Music

Just to let you know, Marriott, this time, Marriott, say hackers have gotten about 500 million guests.

Info names birth this. I'm sorry. You accidentally said 500 million, which is half a billion people. Yes. Half a billion could be the biggest

theft of personal information yet, which is saying something. If you're like me, you've got like six other examples of how the Russians are somebody stole your information already. So another time, whatever.

Let's all just join together when I say mark shaker head sadly in roll our eyes ready mark.

Moving along, please welcome join us in welcoming back to the Armstrong and get a show. One of our favorite people to talk to about geopolitics, ambassador, Faisal,

El Estrabadi, the former Iraqi ambassador to the UN. Indeed helped to write that country's constitution. He's currently the director of the Center for the study of the Middle East at Indiana University and joins us now. Faisal, how are you, sir?

I'm very well. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be with you and I apologize. You pronounce it Faisal. Don't you?

Faisal. That's right. My mistake. I'm sorry. It's been too long since you've talked. Um, so listen, uh,

I know much worse than that.

Well, at least it was mangled with respect. Um, I generally don't like radio shows that that makes speeches,

masquerading his questions, but I've got to set this up a little bit. We've been somewhat mystified by the Senate vote,

the US Senate vote recently to, uh, deny funding to the administration for support of the Saudi campaign in Yemen,

given our closeness with the Saudis, the fact that the who the, uh, the, who the rebels are backed by Iran, uh, Yemen is on Saudis doorstep with all due respect to the humanitarian nightmare and the, uh,

snuffing of, uh, Mr. Keshoggi, it just seems like an odd move. Having said that, I've been reading a lot about Yemeni politics, which are dizzying.

Uh, what should people know about that whole situation to help us understand what's happening?

Well, uh, that probably depends on who you talk to, uh, but since you're talking to me, I'll tell you what I think.

Um, you're right that the Yemeni politics are dizzying, um, and that, and it's often sort of, uh,

uh, mischaracterized as Sunni versus Shia, as so many other things are in the Middle East.

It's actually both factions, including the one supported by Saudi Arabia, are a branch of Shia Islam, not Sunni Islam, which is the branch that the Saudis belong to.

Interesting.

Um, but, uh, in any event, um, the, uh,

...