Defense and Security - Audio

View Summary   The killing of Gen. Qassem Suleimani in January 2020 sent conflicting signals about the depth of U.S. engagement in the Gulf. The United States seems intent to diminish its presence while keeping an active hand in regional affairs. Meanwhile, Russia and China are exploring ways to reshape their own presence in the region. Please join the CSIS Middle East Program for a conference to examine the Gulf region in the wake of General Qassem Suleimani's death. Two expert panels will explore security threats and new opportunities for diplomacy in the region. General Joseph L. Votel will then deliver a keynote address on Great Power competition in the Gulf, followed by a Q&A moderated by Jon B. Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski chair in global security and geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program. The Honorable John McLaughlin, Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and former Acting Director of Central Intelligence The Honorable Christine Wormuth, Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation, and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Ambassador Anne Patterson, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State    Ambassador Douglas Silliman,President, The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, and former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq  Dr. Ali Vaez,Iran Project Director, International Crisis Group  General Joseph L. Votel, President and CEO, Business Executives for National Security; Distinguished Senior Fellow on National Security, Middle East Institute; and former Commander of U.S. Central Command This event is made possible by generous support from the United Arab Emirates Embassy.

For most of the nuclear age, enhanced strategic situational awareness has been viewed as a benefit for strategic stability. In conventional conflicts with non-nuclear adversaries, the United States has long-enjoyed information dominance in this arena. But can there be too much of a good thing? In today’s increasingly competitive security environment, the risk of conflict between nuclear-armed states is on the rise: capabilities designed to provide situational awareness for conventional conflict are increasingly comingled with nuclear weapons systems and emerging technologies promise to provide enhanced insight into adversary actions and activities. The increased speed and precision of these technologies may have a profound impact on the strategic landscape as miscalculation and unintended escalation risk transforming conventional crises into major conflicts between nuclear powers. Please join the Project on Nuclear Issues at CSIS on February 18 for a half-day conference, “Decision-making and Technology Under the Nuclear Shadow,” that will explore how decision-makers think about strategic situational awareness, emerging technologies, and risk in crises between nuclear-armed states.  Featured experts will include Dr. Robert Jervis, Dr. Peter W. Singer, Avril Haines, and Dr. Kathleen Hicks and the discussion will cover both the theoretical aspect of decision-making in nuclear crises as well as the policy implications and recommendations for improving international security. The two panels will be followed by a reception.  This event is made possible by support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) invites you to attend the inaugural event in our Synthetic Biology: The Ongoing Technology Revolution Series. This initial event will introduce the science of synthetic biology, as well as the opportunities and risks it presents to both national security and the global economy. This event will serve as the first of four events, which will convene a diverse set of experts to discuss the security and economic policy implications of this critical emerging technology.   Synthetic Biology: The Ongoing Technology Revolution Series   Emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, and synthetic biology—drive security and economic competition and are increasingly shaping national strategies. To develop an effective strategy for synthetic biology, policy makers and the general public need a better understanding of synthetic biology’s underlying capabilities, state of development, and diverse applications. Through a series of four symposia, CSIS will explore synthetic biology’s wide-ranging applications—from advanced microelectronics and materials to nutrition and cosmetics —and opportunities to shape its future development in support of U.S. security and economic interests. This series will include targeted discussions on synthetic biology’s: Present and future potential as a critical emerging technology; Economic, societal, and international implications; National security opportunities and risks; and Implications for emerging technology policy. CSIS hopes you will join us for our inaugural event on February 6and will continue the discussion in the events that follow.   This series of events is sponsored by Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell emerged on the national scene more than thirty years ago, and it is easy to forget that they were once allies. The two men collaborated closely in the successful American wars in Panama and Iraq during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. Returning to government service under George W. Bush in 2001, they (and their respective allies within the administration) fell into deep antagonism over the role America should play in a world defined by terrorism, the invasion of Iraq, and debates about unilateralism. Why did the rift between the two respected statesmen emerge? And what does the broken partnership suggest about U.S. foreign policy? Please join Seth Center and the Project on History and Strategy for a discussion with James Mann about his new book on the intertwined careers of Dick Cheney and Colin Powell. The Great Rift: Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and the Broken Friendship that Defined an Era  is a sweeping history of two statesmen whose rivalry and conflicting views of U.S. national security color our political debate to this day. In a wide-ranging, deeply researched, and dramatic narrative, James Mann explores each man’s biography and philosophical predispositions to show how and why this deep and permanent rupture occurred. Through dozens of original interviews and surprising revelations from presidential archives, he brings to life the very human story of how this influential friendship turned so sour and how the enmity of these two powerful men colored the way America acts in the world. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

