As Syria’s raging civil war approaches the two-year mark, the United States should prepare a more focused strategy that strengthens the moderate political forces in Syria and engages Syria’s regional and international stakeholders, according to a new special report from… Continue Reading
A new report from the Baker Institute lays out specific recommendations for the U.S. administration to advance prospects for a two-state solution. Titled “Re-engaging the Israelis and the Palestinians: Why an American Role in Initiating Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations is Necessary and… Continue Reading
There’s an interesting report up on the Baker Institute website called “Weighing Benefits and Costs of International Sanctions against Iran.” It’s the work of a group called the Iran Project. While it takes no position on the wisdom of U.S.… Continue Reading
On Thursday evening, Oct. 25, Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian spoke at Faneuil Hall in Boston for the third annual K. George and Carolann S. Najarian, M.D. Lecture on Human Rights. Djerejian’s address, titled “An American Ambassador’s Reflections on U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East and Caucasus,” discussed his experiences as a practitioner of U.S. foreign policy and the ongoing challenges for Armenia and the Caucasus. Download a transcript of his remarks after the jump. Continue Reading
In a recent interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian said that given a rapidly changing Middle East, the United States must realize that it cannot direct the course of political events in the Arab world. “We can influence those events because we still have many resources and many important interests in the region, but we have to do it collectively, with as many international partners as we can muster,” he said. “Whatever we can do to influence the evolution of these societies under more stable, democratic and free economic paths is where the United States should be crafting its policies.” Continue Reading
Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian recently spoke to the Houston Chronicle about the ongoing crisis in Syria. Among other issues, Djerejian — former U.S. ambassador to Syria and to Israel — discusses President Bashar al-Assad’s fight to retain control and the Obama administration’s approach to U.S. military involvement in the Arab Awakening. Continue Reading
The past year has marked a transformative shift in the Middle East and North Africa, as protestors in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen took to the streets calling for political reform. Today, four of those countries have different leaders, but events in Syria have taken a very violent turn, and peace between Israel and the Palestinians remains elusive. Recently, I traveled to the region, and was able to gain a firsthand impression of recent events. Continue Reading