10/2

Blackwater USA: Private Military Contractor Activity in Iraq and Afghanistan
WITNESSES: Erik Prince, the owner of Blackwater testified at the hearing; Ambassador David M. Satterfield, Special Adviser, Coordinator for Iraq; Ambassador Richard J. Griffin, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security and Director of the Office of Foreign Missions; and William H. Moser, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Logistics Management.
U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Archived Video.

10/4

Hearing: Assessing the State of Iraqi Corruption
WITNESSES: Judge Radhi Hamza al- Radhi, former head of the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity; Mr. David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States; Mr. Stuart Bowen, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR); Ambassador Larry Butler, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs, U.S. Department of State; and Ms. Claudia Rosett, Journalist-in-Residence, Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Archived Video.

10/4

Department of Defense in Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan and Iraq
WITNESSES: Mr. Mitchell Shivers, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Central Asia Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy); Major General Bobby J. Wilkes, U.S. Air Force, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs (Asia), Strategic Plans and Policy, The Joint Staff; Mr. Mark Kimmitt, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense; and Colonel Ralph O. Baker, U.S. Army, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs (Middle East), Strategic Plans and Policy, The Joint Staff.
U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Archived Video.

10/4

Smart Power Speaker Series: Kemal Dervis
A discussion with Kemal Dervis, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) . The event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level commission tasked with developing "a smarter, more secure America."
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) , 1800 K Street, NW, Washington DC, 20006, Archived Video.

10/5

Iraq: A Soldier's Report
SPEAKER: LTC Steve Russell, USA (Ret.) From the Spring of 2003 to the Spring of 2004, LTC Steve Russell commanded the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry ‘Regulars’ and conducted combat in Tikrit, Iraq. As a central player in the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein, his battalion was broadly covered during the first year of the war by major television networks and in the print media. His battalion was also featured in the television documentaries “Ace in the Hole” (The Discovery Channel) and “Saddam on the Run” (BBC Panorama). The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium; 12:00 PM.

10/10

Congressional Briefing on the Iraqi Displacement Crisis
An off-the-record, educational briefing hosted by Refugee Council USA and InterAction. An Iraqi refugee, Iraq War Veteran, and representatives from humanitarian organizations discussed the challenges created by the displacement of more than 4 million Iraqis. Panelists also spoke of the need for a comprehensive solution that includes robust humanitarian assistance and the protection of vulnerable individuals, including through U.S. refugee admissions. SPEAKERS: Yaghdan Hameid, former USAID employee and Iraqi refugee; Jonathan Morgenstein, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Captain who served as a civil affairs officer in Iraq in 2004/05; Emily Gish, Middle East Program Officer, Mercy Corps; Bob Carey, Vice President of Resettlement, International Rescue Committee; and Jake Kurtzer, Congressional Advocate, Refugees International.
Capitol Building, Room HC8; 9 AM.

10/11

BOOK EVENT - "Monstering: Inside America’s Policy of Secret Interrogations and Torture in the Terror War"
In April 2004, the Abu Ghraib photographs set off an international scandal. Author Tara McKelvey -- the first U.S. journalist to speak with female prisoners of Abu Ghraib – traveled to the Middle East and across the United States to seek out victims and perpetrators of the scandal. In "Monstering: Inside America's Policy of Secret Interrogations and Torture in the Terror War," McKelvey tells how soldiers, acting in an atmosphere that encouraged abuse and sadism, were unleashed on a prison population of which the vast majority were innocent civilians.
New America Foundation, 1630 Connecticut Ave, NW 7th Floor; 12:15 - 1:45 PM.

10/16

POSTPONED - Assessing Whistleblower Allegations Against the State Department Inspector General
Hearing originally titled "Contracting Fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan" and described as intending to investigate "allegations that the State Department's inspector general has interfered with and blocked numerous investigations into contracting fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as probes related to domestic issues."
U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
New time and place TBA.

10/16

Can “Smart Power” Leash the Dogs of War?
Is it possible to fight war and manage conflict at the same time? The United States Institute of Peace will hold a panel discussion to explore the proposition that peacemaking and conflict management are essential for creating a less divided, less conflicted world. The discussion will focus on whether the international community can simultaneously check hostile adversaries to the international order and make peace in existing conflict zones. SPEAKERS: Barbara Slavin, Senior Diplomatic Reporter, USA Today and Senior Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace; Chester A. Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies, Georgetown University; Daniel L. Byman, Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution; and Andrew Mack, Director, Human Security Report Project, Simon Fraser University.
U.S. Institute of Peace, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 1200 17th St, NW; 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Archived Audio & Podcast.

10/18

Challenges and Dilemmas Facing Liberal Muslim Thinkers
The Middle East Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Muslim World Initiative of the United States Institute of Peace are holding an event to discuss the idea that a fundamental reinterpretation of Islamic values is a necessary precondition for real and sustained political reform in the Middle East. SPEAKERS: Dr. Abdou Filali Ansari, one of the Arab world's most prominent—and in some ways controversial—advocates of Islamic liberalism; Dr. Daniel Brumberg, a scholar of political reform in the Muslim world and Acting Director of the Muslim World Initiative; and Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Middle East Program.
Woodrow Wilson Center, 5th Floor Conference Room, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 9:00 - 10:30 AM. No RSVP.

10/18

Measuring and Increasing and Effectiveness of Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq
WITNESSES: The Honorable Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), who just released a Report on Provincial Reconstruction Team Program in Iraq, and Mr. Robert Perito, Senior Program Officer, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
2212 Rayburn, 10:00 AM.
Archived audio Part 1 andPart 2.

10/22

Iraq Through Iraqi Eyes
Drawing on experience as an elected member of the Iraqi National Assembly and as spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Ali Al- Dabbagh will discuss the progress of political reconciliation in Iraq; the status of regional diplomacy, with an emphasis on U.S.-Iran talks and the future of the International Compact with Iraq; and the prospects and potential impacts of U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. SPEAKER: Ali Al-Dabbagh, Official Spokesperson for the Government of Iraq
U.S. Institute of Peace, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 1200 17th St. NW, Washington, DC; 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM (Please note time and location change). Archived Audio & Podcast.

10/22

Iraq at a Crossroads with Barham Salih, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq
A conversation on the challenges facing the Government of Iraq with Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq Barham Salih. Twice elected to parliament as a member of the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan list, the second largest parliamentary bloc, Salih has served in every Iraqi government since June 2004. Before joining the Iraqi government, Salih was Prime Minister of the Kurdistan regional government in Sulaimani for three years. In that role he worked closely with the United States and oversaw a period of economic growth and reconstruction. Brookings Senior Fellow and Saban Center Director Martin Indyk will moderate the discussion.
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings
Falk Auditorium, The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM.
Broadcast and webcast on CSPAN.

10/22-10/23

Overcoming Extremism: Protecting Civilians from Terrorist Violence
The Post-Conflict Reconstruction (PCR) Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is hosting a two-day conference featuring high-profile leaders, experts, and opinion-makers to develop a shared international agenda for protecting civilians from terrorist violence. In addition to examining government responses and legal structures, the conference will consider how local communities and international partners can transform the enabling environment that can intimidate local actors into silence or acquiescence. Topics will include the impact of new media tools, changes in international humanitarian law, the evolution of terrorist tactics, the proliferation of suicide bombings, and innovative approaches to protecting civilians. SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Ms. Irene Khan, Secretary General, Amnesty International; Dr. Hany El Banna, OBE, President, Islamic Relief Worldwide; Mr. Ammar Abdulhamid, President, Tharwa Foundation; Brig. General Mark Schissler, Deputy Director, The War on Terrorism, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate, Joint Staff, the Pentagon; and Sir David Veness, former head of counter-terrorism at Scotland Yard, UN Undersecretary for Safety and Security. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW; Monday 8:00 am - 5:45 pm and Tuesday, 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM.
Full program details.

10/24

Hearing with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Iraq
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
2172 Rayburn House Office Building, 9:30 AM.
Broadcast and webcast on CSPAN.

10/25

Hearing with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Iraq
U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
2154 Rayburn House Office Building, 10:00 AM.
Broadcast and webcast on CSPAN.

10/25

The Dynamics of Iraq's Media
The pluralization of a private media sector in post-Saddam Iraq has served as a positive development in Iraq's post-war transition. However, this same pluralization has also allowed for the emergence of local media that are forming along ethno- sectarian lines. What media outlets are owned by political ethno-sectarian factions? Do media outlets exacerbate Iraq's ethno-sectarian relations? Are there any Iraqi media outlets seeking to address these relations in a positive manner? Please join us for a presentation of Ibrahim Al-Marashi's recent report entitled "The Dynamics of Iraq's Media," followed by a discussion on the evolution and future of Iraq's media and its potential effect on the conflict. SPEAKERS: Professor Ibrahim Al-Marashi, an International Fellow of the Open Society Institute and Assistant Professor at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University; Laith Kubba (Respondent), Senior Director of the National Endowment for Democracy's Middle East and North Africa Program; and Rend Al-Rahim Francke (Moderator), Jennings Randolph Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace.
U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), 2nd Floor Conference Room, 1200 17th St, NW; 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. To RSVP, please send your name, affiliation, daytime phone number, and name of the event to Catherine Morris at USIP.

10/29

The United Nations’ Role in Fighting Today’s Transnational Threats
CSIS is pleased to host UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning, Robert Orr, for a discussion of the United Nations’ role in fighting today’s transnational threats, such as terrorism, pandemic disease, and climate change.
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) , CSIS B-1 Conference Center, 1800 K Street, NW, Washington DC, 10:00 - 11:30 AM. Please RSVP by emailing Farha Tahir at CSIS.

10/29

Iraq: Today’s Reality – Tomorrow’s Horizons
Middle East Policy Forum SPEAKERS: Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution; Christopher Kojm, Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and Director of the U.S. Foreign Policy Institute, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University; former Senior Advisor to the Iraq Study Group; and Dr. Judith Yaphe, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University
George Washington University: The Elliott School of International Affairs, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, 1957 E Street, NW; 7:00 - 8:30 PM. RSVP

IRAQ Calendar Archive