Podcasts about thanassis cambanis

A Journalist Who Faced Jail Under the Espionage Act on Assange's Plea Deal | Presidential Debate Prep and How to Fact-Check Trump From a Former Democratic Strategist | War Between Israel and Hezbollah Appears Increasingly Likely backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

In the face of growing international pressure, the Biden administration has continued to double down on a policy of blanket support for Israel, even as it presses ahead with a possible military offensive against the town of Rafah that many observers have warned could trigger the largest humanitarian crisis of the war so far. This week on Intercepted, co-hosts Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain discuss the Biden administration's approach to the conflict with Thanassis Cambanis, director of the foreign policy think tank Century International. Cambanis explains how Biden's policy toward Israel is pushing the entire Middle East to the brink of a regional war that could inflict far greater suffering than we have seen to date, in an area which U.S. policymakers claim to be trying to exit.If you'd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/join, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.And if you haven't already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel's Killing of 7 Aid Workers Who Were Feeding Starving Gazans Sparks International Outrage | Will Israel's Strike on an Iranian Consulate That Killed Top IRGC Officials Provoke a Wider War? | What the US Could Learn From the Electoral Rebuke of Erdogan's Dictatorship and Kleptocracy backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Will Israel's Killing of the Hamas Ambassador to Hezbollah Trigger a Wider War? | The Move Underway to Get SCOTUS to Tear Down Jefferson's Wall Between Church and State | The Frightening Similarities Between Germany in 1933 and the US in 2024 backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

The Middle East has faced growing instability, violence, and the risk of a wider war ever since October 7.    Most attention is understandably focused on Israel, where 1,200 people were killed in a single day, and Gaza, where the death toll is steadily climbing past 11,000, the majority children and women.    But the wider region is experiencing a level of violence that is cause for alarm: near-daily clashes between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel; steady attacks on the U.S. military in Iraq and Syria; and increasingly bold military initiatives by Yemen's Houthi rebel forces.   How has the Gaza war changed the wider Middle East? What new dynamics are shaping conflicts and diplomacy among the regional powers and in the region's many simmering conflicts? How will America's bear hug of Israel affect other American interests in the Middle East?   Century International fellows Aron Lund, Sam Heller, and Thanassis Cambanis are joined by Michael Wahid Hanna from International Crisis Group to step back from the day-to-day developments of the Gaza war and assess the changing regional context.   Read:  Commentary: “It's Time for a Ceasefire in Gaza—and Then a New Push for Peace,” by Thanassis Cambanis, Dahlia Scheindlin, and Sam Heller Commentary: “America Needs to Prevent a Regional War in the Middle East,” by Sam Heller and Thanassis Cambanis Participants: Sam Heller, fellow, Century International Aron Lund, fellow, Century International Michael Wahid Hanna, director, U.S. program, International Crisis Group Thanassis Cambanis, director, Century International

A Palestinian Mother and Daughter Who Just Lost 36 Members of Their Family in Gaza | An Analysis of the Speech by the Leader of Hezbollah Which Is Poised to Open a Second Front | US/China Relations Ahead of Next Saturday's APEC Summit Where Biden and Xi Will Meet backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

On this episode of the Order From Ashes podcast, Ali Al-Mawlawi traces the long history of anti-Shia prejudice in Iraq. That prejudice, he argues, distorts contemporary debates over whether Shia factions are undermining the state when they compete for power.   This episode of Order From Ashes is the fourth and final episode in “Shia Power,” a series about the transformation of Shia politics in Iraq, and what Iraq's experience teaches us about the role of religion in politics everywhere.    In episode 1 of “Shia Power,” Sajad Jiyad and host Thanassis Cambanis chart the powerful role of religion and the Shia clergy in the creation of a new Iraqi order after Saddam Hussein. In episode 2, Marsin Alshammary draws on her fieldwork in the seminaries of Najaf to argue that clerical authority has not diminished, despite setbacks over the last twenty years. In episode 3, Taif Alkhudary chronicles the revolutionary efforts of the Tishreen protest movement to establish an alternative to religious politics. In episode 4, the final in this series, Ali Al-Mawlawi connects some of today's sectarian rhetoric to Iraq's long history of anti-Shia prejudice.   Participants: Ali Al-Mawlawi,  Thanassis Cambanis, director, Century International   Read: Report: “Iraqi Shia Factions Are Supposedly ‘Anti-state.' But State Power Is What They Want,” by Ali Al-Mawlawi Book: Shia Power Comes of Age Project: Shia Politics

