Analysis: Syria’s Bid for Sanctions Relief

Babel: Translating the Middle East

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39:33

"The basic premise of the event is that hunters hunt rattlesnakes from the surrounding environment all across West Texas, and bring them into the roundup for the weekend. And during the roundup, these snakes are kept in a pit and then, one by one, beheaded and skinned in front of in front of audiences." - Elizabeth MeLampy Elizabeth MeLampy is a lawyer dedicated to animal rights and protection, and her passion for this work shines through in her latest book, Forget the Camel, the Madcap World of Animal Festivals and What They Say About Being Human . To research the book, Elizabeth traveled across the country, immersing herself in a wide range of animal festivals — from the Iditarod dog sled race to the rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. Elizabeth examines these festivals as revealing microcosms of our broader relationship with animals. Whether it's rattlesnake hunts, frog-jumping contests, ostrich races, or groundhog celebrations, these events reflect the ways humans use animals to express cultural identity, community pride, and historical traditions. Yet beneath the pageantry and excitement lies a deeper question: Is our fascination with these spectacles worth the toll it takes on the animals involved? With compassion and insight, Elizabeth invites readers to consider whether there’s a more ethical and empathetic way to honor our stories — one that respects both animals and the traditions they inspire. Please listen, share and read, Forget the Camel. It will be released on April 8th, 2025. https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/forget-the-camel/…

about a year ago 8:14

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Just a month after Bashar al-Assad fell in Syria, the country is in the midst of a swirl of regional diplomacy. The new Syrian foreign minister is on another regional swing, and the foreign ministers of Germany and France visited Damascus. A central question is when and how the comprehensive sanctions placed on Syria during a half-century of Assad family rule will be lifted. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the prospects for these diplomatic efforts and what their results might signal about Syria’s future.

602 episodes

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Syria’s Bid for Sanctions Relief

Babel: Translating the Middle East

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published about a year ago

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602 episodes

#International Relations #Politics #News #Center for Strategic and International Studies #Center For Strategic #International Studies #Society #News Talk #Government #Middle East

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Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Nicolas Pelham: Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syria’s Future 46:45

7 hours ago46:45

46:45

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicolas Pelham, the Middle East correspondent for The Economist . Nicolas has worked in the Middle East and North Africa for more than 30 years and has reported from every state in the region. Together, they discuss his latest article, “The Great Pretender: How Ahmed al-Sharaa Won Syria,” an in-depth profile of the Syrian leader based in part on a mid-February interview. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Ninar Fawal and Natasha Hall to discuss al-Sharaa's opportunities and challenges, and what they mean for Syria’s future. Transcript: " Nicolas Pelham: Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syria’s Future ," CSIS , March 20, 2025. Nicolas' article: " The Great Pretender: How Ahmed al-Sharaa Won Syria ," The Economist , March 5, 2025.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Renad Mansour and Sanam Vakil: Iranian Networks in the Middle East 46:43

7 days ago46:43

46:43

On March 4, Jon Alterman spoke with Renad Mansour, senior research fellow and director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, and Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, about the resilience of Iranian networks in the Middle East. Their discussion builds upon a recent Chatham House report Renad co-wrote on the topic. The following episode is a slightly condensed version of their conversation. You can find a link to the video of the complete discussion below. Transcript: " Renad Mansour and Sanam Vakil: Iranian Networks in the Middle East ," CSIS , March 13, 2025. Video of the discussion: " Iranian Networks in the Middle East ," CSIS, March 6, 2025. Renad's report: " The Shape-Shifting ‘Axis of Resistance’ ," Chatham House , March 6, 2025. Sanam and Jon's article: " The Indomitable IRGC ," Foreign Affairs , August 15, 2024.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Analysis: Trump’s Middle East Strategy 6:31

14 days ago6:31

6:31

On Tuesday night, President Trump delivered the first broadcast address of his second term to Congress. Though his remarks on the Middle East were sparing and largely expected, U.S. policy in the region has largely been the opposite. Trump’s pronouncements on Gaza have sent especially powerful shockwaves throughout the Middle East, and hints of a new approach to Iran have also elicited attention. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the state of U.S. Middle East policy and its possible future trajectories.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Max Bergmann: Does Europe Matter in the Middle East? 28:38

21 days ago28:38

28:38

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Max Bergmann, head of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS. Previously, Max held a variety of positions at the State Department, including senior adviser to the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. He later went on to serve as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he researched security cooperation between Europe, Russia, and the United States. Together, Jon and Max discuss the Middle East issues that unite and divide European countries and how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may be reshaping European perspectives on the region. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Will Todman to evaluate the benefits, and costs, of U.S. unilateralism in the Middle East. Transcript: " Max Bergmann: Does Europe Matter in the Middle East? ," CSIS , February 27, 2025. Max Bergmann's recent report: " The Transatlantic Alliance in the Age of Trump: The Coming Collisions ," CSIS, February 14, 2025.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Analysis: Are U.S.-Russia Talks a Win for the Saudis? 4:49

