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2017 Halifax International Security Forum

2017 Halifax International Security Forum

Date
November 17-19, 2017
Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Participants
300

Agenda & Speakers

Friday, November 17
Saturday, November 18
Sunday, November 19

6:00-8:30

Breakfast

LOCATION: Elements Dining Room at the Westin Nova Scotian

8:30

Presentation: John McCain Prize for Courage in Public Service On the record

Day two began with the establishment of the John McCain Prize for Courage in Public Service. The annual prize will honour outstanding courage and leadership in public service. The John McCain Prize for Courage in Public Service will first be awarded at the Halifax International Security Forum’s 10th anniversary in November 2018.

9:00

Halifax Discourse On the record

General Hulusi Akar, Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces

Video (Begins at 10:00)

Halifax International Security Forum welcomed the Turkish Defence delegation for the first time this year. General Hulusi Akar, Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces delivered the first Halifax Discourse of 2017 on a wide range of issues related to Turkey’s military objectives. He emphasized the fact that conflict has become more nuanced, with covert operations, proxy wars and cyberwarfare. While reaffirming Turkey’s commitment to NATO, the General didn’t mince words in cautioning allies from using terrorist organizations as proxies to fight other terrorist organizations. General Akar emphasized that religion and terrorism should not be conflated. Despite fewer lasting peace agreements or settlements in the Middle East, he noted that Turkey’s priorities remain the safety and stability of the state and region.

“In this security environment, some states resort to means other than conventional war – such as blunt undeclared proxy and hybrid Warfare. We can call this new security environment Cold War 2.0, or post-post Cold War era. In this era, we need quantum leadership to creatively deal with rapid change, uncertainty and decentralization.”

— General Hulusi Akar

“Using some terrorist organizations to eliminate other terrorist organizations or using them as proxies will lead to dangerous implications on the global security environment.”

— General Hulusi Akar

9:15-10:15

Plenary 2: Nukes: The Fire and the Fury On the record

Speakers

Washington Editor-at-Large, The Atlantic
Moderator
Mr. Steve Clemons

Mr. Steve Clemons

Steve Clemons is Editor at Large of The Atlantic, a political and foreign affairs contributor to MSNBC, and publisher of the popular political blog, The Washington Note. He is also Founder and Senior Fellow of the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation. Before helping to launch the New America Foundation, Clemons served as Executive Vice President of the Economic Strategy Institute; was Senior International Affairs & Economic Policy Advisor to Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM); and served as the founding Executive Director of the Nixon Center. Clemons also serves on the board of the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College, a liberal arts school founded in 1782 in part by George Washington. In addition, Clemons serves on the International Advisory Board of GLOBSEC.

Commander, United States Strategic Command
General John Hyten

General John Hyten

General John E. Hyten is Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), one of nine Unified Commands under the Department of Defense. USSTRATCOM is responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces to meet decisive national security objectives, providing a broad range of strategic capabilities and options for the President and Secretary of Defense. General Hyten attended Harvard University on an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship, graduated in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied sciences and was commissioned a second lieutenant. General Hyten’s career includes assignments in a variety of space acquisition and operations positions. He served in senior engineering positions on both Air Force and Army anti-satellite weapon system programs.

Visiting Fellow, Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania and The Brookings Institution
Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins is a Visiting Fellow at The Brookings Institution and the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. She is also the Founder and President of the Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security organization. Previously, she was the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. She was also the U.S. representative to the G7 Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction and chaired the Global Partnership in 2012. She was the Department of State lead to the Nuclear Security Summit, and she coordinated the Department of State’s activities related to the effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material. She was a leading US official in the launch and implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and also led engagement efforts with the nongovernmental sector in the GHSA. She served on the DOS Diversity Governance Council and is the founder of the GHSA Next Generation Network. Prior to joining government, she was the Program Officer for US Foreign Policy at the Ford Foundation. She is also a retired Naval Reserve Officer. Jenkins was a pre-doctoral fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University. She holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Virginia; an LL.M. in international and comparative law from the Georgetown University Law Center; an M.P.A. from the State University of New York at Albany; a J.D. from Albany Law School and a B.A. from Amherst College.

