4-Star Gen. McCaffrey Given Key to City by Dearborn, MI Mayor O’Reilly

RECEPTION HONORING MCCAFFREY HOSTED BY ARAB AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM AND THE ARAB AND CHALDEAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Four-Star General Barry R. McCaffrey (Ret.), who led the Left Hook in the Gulf War and later served as White House National Drug Policy Director, was given the Key to the City by Dearborn, MI Mayor John O’Reilly Monday night. McCaffrey was hosted by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, honoring the Arab and Chaldean American Communities in Michigan. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano also gave remarks welcoming McCaffrey — and McCaffrey called him a friend; the two had worked together closely when McCaffrey was Drug Czar.

Gen. McCaffrey praised the 450,000 people of the Michigan Arab and Chaldean communities for helping the American military efforts in Iraq. He highlighted their critical contributions of Arabic language interpreters. McCaffrey pointed out that only four in ten Arab Americans who enroll in the program complete the rigorous Arabic language interpreter training requirements. He said that the participation and contribution of the Arab and Chaldean American communities are extremely important to assure cooperation with the new Iraqi government. McCaffrey thanked “the Arab-American families in Detroit and across the region as their spouses work overseas.”

McCaffrey thanked Mistress of Ceremony Rana Abbas, Regional Arab American Outreach Director, and he commended other leaders present at the dinner and reception including:

* Judge David Allen, an Arab American judge in the Wayne County Circuit Court;

* Maj. Gen. Thomas Cutler, the Adjutant General (TAG), Michigan National Guard;

* Hassan Jaber, Executive Director of ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services). Mr. Jaber has helped transform ACCESS from a storefront organization into the largest Arab American organization in the country. Mr. Jaber’s commitment and dedication has grown ACCESS into an organization that now provides more than 90 different economic and social service programs.

McCaffrey called for enhanced economic development and the creation of security forces in Iraq combined with the rapid withdrawal of US combat forces in the coming 36 months.

CONTACT: Bob Weiner or Rebecca VanderLinde, Robert Weiner Associates, +1-301-283-0821, +1-202-329-1700

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates