This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Dr. Haider al-Abadi, an Iraqi politician who served as prime minister from 2014 to 2018, while the country was battling the Islamic State Group (ISG). They talk about his decision making as prime minister, the Iraqi government's response to the ISG, and the limits of decentralization in Iraq. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and D ... Show More
May 2025
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 2025
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 2025
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
Aug 2024
ISIS's enduring threat in Syria and Iraq
On this week's episode, Director of MEI's Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism Programs Charles Lister speaks with MEI Editor-in-Chief Alistair Taylor on the resurgence of the Islamic State, or ISIS, in Syria and Iraq. This episode is the first in a several-part series lo ... Show More
28m 2s
May 2024
Intra-Kurdish Chaos in Northern Iraq
Today we speak to Kurdish politcal analyst Ariz Kader about the rising levels of internal chaos taking place in Northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region. It involves the government in Baghdad, Turkey, Iran, and Kurdish rebel group the PKK. Discounted internet privacy services ... Show More
52m 27s
Oct 2019
Interview with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on the U.S. raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; Interview with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on the Baghdadi raid and the impeachment inquiry; Interview with former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McC
First, Jake sits down with the Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, to discuss the details of the daring U.S. Special Forces raid to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Then, Jake talks with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy about Baghdadi and Ukraine, as he recounts his meeting wi ... Show More
44m 52s