National Defense University. Institute for National Strategic Studies
Published: 2005
Total Pages: 56
Get eBook
"The Middle East, of course, has long played a critical role in U.S. foreign, economic and security policies. We have had a military presence in the Persian Gulf since 1947 and commitments to protect the region from external threat and ensure access to regional oil and sea lanes. We are also committed to preserving the security of the State of Israel and President Bush set as one of his goals the establishment of an independent and democratic Palestinian state alongside a free and democratic Israeli state. The Persian Gulf and surrounding states will remain high on our list of regional interests as long as oil remains the fuel of choice for the world's economies. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, and regime change in Iraq, new and enduring concerns in the region have taken center stage. They include countering ideological support for terrorism, encouraging economic and democratic liberalization, underwriting political stability, and countering further proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, new opportunities may be opening that could lead to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and several countries have taken tentative steps toward more open political processes, including holding elections. While the U.S. decision to go to war, the consequent occupation of Iraq, and the continuing insurgency have polarized many in the region and the international community, Iraqis are taking their first tentative steps towards establishing democratic rule. President Bush was clear in his State of the Union address of his intentions toward Iraq and what he sees as being at stake for America," ... our commitment remains firm and unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come." Against this backdrop we are asking practitioners and scholars from the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East to examine the regional security environment across the Middle East region. They will assess U.S. security interests and commitments, the potential for democratic and economic reform, the prospects for continued terrorism, the growth of Islamic extremism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the future regional security architecture."--Conference agenda http://www.ndu.edu/inss/Symposia/Topical2005/Agenda.htm.