4th Anniversary of the Iraq War
Call for Spring Forums!!

 

Potential Speakers for Spring 2007 Teach-Ins

Updated as of Feb. 21

 

 

Each of the listed speakers has agreed to be available for some events during the Spring semester.  The exact timing will depend on their schedules.  The host institutions will be expected to cover travel expenses.  Many of the speakers have agreed to waive their fees or to speak for a nominal cost, but these arrangements should be made on an individual basis.

 

While each of those listed is a critic of Administration policies, they come from diverse positions on the political spectrum and hold diverging views on appropriate solutions.

 

See the end of this list for suggestions of other potential sources of speakers, including supporters of the war.

 

 

 

Michael Adas, Rutgers University, author of Dominance by Design: Technological Imperatives and America's Civilizing Mission and other books, madas@rci.rutgers.edu

Only within reasonable travel distance of central New Jersey

Can speak on a variety of topics involving history of US foreign policy, especially in Middle East and colonial/developing world more generally

 

Ben Alpers, Honors College, University of Oklahoma, balpers@ou.edu

Topic:  The Iraq War in Historical Perspective

 

Sarah Anderson, Institute for Policy Studies, saraha@igc.org

Topic:  War Profiteering in Iraq

 

David Applebaum, Rowan University, david_applebaum@yahoo.com

Topics:  Civil Rights, Civil Liberties and Academic Freedom; International Law and America: The Historical Origins, Meaning and Significance of the Geneva Conventions –"Are there going to be War Crimes Trials?"

 

Chris Appy, University of Massachusetts Amherst, author of Working Class War and Patriots, appy@history.umass.edu

Topic:  The Iraq War in Historical Perspective

 

Anthony Arnove, author of Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal and editor of Iraq Under Seige, arnove@igc.org, phone 212-366-9883, fax 212-366-6868

Topic:  The Logic of Withdrawal

 

Andrew Bacevich, Boston University, author of New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War and other books, bacevich@bu.edu

Northeast only

Topic:  Lessons of the Iraq War

 

Maziar Behrooz, Asst. Prof. of Middle East history, San Francisco State U., mroozbeh@sfsu.edu

Topics:  Iran, Iraq, Arab-Israeli conflict

 

David Beito, University of Alabama, dbeito@tenhoor.as.ua.edu

Possible Topics:  The Libertarian and Conservative Anti-Imperialist (or Antiwar) Tradition in American History); Building a Left/Right Antiwar Movement; Libertarian and Conservative Critics of the Military Industrial Complex in American History; Protecting Academic Freedom for both the Left and Right; Embracing the Warfare/Welfare State: The Rise of Big Government Conservatism and the Iraq War

 

Phyllis Bennis, fellow of Institute for Policy Studies, author of Challenging Empire and Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer, pbennis@ips-dc.org

Washington, DC area only

Topics:  War in Iraq; US Policy in the Middle East; Palestine and Israel after the Lebanon War; The Middle East in Washington’s Drive to Empire

 

Frida Berrigan, Arms Trade Resource Center, World Policy Institute, New York City, berrigaf@newschool.edu, phone 212-229-5808 ext. 4254

Topics:  the war in Iraq, military spending and the arms trade

 

John Bruhns, Iraq war veteran, johnbruhns@yahoo.com

Topic:  Experience in the Iraq War

 

Bob Buzzanco, University of Houston, author of Vietnam and the Transformation of American Life and other books on the Vietnam War, buzz@uh.edu

Topics:  War in Iraq, US policy in the Middle East, Bush wars in historical perspective

 

Ira Chernus, University of Colorado, chernus@colorado.edu

Topics:  Cultural and Ideological Roots of U.S. Foreign Policy; Religion, the Culture War, and the War on Terrorism

 

Blanche Wiesen Cook, John Jay College and CUNY Graduate Center, author of The Declassified Eisenhower and three-volume biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, blanchewcook@aol.com

Topic:  Bush’s War on Terror Deranges the Struggle for Peace and Human Rights in a World of Upheaval and New Alignments

 

Alan Dawley, The College of New Jersey, adawley@tcnj.edu

Topics:  American Empire and American Exceptionalism; Historical Fallacies of the Bush Administration

 

Elizabeth de la Vega, former federal prosecutor and author of U.S. v. Bush et al., elizabethdelavega@verizon.net

Available to speak on legal/constitutional issues arising out of invasion of Iraq, Bush administration's torture policy, illegal wiretapping, use of signing statements and the Military Commissions Act., as well as impeachment

 

Julian DelGaudio, Long Beach City College, Long Beach, Calif., jdelgaudio@lbcc.edu

“I have been addressing groups in Long Beach on the subject of the War on Terror.  Specifically, I address the linguistic issue, continuity issue, deliberation issue, issue of motives, reasons, and causes, and issue of value judgments.  I have prepared a paper on the subject, which I entitle “The War on Terror as History.”

