Encounter - Voice of America: Recent Episodes
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Join host Carol Castiel each week as she and two advocates from the world of politics, culture, public policy, or academia debate and discuss a critical issue in the news. This program brings depth, perspective, and insight to the world around us.
Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.
Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.
Given the legacy of slavery and discrimination in the United States, race-conscious admissions have shaped US higher education since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. However, in one of the final rulings of its current term, the conservative majority on the US Supreme Court struck down the use of race as a factor in college admissions, overturning decades of precedent. On this encore edition of Encounter Professor of Law at the University of Michigan, Elise Boddie, and Legal fellow and manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program at the Conservative Heritage Foundation, Zack Smith, spar over the pros and cons of this landmark decision and discuss with host Carol Castiel, its ramifications for opportunity and diversity on college campuses and in the workplace across the United States.
In this Encore Presentation of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Dave Workman, spokesperson for the Second Amendment Foundation, and Nick Wilson, senior director for Gun Violence Prevention at the Center for American Progress, about the factors contributing to gun violence, the political impediments to more effective safety legislation and areas of common ground.
Michelle Gavin, former US Ambassador to Botswana and senior fellow in Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and Susan Stigant, Director of Africa Programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace discuss the military coup in Niger, the Russia-Africa Summit, the conflict in Sudan, and US-Africa relations with host Carol Castiel.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute about a potential second federal indictment of former President Donald Trump, the politicization of the National Defense Authorization Act by House Republicans and the ramifications of a possible third-party candidate by a group called No Labels on the 2024 presidential contest.
Catherine Sendak, director for Transatlantic Security and Defense at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), and Will Pomeranz, Director, Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, discuss the results and ramifications of the much-anticipated NATO Summit in Vilnius with host Carol Castiel.
Given the legacy of slavery and discrimination in the United States, race-conscious admissions have shaped US higher education since the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. However, in one of the final rulings of its current term, the conservative majority on the US Supreme Court struck down the use of race as a factor in college admissions, overturning decades of precedent. On this edition of Encounter Professor of Law at the University of Michigan, Elise Boddie, and Legal fellow and manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program at the conservative Heritage Foundation, Zack Smith, spar over the pros and cons of this landmark decision and discuss with host Carol Castiel, its ramifications for opportunity and diversity on college campuses and in the workplace across the United States.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Mark Katz, professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at George Mason University and Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow in Russian Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), about the significance and implications of the attempted mutiny spearheaded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary Wagner Group, in Russia. They analyze the impact of the aborted revolt on Vladimir Putin’s grip on power, Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and much more.
On the heels of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China, experts Bonnie Glaser, Director Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, tell host Carol Castiel that the renewed dialogue between Beijing and Washington constitutes a crucial first step in easing tensions on several contentious issues from Taiwan, climate change and fentanyl flows to military-to-military communications and more.
The 37-count indictment of former President Donald Trump on federal charges of willfully retaining documents containing national defense information and then refusing to return them is especially grave because 31 counts relate to violation of the Espionage Act. Tess Bridgeman, former deputy legal advisor to National Security Council and co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, and Bill Galston, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, analyze the damage done to US national security and the political ramifications of former President Trump’s alleged actions.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute about the historic indictment of former President Donald Trump, the expanding field of Republican presidential candidates, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s woes as chaos ensues among conservative members upset over of his compromise on raising the debt ceiling.
Incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defeated opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, in the May 28 presidential runoff, clinching another five-year term in office. Erdogan’s 52-48 margin of victory illustrates a deeply divided electorate and left hopeful followers of the opposition alliance in a state of despondency. Turkish analysts, Merve Tahiroglu, Turkey Program director at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and Mustafa Akyol, senior fellow at the CATO Institute, discuss the myriad domestic and international political implications of Erdogan’s victory with host Carol Castiel.
Edward "Ted" Alden from the Council on Foreign Relations and Tom Jawitz from the Center for American Progress joins guest host Rick Pantaleo on this edition of Encounter to talk about the end of Title 42, the health order that tightly controlled migrant entry into the U.S. during the pandemic. They'll also discuss the ensuing changes in U.S. immigration rules due to its termination.
No candidate received 50 percent of the vote in Turkey’s landmark presidential elections on May 14, so there will be a runoff on May 28. However, incumbent Recep Tayyib Erdogan fared much better than expected against his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and Erdogan’s AK party alliance won a majority of seats in parliament. Turkish analysts Merve Tahiroglu and Mustafa Akyol talk with host Carol Castiel about why this occurred and suggest that Erdogan’s use of “identity politics” trumped his perceived mismanagement of the economy and the February earthquakes.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute about the issues dominating the US political landscape like the showdown between the White House and Republican-led House of Representatives, which is trying to exact future budget cuts in exchange for raising the nation’s debt ceiling, ramifications of the expiration of Title 42, a Covid pandemic-era policy that kept out many asylum-seekers, and political implications for GOP presidential frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, who was found guilty by a Manhattan jury of sexually assaulting and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll in a department store in the 1990’s.
