Middle East - Audio

By Center for Strategic and International Studies

What's Middle East - Audio about?

The Middle East Program heads CSIS’s work on the region, which analyzes a wide range of political, security, and socioeconomic issues related to the Middle East and North Africa, with special attention to the ways that changes in the Middle East and North Africa have effects beyond the region.

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Middle East - Audio episodes:

03.02.2020
Syria's Tragedy, Our Lessons
The CSIS Middle East Program and Humanitarian Agenda are pleased to host David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, to discuss the current crisis in Idlib, the dangerous lessons of war, and how Syria could serve as...
02.24.2020
After Suleimani: Crisis, Opportunity, and the Future of the Gulf
View Summary The killing of Gen. Qassem Suleimani in January 2020 sent conflicting signals about the depth of U.S. engagement in the Gulf. The United States seems intent to diminish its presence while keeping an active hand in regional affairs. Meanwhile,...
02.06.2020
Book Talk: The Great Rift
Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell emerged on the national scene more than thirty years ago, and it is easy to forget that they were once allies. The two men collaborated closely in the successful...
12.10.2019
Schieffer Series: The Syria Withdrawal and Next Steps
Please join us for this season's next installment of the Schieffer Series, "The Syria Withdrawal and Next Steps." The Wall Street Journal's Nancy Youssef will join CSIS's Melissa Dalton, Seth Jones and Brian Katz for a discussion on the U.S....
11.15.2019
A Conversation with Afghanistan First Lady Rula Ghani
Please join CSIS for an armchair discussion with the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani. The conversation will focus on the progress of women and their role in the peace process in Afghanistan. Women have made great economic and...
11.12.2019
A Mezze: Cosmic Intervention
The Egyptian government seems to be using horoscopes as a new avenue for disseminating pro-regime messages.
11.05.2019
The Islamic State's Next Wave
In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite back Seth Jones, CSIS's Harold Brown Chair and Director of the Transnational Threats Project. Seth discusses the U.S. raid on Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and what it means for the future...
11.05.2019
Eliot Higgins: Russian Disinformation in Syria
Russia is spreading disinformation in the Middle East, especially in Syria, in order to discredit its critics and advance its interests. This week Jon, Amber, and Will discuss the scope of the issue and its consequences. Then Eliot Higgins, founder...
10.31.2019
Syria in the Gray Zone
Please join the CSIS International Security Program for a conversation on the findings of the Congressionally mandated Syria Study Group and a discussion assessing the impact of coercive Russian and Iranian gray zone activities on U.S. and allied interests and...
10.22.2019
A Reckoning in Syria and What it Means for the Middle East
In this episode, Bob and Andrew talk to Brian Katz, a fellow of CSIS's International Security Program and the Transnational Threats Project. Brian breaks down the situation on the ground following the U.S. decision to pull troops out of northern...
10.22.2019
Aisha Jumaan: Getting Aid to Yemen
In this episode, Jon Alterman talks to Aisha Jumaan about her efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to Yemenis in need. Dr. Aisha Jumaan is an epidemiologist and the founder and president of Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation. Jon, Will, and...
10.16.2019
An Ongoing Discussion on Syria
In this episode, Bob and Andrew sit down with Melissa Dalton, deputy director of the CSIS International Security Program and director of the Cooperative Defense Project. Melissa discusses the current situation of the ongoing conflict in Syria and the sudden...
10.08.2019
Ibrahim Hamidi: Do Syrian Negotiations Matter?
In this episode, Jon Alterman discusses the prospects for Syria’s political negotiations with Syrian journalist Ibrahim Hamidi. Ibrahim Hamidi is the senior diplomatic editor at Asharq Alawsat newspaper and previously served as the senior political editor at Al-Hayat. Jon, Will,...
10.02.2019
DDR Explained: Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration in Afghanistan
In this episode, Dan sits down with Dean Piedmont, Senior Advisor for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) at Creative Associates, where Mr. Piedmont leads the charge in implementing DDR programs in various countries. Dan and Mr. Piedmont discuss the trends,...
10.01.2019
Bonus: Schieffer's Green Room on Iran
In this bonus episode of The Truth of the Matter, listen in on Bob Schieffer’s green room conversation with CSIS’ Jon Alterman, Seth Jones and the New York Times’ David Sanger, prior to the CSIS Schieffer Series event on the...
09.24.2019
Wendy Sherman: How Iran Negotiates
In this episode, Jon Alterman discusses U.S.-Iran negotiations with Ambassador Wendy Sherman. Amb. Sherman is a senior counselor at Albright Stonebridge Group. She led the U.S. negotiations team in developing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and...
09.19.2019
Yemen’s Crisis
Many observers describe the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 80 percent of the country’s 28 million residents require assistance, and more than 7 million people are at risk of famine. Providing humanitarian assistance presents many...
