Behzad Roohi returned to the U.S. in December after spending over three years in Shindand District, Herat, Afghanistan as a USAID Foreign Service field program officer.  Roohi worked with the district government on development, governance, and security issues; managed and monitored more than $4 million worth of USAID-funded projects; served as development advisor to ISAF and Coalition forces; and was the sole international election observer for the district, Afghanistan’s largest, during the 2010 Parliamentary elections.  Prior to this, our speaker served in Qatar as a linguist and cultural analyst for Afghanistan and Iraq with McNeil Technologies (2009); worked stateside as a senior policy analyst for Iran with JTG-Inc. (2007-09) and as a regional recruitment officer with the U.S. Peace Corps (2002-07); and in Ghana as a U.S. Peace Corps community/youth development officer (1998-2000).  Roohi holds an M.S. Peace Operations, George Mason University; and B.A. International Affairs, The George Washington University.  He will be discussing the role of civilians in facilitating and streamlining the civ-mil operation in a conflict zone, based on his experience working at a district level in Afghanistan.

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand

Speaker: Robert Crowley, Executive Vice-President, Halcyon Group International, LLC

Bob Crowley recently returned to the U.S. after serving as the senior governance and development advisor to General David Petraeus’ Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team in Afghanistan (2010-11), primarily focused on efforts taking place in Kandahar, Helmand, and Kabul. Prior to that, he commanded a Civil Affairs brigade with four subordinate battalions providing full spectrum civil-military planning and execution capabilities to Corps and below elements in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the U.S. Pacific Command area of operations (2008-10). Crowley was the lead military planner for all Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq (2007), where he developed, implemented, and resourced comprehensive operational concepts for the employment of 24 teams supporting stabilization and counterinsurgency efforts. He also served as chief, Civil Affairs and deputy chief, Information Operations, U.S. Southern Command (2003-2005), where he was responsible for theater-wide civil affairs and demining operations in Latin America and the Caribbean; influence operations designed to reduce ungoverned spaces throughout the area, with a focus on counterinsurgency and stability operations in Colombia, Ecuador, and Haiti; and the interagency synchronization necessary to achieve U.S. government policy objectives. Crowley holds a M.S. National Security Strategy from the National War College, and a B.S. Political Science from the State University of New York. He will be speaking to us about his time serving as a civilian advisor to General Petraeus, and his observations on multinational and interagency operations in conflict environments.

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand

Jonathan Rothenberg recently returned to the D.C. area after working as a field program officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Paktika Province, Afghanistan (2009-12) where he focused on building the capacity of six provincial line directors and the mayor of Sharana.  His effort later resulted in the U.S. brigade command instituting a program where all 20 provincial line directors had American civilian and military partners.  Rothenberg brings to this talk several decades worth of experience in the region.  He served as a technical advisor for the National Skills Development Program and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on the set up of its Labor Market Information Analysis Unit (2008), and a consultant with the U.S.-Afghanistan Reconstruction Council (2006-07).  Rothenberg was head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) field office in Kurgen-Tyube, Tajikistan (1998-99); programme officer in Herat, Afghanistan (1996-98); programme officer for Education & Income Generation, NWFP, Pakistan (1994-96); and a house survey consultant in Balochistan, Pakistan (1993-94).  He further worked as Afghan Trade Apprenticeship project manager for Catholic Relief Services in Balochistan (1990-93), and assistant coordinator for Boy’s Secondary Schools in the NWFP for the International Rescue Committee (1988-90).  Rothenberg holds a B.A. Geology the State University College of New York at New Paltz.

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand

Devin L. Brewer recently returned to the D.C. area after more than one and a half years implementing U.S. Agency for International Development/Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) stabilization/ transition programming in Helmand Province in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, including Afghan government representatives, Afghan NGOs, tribal and village elders, U.S. military/ISAF, U.S. government representatives and other coalition partners and donors.  His talk will center on the Afghanistan Stabilization Initiative’s focus in buttressing the Afghan government’s lead role in responding to the needs and service requests of the people of Afghanistan; and more specifically, in his experience, in Garmsir District of Helmand Province.  Prior to this assignment, our speaker served as an associate, Europe and Eurasia Region, with Chemonics providing operational and project management backstop support for USAID and Millennium Challenge Corporation-funded projects in Bosnia and Albania (2009-10); an intern with USAID’s Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. (2008); an intern with World Vision International in Sarajevo, Bosnia (2008); and a research associate with the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies in Denver, Colorado (2008).  Brewer holds an M.A. International Studies from the University of Denver and a B.A. Psychology and Spanish from Beloit College.

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand, Peace Operations Policy Program, GMU

Philip Trewhitt has long been engaged with corruption and human rights issues.  He presently leads a team for the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Libya investigating war crimes and human rights abuses.  Prior to this Trewhitt served as director of Complex Parliamentary Investigations for the Parliamentary & Health Services Ombudsman, UK (2010-11).  He managed investigations into corruption, fraud, coercion and collusion in development projects worldwide, as well as investigations into staff misconduct, for the U.N. International Fund for Agricultural Development (2007-09); and investigated corruption and fraud amongst U.N. officials and corporate suppliers within U.N. peacekeeping missions (2006-07).  Trewhitt headed the Baghdad Office for the Independent Inquiry Committee into the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program (2004-05) and later transferred to New York to work on investigations into oil companies and European politicians, as well as to produce the final report for the Committee.  As UK Liaison on Transitional Justice and Deputy Senior Adviser to the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights, Coalition Provisional Authority, he was part of the team creating an initial investigations plan for the Iraqi Special Tribunal, identifying suspects and developing early prosecution strategies, as well as providing strategic overview for the initial programs of the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights (2003-04).  Trewhitt implemented initial strategies for basic large-scale analysis of regime documents and an oral history program, both designed to produce leads for criminal investigation and simultaneously build a record of atrocities; and oversaw the construction of evidence storage facilities, recruited and vetted local staff, and then developed training modules for them.  He was legal coordinator for INDICT, an NGO seeking to initiate prosecutions for crimes against humanity (1999-03); and a volunteer researcher on military/legal issues with Amnesty International (1995-97).  Trewhitt holds M.A. War Studies and LLB (Honors) Law degrees from King’s College in London.

