The United States and the Middle East: What Comes Next After Iraq?: A Student Colloquium
March 29, 2008, 9:00AM-12:00PM
ASEAN Auditorium, Cabot Intercultural Center
Cosponsored by Tufts University International Relations Program, The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education

Summary

The Fares Center cosponsored a colloquium organized by the Tufts University International Relations Program and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education following the two-day conference The United States and the Middle East: What Comes Next After Iraq? on March 29, 2008. Malik Mufti, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the International Relations Program at Tufts University, welcomed students, faculty, and Fares Center conference guests to the event, in which students shared their research on the future of the Middle East.

Rami Khouri led the first panel, an exploration of the current balance of power in the Middle East and the dynamics of external intervention. International relations (IR) major and head of the Directors Leadership Council (DLC) Oleg Svet (Tufts 08) discussed Americas image abroad and urged that future American leaders should pay better attention to public diplomacy. IR major Vicki Gilbert (Tufts 10) explained that in order to reduce the perception of threat, the United States must become less involved in the region. Economics major Toby Bonthrone (Tufts 09) warned that the overextension of the military in Iraq and Afghanistan will make further military action in the region difficult. Monica Camacho (Tufts 08) discussed how the insurgents policy of deliberately targeting aid workers has complicated the delivery of humanitarian aid to Iraq.

Fawaz Gerges led the second panel, which addressed issues of political development, democratization, and Islam in politics. The first presenter, IR major Alex Gladstein (Tufts 08), provided his reflections on the effects of the regions history of secular authoritarianism on Muslim democracy. IR major Jacki Silbermann (Tufts 08) discussed the political evolution of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, focusing on the strategies of the two organizations. Finally, political science major Mohammed Al-Ghanim (Tufts 08) spoke about the blurred line between the public and private sphere, and the role of Islamic law in Kuwaits history of governance.

More Roundtable Events >