How to Measure Success

Daniel Kurtzer, former U.S. ambassador to Egypt and Israel (International Herald Tribune)

October 19, 2007

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)

"It behooves the Bush administration to set the bar high for this meeting and to establish serious goals that ensure success."

As diplomats scramble to piece together the parts of the Middle East peace meeting… one crucial question is getting too little attention: How will success be measured?

The goal is to reach an end of the Arab-Israeli conflict. There is no longer any rationale for attempting partial or interim solutions, which in the past were supposed to build trust but which actually eroded trust and confidence. The process by which to attain this goal is serious, sustained negotiations - bilateral, but accompanied by close and active U.S. involvement. Access the full article>>

In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

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12/02/11: Terms Of Disengagement —

Setting the Record Straight

Determined to Reach a Common Objective

“We knew at the outset that the task would be difficult. We acknowledged that publicly and privately. We knew this would be a road with many bumps— and there have been many bumps—and that continues to this day. But we are not deterred. We are, to the contrary, determined more than ever to proceed to realize the common objective, which we all share, of a Middle East that is at peace with security and prosperity for the people of Israel, for Palestinians, and for all the people in the region. We will continue our efforts in that regard, undeterred and undaunted by the difficulties, the complexities or the bumps in the road.”—George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace, remarks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, September 29, 2010

Middle East Analysis

Don’t Panic. Yet —Issandr El Amrani (The Arabist)
The Islamists vs. The Markets: Egypt’s Election Analyzed —Haroon Moghul (Religion Dispatches)
What the Libya Intervention Achieved —Marc Lynch (Foreign Policy)

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