juliadhomstad

The Islamic State as Insurgency: The Growing Strength of Salafi Jihadists

February 3, 2015February 1, 2015 by juliadhomstad, posted in News

Terrorists occupy the low-end of the power spectrum. They are weaker than guerrillas, who are weaker than insurgents, who are weaker than conventional armies, who are weaker than nuclear-equipped armies. That is a point made, more or less, by the Council of Foreign Relation’s Max Boot. Successful revolutionary, Mao Tse Tung,[1] made a similar point when he noted guerrillas are but a step towards total war and regular armies. Has the Islamic State, then, progressed the Salafi jihadist movement from the weak power position of terrorism to the mid-range power of insurgency?

RAND researcher, Seth Jones, defines a Salafi jihadist group as one that emphasizes the need to return to “pure” Islam during the time of the Salaf (“pious ancestors”) and believes that violent jihad is a duty of each member of the ummah, much like daily prayers, fasting during Ramadan, etc. Dr. Jones notes that between 2010 and 2013, the number of Salafi jihadist groups rose by 58%. Interestingly, the growth roughly coincided with the timing of U.S. surge operations in Afghanistan. At the end of that period, IS began seizing and holding terrain in Iraq and Syria, with some estimating they now control approximately 81,000 square miles, or the land mass equivalent of Great Britain. Professor Bruce Hoffman, author of the seminal work Inside Terrorism, suggests that while both insurgents and terrorists may use the same tactics, even for the same purposes, insurgents differ from terrorists in that they often operate as military units, seize and hold terrain, and include informational and psychological warfare in an effort to win over the population’s support.

If so, and if the Islamic State is winning over segments of the Iraqi and Syrian populations rather than just terrorizing them, then the problem set facing the U.S. would be substantially different. Terrorists can, in large measure, be defeated by police or military action, which the world’s premier military can accomplish unlike any other. If, however, IS now finds firm footing as an insurgency, broader issues must be tackled. Issues that can only be successfully resolved by the indigenous government—which we are not—or dictatorial occupiers—which we will not be.

Image Credit: NBC News

[1] See The Red Book of Guerrilla Warfare by Mao Zedong.

Week in DC: Events

February 2, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

February 2, 2015

Cyber Threat Intelligence Summit & Training
Date: February 2, 8:00am
Location: The Dupont Circle Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC

Conventional network defense tools such as intrusion detection systems and anti-virus focus on the vulnerability component of risk, and traditional incident response methodology presupposes a successful intrusion. An evolution in the goals and sophistication of computer network intrusions has rendered these approaches insufficient for the threats facing many modern networked organizations. Advanced adversaries accomplish their goals using advanced tools and techniques designed to circumvent most conventional computer network defense mechanisms and remain undetected in their intrusion efforts or presence on networks over long periods of time.

Network defense techniques which leverage knowledge about these adversaries – known as Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) – can enable defenders to establish a state of information superiority which decreases the adversary’s likelihood of success with each subsequent intrusion attempt. Threat intelligence can be a force multiplier as organizations look to update their security programs and defenses to deal with increasingly sophisticated advanced persistent threats. Security managers need accurate, timely and detailed information to continuously monitor new and evolving attacks, and methods to exploit this information in furtherance of an improved defensive posture. Make no mistake about it: contemporaneous computer network defense contains a strong element of intelligence and counterintelligence that analysts and managers alike must understand and leverage.

The goal of this summit will be to equip attendees with knowledge on the tools, methodologies and processes they need to move forward with cyber threat intelligence. The SANS What Works in Cyber Threat Intelligence Summit will bring attendees who are eager to hear this information and learn about tools, techniques, and solutions that can help address these needs.

The theme of the summit in 2015 focuses on specific analysis techniques and capabilities that can be used to properly create and maintain Cyber Threat Intelligence in your organization. Most organizations know what threat intelligence is, but have no real concept on how to create and produce proper intelligence. Attend this summit to learn and discuss directly with the experts who are doing the CTI analysis in their organizations. What you learn will help you detect and respond to some of the most sophisticated threats targeting your networks.

Please note, this is not a free event. Course and cost information can be found here.

The Ukraine Crisis: Withstand and Deter Russian Aggression
Date: February 2, 2:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor (West Tower), Washington DC

Waging an undeclared war in the Donbas region, Russia is pursuing a ruthless effort to destabilize Ukraine. Given the stakes for relations between Russia and the West, the outcome of the conflict is also likely to shape future developments in Europe and the world at large.

So how can the crisis be resolved?

Eight distinguished US foreign policy scholars and former practitioners, five of whom travelled to Ukraine and Brussels, have produced a report entitled “Preserving Ukraine’s Independence, Resisting Russian Aggression: What the United States and NATO Must Do.”

The working group included Ivo Daalder, President, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Michele Flournoy, Chief Executive Officer, Center for a New American Security, John Herbst, Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council,Jan Lodal, Distinguished Fellow and Former President, Atlantic Council,Steven Pifer, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, James Stavridis, Dean, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution, Charles Wald, Board Director, Atlantic Council.

In the report, the experts summarize what they heard in discussions at NATO and in Ukraine and offer specific recommendations for steps that Washington and NATO should take to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses and enhance its ability to deter further Kremlin aggression.

February 3, 2015

Fighting ISIS: News from the Front Lines in Kurdistan
Date: February 3, 10:00am
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Room 500, Washington DC

Aziz Reda, senior advisor to the President of Kurdistan and Mousa Ahmed Agha, deputy head, Barzani Charity Foundation will discuss this topic.

“Yemen—If this is a policy success, what does failure look like?” with Ambassador Barbara Bodine
Date: February 3, 12:30pm
Location: Georgetown University, Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Intercultural Center, #270, 37^th and O St NW, Washington DC

Last September, in announcing military operations against ISIS/ISIL, President Obama referred to Yemen as a US policy success, to the bafflement of many within and outside the country at the time. The jury was still out on our drone-dependent security/CT operations, the economy was in disarray and the political transition – a relative bright spot – was dimming. Recent events call the September judgment into even more question. What is really happening, and what does it mean for the US, the region, and the Yemenis?

European Energy Security Challenges and Transatlantic Cooperation in 2015
Date: February 3, 1:30pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor (West Tower), Washington DC

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center for a public event featuring the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Mr. Miguel Arias Cañete, on Tuesday, February 3 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Atlantic Council.

Commissioner Cañete is responsible for promoting diversity in the European Union’s energy needs and supplies and is working to establish a European Energy Union. As part of this, he is also tasked with ensuring that the EU achieves its climate and energy goals and further developing renewable energy.

