Iraq expert to speak on democracy efforts

Dr. Liam Anderson, assistant professor at Ohio’s Wright State University and co-author of a recent book on Iraq, will speak Thursday, May 12, at the University of Indianapolis.

Anderson’s talk, “Installing Democracy in Iraq: Rocky Road to a Fragile State,” will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday in Good Hall, southwest corner of Hanna and Otterbein avenues. The event, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the university’s Institute for the Study of War and Diplomacy.

A political scientist with research interests in international security and Middle Eastern affairs, Anderson and co-author Gareth Stansfield penned the 2004 book The Fate of Iraq: Dictatorship, Democracy, or Division? He visited Iraq in April 2004 and has provided commentary to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Reports and other media outlets.

Anderson will discuss the challenges of democratization in Iraq and the possibilities facing the post-Saddam state. He also will discuss the impact of the two-year war and its wider implications on regional dynamics and U.S. policy toward the Middle East.

The university’s Institute for the Study of War and Diplomacy is a local and regional center for academic and community discussion of warfare and international conflict resolution. It draws on the expertise of University of Indianapolis faculty in History, Political Science and International Relations, along with outside specialists.

Call (317) 788-3298 or visit the website.