BY KAREN BOSSICK
“The United States and the Middle East: Crisis Challenges and Opportunities” will be the subject of a conference sponsored by the Sun Valley Global Affairs Forum next week at the Valley Club north of Hailey.
The conference, on July 18-19, will feature keynotes from prominent national security experts and policymakers, including Vice Admiral Robert S. Harward, former Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Harward, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, was shortlisted for national security adviser after Michael Flynn’s resignation.
It will also feature Richard A. Clarke, former U.S. National Coordinator for Security Infrastructure Protection and Counterterrorism. Clarke is the author of the No. 1 bestseller “Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror” and co-author of the newly released book “Warnings,” which argues that millions of lives lost to natural and manmade catastrophes could have been averted by acting on the advance warnings of experts.
The conference kicks off on Tuesday, July 18 with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by Harward’s keynote speech at 6:45 p.m. It will be moderated by Eric Schmitt, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter covering terrorism and national security.
Wednesday, July 19, gets underway at 8 a.m. with breakfast followed by Charles Lister’s personal insights into the Syrian Jihad. Lister is the author of “The Syrian Jihad.”
Ambassador W. Robert Pearson’s will follow Lister with an analysis of “Turkey: Ottoman Dreams & Mid-East Reality.” And Kate Seelye, who has worked as a journalist offering stories for National Public Radio, PBS TV’s “Frontline” and BBC from a base in Beirut, will discuss “The Status of Women in the Arab World.
The forum will conclude with Clark’s “Survey of Current U.S. Policies” at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
All presentations will include discussion and a time for questions and answers.
The forum is designed to help people understand the drivers of conflict in the Middle East and share perspectives of what’s happening in Washington, D.C. policy circles.
“I think the timing of this conference is timely based on what’s happening around the world,” said Stephanie Freid Perenchio, who helped organize the conference as part of the Sun Valley Global Affairs Forum. “You cannot pick up a paper, listen to the news or have a political conversation without having strong emotions on either side of the political arena. The new administration, false news acquisitions and the overall concern about the United States staying a super power has the country at anunrest.”
Perenchio said the attention of the forum is to provide an unbiased, educated assessment of what’s happening in the Middle East and how it affects those living in the United States.
“We handpicked the speakers that we felt were the top experts in their field. They’re very impressive. And it’s a good fit for Sun Valley, which has proven over the years to be a very engaging community that wants to learn and be connected to what is happening on the ground and politically around the world,” she said.
The Middle East Institute is a leading Washington, D.C.-based center of policy research and analysis on the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
This is its second event in Sun Valley—it held a MEI-Sun Valley Global Affairs Forum dinner last year that featured a keynote by Ambassador Robert Ford, the last U.S. Ambassador to Syria.
The host committee includes Jim and Diana Holman, Stephanie and John Perenchio, Jack Bunce, Justin Williams, April Delaney, Susan Lovett and Jackie Maritz.
Jim Holman has been one of the longest serving members of the Board of Governors of the Middle Eat Institute, noted Kevin Cowl, spokesman for MEI.
His interests in making sure MEI’s expertise reaches beyond the Beltway bubble closely aligns with the mission of Stephanie Freid Perenchio’s Sun Valley Global Affairs Forum, added Cowl.
“Last’s year’s event sold out quickly and MEI was encouraged to return. We also had two more events in fall 2016, featuring focusing on Iran and Robert Ford’s post-election analysis of U.S. policy under the new Trump administration,” he said. “The expanded format of this year’s forum reflects the high interest shown by Sun Valley people in MEI’s work. Jim, Stephanie and MEI are looking at this as an annual event that continues to grow in scope and stature.”
For information, contact Hayley Smart at 202-785-1141, extension 113 or email hsmart@mei.edu.