Category: Week In DC

Monday, December 16th, 2013
From Incitement to Violence to Conflict Mitigation
Elliot School
9:30 AM

Please join The Elliott School’s International Development Studies Program and Internews, the international media development NGO, for a panel discussion to consider the role of media in conflict: How do we know when atrocities are imminent for a country facing conflict? Does media have the potential to provide early warning of mass violence? Are there media interventions that can work to prevent violence?

Tuesday, December 17th
The al-Shabab Threat After Westgate
Carnegie Endowment
12:00PM

The Somali terrorist group al-Shabab catapulted onto the international stage after its September attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. The group remains a dynamic and adaptive threat that has confounded efforts to eliminate its influence. A panel of experts on al-Shabab will examine the evolving threat in Somalia and beyond, identifying policy prescriptions for African governments, the United States, and the international community.

Wednesday, December 18th
Iran, Oil, and the Geneva Agreement
Atlantic Council
9:00AM

With the signing of an interim accord providing limited sanctions relief in return for restraints on Iran’s nuclear program, attention has focused on whether Iran will be able to increase its currently depressed oil and natural gas exports and whether multinational oil companies will again be willing to invest in Iran’s energy sector. Meanwhile, the President Hassan Rouhani’s administration is altering Iran’s energy policies in an effort to attract new buyers and investment. The panel will discuss the impact of these changes on Iran’s economy and on world oil supplies and prices.

China’s Re-emergence as a Great Power and Its Role in Regional Security
Brookings
1:00PM

During his recent visit to Beijing, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden noted that “as China’s economy grows, its stake in regional peace and stability will continue to grow,” and that “China will bear increasing responsibility to contribute positively to peace and security.” While this perspective is not new, it is moving toward the center of other countries’ considerations of China as economic stakes increase and potential sources of instability continue to simmer. On December 18, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies (CEAP) will host a panel discussion featuring Visiting Fellows from China, Japan, and Korea to examine the increasing importance of China in Northeast Asian security, and ways that it might make positive contributions to the region. The discussion will focus on the Korean Peninsula, maritime issues, and perceptions of regional security in China, Japan, Korea, and the United States. After the panel, the speakers will take audience questions.

Webcast: December Cyber Risk Wednesday – Risks and Resilience of the Electrical Sector
Atlantic Council
3:00PM

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative for the next Cyber Risk Wednesday on December 18, 2013 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. A moderated discussion featuring: Tom Parker, Chief Technology Officer, FusionX; Neal Pollard, Senior Fellow, Cyber Statecraft Initiative, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council; Gib Sorebo, Chief Cybersecurity Technologist, Leidos.

Friday, December 20th
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia: Is a 70-Year Strategic Alliance on the Rocks?
Hudson Institute
10:00AM

The Obama administration’s outreach to Iran over its alleged nuclear program has Washington’s traditional Middle East allies concerned—perhaps the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia above all. An alliance that began in 1944 when President Roosevelt met with the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, King Ibn Saud, the U.S.-Saudi partnership, despite many ups and downs, has remained a cornerstone interest of both countries for nearly 70 years. Now, however, this bilateral relationship appears suddenly troubled—if if not outright endangered. The White House and the Kingdom have diverged on several key Middle East policies—Syria, Egypt, and most importantly Iran—leading Riyadh to consider other strategic options. Will the partnership survive? Or is it merely taking a new shape, long overdue?

(image: Dell/Flickr)

A few events scheduled for today may be postponed due to the weekend snow – be sure to check event websites before heading out!

Monday, December 9, 2013
PeaceGame
US Institute for Peace
All day Monday – Tuesday afternoon

Governments around the world regularly devote enormous resources to conducting “war games.” On December 9 and 10, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) and The FP Group (FP) will conduct the inaugural PeaceGame, with a focus on “the best possible peace for Syria.” With one game in the U.S. and another in the Middle East, the semi-annual PeaceGames will bring together the leading minds in national security policy, international affairs, academia, business, and media to “game” out how we can achieve peace in Syria. USIP and FP intend for the game to redefine how leaders think about conflict resolution and the possibility of peace.

Tuesday, December 10
Strengthening National Laboratory Commercialization
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
10:00 AM

Post-World War II era U.S. science, technology, and innovation policy has been defined by a linear approach to public investment in basic research. For many decades, this worked because the United States was one of the few countries with the technological capabilities to translate research into new products and services. But in today’s intensely competitive global economy where nations are fiercely competing for innovation advantage, this paradigm is no longer tenable. Robust public investments in basic research remain critical, but equally as important are investments and institutional reforms to commercialize new ideas from the laboratory into the marketplace. To advance the debate on potential policy reforms, the House Technology Transfer Caucus, Co-Chairs Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, and Innovation Associates are convening a series of Capitol Hill briefings featuring leading experts in innovation policy.

Hearing: The Iran Nuclear Deal: Does It Further U.S. National Security?
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
1:00PM

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “I continue to have serious concerns that the agreement the Obama Administration negotiated does not meet the standards necessary to protect the United States and our allies. The deal does not roll back Iran’s nuclear program, but instead allows Tehran to keep in place the key elements of its nuclear weapons-making capability. Under the agreement, the international community relieves the sanctions pressure on Iran while its centrifuges continue to enrich uranium. This hearing will be an opportunity for Committee Members of both parties to press Secretary Kerry to explain why the Obama Administration believes this sanctions-easing agreement is the right course.“

The Transition in Afghanistan
Senate Foreign Relations
2:30PM

Witnesses: Ambassador James Dobbins, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Donald L. Sampler, Jr. Acting Assistant to the Administrator, Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Wednesday, December 11
Squaring the circle: General Mark Welsh III on American military strategy in a time of declining resources
American Enterprise Institute
8:00 AM

With sequestration likely to remain law throughout this year and beyond, the US Air Force finds itself in a “ready today” versus a “modern tomorrow” dilemma. How will the Air Force balance capability, capacity, and readiness in the coming years? What is the future of key modernization initiatives such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker, and the long-range strike bomber? Moreover, what lessons has the Air Force learned from past debates that will influence upcoming budget proposals? In the concluding session of its series with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, AEI’s Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies will host General Mark Welsh III, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, to address these questions and more.

World Health Organization: Global media launch of the World Malaria Report 2013
National Press Club
9:30 AM

Malaria is one of the world’s most serious diseases, causing over 200 million infections and more than 600,000 deaths each year, mainly in children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 3.4 billion people are at risk of the disease in almost one hundred countries, and need access to life-saving prevention tools, such as mosquito nets, and effective treatment. One week after the replenishment conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, during which international donors pledged 12 billion USD for the Fund, the World Health Organization (WHO) will launch its latest comprehensive report on the global effort to control and eliminate malaria. An annual scorecard, the World Malaria Report 2013 includes an assessment of trends in the scale-up of mosquito control tools, preventive therapies, diagnostic testing and treatment. It also reviews the global funding situation, the double threat of drug and insecticide resistance, as well as progress towards global targets set for 2015. WHO’s Dr Robert Newman will be joined by leading experts to discuss key findings of the report. The event will be moderated by former CNN journalist Jeanne Meserve.

