Henry Raines Show 03/21/10 Hour 2

Story links: The Petraeus briefing: Biden's embarrassment is not the whole ... Mar 14, 2010 www.mideast.foreignpolicy.com/.../the_petraeus_briefing_biden_s_embarrassment _is_not_the_whole_story - , Final destination Iran?, http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/world-news/final-destination-iran-1.1013151 Guest: Ambassador Edward Peck served as the U.S. Chief of Mission to Iraq in the 1980s and has also served diplomatic functions in Morocco , Algeria , Tunisia , Egypt and Mauritania . In Washington , DC he was the Deputy Director of the Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism at the White House under President Reagan. Since retiring, Ambassador Peck has served as Executive Secretary of the American Academy of Diplomacy, Chairman of Political Tradecraft Programs at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center , and as a lecturer and consultant to businesses, governments and the media in the U.S. and overseas. He is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow and a Distinguished Visitor at the National War College . Known for his clear delivery and touch of humor, Ambassador Peck brings an insiders view and a critical eye to tensions in the Middle East , steeped in decades of governmental experience. A former paratrooper, he holds a B.S. from UCLA and an MBA from George Washington University . In November 2008, with Eugene Bird, he led a delegation of former US diplomats and American citizens on a 16-day tour of the Middle East to meet with Arab political and religious leaders to discuss the future of American-Arab relations in light of Obama’s upcoming presidency. They traveled to Lebanon , Syria , Jordan , Israel , The West Bank, and Egypt , but were denied entrance to Gaza . This tour was part of an ongoing Council for the National Interest Foundation program to increase Public Diplomacy to the region Http://www.cnifoundation.org/. He discusses U.S. policy and Arab politics in the Middle East; covert intelligence; understanding terrorism; how to use diplomacy even in the conflict between Palestine and Israel; significance of Iraq election and whether or not Democracy can thrive in the region, how and when we can bring our troops home; consequences for Israel's announcement to build new settlements in East Jerusalem.