RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Carlos Pascual, April 03, 2008, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Carlos Pascual addressed the vulnerability that Iraq’s ongoing crisis presents for U.S. troops, key elements for a revised diplomatic strategy, and critical issues in need of debate. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Stephen Biddle, Michael E. O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack, September/October 2008, Foreign Affairs
Brookings experts Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, writing with Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations, argue that the situation in Iraq is improving. They believe that with the right strategy, the United States will eventually be able to draw down troops in the country without sacrificing stability. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Martin S. Indyk and Kenneth M. Pollack, January 05, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The next president will face a Middle East in turmoil and an American public weary of engagement there. That challenge requires a return to diplomacy in order to begin the withdrawal from Iraq, cap Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and promote a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, November 20, 2008
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Washington, DC
To face the daunting problems of the global financial crisis to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and transnational threats such as nuclear proliferation, terrorism and global climate change, the new Obama administration will need to forge global partnerships and usher in a new era of international cooperation. On November 20, the Managing Global Insecurity (MGI) Project released "A Plan for Action,” a comprehensive set of foreign policy recommendations for the next U.S. president—and other world leaders—to address the most critical challenges facing the world today. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon, November 04, 2008, The Washington Times
Michael O'Hanlon argues the success of the surge in Iraq depends on our ability to maintain the gains made thus far. However, the unwillingness of Iraqi leaders to accept a new Status of Forces Agreement jeopardizes hard-fought security improvements and endangers prospects of political reconciliation. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Riedel, October 27, 2008, Newsweek
Bruce Riedel joined Newsweek to discuss the continuing threat from Al Qaeda, their successes and failures, and options for fighting the organization now and in the future. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon and Ann Gildroy, October 22, 2008, USA Today
Michael O'Hanlon and Ann Gildroy believe an exit strategy from Iraq should incorporate the thinking of both presidential candidates. They argue the next president will need to keep pressure on the Iraqis to make compromises, but also that U.S. strategy requires patience and resolve as well as a stabilizing troop presence in the near term. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
On October 15, 2008, the Brookings Doha Center, a Project of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, hosted Ambassador Martin Indyk, Director of the Saban Center, for its first policy discussion of the post-Ramadan season. The policy discussion entitled covered some of the most important challenges and responsibilities facing the next administration with regard to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Ron Nessen, October 15, 2008, The Brookings Institution
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RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, October 02, 2008, The Brookings Institution
Provincial elections are an important step toward national reconciliation in Iraq, but steps must be taken to ensure that the displaced— both refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)— are able to participate. Despite the passage of the provincial elections law, there are no provisions for Iraqis living outside the country to vote, meaning that close to 10% of Iraq's populatioin will be disenfranchised, with serious consequences for the legitimacy of the elections. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Peter W. Singer, September 2008, Política Exterior
Peter Singer dissects issued involving private military contractors in Iraq. (Spanish) Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Kenneth M. Pollack, September 09, 2008, The American Academy of Political and Social Science
Kenneth Pollack joined the Philadephia Inquirer's Trudy Rubin to discuss the long-term impact of the Iraq war on al Qaeda and what the future involvement of the United States should be in the region. Read More
PAST EVENT
Friday, September 05, 2008
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted Senior Fellow Kenneth Pollack for a discussion of his book A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East. In the book, Pollack offers a long-term strategy to improve the political, economic and social problems that underlie the region’s many crises. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Roberta Cohen, Fall 2008, American University International Law Review, Vol. 24, Issue 2
Refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are hardly a new phenomenon for Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, forced displacement was a deliberate state policy and a tool used to subdue recalcitrant populations and punish political opponents. The U.S. invasion and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, far from resolving the problem however, made it worse. The ensuing sectarian violence and armed conflict increased the number of those forced to flee their homes. For these 4.7 million Iraqis, assistance has remained difficult to find. A combination of national and international steps need to be taken. Read More