The Lede

Art and archaeology have always been used to tell stories about the present. In this new podcast, author and journalist Olivia Snaije and contributing editor Lydia Wilson talk to New Lines Magazine’s Faisal Al Yafai about how the Middle East’s ancient heritage continues to shape modern politics. They discuss why Lebanon’s heritage took on new importance after the Beirut port blast last year, why Iraq’s Saddam Hussein styled himself after a Babylonian king — and how the story of a nation depends on who’s telling it.

Days after a drone was used in an assassination attempt on Iraq’s prime minister, military tech journalist Kelsey D. Atherton spoke to New Lines Magazine’s Faisal Al Yafai about their use in the wars of the past, present and future. They discuss how drones changed modern warfare, how emerging technologies will affect future conflicts — and why we worry about the wrong thing when we talk about killer robots.

In this special episode on the Oct. 25 military takeover in Sudan, Sudanese American journalist Isma’il Kushkush and Khartoum-based activist Dallia Abdelmoniem talk New Lines Magazine’s Faisal Al Yafai through the chaotic events of the past two weeks — and the two years leading up to them. They explain why the coup has deep roots in Sudan’s troubled political past, what it feels like to be back out on the streets — and why the generals may have overplayed their hand.

Jonathan Powell is CEO of the conflict resolution charity Inter Mediate and has made a career talking to some of the world’s most dangerous people. He was U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s chief of staff, chief negotiator in the Northern Ireland peace process, and the author of “Talking to Terrorists: How to End Armed Conflicts.” In a frank, thoughtful and occasionally tense conversation with New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai, they discuss why he advocated talking to the Taliban 10 years ago; the missed opportunities of the war on terror; what it was like negotiating with the IRA; how history will remember Tony Blair — and whether he has sleepless nights over the invasion of Iraq.

Nina Jankowicz is a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. and the author of “How to Lose the Information War.” Natalia Antonova is a journalist, an expert in online security and the former editor of the investigations website Bellingcat. In this extensive podcast with New Lines Magazine's  Faisal Al Yafai, they discuss how Russia has weaponized disinformation, from the Middle East to America; how open-source intelligence has become a vital tool for journalists; the perils of being a woman online in the 21st century; why social media companies like Facebook are part of the problem; and why fighting disinformation is a lot like “Games of Thrones.”

In this podcast, Farkhondeh Akbari and Andrew Watkins join New Lines Magazine for a conversation on Afghanistan. They share their sentiments about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, assessments on decades of American intervention and recent withdrawal, and reflect on the past, present and future.

David Kaye served as the U.N. special rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression. In this podcast with New Lines Magazine's Kareem Shaheen, he discusses justice and accountability for crimes in the Middle East; why justice is so essential for neighbors to keep living together; and why the phrase, “the walls have ears” is so common in the Middle East.

In a special podcast on the fall of Kabul and its aftermath, New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai speaks to three reporters who were on the ground in Afghanistan before, during and after the takeover by the Taliban. Emran Feroz, Fazelminallah Qazizai and Shelly Kittleson discuss reporting from around the country, firsthand testimony of what it felt like to see the Taliban walk unopposed into a city they were exiled from 20 years ago — and what the Taliban might do in the next weeks and months.

Isam Uraiqat created AlHudood, a satirical news site often compared to The Onion, to highlight some of the absurdities of the modern Middle East. In this podcast with New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai, Isam goes through some of his favorite — and most controversial — headlines; talks about censorship in the Middle East and whether there are any topics he would not poke fun at; and discusses the serious side of satire in an era of fake news.

Luna Safwan is an independent journalist based in Beirut and the host of the “Beyond Politics” podcast. Anthony Elghossain is a lawyer and contributing editor at New Lines Magazine, also based in Beirut. In this podcast with New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai, as the first anniversary of the deadly explosion in Beirut’s port approaches, they discuss what it felt like a year ago before and after the blast; the challenges of reporting on a city that is both a global story and also home – and why living in Beirut sometimes feels like waiting for life to restart.