On January 17 and 18, 2004, Mr. Robert Connan, Commercial Counselor for the U.S. Department of Commerce in Iraq, was the featured speaker at four events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Over 450 American and Emirati businessmen and women learned about the commercial and economic environment in Iraq and the business opportunities that are blossoming in the country. Mr. Connan also provided that audiences with a "reality" perspective on what to expect when considering the marketplace and briefed the attendees on the expanding assistance available to American firms via the American Business Center in Baghdad, the Iraq Reconstruction Task Force at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the numerous websites now online to provide guidance and counseling to firms exploring the potential in Iraq for their companies.