A bachelor of arts in English can take you far. For Whitman alumnus and former United States Ambassador Ryan Crocker, it took him to Iraq.
Crocker sat down with history professor David Schmitz to discuss the future of Iraq on Tuesday, April 28 in Cordiner Hall. He will return to campus in May to deliver the 2009 commencement address entitled “Lessons from a Long War.” Rather than describing a country in turmoil, however, Crocker was cautiously optimistic about Iraqi sovereignty after all United States military forces are withdrawn from the country by the end of 2011.
“We’re six years into the new Iraq. It’s still just the beginning of the story,” said Crocker in front of a crowded auditorium of Whitman students, faculty and Walla Walla community members. “The development of a state and society takes substantial amount of time.”
He pointed to several recent developments in Iraq, such as the January provincial elections, this month’s election of new Iraqi Parliament speaker Ayad al-Samarrai and the Iraqi government’s plan to send up to 10,000 Iraqi students abroad for undergraduate and graduate education. Crocker also said that decreasing violence levels in the country are a sign that the situation is slowly stabilizing, and that the United States needs to stick with its current plan in Iraq.
“If the Iraqi experiment succeeds,” Crocker said, “it can provide an example for the rest of the world.”
According to Associate to the President Jed Schwendiman, these words may be echoed in Crocker’s commencement address.
“Undoubtedly, he will have some amazing stories to tell and good advice to pass along,” said Schwendiman.
Crocker graduated from Whitman in 1971 and is a 38 year veteran of the United States Foreign Service. Former United States President George W. Bush awarded him the rank of Career Ambassador, the highest rank in the Foreign Service, in 2004. On Jan. 8, 2007, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice nominated Crocker as Ambassador to Iraq. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Crocker retired in February of this year.
In a 2007 congressional address with General David Petraeus, Crocker reported the progress of the Iraqi government and stated his belief that “a secure, stable Iraq at peace with its neighbors is attainable.”
“Ryan Crocker is one of the most experienced, talented and respected U.S. Ambassadors,” Schwendiman said. “He was given one of the most challenging jobs imaginable and handled his work admirably.”
While at Whitman, Crocker toured campus with senior Willie Kunkel and met with history students taking the “U.S. & Wars with Iraq” class. After a lunch with President George Bridges and ten students, Crocker, a former TKE, paid a visit to the TKE house.
Schwendiman expressed his enthusiasm at the prospect of Crocker’s commencement address.
“What make this so special for us is that he is a product of Whitman College and often credits the faculty members who he worked with at Whitman with making significant contributions to his success,” Schwendiman said. “We all have something to learn from his story.”
