Middle East Focus
280 episodes - English - Latest episode: 28 days ago - ★★★★★ - 50 ratingsWeekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.
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Episodes
What’s at stake in Turkey’s elections
June 20, 2018 13:34 - 21 minutes - 30.9 MBWorries of economic downturn loom large as Turkish voters head into a critical election for the president and members of parliament on June 24. MEI’s Gonul Tol and W. Robert Pearson join host Paul Salem to analyze the myriad issues facing voters, and the prospects for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling AK party.
The battle for Hodeida and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen
June 15, 2018 00:32 - 22 minutes - 32.1 MBAid groups are warning that a major offensive underway to capture the strategic port of Hodeida could make Yemen’s humanitarian crisis even worse. Basma Alloush (Norwegian Refugee Council), Farea Al-Muslimi (Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies), and Gerald Feierstein (MEI), join host Paul Salem to assess the situation.
The Manbij deal and the state of US-Turkish cooperation in Syria
June 08, 2018 13:37 - 21 minutes - 31.1 MBCan a deal to withdraw U.S.-backed Kurdish forces from the contested Syrian town of Manbij help to break the tension between opposing Turkish and American strategies in Syria? MEI’s Gonul Tol and Charles Lister join host Paul Salem to discuss.
A “diplomatic dance” in southern Syria
May 31, 2018 19:25 - 22 minutes - 32.4 MBSeveral countries have engaged in a flurry of diplomatic moves in recent days to prevent combat between Israeli and Iranian forces in southern Syria from escalating into full-scale war. MEI senior fellows Robert Ford and Charles Lister join host Paul Salem to discuss these moves and the state of the Syrian conflict.
Pompeo’s sanction threats and Iran’s energy sector
May 24, 2018 13:09 - 23 minutes - 33.4 MBSecretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened Iran with the “strongest sanctions in history” following the U.S. exit from the nuclear deal and outlined twelve demands as conditions for striking a new treaty between the two countries. MEI’s Rauf Mammadov and Ahmad Majidyar join Paul Salem to discuss the implications of this policy and take a closer look at Iran’s oil and energy sector amid the sanction threats.
Breaking down Iraq’s parliamentary elections
May 17, 2018 16:25 - 21 minutes - 30.8 MBAmb. Lukman Faily, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States from 2013-2016, and Randa Slim, director of MEI’s program on Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues, join host Paul Salem to analyze the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections and their implications for Iraq, the region, and U.S. policy going forward.
Extra: Oman in the middle
May 11, 2018 17:00 - 19 minutes - 27.6 MBIn a region beset with conflicts, Oman has served as a valued intermediary in foreign relations, including as a facilitator in U.S.-Iranian contacts that led to the Iran nuclear deal. How is it managing its delicate diplomatic balancing act as it works to mediate the Yemen civil war and the dispute between Qatar and other GCC states? Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, secretary general of Oman’s ministry of foreign affairs, joins guest host Gerald Feierstein to discuss.
The US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal
May 11, 2018 11:47 - 21 minutes - 30 MBAlex Vatanka and Gerald Feierstein join host Paul Salem to discuss reactions in the region and around the world to Trump’s announcement that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and restore sanctions on Iran.
Trump’s new arms sales policy
May 03, 2018 13:47 - 23 minutes - 33.1 MBWhat impact will the Trump administration’s new arms sales policy, named “Buy American,” have on the Middle East, historically one of the major destinations for U.S.-made weapons? Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research for the Foreign Policy program at Brookings, and Bilal Saab, director of MEI’s Defense and Security program, join host Paul Salem to discuss.
Turkey’s snap elections and issues in U.S. relations
April 26, 2018 14:52 - 20 minutes - 29.6 MBMEI’s Gonul Tol and Amb. Robert Pearson join Paul Salem to discuss the domestic political scene heading into Turkey’s snap presidential and parliamentary elections in early June and the state of its relations with the United States after the departure of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and pending arrival of Mike Pompeo.
