ICYMI: New BPC Report - Principles for a New U.S. Strategy in the Middle East

27 Apr ICYMI: New BPC Report – Principles for a New U.S. Strategy in the Middle East in National Security and Defense

Hi,

I wanted to share BPC’s new report on the challenges the United States faces in the Middle East and a set of principles by which it should orchestrate its strategy to stabilize the region and neutralize regional security threats.

Additionally, I’ve included a link to a video of co-authors Ambs. Ryan Crocker, Eric Edelman, James Jeffrey, and Jake Sullivan discussing their report and recent developments in Syria here.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have questions or would like to discuss.

Principles for a New U.S. Strategy in the Middle East

Polls suggest that two instincts about the Middle East have come to dominate American public opinion: The region is the gravest threat to U.S. national security, and the United States should avoid greater involvement there. The implicit tension between these views reveals an uncertainty about how, why, and even whether the United States should be involved in the Middle East going forward.

A realistic reassessment of what core national interests, if any, the United States still has in the Middle East, and whether those interests can be reasonably secured, is critical for policymakers charged with matching means with strategic ends. The Bipartisan Policy Center convened this task force precisely to reevaluate U.S. interests, objectives, and strategy in the face of intensifying instability in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq.

In pursuit of a sustainable regional order at sustainable cost, the task force report proposes several strategic principles for American policymakers deciding how to address the Middle East’s challenges.