IRAQ AND ITS NEIGHBORS: TOWARD A NEW REGIONAL ORDER

BEYOND DAESH: ENDING THE CYCLE OF CONFLICT TOWARD DURABLE SOLUTION

With Iraqi, Kurdish and international security forces on the verge of defeating DAESH in western Mosul, the fifth annual Sulaimani Forum addressed the fundamental issues that breed extremism and conflict in Iraq and across the Middle East, and discussed durable solutions to move beyond radicalism. The Forum also considered the short-term security and humanitarian sector challenges facing Iraq, including the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) that have fled fighting in Iraq over the past two-and-a-half years.

Discussing and debating the pressing short- and long-term challenges was a prestigious and diverse group of government leaders, international experts and respected commentators. The 2017 Sulaimani Forum was delighted to welcome H.E. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who delivered the keynote address and graciously participated in an illuminating one-on-one interview with Mushreq Abbas (NRT Arabic). Other leaders, including current and former ministers and senior officials from the federal government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the United States, the European Union (EU), the Republic of Turkey, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Lebanon, as well as from the diplomatic community in Iraq, were present. Guests and participants also included representatives from the world of academia and research, led by Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University. Other organizations in attendance numbered the Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the Wilson Center, New America, the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), the European Council on Foreign Relations, the Strategic Studies Center (Moscow, Russia), the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). Correspondents from CNN, BBC, POLITICO, Economist, New Yorker, NPR, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Al Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, The Philadelphia Enquirer, as well as all major Iraqi and Kurdish outlets also attended.

UPHEAVAL AND TRANSFORMATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST: CONFRENTING ISIS AND BEYOND

The fourth annual Sulaimani Forum, titled “Upheaval and Transformation in the Middle East: Confronting ISIS and Beyond,” convened on the 28th anniversary of the Halabja massacre in 1988 and on the centennial of the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916. The past century has been one of transformation and tumult, as citizens of the region have struggled to establish economic, political and judicial systems in their respective countries. In recent years, these struggles have come to a head both peacefully and violently with the Arab Spring and the onslaught of ISIS, forcing states to consider, more seriously than ever, how to chart a path forward. Prominent scholars, government officials, political leaders, and journalists from around the world came together at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani to discuss the war against ISIS, regional dynamics, the economic crisis and challenges for reform, extremism in the region, and the possibilities of breakups and alliances emerging from the turmoil and disorder. The Forum's full proceedings are available here.

Participants included high-level officials from the central government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Prime Minister of the KRG HE Nechirvan Barzani gave the inaugural address, while the Foreign Affairs Minister of Iraq Ibrahim Al-Jaafari delivered the keynote speech. The National Security Advisor to the Iraqi Government Faleh Fayadh, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk, Peshmerga Commander Jaafar Mustafa, and the Governor of Ninewa Noefel Humadi Sultan spoke on the first panel, focusing on different forces involved in the military operations against ISIS.

Analysts from various think tanks and study centers were also present, most notably, Mina Al-Oraibi, a Yale World Fellow; Kenneth Pollack, Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution; Sir John Jenkins, Executive Director of IISS Middle East and former British diplomat who served as Ambassador to several countries, including Syria and Saudi Arabia; Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin, President of the Middle East Institute in Washington; Laith Kubba, Senior Director for Middle East & North Africa, National Endowment for Democracy; Joseph Bahout, visiting Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Amberin Zaman, Fellow at the Wilson Center. They took part in discussions on efforts to rebuild and ways to combat sectarian divisions in the midst of proxy wars. World Bank’s Iraq Director Sibel Kulaksiz, the Google think tank Jigsaw Director Yasmin Green, Hudson Fellow Institute Nibras Kazimi, and Senior Fellow at Woodrow Wilson Center Robin Wright contributed to the panel discussions on extremism and turmoil in the region.

FERTILE CRESCENT IN TURMOIL: CHALLANGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

On March 11th and 12th, 2015, the Institute of Regional and and International Studies (IRIS) at the American Univerity of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) hosted its third annual Sulaimani Forum, titled "The Fertile Crescent in Turmoil: Challenges and Opportunities".

