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Criticism of the Obama administration鈥檚 Middle East strategy is no longer restricted to the president鈥檚 usual opponents. Former defense secretary and CIA director Leon Panetta 鈥� the latest in a series of departed senior officials to go public with their misgivings 鈥� now suggests that the president鈥檚 own policies helped make possible the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. 鈥淲hen we stepped out of Iraq,鈥� Panetta observed in a recent interview, 鈥渨e created this vacuum鈥� 鈥� and ISIS is currently filling the space.
Can the same administration now make good its mistakes and repair the damage? Will a strategy limited to coalition aerial bombardment and ancillary assistance to local fighters be sufficient to 鈥渄egrade and destroy鈥� ISIS, or are the U.S. military officials and regional allies who argue that ground troops will be required correct? In either case, to what extent are longstanding, region-wide issues 鈥� like the anti-Sunni policies pushed by Iranian assets in Iraq and Syria 鈥� a fundamental obstacle to complete success against ISIS?
To address these and other directly related questions of Middle East strategy and diplomacy, 华体会 hosted a timely discussion on October 17 with Lee Smith, Andrew J. Tabler, Michael Pregent, and Hussain Abdul-Hussain.
Event hashtag: #HudsonISIS
The 华体会 Political Studies Policy Certificate Program gathers talented early career professionals for advanced study of American foreign and domestic policy and national security, led by policy experts and experienced government officials.
Murray will join Hudson Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs for a discussion on his conversations in the Middle East, the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, and the historical and moral dimensions of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorists who seek to destroy it.
Join Hudson for a discussion on European Union and United Kingdom competition and regulatory authorities鈥� increasing focus on digital platforms.
