Former US ambassador to Syria available for interview on Syrian presidential election

EXPERT ALERT

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

 Former US ambassador to Syria available for interview on Syrian presidential election

HOUSTON – (June 4, 2014) – Edward Djerejian, founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Syria, is available to discuss yesterday’s all-but-assured re-election of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Al-Assad’s family has held power in Syria for more than 40 years, and critics decried the election as a sham, along with opposition groups who boycotted the election.

To schedule an interview with Djerejian, contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

Djerejian is a leading expert on the complex political, security, economic, religious and ethnic issues of the Middle East and South Asia. He served in the U.S. Foreign Service under eight presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton. Prior to his nomination by Clinton as U.S. ambassador to Israel, he was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations. He also led the Baker Institute’s U.S.-Syria academic and policy dialogue from 2002 to 2005.

Djerejian is also the author of the book “Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey Through the Middle East.”

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Edward Djerejian photo courtesy Rice University’s Baker Institute.

This news release can be found online at https://news2.rice.edu.

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Djerejian on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EdwardDjerejian @edwarddjerejian

Edward Djerejian biography

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 15 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at http://www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.