Disinformation, peace negotiation, information warfare, conflict resolution, fog of war, back channel diplomacy — conflict mediator and peace negotiator Michael Vatikiotis joins The Voices of War host Vedran 'Maz' Maslic to expose how deliberate deception has made peacemaking structurally impossible. With more cameras, data, and AI-generated content flooding the information space than ever before, why are mediators, journalists, and governments more blind to the realities of war?

The fog of war is no longer a byproduct of conflict — it is the weapon. Governments, including democratic ones, are intentionally hiding truth from lawmakers and the public. Journalists are being targeted and eliminated from conflict zones — not by accident. AI is being weaponised to manipulate information in ways we cannot detect or verify. And the multilateral institutions built to preserve the post-WWII international order — including the United Nations — are deadlocked and increasingly bypassed in conflicts from Gaza to Ukraine to Iran.

In this episode of The Voices of War, Vedran 'Maz' Maslic speaks with Michael Vatikiotis — conflict mediator, peace negotiator, author, and journalist — about the structural collapse of truth in modern warfare, the rise of new mediation models led by middle powers like Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia through the Islamabad process, and whether the world is sleepwalking toward the complete abrogation of international law and rules-based conflict resolution.

🎙️ Michael Vatikiotis has spent nearly four decades in Southeast Asia moving between two worlds: reporting on conflict and negotiating peace. He is a back channel peace negotiator in some of the world's most intractable conflicts.

🔗 Read Michael's SCMP article: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3351339/blinding-world-lies-makes-peacemaking-impossible-task

🎙️ The Voices of War is your gateway to the untold stories and nuanced perspectives of conflict. Hosted by Vedran 'Maz' Maslic — military leader, life-long student, and entrepreneur.

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