Phyllis Bennis, director of IPS’ New Internationalism project and whose books include Ending the Iraq War: A Primer, is available to discuss possible alternatives to U.S. military intervention in Iraq.
“This should be a Nixon-in-China moment for President Obama,” Bennis said. “Obama should go to Tehran.”
Ms. Bennis recently wrote an article detailing five steps the U.S. can take in Iraq without going back to war, including:
- Engage immediately with Iran to bring pressure to Iraqi government to end its sectarian discrimination, violence against civilians, and its human rights violations.
- Engage with Russia and other powers to get the United Nations to take the lead in organizing international negotiations for a political solution to the crisis in Iraq and Syria.
- Call for an immediate arms embargo on all sides.
- Increase humanitarian aid to refugees and others who are affected by the escalating crisis.
Phyllis Bennis was recently featured on The Diane Rehm Show discussing why military solutions won’t work, and on Democracy Now! discussing the need for a joint U.S.-Iran initiative.
To schedule an interview with Phyllis Bennis, contact Elaine de Leon, IPS Communications Director, at 202-787-5271 or elaine@ips-dc.org.