The Crisis Next Door

  Russia is poised for a full scale invasion of Ukraine, and it could come within weeks if not days.       To get an idea of the stakes at hand, The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks with Michael Kofman, Director of Russia Studies at the Center for Naval Analysis and a fellow at the Center for New American Security.  

  It took a week for the Taliban to sweep across Afghanistan and take control of the country following the U.S. withdrawal.  The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks examines the ramifications with  Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group and host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Israel and Hamas are engaged in their heaviest fighting in seven years, with Palestinian rocket barrages striking deep into Israel while the IDF pounds Gaza in response.    The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the sudden escalation with Ryan Bohl, a Middle East and North Africa analyst with the geopolitical-risk firm Stratfor. He's also written for Time and Salon, among other publications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   The U-S presence in Syria has been scaled back in recent years, but troops remain on the ground in Syria as the civil war slogs on.  Russia remains the main power broker in Syria, and the U-S would be wise to pay attention as The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks learns from Jennifer Cafarella, National Security Fellow at The Institute For War, and an Associate Fellow with the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in eastern Ukraine has grinded on for seven years with no signs of slowing, and now Russia appears ready for a knockout blow as it mobilizes troops along its border with Ukraine.   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the escalating conflict with Dr. Michael MacKay, a Canadian involved in Ukraine since independence, working in the country as a university lecturer, Internet project director and election observer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Myanmar's military is engaged in battles with protesters following coup this year, and that's on top of the military's ongoing persecution of the Rohingya. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about it with Professor Azeem Ibrahim, Director of Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy based in Washington DC. Professor Ibrahim is also the author of the book, The Rohingyas:Inside Myanmar's Genocide.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Turkey and Iran are increasingly butting heads over Syria, Iraq and now in the Caucasus.  Will these two regional powers find themselves embroiled in direct arms conflict with each other?   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks looks into the growing rivalry with Tallha Abdulrazaq, a researcher at the University of Exeter's Strategy and Security Institute and specialist in Iraq and Iran.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America's relationship with China will set the tone for much of the world in the coming years, a relationship now in the hands of President Joe Biden. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about those challenges with Ankit Panda,  A Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Author of ‘KIM JONG UN AND THE BOMB'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America this week witnessed events never seen before, far right mobs storming the nation's Capitol in support of President Donald Trump, waiving Confederate flags, and leaving a trail of violence and death.   How does the country react to this, and deal with a problem that's been growing for years? The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks searches for those answers with Colin Clarke, Senior Research Fellow with The Soufan Center and a fellow with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in the Hague. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   The assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist is a blow to the Islamic Regime on several levels.       The Crisis Next Door Host Jason Brooks talks about what it means with Alireza Nader, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    One of the most fragile regions in the world is being threatened with the sudden war in Ethiopia.   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about what started the fighting and what it means for the Horn of Africa with Dr. Afyare Abdi Elmi, A Professor of International Affairs in Qatar University in Doha.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   The Department of Homeland Security now believes white supremacist groups are a bigger domestic terrorism threat than ISIS and Al-Qaeda.  How have they gotten so powerful, and who are they?        In my latest podcast, I dig into those questions with Jason Blazakis.  A Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Center.   Jason is a terrorism expert who devises strategies to prevent terrorists from gaining access to money and publicity, and works as Professor of Practice and Director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   The U-S experience in the Middle East has been costly and painful since the 2003 Iraq invasion and many across the political spectrum in America want the country to leave the region for good.  Is that the right move?   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks with Steven Cook, who thinks it would be disastrous for the U-S to pull back from the Middle East. Steven writes about it in his Foreign Affairs article "No Exit: Why the  Middle East Still Matters to America".   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The old rivals in the Caucasus are hitting each other hard over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, with heavy casualties on both sides.  The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks gets into what sparked this flare up with Joshua Kucera,  the Turkey and Caucasus editor at Eurasia.Net   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 2020 continues to provide surprises, the latest being the peace agreement reached between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.  Each gains a powerful ally, while raising eyebrows across the Middle East.   