Thursday, December 12
Critical Mass: Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
10:00 AM

At the briefing, the report’s author Dr. Andrew Krepinevich will provide his assessment of key security issues that may emerge in the event Iran acquires a nuclear capability, to include: the dynamics of a bipolar regional nuclear competition between Israel and Iran; the prospects for (and potential consequences of) a Middle East proliferation “cascade” involving other states in the region; the potential for a “Nuclear Great Game;” and the overarching challenges associated with preserving crisis stability and avoiding regional nuclear conflict. Dr. Krepinevich will also address why Cold War deterrence models may not apply to the nuclear competition in the Middle East, and why missile defenses may prove both destabilizing and cost-ineffective in this environment.

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: The Resurgence of al-Qaeda in Iraq
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
1:00PM

Witnesses: Kenneth M. Pollack, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution; Ms. Jessica D. Lewis, Research Director, Institute for the Study of War; Michael Knights, Ph.D., Lafer Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Daniel L. Byman, Ph.D., Professor, Security Studies Program, Georgetown University.

Friday, December 13
New Nuclear Suppliers
CSIS
9:00AM

Nuclear power is shifting East, and so too may nuclear suppliers. Nuclear energy long has been dominated by the West and by advanced economies, but this is likely to change in the next thirty years. While Japan’s nuclear industry is still reeling from the Fukushima accident, China, India, and South Korea have ambitious plans for nuclear energy at home and abroad. All three countries face capacity, regulation and financing challenges and all three have relatively little experience in export control harmonization. CSIS, with partners in India, South Korea, and China, explored the contours of responsible nuclear supply with key technical, official, and industry experts. Please join us for a discussion of our findings, and the results of our workshops in Delhi, Seoul and Beijing, with a distinguished panel of experts.

(image courtesy of Dell)

The highlights of the free and open-to-the-public international security, terrorism, and policy events this week.

Monday, December 2
How the Global Order and the Modern State Empower Organized Violence
George Mason University School of Public Policy
7:15PM

Terrorists, human traffickers, insurgents, drug dealers, cyber criminals, pirates and other forms of organized violence, all actively exploit the separation that western societies and the international community try to maintain between what is considered “crime” and “war.” This separation, which is designed to promote stability and preserve liberty, is reflected in the very architecture, organizational and political cultures, and legal parameters assigned to law enforcement, judicial systems, and the military across western societies and within international institutions. However, insurgents conduct kidnappings by day and launch military-style raids at night as part of a holistic strategy that crosses traditional law enforcement and military boundaries. Pirates operate with impunity knowing that they are unlikely to be overtly attacked by navies on the high seas nor tried in a proper court upon capture. And drug lords, from Latin America to Los Angeles, challenge – and in some cases have virtually defeated – local law enforcement using high-end military weapons and tactics.

Tuesday, December 3
Cyber Conflict on the Korean Peninsula
Korean Economic Institute
10:30AM – 12:00PM

As the most wired place in the world, South Korea’s vulnerability to cyber threats is an important issue, especially when there are tensions with its neighbor to the north. South Korean banks, government agencies, media outlets, and businesses were all victims of cyber attacks and it is believed that North Korea was behind them. Many speculate that North Korea has units dedicated to cyber warfare and espionage. As a legitimate threat and provocation, it is important to understand the dynamics around cyber conflict on the Korean peninsula. Join KEI on Tuesday, December 3 as Dr. Steven Kim, Associate Professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii presents his report on the cyber warfare tactics and strategies used by North Korea and the defense mechanisms employed by South Korea to prevent and deter cyber attacks.

Webinar on Environmental Security and Public Health
Elliot School of International Affairs
1:15PM – 2:15PM

Join us on the web December 3 for the third installation of a five webinar series on international environmental security, co-produced by the Security & Sustainability Forum and the National Council on Science and the Environment and led by experts from the Elliott School of International Affairs and the Stimson Center. Each webinar panel will examine a hypothetical scenario that could be a game-changer for national security, international business interests, political science theory, and our global environment. The panel on December 3 will examine the issue of the major threats to public health due to climatic and environmental change through a hypothetical scenario in which a new mosquito-borne disease emerges out of Africa or Asia. Please register for this ONLINE WEBINAR with the Security and Sustainability Forum at: go.gwu.edu/publichealth

Wednesday, December 4
FBI Agents to discuss National Security Issues
National Press Club
10:00 AM

FBI agents will discuss how sequestration’s mandated budget cuts are affecting daily FBI operations and hampering criminal and national security investigations, as well as the risks associated with additional budget cuts and furloughs expected early next year, at a National Press Club Newsmakers news conference on Wednesday, December 4. Leaders of the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) will also update the group’s recent report Voices from the Field: FBI Agent Accounts of the Real Consequences of Budget Cuts. The report contains field reports from FBI Special Agents illustrating the impact of budget cuts on their work. Speaking at the Newsmaker news conference will be FBIAA President Reynaldo Tariche and several active duty FBI agents from around the country. This NPC Newsmaker news conference is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, December 4 at 10 a.m. in the Club’s Zenger Room, on the 13th floor of the National Press Building at 529 14th St. NW, Washington DC, 20045.

Subcommittee Hearing: Transition at a Crossroads: Tunisia Three Years After the Revolution
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
2:00PM

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “Three years since the Arab Spring began, Tunisia is at a crucial crossroads in its democratic transition. The country has been enmeshed in a political stalemate, and growing internal and external security challenges further complicate the tenuous political process. A democratic Tunisia would not only be a model for other countries in this volatile region, but a failure to make this transition would have grave consequences for the security interests of the U.S. and other nations in the region. This hearing will examine the status of the transition and what the U.S. and other organizations are doing to promote democracy and civil society at this critical juncture in Tunisia’s history.”

Thursday, December 5
The Future of America’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent
Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments
10:00AM

Although nuclear weapons have played a critical role in American defense strategy for more than 60 years, there is a growing debate over the number and type of nuclear forces that the United States actually needs to maintain its security and protect its allies. Over the past several years, calls for Washington to substantially reduce the size of its nuclear arsenal have become more prevalent, while the combination of declining budgets and looming recapitalization costs have made nuclear weapons a popular target for potential funding cuts. Please join us as CSBA releases its latest report, The Future of America’s Strategic Nuclear Arsenal, by Senior Fellow Evan Montgomery. At the briefing, Dr. Montgomery will address a number of issues: Can the United States implement deep reductions in strategic nuclear weapons and still deter rivals, dissuade competitors, and discourage proliferation? Should it retain the strategic triad of bombers, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, and nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines? Finally, must it replace its aging nuclear forces?

