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File 025797

Aspen Strategy Group: US Policy on Arab Revolutions, Iraq, and Middle East Economics (File 025797)

Notes from an Aspen Strategy Group discussion featuring Obama administration officials and policy experts debating US foreign policy regarding the Arab Spring, Iraq withdrawal, and Middle East economic stabilization.

Summary

This document contains detailed meeting notes from the Aspen Strategy Group discussing three major topics: US policy responses to Arab revolutions, the challenges of maintaining US influence in Iraq following troop withdrawal and failed SOFA negotiations, and economic consequences of the Arab Spring. Participants debate the merits of the "lead from behind" strategy in Libya, the failed efforts to keep residual US forces in Iraq due to immunity agreement obstacles, Iraq's vulnerability to Iranian influence and internal sectarian tensions, and the need for financial stabilization in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The discussion reveals disagreements among former Bush and Obama administration officials about strategy effectiveness, with focus on Iraq's political dynamics, Kurdish independence concerns, and the roles of Turkey and Iran in regional stability.

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