Expert to discuss Chechen war tactics in Oct. 29 lecture

Arizona State University presents a discussion, Tuesday, Oct. 29, with Dodge Billingsley about Chechen tactics in the Russian-Chechen Wars of 1994-2009, as gathered from interviews conducted with Chechen combatants. 

Billingsley is fellow at the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies and senior faculty member at the Naval Post Graduate School’s Center for Civil Military Relations. 

The lecture is set to take place at noon, in Coor Hall, room 4403, on the Tempe campus, and is free and open to the public.

Billingsley has been a long-time observer of many wars and contested regions, and has spent considerable time with U.S. and foreign militaries worldwide for more than 20 years. After 9/11, Billingsley was one of the first to cover the war in Afghanistan and was present at the Qala i Jangi Fortress uprising, which took the life of Johnny Michael Spann, the first U.S. combat casualty in Afghanistan. He was also present at the battle for the Shah i Kot Valley, known as Operation Anaconda, in spring 2002. 

He embedded with U.S forces in Iraq multiple times, including the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and again in December 2011 for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Al Anbar Province, western Iraq in December 2011. 

He has produced a wide variety of media from his field work, including two books: "Operation Anaconda: America’s First Conventional Battle in Afghanistan" (along with its companion documentary, "Shah i Kot: Valley Redoubt," published by KU Press) and "Fangs of the Lone Wolf: Chechen Tactics in the Russian-Chechen Wars 1994-2009," to be published by Helion & Co. this November. 

In addition to his written works, he has produced and directed many documentary films and won both the prestigious Rory Peck and Royal Television Society awards for Best Feature for the film "House of War." He also produced nine films for the Kennedy Center under the series title "Beyond the Border," including "Helen Foster Snow: Witness to Revolution," "Masses to Masses: An Artist in Mao’s China," "Chechnya: Separatism or Jihad?" and "Global Car."

His current film in the series, "Unfortunate Brothers: Korea’s Reunification Dilemma," examines the prospects of Korean reunification through the experience of a North Korean defector living in Seoul. 

He lectures extensively at various universities and institutions, and is a regular contributor to Jane’s Defense Weekly and Jane’s Intelligence Review. Billingsley received a bachelor's in history from Columbia University and a master's in war studies from King’s College in London.

This event is sponsored by the ASU Office for Veterans Academic Engagement, the ASU Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasia & East European Studies, and the ASU School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies.

For more information, email melikiancenter@asu.edu, call 480-965-4188 or visit http://melikian.asu.edu/events/Russian_Chechen_Wars.