Middle East Focus

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. 

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Marvin Weinbaum, Madiha Afzal, and Syed Mohammad Ali discuss the recent political upheaval in Pakistan, which comes against the backdrop of mounting economic problems.

Karen Young, director of MEI's Program on Economics and Energy, is joined by Emily Stromquist and Colby Connelly for a discussion on gas and energy developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.