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New York University
Lebanese-American Mohamad Bazzi is an associate professor of journalism at New York University, where he teaches international reporting. He is a former Middle East Bureau Chief for Newsday.
PROFILE
Mohamad Bazzi
Guest
FROM Mohamad Bazzi
To the Point
Congress calls for end to US support for Saudi-led war in Yemen People carry the body of Muhammad Mansour recovered from under the rubble of a house destroyed by a Saudi-led air strike in Sanaa, Yemen. Eight family members, including five children, were killed, relatives said. Photo by Khaled Abdullah/Reuters Nearly 20 million people have no access to clean drinking water and hundreds of thousands are stricken with cholera. The small country of Yemen is undergoing a deep humanitarian crisis due to a civil war that barely makes the headlines. And the military assault, led by US ally Saudi Arabia, may also open the door to radicalization in this Mid-East nation. Mohamad Bazzi of New York University, looks at a new bipartisan call for the US to stop backing the Saudi-led strikes.
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Trump faces Middle East realities ahead of trip As President Trump prepares to visit the Middle East, his credibility as a foreign policy partner may have been compromised. But at this morning's press briefing, National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster said it's not the President's remarks to Russian officials that have damaging consequence, but leaks to the press. "I think national security is at risk by this leak and leaks like it. There have been a number of instances where this occurred." But the Washington Post and others are sticking by unnamed sources who claim the President's disclosure of closely held secrets created security problems. The President has tweeted that he has the "absolute right" to say what he wants about classified information. Meantime, he hosted the President of Turkey today, has a deadline involving the Iran nuclear deal tomorrow… and he's leaving Friday for the Middle East.
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The Allure of Extremism We’ve just heard what world leaders are discussing in terms of how to deal with the growing threat from ISIL, but here’s the question that lies behind everything that’s happening now: What draws someone to join an extremist group? Terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East are not lacking for recruits—whether it’s fighters from within the continent, or foreign fighters from Western nations joining the effort against their own countries. There are tens of thousands of them, and their ranks are said to be growing with each passing day. Today, a conversation about what these recruits are looking for in their lives, what conditions make them ripe for recruitment, and put simply: What is the allure to join up in violent jihad?
To the Point
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Visits the Middle East Kofi Annan is back in Beirut , trying to push implementation of the cease-fire in Lebanon. The UN Secretary General has called on Hezbollah to turn over abducted Israeli soldiers, and on Israel to lift its sea blockade. Mohamad Bazzi, Middle East Bureau Chief for Newsday magazine, says there's been some progress.
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Lebanon Agrees to Send Troops to South It's been another day of Israeli bombs, Hezbollah rockets and heavy ground fighting in Lebanon. In the latest initiative aimed at a cease-fire, the Lebanese government has promised 15,000 soldiers as a peacekeeping force in the southern part of the country. From Beirut, Mohamad Bazzi, Middle East Bureau Chief for Newsday , reports on the Lebanese government's offer to participate in the peace-keeping force and the response of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
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To the Point
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.