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From the Swamp to Terra Firma: The Regional Role in the Stabilisation of Iraq

July 2008

In April 2008, Gabrielle Rifkind took a group of senior influential US and European political voices to Riyadh for a meeting with senior Saudi officials to examine the challenge of finding a regional consensus for stabilising Iraq. A number of key issues, opposing views and suggestions for future action emerged from a very rich dialogue.

This report grew out of that meeting. It provides a detailed synopsis of the discussions, in particular a number of important insights into the view from Saudi Arabia. It highlights five different scenarios for the future of Iraq and then examines competing images of Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States, the issues of national identity, sectarianism and federalism, and concludes by exploring a number of possible future paths and processes.