Ambassador Tibor Nagy, former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Ambassador Donald Booth, former US ambassador to Ethiopia and former special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, discuss with host Carol Castiel the factors behind the ongoing violence in Sudan, the centrality of the rival generals and their constituencies, and a formula to pave the way for stability which the United States can play a critical role in facilitating.
Cameron Hudson, senior associate with the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Katherine Zimmerman, fellow in foreign policy and defense studies at the American Enterprise Institute, join host, Carol Castiel to discuss the factors that led to the latest outbreak of violence in Sudan and the daunting challenges of bringing the country back from the brink and toward a democratic transition.
Mass shootings are once again dominating US headlines – whether at a bank in Kentucky, an elementary school in Tennessee, or a sweet sixteen birthday party in Alabama. Host Carol Castiel talks with Dave Workman, spokesperson for the Second Amendment Foundation, and Nick Wilson, senior director for Gun Violence Prevention at the Center for American Progress, about the factors contributing to gun violence, the political impediments to more effective safety legislation and areas of common ground.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Michael Kugelman, deputy director for the Asia program at The Wilson Center and Elizabeth Threlkeld, senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at The Stimson Center spar over the results of the Biden Administration’s “After-Action” Report on Afghanistan, which places most of the blame on the previous Trump Administration for the chaotic US withdrawal from that war-torn South Asian nation.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute about the significance and implications of the indictment of former President Donald J. Trump, the first former president ever to face criminal charges. The Manhattan District Attorney charged Trump with 34 counts of making false statements and falsifying business records to suppress negative information that could have adversely affect his electoral prospects in 2016.
Elly Rostoum, former US intelligence official, now a political science lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, and David Green, Civil Liberties Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, discuss the national security and civil liberties concerns surrounding TikTok, whose parent company, ByteDance, is owned by China, with host Carol Castiel. Democratic and Republican lawmakers, worried about risks to American users and national security, grilled the TikTok CEO at a recent hearing on Capitol Hill. Rostoum and Greene spar over the pros and cons of banning the popular social media app in the United States.
On this US politics edition of Encounter, Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute join host Carol Castiel to discuss the politics of the four government-run probes into former President Donald Trump or his business, Republican reaction to the investigations, what impact they may have on Trump’s prospects to win the Republican primary for the 2024 presidential elections and much more.
On the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, host Carol Castiel speaks with veteran Middle East observers, Ellen Laipson, director of the Center for Security Policy Studies, George Mason University, and Randa Slim, director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute (MEI), about the shifting rationales for the George W. Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq and the gains and challenges that remain for a country which has resumed its place in the Arab world.
Host Carol Castiel speaks with Gönül Tol, founding director of the Turkey Program at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and Ambassador James Jeffrey, a senior American diplomat, now Chair of the Middle East Program at The Wilson Center, about the pivotal presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey in mid-May. After almost 20 years in power, President Recep Tayip Erdogan faces not only deep anger from the population after two earthquakes struck the southeastern part of the country in February but also a relatively unified opposition which threatens his grip on power.
US-China relations have always been somewhat complex. Tensions between the two countries have increased recently due to several factors. This week, on Encounter, it's an update on US/China relations. Guest host, Rick Pantaleo's guests are Yun Sun, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program, at the Stimson Center, and Dean Cheng, Non-resident Senior Fellow, at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and a Senior Adviser at the US Institute of Peace.
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Will Pomeranz, director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, discuss the state of play in Ukraine on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion with host Carol Castiel. The war will continue for an unspecified length of time, but Kendall-Taylor says it reflects a “strategic failure” for Moscow and Pomeranz says that “the Western alliance has held together because Vladimir Putin is fighting an imperial war at a time when the West thought that the age of imperialism was long relegated to the history books.”
Peter Lewis, Professor of African Studies at Johns Hopkins University and Ebenezer Obadere, senior fellow in African Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, discuss with host Carol Castiel what’s at stake in the upcoming Nigerian presidential and parliamentary elections and whether insurgent Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, can mobilize his supporters, defy the odds, and emerge victorious.
On this US politics edition of Encounter, Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Carol Castiel to discuss the animated tone and substance of US President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union address to Congress, which emphasized the administration’s legislative achievements over the past two years and provided a blueprint for the remainder of his term, among other political issues facing the divided 118th Congress.
Despite calls for police reform legislation after the tragic death of George Floyd in May 2020, negotiations over the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act collapsed in the last Congress. Now, Tyre Nichols, a young Black man, has become the most recent victim of excessive police violence, this time in Memphis, Tennessee. Host Carol Castiel talks with law enforcement experts Chuck Wexler, Executive Director, Police Executive Research Forum and Ganesha M. Martin, former director of the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, about the steps needed, including federal legislation, to reform policing in America.
