Lt. Col. Ed Rau (retired). Courtesy/AAUW

AAUW News:

Lt. Col. Ed Rau (retired) will discuss the political situation in the Middle East at a public forum sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20 at Mesa Public Library (upstairs meeting rooms).  

Rau will focus especially on the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Iraq, Turkey, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.

He will discuss the historical background, current players, costs of conflicts and possible hopeful outcomes in the context of the differences and similarities among the countries. In light of the continuing turbulence in this area, this will be a most timely presentation, Marilyn Doolen of AAUW said.

Rau attended the Defense Intelligence Agency’s area study for Iran and Afghanistan and completed an 11-month course in Farsi at the State Department Language School. He was a military attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan (1966-1968).

Rau retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Air Force after 27 years. He then graduated from law school and practiced as a trial attorney for 15 years. He has traveled widely in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia.

Rau was part of a team of non-governmental observers during the famine in Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan in 1985.