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Dahr Jamail, the U.S. independent journalist who spent eight months reporting from Iraq between 2003 and 2005, will hold two talks today on the University of Maine campus. The first talk, entitled “Update on Iraq: Future U.S. Plans for the Middle East,” is part of the Socialist and Marxist Studies Series and will take place from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. in the Bangor Lounge of Memorial Union. Jamail’s evening talk is the annual Howard B. Schonberger Peace and Social Justice Lecture, entitled “The Ground Truth Today in Iraq,” and will be held in the Donald P. Corbett Business Building at 7:30 p.m.
Jamail, who formerly worked as a mountain guide in Denali National Park and Reserve and wrote for an independent Alaskan newspaper, quickly became dissatisfied and weary of the U.S. media coverage of the conflict in Iraq. He went overseas “to accurately report on the realities of the war in Iraq,” according to his Web site, www.dahrjamailiraq.com.
“I think very highly of Dahr Jamail’s journalistic work in Iraq,” said Professor Douglas Allen, who will introduce each of Jamail’s two talks. “He consistently provides information and analysis of what is actually happening in Iraq that is not reported by the corporate media. If you read his reports, you have a much deeper and more accurate picture of what is happening and why the U.S. war and occupation has been such a disaster for Iraq and for the United States.”
Jamail now reports for the Inter Press Service, the Asia Times, Democracy Now! and the BBC in print, radio and television, and his works have been translated into nearly a dozen languages. The prolific journalist also updates his Web site regularly, adding reports to his blog.
Maine artist Robert Shetterly included Dahr Jamail in his “Americans Who Tell The Truth” series. “Since an informed citizenry is the basis for a healthy democracy, independent, non-corporate media are more crucial today than ever before,” reads a quote from Jamail on Shetterly’s site, www.americanswhotellthetruth.org.
“Dahr Jamail was chosen as this year’s speaker by the Howard B. Schonberger Peace and Social Justice Memorial Lecture Committee. The goal of the committee is to choose speakers who are both scholars and activists, as was my late husband, Howard,” said Ann Schonberger, widow of the foundation’s namesake. Schonberger added that a reception will take place after the evening event.
“I’m very excited by Dahr Jamail’s visit,” said Allen. “This should be one of the highlights of the fall semester. This is a wonderful opportunity for students, faculty, and other members of the university community to be challenged, to learn a lot, and to be inspired by Dahr Jamail’s example.”
Bangor Daily News