Episode 24: The Race to Mukalla, Arabian Elite Forces and the War Against Al-Qaeda - (book II in a series with Michael Knights)
Guest
Michael Knights, Jane Stokes
Files
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Description
Guests Michael Knights and co-host Jane Stokes re-join Dave Brown to discuss the second book in Knight’s series detailing the outcome of a set of modern irregular warfare operations over control of Southern Yemen in 2015. The first book (25 Days to Aden) detailed the Yemeni Houthis’ attempts to take over the port of Aden in their coup against the UN-backed government of the country. Now in the second installment (The Race for Mukalla) Knights recounts the UAE-led campaign in eastern Yemen (2015–2016) to defeat Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and liberate the port city of Mukalla.
Join us for the follow-on discussion about a UAE led Irregular Warfare campaign that highlights legitimacy, tribal engagement, and small-footprint SOF integration in the successful dismantling of a terrorist proto-state.
Co-Host/Guests:
Jane Stokes is an associate professor in the Joint Military Operations Department, College of Distance Education, U.S. Naval War College. She is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, having served over 25 years in both active and reserve components. As a military officer she served as a Marine foreign advisor, attaché, and liaison officer in numerous embassies, and served as International Programs Branch Chief for the CENTCOM J2, working on Security Cooperation efforts and partner engagement with allies and partners. Previously she was the MARCENT Liaison Officer to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). An Arabic speaker, she also spent almost a decade working for Department of State's Foreign Service, and has extensive experience in the Middle East region with a focus on counterterrorism and foreign policy. She holds a MA from American Military University in Strategic Intelligence, and a MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Jane is the author of Hesitation Kills: A Female Marine Officer’s Combat Experience in Iraq, featured on the Marine Corps Commandant’s Professional Reading List, and she has appeared on numerous national media outlets.
Michael Knights serves as the head of research for Horizon Engage, a strategy advisory, and as an Adjunct Fellow at The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Gulf states. He is the co-founder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria. Michael has traveled widely in Iraq, Yemen, and the Gulf states, and regularly briefs government policymakers, congressional committees, and the U.S. military on regional security affairs. He has worked extensively with local military and security agencies on the ground in Iraq, the Gulf states, and Yemen. He previously worked as the head of analysis for a range of security and oil companies, directing information-collection teams in Iraq, Libya, and Yemen, and before that, worked as a defense journalist for the Gulf States Newsletter as well as Jane's Intelligence Review. Michael has written for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Journal for Strategic Studies, and CTC’s The Sentinel, as well as other policy news outlets. He holds a doctorate from the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
Articles/References:
- https://www.amazon.com/Race-Mukalla-Michael-Knights/dp/1805221515
Episode Length
1:29:30
File Size
205 MB
File Format
MP3
Release Date
4-9-2026
Keywords
U.S. Naval War College, Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups, CIWAG, Irregular Warfare, IW, Trident, UAE, Emiratis, Aden, Marib, Al-Qaeda, Mukalla, Hadrami Elites, Yemen, Task Force 291, SOF, Special Operations, Counter Terrorism, Safar, Iran, Michael Knights, tribal engagement, AQAP, ISIS
Recommended Citation
Brown, Dave and Stokes, Jane, "Episode 24: The Race to Mukalla, Arabian Elite Forces and the War Against Al-Qaeda - (book II in a series with Michael Knights)" (2026). The Trident Podcast. 24.
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/the-trident/24
