NESA Center April 2012 Monthly Report April 2012 Page NESA Supports LAF-RSSC Regional Conference AMB Larocco (right) addressing the conference BEIRUT March 27-31 NESA supported the second Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Research and Strategic Studies Center (RSSC) regional conference titled "The Middle East Beyond 2011: Geopolitical, Economic and Security Challenges. Seminar speakers included Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, NESA Center Director Ambassador James Larocco and former General Secretary of the Arab League Dr. Amr Moussa. Attendees of the RSSC Conference included 110 military and senior civilian officials and academics from Algeria, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, India, Iran (academics), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria (academics), Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, U.S., U.K., Ukraine and Yemen. During the event, Ambassador Larocco met with LAF Commander General Jean Kahwagi and Chief of Staff Major General Walid Salman to discuss the NESA -LAF Program of Cooperation. Ambassador Larocco also addressed a group of faculty and students at the American University of Beirut on the topic of The Arab Spring, U.S. Response and Strategic Interests, delivering his views on the challenges of the next two years for policymakers in the region and the West. He also held discussions with the directors of the Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies (CAMES) and the Issam Fares Institute (IFI). At the conclusion of the conference, Ambassador Larocco hosted a reception for 170 NESA alumni. Professor Bob Sharp and Research Associate Sterling Jensen conducted a seminar before the conference with the LAF Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College Commandant Brigadier General Ali-Makki and representatives from HQ LAF to discuss the ends, ways and means of a future LAF Defense College course. NESA-Harvard-APCSS Program April 22-29 Upcoming NESA Center Events Executive Seminar April 24-May 8 Combating Transnational Threats-WMD ES May 8-23 CENTCOM Senior National Representatives Seminar May 21-25
NESA Center April 2012 Page 2 NESA Conducts Mobile Faculty Seminar in Uzbekistan TASHKENT, Uzbekistan February 27-March 2 Academic Dean Roger Kangas, Minister Ali Jalali, and professors Brianne Todd and Dave Des Roches participated in a NESA Engagement Team Seminar at the Uzbekistan Armed Forces Academy before an audience of approximately 50 participants. They lectured on the topics of preparation and the conduct of military operations under various conditions; counterinsurgency (COIN); the fundamentals of defense building and defense reform; and challenges of neutrality and occupation in regional security affairs. Minister Jalali Professors Boggs and Woods Co-Chair Piracy Conference KARACHI, Pakistan February 29-March 2 Professors Robert Boggs and John Wood participated in a conference entitled The Human Face of Marine Piracy: Consequences and Policy Options. The conference, co-sponsored by the Fazaldad Human Rights Institute of Pakistan; Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia; and NESA; was hosted by Bahria Professor Boggs (center) University. The program received extensive support from the Pakistan Navy, which administers Bahria University. The conference was attended by approximately 100 academics, former military and civilian leaders, active duty Pakistani Navy officers, and individuals from India, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, U.K., Canada, and the U.S. The conference provided numerous opportunities for direct interaction with and between Pakistani and Indian representatives during academic sessions and social gatherings. Professors Boggs and Wood each chaired an international session of the conference. NESA Co-Sponsors Discussion on Afghanistan Dean Kangas GARMISCH, Germany March 13-16 Academic Dean Roger Kangas, Minister Ali Jalali and professors John Wood and Brianne Todd participated in a strategic discussion on Afghanistan and the South Asia region at the George C. Marshall Center for European Studies. The event, co-sponsored by the NESA Center and Asia-Pacific Center, included participants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia. According to conference organizers, the event was designed to identify common security challenges associated with transition and stabilization in Afghanistan. Discussions focused on the regional responses to and concerns about the changing security responsibilities in Afghanistan in the coming years.