Today we're talking about the attack in Israel and the now unfolding war. I'm speaking with Thanassis Cambanis, the director of Century International, an independent think tank that researches the human impact of global policy.   *We recorded this discussion on Wednesday. While a lot has continued to develop since then, we still think the conversation is relevant to help you understand more about what's happening and the groups involved. Learn more about our guests: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/shownotes Sign-up for our bonus weekly email: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/email Become an INSIDER for ad-free episodes: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/insider To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com #Israel #Gaza #Hamas    

On this episode of the Order From Ashes podcast “Shia Power” series, Taif Alkhudary explains how the October 2019 protests formed a popular response to years of thwarted democratization.    The Tishreen protests movement, Alkhudary argues, represents an indigenous democratization movement that is resisting the putative democracy put in place after the U.S. invasion. Since 2003, Iraqis have endured corruption, dysfunction, and ethno-sectarian tensions, which the political elite justified as the cost of democracy. The Tishreen movement, while still politically immature, has revealed an alternate path.    This episode of Order From Ashes is the third in a four-part series about the transformation of Shia politics in Iraq, and what Iraq's experience teaches us about the role of religion in politics everywhere.    In episode 1 of “Shia Power,” Sajad Jiyad and host Thanassis Cambanis chart the powerful role of religion and the Shia clergy in the creation of a new Iraqi order after Saddam Hussein. In episode 2, Marsin Alshammary draws on her fieldwork in the seminaries of Najaf to argue that clerical authority has not diminished, despite setbacks over the last twenty years. In episode 3, Taif Alkhudary chronicles the revolutionary efforts of the Tishreen protest movement to establish an alternative to religious politics. In episode 4, the final in this series, Ali Al-Mawlawi connects some of today's sectarian rhetoric to Iraq's long history of anti-Shia prejudice.   Participants: Taif Alkhudary, research officer, LSE Middle East Center, and PhD candidate, Cambridge Thanassis Cambanis, director, Century International   Read: Report: “Young Revolutionary Parties Are Still Iraq's Best Hope for Democracy,” by Taif Alkhudary Book: Shia Power Comes of Age Project: Shia Politics

On this episode of the Order From Ashes podcast, Marsin Alshamary explains why, despite some setbacks, Shia clerics in Iraq still wield a great deal of authority.    Protest movements have rejected religion in politics, while corrupt politicians have sullied the reputations of religious factions. But clerics and their institutions remain powerful players in Iraqi society even as their roles change.   This episode of Order From Ashes is the second in “Shia Power,” a four-part series about the transformation of Shia politics in Iraq, and what Iraq's experience teaches us about the role of religion in politics everywhere.    In episode 1 of “Shia Power,” Sajad Jiyad and host Thanassis Cambanis chart the powerful role of religion and the Shia clergy in the creation of a new Iraqi order after Saddam Hussein. In episode 2, Marsin Alshammary draws on her fieldwork in the seminaries of Najaf to argue that clerical authority has not diminished, despite setbacks over the last twenty years. In episode 3, Taif Alkhudary chronicles the revolutionary efforts of the Tishreen protest movement to establish an alternative to religious politics. In episode 4, the final in this series, Ali Al-Mawlawi connects some of today's sectarian rhetoric to Iraq's long history of anti-Shia prejudice.   Read: Report: “Shia Clerics in Iraq Haven't Lost Their Authority,” by Marsin Alshamary Book: Shia Power Comes of Age Project: Shia Politics   Participants: Marsin Alshamary, assistant professor of political science, Boston College Thanassis Cambanis, director, Century International

