International Conference in Paris

“The Fight Against Islamist Extremism and Policy on Iran”

This was the theme of a conference held on 12 June 2015 in Paris on the burning issues of international current affairs. Jointly organised by the Alliance for Public Awareness and the Foundation for Middle East Studies, the conference sought to provide keys to analysis and solutions for the serious crises affecting the Middle East amid the Islamist threat spreading its devastation from Syria to Iraq and across North Africa. Participants highlighted the Iranian regime’s role in the rise of Islamism in the region, noting that the historical origins of this phenomenon are to be found in Iran, the first Islamic state of the modern era. Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, former US Special Envoy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, moderated the conference.

THE SPEAKERS:

Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont and Chairman of the US Democratic Party

Struan Stevenson, former Chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Iraq

Linda Chavez, former Assistant to the US President for Public Liaison, commentator and columnist

Ken Blackwell, Ambassador, former US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Commission

Yves Thréard, editorialist and columnist for the French daily Le Figaro

Frédéric Encel, professor of international relations at ESG, seminar director at the French Institute of Geopolitics

“Iran’s Nuclear Programme”

FEMO held a conference on 12 June 2015 in Paris, the first part of which was devoted to the question of Iran’s nuclear programme. The panel, moderated by Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield Jr., former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, featured: Olli Heinonen, former Deputy Director General of the IAEA; Bruno Tertrais, Senior Research Fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS); Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the NCRI’s Washington Office and author of “The Iran Threat: President Ahmadinejad and the Coming Nuclear Crisis”; James Woolsey, former Director of the CIA; and Linda Chavez, former Assistant to the US President for Public Liaison.

The remarks:

Olli Heinonen: The P5+1 agreement will keep Iran at the threshold of a nuclear weapon

Bruno Tertrais: Iran will go towards even more radicalisation

Alireza Jafarzadeh: A good deal would require no enrichment capability for Tehran, and full access to all sites

James Woolsey: The ideal solution is the democratisation of Iran

Linda Chavez: The world is going to be a much more dangerous place

See the event videos