Pete W. Moore – Associate Professor of Political Science, Case Western Reserve UniversityAvailable: 6 p.m. eastern time to 30 minutes after the speech.

Comments in anticipation of the talk:Current policy options contemplated by the White House are unlikely to yield the administration's stated goals, the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) and the strengthening of the Iraqi state. That is because the immediate factors shaping the rise of IS are local political struggles and fractured socio-political institutions within Syria and Iraq. Many of the same policies deployed over a decade ago to deal with Baathist Iraq are being redeployed and will likely manifest similar outcomes. Bombing IS positions and arming militias to fight IS will only further fracture Iraqi society and state. There are no easy solutions to the current situation. However, any chance toward a more peaceful resolution requires a broader US engagement with regional actors, including the governments in Tehran and Damascus. Unfortunately, the Obama administration appears unwilling to take this path.

About Pete W. Moore:

Prof. Moore's research interests focus on economic development and state-society relations in the Middle East and Africa; specifically, Gulf Arab States and Levant; business-state relations, privatization, and decentralization; sub-state conflict and regional security. Professor Moore currently serves on the Editorial Board of Middle East Report and is a member of the Northeast Ohio Consortium for Middle East Studies.

Contact information: [email protected]Phone: (216) 368-5265 (office) (216)570-9458 (mobile)

Education: Ph.D., McGill University, 1999; M.A., University of Virginia, 1990; B.A., Virginia Military Institute, 1988..