In this special episode of The Bulletin, host Mike Cosper invites New York Times columnist, lawyer, and army veteran David French to an in-depth conversation about the laws of armed conflict. Laws govern all international warfare, and they’re especially important to understand when a country goes to war with a terrorist organization such as Hamas. Tune in to learn about how war works, what’s required of all parties, and what happens when countries don’t act according to the rules. It’s an episode that’s equal parts military primer and testimony, as David French shares about his time serving in Afghanistan during the Gulf War.
Joining us this week: David French joined The New York Times as an opinion columnist in January 2023. Before that, he was a senior editor at The Dispatch, which he helped start, and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He spent most of his career as a practicing lawyer, working in both commercial and constitutional litigation. In his late 30s, he joined the United States Army Reserve as a judge advocate general. David deployed to Iraq in 2007 and served in Diyala Province, where he was awarded a Bronze Star. During his legal career, he litigated in federal courts from coast to coast and served as a lecturer at Cornell Law School. He is a former president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. David's most recent book is Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.
Listen to more in this bonus series: Making Sense of the Israel-Hamas War Antisemitism and the Jewish Identity
“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Producers: Clarissa Moll and Matt Stevens Associate Producer: McKenzie Hill Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Music: Dan Phelps Show Design: Bryan Todd Graphic Design: Amy Jones Social Media: Kate Lucky
