Lack Of Personal Freedoms Led To Wave Of Protests, Says UN Secretary General

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says leaders in the Middle East and North Africa have neglected important issues like freedom of assembly and freedom of expression for too long and must now listen to their population. (00:24)

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Middle East and North Africa Need Bold Reform, Not Repression Says UN Secretary General

Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says government officials in North Africa and the Middle East must enact bold reform to meet the demands of their population. (00:31)

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Iran's Nuclear Program Most Important Issue, Says Mid-East Affairs Expert

Dr. Sami Alfaraj, a Kuwaiti Gulf Affairs and Nuclear Proliferation Expert, says that Iran and its nuclear program are the most pressing of all issues in the region and that no other issue can fully be addressed until the Iran issue is resolved. (0:46)

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Mid-Eastern Nations "Shocked" At WikiLeaks Release, Says Expert

Dr. Sami Alfaraj, a Kuwaiti Gulf Affairs and Nuclear Proliferation Expert, says the recent release of WikiLeaks shocked many people in the Middle East. (0:23)

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WikiLeaks Release Shows United Front Against Iran Says Mideast Affairs Expert

Dr. Sami Alfaraj, a Kuwaiti Gulf Affairs and Nuclear Proliferation Expert, says that one postive side effect of the recent release of WikiLeaks is that it shows a united front of Middle Eastern states against Iran. (0:39)

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Deputy CentCom Head Outlines Military And Civilian Actions In Middle East

Deputy Commander of US Central Command Lt. Gen. John Allen discusses several roles the nearly 200,000 United States military personal and tens of thousands of American civilians take part in within Central Commands jurisdition. (0:41).

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Lt. Gen. Allen: Central Command Is Small But Busy

Deputy CentCom Commander Lieutenant General John Allen discusses the geographic and political landscape covered by US Central Command. (0:49)

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White House Encouraged By Serious Attitude At Peace Talks

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs talks about President Obama’s reaction to yesterday’s meetings with the Middle Eastern leaders.  
He said that the President was encouraged by the serious attitude that each of the leaders brought about a long-term lasting peace. Gibbs describes the meetings as an important opportunity. However, he also reminds that there is still deep divisions and years of mistrust to overcome. (:53)

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McCain Laments Lack Of Plan For Sending More Troops To Afghanistan

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says waiting to deploy troops to Afghanistan because of lack of a plan adds to the time it already takes to get military bases started. :44
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Mideast Expert Says Hezbollah Controls Shia In Lebanon

By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service

Middle East Institute Scholar Graeme Bannerman says that the Shia community in Lebanon considers Hezbollah as their mentor and their leader. (0:27)
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Mideast Expert Says Majority Of Hezbollah Are Shia

By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service

Middle East Institute Scholar Graeme Bannerman says that 95 percent of the Shia voting population has voted for Hezbollah in the recent Parliamentary election in Lebanon and that for this reason the organization cannot be pushed aside from the political arena. (0:15)
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General Petraeus Talks About Educating Soldiers

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

General David Petraeus says before Congress that it is important for soldiers to have an expanded understanding of Afghanistan, so that the army can function better as a whole. (01:18)
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McConnell says pressure is needed in Afghanistan

After a trip to the Middle East, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says Afghanistan is “clearly an area where we need to keep the pressure on to prevent another attack on the homeland.” And he went on to say that “over in Afghanistan, I think the surge that the President has ordered is the right thing to do,” said McConnell pertaining to President Obama’s decision to send additional troops to boost Afghan efforts. (0:33)
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Bush's final words

President George W. Bush gave his last news conference in the Brady Press Briefing covering a range of issues including the economical stimulus package, the Middle East, and his legacy. (46:31)

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Public opinion very important in Middle East

Martin Indyk, Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy speaks about the importance of public opinion in Middle Eastern countries. (1:14)
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United Arab Emirates prospers

Executive President of the Dubai School of Government Nabil Ali Alyousuf says the the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has great economic prosperity and the stats to prove it. (1:28)
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Modernization will not stop terrorism

Stephanie Kaplan, Ph.D candidate at the Department of Political Science at the M.I.T. and public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, says that no matter how extensively the U.S. modernizes the Middle East, terrorism will not be stopped (0:21).
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A nuclear Iran?

Middle East expert comments on the problems that a nuclear Iran presents and what the U.S. can do in response to this problem. (2:31)
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Complexity of Middle East culture important to understand

Middle East expert Reza Aslan says that Islamic culture is much more complicated than many in the U.S. realize. (2:31)
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Middle East is the center of American foreign policy

Chairman of the Jerusalem Fund Board of Directors, Dr. Subhi Ali talks about the different regions in the Middle East that make up the center of the U.S. foreign policy. (0:16)
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