"Obama's War: al-Qaeda, Afghanistan and Pakistan" at SMCM April 1

ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. (March 25, 2010)—Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and senior foreign policy fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings Institute, will give a lecture at St. Mary’s College of Maryland Thursday, April 1, entitled, “Obama’s War: al-Qaeda, Afghanistan and Pakistan.” The lecture will take place at 6 p.m. in the Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall and it is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Democracy. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Riedel focuses on political transition, terrorism, and conflict resolution. He was a senior adviser to three U.S. presidents on Middle East and South Asian issues. At the request of President Obama, he chaired an inter-agency review of policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan for the White House that was completed in March 2009.

The Center for the Study of Democracy is a joint initiative of St. Mary’s College and its affiliated institution, Historic St. Mary’s City. It explores contemporary and historical issues associated with democracy and liberty in national and international contexts. The center provides a forum for presentations by government officials, journalists, and scholars; publishes scholarly writing on subjects of civil governance; encourages and supports public participation in political processes; and engages undergraduate studies in study and research on related subjects.