In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

08/20/10: Center for American Progress Welcomes Resumption of Direct Talks —
08/10/10: A View from the Ground —Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, chair, Rebaz Foundation. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
08/03/10: U.S.-Turkish Relations —Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr., recently returned deputy ambassador in Afghanistan; former ambassador to Egypt (2005-2008); and deputy chief of mission and charge d'affaires in U.S. embassy in Turkey (1995-1999). Congressional Testimony.

Setting the Record Straight

Eye Still on the Ball

“Adverse developments in Iraq will be (and will look to be) increasingly a function of the Obama Team taking their eye off of the ball and rushing to declare mission accomplished. Yes, in such a scenario the Iraqis should bear most of the blame, but the part that is due to U.S. action or inaction will be Obama's responsibility. And it will matter. Iraq is at the center of a region that every president since Jimmy Carter has identified as vital to our national security. Iraq is next door to, and the playground for mischief from, the most thorny national security challenge the United States faces: a nuclear-weapons-seeking Iranian regime. These inconvenient facts mean that if the Iraqi situation demands more focused and costly U.S. attention, it will likely get it. At that point, what sort of domestic coalition will be available for President Obama's Iraq policy?”
—Peter Feaver, director, Triangle Institute for Security Studies; former director for defense policy and arms control, National Security Council, “Obama’s Iraq Speech: Another Missed Opportunity,” Foreign Policy, August 3, 2010

“Iraq is a strategically important place in the Middle East, just by its geographic location, by its population, by the influence it's had in the Middle East for a long time. So neighboring countries from around the Middle East have an interest inside of Iraq.

“But I will tell you that I think Iraqis themselves are nationalistic in nature, and that's why it's important. A strong Iraq will defend itself against interference from outside countries, and I think as we build a strong Iraq and as we continue to build a strong security mechanism and as we continue to help them economically and diplomatically, that will make it less likely of others from the outside being able to interfere.

“Now, for the vacuum as we see today, again, I remind everyone is that we still have a significant presence here, and we are not going to—we will not allow undue maligned influence on the Iraqi government as they attempt to form their government. What we're trying to do is provide them the space and time for them to do that, and we will continue to do that post 1 September. We'll still have a significant civilian presence, and again, we'll still have 50,000 troops on the ground here to ensure that this government can be formed by the Iraqis. And that all the other nations respect their sovereignty as they go about forming their government.”
—General Ray Odierno, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, interview, “This Week” with Christiane Amanpour, August 8, 2010

Middle East Analysis

As Obama Talks Peace, Many Iraqis Are Unsure —Anthony Shadid (The New York Times)
The Premiership —Sean Kane, program officer for Iraq programs, Center of Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, U.S. Institute of Peace (Peace Brief)
Iraq, the Region’s Prized Bull —Jamil K. Mroue, publisher and editor in chief, The Daily Star

Upcoming Events

The Road Forward on Middle East Peace

Event: October 1, 2009 - 12:00pm-1:00pm

Introduction:
Winnie Stachelberg, Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Center for American Progress

Featured speaker:
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL)

Moderated by:
Moran Banai, U.S. Editor of Middle East Bulletin

Original Commentary

Center for American Progress Welcomes Resumption of Direct Talks
Original Commentary | Aug 20, 2010
Special Envoy Mitchell discusses resumption of talks (AP)
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s announcement of the resumption of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians is the beginning of an important new chapter in the administration’s efforts to bring about comprehensive Middle East peace and a sustainable two-state solution.

The resolution of the conflict is a U.S. national interest and we applaud the Obama administration’s ambitious vision of achieving an agreement within a year, as well as its continued emphasis on the importance of such an agreement, as Special Envoy

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A View from the Ground
Original Commentary | Aug 10, 2010
Opening session of Iraqi Parliament (AP)
Can you tell us about the work of the Rebaz Foundation?

