Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee U.S. secretary of state travels to Jordan to discuss Syria peace Also in today’s show: Qusair fighting drives more Syrians into Lebanon Seven Egyptian hostages are freed in Sinai Turkish government says it will might tap into the Islamic financial industry US oil production surges create big implications for the Middle East Halal nail More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee Russia calls for the involvement of Iran in Syria peace talks Also in today’s show: Fighting escalates in a strategic town on the Lebanese-Syrian border Turkey’s peace initiative with Kurds meets resistance The secret life of pigs in Egypt (To listen to select segments, click ‘play’ and drag the sound line to the More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee A series of bombings cause terror in Iraq Also in today’s show: The U.S. secretary of state heads back to the Middle East for Syria talks Challenges in the Syrian refugee camp Zaatari in Jordan (Interview with Uma Kandalayeva, International Relief and Development) A former weapons inspector sees a disturbing trend in Syria Syria’s More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee The U.N. secretary general visits Russia to discuss Syria (1) Also in today’s show: Analysts express pessimism about a June international conference on Syria (2) (Interviews with Andrew Kutchins, CSIS, and Helle Dale, Heritage Foundation) Syrian strife is reported infecting the region (3) The U.S. and Turkey downplay their differences over Syria (4) The U.S. continues diplomatic efforts More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee The international community urges a political transition in Syria (1) Also in today’s show: Iran says it’s willing to hold nuclear talks before its election (2) Suspected militants in Egypt reportedly abduct six security agents (3) The White House releases Benghazi e-mails (4) Israeli students show their skills in a $4 million science competition (5) (Interview with budding More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee Questions remain about a planned Syria conference (1) Also in today’s show: How to move ahead towards a Syrian resolution (2) (Interview with Marc Pierini, Carnegie Europe) U.S. lawmakers react cautiously to a proposed Syria conference (3) Turkish PM Erdogan heads to Washington to discuss Syria (4) Thousands of West Bank and Gaza Palestinians mark “Day of the Catastrophe” (5) (To More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee Israel and Russia talk Syria diplomacy as efforts continue to arrange a peace conference (1) (Insight from Andrew Tabler, Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Also in today’s show: Syrian refugees reportedly attacked in Turkey (2) Concern grows about the security of suspected CW stockpiles in Syria (3) First Kurdish militants withdrawing from Turkey arrive in More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee U.S. and Britian hold high-level talks on Syria crisis (1) Also in today’s show:  Russian and Israeli leaders to hold talks expected to focus on Syria (2) (Interview with James Jeffrey, Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Turkish PM vows to stay out of Syria’s civil war (3) Reports of chemical weapons use in Syria More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee Group of US senators calls for military pressure on Syria (1) Also in today’s show:  US voices concern over Russian sale of an air defense system to Syria (2) Significance of reports of chemical weapons use in Syria (3) (Interviews with Paul Pillar, Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, and Mahmoud Khattab, Syrian More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee The U.S.  says Syria’s President will not be part of  any transitional government (1) Also in today’s show:  Reaction to a proposed conference on Syria (2) (Interview with David Butter, Chatham House) Syrian refugees find a warm welcome in Egypt (3) U.S.  officials criticize the American response to the Benghazi attack (4) The U.S.  top diplomat makes another More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee  Four more U.N. peacekeepers are seized in the Golan Heights (1) Also in today’s show: Obama defends his cautious response to developments in Syria (2) A look at motives for Israeli air strikes in Syria (3) (Interview with Said Sadek, American University, Cairo) Is Iraq on the brink of civil war? (4) Libyans wonder More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee  US Secretary of State is in Moscow with Syria high on the agenda Also in today’s show: American physician says he met doctors in Syria who say they treated patients for chemical nerve agent exposure (Interview with Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Syrian American Medical Society) Strikes in Syria pose a dilemma for Arab More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee  Israel reportedly conducts another air strike in Syria (1) Also in today’s show: Journalists consider US response options in Syria (2) (Discussion among The Economist’s David Rennie, Politico’s Tim Mak and Yahoo’s Olivier Knox) China takes step toward becoming a major player in the Middle East (3) (Interview with Yehuda Lukacs, George Mason University) New Libyan law More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee  US considers arming Syria rebels (1) Also in today’s show: Analysts say chemical weapons use in Syria would fit a pattern of escalation (2) NGO reports both sides in Syria have abused journalists since uprising began (3) (Interview with Noor Albazzaz, Amnesty International) Mass measles vaccination campaign underway for Syrian children (4) Consideration of land swap to More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee  U.S. weighs military options in light of a Syrian chemical weapons report (1) Also in today’s show: U.S. top diplomat travels to Russia for talks on Syria (2) Syrian rebels eye the European Union oil trade (3) A call on warring sides in Syria to let aid reach civilians (4) On the 2nd anniversary of Osama bin More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast* with Susan Yackee Violence in Iraq continues (1) (Interview with Wayne White, Middle East Institute) Also in today’s show: U.S. mulls shift in Syrian rebel aid (2) Analysts say Obama reluctant to intervene in Syria (3) Syria denies stalling a chemical weapons investigation (4) Doctors work to treat more than 1,700 migrants in Yemen (5) Female genital mutilation remains widespread in Egypt (6) Global Muslim More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast with Susan Yackee Obama wants more facts before rushing to conclusions on Syrian CWs (1) Also in today’s show: U.N. chief urges Syria to allow open investigation of alleged CW use (2) Israel welcomes signal from Arab League nations on land swaps (3) Turkish PM’s planned Gaza trip riles Washington (4) An Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian in Gaza (5) Rights More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast with Susan Yackee Syrian media say PM Wael al-Halqi escapes assassination attempt in Damascus(1) Also in today’s show: U.S.  lawmakers urge action after a report on Syrian chemical weapons use (2) (Interview with Michael O’Hanlon, Brookings Institution) A surge of violence in Iraq leaves at least 180 people dead (3) (Interview with Marina Ottaway, Woodrow Wilson More »

Middle East Monitor Podcast with Susan Yackee US and Britain express concern about possible chemical weapon use in Syria (Interview with Fira Abi Ali, Exclusive Analysis IHS) Also in today’s show: U.N. says health services for Syrian refugees are overstretched Iraqi Prime Minister appeals for calm and dialogue in his nation Israel says it has shot down a suspected Hezbollah More »