By Steve Clemons

The line-up for the September 6-7 conference: Terrorism, Security and America’s Purpose: Towards a More Comprehensive Strategy continues to strengthen. Rita Hauser is a well-known international lawyer, leading Republican Party stalwart in New York, a board member of the RAND Corporation, and Chair of the International Peace Academy that works closely with the United Nations….

This article makes its way beyond most of the thin commentary on the turmoil in Iraq. There are those close to Sunni insurgents who are offering some common sense advice to the American forces there. Perhaps we should listen.

President Bush is planning a rally to stir up support for the war in Iraq. Senator Hagel, who is speaking at our terrorism conference on September 6th, has cut down near the roots of the White House’s effort to keep pumping money and military men and women into Iraq.

I really enjoyed talking with Sam Seder tonight on Air America’s The Majority Report. We spoke about George Bush and the Iraq War, Cindy Sheehan, Ari Berman’s excellent article — The Strategic Class — in The Nation, and then our upcoming mega-conference on America’s “next phase response” to terrorism.

Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) has been making major news as he meets with constituents in meetings all around Nebraska this week. TWN posted a bit earlier regarding the Senator’s constructive and provocative comments on America’s engagement in Iraq. He also offered some common sense perspective on the Cindy Sheehan affair in Crawford.

There are few in the country whom I think better articulate what is driving the tumult in the Middle East than Juan Cole. Juan Cole is one of the mega-bloggers in the U.S., publishing the smart “Informed Comment: Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion” blog.

The schedule is nearly hammered out, but TWN is profiling in advance of release of the roster some of the major speakers at the upcoming terrorism conference I am helping to direct.

In Nebraska, Senator Chuck Hagel spent time this past week speaking to constituents — and America’s circumstances in Iraq dominated his meetings. Here is a clip from a CNN report: But he said the United States risks losing more public support for the conflict amid a rising cost in blood and money.

As the conference we are working on shapes up, TWN is giving early notice of who the featured speakers and participants will be. I’m very proud to say that Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. will be joining us as a featured speaker in the pre-lunch session at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, the 6th of September….

James Fallows will provide the opening comments and set the “context” at the major terrorism conference we are organizing. Jim Fallows is National Correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly and former Editor-in-Chief of U.S. News and World Report.