The Rebaz Foundation is a non-governmental charitable organization operating in the Kurdish region of Iraq. It was established in 2007 by a group of Iraqi Kurdish attending university at the time in London. We wanted to develop a new, non-governmental group that could give voice to the younger generation, outside of the political process. The Rebaz Foundation promotes economic development and social and political reform throughout the Kurdish region. We

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U.S.-Turkish Relations
Original Commentary | Aug 3, 2010
PM Erdogan at G20 meeting (AP)
President Obama nominated Ricciardone to serve as ambassador to Turkey on July 1, 2010. On July 20, 2010, the ambassador testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His testimony is the most recent and comprehensive statement of the administration’s Turkey policy.

For decades Turkey and the United States have cooperated intensively to promote regional stability through many specific areas of collaboration, including countering terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; resolving regional conflicts; promoting energy security; expanding

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Assessing the Situation in Pakistan
Original Commentary | Jul 27, 2010
Afghan and Pakistani representatives sign trade agreement (AP)
You recently wrote that ‘Pakistan is our most important ally in the fight against Al Qaeda and its affiliates, and our most difficult ally.’ What did you mean by that?

Pakistan is our most important ally because, after all, that is where most of the terrorists are. Pakistan is the epicenter of the global Islamic jihadist terrorist movement today. Not just Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, which attacked Mumbai two years ago, the Afghan Taliban and

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Working on a Shared Goal
Original Commentary | Jul 20, 2010
Netanyahu and Obama, Mitchell and Abbas (AP)
How do you assess the meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu last week? Were there any tangible results?

The meeting between the president and the prime minister was successful both in a substantive way and a political way. Clearly, the two men had a remarkably positive exchange in private for roughly an hour and a half. I take great confidence from the fact that the president left that meeting with a degree of confidence that Prime Minister Netanyahu was

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Combining State-Building and a Political Horizon
Original Commentary | Jun 8, 2010
Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell at Palestine Investment Conference (AP)
What is the significance of the Palestine Investment Conference that will take place on June 1 and 2? What has the U.S. Government done to assist in preparing for the conference?

First we should put it in context. The Palestine Investment Conference is part of the PA’s overall institution and state-building effort. Since the summer of 2007, the PA under President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad has taken some very significant reforms that are aimed directly at improving the livelihoods of

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A First Look
Original Commentary | Jun 1, 2010
Mavi Marmara Flotilla Ship (AP)
Below are a few pieces analyzing yesterday’s events and their repercussions:

After the Raid, Israel Needs a New Way Forward
by The Baltimore Sun

Despite the release of videos from both sides in the conflict between protesters and Israeli soldiers aboard a freighter off the Gaza coast, the precise nature of the incident that left nine civilians dead and several soldiers wounded is unclear. … Ultimately, it will probably be impossible to arrive at answers to those questions that will be

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Initiative for the Old City
Original Commentary | May 11, 2010
Dome of the Rock & Western Wall (AP)
You are in town for the launch of the the Jerusalem Old City Initiative from Windsor University; what is the objective of the plan that is being announced tomorrow?

Sher: It is an attempt to suggest one possible solution for the Old City which has become the heart of the Jerusalem issue, a major sticking point in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The uniqueness of this place stems from it being holy to the three monotheistic religions. We thought that by trying

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Borders as a Core Issue
Original Commentary | Apr 29, 2010
Israeli proposal at Annapolis talks (Dan Rothem)
To see full-sized maps prepared by Dan Rothem click on images.

The United States is working to launch proximity talks between Israelis and Palestinians, and one of the main issues will be borders. What are the territorial compromises that are possible from both sides in order to reconcile Israel’s need for security with the Palestinian aspiration for statehood?

The stated U.S. formula creates a sort of a equation between the ‘Palestinian goal of

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Flexibility and Perseverance Required
Original Commentary | Apr 27, 2010
Senator Mitchell with Presidents Peres and Abbas (AP)
Frustration regarding efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has generated much discussion lately about whether the Obama administration should present its own peace plan to the parties. Such a move is a tempting alternative to the lack of obvious progress toward direct negotiations, and it would certainly shake things up. As the idea of a U.S. plan gains currency, however, it is important to consider the implications of such an announcement.

First, we must remember that U.S. leadership in this dispute

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