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The Middle East Institute presents a lecture and discussion with Andrew Exum, Fellow at the Center for A New American Security, assessing the possibility of a new Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and its ramifications for U.S. strategy there. The past six months have seen some remarkable successes in southern Afghanistan. But if hard-won security gains collapse in the face of a renewed Taliban offensive in 2011, the NATO strategy to secure Afghanistan will be in grave danger. Andrew Exum will discuss the situation in southern Afghanistan as well as how the American public can know whether the strategy is succeeding or failing this summer.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Kandahar-based writers and
researchers Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn for a discussion
about the state of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the current situation
in Kandahar. Strick van Linschoten and Kuehn translated and edited My
Life with the Taliban, an account of the inner workings of the
organization from the perspective of former Taliban minister and
ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, who was arrested
following the overthrow of the Taliban and spent four years in
Guantanamo Bay. Exploring the dynamics within the Taliban and the local
tribes from which they draw their support, Strick van Linschoten and
Kuehn will discuss the concerns and views of local Afghans living amid
the confusion of a foreign political and military intervention.

The Middle East Institute presents a lecture and discussion with Andrew Exum, Fellow at the Center for A New American Security, assessing the possibility of a new Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and its ramifications for U.S. strategy there. The past six months have seen some remarkable successes in southern Afghanistan. But if hard-won security gains collapse in the face of a renewed Taliban offensive in 2011, the NATO strategy to secure Afghanistan will be in grave danger. Andrew Exum will discuss the situation in southern Afghanistan as well as how the American public can know whether the strategy is succeeding or failing this summer.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host two former Ambassadors to
Yemen, Thomas Krajeski and David Newton, for a discussion about Yemen
and the role of US foreign policy in a country some political analysts
characterize as a failed state. As Yemen grapples with multiple crises,
including the growing influence of Al Qaeda, a Houthi Rebellion in the
north, a secessionist movement in the south and severe economic woes,
what should the US do to help stabilize and secure one of the Arab
worlds poorest countries?

Krajeski served in Yemen from 2004-2007 where he managed the full range
of US-Yemen bilateral issues with special emphasis on counter-terrorism
and development, while Newton served three tours in Yemen, including as
Ambassador from 1994-1997. Both men share decades of expertise on Arab
and Gulf affairs and bring to their analysis of Yemens problems
invaluable regional insight and experience.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Eugene Rogan for a
discussion about his recent book, The Arabs: A History (Basic Books,
2009), which traces Arab political history from the rise of the Ottoman
Empire to current times, exploring significant modern themes of
nationalism, imperialism, revolution, industrialization, Islamic
fundamentalism, migration and women's rights over the past five
centuries. Rogan, who regards Middle Eastern history from the viewpoint
of Arabs, concentrates on the postwar collapse of the Ottoman Empire,
as British and French domination ebbed, Israel was established, the
greed for oil transformed the region and a new generation repudiated
the era of nationalism and ineffectual leadership and looked to an
earlier proud history of Islam.


Rogans book has been widely acclaimed by scholars such as Avi Shlaim
to Rashid Khalidi, who called it a masterful, thorough, and
well-written survey of the entire sweep of modern Arab history.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host MEI scholar Andrea Rugh for
a discussion about Middle Eastern culture and her most recent book,
Simple Gestures: A Cultural Journey Into the Middle East. Since US
involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, the importance of culture has
become all too clear. Yet, although most scholars agree on its
importance, few address culture in ways that provide better
understanding to audiences who might benefit, such as policy makers,
the media and the American public.


For more than a decade Dr. Rugh has been trying to insert the cultural
element back into discussions about the larger Middle East. Rugh will
discuss her two most recent books, Simple Gestures: A Cultural Journey
Into the Middle East (2009) and The Political Culture of Leadership in
the United Arab Emirates (2007). In The Political Culture book Rugh
examines the 200 year history of the seven Emirates of the UAE and
illustrates how political behaviors were shaped by cultural
expectations about the way rulers should rule. While many scholars on
the Gulf focus on Western political and strategic interests, and the
impact of oil, Rugh instead looks at the patterns of interpersonal
behavior among rulers and their constituents to show how the political
system transformed from an egalitarian to an authoritarian one in a
very short time

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Iranian scholars Ali Alfoneh
and Alex Vatanka for a discussion about the ongoing unrest in Iran and
the implications for the stability and future of the Islamic Republic.
With the Green Movement having proved its staying power, some scholars
and analysts are starting to predict the beginning of the end for the
regime of Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, while others dismiss the idea
as wishful thinking and argue that the Islamic Republic is here for the
long-term.


Alfoneh and Vatanka will tackle these questions and their implications
for US and regional strategies towards Iran by focusing on two issues.
Vatanka will consider the evolution of the Iranian opposition since
June 2009 and discuss its future prospects. By highlighting the main
drivers behind the protests, he will identify the most significant
interest groups that comprise the opposition Green Movement and
evaluate how the internal dynamics of the opposition have aided or
hampered the common front against the Khamenei-Ahmadinejad regime.


Ali Alfoneh will examine Khamenei's options in the face of this growing
opposition movement. How far might he be willing to go in using the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to suppress the revolutionary
movement, despite risking his own sovereignty? Or might he be willing
to sacrifice President Mahmoud Amadinejad to accommodate the
opposition's demands?

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Iranian scholars Ali Alfoneh
and Alex Vatanka for a discussion about the ongoing unrest in Iran and
the implications for the stability and future of the Islamic Republic.
With the Green Movement having proved its staying power, some scholars
and analysts are starting to predict the beginning of the end for the
regime of Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, while others dismiss the idea
as wishful thinking and argue that the Islamic Republic is here for the
long-term.


