Registration for this event is now closed due to an overwhleming response. Members of the media may contact Andrew Pappas at 202.862.4870 or apappas@aei.org. Walk-in registrations may not be accepted.

In the last year, Iraqis successfully elected a transitional government and overwhelmingly approved a new constitution.  Despite continuing security challenges and a deepening sectarian divide, Iraqis are moving toward a functioning democracy.  And while sectors of Iraq continue to lag, there is an untold story of economic reform. 
 
Will the constitution provide the foundation for a democratic system that can be a model for the Middle East?  What can be expected of the upcoming December parliamentary elections?  Is Iraq moving beyond sectarian politics, or does the federalism model in the new constitution deepen the divide? 

To address these and other issues, AEI welcomes Ahmad Chalabi, deputy prime minister of Iraq, to deliver his first public speech in the United States in more than two and a half years.