Syria policy options for the Trump administration are topic at Rice’s Baker Institute Dec. 13

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

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

Syria policy options for the Trump administration are topic at Rice’s Baker Institute Dec. 13

HOUSTON – (Dec. 6, 2016) – A panel of recognized Syria experts, including three former United States ambassadors to the country, will discuss the key issues and possible policy options for the administration of President-elect Donald Trump in addressing the Syrian conflict.

Sponsored by the Baker Institute’s Center for the Middle East, the event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Who: Panelists Ryan Crocker, former ambassador to Syria and to Afghanistan; Robert Ford, former ambassador to Syria and to Algeria; John Landis, director of the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Middle East Studies; Randa Slim, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute; and Andrew Tabler, fellow at the Washington Institute.

Edward Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute and former ambassador to Syria and Israel, will serve as moderator.

What: A panel on “Syria: Policy Options for the Trump Administration.”

When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

Since 2011, Syria’s Arab uprising has devolved into civil war and humanitarian disaster, according to event organizers. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced, internally and externally. Radical groups have spawned with destabilizing consequences for the country, the region and the globe. The wars in Iraq and Syria have severely challenged the Middle East state system and opened the door for renewed international interventions. The Trump administration faces a daunting task and inherits a region in turmoil with an unclear way forward, organizers said.

Addressing the challenges in Syria is a very complex undertaking, and U.S. policy to help resolve the Syrian conflict, eliminate the Islamic State and deal effectively with key regional and international players is under question. Policymakers and the new U.S. administration must also plan for the day after and develop policies to structure a postwar landscape that promotes stability and good governance in what has been a diverse and multiethnic society, organizers noted.

The public must register to attend this event at www.bakerinstitute.org/events/1836.
A live webcast of the event will be available on the registration page.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top five university-affiliated think tanks in the world. 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, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.