Dean and Professor, Graduate School of International Studies & Division of International Studies and Director, Ilmin International Relations Institute, Korea University
Dr. Sung-han Kim

Dr. Sung-han Kim

Dr. Sung-han Kim is a Dean and Professor of International Relations at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) / Division of International Studies (DIS) and director of Ilmin International Relations Institute, Korea University as of September 2017. He served as a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2012-2013. He was a professor from 1994 to 2007 at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. In 2013-2014, Dr. Kim was the Chair of World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on WMD. He has completed his service as the President of the Korean National Committee of CSCAP (Council on Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific); Vice President of the Korean Association of International Studies; President of Korean Association of American Politics (KAAP); and Chairman of the Vision Council for the ROK-U.S. Security Policy Initiative. After the North Korean military attack to the Cheonan naval corvette in March 2010, he served as a member of the Presidential Commission for National Security Review (May – August 2010) and the Presidential Commission for Defense Reform (July – December 2010).

Former Minister of Defense, Israel and President, Manhigut Acheret
Minister Moshe Ya'alon

Minister Moshe Ya'alon

Moshe Ya’alon is the President of Manhigut Acheret, and Former Minister of Defence of Israel. Ya’alon was born and raised in Kiryat, Chaim, near the city of Haifa. The Yom Kippur War was a turning point in the life of Minister Ya’alon, who decided to return to active service as a professional soldier. Following his studies at the British Staff Collage, he served in various appointments, most notably as a Colonel of Sayeret Matkal and Brigadier General of Judea and Samaria Division. In 1998, he was appointed OC of the Central Command, and in 2002 was appointed as IDF’s Chief of the General Staff, where he led ‘Operation Defensive Shield.’ Minister Ya’alon has held various academic appointments, as a research fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a senior fellow at the ‘Shalem Center’ in Jerusalem, and a chairman of the Center for Jewish Identity and Culture, ‘Beit Morasha. After the 2009 elections, he was appointed as Minister for Strategic Affairs and Vice Prime Minister. In 2013, he was appointed as the Defense Minister of the State of Israel.

Video (Begins at 30:00)

In 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan. The result of this demonstration of power and destruction has been no nuclear weapons used in war for over 70 years. But with the end of the Cold War, have we forgotten about the terrible power of nuclear weapons? Are some states indifferent to the responsibility that comes with being a nuclear power? Panelists tackled these questions with a focus on Iran, North Korea, and America’s role in deterring potentially rogue states and actors. One panelist noted that in order to have peace, you must be ready for war. While emphasizing diplomatic levers in resolving disputes, the panel argued that deterrence — particularly nuclear deterrence — is key. And this means that if the world still needs nukes, there are major upgrades needed in the equipment and infrastructure needed in the United States to maintain credible nuclear deterrence. As rhetoric in North Korea, Iran, and America escalates, panelists emphasized the importance of dialogue to deescalate before deterrence becomes irreversible action.

“The way the process works is this simple: I provide advice to the President. He’ll tell me what to do and if it’s illegal, guess what’s going to happen? I’m going to say, Mr. President, it’s illegal.”

— General John Hyten

“Japan and Korea do not trust the nuclear umbrella provided by the United States. We need to think about plan B.”

— Dr. Sung-Han Kim

“We have to admit the policy strategy in North Korea is a failure.”

— Minister Moshe Ya'alon

“How do we bring in other partners into this very old effort of stopping North Korea from doing certain things, including gaining nuclear weapons, which we have failed at.”

— Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins

10:15-10:45

Coffee Break

10:45-11:45

Plenary 3: Weaponizing Capital: One Belt, One Road, One Way On the record

Speakers

Correspondent, BBC World News
Moderator
Ms. Yalda Hakim

Ms. Yalda Hakim

Yalda Hakim is an award-winning foreign correspondent and currently anchors the flagship program, Impact on BBC World News. She joined BBC World News in December 2012 as a presenter and correspondent and made her on-screen debut in March 2013 presenting a special three-part series of Our World entitled, Iraq: Ten Years On. For the past twelve months Yalda has reported extensively from Iraq on the rise of ISIS, and from Nigeria on the country’s fight against Boko Haram. Her other investigations include the United States’ use of drones in Yemen, people-trafficking and torture of Ethiopian migrants in Yemen, and following the Bangladesh garment factory collapse, uncovered workers still being put at risk in unsafe premises. Yalda was born in Afghanistan and moved to Australia in the late 1980s. She began her career at SBS’s World News Australia and filmed her first story for Dateline in 2008 called ‘Yalda’s Kabul’. Before joining BBC, Yalda was the presenter of SBS Dateline in Australia. Yalda was a finalist for the Australian Young Journalist of the Year Award and won the United Nations Media Peace Prize for Best Australian Television News coverage in 2009.

Deputy Commander, United States Pacific Command
General Bryan Fenton

General Bryan Fenton

Lieutenant General Bryan P. Fenton assumed duties as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) on May 12, 2017. He is the 32nd Deputy Commander since USPACOM was established on Jan 1, 1947. Born in New Orleans, LA, he grew up in Seymour, TN and was commissioned in May 1987 as a U.S. Army Officer (Infantry), from the University of Notre Dame. His previous assignments include: Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer with the 4th Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment; Special Forces Detachment Commander and Battalion S-3 in 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne); Battalion Commander at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School; Brigade Commander; J-3 for the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC); Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy at Headquarters-Department of the Army; Deputy Commanding General – (Operations) for 25th Infantry Division; G-3 for U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC); and Commander, Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC). Lieutenant General Fenton has served in multiple geographic combatant commands and participated in Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia); Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan/Africa); Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Odyssey Dawn (Libya).

Washington Columnist and Commentator, Financial Times; Author
Mr. Edward Luce

Mr. Edward Luce

Mr. Edward Luce is the Washington Columnist and Commentator for The Financial Times and author of The Retreat of Western Liberalism. He previously worked as a speech writer for the treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and worked as the South Asia bureau chief for the Financial Times. His new book, The Retreat of Western Liberalism, examines the weakening of western hegemony and the crisis of democratic liberalism ― of which Donald Trump and his European counterparts are not the cause, but a symptom. He is also the author of Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent, and In Spite of the Gods. He is a frequent guest on Charlie Rose, Fareed Zakaria GPS, PBS NewsHour, NPR, and C-SPAN. A graduate from Oxford University in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Mr. Luce received his post-graduate in journalism from City University, London.

Executive Deputy Chairman S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Ambassador Keng Yong Ong

Ambassador Keng Yong Ong

Ambassador ONG Keng Yong is Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Concurrently, he is Ambassador-at-Large at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, non-resident High Commissioner to Pakistan and non-resident Ambassador to Iran. Mr. Ong also serves as Chairman of the Singapore International Foundation (SIF). Mr. Ong was High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia from 2011 to 2014. He served as Secretary-General of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), based in Jakarta, Indonesia from January 2003 to January 2008. Mr. Ong started his diplomatic career in 1979 and was posted to the Singapore Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the United States of America. He was Singapore’s High Commissioner to India and concurrently Ambassador to Nepal from 1996 to 1998. From September 1998 to December 2002, he was Press Secretary to the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Goh Chok Tong.

Secretary of the Navy, United States Navy
Secretary Richard V. Spencer

Secretary Richard V. Spencer

Mr. Richard V. Spencer of Wyoming was sworn in as the 76th Secretary of the Navy on Aug. 3, 2017. A Connecticut native, Secretary Spencer graduated from Rollins College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Upon graduation he joined the United States Marine Corps and proudly served as an H-46 pilot until 1981 before departing active duty to enter the private finance sector. Secretary Spencer worked on Wall Street for 16 years with responsibilities centered on investment banking services and a particular focus on strategic advisory services and capital market underwriting. After three years as president of Crossroads Investment Management LLC, a leading venture capital and private equity fund-of-funds investment firm, Spencer joined Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE-ICE), the leading electronic commodity futures exchange, as chief financial officer. ICE introduced transparency and risk management to the global derivatives markets. From 2007 to 2017 Secretary Spencer was the managing director of Fall Creek Management, LLC. He served on the Board of Directors of Global Atlantic Financial Group, ENGAGEcx LLC, 86Borders LLC and StarPound Technologies.

China hopes to revive the ancient Silk Road with a modern and comprehensive initiative: One Belt and One Road. By land and sea, China aims to take a larger role in world affairs and global trade. But is trade following the flag? Is China seeking more than just economic partnerships? Panelists discussed and interpreted China’s plans through military and economic lenses, including the idea that trade is becoming increasingly politicized – even weaponized. In the context of the South China Sea and China’s persistent military activity in this space, panelists looked at the potential security component of the One Belt and One Road initiative. General Fenton and Secretary Spencer reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to free navigation of the seas in the face of China’s planned maritime silk road. But with 60 states signed on, and with an increasingly free trade wary United States, it is evident the initiative has buy-in in the region and beyond.

