Course

There are no winners in war. Only losers. In this course, we will examine the role of the American military and covert CIA activities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) across several major interventions since World War II, from Tunisia and Lebanon, to Iraq and Iran. We'll explore why we get it wrong over and over again, while generating countless enemies and squandering American lives, treasure and global standing.

Faculty Bio

Michael Baker is a retired surgeon who served in the military and retired as a rear admiral. He was deployed into both combat and humanitarian missions. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and has lectured at national and international conferences.

This is an In-Person, Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 202/204 (2nd floor), at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• Classes will also stream live, and be video recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Thursday, June 4, and ends on Thursday, June 25.
• Classes meet for 4 weeks, 2 hours per session (10–noon).
• All course materials will remain available to view and enjoy in Member Dashboards through August 31.

Member Praise for Michael Baker

Dr. Baker was incredibly knowledgeable. I love his style of teaching. It's very easy to follow. His slides are also excellent.

Excellent, timely subject matter. The history review was very welcome (since it's been quite a few years!!). Dr. Baker provided excellent insights and much food-for-thought.

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Dr. Baker from our archive.