One Decision
Bellingcat Founder Eliot Higgins on the War for Truth in the Age of Slopaganda
Published: 4 June 2026 at 10:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
The Iran conflict contains dueling narratives. Iran says it repelled the attack. Israel says it decimated the nuclear program. The US says it brokered peace. So, how do you find out what actually happened? That’s where Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) can provide valuable information to the public.
Eliot Higgins built Bellingcat from a Leicester living room blog into the world's most influential open source intelligence organization. Sir Richard Dearlove and Rosanna Lockwood sit down with him to find out how OSINT cuts through the war of narratives on Iran, Ukraine, and the fronts nobody's covering. Plus: why AI is making the truth harder to find, not easier, and why Higgins won't set foot in the United States right now.
Show Notes:
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The al-Qaeda offshoot looking to Syria as a blueprint | The Financial Times
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Why these Irish cartel bosses are still free | Search Party
In this episode:
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03:21 Iran Ceasefire
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06:39 Israel Strategy Explained
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08:53 EU Gets Tough on China
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12:30 Mali The Next Syria
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16:21 CIA Gold Bar Scandal
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20:12 Meet Eliot Higgins
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23:37 What Is Bellingcat
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25:41 AI Slopaganda Threat
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29:20 Dark Web Data Trails
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31:13 Russia Adapts Tradecraft
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32:54 UAE Image Manipulation
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34:07 Rapid OSINT Response
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35:57 Blackouts and Radar Tools
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37:17 Iran Narrative War
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39:17 Tomahawk Strike Verification
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41:50 Prediction Versus Proof
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43:19 Spies Versus OSINT
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46:19 Threats and Harassment
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50:56 Ukraine OSINT Evolution
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54:50 Why China Is Hard for OSINT
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01:00:31 Funding and Partnerships
Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host Rosanna Lockwood (International Journalist)
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