The US and the Middle East: What Americans think

The debate over U.S. withdrawal from Syria and the “endless wars” of the Middle East today splits American policymakers and the public, transecting party lines. Eighteen years after the events of September 2001, American sentiment on events in the Middle East has shifted significantly. On October 22, Shibley Telhami, nonresident senior fellow at Brookings and the Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland, presented the latest data on U.S. public opinion on an array of issues pertaining to U.S. involvement in the region.

Topics covered included the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, the U.S.-Taliban peace process, how the recent attacks on Saudi oil facilities impacted views on Iran policy, and the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction movement aimed at Israel. A discussion with panelists and audience questions followed the presentation.