Author Archives: NCUSAR

Founded in 1983, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR) is a non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization dedicated to improving American awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the Arab world.

2020 Malone Fellowship Oman Cultural Immersion Program

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The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is pleased to offer, through its Joseph J. Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies Program, the Twenty-Fourth Annual Oman Cultural Immersion study visit to the Sultanate of Oman. Fellows are required to participate in and complete a pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C.

This unique opportunity will provide a privileged first hand exposure to one of the Arab world’s most demographically, geographically, and socially diverse countries. The National Council is currently accepting applications to participate in this study visit.

MALONE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION:
https://ncusar.org/programs/Malone-Fellowship-Application.pdf

American professionals in academia, government, the military, non-governmental organizations, business, religious institutions, the media, civic associations, as well as the fine arts, humanities, and the social sciences are invited to apply.

The Twenty-Fourth Annual Oman Cultural Immersion study visit will provide participants an educational experience that few Westerners and even fewer Americans have had. The program is choreographed to provide Malone Fellows an unparalleled diverse exposure to Oman – one of the most historically and culturally rich of all Arab and Islamic societies. Until relatively recent times, the Sultanate languished in its status as one of the most forgotten corners of all Arabia. Anyone in doubt about the extraordinary opportunity that being able to visit Oman in this manner presents need only consult any of the several National Geographic Magazine features on the country over the past several decades.

[Top and Left] Inlaid Islamic niches at the Grand Mosque in Oman’s Capital Territory. [Bottom and Right] Bedouin Omani girls in the Sharqiyyah Sands.

[Top and Left] Inlaid Islamic niches at the Grand Mosque in Oman’s Capital Territory. [Bottom and Right] Bedouin Omani girls in the Sharqiyyah Sands.

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Dr. John Duke Anthony Participates in Program on The Green March

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On November 7, 2019, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony spoke at a special program on “Celebrating the 44th Anniversary of the Green March: Understanding the History and the Present Legacy” at The American University Washington College of Law. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Washington, D.C. The panel discussion was moderated by Professor Elisabeth Myers and also featured former Congressman Jim Moran and author Wafa Faith Hallam.

Dr. John Duke Anthony took part in a panel discussion on “The 44th Anniversary of the Green March: Understanding the History and the Present Legacy” on November 7, 2019, at American University in Washington, D.C.

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Welcomes Ambassador (Ret.) Richard W. Murphy as New Co-Chair of International Advisory Board

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AMBASSADOR MURPHY HEADS COLLECTIVE OF NATIONAL COUNCIL ADVISORS GUIDING U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

 

Washington, D.C.: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations [ncusar.org], founded in 1983, is pleased to announce that Ambassador (Ret.) Richard W. Murphy, one of America’s most accomplished Arabist statesmen, has been named Co-Chair of the Council’s International Advisory Board. The Board’s other Co-Chair is HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. While the International Advisory Board does not formally govern the organization, its members make suggestions and recommendations. They also provide strategic support to the Council’s Board of Directors together with its Founding President and Chief Executive Officer.

In announcing the appointment, National Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony and Board of Directors Chairman John Pratt stated, “We are honored that Ambassador Murphy has accepted Co-Chairmanship of the Council’s Advisory Board. The evidence of Ambassador Murphy’s exemplary record of public service is abundant and impressive. His command of Arabic and intercultural skills have been honed and tested for decades. His extensive empirical experience navigating the Arab region’s strategic and geopolitical challenges and opportunities is virtually unmatched. His integrity is beyond question. Ambassador Murphy will be an extraordinarily valuable resource and advisor as we work to continuously improve, strengthen, and expand the Council’s U.S.-Arab relations leadership development and bridge-building educational efforts.”

Ambassador (Ret.) Richard W. Murphy

Ambassador (Ret.) Richard W. Murphy

Ambassador Murphy served in the United States Foreign Service for 34 years. His early career postings in the Arab region included Beirut, Lebanon; Aleppo, Syria; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Amman, Jordan. From 1968-1971, he was Country Director for the Arabian Peninsula and Director of Personnel for the Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.

In 1971, President Nixon appointed Ambassador Murphy as U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania. From 1974 to 1983, he served successively as Ambassador to Syria, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia. Between 1983 and 1989, he held the highest possible position of any specialist in the United States Government with regard to the Arab region, the Middle East, and the Islamic world: Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. During this period, he took an active role in the Arab-Israeli peace process.

In 1985, Ambassador Murphy was named Career Ambassador. Illustrative of the high professional esteem, innumerable accomplishments, and unrivalled prominence that this position reflects, it is a title held by only five of America’s thousands of diplomats serving at any given time.

