Group planning speakers on Iraq, Afghanistan

We are working to bring several speakers to Juneau this spring.  

April 26th and 27th:  Raed Jarrar is an Iraqi political analyst and consultant to the American Friends Service Committee's Iraq Program currently based in Washington D.C.  After the U.S.-led invasion, Jarrar be came the country director for CIVIC Worldwide, the only door-to-door casualty survey group in post-war Iraq. 

He then established Emaar (meaning "reconstruction" in Arabic), a grassroots organization that provided humanitarian and political aid to Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs).  Emaar delivered medicine and food as well as helped initiate micro-enterprise projects for IDP's.  Additionally, Emaar engaged in political advocacy on behalf of displaced populations.

In late May:  Col. Ann Wright, Ret. She resigned from the US Foreign Service on March 19, 2003, while serving as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Mongolia, due to her disagreement with the Bush Administration's decision to go to war in Iraq without the authorization of the UN Security Council, the lack of effort in resolving the Israel-Palestinian situation, the lack of policy on North Korea and unnecessary curtailment of civil liberties in the United States.

Ms Wright was on the first State Department team to go to Kabul, Afghanistan.  She helped reopen the US Embassy in Kabul in December, 2001 and worked in Afghanistan for five months, serving in the last month as Deputy Chief of Mission (Deputy Ambassador).

Ms Wright's other overseas assignments include Somalia with both the US mission and as chief of the Justice Division (reconstitution the Somali police, judicial and prison systems) of the United Nations Mission to Somalia (UNOSOM)  She also served in the US Embassies in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Grenada, Micronesia and Nicaragua.

Before entering the Foreign Service,she served in the Army and has a combined regular Army/Army Reserve service time of 29 years.  She served primarily in special operations units and attained the rank of colonel.  While on military duty in 1982 and 1983 in Grenada, she was on the US Army's International Law team and participated in civil reconstruction work following the US "rescue" mission.

Ms Wright has Master's and Law Degrees from the University of ARkansas and a Master's Degree in National Security Affairs from the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.  Ms Wright has been featured in articles in the Washington Post magazine, Government Executive magazine, Foreign Service Journal, Ms magazine and has been interviewed by radio and TV networks.  She participated in the documentary film "Uncovered: The Truth About the Iraq War".