DFT Panel on Iraq War Tomorrow

July had the highest number of Iraqi civilian deaths. News of bombings in Iraq seems to be almost ubiquitous, even though we are told things are calming down. Are the Iraqis better off since our forces attacked their country? Did we start something we can't finish? How long until our troops can come home?

Tomorrow night Democracy for Texas will host a public forum to discuss such questions as these. The panel discussion will feature these speakers (taken from their press release):

• Alan Pogue, a photojournalist and Texas Observer contributor who has traveled to Iraq five times to document the lives of the Iraqi people
  
• Dr. Jason Brownlee, Assistant Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the upcoming book, Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization
  
• Tom Peterson, a local Marine and Iraqi war vet who has served three tours of duty
  
• John Courage, a veteran and candidate for Congress who is making Iraq an important issue in his campaign
  
• Ted Ankrum, a candidate for Congress who served four tours of duty in Vietnam and was on active duty with the Navy for fifteen years
  
• Charlie Jackson, founding member of Texans for Peace, who was the lead author of the Baghdad Economic Development (BED) Project, a tactical plan prepared by the IC2 Institute of the University of Texas, and also helped found the Women's Business Center of Baghdad, an ongoing project to assist women business owners and professionals of Iraq.

* Photo (c) Matt Wright