vailsymposium

Ambassador Dennis Ross, along with veteran foreign correspondent Greg Dobbs, addressed a sold-out crowd at The Sebastian-Vail on Thursday, July 30. With assistance and the occasional joke from Dobbs, Ambassador Ross discussed a wide range of intertwined issues that form the complex web of challenges that beset the Middle East.

Fielding questions from both Dobbs and audience members, Ambassador Ross addressed the well-known major players in the Middle East such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Russia and the United States as well as less known, but integral players such as Oman, Jordan and Yemen. Issues included conflict, refugees, oil and nuclear weapons. Ross expressed concern at the absence of American leadership in the region. However, rather than concede the region is too fraught with intransigent rivalries and calcified cultures, Ross saw cause for hope, in particular in the recent social changes taking place in Saudi Arabia. 

If you missed this program, or would like to see it again, you can view the video recording here.

Are you looking for up-to-date information on the situation in the Middle East or want to learn more about policy issues? Ambassador Ross suggests visiting the Washington Institute for Near East Policy website for a wide range of news, lectures and other resources to gain a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and the policies that secure them.