Join host Carol Castiel each week as she and two advocates from the world of politics, culture, public policy, or academia debate and discuss a critical issue in the news. This program brings depth, perspective, and insight to the world around us.
Barbara Slavin, Director of Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Andrea Stricker, resident fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, discuss the pros and cons of salvaging the international deal to curb Iran's nuclear program with host Carol Castiel.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has affected all regions of the world, including Latin America. Host Carol Castiel speaks with Benjamin Gedan, deputy director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center and Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society about the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the politics of lifting of two controversial US border policies which affect migration at the southern US border.
Against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Joshua Meservey, senior policy analyst for Africa & the Middle East at the Heritage Foundation, and Susan Stigant, director of Africa Programs for the U.S. Institute of Peace, join host Carol Castiel to discuss the perils of the Wagner group, Russian mercenaries operating at the behest of the Mali junta. They also give an update on and assessment of the civil war in Ethiopia and the resilience of the Sudanese people in the face of the military takeover in Khartoum which disrupted the transition to civilian rule.
Michael Newton, Law professor and former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, and Visiting Harvard Law professor, Alex Whiting who is also deputy specialist prosecutor at the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor's Office in The Hague, join host Carol Castiel to discuss potential war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine and the important ongoing process of documenting evidence, which is needed to hold perpetrators, up to and including Russian President Vladimir Putin, accountable at the ICC or any other national or international venue.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute about critical issues dominating the US political landscape from the seven hour and 37-minute gap in former President Donald Trump's phone log on January 6, 2021, the day a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, US President Joe Biden's decision to release more oil from the US strategic petroleum reserve to mitigate rising fuel prices, the politics surrounding the confirmation of the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and headwinds for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
Jennifer Cafarella, Chief of Staff and Inaugural National Security Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War and Colin Clarke, Senior Research Fellow and Director of Research at the Soufan Center talk with host Carol Castiel about how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has adversely affected its influence abroad, from sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East and beyond. Moscow's violations of international law and human rights have sullied its reputation; its use of mercenaries from the Wagner Group further expose Russia's battlefield losses and undermine the country's reputation as a global military power.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating the conflict in Yemen which is dependent on wheat which is grown in both countries. Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Nadwa Al Dawsari, non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, review the military, political and humanitarian state of play in Yemen as the civil conflict which began in 2014, has morphed over the last eight years into a proxy war between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. They are pessimistic that the stalemate can be broken any time soon, even for a truce during the holy month of Ramadan.
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and Melinda Haring, Deputy Director of the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, analyze with host Carol Castiel the current state of play of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the extraordinary unity of NATO and the European Union in coordinating the provision of defensive weapons to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, the leadership and courage shown by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the increasingly isolated Russian President Vladimir Putin who has wrought untold devastation in Ukraine, hurt the Russian people and Moscow's standing in the world.
After almost one year of intense negotiations in Vienna, Russia has temporarily scuttled the revived nuclear deal with Iran. Barbara Slavin, Director of Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Andrea Stricker, resident fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, spar over the merits and drawbacks of the revived deal, originally brokered by the Obama administration in 2015, from which the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew in 2018. Drawing the ire of the United States and Iran, Russia has made what are seen as unacceptable last-minute demands, which have impeded the finalization of the deal meant to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief
Jim Kessler, Vice President for Policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute analyze with host Carol Castiel US President Joe Biden's State of the Union address which underscored his successful efforts in unifying the EU, NATO, and other allies in condemning Russia and imposing severe sanctions on Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin, his historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court, and what can be achieved between now and the November 2022 midterm elections.
On the 50th anniversary of former US President Richard Nixon's historic visit to Beijing, China experts Bonnie Glaser, Director Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute talk with host Carol Castiel about the evolution of U.S. China relations. They also analyze the relationship through the lens of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the growing geostrategic rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing.
Michael Kugelman, from the Wilson Center and Elizabeth Threlkeld, from the Stimson Center joins Carol Castiel to discuss the political, economic, and humanitarian state of play in Afghanistan six months the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Jennifer Cafarella, Director of Intelligence Planning at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), and Brian Katulis, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute discuss the significance and ramifications of the US raid on ISIS leader, Hajji Abdullah.