 

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Dept. of Ethnic Studies, California State University East Bay, rdunbaro@pacbell.net, phone/fax 415-771-3808

Topics: Bush wars in historical perspective, particularly the roots of the formation of the United States in wars against the Indians as well as US imperialism in Latin America.  Ethnic and religious conflicts.

 

Carolyn Eisenberg, Hofstra University, author of Drawing the Line: The American Decision to Divide Germany and other writing on the occupation of Germany and Iraq, hiscze@aol.com

Topics:  War and Occupation of Iraq; Bush policy in historical perspective

 

Richard Falk, Visiting Scholar, Stanford U. Law School and emeritus professor at Princeton University, rfalk@Princeton.EDU

Can address any topics on the Iraq war or US foreign policy more generally

 

David Farber, Temple University, author of Taken Hostage : The Iran Hostage Crisis and America's First Encounter with Radical Islam and other books, dfarber@unm.edu

Topic:  Social and antiwar movements

 

John J. Fitzgerald, Vietnam veteran and retired high school teacher in western Massachusetts, co-author of The Vietnam War: A History in Documents (Oxford U. Press), fitzgera@comcast.net

Topics:  Preventive War; Preemptive War; Just War; Analogies Between Iraq and Vietnam

 

Lloyd Gardner, Rutgers University, past president of Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, lgardner79@gmail.com

Topic:  War in Iraq: Bush policy in historical perspective

 

Irene Gendzier, Boston University, author of Notes from the Minefield: United States Intervention in Lebanon and the Middle East, 1945-1958 and other books gendzier@bu.edu

Topic:  Modern Middle East; US policy in the region

 

Marv Gettleman, co-editor of Middle East and Islamic World Reader, marvget@earthlink.net

Topic: US Policy in the Middle East

 

Rich Gibson, San Diego State University, author of How Do I Keep My Ideals and Still Teach? and Neo-Liberalism and Education Reform, Rgibson@pipeline.com.

Topics:  Schools-to-War Pipeline and related educational issues such as curricular regimentation and high-stakes tests.

 

Aaron Glantz, international journalist, author of How America Lost Iraq, aaronfglantz@yahoo.com, web site www.aaronglantz.com

 

Melvin A. Goodman, Johns Hopkins University, former CIA officer and former professor at National War College, goody789@comcast.net

“I can discuss any aspect of the Bush foreign policy as well as the misuse of intelligence.”

 

Van Gosse, Franklin and Marshall University, author of books on the New Left, van.gosse@fandm.edu

Topic:  Antiwar activism

 

Peter Gran, Temple University, author of Beyond Eurocentrism : A New View of Modern World History and other books, pgran@temple.edu

Topic:  Relations between the US and Iraq

 

John Mason Hart, University of Houston, author of Empire and Revolution : The Americans in Mexico Since the Civil War and other books, jmhart@mail.uh.edu

Can speak on US empire building and the Middle East

 

Walter Hixson, University of Akron, author of books on the Vietnam War and the Cold War, whixson@uakron.edu

Topic:  The Iraq War in Historical Perspective

 

Joan Hoff, Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont., author of books on American feminism and on US foreign policy, former executive director of the Organization of American Historians, joanhoff1@aol.com

Topic:  “Origins of the Neo-Cons under Nixon and Their Role in the Attack on Iraq (and probably Iran)”

 

Leila Hudson, Dept. of Near Eastern Studies, University of Arizona, lhudson@email.arizona.edu

Topic:  Modern Middle East

 

Maurice Isserman, Hamilton College, author of books on US radicalism, origins of the New Left, the history of the 1960s, misserma@hamilton.edu

Topic:  Antiwar Movements Past and Present

 

William Loren Katz, author of many books on US history for a popular audience, WKATZ@aol.com, web site http://www.williamlkatz.com 

 

Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie, Howard University, jkerrritchie@juno.com

Topic:  “Why the Bush-Blair Unholy Alliance Has Made the World a More Dangerous Place”

 

Hany Khalil, Organizing Coordinator of antiwar coalition United for Peace and Justice (office in New York City, but willing to travel), hanykhalil@igc.org

Topic:  Antiwar Activism

 

Jeffrey P. Kimball, Emeritus professor of history, Miami University (Ohio), author of Vietnam War File : Uncovering the Secret History of Nixon-Era Strategy and other books, jpkimball@muohio.edu, 513/523-3640(home)

Topics:  The War in Iraq: Causes of the Invasion, Termination of the Occupation, the Role of the Antiwar Movement in Historical Perspective

 

Peter Kuznick, History professor and director of Nuclear Studies Institute, American University, pkuznick@aol.com

Topics:  Vietnam and Iraq; The Current Nuclear Crisis

 

Erik Leaver, Institute for Policy Studies, Policy Outreach Director of the Foreign Policy in Focus project, erik@ips-dc.org, phone 202-234-9238 x240

Topics:  War on Iraq, US Policy in the Middle East

 

Judith LeBlanc, National Co-Chair of antiwar coalition United for Peace and Justice (office in New York City, but willing to travel), recently returned from jleblanc@pww.org

Topic:  Antiwar Activism

 

Jerry Lembcke, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., Vietnam veteran and author of Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam and other books, jlembcke@holycross.edu

He could speak in connection with the new film Sir! No Sir! (http://www.sirnosir.com) an 85-minute documentary on the Vietnam-era GI antiwar movement; he appears in the film.

 

Mark LeVine, University of California Irvine, author of Why They Don’t Hate Us: Lifting the Veil on the Axis of Evil (2005) and other books, mlevine@uci.edu, contact for speaking engagements Christine Byrd, 949-824-9055

Topic:  US Policy in the Middle East

 

Zachary Lockman, Middle East and Islamic Studies, New York University, zachary.lockman@nyu.edu

Topic:  US Policy in the Middle East

 

Rahul Mahajan, University of Wisconsin, author of Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond, rahul@empirenotes.org

Topics:  Subjects: The war on Iraq, U.S. policy in the Middle East/Iran, the Israel-Lebanon war and related issues, what to do about the antiwar movement

 

Bill Marina, emeritus professor, Florida Atlantic U., where he helped organize Vietnam teach-ins, currently based in Asheville, North Carolina, research fellow of the Independent Institute, marina@fau.edu, http://www.billmarina.com

Topic:  It’s Really Not About War, It’s About Empire!”

 

Robert McMahon, Ohio State University, past president of Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, mcmahon.121@osu.edu

“I could talk on Iraq War vs. Vietnam War parallels/contrasts; on the Iraq War in historical perspective; on threat perception today vs. threat perception during the Nazi period and during the Cold war, and related such themes.”

 

Carl Mirra, State University of New York at Old Westbury, editor of HAW pamphlet Join Us?: Testimonies of Iraq War Veterans and Their Families, mirracc@yahoo.com

Topic   Resistance in the Military

 

Gael Murphy, Code Pink, gael@codepinkalert.org (she is based in Washington, DC but willing to travel)

Topic:  Antiwar Activism

 

John Prados, Senior Fellow, National Security Archive, phone 301-565-0564

Washington, DC area only

“I can discuss Prewar Intelligence and Deception; Bush Administration Intelligence Activities; the Military Situation in Iraq; Bush National Security Organization and Policies; Iraq and Watergate”

 

Corey Robin, Brooklyn College and CUNY Graduate Center, author of Fear: The History of an Idea, CRobin@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Topics:  Civil liberties; political repression; conservatism and neoconservatism

 

David F. Schmitz, Whitman College, author of books on US foreign policy, schmitdf@whitman.edu

Topics: The War in Iraq in Historical Perspective; Vietnam and Iraq

 

Ellen Schrecker, Yeshiva University, author of books on American civil liberties, schreckr@ymail.yu.edu, phone 212-316-4072

New York City area only

Topic:  Civil Liberties and Academic Freedom in the War on Terror

 

Michael Schwartz, Stony Brook University, frequent contributor to internet sites such as TomDispatch, ZNet, Asia Times Online, and motherjones.com and currently completing a book tentatively titled “The Neoliberal Footprint in Iraq,” mschwartz@ms.cc.sunysb.edu

Topic:  “War and Occupation in Iraq”

 

Brad Simpson, historian of US foreign relations at U. of Maryland Baltimore County, traveled to Iraq several times in 1990s with anti-sanctions group Voices in the Wilderness, simpson@umbc.edu

Topics:  The War in Iraq and the Logic of US Withdrawal; US policy in the Middle East; The Iraq War in Historical Perspective; Antiwar Movements in Historical Perspective