At 11:00 PM on January 31st, the UK will formally withdraw from the European Union. How will the UK's foreign and security policy change? What security challenges will it prioritize? And will leaving the European Union bring the UK closer to the United States? Please join us for a conversation with former UK Secretary of State for Defense (2010-2011), former Secretary of State for International Trade (2016-2019), and Conservative MP from North Somerset Dr. Liam Fox. Dr. Fox will offer his reflections on the vitally important role NATO must play in the future, the role of values in national security, the security challenges that Russia and China pose to the UK, the impact of cyber warfare, and the role of non-state actors and proxy groups in fueling future conflicts. This event is made possible through generous support from the Stuart Family Foundation

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) invites you to attend a conversation with SAIC’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Defense Systems Customer Group Jim Scanlon. Mr. Scanlon is responsible for leading strategy, business development, and program execution for approximately $2.9 billion in support to the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Defense Logistics Agency. The discussion will explore the implications of the growing emphasis on technology competition with near peers and how the benefits of big data and artificial intelligence, highlighted in the Army Future Command data strategy, could be brought to the operating force. These overarching issues have important implications for technical services companies, whether they develop algorithms or balance system engineering tradeoffs. Jim Scanlon will discuss not only the role SAIC may play, but will also analyze the larger services market as it has been shaped by the complexity of multi-domain operations that are reliant on a diverse mix of interacting systems.   The purpose of the Main Street Defense event series is to highlight the unique opportunities and challenges faced by ‘Main Street’ companies in the defense industry. By broadening the conversation to include entities headquartered in America’s towns and cities beyond the top five defense contractors, and by providing a public platform for discussion, CSIS engage new voices and provides a setting for a dialogue on important factors affecting the entire defense and security sector today, different from those that we usually hear about.   Mr. Andrew Hunter will moderate the discussion with Mr. Scanlon. Please join us on Thursday, January 23 for this timely conversation. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.   Featuring  

In 2020, Europe will be facing a unique set of political, economic, and security challenges, including Brexit. However, the beginning of the new decade also offers an opportunity to lay out an ambitious vision for the future of Europe and for progress in areas of common concern.   Please join us for a timely conversation with German Ambassador to the U.S. Emily Haber and French Ambassador to the U.S. Philippe Etienne as they discuss their vision for Europe over the next decade, the foreign policy challenges facing Europe in 2020, and the future of transatlantic relations.   Featuring This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

CSIS is hosting Air Force General John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a conversation on how the Joint Force is addressing the growing security challenges posed by U.S. strategic competitors. General Hyten will provide opening remarks which will be followed by a discussion moderated by Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President and Director of the International Security Program at CSIS. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

With the demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and an unclear future for New START, U.S.-Russian arms control is in dire condition. Some experts in both capitals question the feasibility or necessity of further bilateral arms control. However, any U.S. and Russian administration will face the task of managing its own arsenal and relations with a nuclear armed competitor, which requires some level of arms control—formal or informal. How do Moscow and Washington approach this task? What are most immediate concerns and what could be on the table in the future negotiations? How possible is trilateral arms control with China? What are the arms control mechanisms short of formal treaties? Andrey Baklitskiy, visiting fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Program, will present his analysis of the different options for U.S.-Russian arms control. The Russian Visiting Fellows Program at CSIS is made possible by the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

