VANCOUVER – Seymour Hersh, the investigative reporter from the “New Yorker” whose stunning reports on prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib made headlines around the world, will speak at Skyview High School, 7:30 p.m., April 4. He will confront the essential questions facing America as we approach a presidential election in his presentation titled: “Chain of Command: How We Got from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib.”
Hersh, one of America’s premier investigative reporters, will address several questions: How did we get from the clear morning when hijackers
crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to a divisive and dirty war in Iraq? And who was ultimately responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib?
Hours after the 9/11 attacks, “New Yorker” editor David Remnick told Hersh by phone to get on the story and take it as far as he could. What emerged is, in many ways, an alternative history of the last three years: one in which Saudi princes are caught in intercepts discussing bribes and the payment of what amounts to protection money to fundamentalists; an intelligence shop in the Pentagon “stovepipes” shoddy information directly to decision makers; and hawks in and around the White House deceive themselves as much as the public in their drive to war.
The presentation is the keynote for the Annual Public Affairs Distinguished Lecture series, sponsored by the Associated Students of WSU Vancouver, the WSU Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service, and The Columbian newspaper (official media sponsor). Additional funding and support was provided by the WSU Vancouver Office of the Chancellor. Tickets for the event cost $10 plus a one dollar service fee. To purchase, call 1-800-992-TIXX, or purchase online at http://www.ticketswest.com. Skyview High School is located at 1300 NW 139th St., Vancouver.
Seymour Hersh has published eight books, most recently, “Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib.” He has also won two Investigative Reporters & Editors prizes, in 1983 and1992. In 2004, Hersh won a National Magazine Award. For more information on this event, visit http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/events/hersh/.
An afternoon symposium featuring William Schulz, former executive director of Amnesty International, also takes place as part of this year’s Annual Public Affairs Distinguished Lecture series at 3 p.m. April 4, in the Administration Building lecture hall 110. The presentation by Schulz is free and open to the public. For more information on the Schulz event, see http://www.vancouver.wsu.ed/events/schulz.
