han. 2 years ago. global infections have had a record high over the past week, with more than a 1000000 cases detected on average each day. and daily cove in 19 infections in india have more than doubled over the past week. experts claim the country is now entering a 3rd wave, driven by the omicron verin's authorities are imposing new restrictions to prevent mass gatherings ahead of me is day celebrations happening, mitchell has more from new delhi, the overall cases in india, often law and pete at which the heading one has a non official, the government says we are in the way because we have been off the local restriction to top right now. many states has a nice, huge, especially life of the fact that we are in today's my only way we off chance is have been doubling at an alarming rate. so we are in was called a yellow alone. the us in russian presidents have spoken for the 2nd time this month to be to de escalate tensions over ukraine. the white house says the cold between joe biden and let me push in less than 15 minutes by and repeated the threat of sanctions. if moscow invades ukraine, vladimir putin responded that such a move could lead to a breakdown of ties between the countries and in the us state of colorado. hundreds of hines have been destroyed, after wad 5 driven by high winds and gulf to cities need denver. it's been described as a life threatening situation. tens of thousands of people have been told to leave their homes immediately. strong winds are reported. have brought down power lines leading to several graph fives in the area. those are the headlines. i'm emily anglin. the news continues here on al jazeera, after inside story, stay with us. lazarus, the home of jesus christ, his long drawn pilgrims and visitors from around the world. hundreds of years. it's old city rang to the sounds of shopkeepers and crofts. people. this entry no sounds of dwindled, handful of businesses struggling on but hearing that splashes of color show signs of a fight. resigns obese. a danny decided to renovate an old warehouse and to work and live in the old city with a mission. me and another person opened the work that kid he was talking again, italy opened my young palestinian is really designers and entrepreneurs have been moving it inspired by earlier artists to let them on once they were 450 businesses operating in the old city. now there are just 50 the old cities always been the heart of nazareth. now a growing group of residence wants to get it beating again. it will come back because the city still have very much for is america's role as a global leader in decline, the u. s military withdrawal from afghanistan still with a rates across the region and beyond how will fill the void and what all the consequences of america with read. this is inside story. ah hello and welcome to the program. i'm hashem, abala america's military footprint in the middle east has been shrinking for yes. from the beginning of the withdrawal of us troops in iraq in 2007 to the most recent retreat from afghanistan. the panther guns presidents has declined this by advance. president, jo biden's administration has continued to reassure middle east allies of its commitment to region stability and security. but traditional alignments between nations have shifted and the influence of world powers has changed. china among other countries trying to fill the void left by the united states. enough, modest on iraq and elsewhere. russian military contracts for air defense systems have attracted u. s. allies including fell on eto, members, turkey as well as some gulf states. but the recent years approach to foreign policy isn't a surprise antony blink and has this to say before becoming your secretary of state . in the, by the administration, we would see more emphasis on the in the pacific, more emphasis on our own hemisphere as well as some sustained engagement. i would hope with africa and obviously europe remains a partner. first resort, not last resort when it comes to contending with the challenges we face. just as a matter of time, our location and budget priorities, i think, where would be doing less, not more in the middle east. ah, let's bring it august in washington, dc. hillary, my leverett chief executive of the political risk consulting firm structure go. she's also formal director for iraq, afghanistan, and persian gulf of the national security council. in istanbul, turkey mafia rise, a senior fellow of the atlantic council. thinktank is also a formal whitehouse diplomat of the national security council from cambridge in the state of massachusetts. why me hoary senior fellow of harvard kennedy school. he's also a professor of journalism at the american university of baylor. welcome to the program, henry the, the big show of the last american soldier to get into the military playing of cobble airport in august. and the taliban take over was for many, an iconic moment, an indication that the region won't be the same. again. do you see that as an indication that the americans are starting to disengage from the middle east? well, that that moment was certainly iconic, important had ramifications throughout the middle east throughout the world. and i think most people, after that moment came to see the united states is a bit weaker as a bit less competent than they had previously. i think within the administration here in washington, within the bible ministration, there has been some important rethinking. and they've come out, come up with this policy that i think the u. s. middle east coordinator breton kirk outlined, embodying a few weeks ago, which is back to basics. the united states will be back to basics in the middle east, which does not mean withdrawal, but it does mean a strengthening of traditional us relations with traditional allies, especially israel and one that will be focused on the use of force. not, not rebuilding societies as george w bush tried to do after 911. i mean, is it back to a 6 as far as the u. s. foreign policy is concerned in the middle east? do you see it as a real disengagement or just a perceived withdrawal, or are seen as a real threat to the region because of the basics of american foreign policy as well as they are a craps in the region and many others, israelis and others. the basics of the last 3040 years have brought this region to a point of almost social collapse. you know, we just had a couple of reports are published by us agencies and others showing something like around 70 percent, 70 percent of primary secondary school students. from the our world are not able to read and write properly. they're almost a literate. that's a credible sign of what's to come in this region when you combine it with unemployment and poverty and the thing. so it's the basics that we have suffered for military intervention. 