Ambassador Kelly discusses Middle East policy

As the upcoming presidential election draws near, one of the most controversial and debatable issues continues to be the U.S.'s public policy in the Middle East. On April 10, Ambassador John Kelly spoke to Tech's International Affairs department about the relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East.

Kelly was an American Ambassador in Beirut from 1986 to 1988. He was the Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East and South Asia from 1989 to 1991. He also served as the American Ambassador in Helsinki, Finland from 1991 to 1994.

As a career diplomat, Kelly was a four-time Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and also served in the Department of Defense. In addition, he held overseas assignments in Turkey, Thailand, France, Lebanon and Finland. Kelly has testified more than 20 times before the U.S. Congress. He has also appeared on television and radio, including CNN, C-Span, BBC and the Today Show.

Kelly's seminar, held in the Wardlaw buiding, was entitled "Iraq, Iran, Islam: the U.S. in the Middle East." In the lecture, Kelly addressed issues such as reasons for American involvement in the Middle East, and the specific issues regarding each region.

"The U.S. Armed Forces are facing severe challenges. They are tasked with additional missions undertaken by politicians, diplomats and development experts," said Kelly. "[The] Middle East/South Asia is the cockpit of the struggle, and Americans owe support, prayers and gratitude to men and women of the U.S. military."

According to Kelly, the U.S.'s involvement in the Middle East can be broken down into three components: history, economic concerns and security. For instance, 60 percent of petroleum and gas reserves are located in the Middle East.

While U.S. public policy in the Middle East has been much debated and controversial, according to Kelly, 2007 will be the year of decisions in Iraq.

"If the 'surge,' 15 new brigades in Baghdad, works, if security stabilizes, if the Iraqi government can foster political reconciliation, can pass a new equitable Petroleum law, can deliver better services to its people, then the U.S. can withdraw significant numbers of troops in 2008," Kelly said.

The goal the U.S. has is to have an Iraq that governs itself, sustains itself and defends itself. Even though elections have worked three times in Iraq and its government is now 10 months old, security problems have gotten worse.

The questions that now face the U.S. and Iraq are: with the Shia leadership in government, will Iraq be Iran's satellite, and will Iraq's government be divided into three parts? However, "U.S. military bases [in the Middle East] will not be long term," Kelly said.

On the topic of Islam, Kelly listed several issues including the struggle between medievalism and modernity.

To accurately predict Islam's future, several factors must be taken into account. For instance, Europe took in 20 million Muslims between 1970 and 2000. In a recent poll, 60 percent of British Muslims wish to live under the Shariah (Islamic) Law in the United Kingdom. The world is changing, will Islam?

Another issue facing the U.S. regarding the Middle East is the long-term problem of terrorism. Although Al Qaeda has weakened, it is still functional. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia and Iraq have become incubator states, and mass destruction still remains a great threat to world security.

After the lecture, Kelly discussed the issue and crisis in the Middle East and current and future public policy with students and faculty in the audience. Several students and faculty members found the seminar very informative and exciting.

"I think the Ambassador is extremely informed about [the situation] in the Middle East, and he is a terrific speaker," said Kelly Dennison, an International Affairs Graduate student.

"The Iraq, Iran and Islam issue is one that will be prominent in U.S. Foreign Policy for the next administration, and the U.S. policy decisions will have a dramatic effect on stability in the Middle East," Dennison said.

"At a time when the world, especially the Middle East, is spinning out of control, it is very helpful to have someone of [Kelly]'s caliber to give the 'lay of the land' and the historical context," said Angela Levin, an administration coordinator in the International Affairs department.

Furthermore, both Dennison and Levin agree that it is crucial for students to understand the situation in hand.

"I believe people in the U.S. know far too little about other countries and world religions," Dennison said. "Public opinion is a driving force in our policies; educating the public about world cultures can only benefit the outcome of our policy decision making process."