BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Detroit X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Detroit BEGIN:VEVENT UID:35250@arabamerica.com DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T124500 DTSTAMP:20251014T171804Z URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/governing-iraq-after-the-election-i mplications-for-iraq-u-s-relations/ SUMMARY:Governing Iraq After the Election: Implications for Iraq- U.S. Rela tions DESCRIPTION:\n\nWASHINGTON\, DC\nAbout this event\n\nGovernment • Interna tional Affairs\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout This Event:\n\nCo-sponsored by the Schoo l of International Service (SIS) Dean's Office\, the Global Kurdish Initia tive for Peace at SIS is pleased to host panel discussion on the implicati ons of Iraq’s parliamentary elections on the country’s domestic politi cs and its impact on the U.S.-Iraq relations.\n\nIraq is going to hold its parliamentary elections on November 11\, 2025. More than a hundred coalit ions\, parties\, and independent lists representing a broad political spec trum\, from forces hostile to Washington to those seeking an unconditional alliance\, will seek to contest 329 seats.\n\nIn recent years\, Iraq has tried to adopt a balanced approach toward its neighbors and the West. Whet her this will continue or shift could be influenced by the distribution of parliamentary seats and the post-election negotiations to form the larges t bloc capable of establishing the next government.\n\nThe current Prime M inister\, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani\, generally considered a moderate figure with limited power\, is seeking a second term. He has formed his own list and fielded his candidates. However\, history is not on his side. Since 2 003\, only one Iraqi prime minister has secured a second term. Political p arties have traditionally preferred to elevate weak or relatively unknown figures to the premiership to ensure they are manageable and do not threat en entrenched political and economic interests.\n\nSpeakers include Jennif er Gavito\, Senior Advisor at the Cohen Group and former Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs\; Sarhang Ham asaeed\, former Director for Middle East Programs at the United States Ins titute of Peace\; and Rend Al-Rahim\, Iraq’s first ambassador to the Uni ted States and former president and co-founder of the Iraq Foundation. The discussion will be moderated by SIS Professor Yerevan Saeed.\n\nThe panel will conclude with a Q&\;A session and Middle Eastern cuisine will be served at the end of the event.\n\nBios:\n\nMs. Jennifer Gavito joined The Cohen Group as a Senior Advisor in 2024 and co-leads the firm’s Middle East practice. A career Senior Foreign Service officer with the rank of Mi nister-Counselor\, Ms. Gavito spent over 25 years at the intersection of i nternational and economic policy in senior diplomatic positions in Washing ton and throughout the Middle East and Europe\, on the staff of the Nation al Security Council\, and as a senior advisor to the Department of Defense .\n\nMs. Gavito served most recently as the Acting Principal Deputy Assist ant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs where she coordinated poli cy recommendations for the Secretary of State and other senior U.S. govern ment leaders and oversaw the work of 22 diplomatic posts in 18 countries t hroughout the Middle East. Prior to that\, she was the Deputy Assistant Se cretary of State for Iraq and Iran. She concurrently served as Deputy Assi stant Secretary of State for Press and Public Diplomacy\, leading hundreds of staff in Washington and throughout the Middle East in strategic commun ications strategy and engagement. Prior to retiring from government servic e\, Ms. Gavito was nominated by President Biden in January 2024 to serve a s the U.S. Ambassador to the State of Libya.\n\nMs. Gavito has held a rang e of leadership roles at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. S he was Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Lon don from 2018–2021\, U.S. Consul General to Bavaria from 2015–2018\, a nd Political Counselor at U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem from 2012–201 5. Earlier assignments include\, among others\, Senior Foreign Policy Advi sor to the Director for Strategy\, Plans\, and Programs (J-5) at the U.S. Africa Command\; Deputy Consul General at U.S. Consulate General Dubai\; D irector for Syria and Lebanon at the National Security Council\; Deputy Di rector for North Africa at the Department of State\; and head of the Econo mic and Commercial Section at U.S. Embassy Beirut. She began her career in public service at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.\n\nMs. Gavito spea ks fluent German and also has Arabic and French language skills. She recei ved the 2024 Presidential Rank Award from President Biden for her extensiv e contributions to public service. She is also the recipient of the Joint Civilian Service Meritorious Commendation Medal from the Department of Def ense and is a six-time recipient of the State Department’s Superior Hono r Award.\n\nMs. Gavito is originally from Kansas City\, Missouri but claim s Colorado as home. She obtained a BA in Economics and International Servi ce from American University. She and her husband Anthony are the proud par ents of two teenage boys.\n\nSarhang Hamasaeed is a professional with more than 20 years of experience as a leader\, manager\, strategist\, trainer\ , analyst\, writer\, and public speaker. His expertise spans development\, governance\, and peacebuilding across governmental\, non-governmental\, p rivate sector\, and media organizations.\n\nFrom February 2011 until July 2025\, he worked at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington\, DC\ , serving as director of various Middle East programs from 2016 onward. Hi s areas of focus included political and conflict analysis\, problem-solvin g dialogue processes\, reconciliation and post-conflict stabilization\, et hnic and religious minorities\, and organizational development. In additio n\, his policy work encompassed analysis of U.S. bilateral relations with countries in the region and the broader U.S. role in the Middle East.