GSI at TBCFR Dinner with Dr. Mudhafar A. Amin

Two Upper School students who are participants in Shorecrest’s Global Scholars Initiative program, Will M and Kyle M, attended a talk by Dr. Mudhafar A. Amin at the Tampa Bay Council on Foreign Relations dinner on February 22.

 

Dr. Amin held various positions in the Iraqi government from 1985 until 2003. He noted that he was present in many discussions with Saddam Hussein during this time period. Prior to his government appointments, he was a professor at several Iraqi universities in the 1970’s. Dr. Amin received degrees from Marquette University, Wisconsin-Whitewater and his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom.

 

Dr. Amin spoke about the Iran/Iraq War and an “agricultural deal” struck between Iraq and the U.S. that allowed Iraqi scientists to assemble chemical weapons to be used against Iran. Later, the U.S. condemned the use of these chemical weapons. According to Dr. Amin, this was the start of deteriorating relations between the two countries.

In the lead up to Operation Desert Storm, Dr. Amin mentioned an interesting story about horizontal drilling, originating from inside Kuwait and then proceeding under the border into Iraq. Furthermore, he specified several critiques of Saddam Hussein and his authoritarian style of governance. Finally, Dr. Amin described the controversial lead up to the 2003 U.S. led invasion in Iraq.