Media Inquiries: Véronique Rodman
vrodman@aei.org; 202.862.4870
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 14, 2008
The following AEI scholars are available to discuss:
- the military situation in Georgia and its separatist territories since August 8, 2008;
- the military and political developments earlier in 2008 that led to the current hostilities;
- the role of the Russian military in the current clashes;
- Russian political motivations and the history of Russia's role in the Caucasus;
- European responses to the conflict in the past and present.
Frederick W. Kagan
Resident Scholar
Contact: fkagan@aei.org; please copy his assistant, Ariel Farrar-Wellman, at ariel.wellman@aei.org (or call 202.862.5929)
Kagan, who began his career as a Soviet and East European historian, has studied and written extensively about Russian military history and American defense strategy. Today, Kagan uses both areas of expertise to track recent developments in the Russo-Georgian conflict. His regular updates and insights on the situation in Georgia since the beginning of hostilities can be found at www.aei.org/publication28464/.
Gary J. Schmitt
Resident Scholar and Director of Advanced Strategic Studies
Contact: gschmitt@aei.org; please copy his assistant, Charlie Szrom, at charlie.szrom@aei.org (or call 202.862.5855)
Mauro De Lorenzo
Resident Fellow
Contact: mauro.delorenzo@aei.org; please copy his assistant, David Peyton, at david.peyton@aei.org (or call 202.862.5946)
Schmitt and De Lorenzo have both closely followed Georgia's democratic transition and development as a robust, enthusiastic American ally; most recently, the two coauthored a Wall Street Journal op-ed that proposed a series of specific policy recommendations for the United States and its European allies in response to the current Russo-Georgian conflict.
Leon Aron
Resident Scholar and Director of Russian Studies
Contact: laron@aei.org; please copy his assistant, Kara Flook, at kara.flook@aei.org (or call at 202.828.6035)
Born in Russia, Aron is the author of a number of books and articles on Russian history and politics. His latest article on the Russo-Georgian conflict, “What Russia's War Reveals,” was published on August 13, 2008, in USA Today.
###
