Persian Gulf War (1991)

Critic John Leonard talks to Terry Gross about how television news shows are covering the war in Iraq. They conclude that networks are framing the conflict as a kind of entertainment program -- a strategy which may actually bring the war closer to home for many viewers.

Charles Tripp, a Middle East scholar at the University of London, joins Fresh Air to talk about Iraq's leader, how he survived the Iran-Iraq War, and how he maintains political power.

Terry speaks with Iraqi-American Mohammed Latif. He's lived in the United States for the last 30 years, but still has family in Iraq. Latin is worried about how the war has affected the treatment and safety of Arabs in America. Next, Terry talks about the history of Pan-Arabism with writer and scholarly Philip Khoury. Khoury says Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is hypocritically using this discourse to rally Arabs support of his actions.

Oz talks to Terry from his home in Israel about his family's experiences during the recent Iraqi missile attacks, his work as a lecturer with the Israeli army, his views on the Israeli government's response to the crisis, and his feelings about the current war in Iraq.