100 years with the i was really conflict unchecked, talk, prosy, rampant corruption, and out of control militarism, very much fueled by foreign military sales. those basics are a real, real nightmare for the region. and of course, the us thinks, going back the basics from the administration point of view. there's something sensible for the rest of us. it's really scary. and this is one of the problems that people in the region and the regional especially really have no, no way to confronted. they, iranians are the only people who seriously putting up some resistance on their now doing it. so in the go shooting process, henry, this is a reset of priorities. when it comes to the middle east, them back to basics. what kind of impact would it have on the middle east would be the same middle is that we've known for the last $67.00 decades, but it is likely to be a different one. well, it could be, it could be even more unstable. i think many professor curry's points are very, very important, especially the one about iran. the reason that the united states denied go quickly back into the iranian killer deal when president biden 1st came into office. was because to work cooperatively with iran really would be a to have a whole new approach to the region. one that could actually facilitate somewhat of a u. s. withdraw from the region. united states is, is really focused on keeping its influence in the region and containing iranian power so that the united states can continue that influence and continue the approach it's taken for the past 20 or 30 years if not longer. so there is a cut me calibration of priorities to what they call back to basics, but it's not one that's going to be less militarized or more stable. it's one that will, i think, in many ways bolster our traditional what we call allies, especially in israel, but in other places with advanced military systems and one that would be focused on containing any independent power, any rising power that could challenge the united states in any real way and that focus is very much on iran containing iranian power. i mean, we've seen over the last few months, gulf states leaders saying that his about time to mend fences with the iranians. the ticket is saudi arabia, the united, alabama, us and for money. this was a sign of anxiety in the region about a potential vacuum power vacuum. if the americans say it's about time to turn the chapter, well, it's a sensible thing. the, the gulf leaders are doing to talk to iran. they should have done it years ago. and then we'll see what comes out of it. they're doing it in a moment of some panic. i'm a little bit of desperation, but they don't know if the rest is going to protect them, some of them, but think israel might protect them. a few of them might be looking at a turkey in desperation. so the gulf, countries by and large have not been able to, to fully assert their own sovereignty in terms of protecting themselves. and they actually rely on for, and the military and other support. but this is a good thing to do with the iranians and the parents around adults are going to have to work out a mechanism that provide some kind of stability and basic rights for all people concern the military threat. the sanctions threat. you know, all of the so tough guy approaches that have come out of washington and israel, very much driven by israel and was the both sides kind of hanging on as bit actors in this process. it hasn't worked and we've seen now incredible stories coming out of iran by good reporters law, foreign and middle eastern ones. also, they have a much, much more advanced nuclear industry now that you know, 3 or 5 years ago. so the approaches families that the u. s. s tried to impose and essentially the, the shorthand of what henry said. i agree with the short time that this is that what we're seeing is a new form of colonialism. imposed by the united states, a kind of colonialism by proxy. you know, you hire out tasks to local people and mercenary armies. you create the mercenary forces as they didn't say and, and syria. and this is a new kind of control that essentially means what washington launch. the launch is going to be the rule of the game and people in the region are pushing back hillary this moment of uncertainty and anxiety as this other saying. do you think it will offer some sense of an opening for iran to further expand its political influence in the region or at least to reassert itself as a key player in the region? i think we've already seen that iran has more and more and more deep alliances throughout the region. then almost any other country, whether in the region or outside iran has alliances that stretch from afghanistan and the taliban to the who t as in yan. and they have alliances throughout the region. so they have already done that, i think. but we're also seeing though, is other countries gaining more influence in the region even beyond it. so of course, china, russia, even france with its, with its new military south to the region. so you do see, you, do you see a recalibration in terms of the regional geo politics and global politics affecting the middle east? the united states is becoming perhaps less of a player than it has previously. but it does not mean that the united states is not active in the region for it's what it perceives to be its interest in a way that can be very, very destabilizing. as it tries to fight off a growing chinese influence russian influence and the growing power of regional countries, especially iran rami, quite interesting, since we're talking about those new political