Category: Week In DC

Monday, July 11, 2016
How To Defeat Terrorism In Iraq– Institute of World Politics
Time: 1-2:30pm
Location: The Institute of World Politics1521 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA (map)
Sheikh Jamal al-Dhari will share his vision for his country: a political re-crafting of the existing government structure away from sectarianism and towards a new consitution based on Iraqi national citizenship and inclusive of participation from all sectarian communities. HE Sheikh Jamal al-Dhari is the Chairman of the Iraq National Project and President of Peace Ambassadors for Iraq (PAFI). One of the leaders of the al-Zoba tribe in Iraq, he is the nephew of the late Islamic scholar and religious leader Sheikh Harith al-Dhari. Jamal was born in the Abu Ghraib district of Iraq on July 16, 1965. He grew up within the al-Zoba tribe and in the 1970s he attended the Hafsa School. In the 1980s, Jamal was conscripted into the Iraqi Army to fight in the Iran- Iraq War.  During his time on the frontline, he fought alongside both Sunni and Shia officers and friends, in the Iraqi Republican Guard. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by coalition forces, Jamal was a strong proponent of Iraqi nationalism and self-rule.  In 2005, he and his family fought against al-Qaeda’s occupation of Iraqi territory and, as a consequence, Jamal lost 70 members of his family in the struggle. In 2014, Jamal helped to establish the nonprofit think tank Peace Ambassadors for Iraq, whose purpose is to advocate for a renewed system of government in Iraq, to determine the best policies to fully eliminate ISIS/Daesh and other terrorist forces from Iraq, and to build international support for an all-inclusive Iraq. Presently, Jamal is working for a renewal in Iraq by forging a non-sectarian and inclusive settlement for all Iraqis.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Opportunities And Challenges In Implementing The Iran Nuclear Deal– Bipartisan Policy Center
Time: 10am-noon
Location: Bipartisan Policy Center1225 I Street, NW Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20005 (map)
On July 14, 2015, President Obama announced that international negotiators had reached agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), “a comprehensive, long-term deal with Iran that will prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” Robust debate followed, with supporters of the deal arguing that it would put in place verifiable restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and critics worried that it would do too little to prevent Iranian cheating while leaving other issues—Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for terrorism, for example—off the table. As the first anniversary of the JCPOA approaches, it is possible to assess how the deal has fared thus far and what challenges or opportunities its implementation might present going forward. Please join the Bipartisan Policy Center for a keynote address by Ambassador Stephen Mull, the State Department’s lead coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation, and an expert panel discussion. The event will be streamed live on this page. Join the discussion on Twitter: @BPC_Bipartisan#BPClive

Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Russia’s AIDS Epidemic: Truths, Policies, And Future Outlook– Center on Global Interests
Time: 10:30-noon
Location: Human Rights Council 1640 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC, 20036 (map)
Russia is home to one of Europe’s largest and fastest growing HIV/AIDS infected populations. As of 2016, more than 1 million people are registered on the country’s official HIV-positive list. What factors led to Russia’s AIDS epidemic, and will it continue to grow? How have policymakers responded to the crisis? And what do these responses say about Russia’s current political, social, and economic environment? As the world’s public health leaders prepare to meet in South Africa for the AIDS 2016 summit, the Center on Global Interests is pleased to invite you to this timely discussion with Robert Heimer, Professor of Epidemiology and Pharmacology at the Yale School of Public Health and Olga Levina, Development Director at Stellit, a St. Petersburg-based public health NGO. Judyth Twigg, Professor of Political Science and senior fellow (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies will moderate the conversation. Continue reading “Week in DC: Events July 11-15, 2016” →

