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Qubad Talabani, Washington spokesman for the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan |
The son of Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani will speak tonight at 6 at
James Madison University’s Grafton-Stovall Theatre.
Qubad Talabani will discuss the future of Iraq and
the struggle for peace and democracy in his
homeland. The presentation is free and open to the
public.
Like his father, Qubad Talabani has been at the
forefront of Iraqi politics in the post-Saddam era.
He has held numerous government posts and currently
serves as representative to the United States for
the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Helped Negotiate Constitution
In the wake of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003,
Talabani served for one year as senior foreign
relations officer for the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan, a leading Kurdish political party
responsible for administering the eastern part of
Iraqi Kurdistan. |
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In that capacity, he worked closely with the
U.S.-led Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian
Assistance and was subsequently the Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan’s top liaison with the Coalition
Provisional Authority.
Talabani also was a key Patriotic Union negotiator
during the drafting of the Transitional
Administrative Law, Iraq’s first post-Saddam
constitution.
Students Organized Visit
American television viewers may recognize Talabani
from his numerous appearances on CNN, FOX News and
other news networks, where he is a frequent guest on
Kurdish and Iraqi issues.
JMU students Samier Mansur and David Centofante
organized Talabani’s visit to JMU. The students are
undergraduate fellows of the Foundation for the
Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan public policy
organization that researches terrorism and national
security. The foundation, along with the Muslim
Student Association at JMU and the university’s
Nelson Institute for International and Public
Affairs, is sponsoring tonight’s presentation.
www.dnronline.com
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