On this episode of the Order From Ashes podcast, Sajad Jiyad plumbs the complex evolution of Shia Islamism during two decades at the center of Iraqi power.   This episode of Order From Ashes is the first in “Shia Power,” a four-part series about the transformation of Shia politics in Iraq, and what Iraq's experience teaches us about the role of religion in politics everywhere.    A new edited volume from Century International, Shia Power Comes of Age: The Transformation of Islamist Politics in Iraq, 2003–2023, maps the radical transformation of Shia Islamist politics in Iraq over the last two decades. Contributors include Taif AlKhudary, Ali Al-Mawlawi, Marsin Alshamary, Thanassis Cambanis, Maria Fantappie, Fanar Haddad, Sajad Jiyad, Renad Mansour, and Ben Robin-D'Cruz.   Sajad and Thanassi, directors of Century International's Shia Politics project, reflect on the lessons of Iraq's Shia Islamists for politicians, policymakers, and researchers.   In episode 1 of “Shia Power,” Sajad Jiyad and host Thanassis Cambanis chart the powerful role of religion and the Shia clergy in the creation of a new Iraqi order after Saddam Hussein. In episode 2, Marsin Alshammary draws on her fieldwork in the seminaries of Najaf to argue that clerical authority has not diminished, despite setbacks over the last twenty years. In episode 3, Taif Alkhudary chronicles the revolutionary efforts of the Tishreen protest movement to establish an alternative to religious politics. In episode 4, the final in this series, Ali Al-Mawlawi connects some of today's sectarian rhetoric to Iraq's long history of anti-Shia prejudice.   Read: Book: Shia Power Comes of Age Project: Shia Politics   Participants: Sajad Jiyad, fellow, Century International Thanassis Cambanis, director, Century International

Bush’s lies gave Trump moral scaffolding; today Americans believe big lies. On this show Thanassis Cambanis, a reporter who was in Iraq at the invasion, details the harm Bush and Cheney did to America. Even Russia gained power from our The post In Breaking Iraq, America Broke Itself appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.

Jannis Julien Grimm of the Freie University of Berlin joins Marc Lynch on this week's podcast to discuss his new book, Contested Legitimacies: Repression and Revolt in Post-Revolutionary Egypt. The book explores this resilience of contentious politics through a multimethod approach that is attuned to the physical and discursive interactions among key players in Egypt's protest arena. (Starts at 0:46). Marwa Fatafta of Access Now discusses digital authoritarianism, content moderation, and the potential impact of Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter. (Starts at 33:13). Thanassis Cambanis of Century International discusses their new project on citizenship, armed groups, and comparing the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. (Starts at 48:22). Music for this season's podcast was created by Bashir Saade (playing Ney) and Farah Kaddour (on Buzuq). You can find more of Bashir's work on his YouTube Channel.

A worldwide crisis in citizenship and rights has made it clear that no country's struggle is entirely exceptional. Today's episode of Order from Ashes kicks off a new season of the podcast: Transnational Trends in Citizenship. Today, Naira Antoun, director of Century International's Transnational Trends in Citizenship project, talks with Century International director Thanassis Cambanis about the connections between the crises in the Middle East, Western Europe, and North America. For more than a year, Century International hosted discussions among experts who usually focus on their own regions—the Middle East or Western Europe and North America—and asked them to compare their regions and policy areas. As a result of this exercise, the project's teams of researchers, activists, and academics revealed commonalities and connections in their study of militias, gender and sexuality, police accountability, and protest. They also demonstrated how bringing experts on different regions together can test assumptions, create new knowledge, and inspire powerful new insights into old but persistent policy problems. This podcast is part of “Transnational Trends in Citizenship: Authoritarianism and the Emerging Global Culture of Resistance,” a TCF project supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Open Society Foundations.  Participants include: Naira Antoun, director, Transnational Trends in Citizenship, Century International Thanassis Cambanis, director, Century International

Diplomacy is breaking out in the Middle East. Traditional rivals like Saudi Arabia and Iran have been sitting down to talk through their differences. Why is this happening? Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute and several other influential commentators have argued that the United States' drawdown in the region has forced its partners to dial back more confrontational elements in their foreign policies, as they no longer have Uncle Sam backing them up. What's more, Parsi and others argue, there's reason for optimism that this diplomacy can improve things in the region. Not so, argues Thanassis Cambanis of Century International. These states have their own reasons for diplomacy, and to argue otherwise is to overstate American influence. Moreover, he argues, much of this diplomacy is not likely to succeed and may even be jostling for position ahead of new conflicts. Implicitly, this debate has implications for U.S. grand strategy. U.S. global military presence is intended in part to suppress conflict. If Parsi is right, that presence may be sustaining conflict and enabling partners' intransigence. This debate was held in partnership with our University of Florida chapter. Parsi article Cambanis article

10 years ago anti-government protests in Tunisia sparked a wave of spontaneous uprisings against authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab Spring was met with repression by governments in the region, but ultimately led to the ousting of rulers such as Ben Ali in Tunisia, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. But the hope that these changes would usher a new era of democracy in the region has been belied. Michael Wahid Hanna (International Crisis Group) helps us understand the turbulent events of 2011 in Egypt, what changes they led to and why prospects for democracy in the country still appear bleak. Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:• The Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna: IWM• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD• The Excellence Chair and Soft Authoritarianism Research Group in Bremen: WOC• The Podcast Company: Earshot StrategiesFollow us on social media!• Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna: @IWM_Vienna• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @AHDCentreFollow Michael Wahid Hanna on Twitter: @mwhanna1Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! BIBLIOGRAPHY• Citizenship and its Discontents: The Struggle for Rights, Pluralism and Inclusion in the Middle East. (2019). Co-edited with Thanassis Cambanis.• Hybrid Actors: Armed Groups and State Fragmentation in the Middle East. (2010). Co-authored with Thanassis Cambanis.• Arab Politics beyond the Uprisings: Experiments in an Era of Resurgent Authoritarianism. (2017). Co-authored with Thanassis Cambanis. GLOSSARYWho are Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and Muammar al-Gaddafi?(00:01:15 or p. 2 in the transcript)Ben Ali was a Tunisian politician who was the second President of Tunisia from 1987 until his fall in 2011 after the revolution of Tunisia. This revolution inspired uprisings in neighboring countries that came to be viewed as the Arab Spring. Ben Ali assumed the Presidency in 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President Habib Bourguiba. Before his coup against Bourguiba, Ben Ali promised to move Tunisia towards democracy, but instead fixed elections that he won by majorities exceeding 90%, earning the nickname “Mr 99%”. He died 2019 in exile. Learn more.Muammar al-Gaddafi was a highly divisive Libyan revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He governed Libya as Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then as the "Brotherly Leader" of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011. Amid the 2011 Arab Spring, protests against widespread corruption and unemployment broke out in Eastern Libya. The situation descended into civil war, in which NATO intervened militarily on the side of the anti-Gaddafist National Transitional Council. The government was overthrown and Gaddafi retreated to Sirte, only to be captured and killed by NTC militants. Learn more.What is the Tahrir Square?(00:01:15 or p. 2 in the transcript)Tahrir Square in Cairo has been the location and focus for political demonstrations, most notably those that led to the 2011 Egyptian revolution and the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.What is the Muslim Brotherhood and who is Mohamed Morsi?(00:04:30 or p. 5 in the transcript)The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar Hassan al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna's teachings spread far beyond Egypt, influencing today various Islamist movements from charitable organizations to political parties—not all using the same name.In 2011 the Arab Spring revolution ousted Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s president since 1981. Elections in June the following year brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power. The Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi became new president. Although in 2012 Mohamed Morsi became Egypt’s first democratically elected president, a year later he was overthrown by the military and held in prison on a series of convictions. In 2016 he was moved to the notorious Tora prison, near Cairo. He has died at the age of 67 after collapsing in court during a retrial of charges of espionage for the Palestinian Hamas organization. Learn more.Who are Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar el-Sadat, and Hosni Mubarak?(00:10:00 or p. 7 in the transcript)Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was an Egyptian politician who served as the second President of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Learn more.Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat was a close confidant of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, under whom he served as Vice President twice and whom he succeeded as president in 1970. He serves as President of Egypt until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers in 1981. Learn more.Hosni Mubarak took power in 1981 after the assassination of Anwar el-Sadat. He was the second Arab leader to be toppled by the 2011 Arab Spring protests. He died in 2020. Click here and here to learn more.As mentioned above, Mohamed Morsi from the Muslim Brotherhood became president next. In 2013 former general, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, seized power in a military coup that ousted the country’s only democratically elected government. Abdel Fatah as-Sisi has been President of Egypt since.What happened in 1967?(00:11:00 or p. 7 in the transcript)The Six-Day War, also called June War or Third Arab-Israeli War or Naksah, is a brief war that took place June 5–10, 1967, and was the third of the Arab-Israeli wars. Click here and here to learn more.Who is Abd al-Fattah as-Sisi?(00:18:00 or p. 11 in the transcript)In 2013 former general, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, seized power in a military coup that ousted the country’s only democratically elected government. Abdel Fatah as-Sisi has been President of Egypt since. Learn more.Who was Habib Bourguiba?(00:18:00 or p. 13 in the transcript)Habib Bourguiba was a Tunisian lawyer, nationalist leader and statesman who led the country from 1956 to 1987 as Prime minister of the Kingdom of Tunisia and then as the first President of Tunisia (1957–87). Prior to his presidency, he led the nation to independence from France. He was ousted by his abovementioned prime minister, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was himself overthrown decades later during the Arab Spring uprising in 2011. Learn more.