At the Atlantic Council, Commissioner Cañete will focus on Europe’s energy security in a global context, and transatlantic cooperation on energy and climate issues.

Commissioner Cañete will be introduced by the Atlantic Council’s President and CEO, Frederick Kempe. After the Commissioner’s keynote speech, a discussion will follow between Commissioner Cañete and Ambassador Richard Morningstar, Founding Director of the Council’s Global Energy Center. The discussion will be moderated by David Koranyi, Director of the Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative at the Atlantic Council.

February 4, 2015

U.S. Intelligence Community Surveillance One Year After President Obama’s Address
Date: February 4, 12:00pm
Location: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

In January 2014, President Obama delivered a closely-watched speech addressing reforms to the surveillance and intelligence-gathering practices of the U.S. intelligence community including the National Security Agency (NSA). Debate surrounding surveillance has continued amid further releases of documents by the media and the intelligence community itself. Meanwhile, the Administration has been working to carry out the President’s directives and legal authority for certain surveillance programs due to expire in 2015.

On February 4, Governance Studies at Brookings will examine what has been done to implement the directives announced in President Obama’s January 2014 speech and their subsequent implications on privacy, civil liberties, competitiveness, and security. The conversation will focus on questions raised by the implementation of these reforms and changes to how the U.S. intelligence community conducts surveillance.

After the program, speakers will take audience questions.

Russia/Eurasia Forum: Back in the USSR
Date: February 4, 12:30pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Michael David-Fox, professor at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University will discuss the continuities and discontinuities in contemporary Russian history.

To register, email here.

Countering Violent Extremism: Improving Our Strategy for the Future
Date: February 4, 2:00pm
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The recent deadly attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices and the Jewish market in Paris were sharp reminders of the continuing threat of violent extremism in the West. With similar attacks in Ottawa and Sydney, and a concerning number of Westerners moved to fight in Syria, preventing acts of violence by extremists has become a top priority. To help the United States and its allies move forward, the White House announced that it will host a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism on February 18.

On February 4, the Brookings Institution will host a discussion on the state of U.S. efforts to counter violent extremism and possible counterterrorism strategies for the future. Bringing together a panel of experts on counterterrorism and radicalization, the conversation will raise questions about the efficacy of the current U.S. approach, successful practices of counterterrorism programs both domestically and abroad, and strategies for countering violent extremism going forward.

Following the discussion, the panelists will take questions from the audience.

Separate and Divisible: North Korea’s Supreme Leader and the North Korean People
Date: February 4, 3:00pm
Location: Institute of World Politics, 1521 16^th Street NW, Washington DC

Mr. Jang Jin-sung, former North Korean propaganda poet, will address the role of propaganda in North Korea’s statecraft. Mr. Jang will also provide instruction on how to interpret North Korean propaganda. His presentation will also address the role of official propaganda as a shield insulating ordinary people from North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

February 6, 2015

2015 Transatlantic Policy Symposium: Beyond Tariffs: Trade Relations and the Transatlantic Relationship in the 21st Century
Date: February 6, 8:15am
Location: Georgetown University, Copley Formal Lounge, 3700 O Street, Washington DC

Mega-regional trade agreements have dominated the recent international trade discourse. While the discussion of trade impacts tends to focus on technical details and regulation, trade agreements can produce widespread, and often unforeseen, effects on domestic economies, international relations and politics, security, as well as culture and identity.

Join our graduate student and expert panelists as they discuss and explore the implications of trade relations between the U.S. and Europe.

China’s Rise: Implications for U.S. National Security and the Defense Budget
Date: February 6, 10:00am
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

China’s rise constitutes one of the great historical events of our time, and its implications for U.S. national security strategy and the U.S. defense budget remain key issues in Washington, as they surely will well into the future. Critical areas to explore include progress that China has made and challenges it has encountered in its economic and military development, as well as the effects of its rise on the region. These changes will likely have ramifications for the United States and its military, as President Obama’s “rebalance” strategy moves into its fourth year.

On February 6, the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence (21CSI) will host a discussion comprised of a group with expertise ranging from regional security matters to U.S. military policy to China’s economy. Panelists include Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies Director Richard Bush, Bernard Cole of the National War College, and David Dollar, senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings. Michael O’Hanlon, co-director of 21CSI, will moderate the discussion.

Following discussion, panelists will take audience questions.

February 7, 2015

Inside Media: Journalists Under Threat
Date: February 7, 2:30pm
Location: Newseum, Knight TV Studio, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, talks about his new book, “The New Censorship: Inside the Global Battle for Media Freedom.”

The book examines how journalists are increasingly vulnerable to attack by authoritarian governments, militants, criminals and terrorists, who all seek to use technology, political pressure and violence to set the global information agenda.

Simon has written widely on press freedom issues for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Review and Slate, and is featured regularly on NPR, BBC and CNN.

A book signing will follow the program.

Free with Newseum admission. Seating is on a space-available basis.

Pandora Report 2.1.15

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 by juliadhomstad, posted in Pandora Report

No themed coverage this week, sadly. However, we’ve got stories covering the Federal fight against antibiotic resistance, ISIS airstrikes, and super mosquitoes in Florida. All this in addition to stories you may have missed.

Have a fun Super Bowl Sunday (go team!) and a safe and healthy week!

Obama Asking Congress to Nearly Double Funding to Fight Antibiotic Resistance to $1.2 Billion

One of The White House’s goals for 2015 was to combat growing antibiotic resistance through research into new antibiotics and efforts to prevent the over prescription of these vital drugs. President Obama is requesting that Congress add additional funding to this fight, bringing the total to $1.2 billion. The funding will be a start, but there are many other things that can happen in order to fight this extremely important problem.

U.S. News & World Report—“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 23,000 Americans die every year from infections that can withstand some of the best antibiotics. The World Health Organization said last year that bacteria resistant to antibiotics have spread to every part of the world and might lead to a future where minor infections could kill.”

Air Strike Kills IS ‘Chemical Weapons Expert’

News came Saturday morning that U.S. airstrikes in Iraq last week killed a mid-level Islamic State militant who specialized in chemical weapons. Killed on January 24, Abu Malik had worked at Saddam Hussein’s Muthana chemical weapons production facility before joining Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2005.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty—“Officials say his death could “temporarily degrade” the group’s ability to produce and use chemical weapons. Coalition air strikes have pounded the Mosul area over the past week [and] The U.S.-led coalition has carried out more than 2,000 air raids against IS militants in Syria and Iraq since August 8.”

Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Could Fight Disease in Florida

On January 11, we had a small note about the possibility of genetically modified mosquitos controlling diseases like chikungunya and dengue, but this week coverage on this issue absolutely exploded! British biotech firm Oxitec plans to release millions of genetically modified mosquitos in Florida to control the existing population and help control the spread of these diseases. The A. Aegypti species of mosquito is extremely prevalent in Florida and recently has become resistant to most chemical pesticides. Residents, of course, are up in arms over the potential release of this “mutant mosquito”.

The Weather Channel—“Technology similar to this is already in use in Florida and other states, Entomology Today points out. Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) employs a similar technique, sterilizing insects so that when they mate, no offspring are produced. “Florida spends roughly $6 million a year using SIT to prevent Mediterranean fruit fly infestations, while California spends about $17 million a year,” Entomology Today wrote.”

Stories You May Have Missed

According to the WHO, polio immunization rates in Syria are now close to their pre-war level. Prior to 2011, the rate was nearly 90%, but had fallen to around 50% as conflict interrupted vaccination campaigns.
As Ebola appears to be winding down in Liberia, life is beginning to return to normal, MSF warns not to lose vigilance, though, because a single new case could set off another outbreak. In reflection of events in West Africa, the WHO is looking towards repairing their reputation and scientists are evaluating strategic vaccine stockpiles.
Russia is ending their nuclear cooperation with the U.S. which Washington Post Editorial Board says is “Vladimir Putin…peevishly shooting his nation in the foot”
With funding from DTRA, scientists have developed a thin film which is able to detect chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The films change color when exposed to CWAs which will be critical for real-time detection.
According to a study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Michigan, Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is effective against seasonal flu. The research indicated that Tamiflu cuts the length of the disease by one day and significantly reduces the chance of life-threatening complications.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Week in DC: Events

January 27, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

January 28, 2015

Russia 2015: Economic Outlook
Date: January 28, 9:30am
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS, Room 500, 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Russia’s economy has endured a tumultuous year: falling oil prices, international sanctions and a declining ruble have pressed the Kremlin to answer questions about the long-term sustainability of its current growth model. What opportunities and challenges face the Russian economy in 2015? What are the Kremlin’s economic priorities and how will it craft policy to reach these ends in the coming year? On Wednesday, January 28, CGI will host a half-day conference featuring top Russian and American experts to discuss the outlook for Russia’s economic future.

Full event agenda available here. Register here.

The Third U.S. Offset Strategy and its Implications for Partners and Allies
Date: January 28, 11:30am
Location: Willard InterContinental Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

The Center for a New American Security and the NATO Allied Command Transformation is hosting Robert Work, Deputy Secretary of Defense, who will present his view for how the new U.S. Offset Strategy will impact U.S. alliances and partnerships, including NATO. Following his remarks, there will be a discussion moderated by Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at CNAS. She will be joined by distinguished guest, General Jean-Paul Paloméros, the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. An audience Q&A session will follow the panel.

RSVP here.

Australia and the Bomb
Date: January 28, 2:00pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

Right up until 1973, Australia made serious efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, but it gave up these attempts once the Asia-Pacific became more stable. We are once again at a critical juncture in the Asia-Pacific, with major powers jockeying for power. Nuclear strategy, extended deterrence, and proliferation have risen to the top of the policy agenda in the region, generating sharp debate even in Australia. The historical origins of the Asian nuclear landscape have profound consequences for contemporary policy regarding US extended deterrence and proliferation by allies.

Join us at the Wilson Center as Christine Leah speaks on her new book, Australia and the Bomb, based on new archival material from the Australian National Archives and interviews with former and current senior defense officials.

RSVP here.

Department in Transition: Challenges and Opportunities Facing SecDef Nominee Ashton Carter
Date: January 28, 2:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

With President Obama nominating Ashton Carter, a former Deputy Secretary of Defense, for the top job at the Pentagon, the Department of Defense (DoD) is at a crossroads. Carter, slated to become President Obama’s fourth Secretary of Defense, will face a number of institutional and national security challenges – all of which will require him to draw from his vast experience in the department. Obvious objectives will include the formulation of a more effective strategy against ISIS, a determination on how to counter a revanchist Russia, tackling elements of defense reform, and the restoration of budgets that are consistent with the unpredictable strategic operating environment in which U.S. forces find themselves.

Join us for a discussion of the defense and foreign policy issues that Ashton Carter is sure to face as Secretary of Defense and what to look for during his confirmation hearing.

Global Security and Gender – A Forum with Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom
Date: January 28, 4:00pm
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC

The integration of gender perspectives as a core value in foreign policy is not just fundamental for establishing long-term peace and security; it is also crucial for reaching development goals and prosperity. Today’s security environment holds massive challenges for women and girls as a result of extremism, humanitarian crises, and conflict. At the same time, Beijing+20 and the post-2015 agenda provides an unprecedented opportunity to take a fresh look at how we can create a new, inclusive framework for global security and development.

In Sweden, Minister Wallström is reviewing how her nation’s foreign policy can be strengthened further with attention to gender perspectives. At the forum, Minister Wallström will present her government’s vision of how gender perspectives can inform foreign policy in the current security context.

Following her remarks, Minister Wallström will be joined by former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Ambassador Johnnie Carson, a USIP senior advisor, who will moderate a discussion with the Minister, as well as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Catherine Russell, and U.S. Ambassador Donald Steinberg (retired), a former deputy administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development who now serves as President and CEO of World Learning. Join the conversation on Twitter with #GenderDiplomacy.

January 29, 2015

Asia Pacific Forecast 2015
Date: January 29, 8:00am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

What should we expect from the U.S. strategic rebalance to Asia in 2015? What are the prospects for economic reform in China and Japan? How should we interpret leadership changes in India and Indonesia? Are new strategic alignments emerging in Asia as the United States focuses on crises elsewhere?

Join CSIS experts for a preview of political, security, and economic developments across Asia in 2015.

Report Launch: “Scripts of Sovereignty: The Freezing of the Russia-Ukraine Crisis and Dilemmas of Governance in Eurasia”
Date: January 29, 10:00am
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS, Room 500, 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

With a possible frozen conflict developing in eastern Ukraine, Russia has begun to consolidate neighboring breakaway territories into a distinct group of semi-sovereign entities that frustrate Western efforts in the region. This Russian strategy, based on six identifiable “scripts of sovereignty,” has exposed a contradiction in the West’s own approach: that of promoting both Western integration and the preservation of existing borders in states that remain deeply divided on the issue. What steps can both sides take to turn the region into an area of cooperation – and will it require a new model for governance in Eurasia?

