RAND Experts Available to Comment on 20th Anniversary of Iraq War

RAND Corporation experts are available to comment on the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War, being marked on March 20, 2023. They can discuss the historical implications of the war and the decisionmaking that led up to it; the war's lasting impact on returning veterans and on current U.S. foreign and defense policies; and the relevance of Iraq to today's geopolitical climate, including Russia's war with Ukraine, competition with China, and the balance of power in the Middle East.

Experts available include:

• Raphael Cohen, director, Strategy and Doctrine Program, a program of RAND Project AIR FORCE; senior political scientist; and former military intelligence officer with two tours of duty in Iraq
• Amb. James Dobbins, senior fellow and distinguished chair in diplomacy and security; author of Occupying Iraq, A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority
• Gian Gentile, associate director, RAND Arroyo Center; senior historian; 32-year Army veteran with two combat tours in Iraq; and author of Wrong Turn: America's Deadly Embrace of Counterinsurgency
• Michelle Grisé policy researcher with expertise on Iran and international law
• Michael Mazarr, senior political scientist with expertise in U.S. defense policy and counterinsurgency; author of Leap of Faith: Hubris, Negligence and America's Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy about the Iraq War
• Amb. Charles Ries, adjunct senior fellow and former coordinator for economic transition at the U.S. embassy in Iraq
• Howard Shatz, senior economist focused on international economics and great power competition in the Middle East
• Heather Williams, associate director, International Security and Defense Policy program, a program of the RAND National Security Research Division; former national intelligence officer for Iran; and expert on Middle Eastern regional issues
• Kayla Williams, senior policy researcher focusing on veterans affairs; former assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Iraq War veteran; and author of two books on military service
• Jonathan Wong, associate director, Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program, a program of the RAND Arroyo Center; policy researcher focused on the role of new technologies, operational concepts, and processes in shaping how militaries fight; former Marine Corps infantryman with two combat tours in Iraq.

Additional information:

More information on RAND's work related to Iraq may be found here: /topics/iraq.html.