ABOUT THE GUESTS
Ribal
al-Assad
Founder and Director, Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria
Ribal Al-Assad is the Founder and Director of the Organization for Democracy and Freedom in Syria. He is an international campaigner for democracy, freedom and human rights. Ribal, 37, was born in Syria and has lived in the West since being exiled from his country as a child. He brings new ideas and perspectives to campaigning for democracy and freedom in Syria and the Middle East and is a regular speaker on political and human rights platforms. Ribal regularly interacts with politicians, civil servants, academics, journalists, think tanks, pro-democracy, and human rights groups all around the world.
Tamara
Cofman Wittes
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (Obama Administration)
Tamara Cofman Wittes is a senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings. Wittes served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs from November of 2009 to January 2012, coordinating U.S. policy on democracy and human rights in the Middle East during the Arab uprisings. Wittes also oversaw the Middle East Partnership Initiative and served as deputy special coordinator for Middle East transitions. She writes on U.S. Middle East policy, regional conflict and conflict resolution, the challenges of global democracy, and the future of Arab governance.
Douglas
Feith
Former Undersecretary of Defense For Policy (Bush Administration)
Douglas J. Feith served as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from July 2001 until August 2005. In that position, he helped devise the U.S. government’s strategy for the war on terrorism and contributed to policy for the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns. Mr. Feith’s duties included managing the Defense Department’s international relations and representing the Department in interagency policy making. War and Decision, Mr. Feith’s best-selling memoir of his Pentagon work on the war on terrorism, was published in 2008.