This week on Babel, Jon is joined by Frederic Wehrey, senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. During their discussion, Fred breaks down the conflict in Libya, explaining who is involved and why. Fred and Jon also talk about foreign fighters, drones, and what's next for Libya. Then, Jon, Will, and McKinley 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
Jul 2024
Sudan in flames: Why the world's forgotten war should worry you
As vicious conflicts rage across the world, the civil war in Sudan has received limited attention. To explain the far-reaching impacts of the conflict, the humanitarian crisis unfolding, and why we should start paying attention, Gavin Esler speaks to Alan Boswell, Crisis Group’s ... Show More
31m 26s
Jul 2019
49. Libya: Warlords, Militias, and Western Abandonment
We speak to researcher and author Frederic Wehrey as he returns from the frontlines of the recent conflict in Libya, between General Haftar's forces and GNA militias. He explains what's going on, why it's happening, and what the war looks like on the front. - www.patreon.com/po ... Show More
35m 23s
Dec 2024
What happens when a tyrant flees
On Sunday Morning the sound of gunfire filled the air in Damascus. The noise, not of fighting, but celebrations. President Bashar al-Assad and his family had fled to Russia. A family which ruled for more than 50 years, brought down by a rebel offensive which had begun less than t ... Show More
31m 47s
Sep 28
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia : Somalia has a serious security challenge
Somalia has a serious security challengePaul Njie speaks to Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia, about ongoing efforts to achieve security and stability in his country. While he says much progress has been made in tackling terror, he acknowledges that the insurgent groups ... Show More
22m 59s