To the Point
America's Tangled Diplomacy in the Middle East
In Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, diplomats from some 50 countries are meeting this week on the future of Iraq . Prime Minister al-Maliki is under intense pressure, asking forgiveness of $50 billion in debt rolled up by Saddam Hussein while trying to show he can hold on to his own job.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readIn Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, diplomats from some 50 countries are meeting this week on the future of Iraq. Prime Minister al-Maliki is under intense pressure, asking forgiveness of $50 billion in debt rolled up by Saddam Hussein while trying to show he can hold on to his own job. Today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Syria's foreign minister--the countries' most senior diplomatic contact since 2005, when the US pulled its ambassador from Damascus after the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister. Rice may also meet her Iranian counterpart, but there are new problems with Saudi Arabia. Will King Abdullah help Iraq rebuild by forgiving debts racked up by Saddam Hussein? Is America's most important Arab ally trying to distance itself from US interests in the Middle East?
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Katie Cooper
Producer, 'One year Later'
Dan Konecky
Producer, To the Point
Karen Radziner
Managing Producer, To the Point & Which Way LA?
Warren Strobel
national security reporter, Wall Street Journal
Karim Sadjadpour
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Martin Indyk
Brookings Institution