 

Mark Stoler, professor of US diplomatic history, U. of Vermont, past president of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, mark.stoler@uvm.edu

Can appear in nearby locations

Topic:  Bush policy in historical perspective

 

David Swanson, co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, david@davidswanson.org, web site http://www.davidswanson.org

 

Sue Udry, Legislative Action Coordinator of the antiwar coalition United for Peace and Justice (office in New York City, but willing to travel), sue@unitedforpeace.org

Topic: Antiwar Activism

 

Robert Vitalis, University of Pennsylvania, author of America’s Kingdom: Mythmaking on the Saudi Oil Frontier, rvitalis@sas.upenn.edu

Can speak on causes and consequences of the war, US Middle East Policy, oil and US policy, Saudi Arabia

 

Larry Wittner, State U. of New York at Albany, author of books on US foreign policy and peace movements, wittner@albany.edu

Topics:  Peace Activism in Historical Perspective; A New Foreign Policy for the United States; How Peace Activists Saved the World from Nuclear War

 

Ann Wright, military veteran and diplomat who resigned from the US Foreign Service in protest of the invasion of Iraq, previously in US Embassy in Kabul, microann@yahoo.com

 

Marilyn Young, New York University, author of books on the Vietnam War and other topics, marilyn.young@nyu.edu

Can speak on comparing Vietnam to Iraq or on US foreign policy in general

 

Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics, U. of San Francisco, zunes@usfca.edu, cell phone 831-234-9468

"The current situation in Iraq and possible exit strategies, the international legal implications of the U.S. invasion and occupation, prospects for democracy in Iraq and the greater Middle East, U.S.counter-terrorism strategy, and overall U.S. Middle East policy."

 

Other Potential Sources of Speakers:

 

The following organizations may also be able to help with speakers:

American Civil Liberties Union (http://www.aclu.org – click on link to “Your Local ACLU” at bottom of page for contact information for state affiliates)

Center for Constitutional Rights(http://www.ccr-ny.org)

Code Pink (http://www.codepink4peace.org)

Economy Connection (speakers/resource bureau of Union for Radical Political Economics), http://urpe.org/ec-home.html, email soapbox@comcast.net

Gold Star Families for Peace (http://www.gsfp.org)

Iraq Veterans Against the War (http://www.ivaw.net)

Military Families Speak Out (http://www.mfso.org – click on “Chapters” link on left side of home page)

September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows (http://www.peacefultomorrows.org – click on “Speakers Bureau” on home page)

United for Peace and Justice (http://www.unitedforpeace.org)

Veterans Against the Iraq War (http://www.vaiw.org) email vaiw@hotmail.com, phone 201-876-0430

Veterans for Peace (http://www.veteransforpeace.org – click on “Chapter Contacts” on left side of home page)

Vietnam Veterans Against the War (http://www.vvaw.org – click on “Contact Us” for a page that included links to regional contacts)

 

 

Pro-Administration Speakers:

Many of the most vibrant and important Vietnam-era Teach-Ins took the form of debates between antiwar speakers and defenders of the Johnson/Nixon policies.These offered students the opportunity to observe proponents of the "conventional wisdom" in direct dialogue with critics.

If you wish to use this format, you may find it difficult to identify pro-Administration speakers who are willing waive a fee.

Some suggestions:

Public officials: Congressional representatives or members of the state legislature who support the war may be willing to participate in campus events.  Republicans will be more likely to support the existing policies, but keep in mind that many Democrats also support the war in Iraq and are in favor of an extended American troop presence.

ROTC:  If ROTC is on your campus the commanding officers, many of whom have served in Afghanistan and Iraq may be willing to speak.  These officers are prohibited by law from advocating a particular point of view but they are free to describe their mission.

Young America's Foundation:  Speakers Bureau, Young Americans for Freedoms Foundation, http://students.yaf.org/speakers/speaker_master.cfm, Patrick Coyne at 800-USA-1776

 

Conservative Foundations and Think- Tanks

These organizations do not provide formal Speakers Bureaus, but they do give contact information for relevant experts and in some instances guidance from staffers about possible speakers:

American Enterprise Institute, http://www.aei.org/

Center for Strategic and International Studies, http://www.csis.org/

Heritage Foundation, http://www.heritage.org/About/Contact.cfm

Hudson Institute, http://hudson.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_an_expert&raid=ForeignPolicy

Manhattan Institute, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/contact.htm