Good analysis

Submitted by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (United Kingdom), Dec 8, 2022 at 10:11

Dr. Pipes,

I enjoyed this historical overview and agree with the recommended rule of thumb on public statements and rhetoric as a guide to policy instead of nuances and niceties uttered in.

I would add that this recommendation applies not only to the traditional politicians and statesmen of the region but also to the non-state armed groups who gained increasing relevance in the civil wars that emerged post-2011. Taking the Syrian civil war context as an example, if one worked in the realm of 'Track II' engagement and other outreach to various armed groups in the context of recommending and influencing Western interaction with them, then probably in a private context one could sit people down to talk in a reasonable manner, but the genuine shifts only happen when the Arabic public statements, images, tweets in Arabic by their leaders etc. change.

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