Strengthening the NIST Cyber Framework Against Advanced Threats
CSIS
12:00 – 2:00 PM

The CSIS Technology and Public Policy Program invites you to attend Strengthening the NIST Cyber Framework Against Advanced Threats NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework has tremendous value for risk management and defines best practices to block known threats. This discussion will share intelligence about campaigns by sophisticated cyber threat actors that have targeted critical infrastructure companies and discuss how well the Framework stacks up against advanced and new, unknown threats. Lunch will be served.

The Effects of Funding on Scientific Productivity: The Case of Academic Chemistry, 1990-2009
GMU Technology, Science, and Innovation Policy Research Seminars
12:00 – 1:30PM

This month’s seminar will feature Joshua Rosenbloom, of the National Science Foundation. This monthly seminar series, sponsored by George Mason University’s Center for Science and Technology Policy (School of Public Policy), explores new ideas and work-in-progress with the Washington-area research community. It’s open and free to all interested researchers with a special invitation extended to graduate students. The seminars are held at the George Mason University’s School of Public Policy (Founders Hall) on the Arlington campus, a short walk from the Orange Line’s Virginia Square/GMU Metro stop. CSTP will provide coffee and cookies — participants are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch.

Can the U.S. and China Build a New Model of Major Power Relations?
Wilson Center
3:30 – 5:00PM

On December 4 and 5, the Kissinger Institute and the China Institute for International Studies will hold a groundbreaking dialog on U.S.-China relations. In an effort to build relationships between, and gain the insights of, promising young leaders from both countries, the Kissinger Institute and the China Institute for International Studies are bringing together 16 fully bilingual experts from a variety of fields for an unconstrained and uninterpreted dialog on major issues in Sino-U.S. relations. The U.S.-China Young Leaders Dialogue is developing a platform for new voices and constituencies in U.S.-China relations, with an eye toward finding new approaches to joint challenges. At this public session of the off-the-record Dialogue, four conference participants will offer their views on prospects for a new model of major power relations.

(image courtesy of Dell)

A very abridged events round-up due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, which we hope you all enjoy!

Tuesday, November 26

Nuclear Talks with Iran: Potential Pitfalls and Prospects for Success
Heritage Foundation
12:00PM

The rise to power of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has boosted expectations that the decade-long standoff over Iran’s nuclear weapons program soon will be resolved through a diplomatic agreement. How realistic are these expectations? What is the meaning of the deadlocked talks at Geneva? What negotiating pitfalls must be avoided to construct the framework of an acceptable agreement? What is the role of international sanctions in pressuring Iran and under what circumstances should Washington consider easing sanctions? Join us as the speakers address these and other questions.

Modulation of RNA structure and function using protein, ligands, and RNA
Georgetown University
12:00PM

Speaker: Nathan Baird, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Ferre-D’Amare Lab National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Foreign Policy Challenges in Obama’s Second Term
Center for a New American Security
12:15 – 1:45PM

On Tuesday, November 26, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), the New America Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute will host an in-depth discussion on the foreign policy challenges faced by the Obama administration in its second term. With a politically turbulent Middle East, a financially teetering EU, and an increasingly technologically competitive Asia-Pacific region, Obama and his administration will face critical foreign policy decisions in the second half of his final term. Featured speakers: Ambassador Dennis Ross, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Robert Kaplan.

Foreign Policy Series: New Hope for Nuclear Negotiations with Iran, or Further Disappointment?
World Affairs Council
6:30 – 8:30PM

For the past month representatives from Iran and six world powers have been attempting to restart negotiations for an agreement related to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. While a deal has seemed imminent, with Secretary of State John Kerry traveling to Geneva during his recent trip to the Middle East, and all sides noting progress, lingering doubts exist. Will an agreement be struck, and if so, how likely are the parties involved to adhere to it?

Monday, December 2

Going the Whole Nine Yards: What Is Needed for an Africa Free of AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
Wilson Center
10:00 – 11:00AM

In conjunction with the Replenishment Conference for the Global Fund, the Africa Program is co-hosting the conference, “Going the Whole Nine Yards: What Is Needed for an Africa Free of AIDS, TB, and Malaria,” which will take place in the Wilson Center’s 6th floor Flom Auditorium. The effectiveness and benefits that have accrued to Africa since the fund was established and the continuing need to have a fully operational Global Fund will be discussed. At this tipping point in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, the Wilson Center’s Africa Program and Friends Africa believe that amplifying the voices of leading advocates in the fight for an African continent free of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria is crucial to garner support towards meeting the replenishment target of 15 billion USD.

Dancing with the devil: Lessons from negotiating with rogues and terrorists
American Enterprise Institute
5:30 – 7:00PM

Whether wielding nuclear or chemical weapons, sponsoring truck bombs, or taking hostages, rogue regimes and terrorist groups continue to threaten the United States and its allies. How should America address the rogue threat? Highlighting research from his new book, “Dancing with the Devil” (Encounter Books, February 2014), Michael Rubin will describe not only lessons Americans have learned from decades of engaging Iran, North Korea, the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Taliban, but also what rogue regimes and terrorists have concluded about dialogue with Americans.

(image courtesy of Dell)

Our featured event this week is the November Biodefense Policy Seminar this Thursday, featuring biodefense and non-proliferation expert, Dr. Kathleen Vogel. The event is free and open to the public – stop by!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Emergency Preparedness Conference
Politico
8:00 AM

Join POLITICO for a conversation about how key players in emergency and disaster response allocate critical resources, plan for the unexpected and come up with innovative solutions to resolve unfinished business from 9/11 as well as prepare for the future.

New Realities: Energy Security in the 2010s and Implications for the U.S. Military
Strategic Studies Institute
All day

The rapidly changing global energy supply situation, coupled with a host of social, political, and economic challenges facing consumer states, has significant implications for the United States generally and for the U.S. military specifically. The U.S. Army War College will gather experts from the policymaking community, academia, think tanks, the private sector, and the military services at the Reserve Officers Association headquarters in Washington, DC on 19-20 November to address first the major ‘new realities’ both geographically and technologically and then the specific military implications. Following the conclusion of the conference, the U.S. Army War College will produce an edited volume consisting of contributor comments/papers, as well as a series of two-page decision-maker executive summaries that will be designed to shape U.S. national security policy and the American response to the ‘new realities.’

TRIA Triage: A Discussion of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act
National Journal
8:00 AM – 10:00AM

Following the September 11th attacks, many insurers stopped providing terrorism risk coverage after suffering what was then the most costly disaster in the history of insurance. In the wake of the financial disruption, the government enacted the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act; a public-private cost-sharing arrangement that requires private insurance companies to provide terrorism risk coverage in exchange for federal financial backing. Without Congressional intervention, TRIA is currently scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2014. Join National Journal for a policy summit that will convene the nation’s top security, financial and insurance experts for a robust discussion concerning TRIA’s future. The discussion will explore questions such as: Is TRIA a common-sense solution that benefits insurers and policyholders alike, or do taxpayers bear the burden of unnecessary insurance bailouts? What other costly disasters might be on the horizon, and should TRIA be reauthorized at the end of next year?

