Iraq: Looking Backward, Moving Forward

Dr. Allen Weiner 
Stanford University, School of Law, 
Senior Law Lecturer and Co-Director of the Stanford Program in International and Comparative Law 

Dr. Allan Stam 
University of Virginia, Dean, 
Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy 

Dr. Weiner and Dr. Stam review the events in the Middle East over the past seven years and offer insights into the region’s politics, national security policies and strategies, and legal strategies and doctrines. They discuss various past wars and revolutions in Iraq and other countries in the region, as well as the effects of the 2011 “Arab Spring” uprisings. The presenters also address more recent events, such as the war in Syria that has resulted in 200,000 civilian deaths and 3 million refugees, and the rise of the terrorist group ISIS. Dr. Stam explains that the goal of ISIS is to establish their version of an Islamic State in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Algeria. During the last hour the presenters answer students’ questions. 

Recorded: February 26, 2015