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand

This is a special event to mark Rowman & Littlefield’s publication of Bill and Allison’s Book detailing Amb. Farrand’s work in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the tense aftermath of the 1992-95 Bosnian War, Amb. Bill Farrand was assigned the daunting task of implementing the Dayton Peace Accords in ethnically divided Brčko. On the gound between 1997-2000, he exercised wide authority in efforts to restore travel across former cease-fire lines, return thousands to their destroyed and confiscated homes, conduct free and fair elections, and re-establish multiethnic government bodies-all in a climate of obstruction and fear. His story is rich in lessons for all those engaged in or studying peace building abroad.

Opening Words: Dean Edwards Rhodes, School of Public Policy, GMU

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand, Peace Operations Policy Program, SPP/GMU

Leslie S. Lebl served for 24 years with the U.S. Department of State. Some of her postings included work as Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels; Political Advisor to the Commander of Stabilization Forces (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, first in the American sector in Tuzla and then at SFOR headquarters in Sarajevo; and assignments in Russia, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, Bolivia, Germany and Poland, as well as a year as diplomat-in-residence at Yale University. Her talk will focus on the roles and responsibilities of a political advisor, and the value of this position for military commanders. Lebl has a B.A. in history from Swarthmore University and an M.A. in foreign affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Host: Robert W. “Bill” Farrand, Amb. (Ret.), Peace Operations Policy Program, GMU

Paul H. Tyson has spent the last three years engaged in Iraq issues on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. He will join us to discuss his 15 months working as the senior U.S. Embassy official for the newly established Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity. Tyson is currently the Senior Director for International Business at PRO-telligent LLC. Prior to his Iraq work, he had been assigned to State’s Office of the Inspector General (1999-2003) where he evaluated and suggested improvements for the Front Offices, Economic, Political and Public Diplomacy sections of U.S. missions overseas and in Washington, D.C. Other past positions include work in the Bureau of Political Military Affairs Executive Office (1998) to draft an agreement on Department of Defense-State personnel exchanges; in the U.S. Embassy Kuwait (1993-96) where he tracked the $2 billion dollar foreign military sales program; in the U.S. Embassy London (1989-93) where he served as an expert on electricity privatization; and in the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (1988-89) where he negotiated Third World debt resolution. Tyson also served as a civilian observer with the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Peninsula (1985-86). He has a B.A. in Government-Urban Studies from Dartmouth College, a J.D. from George Washington University, and an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College.

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand, Peace Operations Policy Program, GMU

Speaker: Ian McLeod (CMG, OBE, MC, BA), Brigadier (ret.)

Ian McLeod has been engaged with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since 1999, promoting training in the Law of Armed Conflict in more than 40 of the world’s armed forces. He has further been involved, both on training and operations, with NATO, UN and African Union forces to develop a better working understanding between them and humanitarian organizations. Prior to his coming to the ICRC, McLeod was employed in various posts in the peace process in the Former Yugoslavia, including the International Conference on Former Yugoslavia Monitoring Mission, the European Community Monitoring Mission, the Office of the High Representative (Brcko Supervisor’s Office), and the Kosovo Verification Mission (1995-99). Our speaker was a career officer in the British Army, retiring as a brigadier in 1995. He was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment in 1961 and saw early service in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, including operational service in Aden. He has commanded at all levels up to brigade and had been a company and battalion commander on internal security operations in Northern Ireland. McLeod has held staff appointments in the UK Ministry of Defence, in a brigade headquarters and at the British Army Staff College, and has served twice with the U.S. Army. His last military appointment was as Defence Advisor (Attache) in Pakistan. McLeod is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Royal Military College of Science, the Army Staff College and the National Defence College. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Open University.

Host: Amb. (ret.) Robert W. “Bill” Farrand, Peace Operations Policy Program, GMU

Attendees gathered at the Civil Affairs Transitions Roundtable in Founders Hall.

Mason’s Peace Operations Policy program (POPP) and the Reserve Officers Association of the United States sponsored a roundtable on “Civil Affairs Futures,” at Founders Hall in Arlington.

The day-long meeting’s agenda included panels on “Planned Civil Affairs Futures,” “Civil Affairs Legislative, Policy and Doctrinal Changes,” and “Thoughts for the Future.” The meeting also included keynote addresses from Donald L. ‘Larry’ Sampler Jr., USAID principal deputy assistant to the administrator & deputy director of the office of Afghanistan & Pakistan Affairs; and BG Ferdinand Irizarry II, deputy commander of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Two Civil Affairs Association Awards were also presented at the roundtable to the following recipients:

• Col. (Ret.) Doug Nash was given the Ralph R. Temple Award for Outstanding Service Furthering Civil Affairs.
• BG Hugh Van Roosen was given the JohnH. Hilldring Award for Outstanding Civil Affairs Military Service.

For more stories, visit the Currents — Mason School of Public Policy’s online publication.