Monday, June 27, 2016
Leaders Speak: National Security Advisors– National Committee on U.S.-China Relations
Time: 5:30-7pm
Location: Omni Shoreham Hotel2500 Calvert St NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA (map)
Every morning, the national security advisor briefs the president of the United States on the world’s most pressing security threats, from ISIS to the Zika virus. Our collective security is increasingly reliant upon cooperation between the United States and China, whether it is minimizing the risk of conflict in the South China Sea, dealing with North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, or responding to climate change. Join us for a program on these issues and more, featuring former National Security Advisors Stephen J. Hadley, Robert “Bud” McFarlane, and Richard V. Allen in conversation with National Committee President Steve Orlins.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Trading Up: A Critical Perspective On Jobs, Governance & Security In U.S. Trade Policy– Institute for Policy Studies
Time: 9am-5pm
Location: nstitute for Policy Studies815 16th St. NW Washington, DC United States (map)
We are delighted to invite you to“Trading Up: A Critical Perspective on Jobs, Governance & Security in U.S. Trade Policy,”  A program that includes continental breakfast, lunch and an evening reception. U.S.  trade policy is at a crossroads. With progress at the WTO seemingly halted, the global business community has turned to alternative strategies, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Administration continues to work to advance the TPP this year, but its unpopularity with all remaining presidential candidates and their primary voters has made that goal tenuous. We encourage you to R.S.V.P. as soon as possible, as space is limited for this free event. Check out the Trading Up conference agenda in full.

Expand Social Security Now– Economic Policy Institute
Time: 11am-12:20pm
Location: Economic Policy Institute1225 Eye Street, N.W. Washington, DC (map)
Suite 600 Wellstone Room
Join Social Security Works at the Economic Policy Institute for a panel on expanding Social Security. As seen in the New York Times, Social Security expansion is part of a strong and growing movement in America and will play a crucial role in the 2016 election. This movement has allowed defenders of Social Security to shift the conversation and have a serious discussion about how we can expand Social Security to solve the retirement security crisis. On June 28, 2016, we will be joined by author Steven Hill to talk about his new book Expand Social Security Now! How to Ensure Americans Get the Retirement They Deserve, as well as Nancy Altman, co-author of Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn’t Going Broke and How Expanding It Will Help Us All. The panel will be moderated by the President and CEO of the Center for Global Policy Solutions and author of Plan for a New Future: The Impact of Social Security Reform on People of Color, Maya Rockeymoore, and joined by EPI President Lawrence Mishel. This panel will explore Social Security expansion and discuss how we can continue to make expansion the only option for lawmakers. Continue reading “Week in DC: Events 6.27-7.1.2016” →

Monday, June 6th, 2016
Sustaining NATO’s Strength And Deterrence– Atlantic Council
Time: 9am-12:45pm
Location: Kempinski Hotel Cathedral SquareUniversiteto g. 14, Vilnius 01122, Lithuania (map)
The discussions will feature a keynote address by Ben Hodges, Commanding General of US Army Europe, and opening remarks by Lithuania’s Minister of National Defense, Juozas Olekas.
The conference will convene key regional and US officials, military leaders, and senior experts for a high-level discussion on the strategic issues facing NATO’s eastern flank, one month before its seminal 2016 Warsaw Summit.
The Baltic region has become a potential flashpoint between NATO and Russia. Russia has ratcheted up tensions in the region through large-scale military exercises, dramatic air and sea encounters, and the development of a potent anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) network. Establishing new approaches and strategies to sustain NATO’s strength and presence in the region will be a key priority for the Alliance. This conference will contribute directly to the discussions in the Alliance as it prepares for its Warsaw Summit.
If you have any questions or wish to RSVP, please contact Monika Korolioviene at the Ministry of National Defense of Lithuania at Monika.Korolioviene@kam.lt. We hope that you will be able to join us for this important event. Thank you very much, and we look forward to hearing from you soon. On Twitter? Follow @ACScowcroft and @Lithuanian_MoD and use #FutureNATO to join the conversation!

Global Nuclear Challenges And Solutions For The Next U.S. President– Arms Control Association
Time: 9am-2:30pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (map)
Root Room
On June 6, shortly after President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima, we will host our 2016 Annual Meeting featuring keynote remarks from President Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor and 2015 “Arms Control Person of the Year” award winner Setsuko Thurlow.

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
Climate, Air Pollution, And Public Health—Revisiting The Energy Innovation Agenda– Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Time: 9-11:45am
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA (map)
The nexus between air quality and climate change is of growing importance, as developing countries grapple with intensifying air pollution. Some believe that local air pollution—an environmental challenge that is more visible and immediately harmful to public health than longer-term climate change—may in fact drive policy and technology that can ultimately both improve air quality and work to mitigate climate change. Yet the impression of mutual gains may be illusory or at least incomplete—there is no guarantee that action on air quality will bring about coherent climate policymaking, nor vice-versa. Continue reading “Week in DC: Events 6.6-6.10.2016” →

Monday, May 30th, 2016
Happy Memorial Day!

