Jordan's Royal Intrigue

This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem ...  Show more

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ...  Show more

This is an episode recorded this week with Tara Alami to talk about a piece she wrote about Jordan for Vox Ummah last Spring. The essay's title is "The Price of Peace" and it delves into Jordan's role within the US-Imperialist led world system. And Alami discusses the history of ...  Show more

We've been off for a few week, but now we're back!While we were on holiday, Jordan took the opportunity to implement a new cybercrime law that has set alarm bells ringing among human rights defenders. The cybercrime law contains some incredibly vague language, which critics say w ...  Show more

As Israel continues bombing Gaza, bringing its health care system to the brink of collapse, Jordan's Queen speaks with Christiane Amanpour about the humanitarian catastrophe and the plight of Palestinians. Plus, seasoned hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin, who played a prominent r ...  Show more

Fareed sits down in a special in-person interview with King Abdullah II of Jordan. They discuss solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the King’s visit with President Biden, turmoil within the Jordanian royal family, and much more. Then, Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC direct ...  Show more