The following professors with expertise on the Middle East, terrorism and domestic politics are available to talk about the killing of Osama bin Laden and its implications for the region, national security and the Obama administration.
The impact on domestic politics
H.W. Brands
Professor, Department of History
512-475-7238
hwbrands@mail.utexas.edu
A renowned presidential scholar and historian of U.S. foreign relations, Brands has written more than 20 books on such topics as Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and U.S. policy in the Cold War and after. He is available to discuss various matters related to the death of bin Laden, including President Obama’s stance on the war on terror and his recent address to the nation.
Bruce Buchanan
Professor, Department of Government
512-232-7212
bruceb@mail.la.utexas.edu
Buchanan specializes in presidential and American politics, American institutions, public policy and political behavior. He is available to comment on various topics related to the bin Laden killing, including President Obama’s reaction and its implications for the war on terror.
The impact and reaction in the Middle East
Kamran Scot Aghaie
Associate Professor, Department of Middle Eastern Studies
Director, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
512-475-6400
kamranaghaie@austin.utexas.edu
Aghaie studies modern Iranian history, Middle Eastern history and Islamic rituals. He is author of “The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi’i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran,” which explores how modernization has influenced the societal, political and religious culture of Iran. He is available to discuss Iran’s response to bin Laden’s death.
Mahmoud Al-Batal
Associate Professor, Department of Middle Eastern Studies
Director, Center for Arabic Study Abroad
512-471-3463
albatal@mail.utexas.edu
Al-Batal educates students about many of the assumptions Westerners hold about religion and culture in the Middle East. He is available to discuss topics related to the Arab world’s reaction to bin Laden’s death.
Yoav Di-Capua
Assistant Professor, Department of History
512- 965-8142 (cell)
512-475-7259 (office)
ydi@mail.utexas.edu
Di-Capua researches Arab intellectual history, including modernism and the rejection of modernism in 20th-century Arab thought. He is available to discuss the impact and reception of bin Laden’s death in the Arab world and Israel.
National security, U.S. foreign policy
Robert Hutchings
Dean, The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
512-232-4004
rhutchings@austin.utexas.edu
Before joining the LBJ School in March 2010, Hutchings was Diplomat in Residence in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Hutchings also served as Chairman of the U.S. National Intelligence Council in Washington. His combined academic and diplomatic career has included service as Director for European Affairs with the National Security Council, and Special Adviser to the Secretary of State, with the rank of ambassador.
William Charles Inboden
Assistant Professor of Public Affairs
512- 471- 2411
inboden@austin.utexas.edu
William Charles Inboden was senior director for strategic planning on the National Security Council at the White House, where he worked on a range of foreign policy issues, including the National Security Strategy, democracy and governance, contingency planning, counter-radicalization, and multilateral institutions and initiatives. He is available to discuss what bin Laden’s death means for national security.
Peter Trubowitz
Associate Professor, Department of Government
512-422-4905
trubowitz@mail.utexas.edu
Trubowitz specializes in international relations and foreign policy and can talk to the “Obama Doctrine” that has developed over the past two years. In his latest book “Politics and Strategy: Partisan Ambition and American Statecraft,” Trubowitz examines the foreign policies of U.S. presidents throughout history and argues that the policies are shaped both by a leader’s ability to govern at home as well as the need to maintain the nation’s security abroad.
How America has changed since 9/11
Daniel Bonevac
Professor, Department of Philosophy
512-345-1279
bonevac@austin.utexas.edu
Bonevac’s research focuses on the intersection of metaphysics, philosophical logic, and ethics. He is available to share insight into the impact of the 9/11 attacks on Amercian society, and how people have changed the way they view the world since the fall of the World Trade Center. He can also share insight into whether it’s morally right to celebrate the death of Bin Laden.
The threat of new terrorist attacks
Ami Pedahzur
Professor, Department of Government
512-232-1452
512-363-6387 (cell)
pedahzur@austin.utexas.edu
Pedahzur is an expert on terrorism, counterterrorism and political extremism. He can provide context on how bin Laden’s death will affect the Islamic terror movement, and whether it may lead to new terrorism threats.
U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan
Celeste Ward Gventer
Associate Director, The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law
512-471-8936
celeste@austin.utexas.edu
Before joining the Strauss Center, Gventer was Senior Defense Analyst at the RAND Corporation. She also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations Capabilities in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
