Universal Peace Federation (UPF)
'The Iraq War 20 years on: What lessons can we learn that are relevant today?' Dr. Afzal Ashraf
Tuesday, 28th March, 2023
43 Lancaster Gate, London, W2 3NA and Online
See photos here
Video of speech here
Dr Afzal Ashraf addressed the difficult topic of the invasion of Iraq by the 'coalition of the willing' on March 20th 2003. The twentieth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was an appropriate time to reflect on the reasons given for the invasion and the mistakes that followed in building a nation to replace the regime that was toppled.
Dr Afzal Ashraf is formerly a University Teacher in International Relations, Politics and History at the University of Loughborough and the University of Nottingham. He has broad experience of International Relations and security issues, both as a practitioner and as an academic. This includes service as a senior officer in the UK Armed Forces in operations ranging from famine relief in Africa to stabilisation operations in the South Atlantic, deterrence support in the Cold War and strategic aspects of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has worked in support of diplomacy in the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in information fusion, analysis and communication in some of UK’s security-related government departments. He is very qualified to speak on this issue and to have led the discussion that followed.