I am proud to announce that the Twenty-Fourth Annual Speakers in this weeklong series are General John Abizaid and Mr. Michael Scheuer.

     In a slight break from tradition, this year we are featuring two speakers, both discussing the challenges faced by the United States in the Middle East, however from very different perspectives. 

     Our first speaker, General Abizaid, will give his presentation on Tuesday, March 11th.  Prior to his retirement in 2007, General Abizaid most recently served as the Commander, US Central Command, where he directed operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

     Our second speaker, Mr. Michael Scheuer will give his presentation on Thursday, March 13th.  Mr. Scheuer is a former CIA intelligence analyst with 22 years of experience.  He served as the head of the Bin Laden Issue Desk from it's formation until 1999, and then acted as a special adviser following the attacks of 9-11 until 2004.

     Both of this years lectures will occur in the Berkeley Art Museum's (BAM) Grand Theater at 7pm.  These events are open seating with no reservation required. For additional information on each speaker, please follow the links below.

General John Abizaid

Mr. Michael Scheuer