VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGB #3545/01 3141505
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091505Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0286

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003545 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL SOCI PGOV OEXC OIIP KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: ERBIL RRT: STANDING ROOM ONLY AUDIENCES FOR U.S. ELECTION 
EXPERT 
 
This is an Erbil Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) reporting 
cable. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. With the strong support of Embassy Baghdad's Public Affairs 
Section, RRT Erbil's Public Diplomacy Section brought University of 
Massachusetts-Amherst Professor Mike Hannahan to the Kurdistan 
Region October 26-November 7 for a series of lectures at major 
universities.  Hannahan, the Director of the Civic Initiative 
program at U-Mass, is an expert on American elections and focused 
his talks on the U.S. presidential election.  Hannahan spoke to more 
than 1,100 people at major universities in Dohuk, Erbil, and 
Sulaimaniyah. He moderated a video teleconference (VTC) on the eve 
of the U.S. elections between students at University of 
Kurdistan-Hawler and his own students at U-Mass.  Hannahan delivered 
the keynote remarks at RRT Erbil's election night event, carried 
live by Zagros TV, and also met with the Kurdistan Regional 
Government's Minister for Higher Education. The success of Professor 
Hannahan's program demonstrates that American academics can and 
should come to northern Iraq for extended periods for the purpose of 
building stronger ties between Iraqi and American institutions. End 
Summary. 
 
Lectures at Dohuk University... 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. Professor Hannahan's first stop was Dohuk University, which 
routinely hosts visiting faculty members from European universities 
and whose leadership has frequently asked for USG support in 
bringing U.S. academics to the school.  Hannahan gave two lectures 
at the university about the U.S. presidential election:  a lengthy 
talk to more than 100 students from the colleges of law and arts and 
a smaller session with about 50 faculty members.  The lectures were 
so well-received that the Dohuk provincial government asked Hannahan 
to deliver an unscheduled third lecture to an enthusiastic audience 
of approximately 120 leading local politicians from all the 
province's major parties.  Dohuk University President Dr. Asmat 
Khalid told RRT PD officers that Hannahan's visit was "exactly" what 
he "had been hoping for," noting that he believed it was a historic 
first step in building a strong relationship between Dohuk 
University and U-Mass. 
 
 
...Sulaimaniyah University... 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. Hannahan then traveled to the Sulaimaniyah University, where he 
delivered two lectures.  The first was a lengthy presentation and 
Q&A session with approximately 160 students from the political 
science department and the law college, many of whom stood or sat in 
the aisles once the auditorium's seats were filled.  As in Dohuk, 
Hannahan also held a small seminar on the election with a group of 
about 30 faculty members and graduate students.  Sulaimaniyah 
University President Dr. Ali Saeed pleaded for more interaction with 
American academics, stressing to RRT PD officers that such visits 
were badly needed after the long intellectual isolation of the 
Ba'athist era.  While in Suly, Hannahan also met with the Acting 
Chancellor of American University in Iraq-Sulaimaniyah (AUI-S) to 
discuss future cooperation between U-Mass and AUI-S. 
 
...and a Full Schedule in Erbil 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5. Hannahan capped his visit to the Kurdistan Region with a 
multi-day stay in Erbil, where he was hosted by the University of 
Kurdistan-Hawler.  In addition to delivering a lecture to more than 
200 students, Hannahan hosted a video teleconference (VTC) on 
November 3 between his students at U-Mass and an audience of about 
250 UK-H students, faculty, and officials from the KRG's Ministry of 
Higher Education.  The VTC was a huge hit, receiving significant 
media coverage both in the Amherst area and in Erbil.  A UK-H 
faculty member told RRT PD officers that the VTC, which was 
conducted in English, "absolutely electrified" the UK-H students. 
"I've never seen the students so excited about something," she 
added.  Professor Hannahan also delivered keynote remarks at RRT 
Erbil's election night event, which was attended by nearly 300 VIPs 
from throughout the Kurdistan Region and covered live by a major 
satellite TV network (Zagros). 
 
¶6. During his stay in Erbil, Professor Hannahan met with KRG 
Minister of Higher Education Dr. Idris Salih.  Salih accompanied 
Hannahan to Salahaddin University, where Hannahan delivered a 
lecture to approximately 200 students and faculty members on the 
result of the U.S. presidential election and its likely impact on 
both American domestic and foreign policy. 
 
Logistics Note 
-------------- 
 
¶7. Programming Dr. Hannahan was made much easier by the willingness 
of local Iraqi institutions to take the lead in handling logistics. 
 
He traveled to Erbil via Austrian Airlines and was treated by his 
host universities like any other foreign visitor. He stayed at 
hotels in Dohuk and Sulaimaniyah and in a UK-H faculty apartment 
complex in Erbil.  His local transportation and security 
arrangements were handled entirely by his host institutions. In his 
out-briefing with RRT PD officers before his departure, Professor 
Hannahan stressed that he was completely comfortable with the 
universities taking the lead, noting that the Kurdistan Region is 
"the safest place I've ever been."  What this demonstrates is that 
the Kurdish region is a safe and desirable destination for 
USG-funded educational and cultural experts. 
 
Comment:  More, Please 
----------------------- 
 
¶8. Mike Hannahan's host institutions and the KRG Ministry of Higher 
Education have a simple message for the USG:  thank you for making 
the visit possible and please send more professors!  With the full 
support of KRG Minister of Higher Education Idris Salih, Dohuk 
University President Asmat Khalid has gone beyond asking for 
short-term visitors and called for placing a Fulbright scholar at 
Dohuk University.  The school, he emphasized to us, needs U.S. 
academics to stay on campus for longer periods of time, ideally one 
semester or even an academic year.  Given the success of Professor 
Hannahan's visit, which proved that the Kurdistan Region's 
universities are capable of hosting American academics with minimal 
USG involvement, we would ask that ECA give all due consideration to 
Dr. Asmat's request. End Comment 
 
¶9. RRT Erbil also wishes to acknowledge that Hannahan's visit to the 
Kurdistan Region would not have been possible without the strong 
support of Embassy Baghdad's Public Affairs Section, and the 
Fulbright Program Manager Jay Taylor, in particular. 
 
CROCKER