This monograph examines regional, multilateral track two dialogues in the Middle East and South Asia that are focused on arms control and other cooperative security measures.

Unofficial policy discourse, or track two diplomacy, is an increasingly important part of the changing international security landscape, with the potential to raise new ideas and solutions to conflicts that, over time, may influence official policy.

Talking to the Enemy considers how track two efforts in South Asia and the Middle East have socialized participants into thinking about security in more cooperative terms, and whether the ideas generated in track two forums have been acknowledged at the societal level or influenced official policy. Comparing the two regions, Kaye finds that South Asian dialogues, on Kashmir and other regional issues, have been more somewhat more effective than track two efforts in the Middle East, where lack of progress on official Arab-Israeli peace talks has also hindered unofficial regional dialogues.

The author concludes with assessments of regional security trajectories in both regions, particularly proliferation dynamics, as well as suggestions on how to improve future track two efforts. (News from official website)

About the Author:

Dalia Dassa Kaye is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California, and a faculty member at the Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has served as an assistant professor of political science and international affairs at the George Washington University. She has also taught at the University of Amsterdam and has received a variety of awards and fellowships, including from the Council on Foreign Relations, the Brookings Institution, and the Smith Richardson Foundation. She has published widely on Middle East security issues and is the author of Beyond the Handshake: Multilateral Cooperation in the Arab-Israeli Peace Process. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Download Talking to the Enemy

PDF format, 890KB, 137Pages.

By Dalia Dassa Kaye, RAND Corporation, 2007.

This research was conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center (ISDP) of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD).

Talking to the Enemy RAND Official Website

Unofficial diplomatic discussions can play a significant role in shaping attitudes in the Middle East and Asia, but are best used as a long-term strategy without expectations for dramatic policy shifts, according to a report issued by the RAND Corporation.

Such discussions — typically featuring individuals from universities, non-governmental organizations, former government leaders and even current officials acting unofficially — primarily are about long-term socialization and generating new ideas, not immediate policy change, according to the report.

Visit RAND Corpoeration Official Website

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world.

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comments

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment