The second annual conference of the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) was held October 22-24, 2009 at the Key Bridge Marriott in Washington, D.C.

Entitled, The Middle East and Africa: Historic Connections and Strategic Bridges, the conference featured presentations and roundtables that demonstrated the inter-relationships between the two regions over time with special emphasis on the historical, political, economic, religious, security and cultural links between them.

See a full listing of the papers presented at ASMEA's 2009 conference (along with summaries).

Read a brief wrap-up of the event.

Along with the academic paper presentations and roundtables, ASMEA's 2009 conference featured special presentations by:

• ASMEA Chairman Bernard Lewis
• John Bolton, Former United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
• Gerard Prunier, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Paris
• Isabella Ginor and Gideon Remez, authors of the award-winning book Foxbats Over Dimona: The Soviets' Nuclear Gamble in the Six-Day War
• A special panel on Middle East and African studies and U.S. military education sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps University

Video from the conference will be posted in the coming days.  Please check back soon.