Is the United States playing catch-up with China and Russia in Africa or just making good on commitments from the recent US – Africa Leaders Summit? Rama Yade, Director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council and Michelle Gavin, former US Ambassador to Botswana and senior fellow in Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, discuss with host Carol Castiel the timing and significance of trips by two senior US cabinet officials --Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield -- to numerous African countries and how these visits fit into the larger Biden Administration Africa strategy.
US President Joe Biden met with his North American counterparts from Canada and Mexico in what has been called the three amigos Summit or North American Leaders Summit in Mexico City in early January. Luz Maria de la Mora Sanchez, former Mexican Vice Minister of foreign trade and Eric Farnsworth, Vice President of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas, discuss the significance and takeaways of this trilateral meeting with host Carol Castiel.
On this US politics edition of Encounter vice president for policy at Third Way, Jim Kessler and American Enterprise Institute resident scholar, John Fortier spar over the nature and direction of the Republican-led House of Representatives of the 118th Congress after concessions California Congressman Kevin McCarthy made to a group of right-wing hardliners in exchange for their vote to elect him Speaker of the House of Representatives after a historic 15th round of voting.
On this annual edition of Encounter, Georgetown professors Anthony (Tony) Arend and Amb. Mark Lagon talk with host Carol Castiel about the most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges facing the United States in 2023. Will the new Republican-led House of Representatives hamper US President Joe Biden’s ability to mobilize robust financial support for Ukraine against Russia? In addition to the rise of China, what other long-term geostrategic priorities require US leadership?
From the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, to the release of a comprehensive report from the select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, host Carol Castiel reviews the stories that dominated the headlines in 2022 and will likely carry over to 2023 with Michael Williams, Washington correspondent for Project 10 TV Australia and Tracy Wilkinson, senior foreign policy writer for the Los Angeles Times.
On this year-end edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel presents excerpts from our most memorable programs in 2022. From holding Russia accountable for the crime of aggression and war crimes in Ukraine, elections in Brazil and the United States, to the African Union brokered ceasefire in Ethiopia and the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, we present key highlights from 2022.
On this year-end US politics edition of Encounter, Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute discuss the major issues facing the lame-duck session of Congress with host Carol Castiel as well as the mini-revolt on the right that threatens to imperil Kevin McCarthy’s bid to be Speaker of the House of Representatives when Republicans take control of the lower chamber in early January 2023.
Joseph Sany, vice president of the Africa Center at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) and David Shinn, former US Ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso preview the US-Africa Leaders Summit with host Carol Castiel. Hosted by US President Joe Biden, the confab aims to bring together high-level officials and business leaders from both continents to strengthen US – Africa trade and investment ties and foster cooperation on shared global priorities such as climate change, food security, pandemic prevention and democracy.
David Makovsky, distinguished fellow and director of the Project on Arab Israeli relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Natan Sachs, director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, discuss with host Carol Castiel why Israelis voted to return former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) to power along, with an alliance of far-right politicians, and the domestic and global ramifications of this turn of events.
From US-Saudi relations to the politics of the World Cup in Qatar, Professor Ellen Laipson, director of the “Center for Security Policy Studies” at George Mason University and Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, analyze several major Mideast stories with host Carol Castiel.
On November 2, 2022, the Ethiopian government and leaders of the Tigray Region, who have been fighting for two years, signed a ceasefire agreement brokered by the African Union. Ambassador Tibor Nagy, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs and Donald Booth, former Ambassador to Ethiopia and special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, discuss the significance of this critical step toward enduring peace and the promises and perils ahead in its implementation with host Carol Castiel.
In a stunning reversal of expectations, many Republican candidates underperformed their Democratic opponents in several key congressional and statewide races in the November 8 midterm elections. Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, discuss with host Carol Castiel the primary factors which minimized losses for the Democrats, from former President Trump’s role in endorsing flawed candidates to the overturning of abortions rights by the US Supreme Court.
In one of the most anticipated and hotly contested elections in Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeats sitting President Jair Bolsonaro by a slim margin. Eric Farnsworth, Vice President of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas, and Bruna Santos, senior advisor at the Brazil Institute of the Wilson Center, discuss with host Carol Castiel the domestic and international challenges and opportunities facing President-elect “Lula.”
China experts David Shullman at the Atlantic Council, and Carla Freeman at the US Institute of Peace, talk with host Carol Castiel about the implications of the recently concluded 20th Communist Party Congress, which awarded Xi Jinping an unprecedented third term as Party head.
Host Carol Castiel speaks with former British diplomat Nicholas Westcott, now director of the Royal African Society, and American international affairs analyst, Calvin Dark, co-founder of RC Communications, about the future of the British monarchy overseas.
Veteran foreign policy journalist, Laura Rozen, and director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, Alex Vatanka, join host Carol Castiel to discuss what triggered the recent women-led anti-regime protests in Iran and brutal crackdown by Tehran.