Please join us for a discussion with Alexander Cooley, Professor of Political Science at Barnard College and Deputy Director of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, on the future of territorial arrangements in the post-Soviet space. The event will mark the release of Dr. Cooley’s report as the first publication for CGI’s After Ukraine program, which examines the long-term implications of the Ukrainian crisis. Thomas de Waal, Senior Associate for Russia and Eurasia at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will join as the discussant. Konstantin Avramov, Program Director at CGI, will moderate the Q&A.

Interrogation in the 21^st Century
Date: January 29, 12:15pm
Location: New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC

Ever since reports of abusive tactics surfaced in the early 2000s, the efficacy of interrogation methods used by the U.S. military and intelligence services has been an issue of contention. Over the past 15 years, the debate has focused largely on whether or not abusive tactics were necessary to elicit intelligence. The discussion has been largely among politicians, with little input from scientists who have relevant data, or from practitioners who can speak to the efficacy of ethical, science-based methods that treat detainees with respect. Until now.

New America is pleased to welcome Col. (ret.) Steven Kleinman, a career military intelligence officer with expertise in human intelligence and strategic interrogations; Mark Fallon, a national security consultant and former deputy assistant director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Christian Meissner, a professor at Iowa State University who has coordinated a five-year research program for the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group; and Melissa Russano, associate professor of criminal justice at Roger Williams University who has interviewed interrogators with experience of questioning high-value targets, for a discussion about the methods that are really used in these kinds of interrogations, and the value of the intelligence that they elicit.

RSVP here.

A New Foreign Policy Agenda: Looking Toward 2016
Date: January 29, 3:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

2014 seemed like a year of foreign policy crises – Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East. While most of these may have moved from the top of the news cycle, by no means have they been solved permanently. It is a little under two years before the next presidential election, but foreign policy might figure more prominently in the 2016 cycle than it has in recent elections. World events are deteriorating rapidly, and national security is more on people’s minds. There is widespread popular discontent with the conduct and outcome of current U.S. foreign policies. Democrats are raising significant questions about the direction of U.S. strategy. Republicans are searching for a consistent foreign policy vision. The time is ripe to begin thinking about what an alternative U.S. foreign policy should be and the principles behind its successful conduct.

Join us as Dr. Kim Holmes and Dr. William Inboden discuss their recent four-part series in Foreign Policy, outlining the way forward for a reinvigorated U.S. foreign policy.

PS21 Event: Avoiding Disaster in a New Era of Superpower Tension
Date: January 29, 6:30pm
Location: FHI Conference Center, 8^th Floor, 1825 Connecticut Ae NW, Washington DC

A quarter of a century after the end of the Berlin Wall, in both Europe and Asia great power tensions are on the rise again. With a joint event with Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, new global think tank the Project for Study of the 21st Century looks at the risks and the ways of avoiding a truly dangerous confrontation.

January 30, 2015

Towards a Transatlantic Strategy for Europe’s East
Date: January 30, 8:30am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

The Ukraine crisis and Russia’s renewed assertiveness in Europe’s eastern neighborhood have vast implications for the region. The situation in Ukraine underscores the need for a reinvigorated transatlantic strategy which effectively addresses the most pressing political, economic, and security challenges facing the countries that remain on the margins of democratic transformation in Europe’s East.

Organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and anchored by Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs, this conference will also mark the beginning of Latvia’s 2015 EU Presidency and will help inform efforts to reassess the EU’s Eastern Partnership, shape the role of the United States in the region, and advance an effective neighborhood policy in advance of the May 2015 Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga.

In addition to Minister Rinkēvičs, prominent European Union officials and high-level US representatives will participate in the conference, including several other ministers of foreign affairs from the region and prominent architects of the Eastern Partnership policy.

Pandora Report 1.25.15

January 25, 2015 by juliadhomstad, posted in Pandora Report

This week, we’re going to focus on stories revolving around disease eradication—or the lack thereof. We look at Measles in California, Polio in Pakistan, and TB in Britain. We’ve also got an Ebola update and (lots) of stories you may have missed.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a safe and healthy week!

Melinda Gates Shames Anti-Vaxxers “Who Have Forgotten What Measles Death Looks Like”

At least 85 measles cases in seven states have been linked to an outbreak that started at Disneyland in Southern California. Reportedly, at least 28 affected people never received the measles vaccine. Melinda Gates, of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has long worked to help people in developing countries receive basic healthcare treatment, including vaccines, and she fired back at parents in the U.S. who have declined to take advantage of vaccines.

Mother Jones—“‘We take vaccines so for granted in the United States,” Gates explained during an appearance on HuffPost Live Thursday. “Women in the developing world know the power of [vaccines]. They will walk 10 kilometers in the heat with their child and line up to get a vaccine because they have seen death.” In detailing the struggle parents in the developing world endure to have their children vaccinated, Gates said Americans have simply “forgotten what measles death looks like.’”

A New Polio Case in Pakistan and an Unsolved Epidemic

The Gates Foundation has also worked on eradicating Polio. Despite their efforts, and the tireless efforts of others since 1988, polio remains endemic in three countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria—with cases in seven others. In some good news, it has been nearly six months since a diagnosed case of polio in Nigeria. But Pakistan, who registered its first case of 2015, remains a concern due to strong, and sometimes violent, opposition to polio vaccination.

Wired—“Among the endemic countries, Pakistan is clearly now the major challenge — more of one than Nigeria was, even though Nigeria in its worst outbreaks had more cases. I say that because the barriers to vaccination in Nigeria depended on internal sectarian politics. The children who were not being vaccinated were always technically reachable by vaccinators, once local communities decided to let them in; and there was never a threat to the lives of the vaccination teams. In Pakistan, though, the conflict is bigger than one party versus another, and the areas where children are not being vaccinated are literal no-go zones.”

Europe’s Tuberculosis Hub in Britain Seeks to Wipe Out the Disease

Often thought of as a disease of the past, tuberculosis has stubbornly persisted in Britain. In fact, London is known as the continent’s “TB capital.” On Monday, health authorities launched a $17.4 million plan in order to tackle Britain’s persistent TB problem, in an effort to wipe out the extremely contagious lung disease all together. The plan involves working with the National Health Service (NHS) to target the most vulnerable, and improve access to screening, testing, treatment, and outreach services.

Fox News—“TB rates in the United Kingdom are nearly five times those in the United States. If current trends continue, England alone will have more TB cases than the whole of the U.S. in two years. “TB should be consigned to the past, and yet it is occurring in England at higher rates than most of Western Europe,” said Paul Cosford, a director at the government’s health agency, Public Health England (PHE). “This situation must be reversed.’”