The battles in, above and around Syria
April 19, 2018 13:28 - 22 minutes - 32.4 MBAmb. Robert Ford and Charles Lister join host Paul Salem to discuss last week’s U.S. airstrikes in Syria in response to the Assad government’s ongoing use of chemical weapons, what the Trump administration is signaling about America’s plans there, and the escalating standoff between Israeli and Iranian forces in the country.
Economic Prospects for the Middle East
April 12, 2018 11:00 - 19 minutes - 27.1 MBThe Middle East has withstood a series of major economic shocks over the past decade, and growth is slowly coming back. But sustained high unemployment, especially among women and youth, will continue to put strain on the region’s economic prospects. Jihad Azour, director of the Middle East and Central Asia department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), joins host Paul Salem to survey the economic challenges facing the MENA region.
A Russian-Iranian-Turkish alliance in the making?
April 05, 2018 14:11 - 19 minutes - 27.8 MBThe leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey held a high-profile summit in Ankara this week, their second such summit in six months. Are we seeing the formation of a new security axis in the region, and if so, where would that leave the United States? MEI’s Gonul Tol and Alex Vatanka join host Paul Salem to discuss.
Egypt’s elections and what’s ahead in Sisi’s second term
March 29, 2018 18:40 - 24 minutes - 34.9 MBAmb. Nabil Fahmy, dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo, joins host Paul Salem to discuss the political situation in Egypt and the range of issues facing President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi following his reelection this week to a second term in office.
Mohammed bin Salman in Washington: Impact on U.S.-Saudi relations
March 22, 2018 14:27 - 21 minutes - 30.5 MBSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman passed through D.C. this week to sell his Vision 2030 roadmap for transforming the Saudi economy. Karen Young, senior resident scholar Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, and Gerald Feierstein join host Paul Salem to discuss this, as well as other key policy issues affecting U.S.-Saudi relations, from the war in Yemen to the Kingdom’s internal crackdown on corruption.
Rex Tillerson’s exit and what’s next for US-Middle East policy
March 15, 2018 14:31 - 24 minutes - 34.1 MBOutgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had long been at odds with President Trump on key issues in the Middle East, from the intra-GCC dispute between Qatar and other member states, to the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the Iran nuclear deal. MEI fellows Gerald Feierstein, Charles Lister and Alex Vatanka join host Paul Salem to discuss how his replacement may impact these and other regional policy issues.
U.S.-Russia Dialogue and Preventing Regional Confrontation
March 08, 2018 14:44 - 20 minutes - 29.5 MBIrina Zvyagelskaya, of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and Randa Slim, director of MEI’s Program on Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues, join host Paul Salem to discuss U.S. and Russian efforts to find shared interests in the region, from Syria to Yemen, and to avoid confrontation and escalation.
The humanitarian disaster in Syria’s eastern Ghouta
March 01, 2018 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31 MBThe Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta is the site of a humanitarian disaster unfolding day by day as the Syrian regime and its Russian and Iranian backers have maintained a massive aerial assault that has killed hundreds. MEI Fellows Ibrahim al-Assil and Charles Lister join host Paul Salem to discuss the conditions on the ground and what led to the campaign that has turned Ghouta into a “Hell on Earth.”
Operation Olive Branch
February 22, 2018 17:24 - 19 minutes - 27.9 MBTurkey is one month into its military offensive against U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces in the area of Afrin in northern Syria. How is the operation going, and how has the strained U.S.-Turkish relationship been affected? Gonul Tol, director of Turkish studies at MEI, and Amberin Zaman, a journalist and columnist for Al-Monitor, join host Paul Salem to discuss.
Lebanon’s long-delayed parliamentary elections
February 15, 2018 15:05 - 20 minutes - 28.8 MBLebanon has not held parliamentary elections for almost a decade, delayed in part to await the outcome of the Syrian crisis next door. Polls are now set for May 6 and the race to form a majority coalition is on. What will the elections mean for Lebanon’s ability to manage domestic and external pressures? How strong will Hezbollah’s influence be? And will a new election law help or add to the confusion? MEI’s Paul Salem and Randa Slim join guest host Jerry Feierstein to discuss.
