The Kicker Live: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad on American Misadventures in the Middle East

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad is an award-winning Iraqi journalist for The Guardian and the author of A Stranger in Your Own City (2023), a reported memoir of his life as an architect turned journalist during the American war in Iraq.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Abdul-Ahad shares his journey to becoming a reporter, what he was surprised to learn about his own country, and how he approaches depicting the intimate lives of the people caught up in war—from innocent bystanders to murderous warlords.

This podcast was recorded live at ZegFest 2025, in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Read more:

*Ghaith’s book: A Stranger in Your Own City 

*Mustafa’s story: “The Reluctant Collaborator: Surviving Syria’s Brutal Civil War and Its Aftermath”

*Ghaith’s collected reporting for The Guardian

Audio producer: Levan Kurtskhalia

Audio recorder and editor: Zura Patsia

Produced by: Amanda Darrach

Hosted by: Josh Hersh