Alfoneh and Vatanka will tackle these questions and their implications
for US and regional strategies towards Iran by focusing on two issues.
Vatanka will consider the evolution of the Iranian opposition since
June 2009 and discuss its future prospects. By highlighting the main
drivers behind the protests, he will identify the most significant
interest groups that comprise the opposition Green Movement and
evaluate how the internal dynamics of the opposition have aided or
hampered the common front against the Khamenei-Ahmadinejad regime.


Ali Alfoneh will examine Khamenei's options in the face of this growing
opposition movement. How far might he be willing to go in using the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to suppress the revolutionary
movement, despite risking his own sovereignty? Or might he be willing
to sacrifice President Mahmoud Amadinejad to accommodate the
opposition's demands?

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Dr. Mark Katz, professor at
George Mason University, for a discussion of current relations between
Iran and Russia. The Obama Administration has attempted to improve US
relations both with both countries. However, neither Tehran nor Moscow
has responded favorably toward the new administration's initiatives.
While Tehran and Moscow continue to distrust Washington, they also
distrust each other.

In his talk, Katz will discuss Moscows views on the Iranian nuclear
issue and Security Council sanctions, current Iranian political unrest,
Irans prospects as a major emerging gas exporter and transit route
from the Caspian Basin, and the prospects for an Iranian-American
rapprochement. He will also discuss Tehrans views of Russian policy on
these issues. Despite shared antipathy toward the United States, he
notes that the issues dividing Moscow and Tehran are sufficiently
serious that the prospects for increased collaboration between them
appear quite limited.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Dr. Mark Katz, professor at
George Mason University, for a discussion of current relations between
Iran and Russia. The Obama Administration has attempted to improve US
relations both with both countries. However, neither Tehran nor Moscow
has responded favorably toward the new administration's initiatives.
While Tehran and Moscow continue to distrust Washington, they also
distrust each other.

In his talk, Katz will discuss Moscows views on the Iranian nuclear
issue and Security Council sanctions, current Iranian political unrest,
Irans prospects as a major emerging gas exporter and transit route
from the Caspian Basin, and the prospects for an Iranian-American
rapprochement. He will also discuss Tehrans views of Russian policy on
these issues. Despite shared antipathy toward the United States, he
notes that the issues dividing Moscow and Tehran are sufficiently
serious that the prospects for increased collaboration between them
appear quite limited.

Marshall Breger, Professor ofLaw, Catholic University ofAmerica

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Moroccan scholar and author
Dr. Mohsine El Ahmadi. Dr. El Ahmadi has written extensively on
Islamist movements in Morocco and will examine the governments efforts
to fight radical Islamist movements in the wake of the Casablanca
bombings of 2003.

Since then, the Moroccan government has undertaken a vigorous effort to
reform the countrys religious institutions and thinking by seeking to
occupy a space once dominated by radical Islamist movements. It has
sought to gain full control of religious activities throughout Morocco
as well as to reintroduce Sufi religiosity in politics. Dr. El Ahmadi
will give a general overview of the religious and political debate
between the state and Islamist movements in Morocco while examining the
efficiency of such policies in the mid- and long-term.

The Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute Presents
the First Annual Conference on Turkey.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host two former Ambassadors to
Yemen, Thomas Krajeski and David Newton, for a discussion about Yemen
and the role of US foreign policy in a country some political analysts
characterize as a failed state. As Yemen grapples with multiple crises,
including the growing influence of Al Qaeda, a Houthi Rebellion in the
north, a secessionist movement in the south and severe economic woes,
what should the US do to help stabilize and secure one of the Arab
worlds poorest countries?

Krajeski served in Yemen from 2004-2007 where he managed the full range
of US-Yemen bilateral issues with special emphasis on counter-terrorism
and development, while Newton served three tours in Yemen, including as
Ambassador from 1994-1997. Both men share decades of expertise on Arab
and Gulf affairs and bring to their analysis of Yemens problems
invaluable regional insight and experience.

The Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute Presents
the First Annual Conference on Turkey.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host two former Ambassadors to
Yemen, Thomas Krajeski and David Newton, for a discussion about Yemen
and the role of US foreign policy in a country some political analysts
characterize as a failed state. As Yemen grapples with multiple crises,
including the growing influence of Al Qaeda, a Houthi Rebellion in the
north, a secessionist movement in the south and severe economic woes,
what should the US do to help stabilize and secure one of the Arab
worlds poorest countries?

Krajeski served in Yemen from 2004-2007 where he managed the full range
of US-Yemen bilateral issues with special emphasis on counter-terrorism
and development, while Newton served three tours in Yemen, including as
Ambassador from 1994-1997. Both men share decades of expertise on Arab
and Gulf affairs and bring to their analysis of Yemens problems
invaluable regional insight and experience.

Panel III: Shifting Regional Power Dynamics in an Era of Change

Jamal Khashoggi: Al-Arab News
Haim Malka: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Mohsen Milan: South Florida University
Abdelkhaleq Abdalla: UAE University
Paul Salem: Carnegie Endowment

The Middle East Institute is proud to host two former Ambassadors to
Yemen, Thomas Krajeski and David Newton, for a discussion about Yemen
and the role of US foreign policy in a country some political analysts
characterize as a failed state. As Yemen grapples with multiple crises,
including the growing influence of Al Qaeda, a Houthi Rebellion in the
north, a secessionist movement in the south and severe economic woes,
what should the US do to help stabilize and secure one of the Arab
worlds poorest countries?

Krajeski served in Yemen from 2004-2007 where he managed the full range
of US-Yemen bilateral issues with special emphasis on counter-terrorism
and development, while Newton served three tours in Yemen, including as
Ambassador from 1994-1997. Both men share decades of expertise on Arab
and Gulf affairs and bring to their analysis of Yemens problems
invaluable regional insight and experience.