EGYPT: From Pharaoh to the Future of the Middle East
Guest Speaker: Henry Precht, Former Deputy Ambassador to Egypt and Former President of the Cleveland Council of World Affairs
Henry Precht was born in Savannah, Georgia, and educated at Emory University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (MA). He joined the Foreign Service in 1961 and had postings to Rome and Alexandria, Egypt, before being assigned to the Arab-Israel Desk in the State Department following the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Five years later he was named the political/military counselor in Tehran where he stayed until 1976.
In the summer of 1978, with the Iranian Revolution at mid-point, Precht was made chief of the Iran Desk and remained there through the Iran Hostage Crisis. In 1981, Precht went to Cairo as the deputy ambassador and served for four years. Shortly after his arrival, President Sadat was assassinated and Hosni Mubarak became president.
After retiring in 1987, Precht served as President of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Chairman of its Committee on Foreign Relations and taught at Case Western Reserve University. He conducted interviews for local Public Radio and published articles in the national and local press. He moved to Washington in 1996 where he continues to write regularly. He has written a book of short stories on the Foreign Service in the Middle East -- "A Diplomat's Progress".
Plan on joining us on March 21st to truly have your students immersed in a live, interactive discussion of the current events unraveling in Egypt and the Middle East.
Date: March 21, 2011 Time: 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Schools interested in participating in this FREE current events program, via distance learning, should contact John Ramicone at 216-916-6360 or john.ramicone@ideastream.org by March 17th.
BBC’s special on Egypt revolution
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12315833
Foreign Policy article on Egypt’s future http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/03/01/parliament_to_the_rescue
Al Jazeera’s coverage of the turmoil in Egypt
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/anger-in-egypt/
The Guardian coverage – Egypt’s Revolution has been 10 years in the making
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/02/egypt-revolution-mubarak-wall-of-fear
