Unbelievable. But at the same time, very believable. Because in all the years that I have known Morocco and the Moroccans, they never stop surprising me.
Dima Maghrib!!!
In our work, we don’t play favorites among the media outlets we work with. On a personal level though, Al-Jazeera holds a special place for me. I’ve been watching the channel for almost as long as it’s been on the air.
A pleasure to speak with
@syr_television
about the strength of the U.S.-France relationship and how the U.S. will work with France closely in the Indo-Pacific region.
My study of the Arabic language and my understanding of this complex region continues to be nourished by Al-Jazeera. It was truly an honor to be able to visit the Al-Jazeera studio and HQ in Doha, Qatar this week. Despite it being my first visit ever, it felt like coming home.
I’m lucky to work with such a great team at
@USAbilAraby
and the State Department’s Dubai Media Hub. They are all very forgiving of my many grammatical mistakes with this beautiful and complex language.
بمناسبة #اليوم_العالمي_للغة_العربية، نتعرّف مع سام وهالة، المتحدثان الرسميان باسم الخارجية الأمريكية باللغة العربية، إلى تفاصيل رحلتهما في تعلّم لغة الضاد، وفحوى الرسالة التي وجههاها إلى الجمهور العربي.
Always a pleasure to discuss important regional topics with
@Mohdalmulla67
of the Diwan Al-Mulla show. We covered A LOT in this one, including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, and China!
@mulla11
لقاء خاص لـ #ديوان_الملا | مع المتحدث باسم الخارجية الأمريكية باللغة العربية سامويل وربيرغ عن
-محاولة إغتيال رئيس الوزراء العراقي مصطفى الكاظمي
-الخلاف السعودي الأمريكي
-الموقف الأمريكي من نظام الأسد في سوريا
رابط اللقاء:
@USAbilAraby
@samwerberg
Statement from President Joe Biden on the Earthquake in Morocco (1/2)
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Morocco. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible hardship.l”
Good engagement here in Bali, Indonesia over the past week at the G20 Summit. Big shout-out to all the hardworking journalists, camera crews, producers, and everyone else who does this grueling work every day. And a huge thank you to
@usabilaraby
& the Dubai Media Hub.
“My administration is in contact with Moroccan officials. We stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people. The US stands by Morocco and my friend King Mohammed VI at this difficult moment.” (2/2)
My vocabulary list this difficult week. Thinking of all those in Syria and Turkey who have lost loved ones and lost their homes. And all of the journalists who are covering this story and have to see the horrors of this up close. They can’t look away, so neither should we.
A busy evening with eight interviews tonight, talking about Secretary Blinken's trip to Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank. Huge thanks to
@LanaZeinElDeen
who is truly the brains, the strength, and the infinite patience behind our operation. Links to interviews in thread below.
After two long years of doing most interviews remotely and not seeing friends and colleagues in person, it was great to be able to catch up with
@nadia_bilbassy
and
@pierreghanem
at the
@AlArabiya
Washington DC Bureau.
Once again, a great conversation with
@Mohdalmulla67
on the Diwan Al-Mulla show. We covered a lot of ground, including the latest on Sudan, Syria, relations with our Gulf partners, Russia, China, and a great question at the end of press freedoms.
لقاء خاص مع المتحدث بإسم الخارجية الأمريكية سامويل وربيرج حول العلاقات الدبلوماسية بين السعودية وإيران والدور السعودي والأمريكي في إجلاء الرعايا من السودان وعودة سوريا للجامعة العربية
@samwerberg
@USAbilAraby
Then I spoke with
@aljehaniya
on
@AlHadath
about the latest developments in Sudan, including the close cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to monitor attempts to reach a ceasefire.
In my almost 20 years with the U.S. State Department, I've rarely had the pleasure to work with such an amazing partner as I've had the last two years with my friend and colleague,
@ggassamgriffith
. Her mark on our work at the Dubai Media Hub will be long lasting.
وهي على مشارف انتهاء رحلتها معنا كمتحدثة باسم الخارجية الأمريكية باللغة العربية، تأخذنا جيرالدين جاسم غريفيث في رحلة سريعة عبر الزمن تستذكر فيها أهم المحطات التي مرّت بها. نشكر جيرالدين على مسيرتها المميزة معنا مع تمنياتنا لها بالنجاح دائمًا.
Interview with
@BenaichoubaSara
on
@AlHadath
discussing U.S. support for ending the conflict in Yemen. (Special guest vocal appearance by my cat.)
🐱 ... 🤦♂️
My connection to Morocco goes back to 1997, when I went there as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I have loved the country and it’s people ever since. Very happy for Morocco tonight for this victory and for the tremendous achievement of coming out at the top of their World Cup group!
Based on my Twitter feed, it appears that, like the Almoravids and Almohads before them, Morocco’s Atlas Lions are once again carrying the fate of the Arabs on their shoulders. 🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦 Dima Maghrib!
It's always a pleasure to be with
@Mohdalmulla67
for his Diwan Al-Mulla show. In this one, we covered a lot of ground, including the latest on Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, relationship with our Gulf allies, Egypt, OPEC, COVID, and more!
@mulla11
As always, a great conversation with
@Mohdalmulla67
on the Diwan Al-Mulla Show, talking about the U.S. priorities at the upcoming UN General Assembly, the recently announced India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, and much more.
لقاء خاص مع المتحدث بإسم الخارجية الأمريكية سامويل وربيرج
حول
- أهمية الممر الإقتصادي ودعم الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية للمشروع
- الممر الإقتصادي و حقيقة السلام و التطبيع مع إسرائيل
- الموقف الأمريكي حول خلاف مصر وأثيوبيا لملف سد النهضة
@samwerberg
@USAbilAraby
It was a pleasure to be invited
@almashhadmedia
on the very first night of their launch, to speak with
@AsyaHesham
about Russia and Ukraine. Wishing this new channel the best of luck!
This was a really enjoyable conversation with
@qudama_khaled
of
@Arabi21News
, talking about how I learned Arabic, the beauty of dialects, the importance of Arabic film and literature, and more.
Sure, it’s Christmas. But when a fantastic journalist like
@rimamaktabi
is also working and asks you to come on
@AlArabiya
to talk about what the U.S. can do in light of the Taliban’s attempts to erase women from Afghanistan, you don’t say no.
Fascinating conversation in Abu Dhabi this morning at
@TheNationalNews
Connectivity Forum, on the future of connectivity in the age of AI. With H.E.
@OmarSAlolama
and
@AlOraibi
.
I've been a long time user of
@tombihn
bags, made in the USA. Was a real pleasure to visit the factory where it's all made in Seattle last week. And picked up some new gear of course.
That’s a wrap on a very busy week at the COP27 Climate Conference at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Great to connect with old friends and engage with all the Arab media. Next stop: G20 Summit, Bali, Indonesia.
It's been such a busy few months that I didn't get a chance to share links to the many TV interviews I've done since September. Here's a few from NY in September 2022 at the UN General Assembly:
🧵
Kind of felt like I got a front row seat to history being made today in Bali,
Indonesia, hearing President Biden talk to the media directly after his first in-person meeting as President with his Chinese counterpart.
Important conversation with
@aljehaniya
on
@AlHadath
, conveying the US condemnation of the latest Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and US efforts to provide aid to the Yemeni people.
Beyond the normal challenge of trying to explain U.S. policy in Arabic, it is a unique challenge when doing it on the air live with someone like
@mobeid
, who brings an unmatched level of sophistication and nuance to the use of the Arabic language.
Really good conversation on
@AlHadath
last night with
@mwerwary
, discussing U.S. diplomatic efforts to push the Yemeni parties to renew the truce and for the Houthis to release detained Yemeni current and former staff of our mission there.
Back in Dubai from Doha and right back into it with a busy Friday! First I spoke with
@ramezelkadi
on
@ALJADEEDNEWS
about the latest U.S. positions on Syria and Lebanon. (more in the thread below)
A pleasure to speak with
@cristianbaysari
on
@AlHadath
about President Biden's trip to Europe and our response to Putin's war against Ukraine, and also to welcome Christiane back from her groundbreaking reporting on the front lines in Ukraine.
لم ولن تتوان الولايات المتحدة في تقديم كل سبل الدعم لشعبي #تركيا و #سوريا إثر زلازل 6 فبراير المدمرة. وستستمر المساعدات الطبية والغذائية والبشرية في التدفق لمساعدة المتضررين من هذه النكبة.
Recent interview with
@ramezelkadi
on
@ALJADEEDNEWS
discussing U.S. policy on Lebanon and U.S. actions to respond to the calls by the Lebanese people for transparency and accountability.
On this well-produced
@alhurranews
investigative reporting show, I had a chance to speak with
@joelle_el
about the U.S. position on the protests in Iran, and specifically our support for Iranian women.
Feeling pretty good right now for buying a ton of USPS “forever” stamps when they were $0.41 in 2007. Am gonna use those to mail out hard copy updates to my followers when this site goes down. You can find me at the local post office.
Good discussion recently with
@taherbaraka
of
@AlArabiya
, about the danger that Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine is posing to civilians, journalists, and others.
A pleasure to do my first interview with a Libyan TV channel last night. Spoke with Libya Panorama about the UNSC session on Libya and U.S. support for the upcoming Libyan elections.
@lpc_ly
هل هنـاك عقوبات أمريكية على معرقلي العملية الانتخابية من الأجسام الداخلية أو الخارجية؟ المتحدث الإقليمي باسم وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية سامويل وربيرج يجيب لبانوراما
Interview with Mohamed AlMulla of the Diwan AlMulla YouTube show, discussing U.S. support for the security of our partners in the gulf region.
@Mohdalmulla67
@mulla11
It's been a very busy few days, talking mostly about the U.S. response to devastation in Turkiye and Syria from the earthquakes. It was a welcome change of pace to have this really good, wide-ranging conversation with
@Mohdalmulla67
on the Diwan AlMulla show.
لقاء خاص مع المتحدث بإسم الخارجية الأمريكية سامويل وربيرج
حول
-الخلاف الأمريكي السعودي
-العقوبات الأمريكية على روسيا وإيران
-موقف الولايات المتحدة من المنطاد الصيني
-زيارة وزير الخارجية الأمريكي لإسرائيل وفلسطين
رابط اللقاء:
@samwerberg
@USAbilAraby
I spoke with
@khadijarahali
on
@AsharqNews
about the latest U.S. support for Ukraine in light of Russia's ongoing illegal invasion and attacks, and the U.S. designation of the Wagner Group as a Transnational Criminal Organization.
It was truly an honor to be able to join
@AhmedTahaAJ
in the
@ajmubasher
studio in Doha to discuss the latest on Sudan. We have had many conversations online over the past few years but this was our first in-person interview.
المتحدث الإقليمي باسم الخارجية الأميركية: الحوثيون يعرقلون الوصول الى تسوية سياسية وواشنطن لن تتأخر في اتخاذ أي إجراء لفرض الأمن والسلام في #اليمن #مأرب
@samwerberg
@BASELAZZAM1
لقاء خاص مع الدبلوماسية الأوكرانية أولها سيهيدا .. حول:
- الأزمة الأوكرانية والمفاوضات بين أوكرانيا و روسيا
- إنتهاكات حقوق الإنسان في أوكرانيا
رابط اللقاء:
@UKRinKWT
@O_Balanutsa
Six years and this
@tombihn
Brain Bag backpack still going strong! Might last as long as some of the fossils in the Wadi Degla here in Egypt. @ محمية وادي دجلة - Wadi Degla Protectorate
الولايات المتحدة تثني على القيادة الليبية من جميع الأطراف لاتخاذها هذه الخطوة الشجاعة، شاهدوا ما قاله المتحدث الإقليمي باسم وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية، ساميويل وربيرغ بشأن وقف إطلاق النار في ليبيا.
نتقدم بأحرّ التعازي لجميع عائلات ضحايا الزلزال الذي ضرب #سوريا و #تُركيا، ونتمنى الشفاء العاجل للمصابين. تُعلن الولايات المتحدة عن إرسالها مساعدات كاستجابة أولية لشركائنا في تركيا وللمنظمات الإنسانية غير الحكومية في سوريا. وسنستمر في تقديم الدعم اللازم للمتضررين.
It was great to be in the studio with
@RaghdaIbraheem
&
@BasselSabri
on
@alhurranews
TV to have this conversation about the State Department's Human Rights Defenders Award, discussing how we lift up and recognize rights defenders all over the world.
I listen to a lot of podcasts. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a conversation as raw and real as
@joerogan
‘s conversation with
@davidchoe
. Thank you, guys.
It's been a busy few weeks getting the word out on U.S. efforts to push the Sudanese parties to agree to a ceasefire and then actually implement it, while ramping up our response to the growing humanitarian crisis. Here's my latest interviews: (thread)
Had quick chat with
@alekhbariyatv
today right outside in front of the UN, talking about the USG priorities at
#UNGA78
and the latest regional developments.
@USAbilAraby
Great to be in the
@AlArabiya
studio recently with
@TalebKan
, discussing how the U.S. is coordinating with the EU and NATO to support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
I’ve been listening to BBC Arabic radio since I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco in 1997. A bittersweet day today on the last day of the live radio broadcast, but looking forward to what BBC Arabic will offer online in the months and years ahead.
Short interview with
@HalabTodayTV
on the ongoing U.S. support for the global campaign to defeat ISIS, after the U.S. operation to remove an ISIS leader from the battlefield in Syria.
A pleasure to join Haneen Shouly
@s_shouly
on her new
@AlArabiya
show, #الساعة_60, to talk about how the U.S. will continue to support the government and people of Afghanistan after the U.S. troop withdrawal.
بيان للرئيس بايدن بشأن الزلزال الذي ضرب المغرب
أشعر بحزن بالغ لخسارة الأرواح والدمار بفعل الزلزال الذي ضرب المغرب. وترافق أفكارنا وصلواتنا كافة المتأثرين بهذه الكارثة الرهيبة. تتواصل إدارتي مع المسؤولين المغاربة.
A few more interviews over the past few days on Secretary Blinken's latest Middle East trip. I'm a huge fan of radio, so it was great to speak with the
@News_Makan
team on their radio channel. Interview starts around 16:10 in this broadcast:
Today marks 2 years since my release from
#Iran
's Evin prison. January 17 will always mean new beginnings to me and I'm excited for my next adventure as a staff writer on the
@washingtonpost
's WorldViews team