2010 UPDATE ON THE MIDDLE EAST: ECONOMIC AND SECURITY TRENDS IN THE REGION

September 28-30, 2010

Capitol Hill Club
Washington, DC

The United States continues to face serious strategic, economic and political challenges in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan.  The war on terror, the politics of oil, nuclear proliferation, and issues of local governance will all pose critical tests for Congress, the Obama White House and the Pentagon.  This seminar will discuss each of these areas of concern and analyze how U.S. foreign policy makers might respond.

Stability in the Middle East and America’s relationship with the wider Muslim world are linked to how effectively the United States manages a number of difficult issues, ranging from Iraq's fragile democracy and Iran's nuclear ambitions to the terrorist insurgency in Afghanistan.  The stakes will be high since what happens in these three pivotal states will be felt by key American allies from Turkey to the Horn of Africa. 

Achieving even basic security in the Middle East will depend on an array of political and economic variables abroad and on an equally important partisan debate in Washington.  In this special three-day Political-Economic Conflict Seminar, attendees will explore U.S. strategic options as well as the politics, culture, and the religious and sectarian issues at the heart of this tumultuous region.

SEMINAR TOPICS*

• The Drive for Democracy in the Middle East:  The End of the Road?
• Assessing the Future of Iraq and the Implications for U.S. National Interests
• Turkish-American Relations:  Islam, The Kurds, and Iran
• Asia’s Footprints in the Middle East
• The United States, Europe, and the Great Middle East
• Saudi Arabia:  The Godfather of Energy?
• U.S. Security Interests in the Middle East
• The Persian Puzzle:  Internal Problems and Regional Ambitions
• Iran and a Nuclear Middle East
• Jordan, Kuwait and Yemen:  The Other Stories
• Israeli-Syrian Negotiations:  Shifting Relations and the Risk of Miscalculation
• Russia and the Middle East:  A Return to Soviet-Era Tactics
• America’s Experience with Nation Building—From Germany to Iraq
• The Arab-Israeli Conflict and the Strategic Implications to the Area
• Clash of Civilizations:  New Challenges for American Foreign Policy
• Israel and Palestine:  Is A Breakthrough Possible?
• *The above topics may change to address changing current events at the time of the seminar.

FEE

$1,985 per person

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The seminar will be held in a private meeting room at the Capitol Hill Club, located at 300 First Street, SE, Washington, DC.  The Club is directly across the street from the Capitol South Metro Station (Blue and Orange Lines).  Reporting information concerning registration time and workshop start and end times will be sent to all participants approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of each program. Workshop is open to civilians (GS-15 and above) and military (O-6 and above).

Generally, registration will begin around 7:45 am and seminars will be conducted from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on the first two days and from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on the last day (subject to agenda and scheduling).  Business attire for participants is required. Military uniform is optional.

No video, power point or audio-visual aids are utilized in the presentations. These programs are informal and strictly "off-the-record."

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