09.18.2019
Russia-Iran Relations: Agreements and Disagreements
At the June 2019 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, when the Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, he remarked that the relations between the two countries were “multifaceted” and “multilateral.” The two countries have continued developing their...
09.17.2019
The Attack on Saudi Arabia
In this episode, hosts Bob Schieffer and Andrew Schwartz interview CSIS Harold Brown Chair and Director of the Transnational Threats Project Seth Jones about the recent attack on Saudi Arabia's oil production facilities. They also discuss Jones's prescient and relevant...
09.17.2019
Energy & Geopolitics: The Sep. 14 Attack on Saudi Oil Infrastructure
CSIS Energy Program experts Andrew Stanley and Frank Verrastro are joined by Jon Alterman of the CSIS Middle East Program to discuss developments following the September 14 attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais in Saudi Arabia: what these events might mean...
09.11.2019
Bill Burns: U.S. Diplomacy in the Middle East
In our first episode, Jon Alterman sits down with Ambassador Bill Burns about the role of the United States in the Middle East. Amb. Burns is the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the former deputy secretary of...
08.20.2019
The New Landscape for Gavi 5.0
At the end of June, the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, approved their new “5.0” strategy for 2021-2025, with an ambitious set of priorities for this new phase. In this episode of Take as Directed, Nellie Bristol sits down...
08.13.2019
Chinese Interests and Policies in the Middle East: A Conversation with Jon Alterman
By: Bonnie S. Glaser This episode examines China’s increasing engagement with countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our guest, Dr. Jon Alterman, evaluates the main drivers of China’s growing involvement in the region, including its crude oil...
05.21.2019
Book Event: Jerusalem and Washington: A Life in Politics and Diplomacy
5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Pre-Event Reception 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Event Bookselling and signing to follow the event. In his forthcoming memoir, Jerusalem and Washington: A Life in Politics and Diplomacy, diplomat and raconteur Zalman Shoval leads readers behind closed doors into...
05.13.2019
The U.S. Army History of the Iraq War
Please join CSIS for a discussion of the U.S. Army’s recently published and long-awaited two volume history, The U.S. Army in the Iraq War, 2003-2011. The authors will outline key findings from major episodes in the war and discuss the...
05.08.2019
Iran One Year Later: The Trump Administration’s Policy, Looking Back and Looking Forward
Please join the Center for Strategic and International Studies for a discussion with Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran, on President Trump's Iran policy, the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, and the future of U.S.-Iran relations. Brian...
05.06.2019
United States and Iraq: Going Forward
The CSIS Middle East Program invites you to join Dr. Jon Alterman and Senator Tammy Duckworth for a convervsation on the United States and Iraq. Dr. Alterman will discuss the current U.S. strategy in Iraq with Senator Duckworth, who will...
04.23.2019
Evaluating the Global Counterspace Landscape
On April 23, 2019, the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies will be hosting a discussion on pre-existing and emerging threats to U.S. space systems. The event will kickoff with a keynote from Steve Kitay,...
04.08.2019
Iraqi Public Opinion 16 Years After the Invasion
Join CSIS's Burke Chair in Strategy for a discussion with Dr. Munqith Dagher, who will present findings from a major series of public opinion surveys and analyses of Iraqi public opinion on the country's political and social landscape 16 years after...
12.19.2018
How Saudi Women are Leveraging Online Businesses
2018 Eisenhower Fellow Wafaa AlAshwali, CEO and Co-Founder of Serviis, a Saudi Arabia-based digital platform and local marketplace, talks to host Beverly Kirk about how her company and others like it are opening up new opportunities for women entrepreneurs...
12.13.2018
Book Launch: Small Wars, Big Data
The CSIS Transnational Threats Project cordially invites you to a book launch event for Eli Berman, Joseph H. Felter & Jacob N. Shapiro's newly released Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution in Modern Conflict (Princeton University Press). Moderated by Seth G. Jones Harold...
10.30.2018
Accessing Vulnerable Children and Young People in Conflict
Please join the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda as it hosts the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore for a keynote address and armchair discussion. Executive Director Fore's address will outline the challenges that humanitarian organizations like UNICEF face...
08.20.2018
Celebrating World Humanitarian Day
Please join us to celebrate World Humanitarian Day with Administrator Mark Green of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). World Humanitarian Day is an international celebration that commemorates both the accomplishments and sacrifices of humanitarian aid personnel who work...
07.19.2018
Forging the Future of Jobs: A Conversation with Guy Ryder, Director General of the ILO
