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Attiya Ahmad is Georgetown University’s 2009-10 Center for International and Regional Studies Post-Doctoral Fellow. She recently completed her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. Dr. Ahmad’s work brings together scholarship on Islamic studies, globalization, diaspora and migration studies, economic anthropology, and political economy.
2013 Annual Conference: Overview | Banquet | Conference | Luncheon
Earlier this week, Iran and world powers reached a deal in which Iran will curb its nuclear program for six months in exchange for a drop in some sanctions. MEI spoke with one of its experts, Alex Vatanka, to gain an understanding of how hardliners in Iran are reacting to the deal as well as other internal dynamics in the Islamic Republic.
How have hardliners in Iran, such as the Revolutionary Guards, responded to the news of the interim agreement?
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s visit to Washington, D.C. last week came on the heels of a year of soul searching for Turkish foreign policy. After the Arab uprisings shook Turkey’s guiding principle of “zero problems with neighbors,” the country now seems intent on resuming the leadership role it enjoyed in the pre-Arab Spring Middle East.
The initial impulse for Pakistan and Turkey to pursue security cooperation stemmed from their common opposition to Communism in the 1950s. Over the past decade, Pakistan and Turkey have once again sought to cooperate in the security sphere, this time in countering terrorism and ensuring stability in Afghanistan.
The nuclear deal with Iran, though still temporary and tentative, is ushering in a historic shift in the patterns of power, conflict, and diplomacy in the region. Like all historic shifts, it is laden with uncertainty and risk of new conflicts, but also carries with it potential opportunities for further diplomacy and finding common ground. Given the precedent of conflict and mistrust in the region, it is no surprise that the deal has raised concerns among many of America’s allies.
Yesterday, the United States and Afghanistan completed a bilateral security pact ensuring that U.S. troops will remain in the country. It now goes to a council of elders—the loya jirga—for authorization. MEI spoke with Scholar-in-Residence Marvin Weinbaum about the pact’s sticking points, next steps for its approval, and what each country gains from the agreement.
What does the U.S.-Afghan security pact stipulate?
Moderator: Brian Katulis, Center for American ProgressLina Khatib, Stanford UniversityAhmad Maher, April 6 MovementMabrouka Mbarek, Tunisian Constituent Assembly MemberAyat Mneina, Libyan Youth Movement
Moderator: Michael Hudson, National University of SingaporeAaron David Miller, The Woodrow Wilson CenterFred Hof, Rafik Hariri Center at the Atlantic CouncilRoula Khalaf, Financial TimesSteven Simon, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Moderator: Amb. Daniel Kurtzer, Middle East InstituteMunib Masri, PADICO HoldingYossi Vardi, High-tech investor and entrepreneurMiroslav Dusek, World Economic Forum
Moderator: Kim Ghattas, BBCF. Gregory Gause, University of Vermont & Brookings DohaMohsen Milani, University of South FloridaPaul Salem, The Middle East InstituteMona Yacoubian, Stimson Center
Panel 1: Assessing the Transitions: Egypt and Tunisia
Moderator: Paul Salem, The Middle East InstituteKhalil al Anani, The Middle East InstituteLarry Diamond, Stanford UniversityNoureddine Jebnoun, Georgetown UniversityRabab El Mahdi, American University of Cairo
Opening Remarks: Amb. Wendy Chamberlin
Recipient- Abdlatif Al-Hamad, Presenter- Richard A. Debs, Morgan Stanley Closing remarks by Kate Seelye
Recipient- Zaha Hadid (in absentia), Presenter- Amb. Marcelle Wahba, DelMar International, LLC
