2003-04 Programs of The Indianapolis Committee on Foreign Relations

Our goal is our education about interesting and controversial subjects involving foreign policy.

September 18: A Muslim Physician’s Jihad Against Terrorism by Shahid Athar, M.D. Not only is Shahid a member of ICFR, he is poet, husband, father, teacher and respected endocrinologist; he gives his team willingly promoting a peaceful Islam. Dr. Athar has authored five books and published 125 articles on Islamic topics. He volunteers on the Indiana University School of Medicine’s clinical faculty.

October 9: A View of Iraq from an Advisor to Dr. Adnan al-Pachachi, Member of the Iraq Governing Council Presidency by Feisal Amin Istrabadi. Feisal has been seen on television shows, featured in newspapers here and around the world for his work on Constitution Reform and Legal Affairs. He gave us a real time picture of the enormous work being done to make Iraq’s constitution acceptable to such a divergent group. He also told us of the numerous trips to the U.S. Department of State prior to our invasion and after it to counsel them on what would happen in the aftermath and possible solutions. As you know the DOD ignored State.

November 12: Election Time in the Caucasus: Georgia & Azerbaijan Change Horses by Thomas Goltz. Tom is our most colorful presenter. He speaks the native languages and has many friends there even though he lives in Montana. Since his talk was delayed by weather trouble he continued it at special lunch the next day. In addition to his talk he promoted his book: Chechnya Diary, which is about the interplay between him and Commander Hussein of the Samashki garrison and includes the massacre of April 1005.

December 11: IBB’S Mission is Still Important by Paul S. Barley. He is Chief of Staff of Staff for the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). The IBB supports the broadcasters of the Broadcasting board of Governors, A U.S. government agency, which overseas all U.S. non-military international broadcasting including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Sawa, Radio Free Asia, Radio Farda and newly created Middle East Television Network. Paul led us through the budget woes thrusted on it by Congress, which limits the U.S. ability to win friends and influence people around the world.

January 28: Lessons Lost: Lessons Forgotten by Richard L. Millett, Ph.D. Dick runs the St. Louis CFR and consults with our Department of Defense and NATO. His January 2003 NATO visit involved Afghanistan and Iraq and our intervention. Dick reviewed much of our recent foreign policy pointing out his subject matter. He is an expert on Transnational Crime in the Americas. Our members consider him one of our better speakers.

February 24: U.S.’s Future in the Middle East by Ambassador Richard W. Murphy. Ambassador Murphy is currently the Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for the Middle East at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He serves as Trustee of the American University of Beirut and is Chairman of the Middle East Institute. With the credentials of former Ambassador to: Syria, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and the Philippines, plus Assistant Secretary of State for Near East and South Asian Affairs under President Reagan, our speaker held our attention with his detailed analysis of what the future might bring.

March 31: The Current State of the Irish Peace Process by Ed Moloney. Ed reported on the Northern Ireland situation from 1978 to 2001. He was Northern Editor of The Irish Times (1981-85) and Northern Editor of The Sunday Tribune in Dublin (1987-2001). Not only did he co-author the Rev. Ian Paisley biography, he authored his own book: A Secret History of the IRA, which were available at our talk.