NESA Hosts Yemen Roundtables

On January 19, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies hosted a roundtable discussion of “U.S. Policy in Yemen: Dispelling Myths,” hosted by Distinguished Professor James Larocco, retired U.S. ambassador to Kuwait.

Four dozen distinguished guests representing the United States and two dozen foreign countries engaged in discussion of U.S. policy in Yemen with Dr. Colin Kahl, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, and AMB Ron Shlicher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East.

Questions from participating officials energized the lively two-hour session.

On January 21, the roundtable reconvened at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., where Distinguished Professor AMB. (retired) Craig Dunkerley hosted the discussion, which featured AMB Larocco and Gregory D. Johnsen, former Fulbright Fellow in Yemen and current Ph.D., candidate in Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University.

The two sessions represent the NESA Center’s new initiative to promote greater dialogue and understanding between policymakers and Yemen observers with regards to U.S. policy towards the Republic of Yemen Government; to increase participant understanding of U.S. national security policy formulation, development and application towards Yemen; and to provide officials a forum in which to share their views on USG policy and the role of the international community in helping Yemen combat terrorism in general, and Al-Qaeda in particular.

Images are available.

For further information about NESA outreach programs, contact Outreach or telephone Craig Lancto at 202-685-3848.