Luncheon Roundtable
The Century Foundation and the Henry L. Stimson Center are pleased to invite you to a luncheon roundtable on Friday, 1 May 2009, to discuss Iran’s Stakes in the New Iraq: Dilemmas for the Region and for Washington.
The U.S. war to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s fiercely Arab nationalist regime in Iraq has opened the door to a new Shiite political class in Baghdad with ties to Tehran, and increased Iranian influence in Iraq has alarmed many in the Arab world who harbor suspicions of Iran’s intentions in the region. As U.S. policy in the region has shifted-from long-term presence in Iraq to near-term disengagement, from seeking confrontation with Iran to seeking possible entente — this roundtable will explore Iranian interests and opportunities in the new Iraq, Iraqis’ concerns about their evolving relationships with both Tehran and Washington, and the implications for Iraq’s future roles in the Arab world.
Leading the discussion will be:
- Reidar Visser, research fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and author of “Iran’s Role in Post-Occupation Iraq: Enemy, Good Neighbor, or Overlord?” (Century Foundation paper, 2009)
- Ellen Laipson, president of the Henry L. Stimson Center
- Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council
Moderating the discussion will be Michael Wahid Hanna of The Century Foundation.
We will be pleased if you can join us on Friday, 1 May from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. at the Henry L. Stimson Center, 1111 19th Street NW, 12th Floor, Washington DC. Kindly RSVP to [email protected].