SABAN FORUM
Reuters/Ho New - Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu stands with Former U.S. President Clinton and California Governor Schwarzenegger in Jerusalem.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
to
Monday, November 16, 2009
On November 14-16, 2009, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings brought together top Israeli and American policymakers, journalists, and members of the public and private sectors to Jerusalem for discussions on the most critical issues in the Middle East.
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Middle East, Arab-Israeli Relations, Diplomacy, Israel, Islamic World
UP FRONT BLOG
Reuters/Thomas Peter - A woman unfolds the pre-Islamic revolution Iranian national flag during a demonstration.
Suzanne Maloney, November 04, 2009
Three decades after Iran seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, igniting a 14-month hostage crisis, Suzanne Maloney examines the current state of power in the Islamic Republic. Maloney says that the recent demonstrations in Iran are an extension of the country's unanswered conversation of legitimate ruling authority, and that responses by hard-liners indicate a belief that any reform would beget revolution.
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Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Nonproliferation, Diplomacy
SPOTLIGHT: Iran
Reuters/Dominic Favre - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili attends a meeting on nuclear power on Iran in Geneva.
Kenneth M. Pollack, October 02, 2009
Kenneth Pollack says recent discussions between the P5-plus-one and Iran were not earth-shaking, with several questions remaining unanswered in the aftermath. However, Pollack does find it interesting that the Iranians demonstrated some willingness to compromise on small interests and there was no attempt to grandstand at the meeting.
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Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Nonproliferation, Diplomacy
SPOTLIGHT: Afghanistan
Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly - Canadian soldiers watch as U.S. Blackhawk helicopters land during an operation in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province.
Bruce Riedel and Michael E. O'Hanlon, September 24, 2009
As questions about future military deployments to Afghanistan grow more numerous, Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel dissect the argument that the United States can again narrow the mission to only address counterterrorism. O'Hanlon and Riedel conclude the correct path remains the one outlined by President Obama in March, even though it may require more time and resources.
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Afghanistan, U.S. Military, Foreign Policy, Terrorism, Development
SPOTLIGHT: Iraq
Reuters/Saad Shalash - A U.S. soldier secures the area after a truck bomb attack targeting the Iraqi Finance Ministry in Baghdad.
Kenneth M. Pollack, August 25, 2009
With renewed violence striking Iraq, Ken Pollack writes that the United States is still all that stands between the war-torn country and anarchy. Pollack argues that the United States should use its power and influence within Iraq to ensure that the country does not slide back into civil war.
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Iraq, Foreign Policy, Middle East, U.S. Military, Civil War
Past Event
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
to
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Washington, DC
On July 14-15, the Saban Center at Brookings and the United States Central Command partnered for the first time to convene a joint conference. Over one-hundred-and-fifty participants came together to analyze developments in Iran, including Iran’s support of terrorist groups, Iran’s foreign policy, and the Iranian nuclear program.
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Research and Commentary
Kenneth M. Pollack, Daniel L. Byman, Martin S. Indyk, Suzanne Maloney, Michael E. O'Hanlon, Bruce Riedel, June 30, 2009
In a new Saban Analysis Paper, six Brookings experts analyze the main policy approaches toward Iran. In examining the benefits and drawbacks of the nine options—including engagement, persuasion, airstrikes, and containment—the authors refrain from recommending one policy over the other. Rather, they present the details of the policies in a manner that allows readers to understand the complexity of the challenge that is Iran and decide for themselves which group of policies is best.
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Research and Commentary
Bruce Riedel, July 23, 2009
Bruce Riedel warns not to be fooled by some of the positive news from Pakistan, because the Taliban and their allies have gained significant power there recently. Riedel says we face the potential of a nuclear-armed state run by Islamic extremists, shows the devastating consequences of such and offers ideas to keep it from occurring.
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Research and Commentary
Daniel L. Byman, July 14, 2009
CIA Director Leon Panetta has cancelled a secret CIA plan to train anti-terrorist assassins, but Daniel Byman notes that strikes by U.S. military drones have had mixed success as a tactic for combating al Qaeda in Pakistan. Given the humanitarian and political risks, each strike needs to be carefully weighed. But equally important is the risk of not striking—and inadvertently allowing al Qaeda leaders free reign to plot terrorist mayhem.
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