Security for a New Century 110th Congress
 
Iraq: The Sadrists and the Surge
 
When: Tuesday, February 19 at 11:00 am
Where: Senate Capitol, Room S-115
 
Joost Hiltermann, deputy program director for Middle East/North Africa for the International Crisis Group, will join us for a discussion on the war in Iraq and the political situation on the ground in the wake of the surge.  US and Iraqi military pressure and tactical shifts have combined to dramatically reduce bloodshed, but the political and security situation remains fragile and could reverse course.  The Sadrists in particular, have been significantly weakened, but Hilterman argues that they remain a deeply entrenched mass movement of young disenfranchised Shiites, controlling substantial areas in Baghdad and in the south.  What is the current political situation across the country?  What are the implications of the imminent end to Muqtada al-Sadr’s 6-month ceasefire?  What are the prospects for longer- term political progress?
 
"Security for a New Century" is a bipartisan study group for Congress. We meet regularly with U.S. and international policy professionals to discuss the post Cold War and post 9/11 security environment. All discussions are off-the-record. It is not an advocacy venue. Please call 224-7560 for more information or write Geneve_Mantri@Lugar.senate.gov 

Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World
A Conversation with Samantha Power

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.

New America Foundation
1630 Connecticut Ave, NW, 7th Floor
Washington, DC

When Samantha Power won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, many people wondered what she would write for an encore.  Her answer is a groundbreaking biography of Sergio Vieira de Mello.  In nearly four decades of work for the United Nations, Sergio distinguished himself as the consummate humanitarian, able to negotiate with-and often charm-cold war military dictators, Marxist jungle radicals, reckless warlords, and nationalist and sectarian militia leaders.  His life, and death in a terrorist attack on UN Headquarters in Iraq in 2003, helps frame many of the world's crises and humanitarian challenges of the last few decades.  

By taking the measure of this remarkable man's life and career, Power offers a fascinating answer to the question: Who possesses the moral authority, the political sense, and the military and economic heft to protect human life and bring peace to the unruly new world order?

In one of Power's first appearances since the publication of Chasing the Flame, she will discuss her new book, genocide, the state of U.S. foreign policy and the 2008 Presidential election.

Featured Speaker
Samantha Power
Professor, Harvard University
Founding Executive Director, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
Pulitzer Prize Winning Author

Moderator
Rev. David Gray
Director, Workforce and Family Program
New America Foundation

President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, President Chirac, and Primer Minister Schroeder each left a lasting impression on the transatlantic community in their times in office. Where does the U.S.–European relationship now stand as a result of their distinctive styles and personalities? How has it changed since the start of the war in Iraq and how will it change as President Bush, the last of these leaders, leaves office? To discuss these questions and more, please join Dr. Simon Serfaty, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Seven Tasks for Korea's New President

Sponsored by the
Sejong Society of Washington, D.C.

Featuring:
Peter M. Beck
Executive Director
U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea

As the February 25 inauguration date for South Korean president-elect Lee Myung-bak approaches, Peter Beck will share with Sejong Society members his in-depth knowledge of South Korean domestic politics, inter-Korean relations, and the situation in North Korea.

Date:
Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Time:
6:45 pm

Location:
Bernstein-Offit Building
Room 500, Fifth Floor
1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
(Closest Metro: Dupont Circle)

The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and
the Middle East Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center present:

Religious Freedom and Democratization
in the Middle East: Links and Challenges

Freedom of religion - the right to think, believe, and worship in accordance with the dictates of conscience, without the fear of government persecution - is a fundamental human right, and an important element in the development of liberal democratic political orders.

Despite progress in Middle Eastern states, the region remains home to many countries with policies that impinge on religious rights. The largest restrictions on religious freedom appear in Middle Eastern societies where fundamental political and civil rights have been denied and progress in democratic reform has been most stalled. In some states, the marginalization of a sector of society through systemic, religious-based discrimination has anchored a destabilizing environment that has posed internal and regional security challenges.

The Student Association on Terrorism and Security Analysis (SATSA) announces its 4th Annual Graduate Conference on Peace and Security. This year's theme is "The Changing Face of International and National Security" and will be held February 23, 2007 at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. For more information, visit SATSA's webpage: http://student.maxwell.syr.edu/satsa/satsa.htm

At a recent press conference in Paris, Professor Raymond Tanter said that, "Reaching out to the Iranian opposition by delisting the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations list would motivate the regime to choose between pursuit of the Bomb and survival of the regime."

How would removing such opposition groups from terrorist lists affect Iran and its relations with the rest of the world?

Join us for a DC International Connection Dinner Party featuring Persian dishes, Professor Tanter's insights on Iran, and a discussion opened to all questions and viewpoints.

At a recent press conference in Paris, Professor Raymond Tanter said that, "Reaching out to the Iranian opposition by delisting the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations list would motivate the regime to choose between pursuit of the Bomb and survival of the regime."

How would removing such opposition groups from terrorist lists affect Iran and its relations with the rest of the world?

Join us for a DC International Connection Dinner Party featuring Persian dishes, Professor Tanter's insights on Iran, and a discussion opened to all questions and viewpoints.

Kosovo: What Next?

Date and Time
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location
U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Directions

RSVP Today

With Kosovo's recent declaration of independence, the question before the United States and European governments is how to handle the transition thereafter. What are the implications and what steps should the U.S. and Europe take to mitigate the consequences?

Turkey-U.S. Relations and Northern Iraq

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
9:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
The Jamestown Foundation
1111 16th St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
 

Agenda:

8:45 A.M.: Registration

9:00 A.M.: Introduction

Glen E. Howard
President
The Jamestown Foundation

9:15 A.M.: Panel One — Turkey and Northern Iraq

Gareth Jenkins
Turkey Analyst
The Jamestown Foundation

Dr. Hüseyin Bağcı
Professor of International Relations
Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

The Situation of Workers in Israel

Dr. Shlomo Swirski
Research Director, The ADVA Center, Tel Aviv

Working people are losing ground in Israel. In the past decade, the proportion of workers earning the minimum wage or less has increased by 50%, and the proportion of poor among salaried workers has increased by almost 30%.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
4:00-5:30 PM

:::
This event is to be held at the Economic Policy Institute:
1333 H Street NW,
Suite 300, East Tower
Washington, DC 20005
For more information on this event, contact events@epi.org.

Tuesday, February 26

“Bush’s Trip to Africa: An Analysis”

4:30 p.m. -- Room 736, Bernstein-Offit Building, 1717 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.

Herman Cohen, former ambassador to Senegal and Gambia, former U.S.
assistant secretary of State for Africa and adjunct professor in the
SAIS African Studies Program, will discuss this topic. Members of the
public should RSVP to the SAIS African Studies Program at
smjackson@jhu.edu or 202.663.5676

Assassinations of Trade Unionists in Colombia and the Proposed Free Trade Agreement

Luciano Vasquez
Director General, Escuela Nacional Sindical, Medellin, Colombia

Since 1986, there have been more than 2,515 documented killings of trade unionists. Many have been tied to multi-national corporations. The trade agreement would increase the presence and power of multi-nationals. [RSVP below].

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
10:00 AM - Noon

RSVP for this event here: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1691/t/2503/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=36052

Malaysia's integration into the global economy has been rapid and extensive. How has globalization impacted Malaysia's autonomy and policy space?

This event has been organized by the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Speakers: Joan M. Nelson and Jacob Meerman, scholars-in-residence, American University. Commentator: Pek Koon Heng, assistant professor, American University's School of International Service.

February 27, 2008, 3:30-5:30pm, 5th floor conf. room, Wilson Center, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC

RSVPs unnecessary, but media organizations requested to contact asia@wilsoncenter.org. More event info available from www.wilsoncenter.org/asia

Many of the current presidential candidates have expressed a desire to reshape or rebuild the U.S. image abroad through increased diplomatic efforts. Is the State Department equipped to handle greater demands on its resources and diplomatic corps? What funding challenges does the State Department currently face, and how can the next President deal with those challenges? What would a fully funded diplomatic corps look like? To discuss these questions and more, please join Ambassador Neumann, President of the American Academy of Diplomacy and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan.

The discussion will be held 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27th. To attend, please register by responding to events@ypfp.org and be sure to state your name and affiliation.

Resurrecting the Wall of Fear: The Human Rights Situation in Syria

Date: Friday, February 29, 2008
Time: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: United States Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
 

Over the past two months, Syrian authorities have engaged in a harsh campaign of repression against leading dissidents and human rights activists. Since December, at least twelve opposition figures--including former MP Riad Seif, who has cancer--have been arrested in one of the largest crackdowns since Bashar Assad succeeded his father as president in 2000. Most were arrested for their participation in a meeting of the Syrian National Council, a leadership council within the Damascus Declaration, an umbrella organization that is opposed to the current regime. Last month, a Syrian court charged the activists with undermining the state, opening the way for long jail sentences. What is behind this most recent crackdown? Is Damascus acting from a bolstered sense of confidence or looming fear? How should the international community respond? What are the implications for U.S. policy?

The Center for National Policy
invites you to a policy discussion entitled

Pakistan's Elections: Observations From the Field
  
Featuring
 

Eric Bjornlund
Democracy International
 
And
 
Scott Lansell
The Pollworker Institute

And
 
Rachel Kleinfeld
The Truman National Security Project
   
 
Friday, February 29 from Noon-1:30pm

A light lunch will be served; space will be limited.

Location:

Center for National Policy
One Massachusetts Ave., NW
Third Floor, Suite 333
Washington, DC 20001

Killing Friends, Making Enemies: The Impact and Avoidance of Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan

Date and Time
Friday, February 29, 2008
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Location
U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Directions

 RSVP Today

Civilian casualties have dramatically increased in Afghanistan, with the number of civilian deahts doubling in 2007. The inadvertent killing of Afghans by U.S. and NATO forces is undermining efforts by the international community to stabilize Afghanistan, and has resulted in a decline in approval and support for international military forces in Afghanistan. Can NATO successfully defeat Taliban insurgents while simultaneously upholding thier mandate to protect Afghans and promote stability?

Kenya on the Brink
A View from the Chairman of the EU Election Observer Mission

Monday, March 3, 2008
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Willard InterContinental Hotel
Pierce Room
1401 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC

Kenya has drawn increasing scrutiny and absorbed U.S. policymakers' attention after the disputed results of the December election set off rounds of violence amongst political factions. During the runup to the elections, European Parliament member and Deputy Chairman of the German Liberal Democrats (FDP), Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, led an EU observer mission. As one of the first and leading voices to express doubts about the election process, he drew international attention to the electoral crisis. Graf Lambsdorff has argued that Kenya's electoral commission failed to establish the credibility of the vote-counting process due to unaddressed reported irregularities. Because of those irregularities, he has stated that some doubt remains about the accuracy of the official results.

Graf Lambsdorff has been called a "non-diplomatic diplomat" and a "radical free-market economist" by Germany's influential Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, "who is giving his opinion on various important hot-topics in European Politics comprising the question of Turkey's EU-membership, Germany's seat in the UN Security Council, the Services Directive or the European Chemical Directive (Reach)", where he is also the draftsman for the Liberal Group in the European Parliament.

Lunch will be served.

Featured Speaker
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff
Chairman, EU Election Observer Mission to Kenya
Member and Deputy Chairman, German Liberal Democrats (FDP), European Parliament

Moderators
Claus Gramckow
Representative, USA and Canada
Friedrich Naumann Foundation

Steven Clemons
Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation
Publisher, www.TheWashingtonNote.com

Democracy's Revenge? Pakistan's Elections and Beyond

Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location: U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Get Directions

Overview

Pakistan's February 18 elections appear to have upended the establishment and ended eight years of military rule. The peaceful and relatively free national elections capped a year of political turmoil that saw mass protests and emergency rule, as well as suppression of media, political activists, and the judiciary. Pakistan has also experienced a dramatic rise in militant violence that has killed thousands, including former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Against dramatic odds, the Pakistani people overcame these hurdles in an attempt to restore democratic legitimacy to their government. The elections surpassed the expectations of analysts and international observers on many levels, especially given that President Musharraf's party and allies failed to win a significant number of parliamentary seats. This session will provide first-hand accounts of the election process in Pakistan, and analysis of where things will go from here.

With 60 percent of the Arab world under thirty, the age of marriage rising, and a resurgence of social conservatism across the region, recent sociological trends have undeniable relevance to tensions in the Middle East. Beyond policy, however, the conflict also raises deeper questions. How different are we from each other? Is this 'war' driven by demography, culture, or a reaction to American power? To discuss these issues and more, please join Jared Cohen, a member of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff and author of Children of Jihad: A Young American's Travels Among the Youth of the Middle East. He will be speaking in a personal capacity.

Facing the Challenge:  U.S. Foreign Policy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

 
Please join the Congressional Human Rights Caucus for a briefing on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 1:00pm on Thursday, March 6, 2008 in 2255 Rayburn.  The event is open to the public and the media.
 
Two years ago the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006 was signed into law establishing 15 U.S. foreign policy objectives to address the DRC’s humanitarian, development, economic and natural resource, governance and security issues.  As the recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office demonstrates, much has been accomplished, yet much is left to be done. 
 
To discuss these important issues, we welcome the following experts:
David Gootnick, director of International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office
Carina Tertsakian, senior campaigner, Global Witness
Colin Thomas-Jensen, Africa advocacy and research manager, ENOUGH Project
Mvemba Dizolele, vice president for business development, GoodWorks International
 
We look forward to your participation in this important briefing.  If you have any questions, please call Elizabeth Hoffman at (202) 225-5136 or Justin Weiss at (202) 225-3531.  For media inquiries, please contact Lynne Weil at (202) 225-5021.

The current U.S. system for managing foreign aid, composed of 24 different agencies, is based on the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, passed in 1961. Over the past few years, the strategy arising from this law has been challenged to deal with disparate issues such as poverty, failed states, and post-conflict reconstruction - all of which require strong, coordinated action from several components of the system. Yet the needed coordination often does not happen. Is this system broken? What reforms could improve it? To discuss these questions and more, please join Gayle Smith, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Co-Chair of the ENOUGH Project.

Beyond Bricks And Mortar: The "Civilian Surge" In Iraq

Date and Time
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
10:30 AM- 12:00 PM

Location
U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Directions

RSVP Today

The Iraqi economy must overcome painful legacies of a state-run economic system and violent conflict. Critical challenges remain in the areas of government responsiveness, natural resource management, investment, employment and agriculture.

The Center for National Policy

invites you to a policy discussion entitled

The Role of National Security in the 2008 Presidential Election

Featuring

Geoffrey Garin
Peter D. Hart Research Associates

And

Bill McInturff
Public Opinion Strategies

Tuesday, March 11 from 12:30-2:00pm
Lunch will be served

Lord Hurd

Douglas Hurd has had a distinguished career in British politics,  having served as Foreign Secretary in both the Major and the Thatcher Governments. During 23 years in Parliament he also served as Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. 

During his time as Foreign Secretary (1989 -1995),  he oversaw Britain's diplomatic responses to the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR, as well as the first Gulf War.

One of the defining features of Hurd's tenure as Foreign Secretary was the British reaction to the conflict in the Balkans.  During the war in Bosnia, Hurd was seen as a leading voice among European 

Please join the Center for American Progress and and Alliance for Justice for the film screening of "Supreme Injustices" and  for a luncheon discussion about the impact of the federal judiciary on the lives of Americans.

Supreme Injustices

Special introduction:
Nan Aron, President, Alliance for Justice

Featured Panelists:
David Frum, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute and Contributing Editor, National Review
Roger Wilkins, Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History and American Culture, George Mason University

Life at Guantánamo Bay
Stories of the 774 Detainees at Guantánamo Bay

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

New America Foundation
1630 Connecticut Ave, NW, 7th Floor
Washington, DC

During the last six years, the U.S. Administration has held nearly 800 alleged terror suspects without trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. 500 of these men have now been released, but their stories - and the stories of those who remain - are largely unknown. Fragments have emerged in books and interviews, and in declassified accounts from the detainees' lawyers, but until now there has been no comprehensive overview of all their cases.

In The Guantánamo Files, based on a detailed analysis of over 8,000 pages of transcripts released by the Pentagon, Andy Worthington, a London-based historian and journalist, brings to life Guantánamo's largely anonymous detainees.

In the aftermath of Kosovo's declaration of independence, the United States and Europe are faced with handling the transition. Why was the United States so quick to accept Kosovo as an independent state? With Serbia and Russia still refusing to accept Kosovo as a legitimate state, what kind of future tensions are likely? What steps should the U.S. and Europe take to mitigate the consequences? To discuss these questions and more, please join Daniel Serwer, Vice President of the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at the United States Institute of Peace and former U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator to the Bosnian Federation, to discuss the future of the Balkans with Kosovo as an independent state.

