American Educational Trust
Encyclopedia
The American Educational Trust ("AET") is a non-profit foundation incorporated in Washington, D.C., under taxation provision 501(c)4 by retired U.S. foreign service officers. Because of AET's activities to influence the political process, donations to the AET are not tax deductible. The AET is best known for publishing the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
("The Washington Report") or ("WRMEA").
, the AET's first chairman, and a former British Ambassador to Qatar; Andrew Killgore
, AET's first president, who was U.S. Ambassador to when he retired from the United States Foreign Service
in 1980; and Richard Curtiss, AET's first executive director, who was chief inspector of the U.S. Information Agency when he retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1980.
AET's Foreign Policy Committee has included former U.S. ambassador
s, government officials, and members of the United States Congress
, including the late Democratic
Senator
J. William Fulbright
, and Republican
Senator Charles Percy
, both former chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and members of its Board of Directors and advisory committees "receive no fees for their services."
The Washington Report's "nonprofit wing has donated 3,200 free subscriptions" and dozens of books to libraries.
and Israel
i children killed in the current intifada (since September 29, 2000). The website follows on from two booklets (“Who Will Save the Children?” and “Remember These Children”), which were published in conjunction with Americans for Middle East Understanding, Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel (now merged into Jewish Voice for Peace
), and Black Voices for Peace.
and U.S. diplomats objecting to US policy towards Israel and the Palestinians, especially then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
's plan to leave Gaza
without bothering to negotiate with Palestinian representatives.
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs magazine, published nine times per year in Washington, D.C., focuses on "news and analysis from and about the Middle East and U.S...
("The Washington Report") or ("WRMEA").
Organization
AET's founders included Edward Firth HendersonEdward Firth Henderson
Edward Firth Henderson CMG was a British diplomat who was a prominent figure in the Persian Gulf region, where he spent most of his life furthering Britain's relations with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.After serving in the Middle East during World War II, "a switch from the...
, the AET's first chairman, and a former British Ambassador to Qatar; Andrew Killgore
Andrew Killgore
Andrew I. Killgore was a United States Foreign Service Officer and diplomat. He was ambassador of the United States to Qatar when he retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1980. He was one of the original founders of the American Educational Trust, best known for publishing the magazine The...
, AET's first president, who was U.S. Ambassador to when he retired from the United States Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in 1980; and Richard Curtiss, AET's first executive director, who was chief inspector of the U.S. Information Agency when he retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1980.
AET's Foreign Policy Committee has included former U.S. ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
s, government officials, and members of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, including the late Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
J. William Fulbright
J. William Fulbright
James William Fulbright was a United States Senator representing Arkansas from 1945 to 1975.Fulbright was a Southern Democrat and a staunch multilateralist who supported the creation of the United Nations and the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...
, and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Senator Charles Percy
Charles H. Percy
Charles Harting "Chuck" Percy was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964. He was elected United States Senator from Illinois in 1966, re-elected through his term ending in 1985; he concentrated on business and foreign relations...
, both former chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and members of its Board of Directors and advisory committees "receive no fees for their services."
The Washington Report's "nonprofit wing has donated 3,200 free subscriptions" and dozens of books to libraries.
AET Book Club
Early in AET's development, its founders established the AET Book Club "to meet the recognized need for quality books about the region and U.S. policies there". AET began importing thousands of titles about the Middle East from Europe, four times a year via TransAtlantic shipment with sea containers. AET claims "Years later, American publishers began to recognize the market for quality, objective books about the Middle East, and began printing thousands of titles in the United States."PACT
In August 2003, AET partnered with Celebrate Presence, a project in Hereford, MD selling Palestinian arts and crafts, to create International Marketing for Middle Eastern Artisans (IMMEA). In 2005, AET assumed responsibility for a large portion of the project, and these products were officially incorporated into the organization as the Palestinian Arts & Crafts Trust (PACT).Remember These Children
The AET runs a website, Remember These Children, which lists all PalestinianPalestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i children killed in the current intifada (since September 29, 2000). The website follows on from two booklets (“Who Will Save the Children?” and “Remember These Children”), which were published in conjunction with Americans for Middle East Understanding, Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel (now merged into Jewish Voice for Peace
Jewish Voice for Peace
Jewish Voice for Peace is a United States Jewish organization which describes itself as "a diverse and democratic community of activists inspired by Jewish tradition to work together for peace, social justice, and human rights [to] support the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians for security...
), and Black Voices for Peace.
Other activities
In 2004, AET’s Andrew Killgore spearheaded a letter to President Bush signed by a number of former BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and U.S. diplomats objecting to US policy towards Israel and the Palestinians, especially then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
's plan to leave Gaza
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
without bothering to negotiate with Palestinian representatives.