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We're joined by Thanassis Cambanis for Episode 118 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss the dilemma of weapons beyond state control and the challenges to political and economic reform. Thanassis shares his views on the political calculations that brought Lebanon to its current economic breakdown, and the potential for a citizenry and social pact that respects universal rights and ensures the protection of various identities throughout the region. Thanassis is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. He is the author of 'A Privilege to Die: Inside Hezbollah's Legions and Their Endless War Against Israel' and co-author of 'Citizenship and Its Discontents: The Struggle for Rights, Pluralism, and Inclusion in the Middle East Michael Wahid Hanna'. Both books are referred to in the episode, and can be purchased via the following links: A Privilege to Die: https://www.amazon.com/Privilege-Die-Hezbollahs-Legions-Endless/dp/1439143617 Citizenship and its Discontents: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0870785567/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sout-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0870785567&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2 And check out The Century Foundation's podcast hosted by Thanassis: https://tcf.org/content/tag/podcast/ If you're enjoying these episodes, help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan And subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Instagram: thebeirutbanyan Twitter: beirut_banyan Facebook: The Beirut Banyan Website: www.beirutbanyan.com Music by Marc Codsi. Graphics by Sara Tarhini.

Against the background of impeachment, heightened tensions with Iran, and the Iowa Caucuses, Astead Herndon of The New York Times and Clare Malone of FiveThirtyEight join Politics with Amy Walter to provide an update on the state of the Democratic Primary. Plus, Thanassis Cambanis of the Century Foundation analyzes the future of the US-Iran relationship in light of the assassination of Major General Qassim Soleimani and Andrew Clevenger of CQ Roll Call provides context about the War Powers Resolution.    

Against the background of impeachment, heightened tensions with Iran, and the Iowa Caucuses, Astead Herndon of The New York Times and Clare Malone of FiveThirtyEight join Politics with Amy Walter to provide an update on the state of the Democratic Primary. Plus, Thanassis Cambanis of the Century Foundation analyzes the future of the US-Iran relationship in light of the assassination of Major General Qassim Soleimani and Andrew Clevenger of CQ Roll Call provides context about the War Powers Resolution.    

