Retired colonel to talk about the Iraq war
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Retired Col. Ann Wright will speak on "Dissent in a Democracy: the War on Iraq" on April 6 at Purdue University.Her talk, which is free and open to the public, is at 7:30 p.m. in Physics Building, Room 112. The event is sponsored by the Committee on Peace Studies, Department of Political Science, American Studies, Women's Studies, the Lafayette Area Peace Coalition and Lafayette Friends.
Wright was on the first State Department team to go to Kabul, Afghanistan, to reopen the United States Embassy there in December 2001. On March 19, 2003, Wright resigned from the United States Foreign Service due to her opposition to launching a war on Iraq without the authorization of the United National Security Council. She now campaigns with peace activist Cindy Sheehan to end the United States military involvement in that country.
Since she sent a letter of protest to Secretary of State Colin Powell against the launching of war on Iraq in March 2003, she has regularly appeared in major media outlets and a documentary on the war called "Uncovered: the Truth About the Iraq War," said Harry Targ, professor of political science and event organizer.
Wright served on active duty in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves for 29 years. She joined the Foreign Service in 1987 and along with duty in Afghanistan, she has served in a variety of diplomatic posts in Mongolia, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Grenada, Micronesia and Nicaragua. She earned law degrees from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in national security affairs from the United States Naval War College.
The Committee on Peace Studies, which is housed in the Department of Political Science, is an interdisciplinary committee of faculty from the departments of English, history, philosophy, women's studies and child development and family studies. Purdue undergraduate students can earn a minor in peace studies. The committee also brings speakers to campus and organizes presentations on issues related to peace and justice.
For information, contact Targ at (765) 494-4169, targ@polsci.purdu.edu.
Source: Harry Targ, (765) 494-4169, targ@polsci.purdue.edu
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