The Crisis Next Door: Recent Episodes
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A weekly look at global conflicts that are shaping the future of the world. Host Jason Brooks will be interviewing experts and analysts to provide insight as to why these conflicts matter to everyone.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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’
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.
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.
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.
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
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".
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Islamic State has lost another leader, but is the decapitation strategy employed against jihadist groups working?
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about it with Seth Jones, Harold Brown Chair, Director of the Transnational Threats Project; and Senior Adviser with the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Seth also authored “A Covert Action: Reagan, the CIA, & Cold War Struggle in Poland” which is available on Amazon.
Massive protests that started over checkbook issues in Lebanon and Iraq have morphed into demands for new governments in Beirut and Baghdad.
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks breaks down the protests with Randa Slim, Senior Fellow & Director of Conflict Resolution & Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute.
Violent protests are gripping Chile, one of South America's most affluent countries. What started as a demonstration against a metro fare hike has spread to a wide range of grievances against the government in Santiago.
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the protests with John Bartlett, a journalist based in Santiago, writing for the U-K's Guardian newspaper, the BBC, Washington Post and others, and he's the co-host of Miradas, a podcast focusing on the politics, current events and culture of Latin America.
Protests have rocked Hong Kong for months with both sides digging in deeper. What can bridge the gap?
The Crisis Next Door Host Jason Brooks talks about that with Sophia Yan, China Correspondent for the British newspaper Telegraph. She's based in Beijing, after a five-year posting in Hong Kong.
Turkey launched operation Peace Spring into northern Syria against Kurdish fighters, following President Trump's pullback of U.S. forces in the region. Do the Kurds stand a chance against the Turks, and what does this mean for other U.S. allies?
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about that with Steven Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
From Charleston to Christchurch, white supremacists have made their deadly intentions known to the world. And much like Islamic jihadists, white supremacist groups are increasingly connecting with each other across the globe.
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the worrisome trend with Colin Clarke, a Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Center, and author of After the Caliphate:The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia blame Iran for the missile and drone attacks on two massive oil processing facilities in the Kingdom. Is war inevitable?
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about that prospect with Retired Ambassador Gerald Feierstein, Director of Gulf Affairs and Government Relations at the Middle East Institute, and Ambassador to Yemen from 2010 to 2013.
Just when it seemed like the U.S. may get peace talks going with the Taliban, those prospects were quickly dashed. How long will the U.S. Forever War last in Afghanistan?
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about those prospects with Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and also teaches classes on terrorism for the FBI and on security, politics, religion and history for US and NATO military units.
The always tense border between Lebanon and Israel is once again threatening all-out war as the IDF tries to reign in Hezbollah's precision guided missile program.
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the brewing confrontation with Randa Slim, Senior Fellow and Director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute.
Syria's long-running war has pitted many different sides against each other, and now Turkey is finding itself in the sights of Assad's guns.
On The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about the latest developments in Syria with Professor Joshua Landis, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
India's taking greater control over Kashmir in a move that's been cheered in India, and raised concerns elsewhere around the world.
In The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about the move with Ashok Malik, Distinguished Fellow with the Observer Research Foundation in New Dehli, India.
How long will China wait before intervening in the growing Hong Kong protest movement?
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about that with Ankit Panda, Senior Editor at the Diplomat focusing on security, geopolitics and economics in the Asia-Pacific region, and an award-winning writer published in the The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Politico and War on the Rocks.
The U-S withdrawal from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) is raising questions over a renewed arms race with Russia.
On The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about that grim prospect with Stephen Schwartz, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists , and editor/co-author of "Atomic Audit:The Costs and Consequences of U-S Nuclear Weapons Since 1940."
Hong Kong's streets are increasingly filled with violence as protesters clash with police following the local government's consideration of a bill which would make extradition easier to mainland China.
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the protests and Hong Kong's future with Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong-based writer, lawyer and author of "City of Protest: A Recent History of Dissent in Hong Kong".
Tensions are ratcheting higher between the U-S and Iran as oil tankers are seized and drones are destroyed. How much longer can this go on before both sides finally run into each other?