On the 30th anniversary of the Rome General Peace Accords, which ended the Mozambican civil war, experts Alex Vines of the London-based Chatham House, and Anne Pitcher,of the University of Michigan join Carol Castiel to reflect on progress and setbacks in this strategic southern Africa country.
The US Supreme Court begins a new term on October 3rd. Carol Castiel talks with Carrie Severino, president of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network and Elliot Mincberg, senior counsel at the liberal People for the American Way, about the makeup and direction of the high court.
Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Center for a New American Security, & Will Pomeranz of the Wilson Center, discuss with Carol Castiel the significance of Ukraine’s successful counteroffensives against Russia & Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intention to call up reservists & annex parts of Ukraine.
Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler of Third Way, and John Fortier of the American Enterprise Institute about the unusual political landscape in advance of the 2022 midterm elections. They spar over the issues driving the electorate to the polls and prospects for both Republican and Democrats.
Michael Newton, professor of law and former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, and visiting professor at Harvard Law, Alex Whiting, discuss how to address and prosecute alleged war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
Carol Castiel speaks with Alex Vines, from the London-based Chatham House, and Marissa Moorman, from the University of Wisconsin, about the results and implications of the closely fought general elections in Angola.
Carol Castiel travels to western Pennsylvania to speak with Paul Stefano, former chair of the Democratic Party of Lawrence County, and Richard Flannery, a Republican activist, about the political mood in this key battleground state in the runup to the midterm elections.
Carol Castiel talks with Carrie Severino of the Judicial Crisis Network and Elliot Mincberg of People for the American Way, spar over the nature and direction of the current conservative US Supreme Court and how their jurisprudence will affect key cases in the upcoming 2022/2023 term.
Michael Kugelman of The Wilson Center and Elizabeth Threlkeld of The Stimson Center discuss with host Carol Castiel the political, economic, and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan on the anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Ambassador David Shinn, and Joshua Meservey, Heritage Foundation, discuss with Carol Castiel how Russia’s false narrative regarding the food crisis is playing out in Africa as well as why visits by key U.S. officials are so critical for reinforcing the U.S.-Africa geostrategic partnerships.
On this edition, Michael Kugelman,of the Wilson Center, and Neil DeVotta, of Wake Forest University, talk with Carol Castiel about economic and political factors that triggered the ouster of Sri Lanka’s president and the challenges ahead in restoring stability to this strategic South Asian nation.
Carol Castiel talks with John Fortier, from the American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, from Third Way about former President Donald Trump’s role in fomenting the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, which threatened to subvert the peaceful transfer of power.
Host Carol Castiel speaks with Brian Katulis, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute and David Schenker, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the significance and impact of President Biden’s first Mideast trip since becoming head of state.
Host Carol Castiel speaks with Matthew Carotenuto, Professor of History, St. Lawrence University, and Michael Wairungu, Assistant Director of Student Life and Academic Instruction, St. Lawrence University Kenya Semester program, about what is at stake in the upcoming August 9 elections in Kenya.
Carol Castiel talks with Jeffrey Rathke, Johns Hopkins University, and Pierre Morcos, Center for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss the significance of the NATO Summit in Madrid.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Frances Lee, Princeton University and Matt Bennett, Third Way about the significance and political impact of a series of televised public hearings concerning the events that led to the January 6, 2021, violent attack on the US Capitol.
Bruce Klingner from the Heritage Foundation and Ellen Kim from the Center for Strategic and International Studies joins guest host Rick Pantaleo for an update on North Korea.
Carol Castiel talks with Eric Farnsworth, Americas Society and Council of the Americas, and Cynthia Arnson, Wilson Center who share their insights about the 9th Summit of the Americas that was held in Los Angeles from June 6th through June 10th 2022.
As Russia’s war on Ukraine approaches the 100-day mark, Carol Castiel talks with Andrea Kendall Taylor, Center for a New American Security and Jonathan Katz, German Marshall Fund of the United States about all aspects of the state of play.
Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler, vice president for policy Third Way & John Fortier, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute about critical issues dominating the US political landscape including the epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings in America.
Carol Castiel speaks with Jamie Fly, CEO & President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, & Bay Fang, CEO of Radio Free Asia, to discuss challenges facing US-funded international broadcasters to bring objective news/information to people around the globe, particularly where there is no free press.
Barbara Slavin, Director of Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Andrea Stricker, resident fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, discuss the pros and cons of salvaging the international deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program with host Carol Castiel.
Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, and Mona Yacoubian, senior advisor at the US Institute of Peace (USIP), spar over the points of convergence and divergence regarding Russia’s malign actions in Syria and Ukraine with host Carol Castiel.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected all regions of the world, including Latin America. Host Carol Castiel speaks with Benjamin Gedan, deputy director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center and Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society about the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the politics of lifting of two controversial US border policies which affect migration at the southern US border.