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016
The Iran Nuclear Deal: Prelude To Proliferation In The Middle East?– Brookings Institution
Time: 9:30-11am
Location: Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 (map)
Sign up to watch the live webcast instead »The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) adopted by Iran and the P5+1 partners in July 2015 was an effort not only to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons but also to avert a nuclear arms competition in the Middle East. But uncertainties surrounding the future of the Iran nuclear deal, including the question of what Iran will do when key JCPOA restrictions on its nuclear program expire after 15 years, could provide incentives for some of its neighbors to keep their nuclear options open.In their Brookings Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Series monograph, “The Iran Nuclear Deal: Prelude to Proliferation in the Middle East?,” Robert Einhorn and Richard Nephew assess the current status of the JCPOA and explore the likelihood that, in the wake of the agreement, regional countries will pursue their own nuclear weapons programs or at least latent nuclear weapons capabilities. Drawing on interviews with senior government officials and non-government experts from the region, they focus in depth on the possible motivations and capabilities of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for pursuing nuclear weapons. The monograph also offers recommendations for policies to reinforce the JCPOA and reduce the likelihood that countries of the region will seek nuclear weapons.On May 31, the Brookings Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative will host a panel to discuss the impact of the JCPOA on prospects for nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Brookings Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of Foreign Policy Suzanne Maloney will serve as moderator. Panelists include H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States; Derek Chollet, counselor and senior advisor for security and defense policy at the German Marshall Fund; Brookings Senior Fellow Robert Einhorn; and Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Richard Nephew.Following the discussion, panelists will take questions from the audience. This event will be live webcast.

A Security System For The Two State Solution– Center for a New American Security
Time: 1:30-4pm
Location: Willard interContinental Hotel1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC, 20004 (map)
The challenges associated with coming to a permanent status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that can meet Israeli security requirements and Palestinian requirements for sovereignty and dignity are growing more challenging.  During the Oslo period of the 1990s security was considered the least challenging of the core final status issues when compared to borders, refugees, or Jerusalem. But the pull out from Gaza and regional instability in the aftermath of the Arab revolutions has made this issue a central challenge for any future negotiation. For the past year a team of American and Israeli former government and security officials have been working together on a study that details a sustainable security system to support a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate, through deep and comprehensive analysis, that well thought-through security measures in the context of the two-state solution can provide Israel with a degree of security, equal or greater to the one provided today by its deployment into the West Bank, while at the same time being compatible with Palestinian requirements for sovereignty and dignity.

Wednesday, June 1st, 2016
How Jihadists Weaponize Islamic History And How To De-Weaponize It- Westminster Institute
Time: 7:30-8:45pm
Location: Westminster Institute6729 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101, United States (map)
Religious extremists in the Middle East, both Sunni and Shia, have succeeded in weaponizing history. They wield an airbrushed version of past events to inform and legitimize their actions and strategies. We can counteract their revisionism by drawing on the fields of Islamic history, contemporary politics, strategy, media, and psychology. Continue reading “Week in DC: Events 5.29.2016-6.3.2016” →

Monday, May 23rd, 2016
The Changing Face Of Kremlin Propaganda: Recent Developments And Strategies For 2016- Atlantic Council
Time: noon
Location: Atlantic Council1030 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, United States (map)
Manipulation of the media space is a powerful tool in Russia’s “non-linear” war on the West. The Kremlin has weaponized TV, news, and social media by spreading disinformation, which portrays the West as hypocritical, declining, and seeking to dominate the global order. Russia’s propaganda manipulates national and international media, confusing and distracting citizens and policymakers. This campaign erodes global support for Western multilateral institutions and liberal democratic values. The West’s response to this growing threat to global security has, so far, been tepid and uncoordinated. As a result, the space for alternative Russian language news continues to shrink.
Independent Russian-language journalists operate in a state media-dominated environment on a daily basis. This panel will focus on the challenges they face and what the West should do to support independent Russian-language journalism.
We hope you can join us for this important and timely discussion.
On Twitter? Follow @ACEurasia and use #ACRussia

