Babel: Translating the Middle East

Latest Episodes:

The Middle East's Political Economies Nov 02, 2021

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This week on Babel, Jon talks with Robert Springborg, a long-time scholar of the Middle East who has advised governments and international organizations working in the region for decades on issues of economics, politics, and foreign assistance. We discuss shared aspects of political economy in the Middle East, how political economies of the region differ, and institutional obstacles to reform in the Middle East. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and Caleb Harper discuss regional cooperation and integration.

Jon Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Will Todman, "Sustainable States: Environment, Governance, and the Future of the Middle East," CSIS, April 2021.
Hicham Alaoui and Robert Springborg, "Education in the Arab World: A Legacy of Coming Up Short," Wilson Center, April 5, 2021.
Robert Springborg, Political Economies of the Middle East and North Africa, (Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA: Polity, 2020).
Transcript, "The Middle East's Political Economies" CSIS, November 2, 2021.

A Mezze: A Hard Pill to Swallow Oct 26, 2021

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As Bahrain aims to become a regional leader in pharmaceuticals and medicine, the country is rolling out a range of innovative technologies, some of which undermine the privacy of patients. That may be a hard pill to swallow for some Bahrainis. A new Mezze from the Middle East Program.

Levantine Contrasts Oct 19, 2021

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This week on Babel, Jon talks with Chloe Cornish, the outgoing Middle East correspondent at the Financial Times, where she covered Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. They discuss sectarianism in Lebanese and Iraqi politics, similarities and differences between protests in Iraq and Lebanon, and why people-led political change is so difficult in a sectarian system. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and Caleb Harper continue the conversation about the nature and implications of sectarian politics in Iraq and Lebanon.

Chloe Cornish, “Young Iraqis voice frustration ahead of polls: ‘They want rapid change’,” Financial Times, October 8, 2021.
Will Todman, "Lebanon's New Government," CSIS, September 10, 2021.
Chloe Cornish, “Lebanon’s year from hell: a diary,” Financial Times, July 29, 2021.
Jon Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Will Todman, "Sustainable States: Environment, Governance, and the Future of the Middle East," CSIS, May 18, 2021.
Transcript, "Levantine Contrasts," CSIS, October 19, 2021.

A Mezze: Learning Curve Oct 12, 2021

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Morocco debates how to integrate young African migrants into Moroccan society. A New Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Competing Views of the United States Oct 05, 2021

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This week on Babel,Jon speaks with Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow for the Middle East at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). They discuss changing Middle Eastern views of the United States, the United States' focus on "defense diplomacy" with regional partners, and the implications of his conversations with regional actors for policymakers in Washington Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp, continue the conversation about competing visions of the United States in the Middle East and how they might influence each other.

Emile Hokayem, “Reassuring Gulf Partners While Recalibrating U.S. Security Policy,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, May 18, 2021.
Jon Alterman "Focus on Influence, Not Power, in the Middle East," Defense One, March 25, 2021.
Emile Hokayem and John Raine, “The Strategic Implications of COVID-19 for the Middle East,” IISS, December 2020.
Transcript, "Competing Views of the United States," CSIS, October 5, 2021.

A Mezze: New Housewives of Egypt Sep 28, 2021

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Crowdsourcing of female roles is rising in Egypt driven by the digital revolution. A New Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Tunisia's Popular Authoritarian Sep 21, 2021

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This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Dr. Monica Marks, a professor of Middle East politics at NYU Abu Dhabi who has been thinking about Tunisia for almost 15 years. They discuss Tunisian President Kais Saied's recent moves to consolidate power, why Tunisians seem to support him, what's at stake for Tunisia's democracy, and what role Western donors and institutions can play in the country. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and Caleb Harper continue the conversation about the nature of popular authoritarianism and how we should think about popular despots in Tunisia and the rest of the Arab world.

Monica Marks, “An Interview with Hamma Hammami of the Tunisian Worker’s Party,” Jadaliyya, August 20, 2021.
Will Todman, "A Coup in Tunisia?" CSIS, July 27, 2021.
Will Todman, "Challenging Authority in Post-Revolution Tunisia," CSIS, January 22, 2020.
Monica Marks, “'Letting go of every principle': Tunisia's democratic gains under threat,” Middle East Eye, July 24, 2017.
Monica Marks, “Tunisia’s Unwritten Story,” The Century Foundation, March 14, 2017.
Episode Transcript, "Tunisia's Popular Authoritarian," CSIS, September 21, 2021.

A Mezze: Balancing Priorities Sep 14, 2021

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Recent moves by two food delivery services in Qatar highlight that in the struggle for both labor rights and sustainability, Qatar's challenge is both establishing its priorities and prioritizing between them. A new Mezze from the Middle East Program at CSIS.

Iran's Interests in Afghanistan Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow and the director of policy and research at The Soufan Center. They discuss what Iran is set to gain in Afghanistan, Iran's relationship with al Qaeda and the Taliban, and potential areas of cooperation or conflict between Iran and the United States as the U.S. withdraws from the region. Then, Jon, Natasha, and Danny continue the conversation about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and its implications for great power competition and cooperation in the Middle East.

Colin P. Clarke, “The U.S. Doesn’t Have to Choose Between Counterterrorism and Great Power Competition,” World Politics Review, August 23, 2021.
Jon Alterman, "Stories of Afghans left behind will hurt America around the world," The Hill, August 18, 2021.
Colin P. Clarke and Asfandyar Mir, “Making Sense of Iran and al-Qaeda’s Relationship,” Lawfare, March 21, 2021.
Colin P. Clarke and Ariane Tabatabai, “What Iran Wants in Afghanistan,” Foreign Affairs, July 8, 2020.
Episode Transcript, "Iran's Interests in Afghanistan," CSIS, September 7, 2021.

A Mezze: Morocco's Mixed Harvest Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

For agricultural workers laboring on large tomato farms in Morocco, low wages keep many living hand-to-mouth, while a few large tomato companies—many with foreign ties—have continued to grow. As a result, for many rural Moroccans, the government's commercial agricultural policies are leading to a mixed harvest. A new Mezze from the Middle East Program at CSIS.

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