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about that with Colin Clarke, Senior Research Fellow with The Soufan Center, and author of After the Caliphate:The Islamic State and the Terrorist Diaspora.
Syria's once-vaunted tank fleet is a shadow of its former self following several years of fighting various rebel groups. We're able to get a fairly accurate breakdown on those losses, thanks to the advent of Open South Intelligence collection. The Crisis Next Door is joined by Jakub Janovsky, an IT worker from the Czech Republic who's been amassing footage from the Syrian Civil War since 2011, using OSINT collection methods. Jakub has been a contributor to Bellingcat, which uses OSINT to document conflicts around the world.
The world hasn't seen this many refugees since it was attempting to put itself back together after World War Two. Syrians, South Sudanese, The Rohingya...just some of the groups fleeing deadly conditions in their homelands.
On The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about the growing problem with Joung-ah Ghedini Williams, head of the global communications desk, with the UNHCR , the U-N refugee agency.
Ekrem Imamoglu's victory to become Istanbul's mayor is raising questions about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's grip on power. Is Turkey moving back to a more democratic government?
The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about those prospects with Mustafa Akyol, Senior fellow at The Cato Institute, as well as an Opinion writer for The New York Times, and author of "The Islamic Jesus" & "Islam without Extremes.”
War has never seemed as close as it does now between the U-S and Iran, with Iran shooting down a U-S drone, saying its sending a clear message to Washington.
Is war inevitable? The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about that prospect with Amy Myers Jaffe, a Senior Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on foreign policy in the Middle East.
Its been four decades since China's last war.....and that last opponent may be its next. A thought-provoking article says China may want to warm-up its military with Vietnam. The Crisis Next Door talks with the article's author, Derek Grossman, Senior Defense Analyst with the Rand Corporation, and former daily intelligence briefer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon.
A peaceful pro-democracy protest in Sudan's capital was brutally put down, with scores killed and many more wounded. Is a civil war inevitable for the struggling nation? The Crisis Next Door's Jason Brooks talks about the possibility with Eric Reeves, a longtime Sudan researcher and analyst, most recently a senior fellow at Harvard University. He's also authored two books on Sudan, including "Compromising with Evil: An archival history of greater Sudan, 2007 - 2012"
Somalia continues to convulse with attacks from Islamic militant group Al-Shabaab, and despite U-S airstrikes and a military mission from neighboring African nations, there's little to suggest peace on the horizon. The Crisis Next Door's Jason Brooks talks about the fight with Harun Maruf, journalist for Voice of America, and co-author of of the book, Inside Al-Shabaab.
The English-French divide is growing in Cameroon, with the civil war claiming more lives, and forcing families to seek shelter as their villages are burned to the ground. Joining Jason Brooks to talk about the conflict is Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Central Africa Researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The U-S and Iran seem closer to war than ever before, with the U-S beefing up its military presence in the Persian Gulf and Iran's leadership striking a defiant tone. The Crisis Next Door's Jason Brooks digs into what all of this means with Alireza Nader, founder and CEO of New Iran, a Washington D-C think tank dedicated to research and analysis of Iran.
The Syrian Army aided by Russian warplanes is assaulting Idlib, the remaining enclave controlled by rebels. The potential for a humanitarian crisis is off the charts as Assad looks to regain full control of the war-torn country. Joining The Crisis Next Door to talk about the offensive is Professor Joshua Landis, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is moving to end a months-long stalemate in the politically-torn country by calling for the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro. Chaos has gripped parts of the country with both sides claiming early victories. The Crisis Next Door unfolds the fluid situation with Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi, Senior Fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Could a small group of uninhabited islands spark a shooting war between the U-S and China? However unlikely that may seem, the possibility is growing and that's prompted Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution to propose alternative methods for the U-S to deal with such a scenario in his new book, The Senkaku Paradox:Risking Great Power War Over Small Stakes.
