In part two, Jon Alterman explores Russian economic interests in the Middle East. He covers Middle Eastern investments in Russia, the arms industry, and the recent battle over oil production between Russia and Saudi Arabia. He also talks with Carole Nakhle, founder and CEO of Crystol Energy, Nikolay Kozhanov, a consulting fellow at Chatham House, and Olga Ol ... 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
Jun 2022
The Economist Asks: How is the Russian crisis changing Germany?
Since reunification, Germany has sought stable relations with Russia. That changed with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But is this Zeitenwende (“turning point”) really a new era for Europe’s powerhouse? Anne McElvoy asks John Lough, former NATO strategist, why risk-averse ... Show More
33m 48s
Jul 2022
Clash of titans in the Middle East
The leaders of the two most powerful countries, the US and Russia, were in the Middle East. Of course, each of them is trying to pursue their interests. President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin didn’t meet with each other, but why were these two leaders there? A ... Show More
21m 9s
Feb 2022
Checks and Balance: Russia invades Ukraine
There is war in Europe. America has spent the past decade trying to pivot its geopolitical attention to Asia, away from its old allies in the West. But the crisis, and now conflict, in Ukraine has pulled it back in, showing how reliant Europe still is on the support of its friend ... Show More
46m 11s
May 2024
The Bear On The Doorstep – Poland, Georgia, and Eastern Europe’s fight against Russian power
What’s it like to live next to the world’s worst neighbour: Vladimir Putin’s Russia? In 2024, pro-democracy Georgians are beaten for resisting their pro-Moscow government from enacting a Putinesque “foreign agents” law. Poland is rearming against the Russian threat, and the Balti ... Show More
42m 27s