Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama

April 2023

Past Event

Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama

Past Event

Online Only

April 21, 2023

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 10: (AFP OUT) U.S. President George W. Bush (R) walks on the colonnade with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama at the White House November 10, 2008 in Washington, DC. This is the first visit for Barack Obama to the White House before he is sworn into office as President of the United States. First lady Laura Bush took soon to be first lady Michelle Obama on a tour of the White House as the President and Mr. Obama walked along the colonnade to the Oval Office where they will have a meeti

President George W. Bush walks on the colonnade with President-elect Barack Obama at the White House November 10, 2008, in Washington, DC. (Gary Fabiano-Pool/Getty Images)

April 2023

Past Event

Speakers:

Stephen J. Hadley

Author, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama and Twentieth US National Security Advisor

Moderator:

Listen to Event Audio

Join Hudson Institute Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran and Director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia Peter Rough for a discussion with the Twentieth United States National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley on his new book, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama.

About the Book

Hand-Off offers a firsthand look at the foreign policy the Bush administration turned over to President Obama. The book includes thirty newly declassified transition memoranda made public for the first time, offering an exclusive glimpse into Bush's foreign policy legacy.

In a postscript to each memorandum, national security experts from the Bush administration take a look back at their foreign policy record after more than a dozen years out of office.

March 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Operation Epic Fury: Strategy, State of Play, and Theories of Victory

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

David Albright

Can Kasapoğlu

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Ray Takeyh

Nadav Samin

Ilan Berman

Zineb Riboua

H.E. Yechiel Leiter

Joel Scanlon

Mariam Memarsadeghi

March 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Operation Epic Fury: Strategy, State of Play, and Theories of Victory

This conference convenes leading experts and policymakers to examine why the conflict began, assess the current state of play, and explore competing theories of victory.

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

David Albright

Can Kasapoğlu

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Ray Takeyh

Nadav Samin

Ilan Berman

Zineb Riboua

H.E. Yechiel Leiter

Joel Scanlon

Mariam Memarsadeghi

Learn More

March 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Operation Epic Fury and the Future of Warfare: A Conversation with Senator Joni Ernst

Featured Speakers:

Peter Rough

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

John P. Walters

March 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Operation Epic Fury and the Future of Warfare: A Conversation with Senator Joni Ernst

Please Join Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Armed Services Committees, for a discussion with Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia Peter Rough on Operation Epic Fury, the future of American foreign policy in the Middle East, and how the conflict is shaping the future of warfare and strategy.

Featured Speakers:

Peter Rough

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

John P. Walters

Learn More

March 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Postponed | Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

Congressman Jimmy Panetta

March 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Postponed | Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

Please Join Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Senior Fellow Michael Doran for a discussion on the region’s significance and why updating US trade policy is key to unlocking its potential in an era of renewed great power competition.

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

Congressman Jimmy Panetta

Learn More

March 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Congressman Michael Baumgartner on Operation Epic Fury and U.S. Strategy

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

Congressman Michael Baumgartner

March 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Congressman Michael Baumgartner on Operation Epic Fury and U.S. Strategy

Together, Baumgartner and Doran will examine the objectives and risks of Operation Epic Fury, the broader regional implications, and the policy choices facing Washington in the weeks ahead.