This Week in Ebola

On Friday, the World Health Organization announced that the number of new cases of Ebola in West Africa have fallen to their lowest number in months. In fact, during the week of January 18, there were only 8 new cases in Liberia—compared to the 300 new cases per week in August and September—which has left the U.S. built treatment centers largely empty. There were many reports this week that Ebola clinical trials will soon begin in Liberia. In Guinea, the number of cases of Ebola has also fallen off—only 42 cases the first week of January, the lowest total since mid-August—and the government has begun a new campaign: zero Ebola cases in 60 days.

So, maybe this will be the last Ebola update? Probably not. The stories keep coming, but they are now more focused on the long term effects or lessons from the outbreak. For example, Ebola has been more deadly for the great apes than it has for humans. Among gorillas the mortality rate is about 95% and for chimpanzees it is 77%–for humans it has been about 50%. There has also been analysis of the response, including an upcoming lecture by the President of the World Bank Group titled “Lessons from Ebola: A post-2015 Strategy for Pandemic Response” which will stream live online.

Stories You May Have Missed

Destruction of underground bunkers and hangars that were used for the production and storage of chemical weapons has (finally) begun in Syria. The first site should be destroyed and sealed off by the end of January.
Bill Gates has said that an HIV vaccine will be ready by 2030. Though this won’t eradicate the virus, Gates said that with the vaccine the “number of people getting treatment…would finally outstrip the number of new infections.
Seasonal influenza continues to spread throughout the U.S. It has even made its way to Hawaii. Looks like even paradise isn’t immune from viruses…but we already learned that at Disneyland.
One of the earliest samples of cholera vaccine is on display at the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem. The vial dates back to 1892.
Thanks to the xMAP® Biothreat Toxin Panel (BTP) by Luminex, it is now possible to rapidly detect and identify the six most easily acquired and most dangerous biotoxins. All six agents are on the Select Agent and Toxins list.
Can fashion defeat anti-vaccine advocates? It’s not a new idea. In the late 1700s French aristocratic supporters of smallpox inoculation sported the pouf a l’inoculation. It sounds totally amazing—you’ll have to read it to believe it!

Image Credit: Regional Center of Orange County

The Global War on Terror Redux

January 22, 2015January 22, 2015 by juliadhomstad, posted in News

By Erik Goepner

Are we destroying the Islamic State or fighting a global war on terror?

In the past six months, the U.S. launched air strikes to neutralize the al Qaeda offshoot, Khorasan group, and the imminent threat they posed. Authorities in Ohio arrested a man—apparently self-radicalized—who was planning to target the U.S. Capitol. The Charlie Hebdo attackers reportedly received funding and guidance from Yemeni-based, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The kosher market killer apparently had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Soon after, French, Belgian, and German authorities arrested more than a dozen suspected terrorists, some of whom had recently returned from Syria and allegedly may have ties to the Islamic State.

While the Islamic State dominates the headlines and Obama Administration officials repeat the defeat and destroy Daesh (nee ISIL) mantra, the President’s narrowly-named Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL speaks of a decidedly broader end goal. General Allen recently acknowledged “Daesh” as the immediate threat, but noted, “more broadly we’re interested in the underlying factors that create these problems.” He went on to talk of the collective action needed to eliminate the social, ethnic, religious and economic problems that have combined in the Middle East. He noted that if we are successful, there will be a government in Syria that “reflects the will of the Syrian people,” which will have “the happy second and third order effect of assisting in the creation of stability more broadly in the region.”

In words reminiscent of President Bush, “Our war on terror begins with Al Qaeda, but it does not end there,” Secretary Kerry recently shared similar thoughts. In a speech at the Saban Forum, the Secretary observed that “even once Daesh is defeated and Syria is stabilized, our work is far from over.”

These are amazingly aspirational goals. Daesh defeated. Syria stabilized. A government in Syria reflecting the will of the people. And it would seem, a stabilized Iraq and Afghanistan, too.

Again, the similarities are evident. Also speaking at the Saban Forum, though years prior, President Bush outlined similar aspirations, “Our vision for the future: a Middle East where our friends are strengthened and the extremists are discredited, where economies are open and prosperity is widespread, and where all people enjoy the life of liberty…”

Times have changed, but the mission hasn’t. However passionately or half-heartedly we approach it, America continues to wage a global war on terror and seek the remaking of the Middle East.

Image Credit: Huffington Post

Week in DC: Events

January 19, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

January 20, 2015

A View from Estonia: Russia and the Threats Posed to Transatlantic Security
Date: January 20, 10:00am
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

While Russia’s annexation of Crimea and further aggression against Ukraine in the Donbas came as a shock to many in Western Europe and the United States, these actions came as little surprise to those member states on NATO’s front lines – especially the Baltic states. Leveraging insights and experience from the nations in the Alliance that know Russia the best could prove a critical advantage as the U.S. and NATO develop a new strategy to deal with a resurgent Russia. Estonian Brigadier General Meelis Kiili, Commander of the Estonian Defence League, shares his insights on Russia. Join us to learn how energy, cyber, and information warfare are likely to factor into any potential future conflicts between Russia and the West.

Managing, Ending, and Avoiding Wars in the Middle East
Date: January 20, 1:00pm
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (2168), Washington DC

The Middle East Policy Council invites you and your colleagues to our 79^th Capitol Hill Conference. Live streaming of this event will begin at approximately 1:00 pm on Tuesday, January 20^th and conclude at 3:30pm. A curated questions-and-answers session will be held at the end of the proceedings. Refreshments will be served.

Watch live online here.

The Transatlantic Bond in an Age of Complexity
Date: January 20, 2:45pm
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

On January 20, the Center on the United States and Europe (CUSE) at Brookings and the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) will host Federica Mogherini, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, for a public address on the European Union’s foreign policy priorities. In her remarks, High Representative Mogherini will explore the value of the transatlantic relationship in a volatile and interdependent world.

Federica Mogherini became high representative of the EU in November 2014. As the EU foreign policy chief, she represents the EU internationally, coordinates the work of all EU commissioners in charge of external relations portfolios, and chairs the monthly councils of EU foreign affairs ministers. Previously, HR/VP Mogherini was Italy’s minister for foreign affairs and a member of the Italian Parliament.

Brookings Vice President for Foreign Policy Martin Indyk will provide introductory remarks. Following High Representative Mogherini’s remarks, GMF President Karen Donfried will moderate a question and answer session.

Watch live online here.

January 21, 2015

Intelligence in a Dynamic World
Date: January 21, 10:15am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security for a Commanders Series event with Dr. Michael G. Vickers, under secretary of defense for intelligence, to discuss the role of defense intelligence in tracking consistently morphing security threats at a time when technology has increased the ability of individuals and states to counter US intelligence methods.