Libya's coastal capitol Tripoli is facing an onslaught from a general hoping to push Islamist groups out of power, an offensive that's caught the world by surprise. Complicating the matter is that both sides are made up of many militias with competing aims. To get a handle on the battle, The Crisis Next Door talked with Oded Berkowitz, Regional Director of Intelligence for MAX Security, a geopolitical risk consulting firm based in Tel Aviv.
Ukrainians have seen their country shrink with Russia grabbing the Crimea and backing a separatist war in Ukraine's east, while the economy has struggled to grow under that duress. That's shaken up Ukraine's presidential election with voters looking in a decidedly different direction for their next leader.
Joining The Crisis Next Door to talk about the election from Kiev is Nina Jankowicz, Global Fellow at The Wilson Center's Kennan Institute.
Across Bangladesh's frontier with Myanmar are sprawling camps, teeming with Rohingya refugees, pushed out of Myanmar in a military crackdown two years ago. They have nowhere to go, and no one wants them.
On The Crisis Next Door I discuss the plight of the Rohingya with 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 book, "The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar's Hidden Genocide."
Damascus has reclaimed control of much of Syria, but the war shows few signs of ending, and it continues to threaten a wider-conflict. On The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about the Syrian Knot with Steven Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
India and Pakistan came closer than anyone wants recently to their first all-out war in decades. The big difference now is that both are armed with nuclear weapons.
Joining The Crisis Next Door to talk about preventing a nuclear nightmare between the longtime rivals is retired Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia. He served as Pakistan's ambassador to the U-S from 2008-2011, and was an adviser to four Pakistani Prime Ministers, as well as serving as Pakistan's ambassador to Sri Lanka in 92-93.
Algerians are taking to the streets, demanding longtime leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika not seek a fifth term. The demonstrations echo the massive protests that gripped North Africa and the Middle East earlier this decade, and The Crisis Next Door talks to retired U-S Ambassador Robert Ford about the impact of the protests. Ambassador Ford served in that capacity in Algeria from 2006-2008 and in Syria from 2011-2104. He's currently teaching at Yale and is a Senior Fellow with the Middle East Institute.
How serious is Kim Jong Un about giving up North Korea's nuclear weapons program? Can President Trump work out a deal without giving up too much? I posed these questions to Retired Army Colonel David Maxwell, Senior Fellow with the Foundations for Defense of Democracies.
Sunni insurgents operating in Iran's mostly lawless frontier with Pakistan are increasingly becoming more lethal in their attacks on Iranian security forces. Joining The Crisis Next Door to examine the growing fight from Iran's Sunni population is Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director for the International Crisis Group.
The Philippines may finally have achieved a breakthrough in ending a decades long Muslim insurgency in its southern islands. Will Muslim self-rule work? The Crisis Next Door is joined by Joshua Kurlantzick, Senior Fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Nigerians head to the ballot this month to determine their next president. But Africa's biggest economic power faces challenges in repeating the 2015 presidential election, the first peaceful transition of power between two parties in the country. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks it out with Judd Devermont, Director of the Africa Program with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Is the U-S planning to invade Venezuela to help opposition leader Juan Guaido overthrow Nicolas Maduro? The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the possibility with Ambassador James Dobbins, a Senior Fellow and Distinguished chair in Diplomacy and Security at the RAND Corporation.
Right wing extremist attacks have steadily increased over the past decade in the U-S and Europe. Islamic terror groups like the ISIS and al-Shabaab may be causing greater suffering in the Middle East and Africa, but right wing terrorists are taking a bigger toll in the West. I discuss the trend with Colin Clarke, Senior Research Fellow at the Soufan Center, and author of After the Caliphate:The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora, which is available for pre-order on Amazon, to be released in June.
Iran's Islamic Republic gained power forty years ago, creating one of the stronger states in the Middle East. But divisions within and rivalries outside are pressuring the Republic like never before. The Crisis Next Door's Jason Brooks talks about Iran's future with Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow with the Middle East Institute, specializing in regional security affairs with a focus on Iran.
2019 is upon us with conflicts raging in Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine, with faultlines trembling in many other corners of the world. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the top risks with Alex Kliment, Senior Editor of Signal and Creative Director of GZERO Media with the Eurasia Group.
