This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Stephanie Williams, formerly the acting special representative of the UN Secretary-General and the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya. They talk about why the conflict in Libya has lasted this long, the importance of facilitating a Libyan-Libyan resolution to the conflict, and her role as a mediator in the pro ... Show More
May 22
Babel Special: Jon Alterman's Next Chapter
This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem ... Show More
34m 59s
May 15
Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ... Show More
50m 16s
May 8
Analysis: Will Trump’s Houthi Deal Stick?
On Tuesday, May 6, President Trump declared that the United States would immediately halt its bombing of Houthi targets, bringing an end to months of intensified U.S. strikes across Yemen. The president linked the policy reversal to what he described as the Iran-backed Houthis’ c ... Show More
6m 13s
May 2023
Libya: Political Gridlock, Regional Politics and Sudan’s War
Last week, Libya’s parliament fired one of the country’s two prime ministers, Fathi Bashaga. Libya for years has been split between two rival governments. An internationally recognised prime minister, Abdelhamid Dabaiba, sits in the capital Tripoli and a rival government, until r ... Show More
45m 15s
Sep 2023
Libya’s anti-Israel protests and the future of normalization
Libya and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations – in fact, under Libyan law it’s illegal to hold any unauthorized discussions with Israeli officials. Yet in August, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome, in what she tho ... Show More
18m 22s
Oct 2021
In Libya, a Gaddafi makes a play for power
Muammar Gaddafi’s death shocked the world – and 10 years later, the instability the former leader’s death unleashed in Libya has yet to end. Many thought the family’s hold over Libya was done, but one of Gaddafi’s sons is trying to overcome his past – and his ICC charges – to man ... Show More
19m 42s
Oct 2021
Qaddafi's Son is Alive, and He Wants to Take Back Libya
Before the Arab Spring, Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, the second son of the Libyan dictator Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, was establishing himself as a serious figure internationally. Then, the Arab Spring came to Libya.His father and brothers were killed and Seif himself was captured by ... Show More
34m 33s
Sep 2017
Peace efforts, economic leverage and spoilers: prospects for UN solutions in Libya, Yemen and Syria
Another session of the United Nations General Assembly has come and gone. Fiery speeches, discussions of nuclear war and celebrity appearances made the headlines. But beyond the headlines, there were developments that are poised to impact lives all over the world, including milli ... Show More
31m 11s