“While China is weaponizing its capital, it’s not trashing established rulebooks.”

— Mr. Edward Luce

“Most Asian countries view the Chinese one belt policy as a necessary evil.”

— Ambassador Keng Yong Ong

“The world needs to tell China that if they want to trade on the world stage, they need to follow the rules of the world.”

— Secretary Richard V. Spencer

“Security is inextricably linked to economic prosperity.”

— General Bryan Fenton

11:45-12:15

Coffee Break

12:15-13:15

Plenary 4: Making Peace with Women On the record

Speakers

Foreign Correspondent, CBC News
Moderator
Ms. Nahlah Ayed

Ms. Nahlah Ayed

Nahlah Ayed is a writer and an award winning London-based foreign correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Ayed is a veteran of foreign reportage, first in the Middle East, where she spent nearly a decade covering the region’s conflicts: in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza, then on to the Arab uprisings starting in 2011. Now based in Europe, Ayed covers many of the major stories of our times—from the annexation of Crimea, to Europe’s refugee crisis, to the dying days of Iran under sanctions and the eventual deal with international powers. A former parliamentary reporter for The Canadian Press, Ayed is a graduate of Carleton University’s Master of Journalism program. Ayed also holds a Master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a B.Sc. in genetics from the University of Manitoba. In 2012, Ayed published her first book A Thousand Farewells. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada.

Founder and President, Women In International Security Kenya and Chair, Sisters without Borders
Ms. Fauziya Ali

Ms. Fauziya Ali

Ms. Fauziya Abdi Ali is the Founder and President of Women In International Security (WIIS) Kenya and Chair of Sisters without Borders, a network of Kenyan organizations devoted to prevention of violent extremism. The network is made up of women leaders of CSOs working towards the prevention of extremism in communities and nationally. She is a devoted advocate for women engagement in peace and security, informing the body of knowledge on Preventing Violent Extremism for international organisations, national governments, and civil society organisations. Prior to joining UNDP, she was the Deputy Chief of Party for Somalia Stabilisation project under USAID where she successfully managed a USD 60 million project aimed at stabilisation and conflict prevention in Somalia. Her engagement in the field of P/CVE dates back a decade ago, with the development and implementation of the first project on countering violent extremism (CVE) in East Africa under USAID Transition Initiatives programme. Since then, she has become a regional expert on violent extremism, advising Governments and non-governmental organizations.

Pastor, Jos Christian Missions International and President and Founder, Women without Walls Initiative
Pastor Esther Ibanga

Pastor Esther Ibanga

Pastor Esther Ibanga is Pastor of Jos Christian Missions International and President and Founder of Women without Walls Initiative. She is a Christian pastor and interfaith peace activist in a highly volatile state in central Nigeria. In the wake of incessant ethno-religious conflicts that have rocked Plateau State since 1994, Pastor Ibanga has become a leader of a strong coalition of diverse women’s groups united in their desire for peace. The Women without Walls Initiative is the first organization in the state to include leaders from all tribes and religions. These individuals act as entry points for advocacy and bridge-building, particularly among religious, youth, and community leaders. Having identified poverty and marginalization as frequent sources of conflict, Women without Walls is addressing material needs in both Christian and Muslim communities. In addition, the organization offers women skills training in peace mediation and negotiation, preventing extremist violence, and community policing.

Nobel Peace Laureate and Founder, Women Journalists Without Chains
Ms. Tawakkol Karman

Ms. Tawakkol Karman

Tawakkol Karman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 in recognition of her work in non-violent struggle for the expression rights, safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work in Yemen. Upon being awarded the prize, Tawakkol became the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, and the second Muslim woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, as well as the seconed youngest Nobel Peace Laureate at that date, at the age of 32. Karman, a mother of three, is a human rights activist, journalist, politician and president of the NGO “Women Journalists without Chains”. She is also the general coordinator of the Peaceful Youth Revolution Council, a member of the advisory board for the Transparency International and several other international human rights NGOs. Bold and outspoken, Karman has been imprisoned on a number of occasions for her pro-democracy, pro-human rights protests. Among Yemen’s youth movement, she is known as “mother of the revolution”, “the iron woman”, and as The lady of the Arab spring.