Syria's grinding civil war got another big surprise with President Trump announcing the sudden withdrawal of U-S forces helping the Kurds and other rebels fight ISIS. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks examines what this means for Syria, the Kurds and the rest of the region with Seth Jones, director of the Transnational Threats Project, and a senior advisor to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
A humanitarian crisis looms in Yemen, where fighting between the government backed Saudi and UAE coalition and the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels has left millions with only scraps of food. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks with Joost Hiltermann, Middle East and North Africa Program Director for the International Crisis Group.
Russia's restive North Causasus region is simmering on the possibility of shifting borders. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks explores the situation with Independent Security analyst Neil Hauer, who focuses on Russia and the Caucasus, and is based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Kiev is on edge after a naval skirmish with Russian Coast Guard forces, resulting in the seizure of several Ukrainian vessels. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the high-seas drama with Dr. Donald Jensen with the Center for European Policy Analysis.
Islamic militants are increasingly spreading their influence across a wide swath of sub-Saharan Africa. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks discusses the jihadist rise with Dr. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Senior Fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The calm never lasts long in Gaza, with fierce fighting once again erupting between the Israeli army and Palestinian militants. Will this latest flare up lead to a bigger fight? The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks discusses those prospects with CBS Military Consultant Retired Army Major Mike Lyons.
Sri Lanka's been at peace for a nearly a decade after its devastating quarter century civil war. But the surprise sacking of the country's Prime Minister has the island nation on edge. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the situation with Dr. Jonah Blank, Senior Political Scientist with the Rand Corporation, and author of "Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God" and "Mullahs on the Mainframe."
The Balkans are once again at a delicate moment in history as the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians consider a land swap. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the potential falling-dominoes with Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
U.S. and Saudi relations are at a nadir after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
To dig into how bad it's going to get and what it means for the Middle East, The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks is joined by Steven Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies with the Council on Foreign Relations.
China is cracking down on its minority populations in a key border province while beefing up its military capabilities in the seas touching its shores. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about China's latest moves with Rui Zhong, Program Assistant for the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and the U-S.
It's getting downright nasty between Turkey and Saudi Arabia as the two countries find themselves opposed on a host of big issues, from Syria to Iran and terrorism. The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks talks about the growing rivalry with Dr. Bulent Aliriza, the Turkey Project Director for The Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Seven years after the fall of Gaddafi, Libya finds itself a collection of fiefdoms run by powerful militias. That chaos has provided a big opportunity for terrorist groups as well as stronger countries seeking influence over a country sitting on vast oil reserves. On The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about Libya's future with former U.S. Special Envoy to Libya, Jonathan Winer, with the Middle East Institute.
Terrorists strike somewhere in the world every day...ranging from ISIS in Syria to Boko Haram in Nigeria, and Al-Shabaab in Somalia. The Crisis Next Door Host Jason Brooks discusses the strategies that are being used to counter terrorists, and whether they're effective, with RAND Terrorism Expert, Brian Michael Jenkins.
Hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers and a small contingent of Chinese troops engaged in the biggest Russian war games since the days of the Soviet Union. Jeffrey Mankoff, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow with the Center For Strategic and International Studies talks with The Crisis Next Door host Jason Brooks about the significance of the exercise.
Hotspots are bubbling over around the world, from major civil wars and foreign intervention to coflicts just beginning to erupt. On The Crisis Next Door, host Jason Brooks takes the temperature of these conflicts with Alex Kliment, Senior Editor of Signal and Creative Director of GZERO Media with the Eurasia Group.
Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have suffered some big body blows in recent years, but the two terrorist groups remain potent as they look for new opportunities. On The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about those future scenarios with Colin P. Clarke, Senior Political Scientist with the RAND Corporation, and co-author of Mapping Today's Jihadi Landscape and Threat.
A major battle is shaping up as the Syrian government looks to take back the last major region held by rebel groups. On The Crisis Next Door, Jason Brooks talks about the battle for Idlib with Seth Jones, director of the Transnational Threats Project, and a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.