The Orbis

Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: News/Features

Reza Aslan is a noted religious scholar

Gen. John P. Abizaid

Wednesday night's IMPACT Symposium featured speeches by retired General John Abizaid and prominent scholar Reza Aslan. The two men were originally scheduled to speak on separate evenings, but weather intervened in Aslan's travel plans and created a night of stark contrasts and differing views. Abizaid, the former head of U.S. Central Command, delivered an organized, informative speech that ultimately called for a multi-pronged strategy in the Middle East. Aslan dedicated his speech to debunking misconceptions and myths about Islam and the Middle East as a whole. His closing suggestion was a plaintive plea for the United States to correct its misguided policies in order to regain the world's trust and have a productive impact on the Middle East.

Former General John Abizaid's resume is a distinguished one, featuring a long stint as the leader of United States Command in one of the world's most volatile regions and distinguished service in Grenada, Lebanon, Bosnia and Iraq. From his West Point training to his Harvard degree in Middle Eastern studies, Abizaid appears to be an ideal person to direct current U.S. operations.

His record as the head of U.S. Central Command, a military unit responsible for the Middle East, East Africa and Central Asia, from 2003 to 2007, had fairly progressive goals that prioritized transferring power to local Iraqi forces and opposed U.S. troop increases. It is largely believed that Abizaid's retirement in 2007 was due in part to his frankness about Iran's nuclear program and tensions between Abizaid's assessments and the Bush administration's plans for Iraq.

Though Abizaid spent most of his time praising the U.S. military's presence in the Middle East, he reiterated the importance of a multi-faceted approach that went beyond the use of force. Abizaid's discussion of the future identified rising Sunni extremism and revolutionary Shia extremism, the Arab-Israeli conflict and our continued dependence on energy sources from the Middle East as the major challenges that will confront the next president.

His most promising suggestion for future leaders emphasized the importance of empowering Iraqi forces and institutions to create a stable state that allows the United States to minimize its investment in the region. Abizaid's expertise was informative, but his speech lacked any new or thought-provoking ideas. He seemed unwilling to seriously question any of the basic assumptions that justify U.S. involvement in the Middle East. At times it felt as if he was delivering a fact-filled version of the same sentiments expressed by soccer moms' bumpers: Support Our Troops. This is an admirable message, but not quite the debate-starter promised by IMPACT.

By contrast, Reza Aslan's discussion of Middle Eastern society and politics was a provocative and enlightening look at a culture frequently dismissed as backward and oppressive in the United States.

Aslan clearly illustrated the dangers of America's relative ignorance about the groups, factions and goals of our purported enemies in the Middle East. As we lump groups such as Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah together, we doom ourselves to failure. All of these organizations have different structures, plans and methods, so applying one strategy to them all renders most actions useless.

Like Abizaid, Aslan called for continued U.S. leadership in the Middle East, but he admitted that many changes on the part of the United States were necessary. Aslan found particular fault with the Bush administration's strategy of treating diplomacy as a privilege to be earned through acquiescence, not a vital tool of foreign relations.

He claimed this strategy was currently undermining the chances for progress in the Arab-Israeli peace talks, whose success he believes is a linchpin for greater stability in the region.

The question and answer period after the speeches got especially heated. One woman asked a pointed question about the very value of armed conflict. As the woman decried the brutality and pointlessness of war, Abizaid became visibly frustrated and responded to her with a curt, "And your question is…?"

In the final question, a man doubted whether people could truly trust the leadership abilities of the United States. Abizaid, who was still visibly irritated by the previous question and did not appear interested in engaging with this questioner, deferred to Aslan.

Aslan's response may have been the evening's high point, because it was the boldest commentary from either man all evening.

Briefly summarizing his prior criticisms, Aslan reminded the audience that our grip on global supremacy grows ever more tenuous as rival states such as China and Russia extend their international influence. Our refusal to adapt to new situations could damage our international hegemony. Aslan said, "We're about to lose our way, and if we don't do something about it, we can witness the end of the American imperium."

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