The Iraqi Refugee Crisis: Humanitarian and Political Implications
Featuring:
One of the major consequences of the Iraq war, now in its fifth year, has been the growing tide of refugees fleeing the country. With as many as two million Iraqis leaving their homeland in recent years, the majority absorbed by Syria, the situation has evolved into a humanitarian crisis that must be addressed. To further explore this critical issue, the Middle East Institute will host Nir Rosen, Ken Bacon, and Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin for a discussion on the current situation and regional impact of Iraqi refugees.
Currently a Fellow at the New America Foundation, Nir Rosen has written extensively on American foreign policy towards Afghanistan and Iraq. He spent more than two years in Iraq reporting on the American occupation, the relationship between Americans and Iraqis, interethnic and sectarian relations, and the Iraqi civil war. His book on postwar Iraq, In the Belly of the Green Bird: The Triumph of the Martyrs in Iraq, was published by Free Press in 2006.
Ken Bacon became President of Refugees International in 2001 after more than six years of service as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Pentagon spokesman. He is the co-chairman of the Partnership for Effective Peace Operations, and serves on the boards of The American University in Cairo, Population Action International, and InterAction, the umbrella group for international relief, development, and advocacy agencies.
Prior to her current position as President of the Middle East Institute, Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin served as Deputy High Commissioner for the UN Commissioner for Refugees (2004-2006), and as Assistant Administrator of the Asia/Near East Division of USAID (2002-2004). A career foreign service officer, her previous posts include US Ambassador to Pakistan (2001-2002) and US Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (1996-1999).
