Product Description

The next U.S. president will need to pursue a new strategic framework for advancing American interests in the Middle East. The mounting challenges include sectarian conflict in Iraq, Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities, failing Palestinian and Lebanese governments, a dormant peace process, and the ongoing war against terror. Compounding these challenges is a growing hostility toward U.S. involvement in the Middle East. The old policy paradigms, whether President George W. Bush's model of regime change and democratization or President Bill Clinton's model of peacemaking and containment, will no longer suit the likely circumstances confronting the next administration in the Middle East.In "Restoring the Balance", experts from the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution and from the Council on Foreign Relations propose a new, nonpartisan strategy drawing on the lessons of past failures to address both the short-term and long-term challenges to U.S. interests. Following an overview chapter by Richard N. Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Martin Indyk, director of the Saban Center, individual chapters address the Arab-Israeli conflict, counterterrorism, Iran, Iraq, political and economic development, and nuclear proliferation. Specific policy recommendations stem from in-depth research and extensive dialogue with individuals in government, media, academia, and the private sector throughout the region.The experts include Stephen Biddle, Isobel Coleman, Steven A. Cook, Steven Simon, and Ray Takeyh from the Council on Foreign Relations and Daniel L. Byman, Suzanne Maloney, Kenneth M. Pollack, Bruce Riedel, ShibleyTelhami, andTamara CofmanWittes from Brookings' Saban Center.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #210844 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780815738695
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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About the Author
Richard N. Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations. Until June 2003 he was director of policy planning for the Department of State, where he was a principal adviser to Secretary of State Colin Powell on a broad range of foreign policy concerns. Previously, Haass was vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution. He was also special assistant to President George H. W. Bush and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council, 1989-93. He is the author or editor of ten books in American foreign policy, including The Opportunity: America's Moment to Alter History's Course. Martin S. Indyk is the director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. He served in several senior positions in the U.S. government, most recently as ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, and he was also a founding executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT TRADITIONAL THINKING
This is a provisional review, based on the parts of the book that can be accessed on the Brookings Website, which I may revise after receiving the complete book.

This is an important book which includes very good analysis of main issues and therefore should be read by all interested in Middle East issues and ways for handling them.

However, this book misses the opportunity to break out of traditional thinking. It includes a number of significant new insights, but fails to leap from optimizing on a given curve to a new space, namely a comprehensive MIDDLE EAST GRAND DESIGN.

If the authors had applied selectively the real lessons of the Congress of Vienna they might have arrived at a radically different and more promising grand-strategy: moving towards an overall Greater Middle East settlement aiming at stabilization so as to provide time for peaceful Islamic-type modernization and economic development, leaving political development to local processes without any Western pressures.

Integral to such a grand-strategy is cooperative containment of fanatic and revolutionary actors (which the book seems to view too optimistically), if necessary by force, trying discourse first but not relying on it.

Based in part on the Arab Peace Initiative, settling the Israeli-Arab conflict should be a critical part of a Middle East Grand Design. But this involved a close linkage between Israeli withdrawals and real normalization of relations with most Arab and Islamic countries, together with reliable security arrangements. For Israel to give up its bargaining cards for peace with Syria and tne Palestinians only, while the Middle East remains turbulent, is a bad idea because of assured instability of local peace agreements in a sea of volatility. Thus, without mutual security guarantees a Palestinian state is likely to try and swallow Jordan, and all of the Middle East is thrown again into violence.

A large scale innovative intervention with historic processes is essential for putting the Greater Middle East on a new trajectory towards a better future, without much bloodshedding on the way. This the book fails to realize and suggest adequately.

Yehezkel Dror
Professor of Political Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Crazy States: A Counterconventional Strategic Problem

A More Productive Route!
President Obama faces critical, complex, and interrelated challenges in the Middle East that demand his immediate attention. 1)An Iran apparently intent on approaching or crossing the nuclear threshold as quickly as possible. 2)A fragile situation in Iraq that is straining the U.S. military. 3)Weak governments in Lebanon and Palestine under challenge from stronger Hezbollah and Hamas militant organizations. 4)A faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 5)American influence diluted by a severely damaged reputation.

Iraq cannot continue to be the priority - instead, Iran should be, and a military option should not be taken off the table. Promoting peace between Israel and its neighbors should be the second priority. This will require addressing the political strength of Hamas. The third goal should be to reduce our dependence on the region's oil.