Bing West, a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, will speak at the 麻豆原创 on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
鈥淟essons From Iraq: Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?鈥� will begin at 3 p.m. in the Cape Florida Ballroom of the Student Union. The event, organized by the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, is part of the 2011-2012 themes of 鈥淧eople Power, Politics and Global Change鈥� and 鈥淐overing Crises from the Frontlines.鈥� It is free and open to the public.
West is an expert on the Vietnam War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other defense, national security and geopolitical issues.聽 He served as assistant secretary of defense for International Affairs during the Reagan administration.
West also is the author of six books on national security and the military, including his Vietnam classic, 鈥淭he Village,鈥� which has been on the Commandant of the Marine Corps Reading List for 20 years. For his most recent book, 鈥淭he Wrong War: Grit, Strategy and the Way out of Afghanistan,鈥� West was embedded with troops on the frontlines there.
West was cited by the Los Angeles Times as one of the top 10 journalists covering Iraq, which he has traveled to 11 times over the past four years and where he was embedded with more than 30 U.S. battalions. His articles appear regularly in The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times and Slate.
In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners of West鈥檚 presentation include the 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, The Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship Program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, LarsonAllen LLP, the 麻豆原创 Nicholson School of Communication, the 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, the 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, the 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE, the 麻豆原创 Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center and the Global Connections Foundation.
For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit or follow the office on Twitter at .