Further on Inquiry

Today, the sub-topics split off once again and the two groups dealing with geopolitics--Bilateral Relations and US-Jordanian Security Cooperation--paired off for the day and headed to the University of Jordan's Center for Strategic Studies and later the UN's Office for Project Services. At the same time, the Political Reform subtopic met with a local journalist in an informal setting while the Refugee group met with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

At the University of Jordan, the geopolitics groups met with Dr. Ayman Khalil, an expert on regional security matters and nuclear non-proliferation. The groups discussed with Dr. Khalil the implications of further nuclear proliferation in the Middle East and local perceptions of nuclear threats to Jordanian security. Much of the dialogue focused upon Iraq and the general Arab sentiment that the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003 opened the door for further Iranian influence in the region. At the same time, Dr. Khalil stressed the importance of Arab nationalism, which both exacerbates the Arab-Israeli conflict and might also be used to foster a sense of Iraqi unity. Dr. Khalil's unique perspective provided an important counter-proliferation viewpoint to our research and we left the meeting with a better sense of how the Jordanian public views strategic developments.

Later, the geopolitics groups met with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). UNOPS' Iraq Operations Center in Amman coordinates all of its activity inside Iraq and its primary responsibility is to implement many of the projects with other UN organizations create the framework for. In this vein, UNOPS doesn't so much care about politics as results. Consequently, UNOPS has established a close working relationship with the United States in Iraq. While UNOPS would prefer to not receive direct funding from the Department of Defense, UNOPS would like to work with the State Department and USAID in the future to create sustainable reconstruction projects to improve the lives of Iraqis. The apolitical nature of UNOPS presents a great opportunity for the United States and other Coalition partners to contribute to the badly needed reconstruction efforts in Iraq which will ultimately help win the battle of ideas, which is proving ever so much more important than the battle of bullets.

The Refugee group had the privilege of visiting the private home of an Iraqi family late in the day. The group had an informal discussion with the family about their story and how they ended up in Iraq, and came away with a better sense of the human costs of war. While meetings with the UN and academics provide theoretical insights which are invaluable to understanding the dynamic situation on the ground, it was essential for the group to gain a first-hand perspective on the issue.

-Chas