Surveillance and Foreign Intelligence Gathering in the United States: The Current State of Play
Georgetown Law
9:30 AM

On Tuesday November 19, at 9:30 am (in Hart Auditorium), the Center and the National Security Law Society will co-host the second event in our three part series: Surveillance and Foreign Intelligence Gathering in the United States: Past, Present and Future.

Wednesday, November 20

New Visions for Citizen Science
Wilson Center
1:00 – 5:00 PM

Citizen science projects range from classifying galaxies and collecting environmental data to collectively solving the structure of an AIDS-related enzyme through a protein-folding game. The Commons Lab within the Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Wilson Center, in collaboration with TechChange and the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program and Africa Program, invite you to join a conversation on open innovation and citizen science: What technologies support public participation in scientific research? How can projects ensure high-quality data collection and analysis, and support meaningful engagement with volunteers? How can federal agencies build partnerships to leverage these new approaches? What are the impacts to science, management, and policy, and how do we measure success? Opening remarks by Kumar Garg, Assistant Director for Learning and Innovation, Technology and Innovation Division, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Keynote by Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Terrorist Groups in Syria
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
1:30 PM

Witnesses Mr. Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Adviser to the President, RAND Corporation; Mr. Phillip Smyth, Middle East Research Analyst, University of Maryland; Mr. Barak Barfi, Research Fellow, The New America Foundation

A New Model for Defense Intelligence
Brookings Institution
3:00 – 4:00 PM

The exponential rate of change in the present global environment makes today’s security landscape particularly challenging, and projections promise that the challenges will only increase. In this complex and uncertain future, intelligence, cyber, Special Operations Forces and international partnerships will take on more prominent and critical roles in the nation’s defense and warfare for decades to come. On November 20, the Intelligence Project at Brookings and the National Intelligence University will co-host a discussion with Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), to examine this uncertain future, DIA’s role in this complex security environment and a new model for defense intelligence that ensures preparedness to address these challenges and the crises of tomorrow. Flynn has also served as the director of intelligence at the U.S. Central Command, director of intelligence for the Joint Staff and director of intelligence for International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. Brookings Senior Fellow Bruce Riedel, director of the Intelligence Project, and President of the National Intelligence University, David Ellison, will provide introductory remarks, and Riedel will moderate the discussion. Following his remarks, General Flynn will take questions from the audience.

Thursday, November 21

Biodefense Policy Seminar – Project BACHUS: Forecasting Bioweapons Threats with Experiment and Demonstration
Meese Conference Room, Mason Hall, GMU Fairfax Campus
7:20 PM

Dr. Kathleen Vogel will describe a 1990s bioweapons threat assessment that involved setting up a mock bioweapons production facility as an “experiment”. The talk will discuss the difference between a scientific experiment and scientific demonstration and why it is important to interrogate what things are labeled as “experiments” and the implications that has for bioweapons assessments. Kathleen Vogel is an associate professor at Cornell, with a joint appointment in the Department of Science and Technology Studies and the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies. Vogel holds a Ph.D. in biological chemistry from Princeton University. Prior to joining the Cornell faculty, Vogel was appointed as a William C. Foster Fellow in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Proliferation Threat Reduction in the Bureau of Nonproliferation. Vogel has also spent time as a visiting scholar at the Cooperative Monitoring Center, Sandia National Laboratories and the Center for Nonprolif­eration Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies. Her research focuses on studying the social and technical dimensions of bioweapons threats and the production of knowledge in intelligence assessments on WMD issues.

Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century
Heritage Foundation
12:00 – 1:00 PM

Nuclear weapons are as relevant today as they were decades ago. In 2009, President Obama advocated for a “world without nuclear weapons,” and recently reaffirmed this pledge during his speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The President stated that he intends to reduce U.S. deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third below the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty level. Meanwhile the U.S. nuclear triad continues to age. The Administration’s policy of “no new weapons,” potential unilateral reductions, and a lack of commitment to sustain U.S. nuclear weapons infrastructure are raising questions about U.S. commitment to keep the weapons safe, secure, and reliable, and maintain its commitment to provide a nuclear umbrella to its allies around the world. Join us as our guests discuss the continued importance of U.S. nuclear weapons for our national security in light of today’s diverse challenges.

The Convergence of Crime and Terrorism
Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
12:00 – 2:ooPM

The nexus between crime and terrorism challenges US law enforcement in unique ways. Since the 1980s and 1990s, evidence has linked narcotics trade to ties between terrorism and transnational organized crime. Operating without borders and in areas of government instability, Latin American gangs such as MS-13 and Mexican cartels have been financing terrorist operations through the drug trade. Narco-trafficking is a lucrative business, and terrorist organizations such as the FARC, Hezbollah, and al-Qa’ida take advantage of this revenue stream. As Hezbollah linked Los Angeles gangs and Al-Shabaab linked groups in Minnesota have demonstrated, terrorist operations via the drug trade continue to operate in the United States. The panelists will discuss important issues surrounding these tactics on the national and local level.

Friday, November 22

Talking Science: Environmental and Health Communications in a Skeptical Era
Wilson Center
1:00 – 4:30PM

How can communications professionals, policymakers, and academic experts effectively communicate environmental and health issues in a skeptical era? In the first of two panels, communications directors from US and UN agencies and environmental and health NGOs will discuss the relationships and negotiations that underlie action (or inaction) in a major policy-making capital like Washington, D.C. In the second panel, five speakers will explore the cultural and social causes and consequences of climate change skepticism (especially American climate change skepticism) and consider the implications for national and international efforts to address global climate change. This discussion is sponsored by the Environmental Communication Division of the National Communication Association.

Our (slightly biased) pick for this week is “Blinking Red: Crisis and Compromise in American Intelligence After 9/11” featuring author Michael Allen, General Michael Hayden, and Chuck Alsup.

Tuesday, November 12

U.S. Health Partnerships in the Mekong
CSIS
8:00AM – 2:45PM

We wish to invite you to a day-long conference on November 12 on U.S. Health Partnerships in the Mekong, organized by the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies. Registration will begin at 8:00am, with the opening of the conference at 8:30am. The conference will be held in CSIS’ new building at 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (a short walk from Dupont or Farragut North metro stops.) The conference is an important opportunity to hear from several high-level U.S. officials on how the Mekong’s health challenges increasingly matter to U.S. national interests, and how accelerating U.S. engagement in the region reflects this shift. It is also an unusual opportunity to hear from diverse Mekong leaders, in government, university, non-governmental bodies and international organizations, on how they view both the region’s priority health challenges and the expanding opportunities for partnerships with U.S. agencies. Priority attention will be given to how investments in health address equity and broad developmental challenges. There will also be considerable discussion of health security, including artemisinin-resistant malaria and emerging infectious diseases.

NATO’s Deterrence and Collective Defense
Atlantic Council
9:00AM

Please plan to join the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS) for a conference on NATO’s Deterrence and Collective Defense. This event is part of the Atlantic Council and IFS project on NATO in an Era of Global Competition. This eighteen-month project examines new ways of thinking strategically about NATO’s future role in the context of emerging security challenges, global power shifts, and disruptive technologies. The first conference in this series, NATO in a New Security Landscape, which took place in June, covered emerging trends in the global security environment and identified key challenges that NATO must confront to maintain strategic relevance in the future.

Public Health in the Philippines: Progress and Challenges
CSIS
2:00PM – 5:00PM

The Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies is pleased to cohost a half-day conference focusing on public health in the Philippines. The conference will present an overview of the status of public health in the Philippines, the challenges of reproductive health, and will explore strategies in which the private sector, local leadership, and policy makers can respond. The forum will be followed by a reception at the Romulo Hall, Embassy of the Philippines. For more information please contact The U.S. Philippines Society.

Blinking Red: Crisis and Compromise in American Intelligence After 9/11
Date:  6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Founders Hall,  Arlington Campus of George Mason University

The National Security Law Journal in partnership with the Homeland and National Security Law Program at George Mason University School of Law, the Biodefense Program at George Mason University, and George Mason University School of Public Policy presents a conversation with author Michael Allen on his new book with a panel discussion and critique featuring General Michael V. Hayden (Ret.) former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and Mr. Chuck Alsup former Associate Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Policy, Plans and Requirements. Registration is complimentary, but attendance is limited and advance registration is required. Please register online at www.nslj.org.

Wednesday, November 13

New Strategies for Countering Homegrown Violent Extremism
The Washington Institute
(Webcast)

Countering violent extremism abroad and at home remains one of the most challenging and important priorities facing policymakers, law enforcement officers, and intelligence personnel. Since the September 11 attacks, hundreds of individuals have been implicated in more than fifty homegrown plots, and authorities continue to work tirelessly in thwarting such plans. Yet events such as the Fort Hood shooting and Boston Marathon bombing underscore the urgency of developing a preventive strategy for reducing homegrown violent extremism. To discuss how policymakers and law enforcement are addressing these difficult issues, The Washington Institute is pleased to host a Policy Forum luncheon with George Selim, J. Thomas Manger, Hedieh Mirahmadi, and Matthew Levitt.

Hearing: Examining Nuclear Negotiations: Iran After Rouhani’s First 100 Days
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
10:00AM

Chairman Royce on the Hearing: “Instead of toughening sanctions to get meaningful and lasting concessions, the Obama Administration looks to be settling for interim and reversible steps. A partial freeze of enrichment, as we’re hearing, is not a freeze. As called for in U.N. Security Council resolutions, all of Iran’s enrichment – the key bomb-making technology – should be ceased. We now run the risk of seriously weakening the sanctions structure painstakingly built-up against Iran over years. Once weakened, it will be harder to ratchet up the economic pressure on Iran than it will be for the Iranians to ratchet up their nuclear program.”

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: The Continuing Threat of Boko Haram
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittees on on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations;on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
1:00PM

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Boko Haram, even given the breakaway group known as Ansaru, clearly is an organization dedicated to terrorizing Nigerians and now even foreigners. The group should be declared a Foreign Terrorist organization as they fit the entire definition, and our hearing is intended to demonstrate why this declaration has become imperative for our government to confirm.” Chairman Poe on the hearing: “Boko Haram has become more violent and radical in recent years. Spectacular attacks against international targets in Nigeria suggest they may take on a terrorist agenda outside the region. This should be of grave concern to the U.S. and our allies in the region.”

Thursday, November 14

Doomsday Clock Symposium
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
Time: 9:00AM – 7:00PM

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will convene its 5th Annual Doomsday Clock Symposium on Thursday, November 14, 2013, at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. The daylong program, this year titled “Communicating Catastrophe,” is free and open to the public. Panelists will include scientists, artists, authors, and a psychiatrist. Following the Symposium at the AAAS, the Bulletin is co­hosting a “Meet the Artist” event at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden featuring Japanese artist Yoshimoto Nara; Nara’s work is included in the Hirshhorn’s current exhibit, “Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950.” Students and faculty are welcome to the Symposium and Hirshhorn events; please see the Symposium program on the Bulletin website. Attendance is free but registration is required – please register here.  For more information about the symposium, including an agenda, please visit the website.

Armed Actors and Governance in Latin America and the Caribbean 
GMU Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption Center; SPP
12:00 – 1:30PM

The Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) will host Professor Desmond Arias for a discussion of the role of different types of armed actors in policy making and governance processes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Medellin, Colombia; and Kingston, Jamaica. His talk will show the varying effects of different types of armed dominance on local political and social life in each of these places. Professor Arias has recently joined the faculty of the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, and this will be his introductory lecture to the community.

(image: Dell/Flickr)

Be sure to check out the Wilson Center’s synthetic biology event this Friday!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Women, Terrorism, and Counterterrorism
McCain Institute
3:30 PM

Cohosted by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the McCain Institute for International Leadership, this panel will examine the roles that women play in both the perpetuation and alleviation of conflict. The event aims to highlight the tangible advantages of considering both women’s roles within terrorist organizations and women’s potential in countering terrorism, in the hopes of contributing to more comprehensive security policies and programs.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Roadblocks to US-Iran Rapprochement
Marine Corps Base, Quantico
1:00PM – 4:00PM

Speaking will be Ambassador Seyed Houssein Mousavian, Karim Sadjadpour, and Amin Tarzi for a discussion on Roadblocks to US-Iran Rapporochement. Where: Gray Research Center, 2040 Broadway Street, Marine Corps Base Quantico. For more information email Adam Seitz at seitzac@grc.usmcu.edu

Upcoming Event: Preventing Terrorist Abuse of the Nonprofit Sector
Center for Global Counterterrorism Cooperation
8:30AM

The nonprofit sector is a vital means of harnessing voluntary resources in the provision of assistance to those most in need and fulfills a range of positive social, cultural, religious, and educational purposes, including in helping to address so-called conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. Its growth derives from fundamental human rights, such as the right to freedom of association. Yet the sector itself has become an object of concern, perceived as being at risk of misappropriation and abuse. A number of governmental and intergovernmental assessments have warned that nonprofit organizations are vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists, who may use them to raise, transfer, and divert funds, or as a vehicle for the mobilization and movement of personnel. Governments have responded with a variety of regulatory approaches and the nonprofit sector has implemented due diligence and self-regulatory strategies.

