split, and the realities of doing diplomacy in war zones. He also breaks down how those experiences shaped his later work as a trauma psychologist and spy novelist, including Committed and his new book Octagon.
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"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 — Start / Chris Merritt joins The Team House
01:02 — Growing up near London, languages, and the road toward foreign service
05:03 — Learning Arabic and getting drawn into Middle East geopolitics
06:08 — Applying to the British Foreign Office and surviving the assessment process
10:10 — First Foreign Office job and wanting something more active
12:18 — Volunteering for Iraq and deploying to Basra in 2005
17:04 — Britain’s role in southern Iraq and the worsening IED threat
19:03 — Diplomatic work in a war zone: gathering ground truth in Basra
23:47 — Iranian-backed militias, helicopter shootdowns, and the badger conspiracy
27:41 — “Aggressive diplomacy” and working alongside the British military
30:05 — Rockets, mortars, and watching Basra deteriorate
32:53 — SAS contacts, close protection, and hostile-environment training
39:15 — Jerusalem, Gaza, and working the Palestinian side of the conflict
43:53 — Hamas wins elections, the Fatah split, and Gaza’s power struggle
47:26 — Trying to understand Hamas without being allowed to talk to them
50:07 — The Alan Johnston kidnapping...

Hosted by Jack Murphy, The Team House is a long-form conversation built around a simple, powerful premise: to understand national security, you need to listen to the people who have been there. This podcast deliberately steps away from the partisan noise, offering a fiercely apolitical space where special operations veterans, intelligence professionals, and frontline reporters can share their experiences and analysis. Many guests here are speaking publicly for the very first time, providing raw, firsthand accounts that you won't find elsewhere. Each episode is a deep dive into the realities of conflict, the nuanced tradecraft of intelligence work, and the underlying geopolitical forces that shape global events. The conversations are detailed, often technical, and always grounded in the lived expertise of the guests. Alongside this main show, the The Team House network includes the sister program Eyes On Geopolitics, hosted by Mick Mulroy, Andy Milburn, and Jason Lyons, which continues the focus on global dynamics with a similarly experienced lens. For listeners seeking substance over soundbites, this podcast delivers complex narratives about modern warfare, espionage, and international relations, told directly by the individuals who have operated within these shadowed worlds. It’s a rare opportunity to hear unfiltered perspectives on the most critical security challenges of our time, making each episode an immersive lesson in the human and strategic dimensions of power.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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