Event Summary

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 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 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.

Dancing With Wolves-The Importance of Talking to Your Enemies

Rt. Hon Michael Ancram QC MP — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc634.html

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.

American Perspectives on Hezbollah

Frederic Hof, Mark Perry, Philip Wilcox — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc551.html

Inside the Pressure Cooker: Syria's Domestic Political Scene

Joshua Landis — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 12:00:00 -0500

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc491.html

The strain on relations between Syria and the United States has greatly reduced Syrian President Bashar Assad’s ability to pacify US demands on Syria through strategic concessions. Bashar’s growing realization that he will be left “naked in front of the US” if he keeps “taking off his clothes” has prompted the Syrian leader to resist increasing US pressure on Syria.

Panel: The Escalating Conflict Between Syria, Iran, and the US

Michael Collins Dunn, Seymour Hersh, Hisham Melhem, Theodore Kattouf — Tue, 8 Nov 2005 12:00:00 -0500

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc450.html

Former CIA Analyst Presents New Book: Inheriting Syria

Flynt Leverett, Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Politics — Fri, 6 May 2005 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc377.html