The forum, convened prominent scholars, policy makers, business leaders, government officials and journalists from around the world to discuss complex and pressing issues in the region. We built on the success of two previous forums that saw the participation of the foreign ministers of Iraq and Turkey, and were joined by General David H. Petraeus this year, in addition to a number of other distinguished guests and officials. The Forum convened at a pivotal time, amidst upheaval not seen before in the modern history of the Middle East. Focusing on Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, panels examined causes and explored solutions for the profound challenges facing the region through dialogue about the realigning geopolitical alliances, energy, combatting Daesh, humanitarian issues, and intra-Kurdish affairs.

The theme of the Forum, “Fertile Crescent in Turmoil,” reflects the upheaval and uncertainty – caused by the rise of ISIS, the drop in oil prices and geopolitical tensions – that have affected the Middle East over the past year. Diverse panels tackled both the humanitarian and political sides of the crisis surrounding the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), internal Iraqi politics – particularly regarding oil and finances – regional transitions, and the new levels of Kurdish cooperation in the region. Discussing the changing situations within Iraq, participants noted the historic, external and internal dynamics that created the environment in which ISIS, also known by its Arabic acronyms DAESH, was able to flourish. Though historically the Fertile Crescent has been diverse and tolerant, nationalism and lack of economic opportunity, basic freedoms of expression and minority rights created tensions between different religious groups and ethnicities.

NAVIGATING CHALLENGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The 2nd Annual Sulaimani Forum, "Navigating Challenges in the Middle East", was held on the 4th and 5th of March 2014. Influential public leaders and distinguished experts convened to discuss geopolitical dynamics in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey, as well as critical regional issues including the water crisis, oil and gas, ethno-sectarianism, and the realities of investment and economic growth.

Prominent government officials from Iraq and abroad attended, including Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iraq Hoshyar Zebari; Foreign Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoğlu; National Security Advisor of Iraq Falah al-Fayyadh; Former Speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly Hajim Al-Hassani; Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechirvan Idris Barzani; Former Vice President of Iraq Adil Abd Al Mehdi; Brett McGurk of the U.S. Department of State; and representative of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Sadeghi. Participants in the Forum also included prominent journalists such as BBC World anchor Pooneh Ghoddoosi, author and analyst Robin Wright, and former war correspondent and Al Monitor columnist Cengiz Çandar. Renowned experts on the panels included Kenneth Pollack of the Brookings Institution, Fanar Haddad of the National University of Singapore, Charles Tripp of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Kirk Sowell of Inside Iraqi Politics, and Fabrice Balanche of Universite de Lyon 2. Influential businesspersons participated as well, including Faruk Mustafa Rasool of Faruk Group Holding, Shwan Taha of Rabee Securities, Philip Khoury of Impera Capital, and Esra Pelitozu of Selco Finance and Industrial Group.

THE CHANGING POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST

The Inaugural Sulaimani Forum, "The Changing Geopolitics of the Middle East" was held on the 12th and 13th of March 2013.

The first ever Sulaimani Forum featured distinguished international scholars, journalists, and government officials such as Hoshyar Zebari, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iraq; Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations; and Max Rodenbeck, Chief Middle East Correspondent for The Economist. Participants considered broad issues such as the social and economic repercussions of energy policies; the emerging role of women leaders; and the global effects of the wave of unrest and change that swept the region in the wake of multiple and historic Arab uprisings. They also explored the particular cases of Iraq, its neighbors, and the Kurdish issue, along with the diverse geopolitical implications for the Middle East and beyond.

The Forum was a unique and groundbreaking gathering considering not only its timing but its location, as pointed out by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in his opening speech. While most experts gather in Washington and London to analyze happenings of the Middle East, this conference appropriately took place in the region where the actual events were taking place, not to mention in the midst of ongoing protests in various parts of Iraq, and in a city called the cultural capital of Kurdistan where some say a brief ‘Kurdish Spring’ took place in the winter of 2011. In his address, Barham Salih mentioned that he hoped the stability that allows for the conference to take place in the Kurdistan Region will spread throughout the Middle East: “I hope Kurdistan, beyond being just a success story for Kurds, can also offer a model, a catalyst for change and reform in our region.” The purpose of the Sulaimani Forum is to encourage this change and reform through better relationships, exchange, and dialogue. “Kurdish interest,” Salih concluded, “lies in being connected with our neighbors, connected with the rest of the world.”