The Balancing Act: The Next President's Strategy in the Middle East
20 Pages Posted: 28 Dec 2015
Date Written: December 25, 2015
Abstract
This piece is dedicated to the late Samuel R. (Sandy) Berger who read and commented on successive drafts earlier this year. A cherished friend and mentor, the world is a better and safer place for all the work he gave to it. Please consider giving today to the Samuel R. Berger Humanitarian Fund to support the work of the World Food Program.
While Barack Obama still has a year left in his presidency, and significant changes and diplomatic initiatives could yet unfold, the next President will come into office facing a profound Middle East crisis. As such, Obama’s successor should deploy a comprehensive regional strategy encompassing three mutually reinforcing dimensions: 1) strategic political and diplomatic initiatives focused on fostering regional partnerships; 2) limited and targeted military engagement in support of those initiatives; and 3) development assistance aimed at strengthening state institutions and building new leadership.
Keywords: Middle East; US Foreign Policy; ISIS; Syria; Iraq; Iran; Middle East politics; international security
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