Event Summary

The Future of Democracy in Lebanon

Riad al-Khouri and Graeme Bannerman — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 13:57:59 -0400

Riad al-Khouri began the discussion with a pessimistic assessment of the situation in Lebanon: instability and crises have afflicted Lebanon for a long time and will probably persist. The past few years in Lebanon have been characterized by a governmental impasse with Hezbollah hungry for its share of power. In the fighting in Lebanon over the past month, Hezbollah proved itself to be a very professional group, leading an unconventional army comparable to the Viet Minh.

Can Israel and Syria Break the Middle East Deadlock?

Dr. Alon Liel — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:30:04 -0500

Dr. Liel commenced his presentation by informing the audience that in January 2004, the president of Syria paid the first visit to the Republic of Turkey. Given Turkey’s good relations with Syria and Israel, Bashar ‘Asad hoped that Turkey would be able to effectively mediate between both sides to reach a settlement over the Golan Heights.

Iran on the Horizon: Panel III: Iran and The Levant

Trita Parsi, Fares Braizat, Murhaf Jouejati, and Judith P. Harik — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:55:06 -0500

Trita Parsi offered an introduction to some critical issues between Arab states and Iran, including Syria’s unexpected participation in Annapolis despite Iran’s advice and the implications of the Jordanian President’s current reluctance to utilize his own phrase “Shia Crescent.” In addition, he brought to the audience’s attention the accusation that Lebanon’s political instability could fuel a proxy war between Iran and the US.

MEI's 61st Annual Conference 2007-Panel II

Philip Gordon, David Ignatius, Tariq Ramadan, Robert Satloff — Fri, 2 Nov 2007 16:42:19 -0400

Tariq Ramadan dominated the first half hour of the discussion due to the anticipated brevity of a satellite broadcast from England. During his time, Dr. Ramadan stressed the necessity for a critical assessment of US policy toward the Middle East as he outlined a couple of main points.

MEI's 61st Annual Conference 2007-Panel III

Fawaz Gerges, General Ehsan ul Haq, Michael Ware, Paul Pillar — Fri, 2 Nov 2007 15:34:43 -0400

Dr. Paul Pillar moderated the discussion and opened the panel with a comparison of the mujahidin who fought in the Soviet-Afghan War and the jihadists currently fighting in Iraq. He identified three lasting effects that the Afghan war had on the jihadist movement: the acquisition of skills and arms, the jihadist global networking opportunity, and the belief that the jihadists could defeat a superpower.

MEI's 61st Annual Conference 2007-Panel I

Mustafa Barghouthi, Richard Cook, Benny Morris, Ambassador Wegger Strommen — Fri, 2 Nov 2007 14:14:19 -0400

Ambassador Wegger Strommen, the panel’s moderator, opened the discussion by introducing each of the panelists and giving them time to address the topic of Palestinian refugees. Benny Morris, the first speaker, expressed pessimism about the fate of the 4 to 5 million Palestinians who live stateless, squalid, and oppressed lives as refugees. He said that there are two main issues that prevent a solution to the refugees’ problem. One is the gap between the Israelis and the Palestinians on the political level, since Israeli power is much greater than those of the refugees.

MEI's Annual Conference 2007-Luncheon Address

Frances Fragos Townsend — Fri, 2 Nov 2007 14:07:14 -0400

Townsend began her remarks reiterating the words of President Bush regarding the United States’ vital and enduring interests in the Middle East and in good relationships with our partners based on common interests of faith, education and commerce. She reminded the audience that the Middle East has a long history as a key source of trade before oil and that, as the crossroads of the world, it is of the US’s vital interest to promote stability in the region.

National Dialogue in Lebanon

Jawad Boulous — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc568.html

Lebanon’s National Dialogue began in early March 2006 as an effort to generate consensus between the country’s major parliamentary factions – namely the March 8 and March 14 coalitions – on several controversial issues, most of which related to the broader debate over Syria’s role in Lebanese politics. MP Boulous participated in the Dialogue as a member of the independent Christian bloc within the March 14 coalition, and in support of MP Boutros Harb, one of the fourteen principal politicians attending the talks.

Post-War Status of Lebanon's March 14th Movement

Musbah al-Ahdab, Member of Parliament, Lebanon — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc565.html

The March 14th demonstrations that followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri engendered hope for Lebanon. In what was dubbed the “Cedar Revolution,” hundreds of thousands of Lebanese took to the streets and called for an end to Syrian influence. Syria ceded to the pressure and withdrew its 14,000 military and intelligence personnel on April 27, 2005. The March 14th alliance created a new reformist political coalition that swept into power in the following elections.

Crisis in Lebanon: Is Peacekeeping Possible?

Michael Bailey, James Dobbins, Arthur Hughes, David Mack, William Steubner — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc555.html