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Part 1: Nicholas Irving & Robert O'Neill on Macklemore's "Free Palestine" Ed Sheeran Tour Drama
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Robert O’Neill joins Vlad and Nicholas Irving for a blunt discussion on rules of engagement, civilian casualties, and the moral limits of modern warfare. Reacting to an Israeli documentary about an alleged AI targeting system used after the October 7 Hamas attack, O’Neill questions whether algorithms should help decide how many civilians may die to eliminate one terrorist, while noting Benjamin Netanyahu has disputed the film’s claims.
O’Neill revisits Iraq in 2007, including missions around al-Asad, Fallujah, Baghdad, and Baqubah, where he says U.S. forces once operated under a roughly 23-to-1 collateral damage threshold. He contrasts targeted house raids with airstrikes, recalls President Obama’s guidance before the Osama bin Laden raid, and explains how changing battlefield rules affected troops on the ground. Irving adds a sniper’s perspective from early Iraq as they discuss SEAL Team Six, Rangers, Delta Force, AI warfare, and the realities behind combat decisions.