Tuesday, May 24th, 2016
Cybersecurity After Information Sharing- Center for Strategic and International Studies
Time: 8:30-10am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (map)
Increasing the sharing of cyber threat intelligence has been the main focus of the US Government’s strategy to enhance the cyber posture of the United States. With the passage of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, what are the next steps that Congress and the incoming administration should take to successfully implement the legislation and to shore up the US cybersecurity posture?
Zika In The U.S: Can We Manage The Risk?– Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Time: 11a-12:15pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson Center1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004 (map)
This month, for the first time, a fetus in Puerto Rico was infected by the Zika virus and diagnosed with microcephaly. Already, more than 500 Zika cases linked to foreign travel have been reported across the continental United States, from California to Maine – and several dozen of these affect pregnant women. Public health officials warn the Zika virus poses an imminent threat in the United States and we may only be a few steps closer to understanding the full spectrum of risks. How will U.S. officials manage the spread of the disease, while communicating a complex, evolving crisis to a worried nation?  Photo Credit: A woman in the Dominican Republic participates in an outreach program by the Office of the First Lady, courtesy of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic. Speakers: Jane Harman, Director, President and CEO, Wilson Center Anthony S. Fauci, MD, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health The Honorable Susan Molinari, Vice President for Public Policy, Google and former Congresswoman from New York Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat, MD, Principal Deputy Director, Center for Disease Control and Prevention Jason Beaubien, Global Health and Development Correspondent, NPR Continue reading “Week in DC: Events 5.23-27.2016” →

Monday, May 16th, 2016
The Department Of Defense Cyber Strategy: An Assessment- Homeland Security Policy Institute
Time: 11am-1pm
Location: Cloyd Heck Marvin Center800 21st St NW #505, Washington, DC 20052 (map)
Grand Ballroom | Third Floor
The Center for Cyber & Homeland Security (CCHS) at the George Washington University would like to invite you to attend a special forum on the Department of Defense Cyber Strategy to be convened jointly with Northrop Grumman Corporation. Particular attention will be accorded to the issue of Cyber Deterrence.
Keynote –Congressman James R. Langevin (D-RI) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, House Armed Services Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Co-Chair, Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus

‘Crimes Against The Security Of The Nation’: World War II, The Cold War, And The Evolution Of Mexico’s Anti-Subversion Laws, 1941-1970– Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Time: 4-5:30pm
Location: Wilson Center1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004(map)
While, until recently, relatively little attention has been given to the importance of international conditions in accounting for the longevity of Mexico’s post-revolutionary regime, Halbert Jones will show how World War II and the Cold War played a pivotal role in enabling successive Mexican governments to enact, expand, and apply one of its most controversial legal tools, a provision in the federal penal code criminalizing what it described as acts of “social dissolution.”  The legislation, in force from 1941 to 1970, prescribed severe penalties for vaguely defined crimes of subversion, and it was invoked over the course of those decades against striking workers, student protesters, and a famous communist muralist, among others who were said to be spreading “foreign propaganda” and undermining national security.  By the time Mexico’s 1968 student movement called for the repeal of the measure, however, it had become a symbol of what critics saw as the arbitrary nature of the regime.  The removal of the provision from the books in 1970 – and its replacement with a clause introducing the new crime of “terrorism” – therefore highlights the ability of an authoritarian political system to adapt to changing international and domestic political conditions.

Tuesday, May 17th, 2016
Drone Proliferation: Impacts On Security, Strategy, And Policy- The Stimson Center
Time: 9:30-11am
Location: Stimson Center1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8th floor, Washington, DC 20036 (map)
Drones are increasingly used in military operations around the world. While the United States maintains a temporary dominance in its use of armed drones, it does not hold a monopoly on the technology and several countries continue to seek similar programs and capabilities. These patterns raise a number of questions about the impact of drone proliferation on international security and stability. As more countries join the ranks of those using drones as a regular part of their military arsenals, the potential future uses of drones could change the ways in which conflicts are fought, peace is maintained, and the balance of power is sustained or upended. RSVP HERE Continue reading “Week in DC: Events 5.16-20.2016” →

