Saturday,
February 28, 2:00–5:00 pm
Smith Memorial Student Union, Portland State University, Room #327
1825 SW Broadway, Portland
The
30th Anniversary of the Iranian Revolution - Learning from the Past and Working
Towards a Peaceful Future in Nuclear Times
The World Affairs Council, the
Middle East Studies Center at
Portland State University, and the
American Iranian Friendship Council present a special forum:
A
symposium with:
Former US Diplomat Henry Precht
who
was the
Chief of the
Iran Desk at State Department during the
Revolution
Professor Sahimi,
Professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science,
University of Southern California in
Los Angeles, who has extensively written and
lectured about nuclear development in Iran
Admission
is $5, Free for students, pre-registration is required
Please sign up for the forum at
www.worldoregon.org
A
Persian dinner
reception will follow the forum at 6 PM at the Benson House at Portland State
University.
A limited number of $20.00 tickets for dinner are available for sale at the
forum. For reservation please email
info@aifcpdx.org.
***
February marks the 30th anniversary of the
Islamic Revolution in Iran. One of the most significant events in the Middle
East in the 20th century, it dramatically changed the balance of power in the
region and created ongoing challenges for US policy. The revolution caught
Western intelligence agencies off-guard. The
Shah's monarchy, characterized by President Carter
a year earlier as 'the Island of Tranquility,' disappeared and a new form of
revolutionary government took over from what used to be the most valuable US
ally in the Persian Gulf.
US-Iran relations have turned from bad to worse
over the past three decades. During the same period Iran has gained great
influence in the region, particularly in Iraq
and Palestine. Many foreign affairs analysts believe that normalizing relations
with Iran is critical to the stability of the Middle East, others warn about
Iranian nuclear developments.
Henry
Precht entered
the Foreign Service in 1961 and spent most of his career on assignments in the
Middle East: in Egypt (twice), at the State Department's Arab-Israel Desk and in
Tehran (1972-76). Precht was the Chief of the
State Department's Iran Desk during the revolution and
hostage crisis. Blamed for the loss of Iran, he was blocked from an
ambassadorial appointment by Senator Jesse Helms.
He is the author of A Diplomat's Progress, Ten Tales of Diplomatic Adventure
in the Middle East. He co-chaired the Gulf 2000
project at Columbia University, which studies security and strategic
developments in the Persian Gulf.
Muhammad Sahimi
is the NIOC Chair in Petroleum Engineering and Professor of
Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at the
University of Southern California in
Los Angeles. In addition to his scientific
research, which has resulted in over 270 published papers and five books,
Muhammad has written extensively on Iran's political development and its nuclear
program for example with articles published in the Los
Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune,
Harvard International Review, as well as a blog on
Huffington Post. In particular, Muhammad has concentrated on the legal
and technical aspects of the dispute between Iran and the Western powers
regarding Iran's nuclear energy program. He is a member of the Union of
Concerned Scientists, an organization dedicated to making the public aware of
the dangers of weapons of mass destruction, as well as polluting the
environment.
... Payvand News - 02/26/09 ... --
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