28 days ago4:49

4:49

On Tuesday this week, Saudi Arabia hosted the first set of high-level talks between the United States and Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Saudi Arabia’s role in facilitating the negotiations has drawn attention to Riyadh’s pursuit of an increasingly elevated status on the world stage. It also comes amid intensive U.S. efforts to win Saudi Arabia’s support for a normalization deal with Israel. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, to discuss what Saudi Arabia gains by hosting the talks and what this might signal about Riyadh’s next moves.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Alessandro Accorsi: Disinformation Warfare in the Middle East 43:27

5 weeks ago43:27

43:27

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Alessandro Accorsi, a senior analyst for social media and conflict at the International Crisis Group. Prior to joining ICG, he worked for five years at the European External Action Service, where he led a taskforce countering foreign interference and information manipulation in the Middle East. He also worked for five years as a freelance journalist in Cairo. Transcript: " Alessandro Accorsi: Disinformation Warfare in the Middle East ," CSIS , February 13, 2025. Alessandro Accorsi's recent work: " How Israel Mastered Information Warfare in Gaza ," Foreign Policy , March 11, 2024.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Analysis: Netanyahu Comes to Washington 4:37

6 weeks ago4:37

4:37

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is President Trump’s first foreign visitor since he re-entered the White House in January. The two men will meet Tuesday night, and Netanyahu will also meet key members of the new administration and allies on Capitol Hill. There is much on the potential agenda: the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, the Iranian nuclear program, Iran’s regional proxies, the fragile Lebanon ceasefire, Israeli outreach to Arab neighbors, and more. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, to offer insight into some of these issues and examine the current state, and possible future trajectories, of U.S.-Israel relations one month into President Trump’s second term.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Sinem Adar: Turkey's Syria Challenge 37:38

7 weeks ago37:38

37:38

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Sinem Adar, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), where she works at the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies. Together, they discuss Turkey's evolving interests in Syria and their connection to Turkey’s wider foreign policy agenda. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Will Todman to discuss the hard choices the United States needs to make about Turkey and Kurdish forces that have been fighting alongside U.S. troops in eastern Syria. Transcript: " Sinem Adar: Turkey's Syria Challenge ," CSIS , January 28, 2025. Sinem Adar's recent work: " Turkey in MENA, MENA in Turkey ," SWP, March 13, 2024.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Analysis: Gaza Peace? 7:54

8 weeks ago7:54

7:54

Last Sunday, Hamas released three female Israeli hostages that it had kidnapped on October 7, in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. The deal was the first step in the first phase of a three-phase agreement between Israel and Hamas that the Biden and Trump administrations brokered together, alongside the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about where this conflict stands after 15 months of warfare and what we should expect in the coming weeks and months.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
eL Seed: Arabic Calligraffiti 32:43

9 weeks ago32:43

32:43

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with eL Seed, an award-winning French-Tunisian artist whose monumental artwork blending the styles of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti is spreading in the Arab world and far beyond. His smaller works are in some of the most important museum collections around the world, but he takes special pride in his process of working with communities to select meaningful quotations to inspire his art and then to execute that artwork together. Jon and eL Seed discuss the cultural and political forces that shaped eL Seed's artistic evolution, as well as art’s role in spurring social change. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Natasha Hall to discuss the ways art anchors Middle Eastern diaspora communities to their homelands and interacts with political movements across the Arab world. Transcript, " eL Seed: Arabic Calligraffiti ," CSIS , January 14, 2025.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Analysis: Syria’s Bid for Sanctions Relief 8:14

10 weeks ago8:14

8:14

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Special: Syria's Post-Assad Scramble 27:55

13 weeks ago27:55

27:55

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Will Todman and Natasha Hall, senior fellows at the CSIS Middle East Program, for a special episode on the sudden collapse of the Assad regime and what will replace it. Together, they discuss the promise and peril of this historic moment, and the domestic and regional forces moving aggressively to shape Syria’s new direction.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Max Gallien: Black Markets of the Maghreb 34:26

14 weeks ago34:26

34:26

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Max Gallien, a political scientist specializing in informal and illegal economies and North African politics. He is a research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and the International Centre for Tax and Development at the University of Sussex. Together, they discuss the political, social, and economic functions of smuggling economies in North Africa. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Will Todman to discuss what factors lead Middle Eastern states to ignore, or even condone, smuggling by their citizens. Transcript, " Max Gallien: Black Markets of the Maghreb ," CSIS , December 10, 2024.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Analysis: The Regional Fallout of Syria's Unrest 9:03

15 weeks ago9:03

9:03

Last weekend, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate with a base in northwest Syria, launched a surprise offensive. The rebels captured Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, and headed toward Homs and Hama, two major population centers. The weekend’s battles mark the first significant shift of battle lines in Syria since 2020. With Russian and Syrian airstrikes on rebel strongholds picking up, Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the regional and geostrategic implications of a possibly new phase in Syria’s 13-year civil war.…

Babel: Translating the Middle East

1
Arwa Damon: Gaza's Wounds 38:39

16 weeks ago38:39