Lessons Learned? The U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq and What It May Mean for Afghanistan
RAND
12:00PM – 1:20PM

Can the impending transition of major combat forces out of Afghanistan be informed by lessons learned during the U.S. military-diplomatic transition in Iraq? Ending the U.S. war in Iraq was a massive, complex undertaking that posed daunting challenges for U.S. government policymakers, as the military not only was involved with security-related activities but also assisted in political and economic functions across Iraq. A new RAND study being released at this joint Woodrow Wilson Center/RAND Corporation event, Ending the U.S. War in Iraq: The Final Transition, Operational Maneuver, and Disestablishment of United States Forces–Iraq (by Richard R. Brennan, Jr., Charles P. Ries, et al.), examines the planning and execution of the U.S. military’s exit from Iraq, and the transition of responsibilities to the Iraqi government and other U.S. departments and agencies.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Air-Sea Battle, China, and the U.S. Rebalance to Asia
Center for National Policy
12:30 – 1:30PM

In order to overcome “anti-access” challenges to its ability to project power, the U.S. military is developing the Air-Sea Battle concept. As a concept of operations, Air-Sea Battle posits the value of attacking and destroying—preemptively if possible—an opponent’s targeting, command, and weapons systems wherever they are located in order to disrupt the opponent’s ability to hinder U.S. military operations. However, while Air-Sea Battle agnostically seeks to defeat anti-access challenges around the globe, with no particular country or region in mind, it may be undermining U.S. foreign policy objectives in Asia. In particular, despite repeated official U.S. denials to the contrary, the concept continues to be seen as a military strategy to attack China. Should this belief solidify among the Chinese leadership, it could complicate U.S. efforts to improve relations with China—a key pillar of the U.S. rebalance to Asia. In addition, it could result in an unnecessary and costly arms race between the United States and China.

Drone Wars: Challenges and Solutions
GMU School of Law
6:30PM – 8:00PM

You are invited to attend an upcoming panel discussion sponsored by the National Security Law Journal, Drone Wars: Challenges and Solutions, to be held at the School of Law on Wednesday, November 6. A 6:00 p.m. reception will be followed by the panel discussion from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The event is presented in partnership with the Federalist Society and the Military Law Society at the School of Law. The evening’s program will feature a discussion on a framework for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles under the law of armed conflict with panelists from the Heritage Foundation, The New York Times, Newsweek, and George Mason University School of Law.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Preventing another Great War: Lessons from 1914
Brookings Institution
2:00Pm – 3:00PM

As the 100th anniversary of World War I approaches, historians continue to be haunted by the question of cause, examining the confluence of ideologies, ambitions and circumstances which led to one of the 20th century’s most brutal conflicts. On November 7, the Brookings Institution will host noted historian Margaret MacMillan, author of The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 (Random House, 2013) for a discussion to compare current tensions around the globe – rising tides of nationalism, economic pressures of globalization, sectarian strife, and the fading role of the United States as the world’s policeman – to the period preceding the Great War. Brookings Senior Fellow Robert Kagan will join MacMillan in conversation about modern conflict points and how world leaders must learn the lessons of 1914 and work together to build a more stable international order. Ted Piccone, acting vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, will provide introductory remarks.

National Security vs. Privacy
Institute of World Politics
4:30PM – 6:00PM

Much has been written in the press recently about government programs that track and record an individual’s electronic communications, both here and abroad. The intelligence community defends these programs as necessary for national security; others assert they violate the individual’s right to privacy. This presentation will briefly examine the historical tensions which have ever been present between the rights of the group vs the rights of the individual and how various forms of government have sought to address this tension with an eye toward self-preservation. We will examine the “operative factors” affecting how these systems have (or have not) changed to adapt to this tension, including how our system of Democracy is structured to handle this issue. We will then discuss how the present situation could be addressed and evaluate the path US democracy offers to resolve this tension.

Friday, November 8, 2013

The Nagoya Protocol and Synthetic Biology Research: A Look at the Potential Impacts
Wilson Center
12:00PM – 2:00PM

The United Nations (UN) is working to ensure that the benefits of genetic resources are shared in a fair and equitable way via the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Nagoya Protocol was adopted in 2010 to provide a transparent legal framework for sharing genetic resources. “Its objective is the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity,” according to the UN. A new report from the Synthetic Biology Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars looks at how the protocol may affect U.S. researchers working in the field of synthetic biology.

(image: Dell)

Tuesday, October 29

Hearing: Next Steps on Egypt Policy
US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
10:00AM

Witnesses: The Honorable A. Elizabeth Jones, Acting Assistant Secretary Bureau of Near East Affairs, U.S. Department of State; The Honorable Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense; Ms. Alina Romanowski, Deputy Assistant Administrator Bureau for the Middle East, U.S. Agency for International Development.

Amodiaquine an Antimalarial Drug Inhibits Dengue Virus Type 2 Replication and Infectivity
Georgetown University
12:00PM

Speaker: Siwaporn Boonyasuppayakorn, PhD Candidate, GUMC Department of Microbiology & Immunology

The Prospect of Peace in Sudan
Institute of World Politics
4:30 PM

About the lecture: Prof. Hashem Mekki will give a brief history of the conflict in the Sudan, and will review the consequences and impact it has had on the civilian population. He will discuss the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that led to the separation between the two countries, and the issues these countries will face moving forward, including modern political and economic tensions and the implications of international community involvement in trying to resolve the conflict. About the speaker: Born and raised in Sudan, Prof. Mekki gives public speeches on the region and advocates to raise awareness of the plight of the Sudan. He has been an Arabic language instructor at The Institute of World Politics since August 2012. He also teaches Arabic language to professionals at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Prior to moving to the United States in 2005, Prof. Mekki lived in Egypt for five years, where he worked as an Arabic-English translator and interpreter. Prof. Mekki graduated from the City College of New York in May 2010 with a double major in Political Science and International Studies, and also served there as a Colin Powell Fellow from 2008-2010.

Wednesday, October 30

The Innovation Economy: Information Revolution – A Policy Forum on the Use of Big Data in Homeland Security
Bipartisan Policy Center
9:00AM

The Bipartisan Policy Center and Intel Corporation will host a forum exploring the potential for big data innovation to improve homeland security, current and future challenges to overcome, and policy principles that will encourage innovation while safeguarding privacy and security in our increasingly connected society. This event is part of the ongoing Innovation Economy conversation convened by Intel in 2009, focused on the vital role of innovation in sustaining and building upon U.S. competitiveness in the global economy.

Subcommittee Hearing: China’s Maritime and other Geographic Threats
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
10:00AM

Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing:  “The Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats will hold an open hearing with outside witnesses to assess Communist China’s maritime and other territorial claims that threaten regional and global stability. China’s greatly expanded offensive naval, air, and missile forces, coupled with its commercial fleet, numerous paramilitary organizations, and conventional military forces have projected power and asserted sovereignty far beyond Chinese self-defense, risking rapid and unpredictable escalation towards war between several of the largest economies in the world. We intend to highlight this situation and address solutions.”

Careers, Jobs, and Opportunities in International Health and Nutrition: Who, What, When, Where and How
Society for International Development
12:30PM

This panel will provide SID members with insights and practical advice on how to get started and have a successful international development career in the field international health and nutrition. Presenters will include Sharon Rudy who will talk about the “Global Health Fellows Program”. Vina HuLamm, Global Health Manager at the American Public Health Association, will talk about the importance of getting involved in professional organizations as well as opportunities for students in leadership, policy advocacy, professional development, and networking will be highlighted. Sharon Rudy will share the role of the Global Health Fellows Program in getting new professionals started in their international careers; Kathryn Goldman will present the opportunities to make a big impact by becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer; Kate Warren, Director of Global Recruitment Services at Devex, will talk about trends in the industry and their impact on career opportunities as well as practical tips to break in or advance your career in global health; and Dr. Barry Karlin will share advice from his five decades in international health from his latest book “Choosing a Career in Development: My Five Decades in International Public Health.” Copies will be available for sale.