Back channel diplomacy in the Middle East
February 08, 2018 16:56 - 19 minutes - 27.1 MBWith the absence of multilateral diplomatic forums in the Middle East and the Trump administration scaling back on U.S. diplomatic outreach, the role of backdoor diplomatic channels, known as “Track II” dialogues, has seldom been more important. Randa Slim, director of MEI's program on conflict management and Track II dialogues, and Robert Ford, former US ambassador to Syria, join Paul Salem to discuss the role of these dialogues in addressing issues ranging from the Syrian civil war to the ...
Women's Rights in the Arab World
February 01, 2018 16:08 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBNowhere in the world are women more unequal than in the Middle East and North Africa, but there have been signs of progress in the region and several key reforms took place in 2017, such as Saudi Arabia’s decision to lift the ban on women driving. Manal Omar, founder of Across Red Lines, and Hala Aldosari, a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, join guest host Kate Seelye to discuss these reforms and whether they signal real change in attitudes toward w...
Tumult in Tunisia
January 25, 2018 17:00 - 23 minutes - 17.3 MBWidespread protests have rocked Tunisia in recent weeks in response to a series of tax increases, exposing a general frustration among the population who have yet to see the fruits of the 2011 revolution. Are these the growing pains of a nascent democracy, or is Tunisia at another breaking point? Dokhi Fassihian (Freedom House), Eric Goldstein (Human Rights Watch), and Tunisian journalist and researcher Asma Ghribi join Paul Salem to discuss.
Understanding the Iran Protests
January 18, 2018 17:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBThe demonstrations that broke out across Iran in late December were the largest the country has seen since 2009, however their causes and participants were quite different from past protests. Barbara Slavin of the Atlantic Council and MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka join host Paul Salem to discuss what we’ve learned about these protests and their implications for Iran’s leaders, the region, and U.S. policy.
The Year Ahead: The Middle East in 2018
January 11, 2018 17:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBIn this extended episode to kick off 2018, Paul Salem interviews several MEI scholars on the key trends and events to watch for across the region in the year ahead. Guests include Alex Vatanka, Randa Slim, Gerald Feierstein, Marvin Weinbaum, Bilal Saab, and Gonul Tol.
Year in Review: The Middle East in 2017
December 19, 2017 17:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBIn our final episode of the year, Paul Salem interviews several MEI scholars on the key events that transpired across the Middle East in 2017 including in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Guests include Gerald Feierstein, Charles Lister, Gonul Tol, and Alex Vatanka.
Trump's Jerusalem Announcement
December 12, 2017 17:27 - 20 minutes - 14 MBDecember 12, 2017 - The big news in recent days has been President Trump’s very contentious decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. It was a decision roundly condemned by allies in Europe and the Middle East and marks a major shift in U.S. policy. MEI experts Eran Etzion, Yousef Munayyer, and Nathan Stock join host Paul Salem to discuss the fallout.
Yemen After the Death of Ali Abdullah Saleh
December 07, 2017 03:46 - 21 minutes - 15 MBThe killing of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh marks a major turning point in Yemen’s ongoing civil war. Nadwa Al-Dawsari (POMED) and Gerald Feierstein (MEI) join Paul Salem to discuss the immediate fallout and what lies ahead.
What Is Going On in U.S.-Turkey Relations?
December 01, 2017 12:54 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBFrom mixed signals over U.S. policy toward Syria's Kurds, to an alleged kidnapping plot involving Michael Flynn, to the implication of President Erdogan in an international corruption scheme, U.S.-Turkey relations have struggled to find solid ground. Nicholas Danforth, senior policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Gonul Tol, director of Turkish studies at the Middle East Institute, join host Paul Salem to explain these stories and what they mean for both countries.
Progress and Social Change in Afghanistan
November 16, 2017 17:00 - 19 minutes - 26.1 MBThe war in Afghanistan has dragged on for 16 years, appearing to many Americans to have no end in sight or positive outcome. However, as Defense Secretary James Mattis recently testified, “Violence and progress in Afghanistan continue to coexist.” What is that progress, and what does it mean for Afghans themselves? Saad Mohseni, chairman and CEO of Moby Media Group, and Ahmad Majidyar, director of MEI’s IranObserved project, join host Paul Salem to discuss the positive changes taking place i...