Session on Geo-Political Dynamics: Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq with Dr. Paul Salem, Mr. Bassel Charles Korkor, Mr. Elias Samo, Mr. Charles C. Chidiac, Dr. Judith Yaphe, and Dr. Michael Hudson from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 24th Annual Arab-US Policymakers’ Conference, “U.S.-Arab Relations at a Crossroads: What Paths Forward?,” on October 14, 2015, in Washington, DC.
“Arab-U.S. Energy Cooperation” – 24th Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Session on Arab-U.S. Energy Cooperation with Ms. Molly Williamson, Mr. Richard W. Westerdale, II, Ms. Sarah Ladislaw, Dr. Herman Franssen, and Mr. John Pratt from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 24th Annual Arab-US Policymakers’ Conference, “U.S.-Arab Relations at a Crossroads: What Paths Forward?,” on October 14, 2015, in Washington, DC.
“Lessons from America’s Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East” – 24th Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Keynote Address on “Lessons from America’s Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East” by Ambassador (Ret.) Chas Freeman, Jr., delivered at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 24th Annual Arab-US Policymakers’ Conference, “U.S.-Arab Relations at a Crossroads: What Paths Forward?,” on October 14, 2015, in Washington, DC.
HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Keynote Address to the 24th Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Keynote Address by HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal delivered at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 24th Annual Arab-US Policymakers’ Conference, “U.S.-Arab Relations at a Crossroads: What Paths Forward?,” on October 14, 2015, in Washington, DC.
Mr. Bosch, Dr. Anthony,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When the waves of Arab unrest began in 2010, the future of the Middle East seemed even more uncertain than it is today. In the midst of political turmoil, Saudi Arabia was forced to strengthen and clarify its own foreign policy. From that time on, the Kingdom structured its foreign policy leadership, and its vision for its own future, around these three words: unity, stability, and responsibility.
The unity that Saudi Arabia advocates, and the vision it promotes, is the unity of the Arab gulf: in the past few years, the Kingdom has made a great effort to prioritize the oneness of the Gulf, and its shared interests, over small and transient differences. In the struggle to restore the legitimate government to power, in Yemen, the Kingdom has succeeded in forging a coalition of the GCC countries and likeminded Arab and non-Arab countries to achieve that aim and prevent the usurpers of power, the Houthis and the forces of the deposed president, Ali Abdallah Saleh, from forcing themselves on the Yemeni people.
And as sectarian violence deepens rifts and breaks apart homes across the Arab world, Saudi Arabia’s call for unity has become more urgent than ever. Iraq and Syria are among the countries following the same heartbreaking narrative: citizens with the same shared history, the same ancient religion, and the same homeland being torn apart by radicalist groups exploiting sectarian divisions for their own gain. Groups like ISIS, and I call them Fahish, which in Arabic means obscene, the Shi’ite militias in Syria and Iraq, Hezbollah, and the Houthis hold out the texture of religious fanaticism in order to gain loyalty — by giving the young a militant identity, a sense of belonging and a vision for which to fight. But the unity of radicalism is an illusion: it cannot exist without an enemy. It reaches not towards harmony but towards domination and control. Fahish is the symptom of the disease of anarchy in Syria and Iraq. The disease lies in Damascus, where Bashar al Assad continues to murder his people with poison gas and barrel bombs.
Listen to the 2015 Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Complete audio recordings from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 2015 Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, “U.S.-Arab Relations at a Crossroads: What Paths Forward?,” are now available from the Council. Listen to and download each session below, or visit the National Council’s podcast feed through iTunes or FeedBurner to access recordings from the conference along with other Council programs.
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Welcome and Introductions
With Mr. David Bosch and Dr. John Duke Anthony.
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Lessons from America’s Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East
With Ambassador (Ret.) Chas Freeman, Jr..
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Arab-U.S. Energy Cooperation
With Ms. Molly Williamson, Mr. Richard W. Westerdale, II, Ms. Sarah Ladislaw, Dr. Herman Franssen, and Mr. John Pratt..
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Remarks from 2015 Findley Fellows
With Tyler Myles and Tegist Worku.
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Keynote Address by HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal
With HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal.
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Arab-U.S. Defense Cooperation
With Mr. Jeffrey B. Kohler, Mr. Ronald L. Perrilloux, Jr., Mr. Christopher Blanchard, and Professor David Des Roches.
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Gulf Cooperation Council: Role in Regional Dynamics
With Dr. John Duke Anthony, Ambassador (Ret.) Dr. Richard J. Schmierer, Mr. Khaled Almaeena, Dr. Abdullah AlShayji, and Ms. Elizabeth Wossen.
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Geo-Political Dynamics: Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq
With Dr. Paul Salem, Mr. Bassel Charles Korkor, Mr. Elias Samo, Mr. Charles C. Chidiac, Dr. Judith Yaphe, and Dr. Michael Hudson.
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Iraq-U.S. Relations: A View from Baghdad
With H.E. Ambassador Lukman Faily.
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The Palestinian Future
With H.E. Ambassador Maen Areikat, Mr. Matthew Reynolds, Dr. Jim Zogby, Dr. Imad Harb, Dr. Tom Mattair, and Ms. Randa Fahmy.
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Keynote Address by Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor
With Dr. Khalaf Al Habtoor.
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Yemen-U.S. Relations in Focus
With H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak.
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Geo-Political Dynamics: Egypt and North Africa
With Ms. Ellen Laipson, Dr. William Lawrence, Dr. Dirk Vandewalle, Dr. Paul Sullivan, and Dr. Abderrahim Foukara.
Visit the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations on iTunes.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Keynote Address to the 24th Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Keynote Address by Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, delivered at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 24th Annual Arab-US Policymakers’ Conference, “U.S.-Arab Relations at a Crossroads: What Paths Forward?,” on October 15, 2015, in Washington, DC.
The National Council on US-Arab Relations,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
I would like to start by thanking the National Council on US-Arab Relations, led by Dr. John Duke Anthony – Founding President and CEO, for inviting me to speak at the ‘24th Annual Arab-US Policymakers’ Conference’. I thank you for having me!
In face of what is happening in our world, there could not have been a more relevant topic to discuss than the topic selected for this year’s conference: ‘the future of the US-Arab relations.’
The relationship between the United States of America and the Arab countries is at a turning point
For decades, the alliance between the US and the Arab countries, mainly the GCC States, has proven to be paramount for regional and global stability, prosperity and peace.
We recognise with gratitude, and cannot deny that we have greatly benefited from your knowledge for decades.
As per the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the volume of trade between the US and the GCC countries is worth hundreds of billions of US dollars every year.
Americans in the United Arab Emirates form one of the largest Western communities in the UAE; around 50,000 US nationals reside in my country.
However, what the previous administrations have done to the Arab world in the last decade, particularly to the Sunni populations, leaves a dark stain on this great nation’s history.
‘HOW’ Questions for the 2015 Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Before the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations launched its first Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference in 1991, we asked numerous policymakers a single question: “What bedevils you the most in your tasks to recommend effective policies?” The answers differed only slightly from one person to the next. A common theme running through all the responses was, and I paraphrase, the following: The “W” questions are ones that policymakers deal with all the time. In and of themselves, they are difficult enough. They include:
“What” needs to be done;
“When” does it need to be done;
“Why” does it need to be done;
“Where” will we likely be if we do this or if we do not;
“Who” needs to do it; and, sometimes even,
“Whether” something needs to be done.
But the most difficult questions of all, the ones policymakers inform us they find most vexing, are “How” questions, for these, unlike most of the others, cannot be answered with a yes or no. Rather, the answer to each comes with a cost.
- Sometimes the cost is political, as when leaders of an administration’s political party or a government’s most important advisers or constituents are certain to put their foot down and say no.
- Sometimes the cost is financial, as when it is pointed out that there are no funds allocated, authorized, or appropriated for that which is recommended.
- Sometimes the cost lies in having to admit that the requisite competent human resources to implement a policy recommendation simply do not exist.
- Sometimes the cost is one of technology, equipment, and/or structures or systems that do not exist or, if they do, would have to be transferred from where they are to where they are needed more at what, arguably, is a prohibitively high cost in terms of time, effort, and money.
- Sometimes the cost is in credibility, as when an administration or government is on record as being strongly opposed to exactly what someone has just recommended as a solution or a palliative.
- Sometimes the cost is moral in the sense that it clearly violates the Golden Rule of Do Not Do Unto Others What You Would Not Have Others Do To You.
- Sometimes the cost will likely be a sharp downturn in the public approval rating of a president, premier, or head of state.
- Sometimes the cost might be a definite setback to the country’s image and the degree of trust and confidence it seeks to cultivate and maintain among its allies.
With this as background, context, and perspective, there follows a series of questions relating to contemporary Arab-U.S. relations. The questions are ones that policymakers on one side or another, and sometimes both sides, grapple with daily. They are provided in the spirit of a public service. To whom? To not only the policymakers entrusted to improve Arab-U.S. relations and not make them worse. They are also offered as food for thought. Again, to whom? To intellectuals, scholars, teachers, students, analysts, investment strategists, specialists in public policy research institutes, and many others eager to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the state of play in the relations between the United States and the Arab world, and who want to improve these relations.
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Founding President & CEO
National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Categories of “HOW” Questions
GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL: ROLE IN REGIONAL DYNAMICS
GEO-POLITICAL DYNAMICS: SYRIA, LEBANON, & IRAQ
ARAB-U.S. BUSINESS, EDUCATION, & HEALTHCARE COOPERATION
Analyzing and Assessing Saudi Arabian Defense Strategy
![](http://ncusar.org/images/ksa-defense-doctrine-250x125.jpg)
HRH Navy Captain (Ret.) Prince Sultan bin Khalid Al-Faisal Al Sa’ud speaks at an October 6, 2015 NCUSAR briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
On October 6, 2015, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee hosted a public affairs briefing on “Analyzing and Assessing Saudi Arabian Defense Strategy.”
The featured specialist was HRH Navy Captain (Ret.) Prince Sultan bin Khalid Al-Faisal Al Sa’ud, President, Al Joshan Security Services; Former Commander, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) Counter-Insurgency Special Operations Task Force; Designer and Inaugural Commandant, RSNF Special Forces Training Center. Serving as context provider and moderator was Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; and Member, U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy and Subcommittee on Sanctions.
A podcast of the program is available below and can also be found in iTunes along with recordings of other National Council programs: http://bit.ly/itunes-ncusar.
“Analyzing and Assessing Saudi Arabian Defense Strategy” podcast (.mp3)
“New Saudi defense policy outlined” – Arab News (October 8, 2015)
“Saudi prince alleges capture of Iranian military, Hezbollah in Yemen” – Al-Monitor(October 6, 2015)
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