Babel: Translating the Middle East

Latest Episodes:

The Global Energy Transition Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Daniel Yergin, the vice-chairman of IHS Markit and author of the new book, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations. They discuss the global energy transition and the longevity of oil, the effects of the shale revolution on U.S. foreign policy, and how states such as China will think about energy security moving forward. Then, Jon Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp continue the conversation about the energy transition and its implications for oil producers in the Middle East.

Jon Alterman, "A New Revolution in the Middle East," CSIS, July 22, 2021.
Daniel Yergin, “How will the pandemic affect the sprint away from fossil fuels?” The Guardian, October 8, 2020.
Daniel Yergin, “How the shale revolution has redrawn the global political map,” The Dallas Morning News, September 20, 2020.
Daniel Yergin, “The New Geopolitics of Energy,” The Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2020.
Episode Transcript, "The Global Energy Transition," CSIS, August 24, 2021.

A Mezze: Abu Dhabi Goes Green for Greens Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

If there is one thing Abu Dhabi has in abundance, it’s sunlight. But investors in the UAE are pouring millions of dollars into farming enterprises that don’t use any sunlight at all. Find out why with a new Mezze from the Middle East Program.

U.S. Restraint in the Middle East Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Sen. Chris Murphy, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism. They discuss the U.S. relationship with Gulf allies, regional proxy battles with Iran, investing in Lebanon and Tunisia, and how worried policymakers should be about China's growing engagement with the Middle East. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and Caleb Harper discuss what a policy of greater U.S. restraint in the Middle East might look like and what impacts it might have.

Chris Murphy, “Behind the Scenes of My Trip to the Middle East,” Medium, May 10, 2021.
Jon Alterman, "Focus on Influence, Not Power in the Middle East," DefenseOne, March 25, 2021.
Chris Murphy, “America’s Middle East Policy is Outdated and Dangerous,” Foreign Affairs, February 19, 2021.
Chris Murphy, “How to Make a Progressive Foreign Policy Actually Work,” The Atlantic, October 7, 2019.
Episode Transcript, "U.S. Restraint in the Middle East," CSIS, August 10, 2021.

A Mezze: Women's Work Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

Eight years ago, Syria recorded the lowest rate of female labor participation in the Middle East. Now, Syrian men are increasingly the ones trapped at home and women are filling the vacancies they leave. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Yemen's Civil War Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Peter Salisbury, the International Crisis Group's senior analyst for Yemen with over a decade of experience working on the country. They discuss who's fighting in Yemen, what's at stake in the ongoing battle over Marib, and why the international community needs to broaden its mediation efforts to end the Yemeni conflict. Then, Will Todman, Danny Sharp, and Jon discuss what role the United States should play in Yemen and how the country fits into broader U.S. strategy in the Middle East.

Peter Salisbury, “A New UN Envoy is an Opportunity for a New Approach in Yemen,” International Crisis Group, June 18, 2021.
Peter Salisbury, “To Make Yemen’s Peace Process Sustainable, Include Women,” World Politics Review, April 19, 2021.
Peter Salisbury, “Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council: A Delicate Balancing Act,” Istituto Per Gli Studi Di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), March 29, 2021.
Jon Alterman, "Designating the Houthis as Terrorists Would Be a Mistake," Defense One, November 30, 2021.
Episode Transcript, "Yemen's Civil War," CSIS, July 27, 2021.

A Mezze: Spending to Save Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

With their savings in U.S. dollars trapped in Lebanese banks, many Lebanese have come to believe that in Lebanon, the easiest way to save money is to spend it. This is a new a mezze episode from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Iran's Future Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where focusing on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East. They discuss tipping points in Iran, the future of the regime and what a post-Islamic Republic Iran might look like, and patterns in the history of authoritarian regimes. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and Caleb Harper continue the discussion about the potential foreign policy of a post-Islamic Republic Iran and its implications for regional actors and the United States.

Karim Sadjadpour, “Iran Stops Pretending,” The Atlantic, June 20, 2021.
Karim Sadjadpour, “How to Win the Cold War With Iran,” The Atlantic, March 25, 2021.
Jon Alterman, “Iran Will Still be a Slog,” Defense One, January 23, 2021.
Jon Alterman, “Covid-19, the Iranians, and Us,” CSIS, July 21, 2020.
Episode Transcript, “The Future of Iran's Regime,” CSIS, July 13, 2021.

A Mezze: Reeding between the Lines Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

When engineers plant reeds as part of a new project in Azraq, Jordan, they'll be doing more than just revitalizing the local environment. This is a new a mezze from the Middle East Program.

This vignette is taken from the CSIS Middle East Program’s report, “Sustainable States: Environment, Governance, and the Future of the Middle East," available on the CSIS website.

The Politicization of Aid in Syria Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

This week on Babel, Jon talks with Carsten Wieland, a German diplomat who served in the United Nations with three separate special envoys to Syria. They discuss the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the politicization of humanitarian aid in Syria, and the implications of humanitarian aid policy in Syria for broader international humanitarian law. Then, Natasha Hall, Will Todman, and Danny Sharp continue the discussion about the upcoming vote on cross-border operations in the UN Security Council and its implications.

Natasha Hall, "The Implications of the UN Cross-Border Vote in Syria," CSIS, June 4, 2021.
Carsten Wieland, Syria and the Neutrality Trap: The Dilemmas of Delivering Humanitarian Aid through Violent Regimes, May 2021.
Natasha Hall and Will Todman, "Lesson's Learned from a Decade of Humanitarian Operations in Syria," CSIS, April 22, 2021.
Episode Transcript, "The Politicization of Aid in Syria," CSIS, June 29, 2021.

A Mezze: Gold from Garbage Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

With the help of a local startup, for one municipality in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, not all organic waste has to actually go to waste. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

This vignette is taken from the CSIS Middle East Program’s report, “Sustainable States: Environment, Governance, and the Future of the Middle East," available on the CSIS website.