Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar

A group of celebrated ambassadors and academics convened in Doha on 24 October to discuss the future of US foreign policy. The half-day public conference entitled America and the Middle East after the Bush Presidency: The View from the Outside was hosted by the Center for International and Regional Studies at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.

“America’s relationship with the rest of the world truly does hang in the balance,” said Mehran Kamrava, Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies. “We are inviting our distinguished colleagues from around the world to discuss what America’s role in this part of the world should be.”

The conference consisted of two panel discussions focusing on various aspects of US-Middle East relations. The first panel offered predictions on the future of US-Middle East relations after the election of the next US president. Each participant brought his views on the future of various aspects of US foreign policy, including the impact on American allies, as well as the impact of the War in Iraq on US policy. Panelists included Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former UK Special Representative to Iraq, and Chang Heng Chee, Singaporean ambassador to the United States.

"The goal of the conference is not necessarily to appraise the Bush administration’s foreign policy pursuits in relation to the Middle East,” Kamrava said. “Instead, the conference will focus on how US policy toward the Middle East is perceived outside of the United States."
The second panel offered a set varying perspectives on US policy. Representatives from Al Jazeera and Qatar University offered views from the Arab media and the Gulf states. Meanwhile, representatives from Hebrew University of Jerusalem discussed the future of US relations with Israel, respectively.

The panel discussions were followed by a keynote speech by Thomas Pickering. Pickering, a career American diplomat, has served as American representative in numerous posts including India, Israel, Jordan, Nigeria and Tanzania. He also served as US Ambassador to the United Nations.

The conference is part of the America’s Role in the World Working Group, a group of academics and diplomats convened in 2006 to come up with recommendations on US foreign policy for the next American president.

The conference is open to the public and will begin at 4:00 pm on 24 October 2007 in the Al Dasha Ballroom at the Al Sharq Village in Doha. Simultaneous translation into Arabic will be available.