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2003 Iraq Forum Online
June 14, 2003
Washington, DC
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The Iraq Forum online is packed with a list of presenters, their photos, brief biographies
and links to their audio presentations at EPIC's 2003 Iraq Forum. In some cases, you will find
links to written transcripts and visual slide presentations. You can listen to the entire
2003 Iraq Forum including presenters and discussion by
clicking here. EPIC hopes this event will continue to stimulate learning and discussion
throughout the year and with it, a better situation for Iraqis and U.S.-Iraq relations.
Introduction to the Iraq Forum
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Erik Gustafson
Erik Gustafson is a veteran of the Gulf War and founder of the Education for Peace in Iraq
Center (EPIC). In 1997 and 2000, he witnessed firsthand Iraq's humanitarian crisis. In 1998,
he founded EPIC, an organization that works to improve humanitarian conditions and human
rights in Iraq. He has testified at congressional briefings, policy forums and has delivered
lectures across North America on Iraq. His letters and opinion pieces have appeared in
The New York Times, LA Times and USA Today.
Hear Erik Gustafson now. Or download
and listen.
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Zaid Albanna is a contributor in the field of internet engineering. Albanna
was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. He attended Iowa State University where he obtained his
degree in Electrical Engineering. He has been working as a consultant in the communications
industry for the past 10 years. Albanna is on the Board of Directors for the Education for
Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) to help improve the situation in Iraq. Hear Zaid Albanna now. Or download and
listen.
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The FUTURE of the KURDS in POST-WAR IRAQ
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Nijyar Shemdin is a resident of Wheaton, MD and a United States
representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Shemdin is also a member of the Iraq
National Congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Shemdin has been a featured guest of
numerous international and national news programs and has been a speaker at American
University, the Indianapolis Council on World Affairs and the World Affairs Council in
Portland, Oregon. Shemdin has also been a lecturer at the Al-Hikma University in Baghdad.
Hear Nijyar Shemdin now.
Or download and listen.
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Mohammed Sabir Ismail, PhD was born in 1947 in the village of Kanikawa
in Iraqi Kurdistan. Ismail obtained his BS in Physics at the University of Baghdad. He went on
to receive his Masters and PhD in Nuclear Physics at the University of Stockholm,
Sweden. Ismail was part of the Kurdish youth movements of the 1960's and 70s. In
1993, he was appointed the PUK representative to France where he served for eight years.
He has also been the director of PUK bureaus abroad, which linked the PUK members in the
diaspora with the movement. Shortly after his election to the leadership committee of the PUK,
he was appointed Representative of the PUK in the U.S. for two years.
Ismail is the current director of the PUK International Relations Bureau abroad. Hear Mohammed Sabir Ismail now.
Or download and
listen. Read Ismail's talking points
here. (121K)
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Tanya Gilly, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Kurdish foundation
and a member of the advocacy group Women for a Free Iraq. She has been active in the Iraqi
Opposition movement for 12 years. She has organized and supervised various conferences and
seminars on Kurdish and Iraqi issues and on the role of women in the Iraqi opposition. She
recently traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan to renew her ties with leaders of the opposition. Gilly
participated in the Future of Iraq project organized by the State Department. Gilly studied
for her BA in Political Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. She is originally
from Kirkuk and now lives in Washington.
Hear Tanya Gilly now.
Or download and listen.
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Listen to the discussion.
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A SHORT HISTORY of WESTERN IMPERIALISM in IRAQ
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Judith Yaphe, PhD is a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for National Strategic
Studies at the National Defense University. She is a specialist in Middle Eastern political
analysis with special focus on security issues. She is the author of two books, The
Strategic Implications of a Nuclear-Armed Iran and The Middle East in 2015 and
has written a number of articles on Iraq in RUSI International Security Review ,
Human Rights and Governance in the Middle East, Middle East Policy and
The Washington Quarterly. She received a BA with Honors in History from Moravian
College and a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern History from the University of Illinois. Yaphe was the
recipient of the Intelligence Medal of Commendation during the second Gulf War. Hear Judith Yaphe now. Or download
and listen. Read the transcript
here. (162K)
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Listen to the discussion.
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RELIGIOUS POLITICS & EMERGING POLITICAL MOVEMENTS in IRAQ
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Juan Cole, PhD is a Professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History at the
University of Michigan. He has written extensively about modern Islamic movements in Egypt,
the Persian Gulf, and South Asia. He has given numerous media and press interviews on the War
on Terrorism since September 11, 2001, as well as interviews concerning the Iraq War in 2003.
His current research is focuses on the origins and role of the "jihadi" or "sacred-war" strain
of Muslim radicalism, including al-Qaeda and the Taliban among other groups. Cole has written
on several subject areas including Iran, Shi`ite Islam, and Baha'i studies. Hear Juan Cole now.
Or download and listen.
