CUSE 2009

The Center on the United States and Europe (CUSE) had its annual conference at the Brookings Institution today to discuss 'Strategies for Engagement'. For six-and-a-half hours ambassadors, authors and Brookings fellows held panels to discuss what in the world to do about Iran, Russia, Hezbollah and Hamas. Though everyone had valuable insight into these issues, the strategy for engagement turned out to be "it depends"....couldn't we have just printed that in the program and called it a day?

Seriously though, I did enjoy the panel discussions, as they had a generally warm and fuzzy feeling about them that only Europeans could create. The US and Europe could find some common interest with Iran, Russia could cooperate with its neighbors, and (certain) terrorist groups could be negotiated with. Everyone in the room knew that none of this would happen easily or with anything close to haste, but I'm glad people with more influence than me are thinking along those lines.

As fascinating as all of this was, the people at the conference really made it worthwhile. It looked like France (all of it) was in attendance today, and if a thick French accent doesn't brighten your day I'm not sure what would. I also sat down to lunch with a State Department official, a scholar from Portugal, another from Spain, as well as a marine. Quite the motley crew. And as if we hadn't heard enough politics, the table began to chew over Russia, the EU, and any bit of relevant history (I think I've been in a continuous lecture since I got here).

There were also some strange birds at this conference, and one decided to sit at our table midway through conversation. He was hawkish and awkward, and seemed to have come over simply to rant about NATO. It was a little funny, however, to hear him plug on about NATO's ineffectiveness and evident decline to the State Department official, as if expecting him to fall out of his chair in shock. He was disappointed.

Because this conference was from 9-3:30, that's all I really have to report, unless you care to know that it rained today. Again. So until tomorrow, Lki, a tout a l'heure, cheers, bye!