In part six, Jon Alterman hears from guests from previous episodes who help him recap everything he's covered so far and look at what's next for Russia in the Middle East. Jon is rejoined by Elizabeth Tsurkov, fellow at the Center for Global Policy and at the Forum for Regional Thinking; Ambassador Mohamed Anis Salem, an Egyptian diplomat with 35 years of ex ... 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
Jul 2022
President Biden travels to the Middle East
Following President Biden’s first Middle East trip and on the eve of President Putin’s trip to Tehran, Fareed asks Vali Nasr, Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University if new cold war divisions are solidifying in the Middle East. Then, ... Show More
39m 47s
Jun 2021
Xenia Svetlova, "On Heels in the Middle East" (Pardes Publishing, 2020)
On Heels in the Middle East (Pardes Publishing, 2020) is the first book of Ksenia Svetlova, an Israeli journalist of Russian origin who covered the Middle East extensively during the last two decades. Svetlova takes us on a journey to Hizbullah dominated parts of Beirut, refugee ... Show More
1h 7m
Mar 2024
Another Take: Will Vladimir Putin go nuclear?
Every Saturday, we revisit a story that’s in the news again.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin seems set to win his fifth term as president as voters head to the polls this weekend. Days before the voting began, Putin confirmed that Russia was prepared for nuclear war. Today, we ... Show More
21m 53s
Sep 2023
Iran, Russia, and Inter-Pariah Solidarity
In this episode we discuss Iran’s shift to the East towards big powers in Asia, mainly Russia and China, and engaging with regional rivals like Saudi Arabia, and most recently joining the BRICS, and what this all means in a shifting global order.
Host Negar Mortazavi speaks to Ni ... Show More
25m 44s
Oct 2021
October 3, 2021 | On GPS: An expert panel on President Biden’s foreign policy agenda; a report from the Sahel in Africa, a new jihadist terror hotspot; and Dr. Sanja Gupta on lessons learned from the
After his Take, Fareed is joined by an all-star panel: Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations; Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America; and Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group. They discuss the United States’ geopolitical pivot from Europe and t ... Show More
40m 32s