“We have three wars going. The first is in Afghanistan, where we are toppling the Taliban regime and trying to get a new one going in its place. The second is the “war on terrorism”, a range of actions against Osama bin Laden and his like. The third is the Middle East war whose heart is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The war on terrorism cannot achieve its goals, however we define them, unless a peace agreement is reached by, or imposed on, the Israelis and Palestinians. To make our way from our three wars into a world more or less at peace will be challenging beyond words. It will require not overwhelming military force, but overwhelming patience, and wisdom. It will require statesmanship. It will require clear-sighted leaders and far-sighted followers. It will be hard.” These are excerpts from a recent article by Ambassador Jack Perry, who will discuss his views on these topics.

Jack Perry's diplomatic career as a US Foreign Service Officer included service at NATO Headquarters, as well as US Embassies in Moscow, Paris, Prague, and Stockholm. He was the US Ambassador to Bulgaria from 1979 to 1981. Ambassador Perry was the John C. West Professor of Government and International Studies at the Citadel in the mid 1980s, and was the Director of the Dean Rusk Program in International Studies at Davidson College from 1985 to 1995. His experiences also include service in the US Army, and reporting for the Associated Press. Dr. Perry's Masters and Doctorate degrees are from Columbia University.