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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2008, page 62 Waging Peace Experts Examine Iran’s Relations With Its Neighbors
THE MIDDLE EAST Institute invited leading regional experts and U.S. Iran analysts to examine “Iran on the Horizon” at a day-long conference Feb. 1 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. Academic and governmental officials from the U.S., France, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon provided thought-provoking analysis. The first panel, which assessed Iran’s intentions and shifting internal power centers, included remarks by the Brookings Institution’s Kenneth Pollack; Columbia University’s Gary Sick; Hooshang Amirahmadi, president of the American Iranian Council; and Ambassador John Limbert, a former hostage in Iran who now works for the U.S. Naval Academy. They placed Iranian policy in an historical context, analyzing past events and political structures since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The next panel examined Iran’s relations with its neighbors in the Gulf. Barbara Slavin, a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute for Peace and senior diplomatic reporter for USA Today, described the current goal of U.S. policy in the region is to isolate Iran and its allies. Gulf Arab states, she noted, have been increasingly reluctant to buy into that agenda. Dr. Wahid Hashim, associate professor of political science at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdul Aziz University, focused on relations between Iran and the Kingdom, with particular emphasis on the history of the Shi‘i-Sunni conflict. Assistant professor of political science at United Arab Emirates University Dr. Ibtisam al-Kitbi addressed the Gulf Cooperation Council’s changing stance toward Iran and the United States, with a focus on UAE. Dr. Sami al-Faraj, president of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies and an adviser to the Kuwaiti government on preparing for potential nuclear accidents, compared Iran to a troublesome ex-girlfriend. The husband (the United States) is now interested in her again, he elaborated, despite the fact that the girlfriend poses a danger to his other wives (the GCC states) and the rest of the neighborhood. The girlfriend wants to become the primary power in the region and she will not go away. Dr. al-Faraj concluded by suggesting that Washington does not need to marry Iran and bring her into his household. Rather, Iran can have a special status and be aware of its borders and barriers. Another panel focused on Iran and the Levant. Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian Council, introduced the region’s critical concerns, especially the possibility that Lebanon’s political instability could fuel a proxy war between Iran and the U.S. Fares Braizat of the University of Jordan in Amman examined the main aspects of the Levant’s relations with Iran: sectarian religious identity, geopolitical trade, history and security. Murhaf Jouejati, a professor at George Washington University, discussed Iran’s present, past and future relationship with Syria. Currently, he said, the relationship between Syria and Iran resembles one of a “client-patron.” However, despite Iran’s objections, Syria is now trying to resume talks with Israel. He concluded that Syria would break its alliance with Iran if Damascus were provided “iron clad” guarantees to recover the Golan Heights. Judith Harik, president of Beirut’s Matn University, addressed the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran, noting Tehran’s assistance in reconstructing Lebanon’s infrastructure and institutions after Israel’s attacks in 2006. The partnership between Hezbollah and Iran, she explained, is based on common strategic goals against the Israeli occupation. The panelists all agreed that many of the current hostilities and alliances stem from the Arab-Israeli conflict. Following Ambassador of France to the U.S. Pierre Vimont’s impressive keynote luncheon address, the final panel addressed the future of U.S. policy toward Iran. Podcasts and transcripts are available at <www.mideasti.org>. —Delinda C. Hanley |
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