i'm robert rosenthal, secondtive director of the center for investigative reporting. i'll be the chair today. we welcome our listening and internet audiences and invite everybody to visit us online at www.commonwealthclub.org. now it's my pleasure to introduce our distinguished speakers. tamim ansary born in kabul. he left for the u.s. in 1964. he is the writer, lecturer, teacher, and director of the san francisco writers workshop and has written several books, including "a game without rules. the often undertold history of afghanistan." he'll sign this book after the program. atta arghandiwal was a prom meant nil tear officer and leader. after high school. atta served in the afghan air force. when the political situation changed in the 1980s and the russians invaded. atta fled to germany and then came to the u.s. where he enjoyed a successful banking career. like tamim he was shocked by 9/11. he visited afghanistan recently and you can raze about his amazing journey back to afghanistan, the untold store of afghanistan. he will sign the book after the program. i think