x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

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

government news commentary

All Episodes

24:06

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Five

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/04/05

In seven episodes, the Babel: U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East podcast miniseries will take a closer look at two decades of heightened U.S. engagement in the region. Over seven weeks, Babel will cover how the United States has used its military, economic, diplomatic, and soft power tools in the Middle East—and how the Middle East has responded. In part five, Jon takes a look at U.S. soft power in the Middle East, and just what makes American culture, ideals, and institutions enduringly

en-us

24:17

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Four

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/03/29

In seven episodes, the Babel: U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East podcast miniseries will take a closer look at two decades of heightened U.S. engagement in the region. Over seven weeks, Babel will cover how the United States has used its military, economic, diplomatic, and soft power tools in the Middle East—and how the Middle East has responded. In part four, Jon analyzes U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East, and how U.S. policymakers have thought about U.S. diplomatic power in the region

en-us

23:55

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Three

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/03/22

In seven episodes, the Babel: U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East podcast miniseries will take a closer look at two decades of heightened U.S. engagement in the region. Over seven weeks, Babel will cover how the United States has used its military, economic, diplomatic, and soft power tools in the Middle East—and how the Middle East has responded. In part three, Jon looks at how the United States has used its economic toolkit in the region, and how successful sanctions and development aid

en-us

21:47

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Two

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/03/15

In seven episodes, the Babel: U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East podcast miniseries will take a closer look at two decades of heightened U.S. engagement in the region. Over seven weeks, Babel will cover how the United States has used its military, economic, diplomatic, and soft power tools in the Middle East—and how the Middle East has responded. In part two, Jon traces the story of the last two decades of heavy U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, identifying how it’s changed

en-us

22:18

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part One

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/03/08

In seven episodes, the Babel: U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East podcast miniseries will take a closer look at two decades of heightened U.S. engagement in the region. Jon Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski chair in global security and geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program, sits down with some of the preeminent foreign policy experts and former policymakers who have helped shape U.S. policy in the region. Over the next seven weeks, Babel will cover how the

en-us

32:58

Jane Arraf: Not Your Mother's Iraq

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/03/01

This week on Babel, I speak with Jane Arraf, the Baghdad bureau chief for the New York Times. She's spent more than a quarter-century as a journalist in the Middle East, working for National Public Radio, CNN, the Christian Science Monitor, and other leading outlets. I talk with Jane about the way that Iraq is becoming surprisingly normal, how Iraqis think about sectarianism now, and the way in which corruption affects nearly every aspect of society in Iraq. Then, Will Todman, Danny Sharp, and I

en-us

3:22

A Mezze: Beauty Therapy

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/02/22

Conflicts in the Middle East lead to increased demand for cosmetic surgery, and for some the results are tragic.

en-us

31:26

Natasha Hall: Rescuing Aid in Syria

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/02/15

This week on Babel, we're doing things a bit differently. Freeing ourselves from the world of Zoom and time zones, Jon sat down in person this week with Middle East Program senior fellow Natasha Hall, whose report "Rescuing Aid in Syria" was released yesterday. They recorded their conversation on Natasha's report in a new CSIS studio, and you can watch it here. After Jon's discussion with Natasha, he continued the conversation on the report with Jake Kurtzer, senior fellow and director of the CSIS

en-us

3:36

A Mezze: Morocco's Sand Mafias

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/02/08

In Morocco, the same industry that is helping to construct new tourism developments is also depleting the very coastline that those developments rely upon. A New Mezze from the Middle East Program. This episode was adapted from our monthly Mezze series, shining a spotlight on under-discussed trends and debates shaping the Middle East. You can read past examples of our Mezzes on the CSIS website.

en-us

38:02

Jason Rezaian: What We Get Wrong About Iran

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/02/01

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American journalist who grew up in California and moved to Iran to report in 2009. In 2012, he joined the Washington Post, and in 2014, he was arrested and spent 544 days in Iran's Evin Prison. Jon and Rezaian talk about why he went to Iran, what the U.S. government gets wrong about Iranians, and how Iranian leaders think about hostage-taking and its role in Iranian foreign policy. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and Caleb Harper continue the

en-us

3:03

A Mezze: An Olive's Odyssey

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/01/25

In the olive tree-rich region of Afrin in northwestern Syria, a different type of oil fuels the wartime economy—olive oil. A new Mezze from the Middle East Program. This episode was adapted from our monthly Mezze series, shining a spotlight on under-discussed trends and debates shaping the Middle East. You can read past examples of our Mezzes on the CSIS website.

en-us

27:56

Bassem Youssef: Satire and Dissent

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/01/18

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Bassem Youssef. He's an Egyptian satirist who parlayed his low-budget Youtube program into Al-Bernameg, the most popular show of the Arab Spring. At its height, he had a weekly audience of more than 30 million viewers. They talk about how he got his start on television, the role of satire in political conflict, and why he fled Egypt months after the military returned to power. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp continue the conversation about the limits of

en-us

3:54

A Mezze: High-Tech Hajj

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2022/01/11

As Covid-19 restrictions reduced hajj numbers in 2021, Saudi Arabia had a prime opportunity to beta-test new crowd-control technology. A New Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program. Stay tuned until the end for a special note from Jon about this new season of Babel. If you'd like to help us shape this upcoming season of Babel and the chance to win a free Babel mug, please fill out a short 8 question survey here: https://bit.ly/csisbabel.

en-us

33:17

Gulf Youth and the Urge for Change

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2021/12/21

This week on Babel, Jon talks with his longtime friend Dr. Kristin Diwan, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Kristin analyzes how young Gulf Arabs' eagerness for change finds public expression, how Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has sought to shape young peoples' attitudes for reform in Saudi Arabia, and how young people are engaging in their own regional dialogues about change. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Caleb Harper continue the conversation about youth and social

en-us

3:17

A Mezze: Water Woes

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2021/12/14

The Middle East has plenty of water problems without warfare. As warfare becomes more common, water is becoming an increasingly common weapon. A New Mezze from the Middle East Program.

en-us

42:22

In and Out of the Ivory Tower

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2021/12/07

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Ghassan Salamé, a Paris-based academic and former UN mediator with over three decades of experience moving between academia and public policy. They talk about how he started his UN career, the role and limitations of the United Nations as a conflict mediator, and how his experiences as a practitioner inform the way that he teaches international affairs. Then, Jon, Will Todman, Danny Sharp talk about how their own academic backgrounds prepared them for careers in

en-us

2:56

A Mezze: A Grave Dilemma

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2021/11/30

In Damascus, even death is getting more expensive. With limited space and the demand for cemetery plots rising, armed thugs have established an illegal grave trade in Syria. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

en-us

4:36

A Mezze: Camel Corruption Crackdown

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2021/11/23

As Saudi officials crackdown on corruption, they are increasingly zeroing in on a new target: suspiciously full camel lips. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

en-us

31:28

Authoritarian Nostalgia in Libya

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2021/11/16

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Robert Worth, a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine who interviewed Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya's long-standing dictator, in May. They discuss Saif Gaddafi's political ambitions in the upcoming elections, unique aspects of Libya's society and revolution, and the memory of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp discuss nostalgia for authoritarianism across the Middle East. Robert Worth, "Qaddafi's Son Is

en-us

3:57

A Mezze: Killer Congestion

Babel: Translating the Middle East ·

2021/11/09

Some in Israel hope electronic “e-bikes” can be a life-saving solution to long ambulance wait times on the country’s jam-packed roads. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

en-us

284 results

Similar Podcasts

The Fly

Georgetown"s Institute of Politics and...

THE CONSTITUTION STUDY

Paul Engel

The DSR Daily

The DSR Network

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Fora do Baralho

Rádio Observador