Intelligence Squared: Obama's foreign policy is a gift to his enemies May 27, 2010

He came to power promising that his outstretched hand would heal the rifts with other nations; that engagement, not belligerence, was the way to solve the world's problems. Since then Iran and North Korea have continued with their their nuclear programmes, Afghanistan is in turmoil and the countries of Eastern Europe feel he has deserted them. Has President Obama's 'softly, softly' policy made America look feeble in the eyes of its enemies? Is his much vaunted 'nice-guy' approach just appeasement in another guise?

Doors open at 6:00 pm. The debate starts at 6:45 pm and finishes at 8:30 pm.

Tickets:

Regular tickets are priced at £25: http://events.intelligencesquared.com/current-events.php?event=EVT0212

Student tickets are priced at £12.50: http://iq2-obama.eventbrite.com

Speakers for the motion:

Fouad Ajami: Professor at the Johns Hopkins University and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. An expert on Arab political culture and modern international relations, he is the author of "The Foreigner's Gift: The Americans, the Arabs, and the Iraqis in Iraq", and other works.

General Jack Keane: Retired four-star general and former Vice Chief of Staff of the USA. One of the strategists of the surge in Iraq.

Bill Kristol: One of America's best known conservative political commentators, editor of The Weekly Standard magazine.

Speakers against the motion:

Philip Bobbitt: Herbert Wechsler Professor of Federal Jurisprudence at Columbia Law School and Senior Fellow in the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas. His latest book is "Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-First Century".

Bernard-Henri Levy: France's leading philosopher, and a publisher, novelist, journalist and filmmaker. His books include "American Vertigo" and "Left in Dark Times".

Simon Schama: University Professor at Columbia University in New York, Emmy-winning broadcaster and critic, the author of fourteen books including "The American Future: a History" and contributing editor of the Financial Times. His next book "Scribble Scribble Scribble" will be published in July.

Chair:

Zeinab Badawi: BBC World News presenter.

Watch live online:

Our debate will be live-streamed on our website at http://www.intelligencesquared.com/live. Make your voice heard through our live Twitter feed (#iq2obama) and see the online discussion update next to the video.