Obama’s Foreign Policy and the Future of the Middle East — Chas Freeman and Paul Pillar
Obama’s Foreign Policy and the Future of the Middle East – Freeman
EDITOR’S NOTE: What is truly noteworthy in the speeches of Former Ambassador Chas Freeman and former CIA analyst Paul Pillar, is that they both maintain the Executive Branch, from the President to the State Department know the facts but are powerless to direct America’s foreign policies in the Middle East because of the enormous pressure and influence of theIsrael Lobby AIPAC and the Zionist cabal in America and the American mass media. Obama also knows the facts on the ground, but is powerless as were all his predecessors and as will be his future replacement in the White House.
Apparently, that applies to all services and that also explains the great reluctance of US military officers to speak outside of the official line, while on active duty. Many who are very unhappy retire early, then speak out, but of course being retired have lost much of their influence.
So, what to do?
If democracy is the message, America is not it’s prophet.
Streamed live on Jul 21, 2014
EVENT RECAP
Obama’s Foreign Policy and the Future of the Middle EastConsidering his Recent West Point Speech Amidst Rapidly Changing Conditions on the Ground
Paul Pillar, former CIA analyst
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2014 — The Middle East Policy Council’s 77th Capitol Hill Conference convened four experts with in-depth experience in U.S. government and the Middle East to evaluate President Obama’s recent foreign policy speech at West Point and its application to the current turmoil in the region.
President Obama’s speech highlighted security partnerships and diplomacy as foundations for preserving U.S. national security in the Middle East. But the ISIS advance in Iraq amidst retreating Iraqi security forces, the failure to conclude Iranian nuclear talks and the collapse of U.S. efforts to mediate a resolution to the Israeli – Palestinian conflict provide immediate evidence that this approach faces serious obstacles, particularly as some of our oldest allies in the region are concerned about the direction of U.S. policy.
The panelists included Kenneth Pollack (Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution); Paul Pillar (Center for Security Studies, Georgetown University); Amin Tarzi (Director of Middle East Studies, Marine Corps University); and Chas Freeman (Chair, Projects International, Inc.). Thomas Mattair, executive director of the Middle East Policy Council, moderated the event. More specific remarks from the panelists:
• Kenneth Pollack recalled that President Obama’s initial view — the U.S. was “over invested” in the Middle East — led to U.S. policies there that were overly detached. Now, the President has realized that with the right approach, U.S. engagement can help to solve some problems in the Middle East rather than exacerbate them.
• Paul Pillar reminded the audience that the “vision thing is over-rated,” suggesting that U.S. foreign policy should be more about avoiding losses than scoring gains, and that the most effective policies are usually flexible ones, designed to react to diverse, nuanced challenges.
• Amin Tarzi stressed the need for a middle route, where persistent political, economic and security dilemmas are addressed in a manner that gives clear signals to friends and foes, while not rewarding bad behavior, as has been the case with Iran (e.g. nuclear program) and Syria (e.g. chemical weapons).
• Chas Freeman asserted that every major U.S. policy in the region is at a dead-end, and gave examples of where national interests do not neatly align between the U.S. and its allies. Furthermore, “narratives” dominate the U.S. foreign policy establishment, which tends to favor military “gladiators” over the long slog of diplomacy.
An edited video by speaker, including a full transcript from the event will be posted in a few days at www.mepc.org and published in the next issue of the journal Middle East Policy. C-Span also covered the event live. The full video from the event is already available on the Middle East Policy Council website.
Contacts:
For interviews or other content associated with this event, please contact Grace Elliott — (202) 296 6767 — mepc.press@gmail.com
The full video and transcripts can be accessed at:
http://www.mepc.org/hill-