Agenda 11:30 - 12:00  Keynote Speech Introductory Remarks: Dr. Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS Keynote: H.E. Taro Kono, Minister of Defense, Government of Japan Discussion and Q&A, Moderator: Michael J. Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University   12:00 - 13:00  Panel Discussion Kenichiro Sasae, President, JIIA Satoru Mori, Professor, Hosei University Sheila Smith, Senior Fellow for Japan Studies, Council on Foreign Relations   Moderator: Michael J. Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University   13:00 - 14:00  Light Lunch Buffet/Reception CSIS, 2 Floor Foyer                     14:00  Adjourn

Please join the Center for Strategic and International Studies for a Smart Women, Smart Power and Aerospace Security Project conversation with former NASA Space Shuttle Commander Pam Melroy. She will discuss innovation and the role of government in commercial space and the importance of international partnerships and collaboration in space. Colonel Melroy (USAF, ret.) is currently Chief Executive Officer at Melroy & Hollett Technology Partners. She is a retired Air Force test pilot and served as Deputy Director of the Tactical Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).  Colonel Melroy also served in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. She is one of only two women to command the Space Shuttle. After leaving NASA in August 2009, Colonel Melroy served as Deputy Program Manager for the Lockheed Martin Orion Space Exploration Initiatives program. She received a B.A. in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College and a M.S. in earth and planetary sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This event is made possible through support from Citi.

Please join us for this season's next installment of the Schieffer Series, "The Syria Withdrawal and Next Steps." The Wall Street Journal's Nancy Youssef will join CSIS's Melissa Dalton, Seth Jones and Brian Katz for a discussion on the U.S. withdrawal from Syria and the implications this decision will have on Syria and the greater Middle East. Additionally, the panelists will touch on next steps for U.S. strategy in the region.   Event - 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.Pre-Event Reception - 5:00 - 5:30 p.m.   Hosted by CBS News legend and CSIS Trustee Bob Schieffer, the Schieffer Series features thoughtful panel discussions with senior officials, lawmakers, journalists, and policy experts to discuss global challenges and critical issues of national security and foreign policy. Now in its 11th consecutive year, the Schieffer Series is produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in partnership with the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. This series is made possible with the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. For information or inquiries contact externalrelations@csis.org.

Please join CSIS’s Office of the Korea Chair and the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group on December 10th for a joint conference titled “CSIS-DAPA 2019: A New Generation of Partnership in the US-ROK Alliance” that aims to explore deeper and more extensive cooperation between defense-industrial firms in the two nations. The public session will feature a conversation with the Republic of Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration Minister Mr. Jung-hong Wang and the US Department of Defense’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Mr. Kevin Fahey.   Mr. Richard Armitage, President, Armitage International; Trustee, CSIS Mr. Andrew Hunter, Senior Fellow and Director, Defense- Industrial Initiatives Group, CSIS Mr. Jung-hong Wang, Minister, Defense Acquisition Program Administration Honorable Kevin Fahey, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Department of Defense Moderator: Dr. Victor D. Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair, CSIS; D.S. Dong-KF Professor of Government, Georgetown University This event is co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Defense Acquisition Program (DAPA), and the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ). FEATURED

Against the backdrop of recent allegations leveled against Huawei and other Chinese entities, the nature and scope of the Communist Party of China’s (CCP) secret operations overseas, including traditional espionage, influence operations, industrial espionage, and intellectual property theft have never been more important, yet this topic remains widely misunderstood and understudied. In their new book, Chinese Communist Espionage: An Intelligence Primer, co-authors Peter Mattis and Matt Brazil focus on the world of Chinese espionage both past and present, enabling a better understanding of how important its influence is, both in China and abroad. Please join us at CSIS for a discussion of Chinese espionage with the two authors, as well as Aruna Viswanatha of The Wall Street Journal, in a discussion moderated by Jude Blanchette, CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies.   This event is made possible through CSIS general support funds.