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Phebe Marr, PhD is a senior fellow in the Institute for National Strategic
Studies at National Defense University. She is also the author of The Modern History of Iraq
(1985). A leading specialist on Iraq, Marr has lived and worked in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and
Lebanon, and she has traveled extensively in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and
East Asia. Marr received her B.A. in international relations with honors from Barnard College,
her M.A. in Middle East studies from Radcliffe Graduate School, and her Ph.D. in history and
Middle East studies from Harvard University (1967). She is currently updating her book, The
Modern History of Iraq, to be published by Westview Press. Hear Phebe Marr now.
Or download and listen.
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Listen to the discussion.
Or download and listen.
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HUMAN RIGHTS & HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS - VIEWS from the FIELD
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Sermid D. Al-Sarraf, Esq. is an Iraqi-American attorney from Los Angeles who
works with the Iraqi Jurist's Association. He recently attended a two-week workshop sponsored
by the State and Justice Departments. Al-Sarraf is working for the incorporation of people
with professional expertise into the work on Iraq in addition to political activists, to
ensure that activists are serving Iraq instead of political ambitions. Hear Sermid Al-Sarraf now.
Or
download and listen.
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George Devendorf is the Director of Emergency Operations for Mercy Corps.
Devendorf is responsible for coordinating and supporting disaster preparedness,
assessment, and response efforts worldwide. Prior to joining Mercy Corps, Devendorf worked
with a variety of relief and refugee organizations, including USAID/OFDA (Kosovo
and Macedonia), the International Council of Voluntary Agencies - ICVA (BiH), InterAction
(Washington, DC), the International Rescue Committee - IRC (Sudan), UNHCR (Sudan), and the
International Organization for Migration - IOM (Philippines). During his career, Devendorf has
devoted particular attention to issues surrounding inter-agency coordination and
civil-military cooperation in international emergencies. Hear George Devendorf now.
Or
download and listen. Also you may
view the slideshow.
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Bill Frelick is the director of Amnesty International USA's Refugee Program.
He coordinates the work of US members of Amnesty International who are working on behalf of
refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S. and throughout the world. Prior to joining Amnesty,
Frelick was the director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees, where he served
for 18 years. He has traveled to refugee sites throughout the world and is widely
published. He was the editor of USCR's annual World Refugee Survey and produced monthly
Refugee Reports. Frelick taught in the Middle East from 1979-1983. He has a B.A. from Oberlin
College, Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.A. from Columbia University.
Hear Bill Frelick now.
Or download and listen.
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Marc Garlasco is the Senior Military Analyst for Human Rights Watch, and has
just returned from a 5-week mission in Iraq to investigate the conduct of the war and civilian
casualties. Before joining Human Rights Watch, Garlasco was an Intelligence Officer and
Senior Intelligence Analyst in the Pentagon where he specialized in Iraq. He is an expert in
Iraqi leadership and security forces. He is knowledgeable in military targeting as well as
weapon systems.
Hear Marc Garlasco now.
Or download and listen.
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Listen to the discussion.
Or download and listen.
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CONSEQUENCES of WAR & OCCUPATION
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Stephen Zunes, PhD is a native of North Carolina. He received his B.A. from
Oberlin College, his M.A. from Temple University, and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. Zunes
currently serves as Middle East editor for the Foreign Policy in Focus Project. He has served
as a political analyst for National Public Radio, Pacifica Radio, the BBC and MSNBC. He has
published scores of articles in academic journals, anthologies, magazines, and newspapers on
topics including U.S. foreign policy, Middle Eastern politics, Latin American politics, social
movements and nonviolent action. He was principal editor of Nonviolent Social Movements and is
the author of the highly acclaimed Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of
Terrorism. He is currently completing a book on the conflict in the Western Sahara to be
published by Syracuse University Press. Hear Stephen Zunes now.
Or download and listen.
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Alistair Millar is Director of the Washington, DC office of the Fourth
Freedom Forum. He covers a wide variety of international security related issues with
particular attention to sanctions, incentives, and nuclear non-proliferation. Before joining
the Forum, Millar was a Senior Analyst at the British American Security Information Council
where he focused on European security issues. Hear Alistair Millar now.Or download and listen. |
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Glen Rangwala, PhD is a lecturer in politics at Cambridge University, UK. He
has been a coordinator of the Campaign against Sanctions on Iraq for the past five years. His
work on the allegations made about Iraq's prohibited weapons have been covered by every major
news outlet, most notably when he discovered that the "intelligence" dossier released by the
British government had been plagiarized from a PhD student's thesis. He acts as an advisor to
British parliamentarians on policy towards Iraq. He is beginning an in-depth academic study on
Iraq's changing society from 1990 to the present day, and will be assessing the outcomes of
the US-led reconstruction attempts. Hear Glen Rangwala now.Or download and listen. |
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Nathaniel Hurd is a New York City-based consultant on UN Iraq policy. He has
closely followed Iraq for over three and a half years, primarily relating to Security Council
sanctions on Iraq and their impact on Iraqi civilians. During that time he has researched the
"Oil-for-Food Program", Iraq's humanitarian situation, U.S. policy toward Iraq, Iraq's
proscribed weapons disarmament, "smart sanctions" options, UN Security Council resolutions,
and Iraq-related politics at the UN, among other topics. He has partially based his research
and writing on his time regularly spent meeting with UN diplomats and UN agency personnel. He
received his B.A. in International Relations from Hamilton College (Clinton, NY). Hear Nathaniel Hurd now.Or download and listen. |
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Listen to the discussion.
