Djerejian available to comment on Middle East developments

EXPERT ALERT

Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
david@rice.edu

Djerejian available to comment on Middle East developments

HOUSTON – (Jan. 7, 2014) – Edward Djerejian, founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and former U.S. ambassador to Syria and Israel, is available to comment on the latest developments in the Middle East, specifically the Syrian civil war, Lebanon, Iraq, the activities of Islamic extremists and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent efforts to broker a Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. In November, Djerejian traveled to Israel, where he met with Israeli and Palestinian policymakers and scholars to discuss recommendations for achieving a peace agreement.

EDWARD DJEREJIAN

According to news reports, the recent security situations in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq have deteriorated greatly. Kerry visited the Middle East over the weekend, his 10th time since taking office. His visit included meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.

Djerejian is a leading expert on the complex political, security, economic, religious and ethnic issues of the Middle East and South Asia. He served in the U.S. Foreign Service under eight presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton. Prior to his nomination by Clinton as U.S. ambassador to Israel, he was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations. He also led the Baker Institute’s U.S.-Syria academic and policy dialogue from 2002 to 2005.

Djerejian is also the author of the book “Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey Through the Middle East.”

The Baker Institute has a radio and television studio available for media who want to schedule an interview with Djerejian. For more information, contact Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

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Djerejian on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EdwardDjerejian @edwarddjerejian

Djerejian biography: http://bakerinstitute.org/experts/edward-p-djerejian/

Photo courtesy: Rice University’s Baker Institute

Founded in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston ranks among the top 20 university-affiliated think tanks globally and top 30 think tanks in the United States. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows and Rice University scholars. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.