Dear Colleagues:

The idea of President Trump taking action in the Middle East may remind some observers of a bull in a china shop. But a better analogy might be a bull wandering into a crossfire.

Candidate Trump seemed to propose major changes in U.S. policy, such as moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and breaking the nuclear nonproliferation agreement with Iran. He seemed particularly uninterested in either countering Russian influence or promoting democracy. Since January there have been some strange statements (like praising the Lebanese government for fighting Hezbollah, which is part of the governing coalition), and mixed signals, such as on the conflict between Qatar and its neighbors.

But a skeptic (or is that an optimist?) might say the situation is such a mess, and U.S. policy has long been so ineffectual or misguided, that the new administration won’t make much difference. Obama criticized Israeli settlements, but to what effect? Trump may have no answers about Syria, but who does? Can any U.S. President influence Benjamin Netanyahu or King Salman?

We are pleased to welcome Professor Moore to share his deep insights into the situation.

All best regards,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies

About Our Guest

Pete W. Moore’s research focuses on economic development and state-society relations in the Middle East and Africa; specifically, Gulf Arab States and Levant; business-state relations, privatization, and decentralization; sub-state conflict and regional security. Professor Moore currently serves on the Editorial Board of Middle East Report and is a member of the Northeast Ohio Consortium for Middle East Studies. Through NOCMES, Professor Moore has brought a wide range of speakers to our campus and other universities and venues in the region. He is author of Doing Business in the Middle East: Politics and Economic Crisis in Jordan and Kuwait (Cambridge University Press, 2004) and co-author of Beyond the Arab Spring: Authoritarianism and Democratization in the Arab World (Lynne Rienner, 2012).

Where We Meet

The Friday Public Affairs Lunch convenes each Friday when classes are in session, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Our programs are open to all and no registration is required. We usually meet in the Dampeer Room of Kelvin Smith Library.

* Kelvin Smith Library requires all entrants to show identification when entering the building, unless they have a university i.d. that they can magnetically scan. We are sorry if that seems like a hassle, but it has been Library policy for a while in response to security concerns. Please do not complain to the library staff at the entrance, who are just doing their jobs.

The Dampeer Room is on the second floor of the library. If you get off the elevators, turn right, pass the first bank of tables, and turn right again. Occasionally we need to use a different room; that will always be announced in the weekly e-mails.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level (labeled as for the Thwing Center); it is less than 50 yards from that exit to the library entrance. You can get from the Severance garage to the library without going outside. Near the entry gates – just to the right if you were driving out – there is a door into a corridor. Walk down the corridor and there will be another door. Beyond that door you’ll find the entrance to an elevator which goes up to an entrance right inside the doors to Kelvin Smith Library.

Schedule of Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

September 22: University Circle, Cleveland, and the “Opportunity Corridor.” With Robert N. Brown, FAICP, former Director of City Planning for the City of Cleveland.

September 29: Nutritious in More Ways Than One? School Lunch and Student Performance. With Justin Gallagher Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics.

October 6: The Budget Mess: Debt Ceilings, Shutdowns, and Health Care, Oh My! With Joseph White Ph.D., Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies. ***Alternate Location: Mather House, Room 100, 11201 Euclid Ave***

October 13: Public Health Lessons From the Ebola Outbreak. With Ronald Blanton M.D./M.Sc., Professor of International Health.

October 20: Students, Stress, and Sickness: Are There More Problems and, If So, Why? With Judith Olson-Hammer MS, Director of Educational Services for Students, and Richard B. Pazol Psy.D., Director of Counseling and Coordinator of Assessment Services, University Health and Counseling Services.

October 27: Patenting Pot. With Craig A. Nard J.D., L.L. M., J.S.D., Galen A. Roush Professor of Law and Director, Spangenberg Center for Law, Technology and the Arts.

November 3: Cleveland’s Muslim Community: History and Challenges. With Ramez Islambouli, Lecturer of Arabic and Islam; Adjunct Professor of Islamic Law; and President, Uqbah Mosque Foundation.

November 10: Lead Poisoning in Cleveland: Why, After All These Years? With Dorr Dearborn MD, Ph.D., Mary Ann Swetland Professor Emeritus and Department Chair Emeritus, Department of Environmental Health Sciences.

November 17: Digging Into Football and Voting With Data. With Andrew Healy Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Loyola Marymount University and Senior Strategist for Player Personnel, Cleveland Browns.

November 24: Thanksgiving Break

December 1: TBA

December 8: Environmental Policy in the Pruitt EPA. With Catherine J. LaCroix J.D., Adjunct Professor of Law.