The Future of the Middle East and America's Role

• published: 19 Sep 2014
• views: 19

he Middle East is currently brimming with violence – bringing into question the future of the region and the role of the United States. The panel of experts will discuss the possible outcomes of the present turbulence in the Middle East. They will also discuss what options the United States has, and if it should be engaged in the region in the first place. The panel is moderated by Fadi Elsalameen. Shadi Hamid Dr. Shadi Hamid is a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy and the author of Temptations of Power: Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2014). He served as director of research at the Brookings Doha Center until January 2014. Prior to joining Brookings, Hamid was director of research at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and a Hewlett Fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. He is currently vice-chair of POMED’s board of directors, a member of the World Bank’s MENA Advisory Panel, and a contributing writer to The Atlantic. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, The New Republic, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, and many other publications. His writing has been featured on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and the Washington Post named him one of the top 23 Twitter accounts “you must follow to understand Egypt.” Hamid received his B.S. and M.A. from Georgetown University and Ph.D. in political science from Oxford University. Tara D. Sonenshine Tara D. Sonenshine is the former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs for the Department of State and previously served as the Executive Vice President of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). She is an adjunct faculty member and former Distinguished Fellow at George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. Prior to joining USIP, she was a strategic communications adviser to many international organizations including USIP, the International Crisis Group, Internews, CARE, The American Academy of Diplomacy, and the International Women’s Media Foundation. Ms. Sonenshine served in various capacities at the White House during the Clinton Administration, including Transition Director, Director of Foreign Policy Planning for the National Security Council, and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications. Prior to serving in the Clinton Administration, Ms. Sonenshine was an Editorial Producer of ABC News’ Nightline, where she worked for more than a decade. She was also an off-air reporter at the Pentagon for ABC’s World News Tonight and is the recipient of 10 News Emmy Awards for coverage of international affairs. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Tufts University. Fadi Elsalameen Fadi Elsalameen is a Principal of YCF Group LLC, a private international investment firm. Elsalameen is actively involved in several of YCF Group’s portfolio investments that address global food and maritime security issues including YCF Maritime, a leading global shipping services company and YCF Agriculture, a large-scale international agribusiness company. Previously, Elsalameen served as the Director General of two internet newspapers in English and Arabic covering the United States and the Middle East. He holds a BS in Biochemistry from Earlham College and a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with a specialization in China studies. Elsalameen has been a member of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and is a Fellow with the New America Foundation’s American Strategy Program, a nonpartisan public policy institute that invests in new thinkers and new ideas to address the next generation of challenges facing the United States. Paul Hamill Paul Hamill is the Chief Operating Officer and Director of External Affairs for the American Security Project (ASP), and a leading political and national security communications strategist. Paul has advised major clients on strategic narratives, communications planning, influence operations and approaches, political campaigning, media engagements, as well as detailed communications research and analysis. As Director of External Affairs for ASP, Paul develops and implements public policy campaigns on key national security issues. At ASP, Paul also works on national security strategy issues and information/influence campaign policies. Paul has provided advice to a number of high-level foreign policy officials regarding National Security Strategic Communications; these include officials within the NSC, DOD, CENTCOM, Congressional staff, and officials from a number of other countries.