As President Barack Obama prepared a speech regarding the future direction of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq was at Fort Leavenworth on Tuesday to discuss the nature of those and other conflicts in the region.
Ryan Crocker, who retired earlier this year, had served as an ambassador to Iraq since 2007; an ambassador to Pakistan from 2004 to 2007; an ambassador to Syria from 1998 to 2001; an ambassador to Kuwait from 1994 to 1997; and an ambassador to Lebanon from 1990 to 1993.
Drawing from that experience as well as that as his stint as the first director of governance for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, he shared some “lessons from a long war” with students and staff at the Command and General Staff College.
Throughout his time working with various countries in the Middle East from the 1980s until now, he said he has learned some hard lessons.
“Be careful what you’re getting into,” Crocker said, was one of the main lessons.
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Fort Leavenworth, Kan. —
