Category: Audio

Leaving Iraq (audio)

Posted on

KQED Forum 15 December 2011
The U.S. military engagement in Iraq is almost over, following the orderly exit of tens of thousands of American troops from the country. Just a few thousand soldiers remain, and those are expected to be gone in two and a half weeks, leaving behind some U.S. advisers and contractors. In this hour, we discuss what’s next for Iraq, and the political, economic and social impact of the pull-out.
Guests:

  • John Arquilla, professor of defense analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School Michael Nacht, Thomas and Alison Schneider professor of public policy at UC Berkeley
  • Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and chair of middle eastern studies at the University of San Francisco
  • Stephen Farrell, foreign correspondent for The New York Times
  • Jane Wales, president and CEO of the World Affairs Council. Former director of the National Security Council.

Two Views on Obama’s Speech on Mideast (audio)

Posted on

The Peter Collins Show May 20, 2011
Zunes has praise for Obama’s rhetoric, but says he maintains double standards and a strong US bias toward Israel. Obama restates America’s commitment to Israeli security, while trying to nudge it into a meaningful peace process and calling for a secure Palestinian state. We talk about the extreme reaction from the Netanyahu government and its American supporters, and some of the historical context for Obama’s call to use the pre-1967 borders as a starting point for negotiations…