President, United States Institute of Peace
Ms. Nancy Lindborg

Ms. Nancy Lindborg

Ms. Nancy Lindborg serves as President of the United States Institute of Peace, an independent institution founded by Congress to provide practical solutions for preventing and resolving violent conflict around the world. Ms. Lindborg has spent most of her career working in fragile and conflict affected regions around the world. Prior to joining USIP, she served as the Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) at USAID. Ms. Lindborg led USAID teams focused on building resilience and democracy, managing and mitigating conflict and providing urgent humanitarian assistance. Ms. Lindborg also served as president of Mercy Corps, where she helped to grow the organization into a globally respected organization known for innovative programs in the most challenging environments. She started her international career working overseas in Kazakhstan and Nepal. Ms. Lindborg earned her BA and MA from Stanford University and MA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Senator from New Hampshire, United States
Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Senator Jeanne Shaheen

The first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a Governor and a United States Senator, Jeanne Shaheen has been committed to serving the citizens of New Hampshire and is known for her common-sense leadership, hard work and dedication to improving the lives of the middle class. She has served in the United States Senate since 2009 and is a member of the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and is Ranking Member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. As a former small business owner, Senator Shaheen has worked to keep the U.S. economy competitive in the global marketplace through her efforts on the Small Business Committee and through legislation such as the Small Business Jobs Act and the Small Business Innovation Research program. The first New Hampshire Governor to lead trade missions outside North America, Senator Shaheen has also co-sponsored legislation to help small businesses sell their products overseas. Her annual Experience New Hampshire event in Washington, D.C., gives New Hampshire businesses a forum to showcase their products and services. Between her time as Governor and election to the U.S. Senate, Senator Shaheen served as the Director of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.
Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces
General Jonathan Vance

General Jonathan Vance

General Jonathan H. (Jon) Vance is the Canadian Armed Forces Chief of the Defence Staff. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1982 and has served in Canada, Germany and on UN Peacekeeping operations with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions, The Royal Canadian Regiment. General Vance has commanded at all levels within the field force from platoon commander to brigade commander and in combat operations as a Joint Task Force Commander in Afghanistan. Following his tours in Afghanistan, General Vance served in Army headquarters as Chief of Staff Land Strategy and as Director of the Strategic Joint Staff in National Defence Headquarters. He completed a tour as Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples in July 2014 before assuming the position as Commander, Canadian Joint Operations Command in September of the same year. General Vance was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff in July 2015.

In 2000, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. It called for women to be participants in peace building and have freedom from discrimination. Seventeen years later, have those goals been reached? Today, only a fraction of women serve as peacekeepers, police, operation leaders, and negotiators. What can be done? Panelists discussed the growing understanding that women have a central and unique role in conflict resolution and peace. Today’s complex and multifaceted conflicts are no longer state to state exercises, but include communities and organizations at the grassroots level and importantly, both genders. There was consensus that if women do not play key roles in conflict resolution and in peacekeeping forces, there is a lessened chance of success. To ensure maximum participation, women must be seen as more than just mothers or wives of terrorists or just as victims. History has shown us that time and time again, women have played key roles in deescalating conflict and ensuring reconciliation. But there’s more work to be done.

“We keep saying we need women to secure peace, but we need to know which women. Having the right women at the table is critical, it is not just having women at the table.”

— Ms. Fauziya Ali

“There is a belief that women should be seen not heard. You have a huge obstacle to overcome. That mindset represents itself in the religious circles and in the government.”

— Pastor Esther Ibanga

“It is the right of every woman to be included in decision making…when she is at the decision position, she is in her real position.”

— Ms. Tawakkol Karman

“When women are included in a peace process, you are ensuring a more enduring process.”

— Ms. Nancy Lindborg

“The value proposition – from a straight cold, calculating, I want to win perspective – the value proposition of diversity, gender, broader skill sets has increased now, and will increase exponentially into the future, or we will fail in achieving conflict resolution conditions.”

— General Jonathan Vance

13:15-14:15

Lunch

LOCATION: Atlantic Ballroom

14:15-14:45

Halifax Chat On the record

Speakers

Senior Advisor, Halifax International Security Forum
Moderator
Mr. Robin Shepherd

Mr. Robin Shepherd

Robin Shepherd is the Senior Advisor to the Halifax International Security Forum. The author of two books – one on post-Communist transition in the former Czechoslovakia; the second on European relations with the State of Israel – he is preparing a third on the interplay between democracy and the digital revolution. Formerly the Moscow Bureau Chief of the Times of London, he joined the think tank world in Washington DC as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2003. Since then, he has held senior positions at a range of top think tanks in the United States, Britain, and continental Europe including Chatham House, The Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He has been closely associated with the Halifax Forum since its inception in 2009.

