Since assuming office, President Barack Obama has placed the crisis in the Middle East at the forefront of a number of critical issues.

On Feb. 18, Middle East expert Robert Malley spoke to a crowd of about 50 students and faculty in Nunemaker Hall about how the conflicts may evolve and potential courses of action for the new president.

Co-sponsored by the Biever Guest Lecture Series and the Department of History, the speaking event sought to promote a Middle East Peace Studies Program for the University.

Malley, the program director for the International Crisis Group, formally assisted President Clinton in Arab-Israeli affairs and provided informal advice to Obama in his early campaign for the presidency.

“Its curious that President Barack Obama would have chosen, in his first weeks in office, to send a clear message that he was going to get involved in an area where so many others, and many of his predecessors, have failed,” Malley said.

Malley explained the statuses of the current crises evolving in the region, and contrasted approaches taken by previous administrations.

He argued for pulling troops out of Iraq and engaging in diplomacy with potentially threatening powers in the region – in stark contrast to the policy of the Bush administration, he said.

Malley answered questions from faculty and students on a range of issues from the recent invasion of Gaza to the war in Afghanistan.

“I remain convinced that a solution can still be found,” he said.

Steve Heath can be reached at [email protected].