realignments in the region. and the u . a chrome prince went to turkey. the 1st visit in 9 years could, could it be an indication that in the this bar this predominantly sunday, part of the will, somebody does as saying of the americans are not going to be a reliable potter in the near future. it's about time to have a strong ally that we can go to in case the situation gets worse. i would discount what you mentioned about this, the predominantly sooner this has nothing to do with sunday or shower. anything else? this is a, this is national viability. national sovereignty, national dignity, national rights, but they are, countries are clearly, most of them leadership, some of the people, necessarily, the leaderships are really quite flustered. they don't know what's going on with the realignments in the region smashing around, trying to find any relationship. so it will, will protect them, but they turn to iran, the turn to turkey, the turn of china, russia getting more involved. so fascinating signs, especially, they are on turkey relationships because iran and turkey, you know, at several points in history, rule the middle east, these are huge powers that, that shape and define much of what happens in and middle eastern, our other cultures. today you can just sideline these people are sanctioned them or threatened them or ignore them as the western countries are generally trying to do . and i think we're, we're still at a point of broad him maturity and political leadership in our countries. a kind of an amateur ism, the sovereignty has worked very well, said to it hasn't worked very well. citizen writes, someone worked very well. the accountability is non existent parliament, so a job. so the structures of state and most are not all, but most of them have not worked on the leaders are especially around trying to figure out how to heat sink hole things together. they will figure it out at some point. and what they'll realize is that, sovereignty and legitimacy come from your own people, not from foreign military sales, not from israeli spar technology. mark from chinese container ships as strong as the citizens of your country on this is something we have to keep our matthew, i guess the back double, the anxiety that we've been talking about in this part of the world about what kinds of all the americans will likely play in the future. do you think that when you look at what happens, you know, i got the advice that vitally, that followed in this part of the world. this is something that will have an impact on the outcome of the talks with the iranians about the nuclear agreement. are we likely to see that americans think let's go ahead. whether did or the back is likely to step back to show that i live in the region. they are very, is about iran future. i think for certain, if i did ministration to check back, which means iran returns to compliance. but i'm not sure that that's the limiting factor. i think the limiting factor is the wrong so which it seems to be buying time and closer, closer to this breakout capability as it reaches more right into higher grades, allow it to be in a position to, to be able to build nuclear weapons. so administration is determined to try to get back, but if you have enough time, and in addition to that, i think the wall is committed to a less boisterous mastic u. s. foreign policy and at least which is so reliance on praise like maximum pressure on iran. you know, we recall that with other states pressure happened right on the wings of president trump's 1st trip abroad. i think those states each and all they have a green light in the registration. now i think we're going to see obviously a much more or less administration. i wouldn't say that for us is leaving amenities. i think it just means this is a different style. ok. well, me, what do you see of these rarely policy and conflict? move forward in the, in the future. it's not moving anywhere right now. the israeli leadership has been full speed colonialism all over the region. they're destroying houses every day, their prison and kids. the next thing more land, the palestinian leadership is essentially nonexistent. this virtual leadership and what's happening is that the political activism of the palestinian people is shifting to grass roots. organizations like b d. s like media activists like people and taking a lot cases all over the world challenging as honest extremist moves. so there's, there's no real movement on the palestinian israeli question. but what has happened is that the palestine issue has now become one of the 4 global drivers of citizen activism around the world. if you look at the issues that move people to go to the streets and hundreds of thousands around the world climate change women's rights, black lives matter and palestine. so this is based significant, this is a slow shift and they are was really conflict on this. going to take years. but eventually, hopefully some wise leaderships will move into a diplomatic negotiation that gives the exam isn't the palestinians. rice but nothing. now then matthew, the abraham a course, did they undermine the chances of a bigger american influence in the near future. do they still can restore the sense of faith in the peace process between the out of them. these rallies wasn't 2 different questions then i think of course the records really help back the deck even closer against the policy and so that would be a measure. yes, your question undermine us ability broder along just the last few settlement. however, if we just heard your prices and we know so do you ever have to actually choose something different with the, with the packing of donald trump presidency, i will of course, there's a whole dynamic now i think throughout which is one know more maximum pressure on iran much lower, it's read, use military force united states, and therefore new vectors of possibilities. and then you could argue back in order and opportunity to step into this oppertunity as you see over the course of the past years. so there been high context between government ministries and saudi government. we just all of the united, remember to city and also between turkey. you each sort of coming