Eric Farnsworth, Council of the Americas and the Americas Society and Benjamin Gedan, Woodrow Wilson Center discuss the significance of the inauguration of the first woman president of Honduras and challenges facing Chile's young, president-elect who recently named a majority female cabinet.
Will Pomeranz, deputy director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow, and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) discuss with host Carol Castiel the latest developments, including the placement of 8,500 US military personnel on “high alert” and considering the imposition of draconian sanctions on the Kremlin for its malign actions against Ukraine and Eastern European NATO members.
Ambassador Rama Yade, Senior Director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council, and Mvemba Dizolele, Director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), discuss with host Carol Castiel African efforts and prospects for ending the civil war in Ethiopia, reversing the military coup in Sudan, and addressing the threat posed by violent extremists in the Sahel region. NOTE: This program was recorded prior to the military coup in Burkina Faso.
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, spar over the merits and politics of US President Joe Biden's forceful push for voting rights legislation as well as a modification of the filibuster, a parliamentary procedure requiring 60 of the 100 senators to agree to advance most legislation. Given united Republican opposition to the voting rights bills and to changing filibuster rules, analysts say the chances of passing the legislation are very slim.
On this annual edition of Encounter, Kori Schake, senior fellow and the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and Brian Katulis, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute talk with host Carol Castiel about the most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges that face the second year of the Biden Administration as midterm elections loom.
From the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and constant Covid-19 challenges to military coups in Myanmar and Sudan, host Carol Castiel reviews the stories that dominated the 2021 headlines with Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief for the Christian Science Monitor and Michael Williams, Washington correspondent for Project 10 TV Australia.
On this year-end edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel presents excerpts from our most memorable programs in 2021. From the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States of America to the ongoing struggle with the coronavirus pandemic and much more, we present key domestic and international highlights from 2021.
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, take stock of US President Joe Biden's first year in office. Despite his major accomplishments, including the Covid-19 relief bill and bipartisan infrastructure legislation, a couple of conservative Democrats in the evenly split Senate have thus far stymied Biden's hopes for passing voting rights and “Build Back Better” legislation before the end of 2021.
A bill to create a commission to study the effects of slavery and discrimination in the United States has been stalled in the House of Representatives for more than seven months. In this encore edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Jennifer Oast, professor and chair of the Department of History at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, and Noah Millman, political columnist for “The Week,” about the merits and drawbacks of reparations for descendants of slaves and why the debate has been revived in recent days. Listen to Encounter on the Voice of America!
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping attempted to fend off further escalation over contentious issues like Taiwan, human rights, and the global balance of power and reach some agreement on health security and climate change at a recent virtual summit. East Asia experts Richard Fontaine, CEO of The Center for a New American Security, and Dean Cheng, Senior Research Fellow at the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation talk with host Carol Castiel about the challenges ahead for the US-China relationship.
Olayemi Olurin, a public defender with the Legal Aid Society in New York City and Mollie Saltskog, an expert in disinformation and domestic extremism at the Soufan Center, discuss the ramifications of the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, a young man charged with homicide in the deadly Kenosha, Wisconsin shootings of August 2020. Olurin tells VOA the self-defense argument was unsupported and Saltskog expresses dismay over the celebration of Rittenhouse as a “hero” among right-wing media/politicians and domestic and foreign terrorist groups. The guilty verdict for three white men who fatally shot a young Black jogger, Ahmaud Arbery, on the other hand, was hailed by civil rights leaders across the country.
Will Pomeranz, deputy director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, discuss the motives behind Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's creation of an artificial migrant crisis on the border with Europe and the malign role played by Russian President Vladimir Putin in this ruse with host Carol Castiel. They also analyze the Russian troop buildup on the border with US ally Ukraine.
Ambassador Tibor Nagy, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs and former US Ambassador to Ethiopia and Ambassador Donald Booth, former US Ambassador to Ethiopia and former special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, diagnose the roots of the looming crisis in Ethiopia as well as recommend keys to a peaceful outcome with host Carol Castiel.
