Featured Presenter: Ellen Laipson President, The Stimson Center Discussants: Charles W. Dunne Scholar, Middle East Institute Nabil Al-Tikriti Associate Professor of History, University of Mary Washington Manal Omar Officer, Grant Program, United States Institute of Peace About the report: An important transition is underway in the official relationship between the United States and Iraq. Since …
May 5, 2010 – The Stimson Center and the Stanley Foundation, in collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, the Secretariat General of the Central American Integration System (SICA), convened a workshop in Panama City, Panama for SICA Member States on implementation of Resolution 1540. The workshop …
MAB participates in workshop for SICA Member States on implementation of Resolution 1540 Read More »
We cordially invite you to the book launch of Muslim Indians: Struggle for Inclusion Presentation by Amit A. Pandya Author, Muslim Indians: Struggle for Inclusion Commentary by Irfan Engineer Director, Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Mumbai Dr. Radwan A. Masmoudi President, Center of the Study of Islam & Democracy …
April 12, 2010 — Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, Head of the Government of Southern Sudan’s Mission to the United States, joined us for a discussion of Sudan’s national elections. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth began by discussing the importance of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and what the elections signify to the people of Sudan and the legitimacy …
March 8, 2010 — Heidi Lehmann, Head of the International Rescue Committee’s Gender-Based Violence Technical Unit and recently returned from Haiti, and Kathryn Striffolino, Amnesty International’s Associate Director for Latin America, joined us for a discussion on efforts to combat gender-based violence in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake. Kathryn Striffolino focused her talk …
Women and Girls in the Aftermath of the Haitian Earthquake Read More »
On the heels of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s state visit to Washington and on the eve of the Copenhagen summit, we invite you to the launch of the Stimson Center’s latest publication, Indian Climate Policy: Choices and Challenges. In this new study, Indian analysts and Stimson experts examine the multiple constraints and possibilities informing New Delhi’s …
November 20, 2009 — April Longley Alley, Research Associate at the National Defense University, joined us for a discussion on the deteriorating situation in Yemen, a country in which, according to Foreign Policy magazine, a “perfect storm of state failure is brewing.” What implications does potential state failure in Yemen have for U.S. national security …
In order to negotiate effectively on an international regime for climate change, US policymakers must have an accurate understanding of the constraints and considerations that determine the negotiating positions of key countries. India plays a pivotal role in these efforts. In the run up to the December 2009 negotiations in Copenhagen, India has proven to …
October 23, 2009 — Mark P. Sullivan, a specialist in Latin American Affairs for the Congressional Research Service who recently returned from a trip to the region, joined us for a discussion on the current status of Venezuela and the future of U.S. relations with the home of the Bolivarian Revolution. Mr. Sullivan discussed the …
With the evolving strategic environment abroad and the considerable political changes at home, Japan faces a significant challenge in rethinking its defense policy priorities, including the future direction of its defense capability build-up. As Japan Ministry of Defense moves (JMOD) to revise its five-year National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) and Mid-Term Defense Program (MTDP), policymakers …
Japan’s Air Defense Capabilities For The New Decade – The “CHANGE” For The Success Read More »
Illustrated by five major encounters between the civilian and senior military officer during 2000-2008 — including the initiation of doctrinal innovation (2000), implementation of the 2001 U.S. arms sale package (2002-2004), removal of the “two Chiangs” symbolic legacy (2006-2008), institutionalization of the annual Yu Shan Exercise (2006-2008), and establishment of the Taiwan-Go Company (2007-2008) – …
Fragile Partnership: Taiwan’s Pol-Mil Relations, 2000-2008 Read More »
The Stimson Center, in collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community, and the Governments of Canada and the United States, hosted an experts meeting in Kingston, Jamaica on implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. The focus of the workshop was to highlight …
Security for a New Century hosted Michael Krepon, co-founder of the Henry L Stimson Center and director of its Space Security Program for a discussion on space diplomacy under the new administration. Historically, space diplomacy is very rare – the last treaty concerning outer space was during the Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. One of …
Luncheon Roundtable The Century Foundation and the Henry L. Stimson Center are pleased to invite you to a luncheon roundtable on Friday, 1 May 2009, to discuss Iran’s Stakes in the New Iraq: Dilemmas for the Region and for Washington. The U.S. war to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s fiercely Arab nationalist regime in Iraq has opened …
Iran’s Stakes In The New Iraq: Dilemmas For The Region And For Washington Read More »
The sharp increase in gang related violence along the US-Mexico border has propelled the drug trade towards the top of both the national security and the political agenda. Fresh tales of violence perpetrated by drug cartels appear in print and on television each day, leading to the issue being depicted by some as ‘war on …
Mr. Michael Aisenberg, counselor to the president of Information and Infrastructure Technologies and former director of Government Relations and National Security program manager at Verisign, will join us for a discussion on cyber security. Cyber security is crucial to ensuring system continuity by preventing, detecting, and responding to attacks. Where do these attacks originate? What …