Thursday, October 31

The Way Forward in Afghanistan: Embracing Opportunity in the Midst of Transition
New America Foundation
12:15 PM

Since 2001, the United States has been heavily engaged in Afghanistan. The failures of this effort have been well documented, but what has often been overlooked are the immense gains that have been achieved. As Afghanistan enters a turbulent transition period,including presidential elections in April 2014, the ongoing transition from U.S.-led to Afghan-led security operations, and the draw down of U.S. troops, it is important that U.S. policymakers keep the full picture in mind. Calls for the United States to walk away from Afghanistan ignore the progress that has been made, and such a result would be catastrophic for the people of Afghanistan. It would also call into question the last 12 years of U.S.efforts in the country. The New America Foundation and the Alliance in Support of the Afghan People are pleased to invite you to a discussion about the prospects for Afghanistan’s future, in light of past progress and upcoming challenges.

 

Monday, October 21st, 2013

The New Political Landscape of Afghanistan’s Neighborhood After ‘2014’
Wilson Center
12:00 – 1:00PM

So much attention is being devoted to the changing security situation in Afghanistan as US/NATO forces prepare to end the current mission and begin a new status in the country. Already, Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors (and somewhat distant, such as Russia) are addressing what they see as the key concerns of the coming years. Some focus on the security challenges and the potential for civil war. Others are hedging their bets and look to the economic gains that could be made by dealing with a stable Afghanistan. Pessimists and optimists alike are looking to regional organizations as necessary in the coming years. Roger Kangas will speak about potential regional outcomes as the balance of security changes in the coming years.

Climate And Security: Views From The Global North And South
Stimson Center
1:00 – 2:30PM

The fourth installment of Stimson’s 2013 Environment and Security Discussion Series will explore the various ways that climate change is impacting the national security and economic development of two key countries in the Global North and Global South, respectively. Shiela Riordon will discuss the intersection of climate and security from a Canadian perspective, highlighting how a warming Arctic is influencing commercial shipping and economic development in Canada’s far north. Ambassdor Djalal will provide insights into how climate change is viewed through the lens of the Global South, discussing environmental pressures as they pertain to natural disasters, sea-level rise, and natural resource management in Indonesia.

Tuesday, October 22nd

2013 FPI Forum: Will America Lead?
Foreign Policy Initiative
9:00AM – 4:00PM

Featuring panels on: ‘Choosing to Lead – A Conversation with General John R. Allen’, ‘What Defense Does America Need?’, ‘The Crisis in Syria’, ‘Afghanistan 2014: What are the Stakes?’,’Assessing the Asia Rebalance’

Food Security and Sociopolitical Stability
Wilson Center
10:00AM

Global food price spikes in 2008 and again in 2011 coincided with a surge of political unrest in low- and middle-income countries. Citizens took to the streets in scores of nations, and in some places food riots turned violent. Governments and philanthropic foundations have begun redoubling efforts to resuscitate agricultural research and technology transfer, as well as to accelerate the modernization of food value chains to deliver high quality food inexpensively, faster, and in greater volumes to urban consumers. But is this enough? This seminar presents a newly published Oxford University Press volume that explores the complex relationship between food security and sociopolitical stability. A key message of the study is that actions taken in an effort to address food security stressors may have consequences for food security, stability, or both, that ultimately matter far more than the direct impacts of biophysical drivers such as climate or land or water scarcity. The means by which governments, firms, and private philanthropies tackle the food security challenge of the coming decade will fundamentally shape the relationship between food security and sociopolitical stability.

Securing The Nuclear Enterprise: What Nuclear Crises Teach Us About Future Security Threats
Stimson Center
11:30AM – 1:00PM

Next spring, the U.S will join other world governments and organizations in The Hague for the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit. Like previous gatherings in 2010 and 2012, the upcoming summit will include debate about the steps the global community must take to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the hands of non-state actors. Central to this objective is the ability of nuclear armed states to maintain control over their weapons and sensitive materials. One way the U.S. can identify existing gaps in the control regime and prepare for the summit is by carefully studying previous nuclear weapons crises. During its Cultural Revolution, China nearly lost control of its nuclear arsenal. This history – little known in the U.S. – is both chilling and critical to understanding Chinese attitudes towards nuclear security. In the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center’s (NPEC) new study, Nuclear Weapons Security Crises: What Does History Teach?, Chinese nuclear weapons management expert and Executive Director of Project 2049 Institute Mark Stokes tells the story of China’s near-nuclear crisis and the lessons that can be learned from it. Come join us to celebrate the release of NPEC’s latest book and learn more about this important history. Lunch will be served and free copies of Nuclear Weapons Security Crises: What Does History Teach? will be available.

The Terrorist’s Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations
New America Foundation
12:15 – 1:30PM

In his new book, The Terrorist’s Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations, Dr. Jacob Shapiro uses an agency theory, a broad range of historical case studies, and the terrorists’ own documents to answer these questions. The first book to systematically examine the structural differences between terrorist groups, The Terrorist’s Dilemma discusses the core managerial challenges these groups face, and illustrates how the organizations are affected by their political goals and operational environments. Shapiro provides a historically-informed explanation for why some groups have little hierarchy, while others resemble miniature firms. Looking at groups in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, he highlights how consistent and widespread the terrorist’s dilemma — balancing the desire to maintain control with the need for secrecy — has been since the 1880s. Please join the New America Foundation’s National Security Studies Program for a conversation about how Dr. Shapiro’s findings inform our current understanding of al-Qaeda, as it increasingly operates as a network of powerful regional affiliates.

Countering Violent Extremism
Johns Hopkins SAIS
4:00 – 6:30PM

Azar Nafisi, executive director of SAIS Cultural Conversations and SAIS Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) fellow, and Mahnaz Afkhami, president and founder of the Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, will discuss this topic.

Wednesday, October 23rd

Cybersecurity: 21st Century Threats, Challenges, and Opportunities
CSIS
8:30AM – 10:00AM

Join the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) and the Financial Services Roundtable on October 23rd, 2013, at 8:30 AM for a panel discussion (Cybersecurity: 21st Century Threats, Challenges, and Opportunities) moderated by FSR CEO and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Topics discussed will include cyber espionage threats from foreign nations, defending the financial services sector from cyberterrorism, and how both the private and public sector can work together to strengthen American cybersecurity.

The Chemicals, the Conflict, and the Challenges in Syria

American Association for the Advancement of Science
5:00 – 6:30PM

On October 23, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy and the Federation of American Scientists are convening a panel to discuss the science and security involved in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2118 in Syria. The speakers will explore the technical, political, and regional issues surrounding chemical weapons in Syria, including: the technical solutions and expertise required to ensure accelerated destruction of chemical weapons; the broader regional impact of Syria’s accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention; and the challenges involved in carrying out destruction in a civil war environment.

