Middle East

Terry concludes her conversation with veteran NPR reporter Deborah Amos. After nearly ten years covering stories like Lebanon, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War, Amos is back in the states for a one year leave of absence. Today, Amos talks about the problems, and the advantages, of being a woman reporter in the Mideast.

Veteran NPR reporter Deborah Amos. Amos has covered the Gulf War, and reported from Poland, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Israel and China. We'll talk to her about the day to day life of a reporter.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on the way English speakers use the suffix "e" and "i" to lump together most nationalities in the Middle East (Kuwati, Iraqi...). He says the practice has its roots in the 19th and 20th century colonial period, and says a lot about how we view people in that region.

In this two-part interview, Terry speaks first with Trudy Rubin, a Mideast expert on the editorial board at the "Philadelphia Inquirer." Rubin's just left Baghdad. We speak to her from Amman, Jordan. Next, Terry is joined by David Fromkin. They talk about the colonial interventions in the Middle East around World War I, and how those actions resonate today.

Pakistan-born, British journalist Dilip Hiro covers Middle East affairs. His forthcoming book on the Iran-Iraq war is called The Longest War. He says Iraq and its leader Saddam Hussein gained power by receiving intelligence and material support from Western states, including the U.S. He says any conflict between the U.S. and Iraq could destabilize the region.

World music commentator Milo Miles explains how Peter Gabriel transformed folk music of the Middle East into the world pop sound that became the soundtrack for Scorsese's film "The Last Temptation of Christ."

David Martin, Pentagon correspondent for CBS News and co-author of The Best Laid Plans, an account of America's flawed war against international terrorism.

Richard Ben Cramer, foreign affairs journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, has spent extensive time traveling to and reporting on the Middle East. He has reported on Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon, and his stories often focus on individuals. He joins the show to discuss his work and the situation in the Middle East.