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Progressives still have to figure out how to translate into policy widely shared concerns with global inequality, authoritarianism, climate change, and reflexive militarism. In this episode, Thanassis Cambanis, Michael Wahid Hanna, and Daniel Benaim discuss the contours of a future progressive foreign policy in the Middle East, what’s missing from the current debates, and the limits of American power. Participants include: Thanassis Cambanis, senior fellow, The Century Foundation Michael Wahid Hanna, senior fellow, The Century Foundation Daniel Benaim, senior fellow, Center for American Progress, and visiting assistant professor, New York University

Thanassis Cambanis is an author, journalist and fellow at The Century Foundation, who specializes in the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. He is co-director of TCF’s “Arab Politics beyond the Uprisings.” His most recent book, Once Upon A Revolution: An Egyptian Story (Simon and Schuster: 2015), chronicles Egyptian efforts to create a new political order. His first book, A Privilege to Die: Inside Hezbollah’s Legions and Their Endless War Against Israel, was published in 2010. He writes “The Internationalist” column for The Boston Globe Ideas, and regularly contributes to The Atlantic, Foreign Policy and The New York Times. He has taught at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and as a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He lives in Beirut. See more of his writing at thanassiscambanis.com.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in the United States on an official visit this week. The already strong relationship between the two countries is being reinforced during meetings with President Donald Trump and senior officials. He will then look to engage other aspects of his Vision 2030 in trips to Silicon Valley and other parts of he US. We talked to Joyce Karam, our Washington correspondent, who was present during Saudi embassy briefings and has been talking to insiders in the capital on what the trip means for bilateral relations. We were also joined by Thanassis Cambanis, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, who gave us a wider perspective on Saudis role in the region and the world.

  There have been repeated, failed efforts over the decades to assemble some kind of Middle Eastern regional security force, something like an “Arab NATO.” Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, examines those initiatives all the way to the present. Grand initiatives are impossible, he argues, but small-scale, piecemeal, and tactical efforts to build cooperation among Arab security forces might make headway. America’s role remains important because of its deep bilateral security ties with so many Middle Eastern governments. Meanwhile, the Arab states of the Gulf are enjoying warm relations with the United States but have fallen deep into internal feuds. Many of the Arab monarchies consider themselves in an existential struggle with Iran, and are also involved in regional conflicts elsewhere. Instead of building deeper relationships and coalitions, they have resorted to a constantly shifting mosaic of alliances, says Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. America’s insistence that Gulf countries exhibit more independence has increased instability, as Arab leaders in the Gulf hedge their bets with a greater number of often contradictory partnerships. Katulis and Hokayem talk with TCF senior fellow Thanassis Cambanis about their contributions on these issues to Order from Ashes: New Foundations for Security in the Middle East. Their reports, and others in this TCF project, can be read online. Participants include:  Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, based in Washington, D.C. Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, based in London. Thanassis Cambanis, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, based in Beirut.

From America’s vantage point, Iran is a primary source of destabilizing intervention across the Middle East. But Iran, like other states, much of the time is pursuing its own interests and trying to manage what it perceives as security threats. Dina Esfandiary, a fellow at King’s College London, talks about the view from Tehran, where the nuclear deal isn’t perceived a windfall or a free lunch. She proposes some ways to better manage Iran’s fears as well as its provocations. In the second segment of this podcast, former U.S. government official and current Duke University professor Bruce W. Jentleson proposes a blueprint for a rebalanced American foreign policy. The United States has drifted away from a clear strategy based on its fundamental interests, Jentleson argues. It’s time to clean house and go back to basics. Esfandiary and Jentleson talk with TCF senior fellow Thanassis Cambanis about their contributions to the TCF project Order from Ashes: New Foundations for Security in the Middle East. Their reports, and others in this project, can be read online. Participants include: Dina Esfandiary, a CSSS fellow in the war studies department at King’s College London, and an adjunct fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Middle East Programme. Bruce Jentleson,  a professor of public policy and political science at Duke University. He served as senior advisor to the State Department policy planning director from  2009–11. His book The Peacemakers: Leadership Lessons from Twentieth Century Statesmanship will be published in April. Thanassis Cambanis, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation.  

