Today the Hudson Institute and Providence co-hosted a panel discussion focused on the ongoing crisis in Syria and how America’s interests and moral considerations interact. Rebeccah Heinrichs, a Hudson fellow and Providence contributing editor, moderated the discussion. Providence’s managing editor Marc LiVecche participated on the panel along with Michael Doran, a Hudson fellow focused on Middle East security issues, and Nina Shea, the Director of Hudson’s Center for Religious Freedom.

Panelists addressed various topics concerning the Syrian crisis, including Iran and Russia’s growing regional influence, how their influence affects America’s national interests, persecution Christians and other minorities face, how safe zones to protect minorities have potential and limitations, the refugee crisis, problems with accepting Assad’s regime to protect Christians, how morality plays into these topics, and what the Trump administration can do.

To read more about the event, please visit the Hudson Institute’s event page here.

Below is a video from the event. Currently, the audio and video on YouTube do not link up, but the video is also available on Ustream.

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Rebeccah L. Heinrichs, a contributing editor at Providence, is a fellow at Hudson Institute where she provides research and commentary on a variety of international security issues and specializes in deterrence and counter-proliferation. She is also the vice-chairman of the John Hay Initiative’s Counter-proliferation Working Group and the original manager of the House of Representatives Bi-partisan Missile Defense Caucus.

Michael Doran is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute who specializes in Middle East security issues. In the administration of President George W. Bush, Doran served in the White House as a senior director in the National Security Council, where he was responsible for helping to devise and coordinate United States strategies on a variety of Middle East issues, including Arab-Israeli relations and U.S. efforts to contain Iran and Syria. His most recent book is Ike’s Gamble: America’s Rise to Dominance in the Middle East.

Nina Shea was an international human-rights lawyer for over thirty years before joining Hudson Institute as a Senior Fellow, where she directs the Center for Religious Freedom. Shea works extensively for the advancement of individual religious freedom and other human rights in U.S. foreign policy as it confronts an ascendant Islamic extremism, as well as nationalist and remnant communist regimes.

Marc LiVecche is managing editor of Providence.