Dr. Lawrence Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a senior advisor to the Center for Defense Information, will join us for a discussion on military reform and innovation to face 21st century threats. Dr. Korb argues that the focus on conventional confrontations, where the U.S. military dominates, also leaves it less …
Dr. Reuben Brigety II, director of the Sustainable Security Program at the Center for American Progress and assistant professor of Government and Politics at George Mason University, and Major Shannon Beebe, senior Africa analyst at the Office of United States Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, will join us for a discussion on the …
The Role of the US Military in Foreign Assistance Read More »
The 2003 occupation of Iraq by US and coalition forces continues to be studied and assessed. We are pleased to offer a unique opportunity to hear an insider British account of the early days of the occupation. Hillary Synnott will talk about his explosive new book, BAD DAYS IN BASRA: My Turbulent Time as Britain’s …
Dr. Ashraf Ghani, chair of the Institute of State Effectiveness and former finance minister of post-Taliban Afghanistan, and Ms. Clare Lockhart, director of the Institute of State Effectiveness, joined us for a discussion of their recent book, Fixing Failed States: A Framework for Rebuilding a Fractured World. They argue that an integrated state-building approach where …
Sydney Masamvu, a Pretoria-based analyst with the Southern Africa project for the International Crisis Group, joined us for a discussion on the political crisis in Zimbabwe and the fate of Robert Mugabe. Nine days after the presidential elections, the country is waiting for a court ruling to determine whether the final vote tally will be released. …
Mr. Michael Shifter, vice-president for policy and director of the Andean Program at the Inter-American Dialogue, joined us for a discussion on geopolitics in the Andean region. There is tension among Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador stemming from Colombia’s recent encroachment on Ecuador’s territory during a raid on a FARC rebel camp. Ecuador severed diplomatic ties …
In Kenya, the contested presidential election results of December 2007 led to over 1,000 deaths and the displacement of some 300,000 others in waves of violence with a serious ethnic character. Earlier this week the African Union-sponsored negotiations between Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU), led …
The Stimson Center, in collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, the Stanley Foundation, and the Government of Canada, hosted an experts meeting on implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 in the Dominican Republic. The purpose of this meeting was to identify development and capacity building …
Dr. Jonathan Shay, Congressional Research Service and author of “Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming” will join us for a discussion on preventing psychological and moral injury in military service.
Dr. Peter Singer, director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution and author of Corporate Warriors, will join us for a discussion on the current state of affairs and future policy options for the U.S. regarding private military contractors. To what degree are private military contractors essential to U.S. operations abroad? How …
Dr. Peter DeShazo, director of the CSIS Americas Program, and former deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, will join us for a discussion on Colombia’s record in reversing instability and economic distress. He traces the formulation and approval of Plan Colombia during the administration of President Andrés Pastrana and the subsequent policies …
Back from the Brink: Evaluating Progress in Colombia Read More »
Ambassador Walter Cutler, former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia and former president of Meridian International Center, and Allen Keiswetter, adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute and former deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, will join us to discuss the current state and prospects for US-Saudi relations. What reforms may be necessary …
Dr. Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, will join us for a discussion of the J curve, a model for describing how countries transition from stable, closed autocracies to equally stable, open democracies. Building on a central relationship between a country’s openness and its stability, in The J Curve: A New Way to Understand …
The J Curve: Regime Transitions and US Foreign Policy Read More »
Douglas Farah, former West African bureau chief of the Washington Post, and Stephen Braun, Pulitzer-prize winning national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, will join us for a discussion about Victor Bout, the focus of their new book Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible. Bout is a …
Dr. Marc Sageman will join us for a discussion about the evolution of Al Qaeda, and the causes of the radicalization of European Jihadi networks. Dr. Sageman has analyzed the role of religion, poverty, and education, in forming the views and behaviors of Jihadi recruits. His work charts the trajectory of Muslim expatriates, both second …
Dr. Robert A. Pastor, Director, Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University, will join us for a discussion on the outcome and the implications of the 2007 Nigerian Elections. The elections which marked the first democratic transition in Nigeria from one civilian head of state to another, were marred by widespread violence, disruption …
Nigeria’s Elections and Its Implications for US Foreign Policy Read More »
Ambassador Anderbrhan Giorgis, Africa Director for the International Crisis Group, discusses political developments in Zimbabwe. President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF government has undertaken a violent crackdown against political opposition and civil society. Zimbabwe has the highest rate of inflation in the world, 2,200 percent. The combination of an economic meltdown, rampant corruption, humanitarian crisis and repression, …