Monday, May 9th, 2016
Islamist Terrorism In Europe : A History– New America Foundation
Time: 12:30-1:45pm
Location: New America740 15th St NW #900, Washington, DC 20005, United States (map)
In 2015 Islamist terrorism in Europe dominated the news with deadly attacks in Paris in January and November. Yet the attacks are only the latest in a long history of jihadist terrorism in Europe. In his new book Islamist Terrorism in Europe Petter Nesser provides a comprehensive account of the rise of jihadist militancy in Europe drawing upon a wide range of new primary sources and tracing the phenomenon back to the late 1980s. Nesser also examines how jihadist terrorism in Europe reflects the ideological agendas of armed organizations in conflict zones, and how entrepreneurial jihad-veterans facilitate the transnationalization of militancy. Dr. Petter Nesser is a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and the author of Islamist Terrorism in Europe: A History. He is trained in the areas of Social Science, Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic at the University of Oslo (UiO) and The American University in Cairo (AUC). Dr. Nesser has conducted extensive research on militant Islamism in Europe for more than a decade while focusing on motivational factors, recruitment and radicalization processes.  New America is pleased to welcome Dr. Nesser for a discussion of his book and the history of Islamist terrorism in Europe.

Tuesday, May 10th, 2016
The State Of Defense Acquisition– Center for Strategic and International Studies
Time: 10-11:30am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036(map)
Please join us for a conversation on the state of defense acquisition with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), the honorable Frank Kendall.

Schieffer Series: Breaking ISIL’s Brand– Center for Strategic and International Studies
Time: 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036(map)
Continue reading “Week in DC: Events 5.9-5.13.2016” →

Monday, May 2nd, 2016
A Forgotten Conflict– Center for Strategic and International Studies
Time: 11am-12:30pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (map)
Nagorno-Karabakh is the oldest of all post-Soviet conflicts, frozen and otherwise.  Unresolved, yet only sporadically violent for over twenty years, the ceasefire has mostly held—even without the sort of international peacekeeping presence often required to quiet wars like this one.  At the same time, the most recent outbreak of fighting a month ago underlines the fragility of the situation, and illustrates how tenuous any hopes of peace are. Leila Alieva will discuss the structural and instrumental factors that have kept this conflict unresolved and assess what has led to the most recent violence. She will also present her views of how Russia’s role in this conflict has developed and whether that evolution has made the prospects for peace better or worse. Finally, she will outline possible ways ahead towards a more resilient peace in the region. Dr. Leila Alieva is currently an Academic Visitor at St. Antony’s College at the University of Oxford. She is a prolific author on topics related to Caucasus and post-Soviet economic and security issues. She has been affiliated with Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, The Kennan Institute, The National Endowment for Democracy, the NATO Defense College, and Uppsala University. In Azerbaijan, she was founder and chair of the Center for National and International Studies and directed an independent Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Political And Security Crises In Afghanistan: The Future Of The Unity Government– Middle East Institute
Time: noon-1:30pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment- Choate Room1779 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington District of Columbia 20036 (map)
The Middle East Institute’s (MEI) Louis R. Hughes Lecture Series is pleased to host Ali Jalali, Michael Kugelman, Omar Samad, and Scott Smith for an examination of the political and security challenges facing Afghanistan’s government and how they are likely to play out over the next several months. Public confidence in Afghanistan has been shaken by deteriorating security, a stagnant economy, and factionalism. Many question if parliamentary elections can be organized on schedule, or be seen as legitimate if they happen. If milestones on the constitutional roadmap – electing a parliament, convening a Loya Jirga, establishing the office of prime minister – are not met, what consequences could follow? Can the government and army reverse Taliban gains and reduce the violence plaguing the country? And what more can the U.S. and international partners do to promote security and stability?

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016
Environmental Security: A Crucible In The South China Sea– East-West Center
Time: 12:30-2pm
Location: East-West Center1819 L St NW #600, Washington, DC 20036 (map)
Sixth Floor Conference RoomThe growing use of the ocean as a laboratory has global scientific, environmental, legal and policy implications. The panelists will explain relationships between marine scientific research and the marine environmental provisions of the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea on the following panels: James Borton – “The Convergence of Science and Geopolitics in the South China Sea;” Dr. John McManus – ” Damage to the Coral Reefs of the Spratly Islands: Regional Consequences and a Peace Park Solution;” and Dr. Nong Hong – ” Environmental Security as a Driving Force of Cooperation in the South China Sea.” Continue reading “Week in DC: Events 5.2-5.6.2016” →

