Middle East conflict

Former Washington Post investigative journalist Scott Armstrong says that the United States wanted to topple Saddam Hussein, even if that meant a longer war. He talks about how a media blackout, poor intelligence, and scant details provided by the government have led to an incomplete picture of the conflict.

We explore the roots of the Israeli-Arab problem with Charles Smith, a professor of Middle Eastern history at San Diego State University, and the author of "Palestine and the Arab Israeli Conflict."

Professor Bill Beeman of Brown University discusses the historical and cultural background of the Kurdish population in the Middle East. Without a country of their own, the Kurds have taken what support they can get from other players in the region. With the Gulf War over, there has been a Kurdish uprising in Iraq, which threatens Saddam Hussein.

Joe Stork discusses how the region's political powers have shifted since conflict in Iraq has ended.

Professor Thomas Naff of the University of Pennsylvania and head of the Middle East Water Project. He discusses the overwhelming importance of water in the Middle East; water beneath the Ocupied Territories may be a factor in the Israeli government's refusal to cede lands to the Palestinians.

Oz talks about the postwar discussions toward an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He and Terry also discuss Oz's latest novel, "To Know A Woman."

Two interviews in this segment. First, Charles Tripp discusses the the stability of Saddam's government, and the current civil war in Iraq. Tripp's a lecturer at. the University of London. Next, we discuss Syria's role in the post-war Middle East with Patrick Seale, the author of "Asad: The Struggle for The Middle East."

Terry talks with NPR's Vice-President for news and information programs, Bill Buzenberg, about the disappearance of NPR reporter Neil Conan. Conan is among about 26 journalists that disappeared while on the way to cover the uprisings in Basra.

Professor R.K. Ramazani is a professor of Government and Foreign affairs at the University of Virginia. He'll discuss the current uprisings in Southern Iraq, and whether the U.S. should worry about the rebels being backed by Iran.

Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Steve Lopez talks about his recent columns on the war, and the local reaction to them. He was against the war from the start -- a position which earned him a lot of criticism.