October Programs Spotlight Middle East

October has been a busy month at the Council. We’ve had programs about issues ranging from the resource curse of oil to the ways game theory can be applied to national security challenges. There was one region, the Middle East, which was given particular attention as we strove to provide the community with multiple [...]

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Obama, Netanyahu, and Abbas Talk in New York

Ahead of a very busy week at the United Nations, President Barack Obama met yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. President Obama said, “My message to these two leaders is clear. Despite all the obstacles, despite all the history, despite all the mistrust, we have to find a way [...]

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Anecdotes on Life in the Middle East

Monday evening at the World Affairs Council,  Neil MacFarquhar, UN Bureau Chief to The New York Times, offered his unique perspective on life in the Middle East. With a collection of anecdotes collected over 25 years of both personal and professional experience in the region, MacFarquhar brought the diversity and character of the people to [...]

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His Excellency Sameh Shoukry at the Council

His Excellency Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Ambassador to the United States, joined the Council last week to discuss US-Egyptian relations and current issues in the Middle East. In his speech, and lengthy question and answer portion of the event, he covered issues from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran’s nuclear program to trade, economic aid, and political [...]

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Rethinking US Foreign Policy

President Obama’s speech in Cairo today clearly outlines a shift in US foreign policy toward the Middle East – a shift about which many are hopeful, and others wary.  Last week, Stephen Stedman, Senior Fellow of the Center for International Security & Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University, joined us to discuss the opportunity that President [...]

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Inside Perspective on Iraq, Afghanistan, the Taliban and the Greater Middle East

With a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, former ambassador under President George W. Bush to the United Nations, Iraq and Afghanistan, joined the Council this past week for an in-depth discussion on the Middle East. At the outset, he humbly noted that during his time in [...]

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