With sectarian violence in Iraq reaching a new scale of brutality, there are multiple warnings that the entire Middle East region may be coming apart. President Bush and Vice President Cheney are engaged in a week of crisis diplomacy aimed at saving Iraq's civilian government. While Cheney has returned from Saudi Arabia, President Bush has left Washington on a trip that will end in meetings with Iraq's Prime Minister al-Maliki. Meantime, Iraqi President Talabani is meeting with Iranian leaders, and Israel's Prime Minister Olmert is making peace offerings to the Palestinians. Both parties in Congress want pressure on the regime with the goal of promoting withdrawal of American troops. Will America's allies try to influence Sunni insurgents? Will the US talk with Iran about controlling Shiite militias? We'll ask a variety of experts, are there any good options left?
Violence and Diplomacy in the Middle East
Credits
Guests:
- Fawaz Gerges - London School of Economics and Politics
- Fouad Ajami - Stanford University
- Mansour Farhang - Professor of Political Science at Bennington College
- Shibley Telhami - Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland - @ShibleyTelhami
- Patrick Clawson - Washington Institute for Near East Policy