Why does the Middle East lag behind every other region in the world in security architecture? What is security architecture? The Century Foundation has launched the results of a multi-year research project, supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, that examines the Middle East’s current regional security environment at a time of perhaps unprecedented turmoil and instability. In this podcast, TCF senior fellows Michael Wahid Hanna and Thanassis Cambanis discuss the findings in Order from Ashes: New Foundations for Security in the Middle East, which will be released online beginning January 2018 and in book form in March 2018. We look at (mostly failed) efforts to create security cooperation. Bold ideas like a pan-Arab peacekeeping force or a new peace process might be impossible in the current climate, but there are plenty of piecemeal efforts that could create security architecture that still improves human security in meaningful ways. This research suggests that security and reform cannot be considered in isolation; they are inextricably linked. Any effective conversation about reform and stability ought to address the security threats, fears, and domestic politics that underlie government decisions. Participants include: Thanassis Cambanis, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation Michael Wahid Hanna, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation

It’s been a year since the dramatic siege and fall of Aleppo, and another part of Syria suffers under blockade: Eastern Ghouta, on the flank of Damascus, where an estimated 400,000 civilians languish under arguably worse conditions than Aleppo experience, but with little international attention. Syrian activist Marcell Shehwaro was at the center of the popular uprising in Aleppo, and won a reputation as an unflagging supporter of civil society and a critic of abuses by the government and also by rebel militias. Today she is working from Beirut to give voice to her fellow citizens trapped in Eastern Ghouta. “Every morning I ask myself what did I not do for Aleppo, so that I can do it for Ghouta.” In our second segment, we hear from James Sadri, executive director of the Syria Campaign, which works with citizens’ groups inside Syria and tries to carry their message abroad. His organization is best known for its efforts to publicize the work of the White Helmets, volunteers who rescue Syrians from bomb sites. He marvels at the resilience of Syrians and the failure of the international system to uphold its commitments to human rights and law—and wonders what the international liberal order can salvage from its shameful record in Syria. Participants include: Marcell Shehwaro, a Syrian civil society activist from Aleppo, currently based in Istanbul and Beirut. James Sadri, executive director of The Syria Campaign. Thanassis Cambanis, senior fellow at The Century Foundation. This podcast was produced by Harrison Cramer. 

Donald Trump's presidency has brought into stark relief questions about America's role and standing in the world. Author Suzy Hansen has spent a decade investigating America's complicated relationship with the Islamic world.   She unspools some of the delusions and denials that undergird America's troubling foreign policy, and asks how it's possible to be a progressive at home and in the world in her new book, "Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World." TCF talks to Suzy Hansen in Istanbul.   Participants include: Suzy Hansen is contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and has written for many other publications. In 2007, she was awarded a fellowship from the Institute of Current World Affairs to do research in Turkey. She currently lives in Istanbul. Notes on a Foreign Country is her first book. Thanassis Cambanis is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation.   This episode was produced by Harrison Cramer. 

The Kurdish drive for independence has foundered and Iraq has reestablished control over disputed areas. Ethnic strains remain, and political divisions are flaring within Iraq’s major communities.   How much control does Iran really have over Iraq? Can Iraqi prime minister Haidar al-Abadi maintain his balancing act, keeping Iran and the United States both on his side, and avoiding dangerous strongman overreach?   We speak in Beirut with Renad Mansour, a research fellow at Chatham House, and Christine van den Toorn, director of the Institute of Regional and International Studies at American University of Iraq, Sulaimani.   Participants include:  Renad Mansour, research fellow at Chatham House   Christine van den Toorn, director of the Institute of Regional and International Studies at American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. Thanassis Cambanis, senior fellow, The Century Foundation

