Government & Politics

Mehdi is the Secretary General of the National Council on Islamic Affairs and President of the American-Arab relations committee. Born in Bagdad, he moved to the U.S. in the late 1940s. He talks with Terry about his frustration with the U.S.'s destructive actions in his home country, and about the strong link between the Islamic faith and the law.

Two interviews in this segment: First, Terry talks with Roger Fisher, the head of the Harvard Negotiation Project. He explains why it's still not too late to negotiate with Saddam Hussain. Then Terry speaks with journalist and long-time China watcher, Orville Schell; they'll discuss the current trials of some of the leaders of the student-led, pro-democracy movement.

The journalist's new book, "The Power and the Glitter," looks at alliances between politicians across the ideological spectrum with movie stars and other celebrities. Brownstein is the national political correspondent for the Los Angeles Times.

Native Kuwaities of Palestinian heritage Shafeeq Ghabra and Taghreed Alqudsi-Ghabra are both former professors at the University of Kuwait and activists against the Iraqi occupation. Now in exile the United States, the married couple joins Fresh Air to give a first-hand account of the beginning of the crisis in the region.

The New York Times reporter has spent the last decade covering the Middle East. In light of the start of the Gulf War, he has two questions -- How will we know when we win? And how will the war affect the peace process between Israel and Palestine? Friedman is the author of the bestselling book From Beirut to Jerusalem.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reflects on some recent songs that have come out in favor of or against U.S. involvement in Iraq, including those by Sean Lennon, Hank Williams, Jr., Andrew Tippin, and Randy Newman.

Fresh Air producer Amy Salit talks with Patrick Seale, author of "Asad: The Struggle for The Middle East." They'll discuss Syria's role in the current war, and the country's recent political history.

Terry Gross talks with the military historian about the conflict in the Middle East. They discuss when war is warranted, and acknowledge the suspicions many citizens may have about those motives. Howard teaches at Yale University.

After seeing a performance the night the Gulf War began, classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz tells us about how music can be a poignant response to war.

Terry talks with Dr. Saeb Erakat, a university professor, about life in the occupied territories during the Gulf War. Moshe Fogel from the Israeli Defense Department responds to his concerns.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma talks about how the Gulf War has affected him as an individual and as a musician.

Comic strip artist Bill Griffith talks about the impact of the war on his daily strip, Zippy. Griffith is surprised that other comics like Beetle Bailey haven't also addressed the conflict.

Ed Dorn, a senior staff member of the Brookings Institution, considers the question, "Does the US military really provide equal opportunities for African Americans?" Dorn points to the fact that blacks make up a disproportionately large percentage of the Armed Forces, in part because many African American recruits have fewer economic opportunities in the civilian world.

Terry speaks with three guests about how African Americans are engaged with the Gulf War. Diane Pinderhughes is a professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois and the author of a new report for the National Urban League on the role of blacks in the Gulf War. Damu Smith, the founder of the peace group, the African-American Network Against US Intervention in the Gulf, talks about the social forces that lead many African American to military service. Muhamad Abdul-Aleem is resident Imam of a Philadelphia Mosque.

Journalist Randy Shilts wrote the controversial book on the handling of the AIDS crisis, "And the Band Played On." He joins Fresh Air to discuss the legal troubles gays and lesbians in the military face. Shilts says the provision against gays serving in the military has been ignored now that the U.S. is engaged in war, and that these service members potentially face court martial when they return.

Journalist Robert Cullen covers the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He joins Fresh Air to talk about recent crackdowns on rights in the U.S.S.R. and advances in the Baltic Republics. Cullen is currently working on a book about the Soviet empire.

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.

Journalist Vernon Loeb of the Philadelphia Inquirer gives us a first hand report of the latest missile attack on Israel. Next, editor Michael Lerner of "Tikkun," the leading magazine of American-Jewish intellectuals, discusses the thinking of the liberal Jewish community on the Gulf War.

The Professor of English at Columbia University was born in Palestine and raised in Egypt. He discusses the West's often simplistic misconceptions about Islam and Arab world, and how the war looks from the Arab point of view.

Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton talks about the psychological effects of the current war in the Middle East. Despite the risk of what he calls "psychic numbing," he thinks citizens should stay engaged with the conflict and follow coverage of it in the news.