Monday, April 25th, 2016
Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War –Heritage Foundation
Time: noon-1pm
Location: Heritage Foundation214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002(map)
Since September 11, 2001, America has been at war. And that’s about all anyone can say with certainty about a conflict that has cost 7,000 American lives and almost $2 trillion. As long as the most basic strategic questions – Who is the enemy? Why are we fighting? – remain unanswered, victory is impossible. In Defeating Jihad, Dr. Sebastian Gorka argues that this war is eminently winnable if we remove our ideological blinders and apply basic strategic principles. That means accurately naming the enemy, understanding his plan, and drawing up a strategy to defeat him. Our enemy is not “terror” or “violent extremism.” Our enemy is the global jihadi movement, a modern totalitarian ideology rooted in the doctrines and martial history of Islam. America has defeated totalitarian enemies before. Dr. Gorka examines how a toxic political agenda has corrupted our national security practices, precluding the kind of clear-eyed threat analysis and strategic response that led to victory in the Cold War. Taking his cue from the formerly top- secret analyses that shaped the U.S. response to the communist threat, he provides a profile of the mind and motivation of the jihadi movement and a plan to defeat it. Sebastian Gorka, Ph.D., an internationally recognized authority on strategy, counterterrorism, and national security, holds the Major General Matthew C. Horner Distinguished Chair of Military Theory at the Marine Corps University. He is a regular lecturer for the U.S. Special Operations Command, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and the Green Berets, and has briefed the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the National Intelligence Council. Dr. Gorka is the Chairman of the Threat Knowledge Group and a recipient of the Joint Civilian Service Commendation, awarded by U.S. Special Operations Command.

The Security Situation In Ethiopia And How It Relates To The Broader Region– Brookings Institution
Time: 10-11:30am
Location: Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036(map)
As Africa’s oldest independent country, Ethiopia has a history that is unique in the continent. The country has faced its share of conflict, including a protracted civil war from 1974 through 1991. A land-locked location in Eastern Africa, the country has also been witness to climate catastrophes, — including the drought that killed a half a million people in the 1980s and the threat of a new drought today. Despite being one of Africa’s poorest countries, Ethiopia has experienced significant economic growth since the end of the civil war, and a majority of its population is literate. In addition, Ethiopia is a crucial U.S. security partner, particularly when it comes to counterterrorism, in a region plagued by threats. On April 25, the Africa Security Initiative at Brookings will host a discussion examining the security situation in Ethiopia, in broader political, economic, and regional context. Panelists will include Abye Assefa of St. Lawrence University and Terrence Lyons of George Mason University. Michael O’Hanlon, co-director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, will moderate.Following discussion, the panelists will take audience questions.

Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
Humans Versus Thinking Machines In National Security Processes– The Center for Security Studies
Time: noon-2pm
Location: Georgetown University3700 O St NW, Washington, DC 20057, United States(map)
Intercultural Center Executive Conference Room (7th Floor)
This panel of experts in security, policy, and technology will explore the age old debate of “humans vs machines” as it relates to mational security and foreign policy decision-making processes.
The fields of national security and intelligence have periodically experienced cycles of investment in personnel and in technology. Today, major advancements in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, cognitive computing, remote sensors, cyber capabilities, and an ever-increasing volume of big data create new opportunities for technological innovation for intelligence collection and analysis. Do these technologies also reduce the importance of, or demand for, humans in analytical, defense, and policy roles?

Pandemics In A Changing Climate: Evolving Risk And The Global Response– Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS1740 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20036(map)
Room: Kenney-Herter Auditorium – The Nitze Building
Ebola, Zika and MERS are among the most recent outbreaks that have demonstrated insufficient global capacity to predict and respond to large-scale public health emergencies. Meanwhile, climate change effects reduce returns to outbreak preparedness by increasing the unpredictability of an outbreak’s location, type, and severity. At this timely event, the Johns Hopkins SAIS Energy, Resources, and Environment / Swiss Re practicum team will present their preliminary research findings on pandemic risk in a changing climate, followed by an expert panel discussion on how innovative financial response mechanisms can be leveraged to more effectively mitigate evolving global threats.

Continue reading “Week in DC: Events: 4.25-29.2016” →