MEI Podcast, 12 July, 2012After the Summit: Assessing Iraq’s Relations with its Arab NeighborsJohn Desrocher, Gregory Gause, Ken Pollack, Amb. Samir Sumaida’ie, Phebe Marr
This Opinion first appeared in Frontline.com’s Tehran Bureau on June 13, 2012 and was co-authored by Christina Lin
As U.S. and other NATO troops prepare to leave Afghanistan in 2014, a geopolitical realignment will be under way in Southwest Asia. One possible scenario would outright undermine a principle U.S. policy objective in the region: the containment of Iran.
Turkey’s popular and outspoken Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was treated to a hero’s welcome last week when he met with Syrian refugees for the first time since Turkey opened its doors to the thousands of people fleeing Bashar Al-Assad’s crackdown. Erdogan’s pledge to defend the rights of the Syrian people and his call for Assad’s removal, however, fell short of expectations. Although Erdogan’s speech drew some applause, it was also interrupted by shouts of “We want arms for the Free Syrian Army and a buffer zone inside Syria!” The Turkish PM’s reiteration of his previous positi
This Opinion first appeared on CNN.com on May 21, 2012
Iran is set for nuclear talks Wednesday with members of the U.N. Security Council, and the Obama administration, as well as some Iranian and European Union officials, expressed optimism that a compromise will be reached. But it is useful to examine Israel’s long-term objectives for a bit of a reality check.
Originally posted January 2009
Understanding Iran’s foreign policy is the key to crafting sensible and effective policies toward Iran and requires, above all, a close analysis of the profound cultural and psychological contexts of Iranian foreign policy behavior.
Originally posted April 2010
The Middle East Institute is proud to host Georgetown University professor Paul Pillar for a discussion about Iran and how best to address its nuclear ambitions. Pillar argues that the acceptable range of opinion on Iran has narrowed around the idea that all options, including a military strike, must be pursued to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. And yet, Pillar argues, if the combination of nuclear talks and sanctions do not yield the outcome the West and Israel seek, containment is preferable to war.
MEI Podcast, 18 April, 2012 Containment: A Viable Strategy for Iran?
MEI Podcast, 18 April, 2012 Containment: A Viable Strategy for Iran?
MEI Podcast, 18 April, 2012 Containment: A Viable Strategy for Iran?
MEI Podcast, 18 April, 2012 Containment: A Viable Strategy for Iran?
MEI Podcast, 18 April, 2012 Containment: A Viable Strategy for Iran?
Panelists will explore both the challenges and opportunities presented by the transition of the U.S.-Iraqi partnership from a mainly military to a diplomatic one. What sort of working relationship is emerging between the U.S. and Iraqi governments? What kind of cooperation is taking place in the areas of domestic and regional security, diplomacy, trade, energy, and reform? How has the troop drawdown affected U.S. influence in Iraq and the region in general? Feltman, Istrabadi and Serwer will explore strategies and policies resulting from the new bilateral dynamics.
This Opinion first appeared in Hurriyet on April 13, 2012
By Alex Vatanka and Soner Çağaptay