Against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Joshua Meservey, senior policy analyst for Africa & the Middle East at the Heritage Foundation, and Susan Stigant, director of Africa Programs for the U.S. Institute of Peace, join host Carol Castiel to discuss the perils of the Wagner group, Russian mercenaries operating at the behest of the Mali junta. They also give an update on and assessment of the civil war in Ethiopia and the resilience of the Sudanese people in the face of the military takeover in Khartoum which disrupted the transition to civilian rule.
Michael Newton, Law professor and former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, and Visiting Harvard Law professor, Alex Whiting who is also deputy specialist prosecutor at the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague, join host Carol Castiel to discuss potential war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine and the important ongoing process of documenting evidence, which is needed to hold perpetrators, up to and including Russian President Vladimir Putin, accountable at the ICC or any other national or international venue.
Host Carol Castiel talks with Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute about critical issues dominating the US political landscape from the seven hour and 37-minute gap in former President Donald Trump’s phone log on January 6, 2021, the day a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, US President Joe Biden’s decision to release more oil from the US strategic petroleum reserve to mitigate rising fuel prices, the politics surrounding the confirmation of the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and headwinds for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
Jennifer Cafarella, Chief of Staff and Inaugural National Security Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War and Colin Clarke, Senior Research Fellow and Director of Research at the Soufan Center talk with host Carol Castiel about how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has adversely affected its influence abroad, from sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East and beyond. Moscow’s violations of international law and human rights have sullied its reputation; its use of mercenaries from the Wagner Group further expose Russia’s battlefield losses and undermine the country’s reputation as a global military power.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating the conflict in Yemen which is dependent on wheat which is grown in both countries. Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Nadwa Al Dawsari, non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, review the military, political and humanitarian state of play in Yemen as the civil conflict which began in 2014, has morphed over the last eight years into a proxy war between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. They are pessimistic that the stalemate can be broken any time soon, even for a truce during the holy month of Ramadan.
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and Melinda Haring, Deputy Director of the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, analyze with host Carol Castiel the current state of play of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the extraordinary unity of NATO and the European Union in coordinating the provision of defensive weapons to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, the leadership and courage shown by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the increasingly isolated Russian President Vladimir Putin who has wrought untold devastation in Ukraine, hurt the Russian people and Moscow’s standing in the world.
After almost one year of intense negotiations in Vienna, Russia has temporarily scuttled the revived nuclear deal with Iran. Barbara Slavin, Director of Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Andrea Stricker, resident fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, spar over the merits and drawbacks of the revived deal, originally brokered by the Obama administration in 2015, from which the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew in 2018. Drawing the ire of the United States and Iran, Russia has made what are seen as unacceptable last-minute demands, which have impeded the finalization of the deal meant to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief
Jim Kessler, Vice President for Policy at Third Way, and John Fortier, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute analyze with host Carol Castiel US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address which underscored his successful efforts in unifying the EU, NATO, and other allies in condemning Russia and imposing severe sanctions on Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin, his historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court, and what can be achieved between now and the November 2022 midterm elections.
On the 50th anniversary of former US President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing, China experts Bonnie Glaser, Director Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute talk with host Carol Castiel about the evolution of U.S. China relations. They also analyze the relationship through the lens of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the growing geostrategic rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing.
Michael Kugelman, from the Wilson Center and Elizabeth Threlkeld, from the Stimson Center joins Carol Castiel to discuss the political, economic, and humanitarian state of play in Afghanistan six months the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Jennifer Cafarella, Director of Intelligence Planning at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), and Brian Katulis, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute discuss the significance and ramifications of the US raid on ISIS leader, Hajji Abdullah.
Eric Farnsworth, Council of the Americas and the Americas Society and Benjamin Gedan, Woodrow Wilson Center discuss the significance of the inauguration of the first woman president of Honduras and challenges facing Chile’s young, president-elect who recently named a majority female cabinet.
Will Pomeranz, deputy director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow, and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) discuss with host Carol Castiel the latest developments, including the placement of 8,500 US military personnel on “high alert” and considering the imposition of draconian sanctions on the Kremlin for its malign actions against Ukraine and Eastern European NATO members.
Ambassador Rama Yade, Senior Director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council, and Mvemba Dizolele, Director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), discuss with host Carol Castiel African efforts and prospects for ending the civil war in Ethiopia, reversing the military coup in Sudan, and addressing the threat posed by violent extremists in the Sahel region.
NOTE: This program was recorded prior to the military coup in Burkina Faso.
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, spar over the merits and politics of US President Joe Biden’s forceful push for voting rights legislation as well as a modification of the filibuster, a parliamentary procedure requiring 60 of the 100 senators to agree to advance most legislation. Given united Republican opposition to the voting rights bills and to changing filibuster rules, analysts say the chances of passing the legislation are very slim.
On this annual edition of Encounter, Kori Schake, senior fellow and the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and Brian Katulis, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute talk with host Carol Castiel about the most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges that face the second year of the Biden Administration as midterm elections loom.
