Night Draws Near—Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War

The Open Society Institute's Middle East & North Africa Initiative presented a discussion with Anthony Shadid, whose book Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War (Henry Holt) describes the human story of ordinary Iraqis weathering the unexpected impact of America's invasion and occupation.

Through moving stories of individual Iraqis, Shadid shows how Saddam Hussein's downfall paved the way not just for hopes of democracy but also for the importation and the rise of a bloody insurgency. The book has received numerous accolades, among them the 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest, and an Economist 2005 Best Book of the Year. His first book is Legacy of the Prophet: Despots, Democrats, and the New Politics of Islam. Shadid, a foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.

Anthony Richter, Director of Middle East Initiatives & Associate Director of OSI, introduced the event.

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The Open Forum speaker series aims to enhance policy debate on key issues facing Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, and to raise public awareness of important developments in these regions. Monthly Open Forum events are held in New York and Washington, DC, and are attended by leading policymakers, scholars, NGO staff, and journalists. All events are free of charge.