As a new Administration gets ready to take office in the United States, and as Israel prepares for elections, questions arise regarding the future direction of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. What are the Palestinian positions on the format for negotiations and the substance of permanent status issues. i.e. borders, settlements, Jerusalem, refugees, after more than a year of negotiations? How much progress has been achieved in the Annapolis negotiations on specific issues? What is the Palestinian position on the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for negotiations?

Libya: From Colony to Independence explores the history of Libya from earliest times to the present, including the Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and Italian occupations, together with the struggle for independence and the independence period. The second half of the book concentrates on the One September Revolution and the Qaddafi era, relating the contemporary period to earlier times to highlight common patterns and unique experiences.

Ibrahim Helal, Deputy Managing Director, Al-Jazeera English
Max Rodenbeck, Chief Middle East Correspondent, The Economist
Ron Suskind, author of The Way Of The World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism
Moderator: Michael Ryan, Vice President, Middle East Institute

Sameh Shoukry, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States
Francis J. Ricciardone, Guest Scholar, United States Institute of Peace
Michele Dunne, Senior Associate & Editor, Arab Reform Bulletin Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Moderator: Graeme Bannerman, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute

Nabil Ali Alyousuf, Vice Chairman of Board of Trustees and Executive President of Dubai School of Government

Amer Awadh Al Rawas, Managing Director, Oman Mobile; Member Board and Treasurer of the Sultan Qaboos Center

Aamir A. Rehman, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute, Author of Dubai & Co.: Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States

Moderator: Susan Bastress, Orrick, Herrington, Sutcliffe LLP

MEI was honored to host Abdallah Schleifer, Tom Dine and Rob Fersh for a discussion of two worthy initiatives that bridge the U.S. with the Muslim world—the U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project (USME) and the dialogue among Muslim and Christian religious leaders involved in A Common Word.

Several outstanding books have been written about the road to September 11. The Search for Al Qaeda has a different mission. While it does review how al Qaeda was created and developed, it focuses more closely on what has happened to the terrorist network since that awful day. According to Riedel, al Qaeda's ultimate goals are to drive America from the Muslim world (the ummah); to destroy Israel; and to create a jihadist caliphate along the lines of the Ottoman Empire at its height.

Karen Koning AbuZayd was appointed Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in 2005. Since 2000, Mrs. AbuZayd helped oversee UNRWA social service, health, education and micro-enterprise programs that reach 4.6 million Palestinian refugees. Before joining UNRWA, Mrs. AbuZayd worked in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Sudan, Namibia, Sierra Leone and as Chef de Cabinet to High Commissioner Sadako Ogata.

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MEI is honored to host Gary Berntsen, a 20-year veteran in the CIA's clandestine service, to discuss his new book, "Human Intelligence, Counterterrorism, and National Leadership: A Practical Guide."

Andrew Scott Cooper, a contributor to the Autumn issue of the Middle East Journal and a PhD candidate at Victoria University in New Zealand, has combed through recently de-classified documents tracing a secret oil deal that help explain Iran's 1977 economic crisis that undercut the Shah's power and eventually helped lead to the Iranian Revolution.

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MEI is honored to host Mark Weston, to discuss his new book, “Prophets and Princes – Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the Present.”

About the Book:

MEI and Foundation for Middle East Peace co sponsor a discussion with the leaders of the Jerusalem Old City Initiative, created to pursue creative governance and management options for Jerusalem's Old City.

MEI is honored to host Ali bin Tamin, CEO of Kalima, a non-profit initiative founded by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for a morning reception in the MEI Garden.

Kalima, which means “word” in Arabic, funds the translation, publication, and distribution of high-quality works of classic and contemporary writing from other languages into Arabic. The initiative brings together authors, translators, publishers and distributors.

MEI is honored to host Seth Jones and Martin Libicki, to discuss their new Rand Corp. report,"How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al-Qaeda."

About the Report:

Middle East Institute is honored to host Shuja Nawaz, to discuss his new book, "Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within."

About the Book:

Middle East Institute is honored to host Gary Weaver and Adam Mendelson, Managing Editor of The Middle East Journal, to discuss their new book, "America's Midlife Crisis: The Future of a Troubled Superpower."

MEI is honored to host Thomas W. Lippman, MEI Adjunct Scholar to discuss his new book, "Arabian Knight: Colonel Bill Eddy USMC and the Rise of American Power in the Middle East."

MEI is honored to host Kenneth Pollack, to discuss his new book,
"A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East."

MEI is honored to host Aamir Rehman, to discuss his book, "Dubai & Co.: Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States"

MEI is honored to host Ethan Chorin, to discuss his new book, "Translating Libya: The Modern Libyan Short Story."

About the book:

Middle East Institute is honored to host Bing West, to discuss his new book, "The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq."

MEI is honored to host Marwan Muasher, former Foreign Minister of Jordan, to discuss his new book, "The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation."

Book Description:

MEI is honored to host Efraim Inbar, to discuss "The Iranian Nuclear Challenge."

Efraim Inbar is a Professor in Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University and the Director of its Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies.

Pianist Omer Klein performed in the MEI Garden on August 14, 2007, in the third segment of MEI's Summer Garden Series - "Deconstructing Myths, Part 3: 'Contemporary Israeli Music.'"

"Oud Song" comes from Klein's 2007 album, "Introducing Omer Klein," courtesy of Omer Klein and Smalls Records Inc.

The following MP3 is courtesy of violinist İlhan Sami Özulu, who performed in the second event of MEI's Summer Garden Series -- "Deconstructing Myths, Part 2: 'Turkish Groove'"

MEI President Wendy Chamberlin and Iraq experts Phebe Marr and Elizabeth Ferris discuss the status of Iraq's refugees during a special launch of MEI Viewpoints: "Iraq's Refugee and IDP Crisis: Human Toll and Implications,"a wide-ranging collection of essays that explore the challenges facing Iraq, the international community, and the refugees themselves. This special edition of MEI's prestigious Viewpoints series also includes maps and statistics about the state of Iraq’s millions of refugees and IDPs and a comprehensive bibliography and the testimonies of refugees themselves.

On July 29, 2008, Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani spoke to a Washington audience about the political situation in his country and efforts to combat terrorist activities along the border with Afghanistan. The event was co sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations and the Middle East Institute. CFR President Richard Haass introduces Prime Minister Gillani.

Former MEI intern Zachary Kineke spent several weeks in the summer of 2008 in Egypt and Qatar through a Carnegie Foundation journalism fellowship. Zak is a broadcast journalism student at Syracuse University and provided this audio Encounter.

Iraq expert Phebe Marr discusses the implications of the exodus of Iraqis from their homeland, fleeing sectarian violence and economic hardships. Elaborating on her essay for the Viewpoints "Iraqi Refugee and IDP Crisis: Human Toll and Implications" Marr also talks about the burden of the brain drain on Iraq's reconstruction efforts.

Political and sectarian struggles have long plagued Lebanon, a country that seems to be perpetually steeped in crisis. From the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005 to the forced deadlock of the Lebanese government by Hezbollah in 2006, democracy in Lebanon seems to be a constant struggle in a delicate balance of power. Even with the recent turn of events and the election of a president, many questions remain for the future of governance in Lebanon. What will it take to overcome governmental crises and sectarian differences? Is democracy sustainable in the divided society?