NPC Newsmaker Program: Writer, Foreign Service Officer Peter Van Buren to Discuss State Department Actions Against His Expose on Waste and Fraud in Iraq

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Oct 24, 2011, 11:39 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Foreign Service Officer Peter Van Buren will talk about and take questions on his new book about the State Department's failed reconstruction efforts in Iraq, "We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People." For daring to write about the waste and corruption he experienced in Iraq, Van Buren has become the target of State Department actions to silence him, including the suspension of his security clearance, attempts to retroactively redact his book and a criminal investigation over a Wikileaks link on his blog at www.wemeantwell.com.

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WHEN: 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27

WHERE: National Press Club, National Press Building, 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C.

As a Foreign Service Officer, Van Buren volunteered for Iraq service and was assigned to ePRT duty from 2009-10. His tour extended past the withdrawal of the last combat troops. His experiences while serving there became the basis for his book.

Van Buren has served with the Foreign Service for over 23 years and received numerous awards and citations for his work. Previous assignments include Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the UK and Hong Kong. During his time at State, he has worked extensively with the military in Japan, Korea and Iraq.

Van Buren's appearance is as a private citizen and is on the record for attribution. The views expressed are solely his own and do not in any way represent the views of the Department of State, the Department of Defense or any other entity of the US Government. The Department of State does not approve, endorse or authorize his remarks.

SOURCE National Press Club