Beyond the Headlines

Afghanistan has become a byword for conflict. But the past weeks saw extraordinary scenes of Taliban fighters and their usual foe  —government security forces — embracing in the streets in a historic, if short, ceasefire.

Could it herald something bigger, such as an end to the war? Or will ISIS make that impossible?

This week we spoke to Ruchi Kumar, The National's correspondent in Kabul, and asked if the chances of peace have increased. Has anything really changed?

Last week, The National spoke to Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. We bring you the second part of that interview in this edition of Beyond the Headlines. Listen to part 1 for his take on the Qatar crisis.

Dr Gargash discusses the wider Arab world and the ever-shifting dynamics of the region, from the war in Yemen, Iran’s influence in the region, and Donald Trump's relationship with the GCC. 

Listen to Part 1.

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This week, The National spoke to Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He talked about how the Arab world has changed significantly a year since the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt cut all diplomatic and travel links with Qatar.The worst diplomatic crisis to ever hit the GCC has changed regional dynamics in the region. 

The four nations insist that to normalize relations with Qatar, Doha will have to change what the quartet claims are troubling grievances. But as the crisis enters its second year, it’s difficult to tell just how long, or if, the GCC's most significant diplomatic crisis will ever be resolved.

Yemen's military is within striking distance of one of their biggest victories since civil war began in 2015. The forces, backed by the Arab coalition, was last reported to be within 10km of Yemen’s third largest city, Hodeidah.

We analyse what this could mean for the future of the four-year civil war in Yemen with Fatima Alasrar, a senior analyst at Washington-based Arabia Foundation. 

The city of Hodeidah lies on the Red Sea coast, and is home to the country’s largest port. Much of the country’s food is imported through the city. But it’s been under Houthi-rebel control since the takeover four years ago.

The Arab Coalition, which includes the UAE and Saudi Arabia, intervened in the conflict in Yemen shortly after the rebel coup. They were asked to fight the Houthis on behalf of the internationally recognized government. Hodeidah, though, has remained out of reach. Until now.

Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr wants a government that is inclusive of all Iraqis. His coalition won the largest number of seats in Iraq’s latest parliamentary elections. But Mr Al Sadr didn’t win enough to form a majority. This prompts weeks, if not months, of negotiations with different factions to form a government.

His victory comes as a surprise to many. Prime Minister Haidar Al Abadi, whose bloc finished third, is now talking to the cleric. Mr Al Abadi, who claims ISIL’s defeat as his own doing, met with Al Sadr after the election. They assured the Iraqi people that their government will take care of them.

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Mina Al Droubi, an Iraqi-British journalist at The National, explains the nuances of the new government. And Campbell MacDiarmid, an editor on the foreign desk, joins the show to relay his findings on the latest elections. 

As Israeli and American officials celebrated the controversial move of the United States' embassy to Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers were murdering peaceful Palestinian protestors.

This week, host Naser Al Wasmi looks at the latest atrocities carried about by a newly empowered Israel against their Palestinian neighbours. Jack Moore and Willy Lowry, who have each spent time in Gaza and the West Bank, give their perspectives.

#Gaza #Israel #Palestine #MiddleEast #News

For the first time since 2009, Lebanon voted to elect 128 members to parliament. Saad Hariri, the current Prime Minister of Lebanon and his Sunni-dominated party fared better than expected. But he lost seats to Hezbollah, the Shiite-movement that now has more seats and pull in the parliament than ever before.

As in almost any election in the Arab World, this one was marred in controversy. Voter turnout was low with less than half of the population taking to the ballots. Those who did vote accused the system of voter fraud. The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections reported over 7,000 polling violations, fights broke out in the streets, and at least three candidates accused other parties of intimidation.

All said, the results will have regional ramifications.

In this episode, The National’s Foreign Editor, Arthur MacMillan, dissects the results and breaks down what the new parliament makeup will mean for the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday claimed Iran was developing a "secret" nuclear weapons programme in breach of the 2015 deal agreed with world powers. Iran responded by saying an alleged archive of tens of thousands of records was merely part of a "ridiculous propaganda" machine.

We analyse the situation between Israel and Iran and how it pertains to the Iranian nuclear deal in this week's Beyond the Headlines podcast. We spoke to Robert Kelley, who was director of the International Atomic Energy Agency programme in Iraq in 1992 and again in 2001.

Mr Kelly has experience in over 20 countries working on disarmament and more than 35 years working in the US of Energy nuclear weapons complex. He gave us his thoughts on what impact this will have on President Donald Trump’s impending decision on the United States's involvement in the deal, and how old intelligence documents can be used to push a political agenda.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has always held a tight grip on media in his country. After seven years of a vicious war, the strongman maintains strict control over all news coming out of his side of the country.

The National was given a glimpse into what President Bashar wants the world to interpret about his regime. Our correspondent, Gareth Browne saw right through it.

We spoke to Gareth as he returned from a week-long government-monitored trip into Assad's Syria. He told us about how the country's secret service hounded the group of journalists from the UK and what it means for the Syria's outlook. 

The US launched airstrikes on Syria this week, sparking a wide range of reactions from the international community. The US-led airstrikes targeted a factory believed to be the source of a Syrian-regime chemical weapons attack last week, which killed dozens.

Chemical weapons experts have been blocked from the Syrian attack site by regime forces, reinforcing claims that longstanding President Bashar Al Assad was responsible. But, with so many powers involved in the country, the question of who was involved remains. But it's just one of many questions swirling around the conflict.

In this week's Beyond the Headlines, we assess the situation in Syria.

Our guest is Lina Sinjab, the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent. She has spent several years covering the region and provided numerous insights into the Syrian war since it began in 2011.