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss the main issues dominating the US political landscape with host Carol Castiel, including the implications of the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races for the 2022 midterm elections. A decisive Republican victory in Virginia is seen as a “wake-up” call for Democrats nationwide and a good omen for Republicans who seek to win back one or both houses of Congress in 2022. Program Note: Late Friday night (11/05/21), Democrats set aside differences and passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, sending it to President Joe Biden to sign into law. This program was recorded before the legislation was passed.
Cameron Hudson, former chief of staff to the US Special Envoy to Sudan and Ismail Kushkush an independent Sudanese journalist, discuss the factors leading to the recent coup in Sudan with host Carol Castiel. They tell VOA the military fear losing control over key economic sectors in which they have business interests and the prospect of facing accountability for past atrocities. Hudson and Kushkush say the Sudanese who rose up to throw off the yoke of military rule under Omar al Bashir, are likely to mount a strong resistance to this attempt at subverting the democratic transition.
On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Eric Farnsworth, Vice President of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society, and Steve Hege, deputy regional director for the US Institute of Peace in Colombia, about the significance of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Colombia and Ecuador and challenges in bolstering democracy, equitable economic growth, combatting corruption and mitigating irregular migration from Haiti and Venezuela.
Ellen Laipson, professor, and director of the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University, and Sarhang Hamasaeed, director of Middle East programs at the US Institute of Peace, discuss the outcome and significance of the most recent parliamentary elections in Iraq, which were precipitated by the 2019 protest movement (Tishreen) against corruption, inordinate Iranian influence in Iraq and calls for major reforms of the political system. What do results augur for the future of democracy and stability in Iraq?
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss the major issues dominating the US political landscape with host Carol Castiel including a debt ceiling extension deal, intense negotiations among Democratic lawmakers over the scope and cost of a human infrastructure bill critical to President Joe Biden's agenda, and an interim Senate report exposing former President Donald Trump's attempt to install a loyalist attorney general to pursue unfounded claims of election fraud.
Michael Green, Senior Vice President for Asia, and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, at the American Enterprise Institute discuss the significance and implications of the so-called AUKUS accord, a new strategic alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to counter China's assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.
On this Africa edition of Encounter, Joshua Meservey, senior policy analyst for Africa and the Middle East at the Heritage Foundation and Oge Onubogu, director of the West Africa program at the U.S. Institute of Peace, discuss setbacks in democracy and good governance as exemplified by coups in Guinea and Mali, the need to strengthen regional institutions like ECOWAS and the African Union and the importance of fostering positive trends epitomized by the peaceful transfer of power in Zambia.
On this edition of Encounter, John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government and the director of the Meese Center for Legal & Judicial Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and Elliot Mincberg, senior fellow at the liberal People for the American Way, spar over the merits and drawbacks of expanding the 9-member Supreme Court and making other changes such as imposing term limits to the lifetime appointments and reforming the so-called “Shadow docket” with host Carol Castiel.
On the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil, renowned terrorism analysts Ali Soufan, former supervisory FBI agent, now CEO of The Soufan Group, and Bruce Hoffman, senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations, reflect on the successes and failures over the past two decades of the “war on terror” and the daunting challenges that remain with host Carol Castiel.
On the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil, renowned terrorism analysts Ali Soufan, former supervisory FBI agent, now CEO of The Soufan Group, and Bruce Hoffman, senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations, reflect on the successes and failures over the past two decades of the “war on terror” and the daunting challenges that remain with host Carol Castiel.
On this politics edition of Encounter, John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at Third Way, join Carol Castiel to discuss prospects for the passage of two pending infrastructure bills, the resurgence of the Delta variant of Covid-19, and whether or not President Joe Biden may pay a political price for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan as he sought to end America's military involvement in the 20-year war.
On this politics edition of Encounter, John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss prospects for the passage of two pending infrastructure bills, the resurgence of the Delta variant of Covid-19, and whether or not President Joe Biden may pay a political price for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan as he sought to end America's military involvement in the 20-year war.
Ambassador Ronald Neumann, former Ambassador to Afghanistan, now President of the American Academy of Diplomacy and Michael Kugelman, Senior Associate for South Asia for The Wilson Center discuss with host Carol Castiel the ongoing US withdrawal from Afghanistan, including whether the country may once again become a breeding ground for terrorism under the Taliban. Program Note: This program was recorded before the Kabul airport terrorist attack.