The US intelligence collection system is increasingly challenged by a variety and dynamic set of threats. This year, Vickers said that “rapid technological change as well as political change” has led the US intelligence community to review the way it currently employs intelligence. What is the Department of Defense and the intelligence community doing to keep up with these changes to the global order? Will the United States stay ahead of these changes, or is the country falling behind in a turbulent 21st century? Dr. Vickers will speak to these and other questions.

Dr. Vickers is the under secretary of defense for intelligence, the principal intelligence adviser to the secretary of defense. Previously, he served as the first and only assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low-intensity and interdependences capabilities from 2007 to 2011. Before that, he held many positions as an Army special forces non-commissioned officer, a special forces officer, and a Central Intelligence Agency operations officer.

The Rise of Jihadist Attacks and the Fallacy of the “Lone Wolf” Terrorist
Date: January 21, 12:00pm
Location: Endowment for Middle East Truth, Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-369

This week’s tragic events in Paris have been a disturbing climax to a consistent trend of violent attacks from radical Islamic terrorists. Preceding the events in Paris was a string of violent actions in just the past few months which included the murder of a soldier in Canada, the hostage situation in Australia, and the beheading of a woman in Nebraska. The media and several counter-terror experts have since coined the term ‘lone wolf’ in reference to the supposed random and independent nature of these attacks. In October 2014, Patrick Poole in turn coined the term ‘known wolf’ to describe these attackers, pointing out the fact that many of them have been known by authorities to have ties to terror organizations and criminal behavior. Please join us as we host Mr. Poole for a seminar in which he explains why the perpetrators of these attacks are in fact ‘known wolves,’ and why it is important to change the way in which we think about these kinds of perpetrators.

RSVP here.

Cyber Risk Wednesday: Moving from Bad to Worse? Looking Back to 2014 and Implications for 2015
Date: January 21, 3:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

A year ago, cyber experts were calling 2013 “the year of the data breach” only to find 2014 had far worse in store. Not only did the year see massive intrusions at some of America’s most trusted companies, but critical vulnerabilities that had been undiscovered for years. Perhaps most dangerous of all, nations seem increasingly comfortable using cyber operations in the murky in-between space that lies between peace and war.

Join the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative on January 21 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. for a moderated discussion with Shane Harris, senior intelligence and national security correspondent for Daily Beast and Dmitri Alperovitch, the cofounder & CTO of CrowdStrike, for a discussion on Harris’ book @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex, the trends in cybersecurity derived from breaches and incidents such as Target and Sony in 2014, and what we are likely to see (and suffer from) in 2015.

Ukraine’s Crisis through Ukrainian Eyes
Date: January 21, 4:15pm
Location: Elliot School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, 7^th Floor, Washington DC

What do Ukrainian citizens themselves think about the crisis that has engulfed their country since late 2013? This multidisciplinary panel brings together top research teams that have organized and carried out original survey research in Ukraine (including eastern Ukraine, western Ukraine, and Crimea) during 2014 to share their most interesting findings on the ongoing crisis. Topics will include what people think of the Euromaidan movement, why people join volunteer militias, how identity issues influence political preferences, whether Ukrainian elections have been free and fair, and what the patterns of support for the West, Russia, and their leaders are.

RSVP here.

January 22, 2015

Reflections from the Frontline of the Ebola Response in Liberia
Date: January 22, 1:30pm
Location: E.B. Williams Library, 5^th Floor Atrium, Georgetown University Law Center, 111 G Street NW, Washington DC

The O’Neill Institute is privileged to launch our Spring Conversation Series with Daniel Lucey, MD, MPH as he shares his reflections on his time in West Africa combatting the Ebola epidemic. Dr. Lucey spent several weeks on the frontline of the Ebola crisis in West Africa. As a volunteer in both Sierra Leone and Liberia, he tirelessly treated patients and trained fellow health care workers in the proper use of personal protective equipment. Dr. Lucey explored new ways to encourage his patients, at times, the solution being as “simple as a straw.” He focused on increasing survivorship and bolstering hope despite the bleak circumstances.

Dr. Lucey is an adjunct professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) and is a Senior Scholar at the O’Neill Institute. A physician trained in infectious diseases and public health, he has taught for 11 years at Georgetown on global emerging infectious diseases. He completed his infectious disease training and MPH at Harvard and worked in the US Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health. His infectious disease training and MPH were at Harvard 1985-1988, after medical residency at UCSF, and medical school and college at Dartmouth. After working at the NIH and Washington Hospital Center until 2002, he co-founded a graduate program on emerging infectious diseases and biohazardous threat agents at GUMC. He has traveled widely in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to exchange information regarding infectious diseases such as SARS, influenza, Nipah, HIV, anthrax, and MERS. Dr. Lucey is an author on over 100 papers and book chapters.

Space is limited so please RSVP to Caroline Gould at ceg73@law.georgetown.edu.

January 23, 2015

Egypt’s Revolutions Four Years Later: Reflecting on the Past and Looking Ahead to the Future
Date: January 23, 10:00am
Location: Center for American Progress, 1333 H Street NW, 10^th Floor, Washington DC

Four years after the first protests ousted former President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt remains in the midst of unfinished political and economic transitions at a time of new security threats across the Middle East. As the most populous Arab country, Egypt is central to achieving stability and progress in the Middle East.

On January 23, please join the Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation for a program reflecting on the past four years of Egypt’s transition, featuring a keynote address by retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, former commander of the U.S. Central Command. The program will include an expert panel discussing the Center for American Progress’ new report “A New Anchor for U.S.-Egypt Relations: Looking to the Future and Learning from the Past Four Years of Egypt’s Transitions,” authored by Brian Katulis and Mokhtar Awad.

It will also feature a discussion on a new book by The Century Foundation’s Thanassis Cambanis’ new book Once Upon a Revolution: An Egyptian Story. In the book, Cambanis argues that after Egypt’s failed revolution, the country will face continued turmoil until its government begins to address the root economic and political grievances that drove the 2011 uprising and until the country’s opposition forces repair their own profound divisions. The book will be available for purchase at the event.

Global Oil and the Middle East Economic Outlook
Date: January 23, 12:00pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The steady decline of global oil prices since June 2014 is shifting economic, political, and strategic calculations of key Middle East actors, and adding a new element of uncertainty at a time of increased regional conflict and polarization. Carnegie will host the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss the 2015 update of the IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook for the Middle East and North Africa. The conversation will focus on the impact of both lower oil prices and slower demand growth on the region in the year ahead.

