What can the United States do to help realize a peaceful, democratic Middle East? Stephen Kinzer argues that Iran and Turkey are America’s logical partners for the twenty-first century. He contends that they share strategic interests, including stable governments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He also recommends that the United States reshape relations with its two traditional Middle East allies: Israel and Saudi Arabia. Join The Chicago Council on Global Affairs for a discussion on how the United States can rethink its engagement with strategic partners in the Middle East to promote peace and the spread of democracy.

Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent. He has served as The New York Times bureau chief in Turkey, Germany, and Nicaragua, and as The Boston Globe’s Latin American correspondent. His articles and books have led the Washington Post to place him “among the best in popular foreign policy storytelling.” He is the author of Overthrow, All the Shah’s Men, and Crescent Star, among others. He teaches international relations at Boston University, contributes to The New York Review of Books, and writes a world affairs column for The Guardian. His latest book is Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future.

Recorded Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at The Chicago Club.