Ambassador Ronald Neumann, former Ambassador to Afghanistan, now President of the American Academy of Diplomacy and Michael Kugelman, Senior Associate for South Asia for The Wilson Center discuss with host Carol Castiel the ongoing US withdrawal from Afghanistan, including whether the country may once again become a breeding ground for terrorism under the Taliban. Program Note: This program was recorded before the Kabul airport terrorist attack.
Lisa Curtis, former senior National Security Council official under the Trump administration, now director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Marvin Weinbaum, director for Afghanistan and Pakistan Studies at The Middle East Institute discuss with host Carol Castiel the domestic and international ramifications of the Biden administration's controversial troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent Taliban takeover after the rapid collapse of Afghan security forces.
Lisa Curtis, former senior National Security Council official under the Trump administration, now director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Marvin Weinbaum, director for Afghanistan and Pakistan Studies at The Middle East Institute discuss with host Carol Castiel the domestic and international ramifications of the Biden administration's controversial troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent Taliban takeover after the rapid collapse of Afghan security forces.
In this encore edition of Encounter, Zack Smith, a legal fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and William Roberts, managing director for Democracy and Government Reform at the liberal Center for American Progress, join host, Carol Castiel to spar over the constitutional, historical, and political arguments for and against statehood for the District of Columbia, the seat of the nation's capital.
In this encore edition of Encounter, Zack Smith, a legal fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and William Roberts, managing director for Democracy and Government Reform at the liberal Center for American Progress, join host, Carol Castiel to spar over the constitutional, historical, and political arguments for and against statehood for the District of Columbia, the seat of the nation's capital.
On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel returns to her native Pennsylvania to reprise a conversation with the Republican and Democratic leaders in Lawrence County: Paul Stefano, chairman of the Democratic Party of Lawrence County, and Richard Flannery, a local and state Republican leader, whom she interviewed prior to the 2020 elections. They discuss President Joe Biden's job performance – from his management of the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine distribution to infrastructure proposals and prospects for the Democrats and Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections.
On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel returns to her native Pennsylvania to reprise a conversation with the Republican and Democratic leaders in Lawrence County: Paul Stefano, chairman of the Democratic Party of Lawrence County, and Richard Flannery, a local and state Republican leader, whom she interviewed prior to the 2020 elections. They discuss President Joe Biden's job performance – from his management of the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine distribution to infrastructure proposals and prospects for the Democrats and Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections.
Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Elana DeLozier, the Rubin Family Fellow in the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, assess with host Carol Castiel state of the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. DeLozier and Zimmerman say this proxy war between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran is exacerbated by the dearth of political will from within: the internationally-recognized Hadi government and the Houthi movement, which currently has the upper hand. Can Washington make a difference?
Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Elana DeLozier, the Rubin Family Fellow in the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, assess with host Carol Castiel state of the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. DeLozier and Zimmerman say this proxy war between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran is exacerbated by the dearth of political will from within: the internationally-recognized Hadi government and the Houthi movement, which currently has the upper hand. Can Washington make a difference?
On this edition of Encounter, Ambassador Michelle Gavin, senior fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Ambassador to Botswana, and Frans Cronje, CEO of the Johannesburg-based Institute of Race Relations, analyze with host Carol Castiel the political, economic and social situation in South Africa following the arrest and detention of former South African president Jacob Zuma given the protests, looting and violence which this incident triggered. How did the celebrated multiracial democracy led by Nelson Mandela reach this critical juncture point, and what does the future hold for South Africa?
On this edition of Encounter, Ambassador Michelle Gavin, senior fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Ambassador to Botswana, and Frans Cronje, CEO of the Johannesburg-based Institute of Race Relations, analyze with host Carol Castiel the political, economic and social situation in South Africa following the arrest and detention of former South African president Jacob Zuma given the protests, looting and violence which this incident triggered. How did the celebrated multiracial democracy led by Nelson Mandela reach this critical juncture point, and what does the future hold for South Africa?
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