The world faces complex challenges posed by a growing and aging population, forced migration, persistent poverty, urbanization, and a series of technological disruptions impacting labor. The world needs 600 million new jobs over the next 15 years just to keep up...
06.01.2018
Destination: Maghreb – Part 2
After following the path of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in part one, we now join them as they try to navigate life in the Maghreb where different countries have different strategies for welcoming their new arrivals. With Haim Malka. Hosted...
06.01.2018
Foreign Service Nationals: USAID’s Key Partner in Success
Please join us for a public panel discussion on the importance role of USAID's foreign service nationals. Foreign service nationals (FSNs) are local, non-U.S. citizens employed by USAID and the State Department. Many USAID FSNs are extremely qualified, having received advanced...
05.07.2018
The Impact of De-risking on Nonprofit Organizations and Their Beneficiaries in Conflict Areas
Please join the CSIS Human Rights Initiative, Charity and Security Network, and The Humanitarian Forum for the launch of a series of country case studies on de-risking in conflict zones. Global financial institutions are increasingly terminating or restricting relationships...
05.01.2018
Conscription and the Social Contract in the Gulf
In this episode, Jon Alterman is joined by Dr. Steffen Hertog, an associate professor in comparative politics at the London School of Economics. Steffen discusses the goals and long-term prospects of the UAE’s national service program in the context of...
04.30.2018
Losing Hearts and Minds: American-Iranian Relations and International Education during the Cold War
The history of U.S.-Iranian relations is dominated by the 1979 Iranian revolution and the ensuing hostage crisis at the America embassy in Tehran. However, there is more to the relationship than a single flash-point. In his new...
04.24.2018
A Nordic Model for the UAE?
In this episode, Jon Alterman takes a broader view of conscription with Elisabeth Braw, a NATO expert and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Elisabeth is a former journalist who has observed Nordic armies closely throughout her career. She...
04.06.2018
Syria: Is the United States In or Out?
As the United States sends mixed messages on its Syria policy, we take a look at what an American troop exit from Syria would mean and the wider issue of stabilizing a post-conflict country. With CSIS Senior Fellow Melissa Dalton....
04.05.2018
The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
Yemen’s unprecedented humanitarian crisis cannot be understood in isolation from the country’s complex political and economic dynamics, International Rescue Committee (IRC) president and CEO David Miliband and other experts agreed at an event on “The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen” on...
04.03.2018
National Service and the “Entitled Patriot”
In this episode, Jon Alterman speaks to Dr. Calvert Jones, assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park in the department of government and politics and the author of Bedouins Into Bourgeois: Remaking Citizens for Globalization. Calvert reflects on...
03.30.2018
After Syria: The United States, Russia, and the Future of Terrorism
The collapse of Islamic State control in Syria has been hailed in both Russia and the United States as a victory over terrorism. Both credit their country’s military involvement with victory. But the war that continues in Syria also lays...
03.28.2018
Iraqi Public Opinion on the 2018 Parliamentary Elections
Join CSIS's Burke Chair in Strategy for a discussion with Dr. Munqith Dagher, who will present findings from a major series of public opinion surveys and analyses of Iraqi public opinion on the country's 2018 parliamentary elections in May. Dr. Dagher is the...
03.28.2018
Celebrating Women and Girls: Change Agents for Food and Nutrition Security in Conflict Settings
Current social movements have focused an overdue spotlight on the disadvantages faced by women and girls around the world. Join us for a discussion of both the challenges of persistent gender inequality and the inspiring strength and resilience of women...
03.27.2018
"Little Sparta" and the Gulf’s New Nationalism
In this episode, Jon Alterman speaks to Dr. Kristin Smith Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Kristin situates the UAE’s conscription program in the context of a “new nationalism” in Gulf Arab countries that...
03.20.2018
Enlisting the Emirates
In this episode, Jon Alterman speaks to Dr. F. Gregory Gause, professor of international affairs and head of the international affairs department at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M; University. Greg assesses the durability of the United Arab Emirates' (UAE)...
02.20.2018
Rethinking Civil Society Sustainability
Please join the Human Rights Initiative for a discussion about civil society resiliency and sustainability. The current phenomenon of closing civic space prompts civil society actors to explore alternative programmatic and funding models and approaches to sustain their work. It...
02.13.2018
Of Russia in the Middle East - Russian Roulette Episode #51
In this edition of Russian Roulette, Jeff sits down with Maxim Suchkov, editor of Al-Monitor’s Russia-Mideast coverage and a non-resident expert at Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC). They discuss the conflict in Syria and Russia’s diplomacy towards finding a resolution...

What's Middle East - Audio about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Middle East - Audio episodes:

Syria's Tragedy, Our Lessons

After Suleimani: Crisis, Opportunity, and the Future of the Gulf

Book Talk: The Great Rift

Schieffer Series: The Syria Withdrawal and Next Steps

A Conversation with Afghanistan First Lady Rula Ghani

A Mezze: Cosmic Intervention

The Islamic State's Next Wave

Eliot Higgins: Russian Disinformation in Syria

Syria in the Gray Zone

A Reckoning in Syria and What it Means for the Middle East

Aisha Jumaan: Getting Aid to Yemen

An Ongoing Discussion on Syria

Ibrahim Hamidi: Do Syrian Negotiations Matter?

DDR Explained: Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration in Afghanistan

Bonus: Schieffer's Green Room on Iran

Wendy Sherman: How Iran Negotiates

Yemen’s Crisis

Russia-Iran Relations: Agreements and Disagreements

The Attack on Saudi Arabia

Energy & Geopolitics: The Sep. 14 Attack on Saudi Oil Infrastructure

Bill Burns: U.S. Diplomacy in the Middle East

The New Landscape for Gavi 5.0

Chinese Interests and Policies in the Middle East: A Conversation with Jon Alterman

Book Event: Jerusalem and Washington: A Life in Politics and Diplomacy

The U.S. Army History of the Iraq War

Iran One Year Later: The Trump Administration’s Policy, Looking Back and Looking Forward

United States and Iraq: Going Forward

Evaluating the Global Counterspace Landscape

Iraqi Public Opinion 16 Years After the Invasion

How Saudi Women are Leveraging Online Businesses

Book Launch: Small Wars, Big Data

Accessing Vulnerable Children and Young People in Conflict

Celebrating World Humanitarian Day

Forging the Future of Jobs: A Conversation with Guy Ryder, Director General of the ILO

Destination: Maghreb – Part 2

Foreign Service Nationals: USAID’s Key Partner in Success

The Impact of De-risking on Nonprofit Organizations and Their Beneficiaries in Conflict Areas

Conscription and the Social Contract in the Gulf

Losing Hearts and Minds: American-Iranian Relations and International Education during the Cold War

A Nordic Model for the UAE?

Syria: Is the United States In or Out?

The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

National Service and the “Entitled Patriot”

After Syria: The United States, Russia, and the Future of Terrorism

Iraqi Public Opinion on the 2018 Parliamentary Elections

Celebrating Women and Girls: Change Agents for Food and Nutrition Security in Conflict Settings

"Little Sparta" and the Gulf’s New Nationalism

Enlisting the Emirates

Rethinking Civil Society Sustainability

Of Russia in the Middle East - Russian Roulette Episode #51