The road ahead : Middle East policy in the Bush administration's second term : planning papers from the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution

The "war on terror" and the battle in Iraq provided the framework for George W. Bush's first term in office. As he embarked on a second term, the president reaffirmed his administration's commitment to a transformative Middle East agenda that now includes the challenges of promoting democracy, non-proliferation, and Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Saban Center at the Brookings Institution commissioned a group of its experts to critique the Bush administration's first-term performance and present alternative approaches for its second term. T he Road Ahead covers the full set of challenges confronting President Bush in his second term: from fighting Binladenism to promoting Arab reform; from achieving Middle East peace to saving Iraq; and from tackling Iran to engaging Syria and Saudi Arabia. The contributors argue that the Bush administration will need to develop an integrated Middle East strategy that improves the prospects for achieving a priority identified during the 2004 presidential campaign: strengthening alliances and utilizing them to ease the burden on American leadership. Th e Road Ahead p rovides the necessary elements for a genuinely integrated strategic framework that will help decisionmakers manage both the changes and the continuities in America's post-9/11 Middle East policy. Contributors: Martin Indyk, Flynt Leverett, Kenneth Pollack, James Steinberg, Shibley Telhami, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, all connected with the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution. A Saban Center Report

The "war on terror" and the battle in Iraq provided the framework for George W. Bush's first term in office. As he embarked on a second term, the president reaffirmed his administration's commitment to a transformative Middle East agenda that now includes the challenges of promoting democracy, non-proliferation, and Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Saban Center at the Brookings Institution commissioned a group of its experts to critique the Bush administration's first-term performance and present alternative approaches for its second term. T he Road Ahead covers the full set of challenges confronting President Bush in his second term: from fighting Binladenism to promoting Arab reform; from achieving Middle East peace to saving Iraq; and from tackling Iran to engaging Syria and Saudi Arabia. The contributors argue that the Bush administration will need to develop an integrated Middle East strategy that improves the prospects for achieving a priority identified during the 2004 presidential campaign: strengthening alliances and utilizing them to ease the burden on American leadership. Th e Road Ahead provides the necessary elements for a genuinely integrated strategic framework that will help decisionmakers manage both the changes and the continuities in America's post-9/11 Middle East policy.

Contributors: Martin Indyk, Flynt Leverett, Kenneth Pollack, James Steinberg, Shibley Telhami, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, all connected with the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution.

A Saban Center Report

" The ""war on terror"" and the battle in Iraq provided the framework for George W. Bush's first term in office. As he embarked on a second term, the president reaffirmed his administration's commitment to a transformative Middle East agenda that now includes the challenges of promoting democracy, non-proliferation, and Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Saban Center at the Brookings Institution commissioned a group of its experts to critique the Bush administration's first-term performance and present alternative approaches for its second term. T he Road Ahead covers the full set of challenges confronting President Bush in his second from fighting Binladenism to promoting Arab reform; from achieving Middle East peace to saving Iraq; and from tackling Iran to engaging Syria and Saudi Arabia. The contributors argue that the Bush administration will need to develop an integrated Middle East strategy that improves the prospects for achieving a priority identified during the 2004 presidential strengthening alliances and utilizing them to ease the burden on American leadership. Th e Road Ahead p rovides the necessary elements for a genuinely integrated strategic framework that will help decisionmakers manage both the changes and the continuities in America's post-9/11 Middle East policy. Martin Indyk, Flynt Leverett, Kenneth Pollack, James Steinberg, Shibley Telhami, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, all connected with the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution. A Saban Center Report " Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 2 Table of Contents......Page 4 About the Authors......Page 5 Introduction: Bush and the Middle East......Page 8 Fighting Binladenism......Page 20 Promoting Reform in the Arab World: A Sustainable Strategy......Page 28 Achieving Middle East Peace......Page 44 Saving Iraq: A Plan for Winning the Peace in 2005......Page 56 Tackling Tehran......Page 74 Engaging Damascus......Page 88 Reengaging Riyadh......Page 102 The Saban Center for Middle East Policy......Page 114 Introduction / Flynt Leverett -- Fighting Binladenism / Shibley Telhami And James Steinberg -- Promoting Reform In The Arab World / Tamara Cofman Wittes -- Achieving Middle East Peace / Martin Indyk -- Saving Iraq / Kenneth M. Pollack -- Tackling Tehran / Kenneth M. Pollack -- Engaging Damascus / Flynt Leverett -- Reengaging Riyadh / Flint Leverett. Edited By Flynt Leverett ; With Contributions By Martin Indyk ... [et. Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web. This report from the Brookings Institution critiques the Bush Administration's performance in the Middle East. Seven essays by foreign policy experts describe alternative policy approaches aimed at better achieving U.S. goals in specific areas while promoting an integrated regional strategy. Four papers deal with U.S. policy towards specific countr As the Bush Administration begins its second term, it faces the challenge of refocusing the global war on terror.