American diplomat L. Paul Bremer will speak at the University of Central Florida about his efforts to lead the reconstruction of Iraq following the United States’ invasion in 2003.
“Iraq in 2011: What’s Next for the U.S.?” will begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union. The event, organized by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, is part of the 2010-2011 university-wide theme “Global Peace and Security.” It is free and open to the public.
As head of the Coalition Provisional Authority of Iraq, Bremer oversaw efforts to rebuild Iraq’s political and economic structures. For his work, Bremer was honored in 2004 with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, by President George W. Bush.
He also wrote a book about his experience, titled “My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope.”
During Bremer’s 23-year career in the U.S. State Department, he has served as special or executive assistant to six secretaries of state. His overseas assignments have included service at the embassies in Afghanistan, Malawi and Norway.
Bremer was named ambassador to the Netherlands in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan. He was also an ambassador at large charged with formulating and implementing the nation’s counter-terrorism policies during the Reagan administration.
In 1999, the speaker of the House of Representatives appointed Bremer as chairman of the bipartisan National Commission on Terrorism. In 2002, President Bush appointed him to the President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council.
In addition to Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners include the UCF 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 UCF Diplomacy Program, the UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program, the UCF Political Science Department, the UCF International Services Center, UCF LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.
For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit http://ucfglobalperspectives.org or follow the office on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UCF_Global.