Building for Security and Peace in the Middle East:An American Agenda
Mar 1, 1997
In-Depth Reports
The Presidential Study Group—a bipartisan, blue ribbon commission of statesman, diplomats, legislators, scholars and experts—was convened in Spring 1996 to examine the state of the Middle East and effectiveness of U.S. policy in advancing U.S. interest in the region. At its inaugural meeting, the 1996 Study Group defined a bold and ambitious agenda—rather than focus on a single aspect of U.S. engagement in the Middle East, the group believed it essential to examine the range of U.S. interests so as to set priorities and define an overall agenda for U.S. policy. This report is the product of that decision.
A second Clinton administration faces a Middle East characterized more by challenge than by opportunity. While the signing of a Hebron redeployment accord marks a signal achievement, differences between Israel and the Arab parties suggest that prospects for major breakthroughs on the Arab-Israeli front are limited. Meanwhile, the challenges from the Gulf have grown. This change will require commensurate changes in three areas of U.S. Middle East policy: the Gulf, the Arab-Israeli arena, and in key bilateral relationships. These changes should come within the context of wider initiatives on counter-proliferation, counter-terrorism, diversification and conservation of energy resources, and the advancement of core U.S. values in foreign policy.