From the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and constant Covid-19 challenges to military coups in Myanmar and Sudan, host Carol Castiel reviews the stories that dominated the 2021 headlines with Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief for the Christian Science Monitor and Michael Williams, Washington correspondent for Project 10 TV Australia.
On this year-end edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel presents excerpts from our most memorable programs in 2021. From the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States of America to the ongoing struggle with the coronavirus pandemic and much more, we present key domestic and international highlights from 2021.
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, take stock of US President Joe Biden’s first year in office. Despite his major accomplishments, including the Covid-19 relief bill and bipartisan infrastructure legislation, a couple of conservative Democrats in the evenly split Senate have thus far stymied Biden’s hopes for passing voting rights and “Build Back Better” legislation before the end of 2021.
A bill to create a commission to study the effects of slavery and discrimination in the United States has been stalled in the House of Representatives for more than seven months. In this encore edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Jennifer Oast, professor and chair of the Department of History at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, and Noah Millman, political columnist for “The Week,” about the merits and drawbacks of reparations for descendants of slaves and why the debate has been revived in recent days. Listen to Encounter on the Voice of America!
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping attempted to fend off further escalation over contentious issues like Taiwan, human rights, and the global balance of power and reach some agreement on health security and climate change at a recent virtual summit. East Asia experts Richard Fontaine, CEO of The Center for a New American Security, and Dean Cheng, Senior Research Fellow at the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation talk with host Carol Castiel about the challenges ahead for the US-China relationship.
Olayemi Olurin, a public defender with the Legal Aid Society in New York City and Mollie Saltskog, an expert in disinformation and domestic extremism at the Soufan Center, discuss the ramifications of the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, a young man charged with homicide in the deadly Kenosha, Wisconsin shootings of August 2020. Olurin tells VOA the self-defense argument was unsupported and Saltskog expresses dismay over the celebration of Rittenhouse as a “hero” among right-wing media/politicians and domestic and foreign terrorist groups. The guilty verdict for three white men who fatally shot a young Black jogger, Ahmaud Arbery, on the other hand, was hailed by civil rights leaders across the country.
Will Pomeranz, deputy director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, discuss the motives behind Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s creation of an artificial migrant crisis on the border with Europe and the malign role played by Russian President Vladimir Putin in this ruse with host Carol Castiel. They also analyze the Russian troop buildup on the border with US ally Ukraine.
Ambassador Tibor Nagy, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs and former US Ambassador to Ethiopia and Ambassador Donald Booth, former US Ambassador to Ethiopia and former special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, diagnose the roots of the looming crisis in Ethiopia as well as recommend keys to a peaceful outcome with host Carol Castiel.
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss the main issues dominating the US political landscape with host Carol Castiel, including the implications of the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races for the 2022 midterm elections. A decisive Republican victory in Virginia is seen as a “wake-up” call for Democrats nationwide and a good omen for Republicans who seek to win back one or both houses of Congress in 2022.
Program Note: Late Friday night (11/05/21), Democrats set aside differences and passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, sending it to President Joe Biden to sign into law. This program was recorded before the legislation was passed.
Cameron Hudson, former chief of staff to the US Special Envoy to Sudan and Ismail Kushkush an independent Sudanese journalist, discuss the factors leading to the recent coup in Sudan with host Carol Castiel. They tell VOA the military fear losing control over key economic sectors in which they have business interests and the prospect of facing accountability for past atrocities. Hudson and Kushkush say the Sudanese who rose up to throw off the yoke of military rule under Omar al Bashir, are likely to mount a strong resistance to this attempt at subverting the democratic transition.
On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Eric Farnsworth, Vice President of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society, and Steve Hege, deputy regional director for the US Institute of Peace in Colombia, about the significance of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Colombia and Ecuador and challenges in bolstering democracy, equitable economic growth, combatting corruption and mitigating irregular migration from Haiti and Venezuela.
Ellen Laipson, professor, and director of the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University, and Sarhang Hamasaeed, director of Middle East programs at the US Institute of Peace, discuss the outcome and significance of the most recent parliamentary elections in Iraq, which were precipitated by the 2019 protest movement (Tishreen) against corruption, inordinate Iranian influence in Iraq and calls for major reforms of the political system. What do results augur for the future of democracy and stability in Iraq?
John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss the major issues dominating the US political landscape with host Carol Castiel including a debt ceiling extension deal, intense negotiations among Democratic lawmakers over the scope and cost of a human infrastructure bill critical to President Joe Biden’s agenda, and an interim Senate report exposing former President Donald Trump’s attempt to install a loyalist attorney general to pursue unfounded claims of election fraud.
Michael Green, Senior Vice President for Asia, and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, at the American Enterprise Institute discuss the significance and implications of the so-called AUKUS accord, a new strategic alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to counter China’s assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.