I talk about what the move means with Ryan Bohl, a Middle East and North Africa analyst with the geopolitical-risk firm Stratfor. He's also written for Time and Salon, among other publications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Decades of authoritarian rule could be coming to an end in Belarus, as millions of people protest the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.  How far will he go to stay in power? The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about it with Franak Viacorka, a journalist and analyst based in Minsk, and a non-resident fellow with the Atlantic Council and VP of DigiComNet.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Ethiopia is realizing a long time goal of damming the Blue Nile, creating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. But for Egypt and Sudan down river, alarm bells are ringing over the loss of control over their primary water source.   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks dives into the issue with Ashok Swain, Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, with Uppsala University in Sweden.  Professor Swain is also the UNESCO Chair of International Water Cooperation and Director of the Research School on International Water Cooperation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Yemen's civil war has been as vicious as Syria's, and seems to be very far from ending, with neither side close to an outright victory.  The war is growing more complex by the day with local groups wanting more control.    The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about Yemen's peace hopes with Fatima Alasrar, non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute.   From 2006-12, Alasrar worked as an advisor for the Embassy of Yemen in Washington, DC.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 The role of women in far right and white supremacist groups is gaining greater attention as calls for social justice echo across America and the world.  These groups  are using white women to portray their racist ideals, and target those who don't fall within those narratives.     The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about it with Stephanie Foggett, a Resident Fellow at The Soufan Center and Director of Global Communications at The Soufan Group, focusing on multilateral security cooperation, counter-terrorism coopertion with international organizations and governments and crisis management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  The pandemic has touched all corners of the world, adding another layer of uncertainty during a time of regional wars, climate change and U-S retrenchment.    In this episode of The Crisis Next Door, host Jason Brooks talks about the state of the global community with Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the New York Times bestselling book The World: A Brief Introduction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China wants to stop Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement from gaining any more momentum with new national security laws for the territory, immediately raising fears that civil liberties could be waning in Hong Kong. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the move with James Palmer, Deputy Editor with Foreign Policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indian and Chinese soldiers are staring each other down at a crucial pass in the Himalayas. Its not the first time the rivals have been at the precipice of war and the world is on edge with this latest move.      The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks drills into the standoff with Ankit Panda, an award-winning American writer, analyst, and researcher specializing in international security, defernse, geopolitics and economics. He's currently a senior editor at The Diplomat, and is author of Kim Jong Un And The Bomb, scheduled to be published this summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    War has been a constant in Ukraine's east for six years now and there's little sign of the fighting slowing down.  Is peace realistic for Ukraine? The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks puts that question to Dr. Michael MacKay, a Canadian involved in Ukraine since independence, working in the country as a university lecturer, Internet project director and election observer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   Syrians have been killing each other for a decade in a grinding civil war, and now they're taking aim at each other in Libya as fighters on both sides of another grim civil war.    The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the development with Anchal Vohra, a freelance correspondent for Al Jazeera English based in Beirut. Anchal also writes for Foreign Policy, The Times of London and The Atlantic.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hasn't been seen in public for some time, missing key events, and raising questions about his health, some even questioning whether he's alive.    On The Crisis Next Door, host Jason Brooks talks abut the mystery with Dr. Jung Pak, Senior Fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies at Brookings Institution, Dr. Pak also worked for the CIA, and she's the author of a new book called Becoming King Jong Un. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life forever changed when the coronavirus outbreak spread across the globe, affecting everyone. How will the world respond to the crisis, and what lessons are to be learned for the future? The Crisis Next Door Host Jason Brooks talks about those issues with Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group and host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Crisis Next Door heads to the home front with Jason Brooks doing his live reports for KCBS Radio in San Francisco from home. He has a few thoughts on the early fallout from the pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Oil prices plummeted after Saudi Arabia hiked production, after Russia rejected OPEC's desire to cut output in order to maintain pricing.  The move took out global markets already reeling from coronavirus fears.    Joining The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks to talk about the move is Amy Myers Jaffe, David Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment with the Council on Foreign Relations.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Turkish and Syrian regime forces are blasting away at each other as Ankara sends troops pouring into Idlib, the last rebel enclave in Syria.  