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The War of 2003 & its Unintended Consequences for Iraq, the Middle East, and the United States

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On July 19, 2019, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations hosted a public affairs briefing in Washington, D.C., with Dr. Zuhair Humadi exploring “The War of 2003 and its Unintended Consequences for Iraq, the Middle East, and the United States.”

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations July 19, 2019 Public Affairs Briefing featured a conversation with international education specialist Dr. Zuhair Humadi.

The featured specialist was:

  • Dr. Zuhair Humadi, International Education Specialist; Former General Director, Iraqi Education Initiative.

A podcast recording of the program is available below.

 

 

“The War of 2003 & its Unintended Consequences for Iraq, the Middle East, and the United States” podcast (.mp3)

Book Recommendations on Iraq

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At a National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations July 2019 public affairs briefing with the Ambassador of Iraq to the United States, His Excellency Dr. Fareed Yasseen, a question was asked by an attendee about what books the ambassador and other specialists present might recommend to better understand the Iraqi people and society. Though generated in an ad hoc fashion and certainly non-exhaustive, the below list of books were identified during the discussion as helpful in beginning to explore Iraq’s vibrant contemporary dynamics.

Allawi, Ali A. The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/851982045
https://www.amazon.com/Occupation-Iraq-Winning-Losing-Peace/dp/0300136145

Batatu, Hanna. The Old Social Classes & The Revolutionary Movement In Iraq: A Study of Iraq’s Old Landed and Commercial Classes and of its Communists, Baʻthists, and Free Officers. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/55856626
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Classes-Revolutionary-Movement-Iraq/dp/0863565204

Fernea, Elizabeth W. Guests of the Sheikh. New York: Doubleday, 1965.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1299671
https://www.amazon.com/Guests-Sheik-Ethnography-Iraqi-Village/dp/0385014856

Madaras, Edward F. Al Baghdadi: Tales Told By The Tigris. New York: Jesuit Mission Press, 1936.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1882815
https://www.amazon.com/Al-Baghdadi-tales-told-Tigris/dp/B002DIUREQ/

Makiya, Kanan. Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38079204
https://www.amazon.com/Republic-Fear-Politics-Modern-Updated/dp/0520214390

Marr, Phebe. The Modern History of Iraq (3rd Edition). New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1048757389
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-History-Iraq-Phebe-Marr/dp/0813344433

Thesiger, Wilfred. The Marsh Arabs. London: Longmans, 1964.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2132535
https://www.amazon.com/Marsh-Arabs-Penguin-Classics/dp/0141442085

Tripp, Charles. A History of Iraq (3rd Edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/657649733
https://www.amazon.com/History-Iraq-Charles-Tripp/dp/052170247X

Tripp, Charles. Islam and the Moral Economy: The Challenge of Capitalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/254354997
https://www.amazon.com/Islam-Moral-Economy-Challenge-Capitalism/dp/0521863775

Exploring the Iraq-United States Relationship

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On July 9, 2019, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations hosted a public affairs briefing in Washington, D.C., with His Excellency Dr. Fareed Yasseen focused on “Exploring the Iraq-United States Relationship.”

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations July 9, 2019 Public Affairs Briefing featured a conversation with His Excellency Dr. Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States of America.

The featured specialists were:

  • His Excellency Dr. Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States of America.
  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

A podcast recording of the program is available below.

 

 

“Exploring the Iraq-United States Relationship: A Conversation with His Excellency Dr. Fareed Yasseen” podcast (.mp3)

Analysis of U.S. and GCC Tensions with Iran: Implications for Key American Policies

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On June 28, 2019, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations hosted a public affairs briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., focused on “Analysis of U.S. and GCC Tensions with Iran: Implications for Key American Policies.”

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations June 28, 2019 Public Affairs Briefing explored implications of ongoing tensions between Iran, the United States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The featured specialists included:

  • Mr. Norman Roule, Former National Intelligence Manager for Iran; United Against a Nuclear Iran Senior Advisor.
  • Ms. Kirsten Fontenrose, Former White House National Security Council Senior Director for Gulf Affairs; Sonoran Policy Group Vice President for Global Relations.
  • Mr. Phillip Cornell, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center Nonresident Senior Fellow; Former Saudi Aramco Senior Corporate Planning Advisor; Former International Energy Agency Special Advisor.
  • Mr. David Des Roches, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Associate Professor, Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, U.S. Department of Defense.
  • Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; Former Embassy of the U.S. in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché.
  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy Subcommittee on Sanctions Member; only American to have been invited to each of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Ministerial and Heads of State Summits since the GCC’s inception in 1981.

A podcast recording of the program is available below.

 

 

“Analysis of U.S. and GCC Tensions with Iran: Implications for Key American Policies” podcast (.mp3)