Babel: Translating the Middle East
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, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program 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 generous support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. All views, positions, and conclusions expressed here should be understood to be solely of those of the speaker(s).
101
A Mezze: Junked Food
In Bahrain, municipal authorities claim that seagulls are "too fat to fly," and they say that Bahrain's growing food waste is to blame.
3 min
102
Haider al-Abadi: Iraq and the Fight Against the...
Jon speaks with Dr. Haider al-Abadi, an Iraqi politician who served as prime minister from 2014 to 2018, while the country was battling the Islamic State about his decision making as prime minister.
32 min
103
A Mezze: Dental Freelancers
Some find going to the dentist traumatic. In Morocco, the experience could be especially so, because the dentist may turn out never to have gone to dental school.
3 min
104
Tim Lenderking: Hope in Yemen?
Jon speaks with U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking about the latest ceasefire in Yemen and where the country goes from here.
35 min
105
A Mezze: Algeria's Poorly Oiled Machine
Storing pallets of vegetable oil in your garage might earn you some strange looks; in Algeria, it can land you in prison.
3 min
106
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Pa...
Jon concludes the mini-series by looking at the role that the Middle East should play in U.S. global strategy.
32 min
107
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Pa...
Jon explores how people and governments in the Middle East see the United States, and what they want from U.S. policy in the region.
21 min
108
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Pa...
Jon explores U.S. soft power in the Middle East and what makes American culture, ideals, and institutions so attractive.
24 min
109
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Pa...
Jon explores U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East and how U.S. policymakers think about the use of diplomatic tools.
24 min
110
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Pa...
Jon explores how the United States has used its economic toolkit in the Middle East, and how sanctions and development aid have been in advancing U.S. interests in the Middle East.
23 min
111
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Pa...
Jon Alterman explores how the last two decades of heightened U.S. military involvement in the Middle East changed the region, and the U.S. military.
21 min
112
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Pa...
Jon takes a closer look at how the United States responded to the 9/11 attacks by deepening its involvement in the Middle East, how its role in the region has changed, and how some people think it needs to change a lot more.
22 min
113
Jane Arraf: Not Your Mother's Iraq
Jon speaks with Jane Arraf about a changing Iraq.
32 min
114
A Mezze: Beauty Therapy
Conflicts in the Middle East lead to increased demand for cosmetic surgery, and for some the results are tragic.
3 min
115
Natasha Hall: Rescuing Aid in Syria
In a special episode, Jon speaks with Natasha Hall about her new report, Rescuing Aid in Syria.
31 min
116
A Mezze: Morocco's Sand Mafias
In Morocco, the same industry that is helping to construct new tourism developments is also depleting the very coastline that those developments rely upon.
3 min
117
Jason Rezaian: What We Get Wrong About Iran
Jon Alterman talks with Jason Rezaian about what the U.S. government gets wrong about Iran.
38 min
118
A Mezze: An Olive's Odyssey
In the olive tree-rich region of Afrin in northwestern Syria, a different type of oil fuels the war-time economy—olive oil.
3 min
119
Bassem Youssef: Satire and Dissent
Jon Alterman speaks with Bassem Youssef 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.
27 min
120
A Mezze: High-Tech Hajj
Sharply reduced hajj numbers due to Covid-19 restrictions recently provided a prime opportunity to beta-test new crowd-control technology in Saudi Arabia.
3 min
121
Gulf Youth and the Urge for Change
Jon speaks with Kristin Diwan about how young Gulf Arabs' eagerness for change finds public expression.
33 min
122
A Mezze: Water Woes
The Middle East has plenty of water problems without warfare. As warfare becomes more common, water is becoming an increasingly common weapon.
3 min
123
In and Out of the Ivory Tower
Jon Alterman speaks with Ghassan Salamé about his decades of experience moving between academia and public service.
42 min
124
A Mezze: A Grave Dilemma
In Damascus, even death is getting more expensive.
2 min
125
A Mezze: Camel Corruption Crackdown
As Saudi officials crackdown on corruption, they are increasingly zeroing in on a new target: suspiciously full camel lips.
4 min