dr. rabkin, i listened to your testimony. i understand you are in a position which i respect but you minimize in your testimony the notion of what the treaty can do. in your testimony, you seem to discourage the idea of asking other countries to make facilities accessible to disabled people in order to make life more comfortable for american tourists who will probably be few in number and brief on their visits which is the exact quote from your testimony. don't you think as america, it is important for our country and for our government to try to create the opportunity for americans to be able to visit a dying relative abroad, to be able to do a sales pitch in another country or have a member of our armed forces abroad, and who has a family member with a disability, able to have these americans fulfill their god-given potential without the challenges of the increments that individuals with disabilities find globally and increasingly less in the united states occasionally still in the united states even with the ada law. >> i

i am listing her as part of the usip team, which includes steve hadley, george moose, jeremy rabkin, dr. kristin lord, our executive vice president. i would like to recognize a couple of special state department guest, ambassador jones, the assistant secretary of state for near east affairs, the u.s. ambassador to iraq, and the deputy assistant secretary of state for iraqi and iran. if you would come forward, i would like to recognize bill taylor who is our vice president for the middle east and africa and leads our efforts in support of iraq's success and is a great asset to the institute, to the united states, to the world. she has done a perfect amount of work where iraq is concerned. she has published a book, and she is an important part of the institute and has led for years our work. she was big about the u.s. institute's work in iraq. >> thank you for such a warm introduction. i would like to welcome his excellency prime minister maliki, his accompanying delegation, and our guests. usip has been working in iraq since 2003. we have shared its high moments as well as its difficult