Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador's Journey Through the Middle East

Author: Edward P. Djerejian ISBN: 13: 978-1-4165-5493-6: 10: 1-4165-5493-9 Publisher: Threshold Editions: A Division of Simon & Schuster Inc Edward P. Djerejian, author of An American Ambassador's Journey Through The Middle East served both Democratic and Republican presidents under eight administrations from John F. Kennedy to William Jefferson Clinton. In addition, Djerejian served as Ambassador to Syria and Israel and was the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs under Bush and Clinton. Upon his departure from Israel, Yitzhak Rabin gave a most appropriate toast to him when he stated that he and his wife Leah regretted his short tenure in Israel (one year) and he went on to mention that never had there been an American diplomat who came to Israel after being the ambassador to Syria. Reading Djerejian memoirs is like being a fly on the wall wherein we are privy to some very fascinating tidbits of information presented in the form of narratives and anecdotes pertaining to the various past and present important actors in the Middle East as Yitzhak Rabin, Yasir Arafat, Hafez al Asad, his son Bashar Asad and many others. It is an absorbing tale recreating years of experience as a diplomat narrated at a lively pace that serves as an excellent primer in understanding the complexities of the Middle East and the difficulties in achieving peace in the area. In accordance with the author, the road to Arab-Israeli peace goes through Jerusalem and not through Baghdad or Tehran. Consequently, considerable ink is devoted to examining the subtleties among all of the players representing these regions. Fundamentally, direct face-to-face negotiations between Israel and its immediate neighbors- the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon- are the key to peacemaking. As Djerejian informs us, he was brought up in a school of diplomacy that advocates negotiating differences and, when possible, seeking peace with one's enemies. Consequently, Djerejian believes that the most effective approach is to steer United States policy from conflict management to conflict resolution. Furthermore, we are reminded that the realpolitk approach to foreign policy that prevailed during the Cold War was based largely on a balance-of-power considerations and is not sufficient to deal effectively and comprehensively with today's realities. Many of us ask what went wrong with America's policy in the Arab and Muslim world? And this question leads to several others as why is America's standing at such a low point in the area? Another important question is what can be done to strengthen the advance of democracy in the region? How can we balance American values and national security issues in ways that truly reflect its strategic needs and concerns? These issues and several others are examined and enumerated in The Meridian House Speech that was delivered in Washington in 1992 by the author and which are further elaborated upon throughout the eleven chapters of the book.

Some of the most sage diplomatic advice we are likely to find outside of President Jimmy Carter's own forays into the Middle East Peace process is to be found here. Ambassador Edward Djerejian, gives us a carefully written, well thought out retrospective of his forty years of diplomatic service. This book is a coherent, summary of the meaning of his four decades of Ambassadorial level experience in the Middle East, a summary, which if digested properly constitutes a virtual strategic roadmap for Middle East diplomacy into the foreseeable future. He has advice for all of the important sides of the Middle East problem. For America, the advice is apologetic but still mostly stern: stop being moral hypocrites and stop ignoring the non-ideological advice within the inner circles of the U.S. government, for instance the Powell doctrine, or the Iraq Study Group Report. And stop ignoring the concerns of most of the rest of the world. Somehow, the U.S. must begin to factor into its diplomacy the unintended consequences of both its moral hypocrisy and bad policy decisions. It cannot, for instance, expect its appeals for democracy to gain traction or be taken seriously when it counts among its friends some of the world's worse tyrants, bullies and autocrats. Or when it supports terrorism (or worse turn its head away from it) so long as the terrorists are fighting U.S. enemies. We must begin to listen to the rest of the world, especially our European allies. In this regard he takes special note of our new best friend in Europe Nickolas Sarkozy and what he had to say to outgoing Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, which in effect was that: by default, America is the world leader, thus it must sooner or later, start stepping up to its enormous responsibilities and stop acting like an impudent brass fronted Banana Republic. For Israel the author's advice is also stern but unapologetic: Go back and listen to the yearnings of your own people, not just the radical religionists. Remember the moral rock that makes up the foundation stone of the nation's existence: Israel arose from the ashes of the Holocaust. Pull out and reread the speeches of ex PM Rabin, who had his finger on the pulse of the nation and a secure way out of the Israel-Palestinian morass when he suggested that trading "land for peace" is the only way to a true Middle East peace. For the Arabs his advice is even harsher but tempered with the same dose of reality: the real existential battle in the Middle East is not between Arabs and Israelis but between Arabs and Arabs. The real Middle East battle is internecine warfare, between the religiously moderate, and modernity aspiring Arabs, and the backward leaning, fundamentalist Islamic Jihadist's radicals. The Arafat theory of "resistance and violence forever," is not working, so what now for Arabs? You can't drive Israel into the sea, so now a mid-course correction is needed and here is a role for the moderates. Until you Arabs sort out your ow

Crisis = Danger + Opportunity. When French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, she said, "What can I do for you?" And he said, bluntly, "Improve your image in the world. It's difficult when the country that is the most powerful, the most successful--that is of necessity, the leader of our side--is one of the most unpopular countries in the world." Author Ed Djerejian's book is a primer on how to use diplomacy to improve our image in the Muslim world. In this clear and readable book, Ambassador Djerejian distills lessons learned serving eight presidents to provide a roadmap to surmount one of the most important challenges of our time: the struggle between the forces of extremism and moderation. Any person interested in the future of our world should pay attention to the Ambassador's advice on how to convert a dangerous situation into one in which alliances are formed based on mutual interests. Danger and Opportunity is an enjoyable and important book.

If the reader wants a very clear and well thought out perspective of the middle east challenges, dangers and opportunities from an author that has served every administration from JFK to W. J. Clinton then this is a MUST READ. You will turn the last page and have a much clearer, a vivid understanding of the culture, religious sects, people, and perspectives of the Middle East Muslim world. A well thought out plan on how to approach the greater Muslim community, the distinctions between various moderate and extremist groups there and a hope for the future unfolds. Considering the world we live in today every American should read this book and I would suggest every citizen of the world community that is slightly touched by the conflicts and challenges that evolve daily among the Muslim, Israeli, N. A., Europe, Asia and African worlds will benefit greatly spending the hours to experience the insights of this author.