State and Local Fusion Centers: Key Challenges for the Next Decade
Homeland Security Policy Institute (GW)
9:30 – 11:30AM

State and local fusion centers were established in the years after the attacks of September 11th as a bottom-up response to the need for enhanced state and local connectivity to U.S. federal homeland security and counterterrorism activities. Over the past decade, nearly every state and many major urban areas have established a network of 78 fusion centers, which serve as key nodes for federal, state and local coordination on homeland security and terrorism activities.. Fusion centers also address many critical local and regional public safety issues. The Homeland Security Policy Institute is hosting a policy forum to discuss the roles played by state and local fusion centers, examine the challenges that they face, and look ahead to priorities for the future. The conference will feature keynote remarks by The Honorable Michael T. McCaul, Chairman, House Committee on Homeland Security, who recently released (along with former Committee Chairman Peter King) a staff report that examined the issue of state and local fusion centers.

SPP Brown Bag Seminar: Perspectives on the NSA Controversy and Related Surveillance Issues
GMU School of Public Policy
12:00 – 1:00PM

Join General Michael Hayden, former Director of the CIA and Distinguished Visiting Professor at GMU SPP as he discusses the NSA controversy at this brown bag seminar.

Thursday, October 23rd

God’s Century? Assessing the ‘Clash’ of Secular & Religious Trends in the Middle East and North Africa – First Panel and Keynote
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (Georgetown)
3:30PM – 7:45PM

This conference will feature expert observers of the region from the Georgetown University main campus and from the School of Foreign Service in Qatar, as well as invited scholars from other institutions. The papers presented will address a variety of themes pertaining to the development of secular & religious trends in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), focusing on different countries and sub-regions, and highlighting the impact of these trends on education; gender relations; family, clan and tribal bonds; print and electronic media; occupational and professional careers; religious beliefs and behavior; as well as political attitudes, political party affiliations, and electoral behavior. They will examine numerous and diverse causal roots, ranging from demography to globalization, and their major consequences, both violent and non-violent, for the political and social evolution of all these states.

Friday, October 25th

Dangerous World? Threat Perception and U.S. National Security
CATO Institute
8:30 – 10:45AM

Last year, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey contended that “we are living in the most dangerous time in my lifetime, right now.” This year, he was more assertive, stating that the world is “more dangerous than it has ever been.” Is this accurate? At this conference, experts on international security will assess, and put in context, the supposed dangers to American security. Speakers will examine the most frequently referenced threats, including wars between nations and civil wars within nations. Panelists will also discuss the impact of rising nations, weapons proliferation, general unrest, transnational crime, and state failures, as well as technological developments, climate change, and the requirement to maintain a stable global economic system.

Our October Biodefense Policy Seminar is this Wednesday! Dr. Paul Walker, chemical weapons destruction expert, 2013 Right Livelihood laureate, and Director at Green Cross International will discuss chemical weapons disarmament in Syria. For more information, please see below or visit our Biodefense Policy Seminar page here.

Tuesday, October 15

DARPA Director Dr. Arati Prabhakar
Elliot School of International Affairs
3:30PM

Arati Prabhakar, Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) A reception will follow. RSVP: spi@gwu.edu Sponsored by the Center for International Science and Technology Policy.

Wednesday, October 16

Featured Event: “Syria and Chemical Weapons: Building a World Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction” – GMU Biodefense Policy Seminar
Speaker: Dr. Paul Walker
Location: Meese Conference Hall, GMU Fairfax Campus
Time: 7:20PM

Paul Walker will join us to discuss Syrian proliferation concerns. Dr. Walker is the International Director of the Environmental Security and Sustainability (ESS) Program for Green Cross International (GCI) and manages the Washington DC office for GCI and its US national affiliate, Global Green USA. The ESS Program is an international effort to facilitate and advocate the safe and environmentally sound demilitarization, nonproliferation, and remediation of nuclear, chemical, biological, and conventional weapons stockpiles. Walker has worked, spoken, and published widely in the related areas of international security, threat reduction, non-proliferation, weapons demilitarization, and environmental security for over three decades and took part in the first on-site inspection by US officials of the Russian chemical weapons stockpile at Shchuch’ye in the Kurgan Oblast in 1994. Since that time he has worked closely with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), US and Russian officials, the US Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program, the G-8 Global Partnership, and other multilateral regimes to help foster cooperative, timely, and safe elimination of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and related systems. He has helped to permanently eliminate over 50,000 tons of chemical weapons and millions of munitions in six countries to date. Dr. Walker was also recently awarded the 2013 Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the alternate Nobel Peace Prize. To read more about the award and Dr. Walker’s work, visit their website here.

“Minimum Deterrence: Examining the Evidence”
Hudson Institute
12:00 – 1:00PM

Recently, President Obama called for large reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal from the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty levels. Such reductions could leave the U.S. with roughly 1,000 weapons. The President’s announcement has renewed the debate over the appropriate size of the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal.

Turkey and the Syrian Crisis: Unending Challenges of an Unending War
Georgetown University
1:00PM

Even though no country in the region has been immune from the fallout effects of the Syrian war, Turkey has been particularly hit hard. In addition to the ever-growing refugee problem, the war has also exacerbated Turkey’s own sectarian balance. The growing Kurdish autonomy in Northern Syria is also posing its own set of challenges to the Turkish government which is faced with mounting domestic opposition and a fragile Kurdish peace process. Join this discussion on the U.S and Turkish policies on Syria, the role of the Kurds in the war, and security and humanitarian challenges faced by Turkey.

A Statesman’s Forum with United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson
Brookings Institution
2:15 – 3:15 PM

On October 16, Foreign Policy at Brookings will host United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson for a Statesman’s Forum focusing on the United Nations’ current agenda and upcoming work. Among the key issues to be addressed by Ambassador Eliasson are the conflict in Syria, Iran’s diplomatic openings, developments in Afghanistan and the UN and its post-2015 development strategy. Brookings Acting Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy Ted Piccone will moderate the discussion.

Thursday, October 17

Launching the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
12:30 – 2:30PM

The Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) are delighted to invite you to a luncheon discussion with Mycle Schneider, the lead author of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013. The plummeting natural gas prices, sovereign debt crisis, proliferation concerns and improved economic conditions for renewable energy sources have created a challenging global environment for nuclear power. Contrary to what the nuclear industry would have us believe that we are seeing a global renaissance in nuclear power, nuclear power the world over is on the decline. This is especially true in the US, where operating reactors are being closed as uneconomic for the first time in 15 years. The World Nuclear Industry Status Report provides a vital reality check to the current situation of the global nuclear industry as well as identifying important nuclear trends

Friday, October 18

Viruses: Evolution Friend or Foe?
Georgetown University Medicine
12:00PM

Presented By: Chuan (River) Xiao, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso.