Kim Ghattas on a Murder That Explains the Middle East

October 14, 2026

Brian Katulis

Democracy and Human Rights, Terrorism, US Policy in the Middle East, Lebanon

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Brian sits down with author and Emmy Award-winning journalist Kim Ghattas to talk about her new book, The Best Kind of American, which tells the story of the 1984 assassination of Malcolm Kerr, then president of the American University of Beirut. They discuss her inspiration for the project, what Kerr’s murder revealed about the Middle East at the time, and why his story still resonates four decades later.

Listen to Taking the Edge Off the Middle East on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Purchase The Best Kind of American here.

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