Annelle Sheline 

Annelle Sheline is a research fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute. She previously served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s Office of Near Eastern Affairs (DRL/NEA), before resigning in March 2024 in protest over the Biden administration’s Gaza policy. 

Bruce Riedel

Bruce Riedel is a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an instructor at Washington College. He served thirty years in the Central Intelligence Agency serving overseas in the Middle East and Europe as well as eight years in the National Security Council at the White House for four Presidents. 

Marwan Muasher

Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment, where he oversees research in Washington and Beirut on the Middle East. Muasher served as foreign minister (2002–2004) and deputy prime minister (2004–2005) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications

Steven Simon (Moderator)

Steven Simon is a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute and distinguished fellow and visiting professor at Dartmouth College. From 2011-2012, he served on the National Security Council staff as senior director for Middle Eastern and North African affairs. He also worked on the NSC staff,1994 – 1999, on counterterrorism and Middle East security policy.