Britannica Blog to Host Iran Forum

The explosive question of Western military action against Iran will be the subject of "Target Iran?" -- a forum on the Encyclopaedia Britannica blog ( http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/ ) from October 8-12.

Writers will discuss the deteriorating relations between Iran and the West over Iran's nuclear-energy program and the inflammatory rhetoric of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They'll debate whether Iran poses a threat to the U.S., Israel and the West, and whether Iran's conduct justifies a policy of "regime change" or even military action.

Guest bloggers approaching the subject from a range of viewpoints will include:

--  Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector and critic of
    U.S. policies;
--  Michael Ledeen of the American Enterprise Institute;
--  Barbara Slavin of USA Today, author of the forthcoming "Bitter
    Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to
    Confrontation";
--  Ervand Abrahamian, author of "Iran Between Two Revolutions" and other
    books on that country;
--  James Forsyth of the London Spectator
--  former New York Times correspondent Stephen Kinzer, author of
    "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq";
--  Wayne White of the Middle East Institute and former deputy director of
    the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research Office of
    Analysis for the Near East and South Asia.

"There's a lot of talk about Iran these days, but people with different views and ideologies seldom talk directly to one another," said Theodore Pappas, an executive editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. "In this forum they will. We hope some clarity will come from it, though I wouldn't be surprised to see some fireworks along the way."

Britannica has also invited a number of Iran observers to comment on the discussions, and comments from readers are welcome, too.

About Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. ( www.britannica.com ) is a leader in reference and education publishing whose products can be found in many media, from the Internet to cell phones to books. A pioneer in electronic publishing since the early 1980s, the company also still publishes the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, along with services such as Britannica Online School Edition and printed products such as Britannica Student Encyclopedia, which are available online at http://store.britannica.com . The company makes its headquarters in Chicago.

Contact: Tom Panelas Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 312-347-7309 Email Contact