Events
Washington Forum 2012
Should the West choose sides?
Join FDD experts and a diverse group of foreign and national security professionals — including members of Congress and Executive Branch officials — for discussions and debates on the most complex and consequential issues facing America and its allies.
Understanding the Palestinian UN Initiative
What the Palestinian unilateral maneuver means for US interests
A Conversation with Dr. Jonathan Schanzer and Ghaith al-Omari
What does the Palestinian unilateral maneuver mean for US interests? What role can Congress play in ensuring that a return to direct negotiations without preconditions is the only way forward towards a two-state solution?
Is Al-Qaeda Dead? An Experts Debate
In Collaboration with the New America Foundation
While some counterterrorism analysts and officials say that U.S. military efforts over the past 11 years have resulted in the defeat of al-Qaeda, others argue that the terrorist organization is more durable than that. The successes won by the CIA drone program in Pakistan’s tribal regions and the symbolic killing of Osama bin Laden might be tempered by the growing strength of al-Qaeda's affiliates in countries such as Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. On the other hand, many point out that al-Qaeda has failed to carry out a large-scale terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11.
Uneasy Balance: Weighing Turkish, Syrian, and Kurdish Interests
A conversation with Tony Badran, Soner Cagaptay, John Hannah, Dr. Fuad Hussein and Ilhan Tanir
As the Assad regime loses Aleppo and its countryside, will this region become a de facto sphere of Turkish influence in Syria? How does Turkey intend to deal with potential Kurdish autonomy in Syria, where the PKK has a significant support? How will Syria's Sunni Arab rebels deal with the Kurds' gains? Will the current Kurdish divide between pro-PKK and pro-Barzani parties lead to a Kurdish subset of the Syrian civil war? What is Washington's plan to offset the potential fragmentation of Syria?
Assad’s Coming Downfall?
A Conversation with David Enders, Ammar Abdulhamid, John Hannah, and Reuel Marc Gerecht
Unbeknownst to most Americans, reports suggest that the rebels fighting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad may have taken control of a growing portion of the country, and may now be closer to wresting it away from him altogether. While some Syrian soldiers have defected to Turkey, many more are deserting, or simply refusing to fight. Is Assad's central authority breaking down?