On this Africa edition of Encounter, Joshua Meservey, senior policy analyst for Africa and the Middle East at the Heritage Foundation and Oge Onubogu, director of the West Africa program at the U.S. Institute of Peace, discuss setbacks in democracy and good governance as exemplified by coups in Guinea and Mali, the need to strengthen regional institutions like ECOWAS and the African Union and the importance of fostering positive trends epitomized by the peaceful transfer of power in Zambia.
On this edition of Encounter, John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government and the director of the Meese Center for Legal & Judicial Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and Elliot Mincberg, senior fellow at the liberal People for the American Way, spar over the merits and drawbacks of expanding the 9-member Supreme Court and making other changes such as imposing term limits to the lifetime appointments and reforming the so-called “Shadow docket” with host Carol Castiel.
On the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil, renowned terrorism analysts Ali Soufan, former supervisory FBI agent, now CEO of The Soufan Group, and Bruce Hoffman, senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations, reflect on the successes and failures over the past two decades of the “war on terror” and the daunting challenges that remain with host Carol Castiel.
On this politics edition of Encounter, John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss prospects for the passage of two pending infrastructure bills, the resurgence of the Delta variant of Covid-19, and whether or not President Joe Biden may pay a political price for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan as he sought to end America’s military involvement in the 20-year war.
Ambassador Ronald Neumann, former Ambassador to Afghanistan, now President of the American Academy of Diplomacy and Michael Kugelman, Senior Associate for South Asia for The Wilson Center discuss with host Carol Castiel the ongoing US withdrawal from Afghanistan, including whether the country may once again become a breeding ground for terrorism under the Taliban.
Program Note: This program was recorded before the Kabul airport terrorist attack.
Lisa Curtis, former senior National Security Council official under the Trump administration, now director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Marvin Weinbaum, director for Afghanistan and Pakistan Studies at The Middle East Institute discuss with host Carol Castiel the domestic and international ramifications of the Biden administration’s controversial troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent Taliban takeover after the rapid collapse of Afghan security forces.
In this encore edition of Encounter, Zack Smith, a legal fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and William Roberts, managing director for Democracy and Government Reform at the liberal Center for American Progress, join host, Carol Castiel to spar over the constitutional, historical, and political arguments for and against statehood for the District of Columbia, the seat of the nation’s capital.
On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel returns to her native Pennsylvania to reprise a conversation with the Republican and Democratic leaders in Lawrence County: Paul Stefano, chairman of the Democratic Party of Lawrence County, and Richard Flannery, a local and state Republican leader, whom she interviewed prior to the 2020 elections. They discuss President Joe Biden’s job performance – from his management of the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine distribution to infrastructure proposals and prospects for the Democrats and Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections.
Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Elana DeLozier, the Rubin Family Fellow in the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, assess with host Carol Castiel state of the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. DeLozier and Zimmerman say this proxy war between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran is exacerbated by the dearth of political will from within: the internationally-recognized Hadi government and the Houthi movement, which currently has the upper hand. Can Washington make a difference?
On this edition of Encounter, Ambassador Michelle Gavin, senior fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Ambassador to Botswana, and Frans Cronje, CEO of the Johannesburg-based Institute of Race Relations, analyze with host Carol Castiel the political, economic and social situation in South Africa following the arrest and detention of former South African president Jacob Zuma given the protests, looting and violence which this incident triggered. How did the celebrated multiracial democracy led by Nelson Mandela reach this critical juncture point, and what does the future hold for South Africa?
Professor William LeoGrande, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs in the Department of Government at the American University, and Professor of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University, Eduardo Gamarra, analyze with host Carol Castiel the roots and ramifications of twin crises in the Caribbean: the assassination of Haiti’s President, Jovenal Moïse, and ensuing power struggle and the largest and most widespread protests in Cuba in decades. How does the turmoil affect US policy toward the region? Given the large Cuban and Haitian Diaspora communities in the United States, how does the Biden Administration deal with both domestic and international dimension of policy?
On this Africa edition of Encounter, Judd Devermont, director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Joshua Meservey, senior policy analyst for Africa and the Middle East at the Heritage Foundation, discuss with host Carol Castiel the state of play in Ethiopia after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared a unilateral ceasefire civil in Tigray, the detention of former South African president Jacob Zuma, political turmoil in Eswatini and the multiple impacts of Covid-19 on the continent.
On this U.S. politics edition of Encounter, John Fortier, resident scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, and Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss with host Carol Castiel the politics of President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure deal. Will Biden be able to garner at least 10 Republican Senators to pass the smaller, traditional bill and at the same time satisfy the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which intends to pass a more expansive human infrastructure package through budget reconciliation?
As the United States grapples with the legacy of slavery and centuries of racial discrimination, host Carol Castiel talks with Jennifer Oast, professor and chair of the Department of History at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, and Noah Millman, political columnist for the Week, about the merits and drawbacks of reparations for descendants of slaves and why the debate has been revived in recent days.