\n\nS ince 2014\, he has been a regular lecturer at the U.S. State Department’ s Foreign Service Institute\, covering topics such as challenges and oppor tunities to governance in Iraq\, the fight against ISIS and violent extrem ism\, and broader Middle East dynamics.\n\nIn events and briefings\, he co vers Iraq\, Syria\, Yemen\, and the Gulf as well as regional (e.g.\, Iran\ , Türkiye/Turkey\, and the GCC) and global power competition (e.g.\, the U.S and China). He provides analysis and interviews to U.S. and internatio nal media. He has served as a member on the Task Force on the Future of Ir aq\, the Rebuilding Societies Working Group\, and U.S.-Europe-Iraq Track I I Dialogue — all initiatives by the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Ce nter for the Middle East.\n\nHis prior positions include deputy director g eneral at the Council of Ministers of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (2008-2009)\, where he managed strategic government modernization in itiatives through information technology with the goal of helping improve governance and service delivery\; program manager for the Research Triangl e Institute International (2003-2004)\, where he managed civic engagement and local democratic governance programs in Iraq\; planning and relations manager at Kurdistan Save the Children (1997-2002)\; and correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and other international media organizations.\n\nHe holds a master’s degree in international development policy from Duke Un iversity (2007) and is a Fulbright alumnus.\n\nRend Al-Rahim is a nonresid ent senior fellow with the Iraq Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Mid dle East programs. Al-Rahim is the former president and co-founder of the Iraq Foundation\, a Washington-based nonprofit promoting democracy\, human rights\, and civil society in Iraq. A leading expert on Iraqi politics an d civic development\, she served as Iraq’s first ambassador to the Unite d States from 2003 to 2005\, following the fall of Saddam Hussein.\n\nAl-R ahim has advised and collaborated with numerous institutions\, including t he United States Institute of Peace—where she was a senior fellow—and academic centers such as Princeton University\, Georgetown University\, an d the University of Pennsylvania. She has testified before the US Congress and remains a frequent commentator on Iraqi affairs in international medi a.\n\nShe is the co-author of The Arab Shi’a: Forgotten Muslims and has contributed widely to scholarship on Iraq’s constitution\, transitional justice\, and national reconciliation. Al-Rahim holds a BA and MA from the University of Cambridge and an MA from the University of Sorbonne.\n\nYer evan Saeed (moderator) is the Barzani scholar-in-residence in the Departme nt of Politics\, Governance &\; Economics at American University’s Sc hool of International Service\, where he also serves as director of the Gl obal Kurdish Initiative for Peace. Saeed is a nonresident senior fellow wi th the Iraq Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs. H is research focuses on the political economy\, energy politics\, conflict resolution\, and Kurdish studies\, with emphasis on Iraq\, Turkey\, Iran\, the Gulf states\, and the broader Middle East.\n\nSaeed has held academic and research positions including lecturer at the University of Kurdistan Hewler\, visiting scholar at Arab Gulf Institute\, and associate fellow at the Middle East Research Institute.\n\nProfessionally\, he worked as a Mi ddle East specialist at Stratfor in 2013 and served as the White House cor respondent in Washington\, DC\, for Rudaw TV in 2015\, covering U.S. forei gn policy and regional developments. From 2003 to 2007\, Saeed worked in K urdistan and Iraq as a journalist and translator for prominent internation al outlets including the New York Times\, NPR\, the Wall Street Journal\, BBC\, and the Guardian. These experiences continue to shape his research a nd policy perspectives.\n\nA regular contributor to scholarly and policy d iscourse\, Saeed’s work has appeared on the Atlantic Council\, Arab Gulf States Institute\, the Wilson Center\, the New Lines Institute\, The Dipl omatic Courier\, The Hill\, Fikra Forum (The Washington Institute)\, the M iddle East Institute\, Al Jazeera\, Majalla Magazine\, and Rudaw.\n\nHe is frequently quoted by global media\, including CNN\, Voice of America\, NP R\, S&\;P Global\, Petroleum Economist\, Voice of Russia\, and the Nati onal\, and often presents at international conferences.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nParki ng Information:\n\nParking is available at the School of International Ser vice Garage.\n\nParking rates are $2.00 per hour or $16.00 per day\, and a re paid via the Pay-As-You-Go Machines located in the elevator lobbies or in the front of the parking lot and require your license plate number. Fin d more information here.\n\nGet Tickets Here\n\n\n\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.arabamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2 025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-14-at-1.11.17-PM.png LOCATION:American University\, School of International Service\, Founders R oom\, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW\, Washington\, DC\, DC\, 20016\, United S tates GEO:38.935893;-77.090812 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW\ , Washington\, DC\, DC\, 20016\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE= American University\, School of International Service\, Founders Room:geo: 38.935893,-77.090812 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250309T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR