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OAKLAND, Calif., Apr. 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- Following is a summary of news sources who are willing to discuss issues related to the history of Iraq and the Middle East. Each of these organizations issued news releases on the AScribe newswire. This summary of sources is provided by AScribe as a service for the media.

Jillian Schwedler / University of Maryland

Schwedler, professor of political science, can discuss the politics of the Islamic world and increasing political repression by Arab regimes. He is an editor of the journal "Middle East Report;" and wrote "Towards Civil Society in the Middle East? A Primer." He is also author of the forthcoming book, "Faith in Democracy? Framing Political Islam in Jordan and Yemen." Contact Schwedler at (h) 914-725-0794, (c) 917-309-9056 or (o) 301-405-4115 (office); jschwedler@gvpt.umd.edu.

William Ochsenwald / Virginia Tech

Ochsenwald, professor of history, is the author of "The Middle East: A History." He can discuss the national identity and cohesiveness of Iraq, the impact of Islam in the current crisis, Islamic radicalism, the history of nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism in the modern Middle East, and U.S. relations with the Middle East. Contact Ochsenwald at (h) 540-951-0269, ochsen@vt.edu.

Afshin Matin-asgari / California State University, Los Angeles

Matin-asgari, assistant professor of history; has specialized in 20th-century Middle East, modern Iran, and modern Islamic political and intellectual movements. He has published articles in "Iranian Studies," "Critique," "South Asia Bulletin" and other academic journals and is author of the book, "Iranian Student Opposition to the Shah" Matin-asgari teaches various courses in Middle East history, world history, Islam, and comparative religion. Contact Carol Selkin, Cal State L.A. Media Relations, at (o) 323-343-3044.

Mark Wegner / Tulane University

Wegner, professor of history, has worked as an Arabic translator at the U.N. and lived in the Middle East for several years. He can discuss the history of the Middle East, Islamic culture, reasons for terrorism and anti-U.S. sentiment in the Arab world. Contact Wegner at (o) 504-862-8602; mwegner@tulane.edu.

James Piazza / Meredith College

Piazza, assistant professor of political science, can discuss issues relating to current issues in the Middle East, including the conflict with Iraq. Piazza teaches the course, "The United States and the Middle East," which examines both politics within several Middle Eastern countries and explores the history and structure of United States foreign policy towards Middle Eastern countries. Contact Piazza at (o) 919-760-8555; piazzaj@meredith.edu. Alternate contact: Melyssa Allen, Media Relations, 919-760-8455; allenme@meredith.edu.

Nazif Shahrani / Indiana University, Bloomington

Shahrani, chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, is a native of Afghanistan. Shahrani, a professor of anthropology, is familiar with conditions in Afghanistan and Iraq and has strong views about the long-term effects of a war with Iraq. Contact Shahrani at (o) 812-855-5993 or (h) 812-332-8868; shahrani@indiana.edu.

Zaineb Istrabadi / Indiana University, Bloomington

Istrabadi, associate director of the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Program, is an Iraqi-American woman who is very well informed about conditions in Iraq. She has relatives there and is willing to speak to reporters. Her fields are Islamic studies and Arabic languages and literatures. Contact Istrabadi at (o) 812-856-0372, 812-855-5993 or (h) 812-339-9263; zistraba@indiana.edu

Richard Pfaff / University of Colorado, Boulder

Pfaff, professor emeritus of political science, previously lived in Iran and Turkey and is an expert on the Middle East and world affairs. He can address the politics of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf War. Pfaff has given expert testimony on Middle Eastern affairs in Congressional hearings, has been a consultant to the Department of Defense and taught classes on the Persian Gulf crisis in 1989-90. Contact Pfaff at 303-499-4060.

Bruce W. Jentleson / Duke University

Jentleson, director of Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, is an expert on the Middle East. He served as a senior outside foreign policy adviser to former Vice President Al Gore and was involved in Middle East peace process during Clinton administration. His most recent book is "American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century." Contact Jentleson at (o) 919- 613-7309; bwj@pps.duke.edu.

