EUGENE, Ore. -- (Oct. 30, 2009) -- The UO Center for Asian and Pacific Studies and the political science department will host a public lecture comparing the Vietnam War to the war in Afghanistan at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10, in the Knight Library browsing room, 1501 Kincaid St.
This free lecture, "Tilting Toward Quagmire: Afghanistan and Vietnam," will feature scholar and author, John Prados, senior fellow and project director of the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Prados holds a doctorate from Columbia University and focuses on presidential power, international relations, intelligence and military affairs.
In his talk, Prados will describe a set of factors and detail how those elements combined to make the Vietnam War a "quagmire" for the United States. In addition, he will discuss how he sees similar problems applying to the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
"John Prados has his finger on the relevant history, as well as on the current policymaking environment," said Mel Gurtov, visiting UO professor and professor emeritus at Portland State University.
Prado is the author of "Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945-1975," "Safe for Democracy: The Secret Wars of the CIA" and "William Colby and the CIA: The Secret Wars of a Controversial Spymaster."
The lecture is sponsored by the Jeremiah Lecture Series, funded by UO alumni Admiral David E. Jeremiah and Connie Jeremiah. The lecture series was established to provide the university and local communities access to experts on Asia and the Pacific.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Lori O'Hollaren, Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, 541-346-1521, loholl@uoregon.edu
Link: Center for Asian and Pacific Studies http://caps.uoregon.edu
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