The RCDS took advantage of a short-notice visit to London by Ambassador David Satterfield who has recently taken up a key appointment in Washington as Secretary of State Rice's Senior Advisor on Iraq. The RCDS prides itself on agility and seizes every opportunity to expose the Members of the College to those charged with designing and delivering policy at the strategic level. Ambassador Satterfield gave a candid and succinct assessment of the current position in Iraq and the challenges that lie ahead, with special emphasis on the next 6 months. In addition to setting out the agenda for the new Iraqi Government and the Coalition he addressed some of the major problems that lie in the path of strategic success. These included the alarming rise of sectarian violence, the destabilizing role of militias and the urgent need for greater international and regional engagement with the Iraqi new Government. Ambassador Satterfield enjoyed a particularly robust and frank question and answer session during which UK and overseas Members took full advantage of the opportunity to engage with a speaker uniquely qualified to talk about one of the most pressing strategic challenges of the day.

^{Col Mike Krause - Australian Defence Forces,
asks Ambassador Satterfield about whether the US has learnt any lessons from the Post-Conflict Reconsturuction effort in Iraq}