Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at Background Briefing.org.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll look into a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with the role that the great powers, the US, Russia, China and Europe are likely to play in the war between Israel and Amas,

and whether they can resolve or contain the situation as middle powers and local actors exert themselves more boldly,

leaving the great powers distracted and

often helpless on the sidelines. Joining us is Michael Kimmage, a professor of history and

department chair at the Catholic University of America, chair of the Canon Institute Advisory Council,

and a fellow at the German Marshall Fund. From 2014 to 2017, he served on the

Secretary of State's policy planning staff at the United States Department of State, where he held

the Russia-Ukraine portfolio. He's the author of The Abandonment of the West, the history of an

idea in American foreign policy, and his forthcoming book out in March

is Collisions, the War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability. We will discuss

his article at Foreign Affairs, The Age of Great Power Distraction, What Crisis in the Middle East

and elsewhere reveal about the global order.

Then with civilians in Gaza caught between a fierce bombardment by Israel in retaliation

for Hamas' atrocities against their civilians and the illegitimate, repressive, religious

fundamentalist government of Hamas, we will speak with Leila Halal, an independent analyst who was the co-director of the New America

Foundation's Middle East Task Force. Previously, she served as a legal advisor to the Palestinian

Negotiations Department and advised the Palestinian Constitutional Committee during the drafting

of the basic law.

She acted as an external advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team as part of the Annapolis Bilateral Peace Talks in 2008

and was a senior policy advisor to the Commissioner General of the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency

...