Few countries confront the United States with such diverse policy contradictions ranging from a key ally in the balance of power struggle with Iran to being a prototype for ISIS, the Islamic State. While the latter may be hyperbolic, in truth the House of Saud has used its enormous oil wealth to spread extreme Wahhabi Islam throughout the Islamic world. Saudi proselytizing has eroded Islamic pluralism and some argue has blocked the moderate evolution and accommodation with a diverse, globalized world.
The Royal family has historically tolerated the export of extremism in exchange for domestic support of the regime, trapped between maintaining domestic legitimacy and the American protective umbrella. This tenuous balance of power is in transition with new leadership in both Saudi Arabia and the United States. Fluctuating oil prices and greater energy independence in the United States add new uncertainties to a strained relationship. How might the changing political and economic landscape affect the future of the Middle East, the war on terrorism and Saudi-American relations? To address these and a broad range of issues we welcome Mr. Simon Henderson. Simon Henderson is the Baker fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute, specializing in energy matters and the conservative Arab states of the Persian Gulf. A former journalist with Financial Times, Mr. Henderson has also worked as a consultant advising corporations and governments on the Persian Gulf. He started his career with the British Broadcasting Corporation before joining the Financial Times. His experience includes serving as a foreign correspondent in Pakistan in 1977-78, and reported from Iran during the 1979 Islamic revolution and seizure of the U.S. embassy. Mr. Henderson writes and appears frequently in the media discussing the internal political dynamics of the House of Saud, energy developments, and events in the Gulf. In 1994, The Washington Institute published Mr. Henderson's Policy Paper After King Fahd: Succession in Saudi Arabia, widely considered the definitive work on the subject, and The New Pillar: Conservative Arab Gulf States and U.S. Strategy. |
Date: Tuesday, March 7th, 2016
Time: Social Hour 5:30p – Announcements 6:15p- Dinner Speaker and Discussion 7:00p Location: Skyline Country Club, 5200 East St. Andrews Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718 Meal Choices: Short Ribs Salmon with Citrus beurre blanc Wild mushroom strudel Click Here To Register You may pay by PayPal, Check or Credit Card. Directions can be found on the Registration page. . |
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