The move also brings a NATO member into direct confrontation with Russia.  The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the development with Emma Beals, a Beirut-based award-winning investigative journalist focused on the conflict in Syria, and the editor of Syria Context. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Russia has long considered Belarus as a natural ally against the West, but Minsk hasn't been as willing a partner as Moscow would like, and that could threaten stability in another post-Soviet state.    The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the brewing impasse with Jeff Mankoff, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Program for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The old saying "you can't go home again" is on point when it comes to Islamic State fighters trying to return to their home countries.  Indonesia and Malaysia saw hundreds of citizens leave for Syria's battlefields, and now those governments don't want them back. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the problem with Colin Clarke,  Assistant Teaching Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Institute for Policy and Research and a Research Fellow at the SoufanCenter.   Colin also authored  After the Caliphate: The Islamic State & the Future Terrorist Diaspora. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   Al-Shabaab is showing no signs of slowing its deadly fight against government forces in Somalia.  And Mogadishu may be forced to take on more of the fight without the help of its allies.   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about it with Harun Maruf, journalist for Voice of America, and co-author of the book, Inside Al-Shabaab. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turkey is threatening to use overwhelming force against Syrian regime forces in the rebel enclave of Idlib in a confrontation that could further inflame Syria's long civil war.   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about this latest chapter with Julian Ropcke, political analyst, journalist and conflict analyst with German newspaper BILD.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rohingya have often felt forgotten, cast aside by the global community after being brutally cast out of Myanmar.  But the UN's top court is siding with Rohingya and ordering Myanmar to protect the minority Muslim group.  Is the break the Rohingya have long needed? The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks puts that question to Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, Director of the program on Displacement and Migration at the Center for Global Policy. He is also an Adjunct Research Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College, and authored the books, "The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar's Hidden Genocide.", AND "Radical Origins:Why We Are Losing The Battle Against Islamic Extremism"  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The re-election of Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has inflamed relations across the Taiwan Strait with China, which considers Taiwan a province, and not an independent nation.   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about that tense relationship with Jessica Drun, a non-resident fellow with The Project2049 Institute, an Arlington Virginia think-tank focused on trends in the Asia-Pacific region, she also publishes the AsiaEye blog. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turkey is considering sending troops to help the U-N backed government in Tripoli against rebel Libyan forces advancing on the capital. That's prompting outrage in a number of Arab nations, and threatens to stoke an even bigger war in Libya. On this episode of The Crisis Next Door, host Jason Brooks talks about the situation with Claudia Gazzini, the International Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for Libya.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Tensions are redlining between the U-S and Iran after the U-S killed Iran's top general, but does the Iranian missile attack on the Iraqi bases without causing U-S casualties ease the threat of war?   The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about that with Suzanne Maloney, Deputy Director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow in the Brookings Center for Middle East Policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   Radical insurgent groups are growing in power across Africa's Sahel region, a band of impoverished countries struggling to provide basic services for their citizens.      The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the alarming growth of the insurgencies with Judd Devermont, Director of the Africa Program with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukraine has gained prominence in the U-S with the impeachment attempt against President Donald Trump, but for those fighting in the country's east, survival trumps all other concerns. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the war with Dr. Donald Jensen with the Center for European Policy Analysis and a Russian Security professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Protests initially triggered by a sudden rise in gas prices have exploded into widespread anti-government demonstrations across Iran, and Tehran's violent crackdown is claiming more lives by the day. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the situation with Alireza Nader,  Senior Fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   Tensions are red-lining and the violence continues to escalate with no end in sight for the Hong Kong demonstrations.   In this episode of The Crisis Next Door, host Jason Brooks talks with protest leader Joshua Wong, Secretary General of Demosisto, a pro-democracy organization advocating for self-determination in Hong Kong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Flare ups between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza are nothing new, but the latest slugfest ratcheted tensions to an even higher level.   Joining The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks to talk about the fighting is Anna Ahronheim, Military and Defense Correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.