Larry Wilkerson, U.S. Army Colonel (retired) and former Chief of Staff of the State Department, leads part two of the SNC series on National Security Reform where he discusses his experiences in conducting inter-agency operations within the national security framework. According to Wilkerson, “Interagency cooperation, let alone interagency effectiveness, in implementing Presidential decisions is virtually …
Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi, the Minister of Economy and Planning of the United Arab Emirates, addressed an audience of Washington-based Gulf watchers at The Henry L. Stimson Center on March 12, 2007. The event was moderated by Lincoln Bloomfield, a member of the Center’s Board of Directors and a former Assistant Secretary of State for …
General Sir Rupert Smith (ret), former Deputy Supreme Commander Allied Powers Europe, discusses whether we are facing a new age of warfare. He contends that war as we traditionally know it, no longer exists. The ends for which we fight are changing. We fight in populated areas, without a distinct battlefield. Our conflicts tend to …
Dr. Lael Brainard, Vice President, The Brookings Institution, and Director of the Global Economy and Development Program, joined Ken Ballen, President of Terror Free Tomorrow, for a discussion on resolving international security challenges and advancing US national interest through effective foreign aid. Ballen will discuss recent research that highlights the relationship between foreign assistance and …
US Foreign Assistance and America’s Image Abroad Read More »
Lawrence Scheinman, Distinguished Professor of the Monterey Institute Center for Non Proliferation Studies, and Laura Holgate, Vice President for Russia/New Independent States Programs, Nuclear Threat Initiative, discuss the concept of a nuclear fuel bank to assure the international supply of nuclear fuel. NTI has offered $50 million to help establish a low enriched uranium stockpile …
A Nuclear Fuel Bank: Risk and Response in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Read More »
Dr. Julia Sweig, Senior Fellow, Council of Foreign Relations, discusses the current situation in Cuba and the prospects for the country post Castro. After undergoing surgery for a serious, yet undisclosed medical condition, Fidel Castro temporarily handed power over to his brother Raul. All signs suggest that after five decades, Castro’s tenure in power may …
Dr. Steven Spiege from the University of California discusses the most recent meetings of the Conference on Regional Security in the Middle East which took place in Athens. A separate military-to-military meeting also took place in Turkey. These track-two diplomacy meetings were held in the midst of four regional crises-the Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, the …
Ed O’Connell, Senior Analyst with the RAND Corporation, discusses counterinsurgency and information operations. A key concept in counterinsurgency is to create a strategy to win hearts and minds among the population: to separate the insurgency from its base of support, disrupt the recruitment of insurgents and influence them to turn if possible. Evidence from Iraq …
Gary Roughead (Commander, US Pacific Fleet) shared the efforts by the US Navy to maintain the stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Dr. Yasuhiro Matsuda, the 2006 Joji Konoshima Distinguished Scholar at the US-Asia Institute, discusses the rise of China as perceived through a Japanese lens. Japan plays a critical role in the current U.S. security architecture within the Asia Pacific region. As China’s regional influence increases, the U.S. appears to be increasingly reliant on its relationship …
China and Japan National Security: A Japanese Perspective Read More »
Kevin Woods from the Institute for Defense Analysis, joined us to discuss the inner workings and behavior of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The fall of Baghdad in April 2003 opened one of the most secretive and brutal governments in history to outside scrutiny. For the first time since the end of World War II, American analysts …
Ami Ayalon, Israeli Labor Party Knesset member joined us for a discussion on the current political situation in Israel and the Middle East and prospects for the future. While the construction of a physical separation between Israelis and Palestinians has many supporters in Israel, the route and nature of this separation is highly debated. This …
Israel-Palestine: Disengagement and the Prospects for Peace Read More »
Tim Carney, former US Ambassador to Haiti and Mark Schneider, Senior Vice President of the International Crisis Group discussed the recent economic and political changes in Haiti, a month after new president Rene Preval took office in May 2006. Speakers discussed the challenges facing the Preval government, as they attempt to recover from decades of …
William Lind, Free Congress Foundation and Chet Richards author of “Neither Shall the Sword” will join us for a discussion of fourth generation warfare and the implications of the shift away from large-scale state-vs-state conflicts. Both writers have been critical of the Defense Department’s efforts at transformation, as well it’s ability to meet current and …
Baron Paul von Maltzahn, German Ambassador in Tehran will join us for a discussion of German policy towards Iran. The Ambassador is a mideast expert who has served in Tehran since 2003. Previously he served as German Ambassador in Cairo, he has also served tours in Damascus, Algiers and Beirut. “Security for a New Century” …
Michael Shifter, Vice President for Policy at the Inter-American Dialogue, discusses ending impunity and the search for truth and reconciliation in Chile. General Augusto Pinochet seized power in a coup in 1973. Under his seventeen year rule an estimated 3,000 people died or disappeared, while some 28,000 were tortured. Chilean Courts stripped the former military …
Chile: The Search for Justice and Accountability Read More »
Simone Monasebian of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discusses the challenge posed by human trafficking. Each year an estimated one million people – mostly women and children – are trafficked in the United States and around the world and forced to live in slavery-like conditions of forced labor and sexual exploitation. …
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