Intelligence Squared U.S. Opens Second Series of Timely Debates, Adds Television to Radio Broadcasts

Intelligence Squared U.S. Opens Second Series of Timely Debates, Adds Television to Radio Broadcasts

'Spreading Democracy in the Middle East is a Bad Idea' to Air on Thirteen/WNET New York

NEW YORK, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Intelligence Squared U.S., the Oxford-style, three-on-three debate series, sponsored by The Rosenkranz Foundation, today announced the panel for its Tuesday, September 18th debate on the motion "Spreading Democracy in the Middle East is a Bad Idea," at Asia Society and Museum in New York City.

This first debate of the Intelligence Squared U.S. sold-out fall 2007 season will air on PBS's flagship station, Thirteen/WNET New York, on Sunday, September 23rd at 12:00 PM.

"We are pleased to televise such a timely and provocative discussion to our viewers," said Neal Shapiro, president, Thirteen/WNET New York. "Intelligence Squared U.S. contributes to our mission of finding new ways for television to be a positive force in society by raising the level of discourse and debate," he added.

"In light of the Iraq War and its aftermath, and in view of the forthcoming U.S. presidential elections, there might not be a more timely and important topic than the question of how to spread democracy to the Middle East, if at all," said Robert Rosenkranz, chairman of The Rosenkranz Foundation. "Our goal at Intelligence Squared is to provide a forum for discussing this provocative question in a civil and serious manner that rises above the usual rancor."

Robert Siegel, a senior host of NPR(R)'s award-winning evening newsmagazine All Things Considered(R), will moderate the debate.

   Panelists in favor of the motion:    -- Flynt Leverett is Senior Fellow and the Director of the Geopolitics of       Energy Initiative of the American Strategy Program at the New America       Foundation.  He has served as senior director for Middle East affairs       at the National Security Council, Middle East expert on the Secretary       of State's Policy Planning Staff and Senior Analyst at the CIA.     -- Dimitri Simes is the founding President of The Nixon Center and       Publisher of its foreign policy bi-monthly magazine, The National       Interest.  Simes also served as Chairman of the Center for Russian and       Eurasian Programs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.     -- Shibley Telhami is the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development       at the University of Maryland, College Park, and non-resident senior       fellow at the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution.  In 2006, he       served on the Iraq Study Group as a member of the Strategic       Environment Working Group.    Panelists against the motion:    -- Liz Cheney is an attorney and specialist in the areas of U.S. Middle       East policy and reform in the Arab world and most recently served as       Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern       Affairs.  Ms. Cheney has served previously as Deputy Assistant       Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, at U.S. AID, as an attorney in       private practice and at the International Finance Corporation.     -- Danielle Pletka is Vice President for Foreign and Defense Policy       Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.  She recently served as       a member of the congressionally-mandated Task Force on the United       Nations, established by the United States Institute of Peace.  She       served for ten years as a senior professional staff member for the       Near East and South Asia on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign       Relations.     -- Natan Sharansky is Chairman of the Adelson Institute for Strategic       Studies at The Shalem Center in Jerusalem, Israel.  He has served as       the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, Minister of Housing and       Construction, Minister of the Interior, and Minister of Industry and       Trade.   

Live audience members participate in the debates both during a question and answer period, and by casting votes in favor of or against the motion. Votes are tabulated at the end of each event.

Subsequent motions for the Intelligence Squared U.S. fall 2007 season include:

    -- Let's Stop Welcoming Undocumented Immigrants - October 9, 2007    -- Russia is Becoming Our Enemy Again - October 30, 2007    -- It's Time to End Affirmative Action - November 13, 2007    -- Aid to Africa has Done More Harm than Good - December 4, 2007   

Debates are aired on National Public Radio(R) member stations across the country. For radio airtime of each debate, please visit http://www.wnyc.org/; search Intelligence Squared. For radio airtimes outside of New York City or to listen to debates online, please visit http://www.npr.org/ and type "Intelligence Squared" in the search box.

About Intelligence Squared U.S., Thirteen/WNET New York and The Rosenkranz Foundation

Intelligence Squared U.S. is a New York-based initiative of The Rosenkranz Foundation; the executive producer is Dana Wolfe. Designed to raise the level of public discourse, the Oxford style, three-on-three debate series is the U.S. version of a London-based program. Since September 2006, the series has attracted sold-out crowds in New York City. Intelligence Squared U.S. provides a forum for intelligent discussion and encourages the recognition that the opposition has intellectually respectable views. For more information about Intelligence Squared U.S., please visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/.

Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Secrets of the Dead, NOW With David Brancaccio, and Cyberchase -- as well as the work of Bill Moyers -- to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The Thirteen Walking Tours, New York Voices, and Reel New York. Thirteen extends the impact of its television productions through educational and community outreach projects -- including the Celebration of Teaching and Learning -- as well as Web sites and other digital media platforms. More information can be found at: http://www.thirteen.org/.

The Rosenkranz Foundation was established in 1985 to encourage the highest level of achievement and innovation in public policy, higher education and the arts. It seeks to promote fresh and effective intellectual perspectives. The foundation is committed to promoting intellectual diversity in public policy discourse and higher education. For more information about The Rosenkranz Foundation, please visit http://www.rosenkranzfdn.org/.

Source: Intelligence Squared U.S.

CONTACT: Alexandra McDougald of The Weiser Group, +1-917-202-9944, or
amcdougald@weisergroup.com, for Intelligence Squared U.S.

Web site: http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/
http://www.wnyc.org/
http://www.rosenkranzfdn.org/
http://www.thirteen.org/

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