Episode Notes:

Andy Milburn’s recent article in War on the Rocks argues that the scale of destruction in Gaza was not an unavoidable feature of urban combat but the result of decisions about how much risk to accept and how force would be applied. Ryan sits down with Milburn to unpack that claim, draw on his experience in Iraq, and engage the vociferous critics of his article. At stake is a larger question about what professional militaries owe civilians and their nations when fighting in cities.

Image: Jaber Jehad Badwan via Wikimedia Commons