Transmenu powered by JoomlArt.com - Mambo Joomla Professional Templates Club

Washington DC – American diplomacy with Iran and Syria is most likely to succeed if it engages both countries at the same time, Dr. Robert Malley told a packed Congressional briefing organized by NIAC.  Dr. Malley is the program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group in Washington DC.

Dr. Malley, a former Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton for Arab-Israeli Affairs, highlighted the challenges that the Iran-Syria alliance creates for US foreign policy in the region.  He argued that Iran and Syria have the region’s most complex yet durable relationship, which the US should approach with sensitivity and foresight. 

In order to deal with this challenge, the US should begin dialogue with Syria by simultaneously engaging  Iran, according to Malley.  This way, neither country will feel like one is moving while the other is not.  By engaging both countries, the United States can reduce any incentive for Syria or Iran to undermine the other’s talks with the United States.

Malley’s presentation took place at a critical time in US-Iran foreign policy, with the Obama administration considering a radical shift in America’s approach to Iran and the region.  The briefing provided lawmakers and their staff an opportunity to look more deeply into how alliances in the Middle East influence America’s foreign policy strategy for the region.

The event is part of NIAC's US-Iran Policy Program, which is funded through generous contributions from the Ploughshares Fund, the Kenbe Foundation, the Pluralism Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and NIAC member donations.