In partnership with the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU), CSIS is pleased to invite you to the eighth annual Transatlantic Forum on Russia. This year's conference will examine transatlantic policy towards Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova five years after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and military incursion into eastern Ukraine. The Transatlantic Forum on Russia is part of a broader effort to formulate an enduring transatlantic policy framework towards Russia, with an examination of regional security, political, and economic developments. Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. AGENDA   8:30-8:50am Registration and Light Breakfast     9:00am Welcoming Remarks:          Ms. Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic, CSIS Dr. Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Director, Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU)   9:10-10:00am             Keynote Address: U.S. Policy toward Russia: A View from Congress Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) 10:00-11:30am           Panel One: Five Years After the Annexation of Crimea and Military Incursion into the Donbas: Where Does the Transatlantic Community Go from Here?   Panelists: Dr. Pawel Kowal, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland (2005-2007), Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences Dr. Maria Snegovaya, Adjunct Fellow, Center for European Policy (CEPA) Dr. Alina Polyakova, Director, Global Democracy and Emerging Technologies, Brookings Jonathan D. Katz, Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund   Moderator: Dr. Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Director, Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU)   11:30-11:45am            Coffee Break   11:45-1:15pm             Panel Two: Belarus, Moldova and Georgia: What Does the Future Hold?   Panelists: Dr. Adam Eberhardt, Director, Center for Eastern Studies, Warsaw Iulian Groza, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova (2013-2015) Executive Director, European Institute of Politics and Reforms, Chișinău Alex Johnson, Chief of Staff, U.S Helsinki Commission Dr. Mamuka Tsereteli, Senior Fellow, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at AFPC   Moderator: Ms. Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic, CSIS   1:15pm                       Buffet Lunch                                     1:45pm                       Journalist Roundtable: The White House and the Evolution of U.S. Policy toward Russia   Panelists: Peter Baker, White House Correspondent, New York Times Susan Glasser, Staff Writer, The New Yorker Rene Pfister, Washington Bureau Chief, DER SPIEGEL   Moderator:  Ms. Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic, CSIS This event is made possible through generous support from the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) cordially invite you to "China’s Maritime Ambitions in the First Island Chain and Beyond" Agenda 1:00 - 1:15     Welcoming Remarks Michael J. Green Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Yasunori Nakayama Director General (Acting), JIIA   1:15 - 2:00     East China Sea Jeffrey Hornung Political Scientist, RAND Corporation   Masashi Murano Japan Chair Fellow, Hudson Institute   Moderator Bonnie Glaser Senior Adviser for Asia; Director, China Power Project, CSIS   2:00 - 2:45     South China Sea Greg Poling Director, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and Fellow, Southeast Asia Program, CSIS Collin Koh Swee Lean Research Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Moderator Michael J. Green Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University   2:45 - 3:00     Break   3:00 - 3:45     Pacific Islands Greg Poling Director, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and Fellow, Southeast Asia Program, CSIS Jonathan Pryke Director, Pacific Islands Program, Lowy Institute Moderator Patrick Buchan Director, The U.S. Alliances Project, and Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security, CSIS   3:45 - 4:30     Implications for Regional Policy Coordination Atsuko Kanehara Professor, Sophia University Jeff Benson Military Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS Moderator Michael J. Green Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University   4:30   Adjourn This event is made possible with support from JIIA.

This bonus episode comes from CSIS's Beyond Parallel Living History video series. We invite former South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Song Min-soon to discuss global efforts to denuclearize North Korea during the six-party talks. Minister Song was the director general for North American affairs and chief delegate during the six-party talks in 2005. He played a key role in the September 2005 multilateral denuclearization agreement with North Korea, involving the U.S., Japan, South Korea, China and Russia.

Dr. Barbara Burger, president of Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), joined guest host Melissa Dalton to discuss how CTV operates and how its work is impacting communities. They also discussed the importance of STEM education and finding allies.

How is the Republican Party approaching key national security and defense issues heading into the 2020 U.S. Election? In this episode of Defense 2020, host Kathleen Hicks continues a discussion about this crucial question with Republican defense experts Mark Cancian (Center for Strategic and International Studies), Thomas Mahnken (Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments), and Jen Stewart (Minority Staff Director, House Armed Services Committee). Download the full transcript here.

How is the Republican Party approaching key national security and defense issues heading into the 2020 U.S. Election? In this episode of Defense 2020, host Kathleen Hicks continues a discussion about this crucial question with Republican defense experts Mark Cancian (Center for Strategic and International Studies), Thomas Mahnken (Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments), and Jen Stewart (Minority Staff Director, House Armed Services Committee). Download the full transcript here.