At the start of 2015, it became readily apparent that Afghanistan will undergo significant transformations in the coming years. The United States referred to the year 2014 as a “transition” point for Afghanistan, as the International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) drawdown of forces shifted more of the security and economic responsibility to the Afghan government. […]

Perceptions have weighed heavily on U.S.-Turkey relations and how American and Turkish leaders and the general public see one another. Despite an often robust bilateral relationship with the US, Turkish public opinion has always been skeptical of U.S. involvement in Turkey and the Middle East. On the other hand, U.S. public opinion on Turkey is usually uninformed […]

Iraq is in a critical stage of political and economic development, and its growing potential as a regional lynchpin runs alongside great domestic uncertainty, divisions and soul-searching about where the country is headed. Where is Iraq headed as a nation, and what can next-generation Iraqi leaders do to bridge regional and sectarian divisions? A young […]

Afghan-U.S. relations are entering a new and uncertain period. While many U.S. policymakers are buoyed by the death of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan and focused on completing the troop drawdown in 2014, there is no clear vision of what America’s future engagement with Afghanistan will look like. The sole certainty is that the United States […]

The U.S. and Turkey seem to have adopted incompatible positions on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its greater role in the Middle East. Participants sought to explore whether Iran will act as an obstacle or opportunity when it comes to closer Turkey-U.S. cooperation in the region. Participants probed each country’s foreign policy toward Iran, Iran’s domestic […]

Turkey and the United States are increasingly engaged in the Middle East but with policies that seemingly diverge. This dialogue sought to understand the U.S. and Turkish foreign policies and proposed ways to enhance Turkish-American cooperation across fraught regional issues. Participants discussed a number of Middle East issues that affect US-Turkish relations: the Iranian nuclear […]

July 2009. As a follow-up to the May 2009 dialogue, participants discussed changes in Egypt and how to reshape U.S. aid to Egypt, broaden economic ties, support effective political reform and increase educational and cultural exchange. As in the previous dialogue, a group of Egyptian and American NGO and business leaders, diplomats, foreign policy experts, […]

In order to assess the history, current state, and future course of Egypt-U.S. relations, dialogue participants debated the 30-year history of the strategic relationship between Egypt and the United States. Participants discussed the role of the United States in promoting democracy and human rights in Egypt, the impact of economic aid and the influence of […]