Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived at the White House today as James Baker's so-called Iraq Study Group has been meeting with the foreign policy team. It's believed that Baker and new Defense Secretary-designate Robert Gates favor negotiations with Iran. British Prime Minister Tony Blair will address the Iraq Study Group tomorrow. Meantime, Democratic leaders want a phased withdrawal from Iraq, and there's pressure from several directions for talks with Syria. All this as the Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, are putting together a unity government. President Bush is embracing advisors who served his father. Will they push diplomacy rather than confrontation? Is there any chance of a weakened US commitment to Israel?
What Next for US Policy on the Middle East?
Credits
Guests:
- Dennis Ross - Washington Institute for Near East Policy - @washinstitute
- Philip Wilcox - Foundation for Middle East Peace
- Shibley Telhami - Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland - @ShibleyTelhami
- Emile Sahliyeh - Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas