Conference in Tehran on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Iran’s Nuclear Energy Program: Policies & Prospects Tehran, Iran, 24-25 April 2006 a Joint Conference of the Pugwash Conferences and the Center for Strategic Research, Tehran Report by Emile El-Hokayem 25 April 2006 On April 24-25, 2006, Emile El-Hokayem attended a conference in Tehran on Iran’s nuclear program. He also served as the conference’s rapporteur. […]
The Need to Rethink US Policy towards Iran
This commentary appeared in the Daily Star on April 18, 2006. The second Bush administration has been particularly busy with Iran policy, putting in motion a number of initiatives that contrast in style with its earlier policies. The bottom line? Success is unlikely; the administration’s determination to take a morally pure stance on a regime […]
The Challenge of Dealing with Syria
The Southwest Asia project hosted a roundtable discussion on Syria on December 19, 2005. David Ignatius of the Washington Post and Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma and Syriacomment.com spoke about Syrian domestic and foreign developments. Landis’ presentation focused on Bashar Assad’s own perception of Syria’s situation and predicament. Landis argued that Bashar, by […]
Iraq After the Elections: Choices and Challenges Ahead
The apparent success of Iraq’s December 14 parliamentary elections is good news for Iraq, for the United States, and for the democratization process in the region. One senses a huge sigh of relief from the Bush Administration, from some American politicians who would like to move onto other issues, and from many Iraqi politicians and […]
Improving the Interagency Process to Face 21st Century Security Challenges
Dear Colleague, On behalf of the U.S. Army’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Security Series and the Henry L. Stimson Center, we are pleased to provide this short report on an enduring challenge for U.S. national security: how security professionals in our large and complex bureaucracy can learn to work together, across disciplines and institutional boundaries, […]
Saudi Security: King Abdallah’s Greatest Challenge
This commentary appeared in the Daily Star on September 22, 2005. The peaceful transition to the reign of King Abdallah, amidst great security uncertainties inside the kingdom and in the region, is a useful moment to reflect on Saudi security policy and to pose the question whether any change in policy is likely or needed. […]
NATO’s New Missions In The Middle East
An Arabic version of this commentary appeared in Al-Hayat on August 20, 2005. NATO is picking up the pace of its engagement in the Middle East, putting aside any lingering doubts about “out of area” missions. This new activism can contribute to regional stability and can add security sector reform to the reform agenda in […]
The US-Iran-Iraq Triangle: Uncertainty and Anxiety
A summer of pain and uncertainty grinds on in Iraq. Next door, Iran has elected a new president, which does not augur well for any positive change in US-Iran relations. The interaction of the three states most critical to Gulf security – Iran, Iraq and the United States – comprises many moving parts and paradoxes. […]