Center For Global Policy Podcasts

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center’s Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Dr. Kamran Bokhari to develop a strategic forecast for Syria in the upcoming year. Dr. Bokhari is a Senior Director at the Institute who is a specialist on Eurasian politics with a particular focus on the Middle East with over three decades experience in the intelligence analysis community providing strategic assessments on global events. A distinguished professor at the Institute’s M.A. in Strategy and Policy program, Dr. Bokhari also teaches a course on Central Asia at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. Heras and Dr. Bokhari investigate the key dynamics that will shape post-Assad Syria in 2025, and present especially important context on events in Syria that are not being widely discussed that will be essential to understanding the trajectory of the country.

This week, Western countries have organized diplomatic outreach to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed hope for a potential cease-fire with Hamas. In the Indo-Pacific, members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue finalized plans to hold joint military exercises for the first time, while the U.S. stated it would take necessary steps to prevent further coercive action from China following the latter’s recent critical minerals ban. In Russia, Ukrainian agents assassinated a top Russian general in Moscow, and North Korean troops participated in intense fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241220/

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center’s Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Nidal Betare to assess the potential for a Syrian-led, inclusive process of democracy-building in post-Assad Syria. Betare is a Palestinian-American who was born and raised in Syria, and a well-known expert on civil society and the Syrian political opposition. They engage on a wide-ranging discussion on how Syrian civil society can lead its country to engage in a process of reconciliation across Syria’s diverse communities after a decade and a half of war, and a half-century of the rule of a brutal authoritarian regime. Betare and Heras also tackle the subject of what the vibrant and active Syrian-American community can do to help rebuild the country and make it more prosperous than ever before.

In this inaugural edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center’s Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with the Center’s Resident Senior Fellow Murad Batal Al Shishani and the Institute’s Priority Sustainable Counterterrorism Portfolio head and Senior Analyst Tammy Palacios to discuss the prospects for stability in post-Assad Syria. These two institutional experts on global Salafist-Jihadist movements and the Syrian conflict assess the likelihood that former Al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir Al Sham will be able to turn its shocking military victory over the former Assad regime into a sustainable and inclusive governance system in Syria.

This week, Syrian rebel groups captured Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad sought asylum in Moscow, and Israeli forces struck key military targets across Syria. In the Indo-Pacific, China held its largest military drills to date in response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent Pacific tour, while the U.S. increased funding for key initiatives for Taiwan. In Ukraine, Russia made significant advances in Donetsk towards the city of Pokrovsk, while French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Paris. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241213/

This week, rebel groups in Syria captured Aleppo and other areas in a renewed push against Bashar al-Assad’s government, while Israel bombed Lebanon despite the cease-fire. In the Indo-Pacific, China vowed to halt all exports of critical raw minerals to the U.S. in response to the latter’s new batch of export controls targeting Chinese tech companies, while South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol is facing possible impeachment after having imposed martial law, a decision quickly repealed by lawmakers. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, President Vladimir Putin threatened renewed IRBM strikes against Kyiv as Ukrainian officials met with incoming Trump administration officials in Washington. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241206/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a U.S.-mediated cease-fire, while fighting continued in Gaza, with Hamas signaling it could agree to cooperate on ceasing hostilities. In Ukraine, Kyiv experienced the largest drone bombing since the start of the war, and the U.K. unveiled additional sanctions against Russia. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwanese President William Lai is planning a visit to his diplomatic allies with a possible stop-over in the U.S., and Washington is making additional plans to deter China with the Philippines and Japan. In the U.S., President-elect Donald Trump threatened additional tariffs against China, Mexico, and Canada. In the closing of the U.N. COP29 climate conference, richer countries agreed to finance $300 billion per year to assist poorer countries with climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241127/

On this episode of the Contours podcast, host Tammy Palacios sits down with Paul N.K. Aborampah Mensah, senior program manager for Ghana's Center for Democratic Development. Through their talk, they hone in on the situation and challenges ahead of Ghana's 2024 elections, including the Vigilantism Law, approaches to civic education, and how civil society groups can improve their effectiveness.

This week, Ukraine received authorization from the U.S. to use U.S.-supplied ATACM weapon systems to strike deep into Russia’s Kursk region, followed by the authorization to use British/French Storm Shadow missiles. In the Middle East, U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein visited Beirut and Jerusalem to propose ceasefire conditions for Hezbollah and Israel, while Israel continued its bombardments in Gaza and Lebanon. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. announced new military aid and cooperation with the Philippines, and China signed several agreements with global partners during the G20 summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Brazil and Peru. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241122/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, New Lines' Gender Policy Director Kallie Mitchell, along with guests Ruth Whippman and Cait Dallaire, explore the hidden dynamics of identity and power that are reshaping global security, democratic movements, and the future of political engagement.

