On 4 and 5 March 2009 the Research Division of the NATO Defense College held an international workshop under the heading: “Towards a new US foreign policy in the Middle East?” This challenging event, organized in the framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, occurred at a crucial time, just after the installation of the new US administration, the recent conflict in Gaza and inconclusive Israeli general elections. Given the highly volatile situation in the region, the topic was perceived by everyone one as an extremely relevant and decisive issue.
The NATO Defense College Commandant, Lieutenant General Wolf-Dieter LOESER, welcomed more than forty experts, academics, diplomats, senior officers and officials from institutions, agencies and universities in NATO, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative countries, who held discussions under the Chatham House Rule. Several key US academic figures participated in the talks, notably Anthony Cordesman, Ian Lesser and Charles Cogan. Prominent think tanks were also represented: the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS, London), the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, Washington), the Rand Corporation (Santa Monica), Harvard University, the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI, Paris), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Berlin), the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (Cairo) and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS,Tel Aviv). The workshop was also attended by journalists from Al-Hayat, Haaretz and Radio Suisse Romande.
The participants analyzed the current situation in the Middle East, focusing on the expectations of the Arab world, the foreseeable policy trends of the new US administration, and the implications for Iraq, Iran and Gulf security. They also explored the probable repercussions of the recent conflict in Gaza, and the impact of the results of the Israeli general elections on US foreign policy in the region (including US policy towards Syria) and on the peace process.
Prepared by Dr Pierre RAZOUX (NDC Research Division)
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN