Babel: Translating the Middle East

This week on Babel, Jon is joined by Frederic Wehrey, senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. During their discussion, Fred breaks down the conflict in Libya, explaining who is involved and why. Fred and Jon also talk about foreign fighters, drones, and what's next for Libya. Then, Jon, Will, and McKinley discuss similarities and differences between the conflicts in Libya and Syria. Sandy Alkoutami and Frederic Wehrey, “China’s Balancing Act,” Lawfare, May 10, 2020. Frederic Wehrey, “Libya and Coronavirus” in Coronavirus in Conflict Zones: A Sobering Landscape, ed. by Jarrett Blanc and Frances Z. Brown, April 14, 2020. Frederic Wehrey, “’Our Hearts Are Dead.’ After 9 Years of Civil War, Libyans Are Tired of Being Pawns in a Geopolitical Game of Chess,” Time, February 12, 2020. Frederic Wehrey, “Libya’s Bloodshed Will Continue Unless Foreign Powers Stop Backing Khalifa Haftar,” Guardian, February 2, 2020. Episode Transcript: The Internationalization of Libya, CSIS, June 16, 2020.

Middle Eastern governments are struggling to combat purchases of military uniforms by malign actors attempting to impersonate soldiers.

This week on Babel, Marwa Daoudy, assistant professor at Georgetown University, joins Jon to talk about the climate-security nexus in Syria. Marwa and Jon discuss issues with past reforms in Syria, the relationship between climate change and human insecurity, and government corruption. Then, Jon, Will, and McKinley discuss a report Will released earlier in May on cross-border aid in Syria. Episode Transcript: The Climate-Security Nexus with Marwa Daoudy, CSIS, June 2, 2020. Marwa Daoudy, The Origins of the Syrian Conflict: Climate Change and Human Security, Cambridge University Press, March 2020. Marwa Daoudy, “The Structure-Identity Nexus: Syria and Turkey’s Collapse (2011),” Cambridge Review of International Affairs 29 (3), 2016. Will Todman, Cross-Border Aid, Covid-19, and U.S. Decisions in Syria, CSIS, May 8, 2020.

Syrians seem to be laying the groundwork for an enduring Russian presence in the country with an increase in Russian language education.

This week on Babel, Gregory Gause joined Jon to talk about how Gulf economies are changing during Covid-19. Greg is the head of the international affairs department at Texas A&M University and holds the John H. Lindsey '44 chair. Greg and Jon discuss Saudi Arabia's labor markets, economic reforms under MBS, and the future of the kingdom. Then, Jon, Will, and McKinley, talk about initiatives to change how young people relate to both each other and the government in the Gulf.  Jon Alterman, Ties that Bind: Family, Tribe, Nation, and the Rise of Arab Individualism, CSIS, December 2, 2019. Gregory Gause, “Saudi Arabia and Sectarianism in Middle East International Relations,” POMEPS Studies 38, March 2020. Will Todman, “Manufacturing New Loyalties in the UAE,”CSIS, January 9, 2020.

Lavish celebrations with cakes, wedding halls, and invitations are marking a new trend in Saudi Arabia—divorce parties.

This week on Babel, Nabih Bulos, the Middle East bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, joined Jon to talk about disinformation in the Middle East during Covid-19. Nabih and Jon discuss alternatives to state-run media, disinformation bots, and information lockdowns during Covid-19. Then, Jon, Will, and McKinley talk about state-run news agencies in the Middle East. Jon Alterman, “The Middle East’s Challenges Aren’t Just Combatting the Virus,” CSIS, April 28, 2020. Jon Alterman, “Russian Disinformation in Syria” on Babel: Translating the Middle East, CSIS, November 5, 2019. Nabih Bulos, “ Iraq’s derelict Baghdad tower is a metaphor for a broken country,” Los Angeles Times, April 18, 2020. Nabih Bulos, “Coronavirus becomes a weapon of disinformation in Middle East battle for influence,” Los Angeles Times, April 8, 2020.

A lack of mail boxes, accurate addresses, and even agreed-upon street names has continued to make postal reform in the Middle East a source of frustration.

This week, Jon talks with Ariane Tabatabai, a Middle East fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund. They discuss the internal political backlash in Iran, tensions between the IRGC and the Rouhani-led government, and the role of the United States. Then, Jon, Will, and McKinley talk about how the coronavirus is affecting Iran’s relationships with its regional neighbors. Jon Alterman, “COVID-19 and Cascading Crises in the Middle East” Center for Strategic and International Studies, March 25, 2020. Jon Alterman, “Add coronavirus to other crises, and the Middle East faces a catastrophe,” The Hill, March 22, 2020. Ariane Tabatabai, No Conquest, No Defeat: Iran’s National Security Strategy, Hurst Publishers, September 2020. Ariane Tabatabai, “Don’t Expect a Thaw in Iran,” Foreign Policy, December 10, 2019.

The UAE government is attempting to instill morals in its students from a young age, with mandatory lessons on ethics and Emirati culture that are tested with a standardized exam.