'Hot Region, Cold War' was the working title proposed for today's podcast. Why? Well, it's a little conceptual. It was born from a desire to ask our big-brained studio guest Dr Harry Hagopian to analyse the foreign policy agendas of the Russian Federation on the one hand and the United States on the other with regard to the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf States.

Harry took exception to 'Hot Region, Cold War' and proposed 'Hot Region, Hot Wars'. Fair enough.

But superpower policy, regional tension and proxy wars aren't the only subjects up for discussion. In the first Middle East Analysis podcast of 2019, we sweep across the region - getting updates and context as we go - concluding with an ode to Olivia Newton-John (don't ask, best just to listen).

45 minutes of packed anaysis from Dr Harry Hagopian is a treat but if you have a particular interest in a topic or country, we have timecoded the podcast.

Start - 5m 39s:
Introduction - Brexit Backdrop

5m 40s - 14m 7s
US and Russian Federation 'policies' in the region

14m 8s - 21m 29s
Whistlestop analysis - Gulf States and Qatar Crisis, Yemen, Israel/Palestine, Syria (Idlib), Iranian regional influence

22m - 26m 52s
Syria

26m 53s - 30m 1s
Iraq

30m 2s - 34m 59s
Lebannon

35m - 39m 24s
Right back to the beginning eight years after the Arab Spring

39m 25s - End
Conclusion - Olivia Newton-John!

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