Lynn Zastoupil / Rhodes College

Zastoupil, associate professor of history, rhas specialized in the British imperial past in Iraq -- the period from 1915 to 1945. Contact Ginny Davis, Rhodes College Communications Office, at 901-843-3470; vdavis@rhodes.edu.

James Devine / McGill University

Devine, a sessional lecturer in political science, specializes in the politics of Iran, the international relations of the Gulf region and Middle East foreign policy. Contact him at (o) 514-398-8960 or 514-398-4800; jdev@generation.net.

Jeannie Sowers / University of Iowa

Sowers, visiting instructor in political science, is an authority on the history and politics in the Middle East and is currently teaching a course on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Contact Sowers at (o) 319-335-2574; jeannie-sowers@uiowa.edu.

Dwight Simpson / San Francisco State University

Simpson, professor of international relations, is a scholar on the history of conflicts in the Middle East. For many years he has taught a popular course on the political, cultural, economic and military aspects of the Middle East. Contact Simpson at (o) 415-338-2239 or (h) 510-527-5306; djsimp@sfsu.edu

Ken Cuno / University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Ken Cuno, professor of history and director of the Program in South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, is a historian of the modern Middle East with 30 years' experience studying the region. He is teaching "History and Civilization of the Islamic Middle East, Seventh-20th Centuries" and "The Middle East in the 20th Century." Contact Cuno at (o) 217-244-2092; k-cuno@staff.uiuc.edu.

Alan Richards / University of California, Santa Cruz

Richards is a professor of environmental studies and coauthor of the book, "A Political Economy of the Middle East." He has been a frequent consultant to the State Department and the Department of Defense on Middle Eastern affairs during the past 10 years. Contact Richards at (o) 831-459-4662; arr@ucsc.edu.

Patricia Woods / University of Florida

Woods is assistant professor of comparative politics and Jewish studies,. Her regional focus is Israel and modern Middle East politics. Her research centers on comparative law and society, particularly law, religion and politics, including gender politics, in Israel. In addition, she teaches about Islamic religious resurgence, Islamic law and politics, and women in the Middle East. She currently is a visiting scholar at Harvard University. Contact Woods at pjwoods@polisci.ufl.edu or pjwoods@fas.harvard.edu.

Sanjoy Banerjee / San Francisco State University

Banerjee, associate professor of international relations, studies the rise of the Taliban and political issues in Afghanistan and Iraq. Banerjee is also knowledgeable about U.S. foreign policy and the Middle East. Contact Banerjee at either (o) 415-338-1105 or (h) 650-589-3224; banerjee@sfsu.edu

Guity Nashat / University of Illinois, Chicago

Guity Nashat, UIC associate professor of history, can discuss the war's impact on the Middle East; reaction in the Middle East to war with Iraq; life in Iraq under Saddam Hussein; and the differences between the people of Iraq and Hussein. Nashat, who was born in Iraq, is a scholar of contemporary Middle East issues, with a special focus on women's issues and the countries of Iraq and Iran. Contact Nashat at (o) 312-996-3144 or (h) 773-363-8777; gnashat@uic.edu. Alternate contact: Anne Dybek at (o) 312-996-8279; adybek@uic.edu

Kevin Freeman / University of Alabama, Birmingham

Freeman, an assistant professor in the department of government, is an expert on the Middle East and Turkey. He has taught classes on war and peace in the Middle East, international relations, comparative politics, global policy issues, international organizations and politics and the media. Contact Gail Short, UAB Media Relations, at 205-934-8931; gshort@uab.edu.

Rex Honey / University of Iowa

Honey, professor of geography, can speak about Middle East history, geography, people, as well as human rights issues. Contact Honey at (o) 319-335-0154; rex-honey@uiowa.edu.

David Commins / Dickinson College

Commins, professor of history, is an expert in modern Middle East history. He can address regional political aspects (how an American invasion and occupation may affect U.S. position in the Middle East. Contact Commins at (o) 717- 245-1218 or (h) 717-303-1666; commins@dickinson.edu.