Masood Ahmed, along with Carnegie’s Uri Dadush and Deborah Gordon, will discuss the impact of fluctuating oil prices on regional economies, and the overall outlook for global markets and international economic relations. Carnegie’s Katherine Wilkens will moderate.

Pandora Report 1.18.15

January 18, 2015January 18, 2015 by juliadhomstad, posted in Pandora Report

For those who’ve been reading for awhile, you’ve probably surmised that one of my personal health interests is seasonal and pandemic flu. There were plenty of stories about that this week, so that’s what we’ll focus on. We’ll also look at Ebola and other stories you may have missed. My apologies for posting delays this week, I’m dealing with some rotator cuff and carpal tunnel issues in my right arm, and let me tell you, it is HARD to type with your dominant arm in a sling!

Enjoy your holiday Monday (if you have one) and have a safe and healthy week!

Texas Health Experts Say Universal Flu Vaccine Could be a Reality

The CDC has said that this year’s seasonal flu vaccine was only 23% effective due to unanticipated antigenic drift—meaning the predicted strains in the vaccine didn’t match the dominant strains of the virus that are currently circulating. In order to combat this in the future, scientists at Mount Sinai health system in New York are in the process of testing a universal flu vaccine which will go into clinical trials this year.

KLTV.com—“‘There is work going on to see if, perhaps a different kind of vaccine could be developed maybe against a different part of the flu virus, one that is not so subject to this antigenic drift or to change as readily from one year to the next,” [Dr. Levin of UT Health Northeast] says.”

Scientists Find Brain Protein Aids Influenza Recovery

Scientists at Washington State University in Spokane have found a brain protein that boosts the healing power of sleep and speeds recovery from the flu in mice. Professor James M. Kruger said this discovery could lead to alternative treatments for flu and other infectious diseases by stimulating production of the brain protein called AcPb. This discovery comes at a time where avian influenza is prevalent in Taiwan, Japan, Nigeria, China, Egypt, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Washington State University—“Krueger showed this recovery involves AcPb and an immune system signaling chemical called interleukin-1. AcPb links up with interleukin-1 to help regulate sleep in healthy animals. It also prompts infected animals to spend more time sleeping during an illness.

In the study, mice who lacked the gene for AcPb slept less after being infected with influenza virus. They also became chilled, grew sluggish, lost their normal circadian rhythms and ultimately died in higher numbers than the mice who slept longer.”

This Week in Ebola

As GMU students return to classes, so do students in Ebola affected Guinea. Schools in Guinea will re-open Monday, and schools in Liberia are set to re-open “next month.” No date has been set for schools in Sierra Leone. Despite this, the President of Sierra Leone has declared that there will be zero new confirmed Ebola cases by the end of March the country will be Ebola-free, by WHO standards, by May. These announcements come at a time when Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the CDC, has said he was “very confident we can get to zero cases in this epidemic if we continue the way we’re going and nothing unexpected happens” and the outbreak appears to be slowing down. Last week brought record low numbers—for Guinea, the lowest total since mid-August; for Liberia, the lowest total since the first week of June; for Sierra Leone the second week of declines and the lowest level since the end of August. However, there are still “at least 50 micro-outbreaks” underway throughout West Africa.

Pauline Cafferkey, the Scottish nurse infected with Ebola, is “showing signs of improvement” and an American soldier who was found dead in Texas after his deployment in West Africa reportedly showed no signs of Ebola leaving officials to remark that there was “no evidence of a public health threat.”

A seemingly large amount of good news this week left space for new ruminations on Ebola and outbreaks in general. Wired had an interesting piece on Nanobiophysics and how it could stop future global pandemics while The Chicago Tribune looked at bats and their likely role in Ebola outbreaks and CNBC looked at the price of protection from global pandemics—would you believe $343.7 billion?

Stories You May Have Missed

Last week we learned about dirt as a potential source for new antibiotics. This week, there were stories about new antibiotics coming from arctic waters.
How useful would a device that sniffs out chemical weapons be? Potentially very useful for those workers tasked with cleaning up mustard gas and lewisite, says an article in New Scientist.
Computer modeling by researchers at MIT, Draper Laboratory, and Ascel Bio could forecast reaction to disease outbreak. This model looks at reactions through news reporting and social media in collaboration with hospital records of actual disease incidence.

Image Credit: NBC News

Defeating and Destroying the Islamic State: What the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Can Tell Us

January 15, 2015 by juliadhomstad, posted in News

By Erik Goepner

	Afghanistan	Iraq	Iraq & Syria
U.S. Goal	Defeat & destroy al Qaida	Eliminate Iraqi WMD, “central front on war on terror”	Defeat & destroy Islamic State
Date U.S. initiated operations	October 2001	March 2003	August 2014
Name of operation	Enduring Freedom	Iraqi Freedom	Inherent Resolve
# countries in coalition	50	34	62
# global terror attacks the year U.S. initiated operations	1,878	1,253	11,952¹
# global terror attacks 5 years after U.S. initiated operations	2,728	4,780	TBD
# global terror attacks 10 years after U.S. initiated operations	5,007	11,952	TBD
White House assessment at +3 months	“Our war on terror is well begun, but it is only begun”	mission accomplished “Iraq is free”	“We are making steady, measurable progress”
White House assessment at +5 years	“We have significantly degraded the al–Qaida network” “The success of democracy in Afghanistan is inspiring”	“We have seen significant security gains…Less visible are the political and economic changes taking place…This progress isn’t glamorous, but it is important”	TBD
White House assessment at +10 years	“We are meeting our goals…the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance”	“We’re leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq”	TBD
Cost: U.S. deaths	2,353	4,486	TBD
Cost: $	$686 billion²	$815 billion³	$5.6 billion⁴

Notes:

Numbers are for 2013, 2014 not yet available.
Does not account for future costs, such as FY15 funding or medical care for veterans.
Does not account for future costs, such as medical care for veterans.
Represents budget request for FY15.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Week in DC: Events

January 12, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

January 13, 2015

Too Damn Muslim to be Trusted: The War on Terror and the Muslim American Response
Date: January 13, 6:30pm
Location: Washington Peace Center, 1525 Newton Street NW, Washington DC

Dr. Maha Hilal in her dissertation research examined the relationship between policy design and implementation of War on Terror policies, and Muslim American political participation, alienation, and withdrawal.

Further, the data in this study shows that Muslim Americans across a range of backgrounds question the degree to which they are entitled to equity in both cultural and legal citizenship, including procedural justice.

Dr. Hilal recently earned her doctorate from the Department of Justice, Law and Society at American University in Washington, D.C. The title of her dissertation is “Too damn Muslim to be trusted”: The War on Terror and the Muslim American response. Her expertise and research interests are in the fields of conflict resolution, human rights, and public policy.