To attend, please register by responding events@ypfp.org with your name and affiliation.

Emerging Out of the Violence
Shlomo Ben-Ami on Ceasefire Plans to Final Status Negotiations

Thursday, March 13, 2008
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
New America Foundation
1630 Connecticut Ave, NW, 7th Floor
Washington, DC

Please join us for a conversation with former Israeli Foreign Minister and Minister of Public Security Shlomo Ben-Ami. Ben-Ami led peace negotiations with the PLO under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, culminating in the Camp David Summit. He is visiting the United States to discuss the shortcomings of the Annapolis process, how to address them, and the broader regional picture.

A Seminar with the Formulators of Counterinsurgency Doctrine

Sponsored by the Institute for the Study of War

March 13, 2008, 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

Georgetown University Convention Center

3800 Reservoir Road, NW Washington DC

Registration Required

The dramatic success of Coalition counter-insurgency operations in Iraq in 2007 was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where teams of experienced officers and civilians developed a new conceptual framework for counter-insurgency.  This framework, published as Army Field Manual 3-24, Counterinsurgency, formed the basis for all Coalition efforts in Iraq in 2007, partly because the Commanding General in Iraq, David Petraeus, was also responsible for drafting and publishing the Field Manual.  Once in Iraq, Petraeus and his staff and subordinate commanders like Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, put the doctrine into practice—at the same time further refining and improving the intellectual framework with the feedback of real life.  Almost all of the most successful revolutions in warfare have resulted from such a process.  The American experience in counter-insurgency warfare in Iraq in 2007 provides new opportunities to develop, and perhaps even revolutionize, the practice of counterinsurgency.  Join us as we seek to explore how this doctrine came about, how it has functioned, and how it can be advanced in the future.

America and the World 2008
 
An Annual Panel Discussion with Foreign News Editors and Overseas Correspondents from the Washington Post

Panelists
Leonard Downie, Jr. (Moderator)
Pamela Constable
Amit Paley
Anthony Shadid
Scott Wilson
  
With the upcoming presidential election, the world’s focus is on the U.S. and  the next steps  the new administration will take in foreign policy.  Leonard Downie, Jr. (Executive Editor), Pamela Constable (Deputy Foreign Editor), Amit Paley (Baghdad Correspondent), Anthony Shadid (Islamic Affairs Correspondent), and Scott Wilson (Jerusalem Bureau Chief) will discuss  how the world views America, the US Presidency, and the effects of US foreign policy. Please join us and the Washington Post’s leading foreign correspondents in this exciting event.
 
Thursday, March 13th, 2008
6:30-8:00pm-Followed By a Light Reception
The National Press Club-The Ballroom (13th) Floor
529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20045
 
METRO: Metro Center Red/Blue/Orange Lines
PARKING: Located on G Street, NW, Between 13th and 14th Street; and on the Corner of 15th and F Streets.
 
COST: WACDC Members $20  Non-members:$25
Students: Please contact the Council for more information

Sign Up Now: http://www.worldaffairsdc.org/event-signup.php?evtno=292&eid=46

After the end of the Cold War, some proclaimed the 'end of history' or our 'unipolar moment.' Nearly two decades later, we've discovered that the world is far more complex. Challenges to American power have arisen in unlikely quarters – sometimes among America's closest allies – and globalization has spawned a host of challenges along with the expected opportunity and prosperity. To discuss his recent work on the evolving dynamics of this international system and the consequences of the end of American hegemony, please join Parag Khanna, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Global Governance Initiative at the New America Foundation.

Recent Chinese military modernization appears to be partly driven by a focus on the Taiwan Straits. As Taiwan's third contested presidential election approaches and cross-Strait tensions appear to rise, how far has Chinese military modernization come? How has Beijing's new arsenal affected U.S. policy toward Taiwan and altered the calculus of intervention in the Straits? Please join Lt. Col. Roy Kamphausen (ret), Vice President for Political & Security Affairs at NBR, to discuss these and other issues related to Chinese military modernization and U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

The discussion will be held on Tuesday, March 18th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm on Tuesday, March 18th. To attend, please register by responding to events@ypfp.org with your name and affiliation.