The Inside Story Podcast

Khaled Batarfi, a Saudi political analyst, shares insights on Riyadh's strategy concerning southern Yemen's dynamics. Farea al-Muslimi discusses the Southern Transitional Council's loss of power and risks of instability from shifting alliances. Matthew Bryza delves into the STC's frustrations and the complex motivations behind their actions. They explore public sentiment on independence versus unity, and the challenges facing negotiations in Riyadh, stressing the importance of security and the role of external influences.

Adolfo Franco, a Republican strategist and former USAID official, shares his critical views on the UN's inefficiencies. Matthew Duss, former adviser to Bernie Sanders, argues US withdrawals damage national security and global stability. Andrew Gilmour, ex-UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, discusses the detrimental effects on humanitarian efforts and US influence. They delve into the political motives behind cuts, the risks of unilateralism, and the debate over the UN's relevance amid calls for reform.

Renewed clashes in the Syrian city of Aleppo between the army and Kurdish fighters are undermining efforts to achieve national unity. The violence erupted after a failure to implement a deal on incorporating fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces into the army. Can tension be contained this time? In this episode: Labib Nahhas, Syria analyst Omer Ozkizilcik, Nonresident fellow for the Syria Project in the Atlantic Council's Middle East Program Rob Geist Pinfold, Lecturer in International Security at King's College London Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

The so-called Coalition of the Willing says it is going to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees if a peace deal is agreed with Russia. The UK and France pledged boots on the ground once the agreement takes effect.  But is that enough? And would Russia accept foreign troops in Ukraine? In this episode:  Oleksiy Goncharenko, politician and member of the Ukrainian parliament Marina Miron, military analyst and researcher at King's College London Pavel Felgenhauer, defence and Russian foreign policy analyst Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook  

Venezuela's closest ally, Cuba, is on edge after the capture of president Nicolas Maduro and US politicians' warnings to Havana. US President Donald Trump says Cuba is near collapse. So what are Washington's plans? And what's the thinking in Havana?  In this episode:  Liz Oliva Fernandez, independent Cuban journalist John Suarez, Executive Director, the Center for a Free Cuba Michael Shifter, senior fellow, Inter-American Dialogue and adjunct professor, Georgetown University Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

The capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro by the US came despite his country's long-standing alliance with both China and Russia. Both have criticised the US attack but have taken no action. What are the implications for Russia and China?  In this episode:  Andrey Kortunov, former Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council  Chris Weafer, Chief Executive Officer of Macro-Advisory Shaun Rein, Founder & Managing Director of the China Market Research Group in Shanghai and author of The Split Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

The US capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has been sharply criticised by his allies, but not by Western nations despite questions about its legality. So, does the attack on Venezuela signal a new aggressive US strategy? What might be its global impact? In this episode:  Charles Shapiro, Former US Ambassador to Venezuela under President George W. Bush.  Stefan Wolff, Professor, International Security, University of Birmingham, UK.  Ernesto Castaneda, Director, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University in Washington DC.  Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

US special forces capture Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro - in a daring attack that's taken the country and the world by surprise. He'd denied accusations by president Donald Trump of heading a narcotics cartel. So, what are the implications of Washington's actions?  In this episode:  Phil Gunson - senior analyst for the Andes Project at the International Crisis Group.  Richard Weitz - a U.S. security analyst and Senior Fellow at the NATO Defense College.  Temir Porras - former Foreign Policy Advisor to President Hugo Chavez and the former Chief of Staff for President Nicolas Maduro.  Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

How fragile is the US healthcare system? Millions of Americans face a sharp increase in their insurance premiums. That's after Congress failed to renew subsidies provided by Obamacare. So, what's the impact for those in need? And how much politics is involved? In this episode:  Lindsay Allen - Health Economist and Policy Researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Neel Shah - Physician and Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic as well as Founder of the Costs of Care non-profit organisation. Rinah Shah - Political Strategist and Geopolitical analyst. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Angry protests across Iran as the country faces economic turmoil. The president is calling on the government to hear the protesters' demands. But who's to blame for Iran's deep economic crisis? And how far will the demonstrations go? In this episode:  Ali Akbar Dareini - Researcher at Center for Strategic Studies. Marzie Khalilian - Political Analyst and Academic Researcher. Stephen Zunes - Professor of Politics and Founding Chair of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook