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The Arms Control Poseur

The regional code of conduct for missiles in the Middle East with Prof Dr Karim El-Baz

Season 3, Ep. 4

In the fourth episode of The Arms Control Poseur, host Timothy Wright and his guest Prof Dr Karim El-Baz explore the complex landscape of missile proliferation in the Middle East. Together, they discuss the historical and strategic foundations that influence state and non-state actors to develop or possess missile capabilities. With the global arms control architecture being increasingly under greater pressure, Prof Dr El-Baz also provides expertise on the potential pathways for transparency and confidence-building measures, despite prevailing regional challenges. 


This week's guest: Prof Dr Karim El-Baz is an assistant professor in the Political Science program at Galala University and a research fellow at the Royal Military College of Canada, who focusses on WMD proliferation in the Middle East with a specific focus on conventional weapons and ballistic missiles.  


This week’s host: Timothy Wright is a Research Associate for Defence and Military Analysis. Tim’s research focus is on the interplay of missile technology, arms control and strategic stability. Tim is a member of the research stream Missile Dialogue Initiative 


The Arms Control Poseur’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium


We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to The Arms Control Poseur on the podcast platform of your choice.      

Date of Recording: 13 August 2024  

The Arms Control Poseur is recorded and produced at the IISS in Berlin.


The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium

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