NESA Center April 2012 Page 3 NESA Co-Hosts SSN Working Group Meetings Professor Rauert (center) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka March 8-10 The NESA Center and the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies cohosted meetings of the Governance and Regional Economic Integration working groups of the Strategic Studies Network (SSN). SSN Director Professor Tyler Rauert led the meetings and facilitated the Governance working group, and Professor Brianne Todd facilitated the Regional Economic Integration working group. The event brought together 37 participants representing 18 institutions and 15 countries. Danielle De La Fuente served as the program coordinator. Research Associate Michael Williams and Deputy Communications Director Chris Konowitz also attended and served as rapporteurs. Yemen Delegation Visits NESA Center WASHINGTON, DC March 22 NESA Director Ambassador James Larocco, Deputy Director David Lamm, Academic Dean Roger Kangas and Professor Bob Sharp welcomed a Yemeni delegation to the NESA Center. The delegation, headed by Chief of General Staff Major General Ahmed Ali al-ashwal, included personnel representing military intelligence, the Coast Guard, Ministry of Defense Planning, the Air Force and a Counter-terrorism unit. The delegation visit included talks with NESA faculty and U.S. military personnel to discuss the future of NESA-Yemen programs. Ambassador Larocco with Major General al-ashwal
NESA Center April 2012 Page 4 Professor Gawdat Bahgat Faculty Publications Nuclear Free Zone in the Middle East. Georgetown University Press Series. March 24, 2012. Sovereign Wealth Funds in the Gulf. London School of Economics. March 24, 2012 Professor Robert Boggs Pakistan s Pashtun Challenge: Moving from Confrontation to Integration. Strategic Analysis. Routledge: March 12, 2012. http://goo.gl/dqdjy Professor Bob Sharp Final Push Needed in Afghanistan: A New Approach is Available. Army FIRES Magazine. March-April 2012. Professor Bob Sharp and Research Associate Fahad Malaikah Yemen: a U.S. Strategic Partner? Small Wars Journal. March 14, 2012. http://goo.gl/4gfsz Research Associate Kip Whittington Will Hezbollah Attack Israel? Only if.... Small Wars Journal. March 15, 2012. http://goo.gl/aczxx Ambassador Larocco Holds Meetings in Israel ISRAEL March 5 NESA Director Ambassador James Larocco met with Israeli Major General Yosef Baidatz, head of the Israeli National Defense College (INDC) and the Israeli Defense Force Military Colleges and his staff. Ambassador Larocco was visiting to commence the NESA-INDC Program of Cooperation, which is set to begin in earnest this April. Follow NESA @TheNESACenter NESA Alumna Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to Malta WASHINGTON, DC March 29 NESA alumna Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley was confirmed as the next Ambassador to Malta. Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor. She has served across the NESA region in a variety of posts, including Consul in Baghdad, Political Officer at the Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consul-General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, she has served on the National Security Council, was Director of the Office of Egypt and the Levant and most recently as Deputy Coordinator for Programs and Policy in the Secretary of State s Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism.
NESA Center April 2012 Page 5 NESA Hosts U.S.-Iraqi Relations Roundtable WASHINGTON, DC March 22 NESA Distinguished Research Fellow Major General Najim al-jabouri (ret.) led a roundtable discussion at the NESA Center on U.S.-Iraqi relations in the next three years. Participants included influential leaders in the Iraqi-American community with discussion centering on how they can reinforce and expand U.S.-Iraqi relations during a time of limited official engagement. The Iraqi- American community offers a wealth of contacts and local knowledge that can help bridge the social and political gaps during this critical time. The viewpoints and knowledge obtained from this meeting provided valuable information for NESA's three-year plan for Iraq. NESA Interns Visit Embassy of Sri Lanka WASHINGTON, DC March 22 Political Counselor Thanuja Usliyanage hosted NESA interns at the Embassy of Sri Lanka. Mr. Usliyanage presented an overview of political and economic affairs in Sri Lanka and showed a video presentation before taking questions from the interns on a variety of topics, AMB. Wickramasuriya (center) including the Sri Lankan civil war and minority rights. Following the discussion, Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya greeted the interns, discussed his views of the U.S.-Sri Lankan political partnership and encouraged interns to visit Sri Lanka to experience its culture in person.
NESA Center April 2012 Page 6 Zayna Fayyad zayna.fayyad.ctr@ndu.edu 202-685-3848 Communications & Media Relations Christopher Konowitz christopher.konowitz@ndu.edu 202-433-7384 Nathan Clubb nathan.clubb.ctr@ndu.edu 202-685-3883 Professors Des Roches and Sharp Brief ICAF Students WASHINGTON, DC March 7 NESA Professors Dave Des Roches and Bob Sharp briefed a group of 13 students at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), National Defense University (NDU) on political issues in the Persian Gulf. They spoke at length, drawing from personal experience and knowledge, on the social, economic, political and security issues of the Gulf States, particularly Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Bahrain. The discussion revolved around the rapid expansion of the youth population in the region and how it affected the social stability and economics of each country. Students asked the professors questions regarding the Iranian nuclear program at the conclusion of the brief. Professors Des Roches and Sharp also discussed the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Security Issues with West Point Cadets in March. The cadets are participating in the National Council on US Arab Relations Emirates foundations. Sophomore and Senior Cadets were selected to spend spring break in the Emirates learning Emirati culture, language and current issues. Email: NESARegistrar@ndu.edu Tel. 202-685-3850