This week, President-elect Donald Trump nominated members of his incoming government, and the Republican Party retained control of the House of Representatives. In the Middle East, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the annexation of the West Bank amid conflicting reports of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon. In Russia, Ukrainian forces conducted large-scale drone attacks against Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly spoke with Trump about potential resolutions to the war. In the Indo-Pacific, China posted new delimitations around the contested Scarborough Shoal near the Philippines, and U.S. President Joe Biden is set to attend the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241114/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Much attention has been paid to the supply of illicit drugs in the Middle East and war-torn Syria, but little has been focused on the patterns and implications of drug consumption in the region. However, a recent MedGlobal report reveals insightful data about Syria's emerging addiction crisis. The report notes that drug consumption has increased 300% since the outbreak of Syria's civil war, with high addiction rates associated with illicit substances, including captagon, crystal meth, heroin, cannabis, and other volatile substances. In this episode of the Contours podcast, the New Lines Institute’s Caroline Rose and Senior Non-Resident Fellow Dr. Karam Shaar discuss the report’s findings with MedGlobal President Dr. Zaher Sahloul and talk about the future of drug demand in Syria and beyond.

This week, former President Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, while the Republican Party won a Senate majority. In Russia, North Korean troops were reported to have entered combat with Ukrainian forces in Kursk, and Ukraine expressed interest in a Qatari-mediated agreement on the exclusion of energy targets. In the Middle East, Israel continued its assault in Lebanon while an unconfirmed report indicated the U.S. has deployed F-15 jets to Jordan to defend Israel from retaliatory attacks. In the Indo-Pacific, South Korea was hit by cyberattacks, while North Korea launched several short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan and the U.S. held long-range bomber drills with South Korean and Japanese forces. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241108/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, hosts Miloš Maggiore and Andrew Loftesnes provide updates on U.S. domestic developments and examine some of the scenarios that the different U.S. election outcomes could entail across global hotspots. They further look at updates from this week. In Russia, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that North Korean troops have been deployed in Russia's Kursk region, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed with his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol to deepen intelligence exchanges. In the Middle East, Israel conducted air strikes against Iranian military infrastructure and passed a law preventing UNRWA operations in Israel. Finally in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. approved military aid packages to Taiwan and the Philippines, while Japan's long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party failed to gain a majority in this week's parliamentary elections.

This week in the Russia-Ukraine war, the presence of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia was confirmed. In the Pacific, American and Canadian warships transited the Taiwan strait in response to China's blockade training maneuvers last week. In the Middle East, hopes for ceasefire in the Gaza conflict increase in the wake of the death of Yaha Sinwar, Hamas' former leader.

This week, Israel took out Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, while the United States for the first time threatened to cut off arms supplies to Israel and the United Kingdom proposed sanctions against Israeli leaders. In the Indo-Pacific, China held its most intense military exercises this year, staging a blockade within Taiwan’s contiguous waters near its ports. 'In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled his “'Victory Plan'” to parliaments and leaders of the EU and NATO.

This week, the U.S. State Department officially backed Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, as additional Israeli troops were deployed into the country, continuing battles with Hezbollah, with the latter calling for a cease fire. In the Indo-Pacific, North Korea said it would bolster its fortifications along its border with the South, and naval clashes between the Philippines and China resumed in the South China Sea. In Ukraine, Russian forces continued their advances in Donetsk, and Ukrainian officials signaled their intentions to engage in a peace summit by the end of the year with the inclusion of Russia. Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the U.S. State Department officially backed Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, as additional Israeli troops were deployed into the country, continuing battles with Hezbollah, with the latter calling for a cease fire. In the Indo-Pacific, North Korea said it would bolster its fortifications along its border with the South, and naval clashes between the Philippines and China resumed in the South China Sea. In Ukraine, Russian forces continued their advances in Donetsk, and Ukrainian officials signaled their intentions to engage in a peace summit by the end of the year with the inclusion of Russia. Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the Middle East saw heavy military escalation after Israel launched a ground assault against Lebanon following the death of Hezbollah commander Hassan Nasrallah. Iran responded with a missile attack on Israel. In the Indo-Pacific, Russia and China conducted a joint naval patrol along the Arctic, while the U.S. imposed further trade restrictions against Chinese imports. In Ukraine, Russian forces made advances near Vuhledar and Moscow announced plans to conscript more men into the military, while the U.S. called Ukrainian President’s Volodymyr Zelensky’s victory plans “productive.” Editor's Note: This podcast was recorded on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 4 before the port workers strike ended. Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, Israel continued its airstrikes against Lebanon and Gaza, as the U.K. proposed increasing sanctions against West Bank settlers and members of the UN General Assembly repeatedly called for a ceasefire. In the Indo-Pacific, a Russian aircraft breached Japanese airspace for the first time, while the U.S. announced new partnerships in the region to increase resiliency for critical infrastructure and the critical minerals supply chain. In Ukraine, Russia expanded its nuclear doctrine and its cooperation with China while Zelensky visited the US to discuss a roadmap to victory.