For more information, please click here.

January 14, 2015

The Thawing of U.S.-Cuban Relations: What Does it Really Mean for Trade?
Date: January 14, 9:00am
Location: The Washington International Trade Association, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Polaris Suite, Washington DC

Rapprochement with Cuba? Opening a U.S. Embassy in Havana? Lifting the Embargo? Long thought a distant possibility, normal commercial relations with Cuba may be a tangible reality in the near future. U.S. businesses may soon have the possibility of entering and investing into an untapped market with an array of different opportunities. However, policy makers must weigh the benefits of increased economic engagement against concerns about human rights, democracy, as well as consider the desires of the Cuban people and the Cuban-American community.

Join our featured speakers for a panel discussion to set the scene for the trade community on recent U.S.-Cuba developments and shed light on the commercial implications of the United States’ policy shift.

Confronting Putin’s Imperial Ambitions: U.S. Policy Towards Russia After Crimea
Date: January 14, 1:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

With the collapse of the ruble and the Russian economy in dire straits, how has Putin’s position in Ukraine changed? At what inflection point will Russia decide that machinations against Ukraine have become too costly to pursue further? What energy policy should the United States be pursuing to provide Ukraine and her friends increased stability? What role should the new U.S. Congress play in bolstering transatlantic security? Has NATO fulfilled the pledges of the Wales Summit in bolstering defense? Join us as our panelists address these and other critical questions facing the U.S. relationship with Russia after Crimea.

January 15, 2015

Examining the Crisis in Syria
Date: January 15, 8:30am
Location: FHI 360 Conference Center, 8^th Floor, 1825 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC

Over the past three years, popular political protests in Syria led to mass state repression and the country’s descent into a devastating civil war. Over 190,000 people have been killed, countless more injured, and entire towns demolished. Nearly half of Syria’s 22 million people had fled their homes, either as refugees or internally displaced persons. The human cost of this conflict is extraordinary and the world’s great powers remain divided on coordinated international action, even as the situation has expanded to become a major regional conflict.

For some time, public U.S. debate and discussion on the Syrian crisis has been limited and presented in a binary fashion, as a choice between robust military action or marked disengagement. Then, in mid-2014, as the conflict significantly impacted Iraqi national security, the U.S. and a collection of allies began a series of focused military activities. The situation remains uncertain and there is a lack of consensus regarding U.S. policy objectives and strategy regarding the crisis in Syria.

This conference brings together experts on international law, the documentation of atrocities in Syria, reporting on the conflict, engaging social media, assessing the humanitarian and psychosocial impact of the war, and imagining more comprehensive solutions.

RSVP here.

The Future of USG Advising Missions
Date: January 15, 8:30am
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC

From Afghanistan to Iraq, Ukraine to Honduras, advising is a key U.S. strategy to address weak government capacity in sectors including finance, policing, education, agriculture, transportation, justice, and many others. Yet advising missions too often are hindered by challenges common across all U.S. government agencies. Please join us for a policy-level discussion about mission mandates for long-term, locally-owned solutions, the first in a series of conversations on advising as a means to provide foreign assistance and capacity building to partner countries.

Advising is increasingly understood to be the prevalent instrument for building long-term peace and stability. As U.S. government agencies deploy advisors to help build institutions and solve problems, mission plans become the foundation for effective capacity building.

USIP’s Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding has been at the forefront of the preparation of advisors for multifaceted missions in complex contexts. In early 2014 The Academy convened the Integrated Training for Advisors (ITAP) working group with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of USG advising missions . The working group has recently launched an initiative to discuss the future of USG advising missions in post-conflict environments. This event offers opportunities to U.S. agencies that deploy advisors to partner countries to reflect together with interagency colleagues on this very important and timely capability.

Strategic Deterrence in the Twenty-First Century
Date: January 15, 9:30am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security on January 15, 2014 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. for a Commanders Series event with Admiral Cecil Haney, commander of US Strategic Command, to discuss the role of strategic deterrence in an era of rapidly emerging threats and an increasingly tumultuous world.

Watch the event here or register to attend in person.

Top Priorities for Africa in 2015
Date: January 15, 10:00am
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The year 2015 will be an eventful one for the more than one billion people living in Africa. China, Africa’s largest trading partner, will hold the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation; the Post-2015 Development Agenda will chart a new course for global responses to poverty; West Africa will begin its recovery from the devastating Ebola crisis; and the continent’s largest economy, Nigeria, will face a defining presidential election (along with more than 15 other countries). Many of these milestones will bring opportunities for Africa to redefine its relationships with global partners and strengthen its voice on the world stage. Others will present obstacles to the continent’s steady march towards peace, security, and economic and human development.

On January 15, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings will host a discussion with leading Africa experts on the most important challenges the continent will face in 2015. The panel of Brookings experts will offer their expertise on these pressing issues as well give recommendations to national governments, regional organizations, multilateral institutions and civil society on how to approach them in order to create a peaceful and prosperous 2015 for Africa.

Marshall Plan for the Mind: The CIA Covert Book Program During the Cold War
Date: January 15, 3:00pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 5^th Floor Conference Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

The information monopoly of Communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe was weakened by a covert CIA program to send books and other printed material behind the Iron Curtain. The “book program” arranged for publication in the West of the first Russian-language edition of Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago. It distributed a wide range of Western literature, much non-political, to Soviet and East European elites — both those identified with the regimes and dissidents — who were cut off from the intellectual and cultural life of the West. The book program aimed to keep a critical mass of intellectuals in Soviet bloc countries informed about the values and culture of the free world. Books and periodicals were mailed to Eastern Europe under the cover of various sponsoring organizations, including publishing houses and universities. They were smuggled in by travelers. Between 1958 and 1991, some 10 million books and periodicals were distributed to East European and Soviet citizens.

Watch live online here.

Syria: Should the United States Do More?
Date: January 15, 5:00pm
Location: U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

In January 2013, the McCain Institute for International Leadership launched its Debate and Decision Series with an inaugural event entitled “Should the United States Save Syria?” A distinguished group of debaters tackled the topic during a live debate moderated by CNN’s Elise Labott at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington.

Two years later, the McCain Institute will revisit this issue – examining the current situation in Syria, the rise of ISIS and the expansion of the conflict into Iraq.

We look forward to a lively debate, as leading U.S. and Syria experts tackle the question: “Syria: Should the United States Do More?” the latest in our Debate and Decision Series events at the McCain Institute.

Watch live online here or register to attend in person here.

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