Former Bush Administration Insider Discusses Future Foreign Policy Challenges

Col. Lawrence B. Wilkerson, who served as Secretary of State Colin Powell"s Chief of Staff while the Iraq war was being bitterly debated behind the scenes, will speak on “Foreign Policy Challenges for the Next Administration: How to Meet Them,“ on Friday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m. in Room 201 of the Richardson Memorial Building (the School of Architecture building) at Tulane University.

A critic of the Bush administration"s policy on the Iraq War, Col. Wilkerson was at Colin Powell"s side while a war raged inside the administration about the potential of real war. Wilkerson was a key source for the hard-hitting documentary on the history of the Iraq war, No End in Sight, which has been nominated for an Oscar.

Col. Wilkerson served 31 years in the U.S. Army including as Deputy Executive Officer to Gen. Colin Powell when he headed the U.S. Army Forces Command. He also served as a special assistant to Gen. Powell when Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-93). Wilkerson was also director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Va. He retired from active service and then worked as an advisor to Gen. Powell.

Col. Wilkerson has published essays in numerous newspapers across the country, including the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun and the Miami Herald, and has also been interviewed by Wolf Blitzer, Bill Maher, Keith Olbermann, Stephen Colbert, the BBC"s Hardtalk, Newsweek and others.

Col. Wilkerson"s talk is hosted by the Tulane University Political Science department and the World Affairs Council of New Orleans. For more information on the lecture contact Dr. Jeffrey Stacey, 862-8323.