The Alaska World Affairs Council Presents

Qubad Talabani
Son of the President of Iraq
Kurdistan Regional Government's Representative to the United States

"The Other Iraq"

Friday, 14th November 2008 – Hilton Hotel
Doors open at 11:30 a.m. - Program begins at 12:00 p.m.
For Reservations
RSVP by Wednesday, 12th November to the Alaska World Affairs Council
by telephone 276-8038 or by email to AlaskaWorldAffairs.org .
Lunch Program $20 for Members - $25 for Non-Members - $6 for Coffee Only

Qubad Talabani serves as the Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to the United States.

In that capacity, Mr. Talabani works closely with the U.S. Government, the media and research institutions providing critical analysis and up-to-date information about the situation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

In the aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom in spring 2003, he served for one year as a Senior Foreign Relations officer for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (a leading Kurdish political party in Iraq), operating mainly out of Baghdad and Suleimani. In that position, he worked closely with the U.S-led Coalition Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA), and was the PUK’s top liaison to the Coalition after it became the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). In addition, while in Iraq, Mr. Talabani was a key PUK negotiator during the drafting of the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), Iraq’s first post-Saddam constitution.

During the period 2001 - 2003, Mr. Talabani served first as a Special Assistant to the then PUK Representative in Washington and then later he served as the Deputy PUK Representative in Washington D.C.

Mr. Talabani is frequently interviewed by the popular press and other publications. He has appeared numerous times to discuss Kurdish and Iraqi issues on major television networks including: CNN, BBC, FOX News, and other American and international networks.

Mr. Talabani’s family has been involved in Kurdish politics for decades. His father, Jalal Talabani, is the President of the Republic of Iraq and Secretary General of the PUK.

Mr. Talabani studied in London and holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering.

He lives with his wife Sherri Kraham in Washington, D.C.