Miscellaneous
Considering this is a podcast offering the musings, analysis and everything inbetween from the brain of the knowledgeable and razor-sharp international lawyer and Middle East North Africa consultant Dr Harry Hagopian, you may be wondering why we open up with a sizeable segment on Brexit and, later, head south of north Africa to Sudan. I could make a few academic cases for the inclusion of such topics but let's just go for "because we wanted to". We also talk Israel. Primarily the status of the Golan Heights in the eyes of the US - occupied versus disputed - all in context with the elections on 9 April in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces the challenge of Israeli General and politician Benjamin "Benny" Gantz. Algeria has faced five consecutive Friday protests against ill and aging President Abdulaziz Bouteflika. Although not standing for a fifth term, the 82-year-old has postponed forthcoming elections in the country. Next stop is southbound to Sudan and a brief discussion on the economic and humanitarian disaster that has been described as 'Africa's Secret Crisis' with regular protests against President Omar al-Bashir's failing regime. Some four million people have been displaced. Finally, we justly give some space to the death and legacy of one of the four key Armenian church leaders - Patriarch Mesrop II of Constantinople. Harry knew the man well and discusses the near-impossible job facing an Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. Timecodes: Start - 16m 52s Intro and Brexit 16m 53s - 30m 7s Golan Heights and Israel's elections 30m 8s - 45m 31s Algeria and Sudan 45m 32s - End Death and legacy of the Armenian Patriarch Mesrop II of Constantinople