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Middle East Focus

Latest episodes

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Aug 25, 2022 • 31min

Iraq's Deepening Political Crisis

Ten months on from last October’s elections, Iraq still does not have a new government and faces a deepening political crisis. To understand the current situation's perils and what may be next for the future of the country, we are joined by Farhad Alaaldin, chairman of the Iraq Advisory Council, and Robert Ford, MEI Senior Fellow and former Ambassador to Syria and Algeria. 
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Aug 9, 2022 • 37min

MENA Photography: More than your eyes can see

MEI Arts and Culture Center Director Lyne Sneige speaks with photographers Eman Ali and Samar Hazboun, who are featured in MEI's latest gallery exhibition "More Than Your Eyes Can See:  Contemporary Photography from the Arab World" - curated by Laila Abdul-Hadi Jadallah and in partnership with Tribe Magazine. 
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Aug 9, 2022 • 42min

The US strike on al-Qaeda leader al-Zawahiri

On today’s episode, host Alistair Taylor explores the ramifications of the CIA drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 31. Joining the program are three MEI experts - Mick Mulroy, Javid Ahmad, and Douglas London - who bring with them a variety of perspectives, from intelligence to diplomacy. 
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Jul 27, 2022 • 55min

Biden's Trip to the Middle East

President Joe Biden's recent trip has received acclaim, scorn, and indifference from across the foreign policy establishment. Why did Biden go to the Middle East, and what did he seek to gain? In this much-anticipated episode, host Alistair Taylor and four expert guests reflect on this question from a variety of perspectives, diving deep into the motivations and repercussions of President Biden's trip. Esteemed guests include Paul Salem, President of MEI; Bilal Saab, Senior Fellow and Founding Director of the Defense and Security Program at MEI; Mirette Mabrouk, Senior Fellow and Founding Director of the Egypt Program at MEI; and Alex Vatanka, Director of the Iran Program and Senior Fellow at the Frontier Europe Initiative at MEI.
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Jul 21, 2022 • 18min

Cyber Trends in the Middle East

This week, host Alistair Taylor speaks with Chris Kubecka, Distinguished Chair of the Cyber Security and Emerging Technology Program at the Middle East Institute. Their conversation covers recent cyber trends and developments in the Middle East, President Biden’s trip to the region, and MEI’s new book Cyber War and Cyber Peace: Digital Conflict in the Middle East.   To pre-order the book now, click the link below: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/cyber-war-and-cyber-peace-9780755646005/
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Jul 7, 2022 • 32min

Tunisia's Economy

Intissar Fakir is joined by Marwa Haddar and Fadil Aliriza to discuss the economic issues Tunisia is facing, international financial institutions' role in the crisis, and the government's actions, or lack thereof, to help the country.
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Jun 30, 2022 • 32min

Iraq's Political Shift

Randa Slim is joined by Farhad Alaadin and Marsin Alshamary to discuss the latest political events in Iraqi Parliament, Muqtada al-Sadr, and what the future of Iraqi politics could look like moving forward.
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Jun 10, 2022 • 27min

Somalia (Horn of Africa, part 2 of 2)

Guled Ahmed joins the program to discuss the political climate in Somalia, its recent elections, security conditions, and the role of external actors including the African Union, Gulf states, Turkey, and the U.S.
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Jun 2, 2022 • 22min

Expedition to Antarctica

In this interview from MEI's Climate and Water program, guest host Mohammed Mahmoud speaks with Athra Khamis about her journey to the remote continent of Antarctica, what she saw there, and how it impacted her views on climate change.
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May 27, 2022 • 24min

Ethiopia (Horn of Africa, part 1 of 2)

Nathenael Gemechu moderates a conversation with Michael Woldemariam and Guled Ahmed on Ethiopia in the first installment of a two-part series on the Horn of Africa. Woldemariam and Ahmed discuss the ongoing Tigrayan conflict that includes Ethiopia and Eritrea and the influence of external players.

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