Ambassador Dennis Ross and Bassam Haddad debated U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East March 3, 2015 as part of the Einaudi Center's Lund Critical Debate series.
Topics addressed during the debate were the influence of the United States on various political transitions (for instance in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria), its impact on democracy promotion and regional stability, and the most likely U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process for more than 12 years. Dealing directly with parties in negotiations, he was the U.S. point man on the peace process for the George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations, and also served as an assistant to President Obama and a special advisor to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He is a distinguished fellow and counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Haddad is executive director of the Arab Studies Institute and director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Mason University. He is founding editor of the Arab Studies Journal, and co-founder/editor of Jadaliyya Ezine, which covers Middle East politics.