Ian Lesser, Vice President at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and director of GMF Brussels office, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, discuss with host Carol Castiel the ramifications of US President Joe Biden’s first overseas trip as president and the outcome of summits with the G7, NATO, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Director of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Program at the U.S. Institute of Peace, and Natan Sachs, Director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, discuss with host Carol Castiel the new “Change Government” comprised of eight Israeli political parties from the far left to the far right and one Islamic party who united to oust long-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Can these strange political bedfellows agree on other vital internal and external policies and manage to govern?
On this US politics edition of Encounter, John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss with host Carol Castiel the status of US President Joe Biden’s ambitious agenda and the challenge of passing at least part of it, like infrastructure legislation or police reform, with bipartisan support.
Ambassador David H. Shinn and CSIS Africa Program Director Judd Devermont take a look at new developments in volatile East Africa, where insurgencies continue despite an ongoing concerted multinational effort to stop them, along with strong words between Washington and Addis Ababa. Encounter host Jeffrey Young also looks at China’s growing presence in East Africa – generosity, but what is the ultimate price?
More than 700,000 citizens living in the capital of the United States do not have full representation in Congress. Once a fringe issue, a bill for DC statehood recently passed the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives, but faces high hurdles in the Senate. Zack Smith, from the conservative Heritage Foundation and William Roberts, from the liberal Center for American Progress, spar over the constitutional, historical, ideological and political impediments to statehood for the District of Columbia.
Lisa Curtis, former senior National Security Council official under the Trump administration, now director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Andrew Watkins, senior analyst for Afghanistan at the International Crisis Group, discuss with host Carol Castiel the implications of the US decision to withdraw its 2,500 troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.
Will Pomeranz, deputy director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) discuss with host Carol Castiel the significance of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Ukraine as Washington shores up support for the beleaguered former Soviet state as it faces Russian aggression in the East and as the US counters Russian malign activities with wide-ranging sanctions for Moscow’s interference in the 2020 US elections and hacking of government and private sector entities.
John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at Third Way, spar over US President Joe Biden’s 100 days in office and to what extent the closely divided Senate will pass a version of his expansive infrastructure package and other pending legislation dealing with gun violence, immigration and police reform with host Carol Castiel
Join host Carol Castiel each week as she and two advocates from the world of politics, public policy, or academia discuss and debate a critical issue in the news, bringing depth, perspective, and insight to the world around us. Issues that affect our lives and global stability are debated in a free-wheeling, unscripted discussion of fact and opinion.
On this edition of Encounter, Ari Davis, Senior Policy Analyst at The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Nurrah Abdulhaqq, youth leader in the Georgia Chapter of “March for Our Lives” tell host Carol Castiel that despite the surge in gun violence in America, whether mass shootings, homicides or suicides, they are cautiously optimistic that a growing movement for a multi-pronged approach to combating violence, including US President Joe Biden’s recent executive orders, bode well for progress.
On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Johannesburg-based journalist, Gabriele Steinhauser, deputy bureau chief for Africa at The Wall Street Journal and Jon Temin, Director of the Africa Program at Freedom House, about the status of the coronavirus pandemic in Africa and its impact on economic and political life, as well as the roots of the troubling Islamist insurgency in the province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Doris Meissner, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute and Cynthia (Cindy) Arnson, Director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars about the causes and consequences of the large influx of Central American migrants at the US southern border including urgent humanitarian needs of unaccompanied minors, reasons why so many make the treacherous journey from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, and major shortcomings of outmoded US immigration laws.
John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss the issues dominating US President Joe Biden’s first formal news conference including the migrant surge at the US southern border, voting rights legislation, the controversy over the filibuster and prospects for an ambitious infrastructure bill with host Carol Castiel.
On the heels of a successful meeting of the Quad, the informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with their counterparts in Tokyo and Seoul to reinvigorate these crucial alliances in the face of an increasingly aggressive China. Host Carol Castiel talks with East Asia experts Ambassador Kelley Currie, former US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues and Dean Cheng, senior research fellow in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation, about the significance of the trip and what the allies can do to reverse the military takeover in Myanmar.
On this Latin American edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Eric Farnsworth, Vice President of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society, and Miriam Kornblith, Director of Latin America and the Caribbean at the National Endowment for Democracy, about the devastating economic, social and health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the region and the opportunities for a “reset” in US-Latin America relations under the Biden administration as China and Russia compete for geopolitical influence in the Western hemisphere.
The Biden Administration ordered its first military strike on Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria. Ellen Laipson, professor and director of the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University, and Randa Slim, Director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute, join Carol Castiel to discuss how these strikes could affect US-Iran nuclear talks, US-Iraq relations and US policy toward Syria.
Lisa Curtis, former senior National Security Council official under the Trump administration, now director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at The Wilson Center, discuss with host Carol Castiel the current state of play in Afghanistan where the Biden administration may consider extending a May 2021 deadline for US troop withdrawal given continued violence from the Taliban, among other stabilizing measures in consultation with NATO allies.