in from the coal as well. and there been warning relations to teacher also which will cut out all sorts of applications in the eastern mediterranean stretching all the way to the goal. so i think the us not to stick with the sanction approach to turkey wants to work with it's made around trying to shake the middle east. a lot of us, henry russia in syria views. both of diplomacy admitted say, paula has consolidated its presence. that could it be the next key player in this part of the world, any time soon? i think russia is the key player guarantee player in, in syria they have an important relationship with turkey, a traditional steadfast american ally. the russians have a very important oil based relationship with saudi arabia in opec and opec class, russian saudi arabia are now the 2 key drivers for the global oil market. so, and much of course is selling i selling weapons throughout the middle east as well . and we'll see president, right, you see the ron, go to russia, i think in about a week or so. so russia certainly is a player in the middle east in a way that it has not been for many, many years of i me, what does it leave of a conflict in the region we're talking about, you know, for example, has a complex lemon. libya lingering conflicts in iraq and syria and other places, somalia, the world essentially has written off this complex. what we're seeing now is the expansion of the concept of a disposable nation in somalia was the 1st disposable country in the world. and the late eighty's ninety's when it started to fall apart, and most of the world just didn't care. and we're seeing similar things. you know, what not only do, does the world not care very much about the libya, palestine? well, the things that are actively involved in the military, you know, the british, french, the americans, the russians are the iranians, the turks, everybody is actively involved and this conflicts. so i think we're going to just see them continue. and the reason for that underlying reason is that the social integrity of many of these countries is collapsing because about 70 to 80 percent of people in the arab countries cannot meet their basic weekly and monthly needs of madison education and shelter. so the integrity, the viability of these countries as, as rivals, it's not collapse let it's rattling and it's in some countries i think we're going to see this go on for some time. matthew, one of the defining moment in this part of the world was the spring in 2011. the americans were baffled at the beginning than this. so the port unity for political transition and they said we have to embrace it. then under the trump administration, the turned back on the aspirations of the people. now you don't get any indications of the americans are willing to take an aggressive war when it comes to we will fool with a political transitions. is this something that was likely to perpetuate auto attachment rules in this part of the world? certainly, then the pattern of us foreign policy decades to favor or put stability over democratic more earlier real you can have little stability in countries. if people don't feel that there's justice and democratic changes, part of that when we're working together there was a very strong push to enable countries of the middle east and the people of the middle east to better democratic freedoms that way in europe. and not to think that for some reason they're not entitled to those are not able to to take advantage of such freedom in hindsight and what happens when they us in iraq, the registration for products or democracy and the debacle. aspen dental sounds, sounds a bit, points to to put it mildly. and so i think for a while seeing with withdraw from the dentist saying not to measure, don't go, i think hello it, whatever the americans are trying to figure out and do hear this part of the well, do you think that the chinese see unfortunately for themselves they are very problematic, the use the bell to and wrote initiative the economy to further expand that in for was do they said opportunities for the move to this part of the world? yes they did, but if i could for, for one moment the issue of the arab spring and the protest that broke out in the middle east in 2011. because i think many of the topics that were discussing about u. s. foreign policy or structural in their nature, but they also have a huge impact in terms of who is the president of the united states at any time. and now with president biden, i think it's really indicative of his outlook in terms of foreign policy in the middle east. to remember that when he was asked as the protest, we're breaking out in egypt in february, 2011. what he thought of then president mubarak, who was being besieged by these protests and president then vice president biden said that he did not see president mubarak as a dictator, because president barb was a good friend of israel. that is such an important indication of how the president biden sees the middle east through the lens of the traditional, what we call, traditional allies for china. china doesn't see any friends anywhere. china doesn't have a line. thank you kind of has interest. and that's what it's pursuing in the middle . unfortunately, we're running out of time in time, hillary and by leverett, my fear brian, under the hotel, really appreciate your insight. thank you. and thank you for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website, algebra dot com for further discussion. go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside. sorry, you can also join the conversation on twitter. our hand is at a j and say so to, from the hash about us and the entire team here in doha bye for now. the listening post cuts through the noise. we're talking about competing now with the modern day tools being used to perpetuate there's competing narrative separating spin from fuck all 3 versions of the story and some elements of the truth. but the full story remains and content. unpacking the stories you're being told, it's not a science story at all. it's a story about politics. the listening post, your guide to the media. on a jesse era, we understand 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