To understand the current conflict that has engulfed the Middle East, namely Iraq and Syria, one needs to understand the various international players, particularly Turkey. Critically acclaimed author Elliot Ackerman who has traveled extensively through the region and who has made his home in Istanbul, will provide an overview of the Syrian civil war, the fight to re-take Iraq from the Islamic State, and the current political crackdown which has shaken Turkey. Through his interviews with both former al-Qaeda members and Syrian democratic activists, as well as his recent coverage of the offensive to re-take Mosul, Ackerman will discuss the challenges facing this region in personal terms as well as his new novel, Dark at the Crossing, which deals with the same.
Over the course of his talk, Ackerman will discuss interviews he conducted with one member of al-Qaeda in Iraq, whom he fought against when he was a Marine Corps officer in al-Anbar. This anecdote gives the talk its name, “The Fourth War,” which comes from a quote by Albert Einstein. His story will also lay the groundwork for the challenges facing the United States in the region.
Elliot Ackerman is the critically acclaimed author of the novels Dark at the Crossing and Green on Blue. He is based out of Istanbul, where he has covered the Syrian Civil War since 2013. His writings have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New Republic and The New York Times Magazine, among other publications, and his stories have been included in The Best American Short Stories. He is both a former White House Fellow and a Marine, and has served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart.
Ackerman's book Dark at the Crossing will be available for purchase at the event.
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