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PODCAST

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Babel will take you beyond the headlines to discuss what’s really happening in the Middle East and North Africa. It features regional experts who explain what’s going on, provide context on pivotal developments, and highlight trends you may have missed. Jon Alterman, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, hosts the podcast along with his colleagues from the Middle East Program. This podcast is made possible through the

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All Episodes

33:39

Nicolas Pelham: Morocco's Missing King

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/05/30

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicolas Pelham of The Economist and author of a recent article in 1843 magazine entitled "The Mystery of Morocco's Missing King." They talk about the Moroccan monarchy, King Mohammed VI’s unusual friendship with a German kickboxer, and what it means for the future of Morocco. Later, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Danny Sharp, as they compare the different ruling strategies of Arab kings. Nicolas Pelham, "MBS: despot in the desert,"

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2:40

A Mezze: From Stable to Table—Egypt's Donkey Meat...

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/05/23

As Egypt's economic crisis continues, a new proposition of introducing donkey meat to Egypt's cuisine causes public uproar amidst soaring food prices. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

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40:27

Hafsa Halawa: Egypt's Economic Turmoil

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/05/16

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Hafsa Halawa of the Middle East Institute and author of a new paper entitled "Gulf Investment in Egypt, A Balance of Mutual Need." They talk about Egypt’s economic crisis, the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, Egypt's military's economic involvement, and the changing face of Gulf financial support. Later, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Lubna Yousef, as they examine United States - Egypt policy and what an Egypt crisis

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2:34

A Mezze: Power Plays

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/05/09

Suffering from a debilitating electricity and water shortage crisis, some communities in Libya resort to "power plays" and acts of intimidation to ensure their access to basic services. A New Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

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33:57

Killian Clarke: Egypt's Counterrevolution and the...

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/05/02

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Prof. Killian Clarke of Georgetown's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service about his forthcoming book tentatively entitled The Return of Tyranny: How Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed. They talk about the counterrevolution in Egypt, the complex relationship between the military, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the public, and lessons learned from counterrevolutions around the world. Later, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Lubna

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3:45

A Mezze: An Uphill Battle

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/04/25

GCC countries are beginning to tackle their obesity problem, but structural and cultural challenges to improving fitness abound. A New Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

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36:08

Ayham Kamel: The Gulf's Regional Diplomacy

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/04/18

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ayham Kamel of the Eurasia Group. They talk about the current diplomatic landscape in the Gulf, how Gulf leaders perceive their security interests, their views on the U.S. staying in power in the region, and how they are responding to the U.S. retrenchment from the Middle East. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Danny Sharp, discussing how Gulf countries are finding opportunities in a reduced U.S. presence and how they are pursuing

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3:20

A Mezze: Help Wanted, But Not Found

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/04/11

What started as a job advertisement for a sandwich maker in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) quickly landed one firm in hot water last December. As the UAE pushes for companies in the private sector to hire more Emiratis, they're finding that there are some jobs that Emiratis may not want. A new Mezze from the Middle East Program.

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38:08

Ali Vaez: Iran's Regional Policy

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/04/04

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. They talk about the Saudi-Iranian agreement to resume diplomatic ties, how it fits into Iran’s wider foreign policy strategy around the region, and the prospects for a broader détente between Iran and its Arab neighbors in the Gulf. Vaez suggests that a regional nuclear agreement between Iran and Arab states in the Gulf might be a more viable path forward than an agreement between Iran and the West. Then, Jon

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3:20

A Mezze: Saudi Arabia's New Anime Journey

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/03/28

Imported entertainment options have flourished under MBS, helping erode the Saudi state’s ability to shape public culture. But now, Saudi state-owned firms are using the growing popularity of anime to shape their own narrative, at home and abroad. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

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44:41

Iraq 20 Years Later with Marsin Alshamary and Hamzeh...

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/03/21

In a special episode of Babel to mark the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war, Jon sits down with two Iraqi guests to talk about the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion. Dr. Marsin Alshamary is a research fellow with the Middle East Initiative at Harvard's Belfer Center, and Hamzeh Hadad is an adjunct fellow with the Center for New American Security. Alshamary and Hadad talk about how the war in Iraq has shaped both Iraqi politics and their own lives, their experiences as members of

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3:43

A Mezze: Going Green with Envy

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/03/14

In Lebanon, neighboring communities are looking to connect and build off one another's initiatives, but a dysfunctional environment makes capitalizing on that opportunity a challenge for international donors and Lebanese communities alike. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program. This Mezze episode was adapted from a vignette in the Middle East Program's latest report, Powering Recovery: Reform, Reconstruction, and Renewables in Conflict-Affected States in the Middle East, written by Will

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40:41

Will Todman: Powering Recovery

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/03/07

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with the Middle East Program's Will Todman to break down Will's new report, Powering Recovery: Reform, Reconstruction and Renewables in Conflict-Affected States in the Arab World. They talk about how governments and politicians in conflict-affected states can actually benefit from broken electrical systems, what the United States and international donors miss when they ignore those dynamics, and how renewable energy can offer a better pathway forward for

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3:11

A Mezze: From Beijing to Jerusalem

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/02/28

Before the pandemic, Chinese tourism to Israel was growing the fastest out of any country. As Chinese tourists begin to return to the market, Israel may continue to be a popular destination.

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29:13

Natasha Hall: The Aftermath of Earthquakes in Syria

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/02/21

This week, in a special episode of Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Middle East Program senior fellow Natasha Hall about the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. They talk about the aid response, how governments are instrumentalizing the aid response to advance their own goals, and the challenges in delivering aid to areas of northwest Syria controlled by rebel groups. Natasha draws on her earlier study, “Rescuing Aid in Syria,” to argue that the United States and other donor

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3:11

A Mezze: On the Hook

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/02/14

Egypt's fish farmers have been struggling for years now. Media reports and industry groups blame due climate change and Cairo's pollution of Egypt's waterways but farmers say the real culprit lies beneath the surface: the Egyptian military has become the largest player in the market, crowding out smaller farmers in the process.

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42:28

Bilahari Kausikan: The Middle East in a Multipolar World

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/02/07

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Bilahari Kausikan, a Singaporean diplomat with a 37-year career in Singapore's ministry of foreign affairs, serving most recently as Ambassador-at-Large. In his conversation with Jon, Dr. Kausikan suggests that U.S.-China competition may not be as binary as it may seem, explores the ways in which a complex international system gives regional states greater agency on the world stage, examines how U.S. engagement with the Middle East is changing as priorities shift

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4:05

A Mezze: Salmon Farming in the UAE

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/02/01

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) doesn’t seem like the ideal place for a salmon farm, but aquaculture is becoming an increasingly large part of the UAE's food security strategy. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

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33:38

Hanna Notte: Russia in the Middle East After Ukraine

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/01/24

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Hanna Notte, a senior research associate with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. They talk about Russia's interests in the Middle East and where they stand after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's growing economic and defense relationship with Iran, and how Arab states view Russia's war in Ukraine. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Danny Sharp, discussing the implications for U.S. policy in the region and what U.S

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4:38

A Mezze: Untying the Knot

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2023/01/17

“Every two minutes, an Egyptian couple files for divorce — that's how long it takes to heat up pita bread," joked one host on Egyptian TV last year. In an effort to bring that number down, the Egyptian government is trying to take action before couples tie the knot in the first place.

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284 results

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