GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS
As the U.S. and Cuba forge a new path of diplomacy and cooperation, Ambassador (Ret.) Vicki Huddleston, Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana from 1999-2002 and a leading U.S. expert on U.S.-Cuban relations, explored what is next for this historically turbulent relationship. Examining the economic, social, and political implications, Huddleston spoke to what challenges await the U.S. as the doors to Cuba finally re-open.
Several years after the Arab Spring began, democracy remains elusive in the Middle East. The Arab Spring that resides in the popular imagination is one in which a wave of mass mobilization swept the broader Middle East, toppled dictators, and cleared the way for democracy. The reality is that few Arab countries have experienced anything of the sort. Dr. Tarek Masoud, Sultan of Oman Associate Professor of International Relations at Harvard University, explored why regime change took place in only four Arab countries and why democratic change has proved so elusive in the countries that made attempts.
Amb. Marc Grossman examines what the intertwined future of Afghanistan and Pakistan looks like after American withdrawal from Afghanistan, and shares his experiences from his time as the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (2011-2012). Amb. Grossman is former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2001-2005), and former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey (1994-1997).