Or download and listen.
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IRAQI VIEWS on the AFTERMATH & POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION
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Sam Kubba first came to the United States from Iraq with his parents when he
was about four years old. He is currently active in the Democratic Party and FCDC Steering
Committee Chair. Kubba has authored six books. Kubba is Chairman and CEO of the American Iraqi
Chamber of Commerce that plans to help and facilitate the entry of American corporations that
wish to work in Post-Saddam Iraq. He is also a founding member of the Iraqi American Alliance,
a group dedicated to the betterment of the Iraqi people. Hear Sam Kubba now.Or download and listen. |
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Anas Shallal was 11 when he came to the United States with his parents in
1966. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America. He attended graduate school at
Howard University and is currently enrolled at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and
Resolution. Shallal has been a lifelong peace activist and has contributed frequently to
local, national and international causes. Shallal is the co-founder of The Peace Café, a venue
promoting dialogue among Jews and Arabs. Shallal is also a founding member of the Mesopotamia
Cultural Society, an organization developed to promote better understanding between the people
of Iraq and the U. S. through cultural venues. Shallal was recently awarded a "Peace
Fellowship" with Seeds of Peace. During the summer of 2002, he worked with a delegation of
Israelis and Arabs to create a vision for peace in the Middle East. Hear Anas Shallal now.Or download and listen. |
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Rahman Al-Jebouri originates from Hilla, Iraq. He is the second of nine
children and was born to a middle class family. He graduated from Baghdad University and fled
from Iraq after the uprising of 1991 that was crushed by the Republican Guard. He spent the
next four years in the Rafha Refugee Camp in Saudi Arabia where he worked as a teacher and a
volunteer with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He came to the United States as a
refugee in December 1994 and moved to the District of Columbia in 2000. Since then he has
worked with the Iraqi community. He became the Coordinator of the Iraq Foundation in 2000 and
obtained his U.S citizenship in November of 2002. Hear Rahman Al-Jebouri now.Or download and listen. |
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Jawad Al-Amiri was born in Baghdad along with five sisters and six brothers,
and migrated to the United States in 1981, escaping from the Baath regime. Three of his
siblings were detained and later killed by the Baath regime. Two of his siblings survived
detention and have since been released. Since arriving in the United States, Al-Amiri has been
active in exposing the brutality of Saddam Hussein's regime. He was involved in student
activist organizations at the University of Pittsburgh, where he attained his undergraduate
degree. He has also served on the editorial board for an Iraqi publication, Voice of Iraqi
Al-Rafidian. Al-Amiri is active on the Iraqi American Council, and is a successful
businessman in the United States. Hear Jawad Al-Amiri now.Or download and listen. |
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Tanya Gilly is a member of the Board of Directors of the Kurdish foundation
and a member of the advocacy group Women for a Free Iraq. She has been active in the Iraqi
Opposition movement for 12 years. She has organized and supervised various conferences and
seminars on Kurdish and Iraqi issues and on the role of women in the Iraqi opposition. She
recently traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan to renew her ties with leaders of the opposition. Gilly
participated in the Future of Iraq project organized by the State Department. Gilly studied
for her BA in Political Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. She is originally
from Kirkuk and now lives in Washington. Hear Tanya Gilly now.Or download and listen. |
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Listen to the discussion.Or download and listen.
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Evening Public Lecture: A State of the Movement Address
EVENING KEYNOTE LECTURE
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Ray McGovern was a CIA analyst for 27 years and is on the Steering Group of
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. He is co-director of the Servant Leadership
School, an outreach ministry in inner city Washington D.C.
Hear Ray McGovern now.Or download and listen. |
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Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, IV served as a member of the U.S. Diplomatic
Service from 1976 until 1998. From 1988 to 1991, Ambassador Wilson served in Baghdad as Deputy
Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy. As acting Ambassador during "Desert Shield," he was
responsible for the negotiations that resulted in the release of several hundred American
hostages. He was the last official American to meet with Saddam Hussein before the launching
of "Desert Storm." Ambassador Wilson graduated from the University of California at Santa
Barbara in 1972. He has been decorated as a
Commander in the Order of the Equatorial Star by the Government of Gabon and as an Admiral in
the El Paso Navy by the El Paso County Commissioners. He is married to the former Valerie
Plame and has four children. Hear Ambassador Joe Wilson now.Or download and listen. |
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Listen to the discussion.Or download and listen.
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