Iran and the West at a Crossroad: Will Recent Elections Make or Break a Deal on Iran's Nuclear Program?
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described upcoming talks with Iran over its nuclear program as "the last chance to resolve the crisis." Yet as the final hour approaches for an opportunity to avert a military attack, there are few apparent signs Iran will make compromises. Recent parliamentary elections have only strengthened the power of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the hardliners in his inner circle who aspire to make the Islamic republic a regional superpower.
Are Iran’s leaders rational actors? This question matters when justifying any decision by Israel to preempt Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons. An Iranian regime seen as driven to destroy the Jewish state has to be dealt with differently than one whose objectives are mediated by calculations of costs and benefits. Deterrents that would be normally expected to restrain a state would not work with an irrational Iran.
Kurdish Issues: Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government in a Changing Middle East
The Arab Spring has driven a wedge between Turkey and its once-close allies, Iran and Syria. Ankara's ties with Baghdad are strained, as well. Panelists will address the impact of external upheaval on Turkey's internal Kurdish issue and examine the situation in the context of Turkey's changing relationship with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq. Given the realities of the new regional dynamics, what are the prospects for Turkey's "Kurdish Opening?" What impact will increased bilateral Turkey-KRG cooperation have on the security situation?
Policy Privatization and Empowerment of Sub-National Forces: The Case of Private English Language Institutes in Iran
Originally posted July 2010
In the past, there was no need for learning a foreign language. Today, however, learning foreign languages should be included in school curricula … Today is not like yesterday, when our voice could not reach beyond the national boundary. Today, we can stay in Iran but publicize [our ideology] and export our revolution to other parts of the world in different languages.
