For centuries, foreign powers have sought to control and gain influence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Over the past decade, the roles foreign militaries play in the region have taken different forms. What has remained constant, however, is a large-scale military interventionist strategy, with foreign governments fighting proxy wars and arming their strategic allies in the region.

As a result, politics in the MENA region are unstable, and constantly being reconfigured.

Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, joined the Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC) to discuss invasions, occupation and conquest, and specifically the U.S. militar and the Trump administration’s strategic interest in the MENA region.

Watch the full interview and learn more about the conference, the speakers, and the history of foreign intervention in the Middle East and North Africa at the Afro-Middle East Centre.