In TCF World’s inaugural podcast episode, Century Foundation fellows Thanassis Cambanis, Michael Wahid Hanna, Aron Lund, and Sam Heller try to put to rest some of the mythology and exaggerations that have grown up around the Islamic State (also known as ISIS). After three years of power in a self-declared caliphate, ISIS is on the run from Mosul, its capital in Iraq, and is on the verge of defeat in its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa. Nonetheless, many commentators and U.S. policymakers still contend that ISIS is as powerful as ever, and is winning even while appearing to lose.   The Century Foundation’s foreign policy team considers drivers of the Islamic State’s resilience and resurgence, its actual strengths and potential, the impact of territorial losses, and the fragile commitment of some governments to exterminate ISIS.   This podcast is a remastered and edited version of a conversation originally posted on July 18, 2017.     Participants include: Thanassis Cambanis, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation Michael Wahid Hanna, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation Aron Lund, Fellow, The Century Foundation Sam Heller, Fellow, The Century Foundation

Has Iran secured a path to the Mediterranean, as some analysts and politicians claim? What is Hezbollah doing these days inside Syria? The Century Foundation’s foreign policy team considers some of the more alarming analysis of Hezbollah and Iran’s position.   Tehran and its Lebanese partner have achieved many of their aims in Syria, changing the strategic playing field — although some of the threat assessments seem inflated.     Participants include: Thanassis Cambanis, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation Sima Ghaddar, Policy Associate, The Century Foundation Michael Wahid Hanna, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation Aron Lund, Fellow, The Century Foundation Sam Heller, Fellow, The Century Foundation

The giddy hopes of the Arab uprisings in 2011 have given way to resurgent authoritarian leadership in some states, while others are bleeding to death. These are not auspicious prospects for liberal democracy. But within each country lies a complex set of forces at work that differ from Tunisia to Morocco, or Egypt to Syria. In their collection "Arab Politics beyond the Uprisings: Experiments in an Era of Resurgent Authoritarianism," co-editors Thanassis Cambanis and Michael Wahid Hanna curate 20 articles considering constitutions and corporations, as well as cartoons, youth, women, football, and more. Michael Hanna explains what they learned. This season of the Tel Aviv Review is made possible by The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, which promotes humanistic, democratic, and liberal values in the social discourse in Israel.

The George Washington University's Marc Lynch talks about the fifth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution with Michael Wahid Hanna & Thanassis Cambanis of The Century Foundation.

The George Washington University's Marc Lynch, director of the Project on Middle East Political Science, with Michael Wahid Hanna & Thanassis Cambanis of The Century Foundation. They talk about the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution on January 25, and the challenges facing Egypt today.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dana Priest moderates a panel that includes Kevin Kallaugher, a political cartoonist at The Economist and winner of the 2015 Herblock Prize for political cartooning; Thanassis Cambanis, a Middle East correspondent and author of “Once Upon a Revolution”; and Vanessa Tucker, vice president for analysis at Freedom House, an independent organization that promotes freedom around the world.

As the US struggles to evacuate Americans from Beirut, Israel says it might consider an international peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon. Meantime, as Israeli air strikes continue and Hezbollah rockets still land in northern Israel, the international community is pushing for a joint cease-fire by Israel and Hezbollah. Israel and the Bush Administration say the "root cause" of the trouble is Hezbollah, and are calling for the group to first return captured Israeli soldiers and stop its rocket attacks before Israel ends its bombardment of Lebanon. We hear about the American refugees, update the early stages of diplomatic efforts to end the fighting, and learn more about Hezbollah's origins, its charismatic leader and its relations with Hamas, Syria and Iran. Making News: The American Evacuation Effort from LebanonHundreds of Europeans are fleeing Lebanon and the United Nations is evacuating family members and nonessential staff. The United States has flown a few dozen Americans out by helicopter and many more are very unhappy. Thanassis Cambanis, who is in Beirut for the Boston Globe, has more on evacuation efforts and the increasingly tense situation in Lebanon.Reporter's Notebook: Parents Face Moral Dilemma in Human-Embryo GlutThe Senate is about to revisit the issue of stem cell research with the Bush White House threatening a veto if it's expanded to allow use of human embryos created in fertility clinics around the country. An estimate half-million human embryos are now frozen in fertility clinics around the US. The Washington Post's Liza Mundy, author of "Souls on Ice" in this month's Mother Jones magazine, says the couples who contributed cells to those embryos are facing excruciating choices.