Chief Executive, The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is the Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He joined the Afghan national resistance against the invasion of the former Soviet Union in 1985. In 1992, he became the Spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1996 and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1998. He was selected as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Interim Administration on December 22, 2001 at the Bonn Conference. In June 2002, Dr. Abdullah was again confirmed as Minister of Foreign Affairs and served as Secretary General of the Massoud Foundation in 2006. He was a candidate for the 2009 Presidential elections, and on November 1, 2009, he announced that he would not participate due to electoral commission’s inability to ensure transparency and credibility of the 2nd round of polls. Dr. Abdullah broadened his “Coalition for Hope and Change” political party, forming the National Coalition of Afghanistan (NCA) in 2012. In October 2014, he was a candidate for the presidential elections and secured 44.65% of ballots. A second round of vote led to a political agreement between the two top vote getters, with Mohammad Ashraf Ghani serving as President, and Dr. Abdullah as Chief Executive of Afghanistan. Dr. Abdullah is married and has three daughters and one son. He is fluent in Dari, Pashto and English, and is proficient in Arabic and French.

The 2017 Forum welcomed the Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for the second Halifax Chat of the 2017 Forum. H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah provided an overview on the state of Afghanistan and what the future holds. Nation building has continued since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001. The American intervention after 9/11, while not without challenges, has led to improvements in the economy, security, and human rights. In particular, Dr. Abdullah highlighted the fact that millions of women living in areas under government control are active in the private sector, attend school, are members of parliament, and enjoy better protection of human rights. Despite challenges, including the continued presence of the Taliban and the arrival of Daesh, Dr. Abdullah looks forward to parliamentary elections in 2018, presidential elections in 2019, and is proud of Afghanistan’s talented and vibrant young population.

“As far as the leadership role of the United States in Afghanistan, it has been very evident over the past 16 years, they are still playing that leading role.”

— H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

“My hope is on the resilience and energy and inspiration of our own people, but I urge our partners to stay committed, it is doable, and we will see a better future for us, and for all.”

— H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

14:45-15:45

Plenary 5: Rapprochement with Russia: Post-Putin Prep On the record

Speakers

Chief International Affairs Columnist, POLITICO
Moderator
Ms. Susan Glasser

Ms. Susan Glasser

Ms. Susan Glasser is POLITICO’s chief international affairs columnist and host of its weekly podcast, The Global Politico. Ms. Glasser, who served as founding editor of the award-winning POLITICO Magazine and went on to become editor of POLITICO throughout the 2016 election cycle, has reported everywhere from the halls of Congress to the battle of Tora Bora. The former editor in chief of Foreign Policy magazine, she spent four years traveling the former Soviet Union as the Washington Post’s Moscow co-bureau chief, covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and co-authored Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin and the End of Revolution, with her husband, New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker. They’re now working on a biography of former Secretary of State Jim Baker. A graduate of Harvard University, Ms. Glasser serves on the boards of the Pew Research Center and the Harvard Crimson student newspaper and is a contributing writer to the New Yorker’s website.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine
Minister Pavlo Klimkin

Minister Pavlo Klimkin

Mr. Pavlo Klimkin was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on June 19, 2014. Prior to his current role, he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Federal Republic of Germany from June 2012 to June 2014. Minister Klimkin has also held roles including Deputy Minister, Head of Staff, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Director of the EU Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Minister Klimkin graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Department of Aerophysics and Space Research and holds a Master’s degree in Physics and Mathematics. He is fluent in English and German, as well as proficient in French and Spanish.

Minister of National Defence, Ministry of National Defence, Poland
Minister Antoni Macierewicz

Minister Antoni Macierewicz

Minister Antoni Macierewicz is the Minister of National Defence of Poland. Minister Macierewicz is the legendary leader of the anti-communist resistance in the Polish People’s Republic. He founded the Workers Defense Committee (KOR), the forerunner of Solidarity, later directing Solidarity’s Center for Social Research. He also established Głos, one of the first independent publications of the communist era. A former political prisoner, he was arrested over 20 times. Minister Macierewicz has served at the highest levels of government is Deputy Leader of the largest party in the parliament, Law and Justice. Minister Macierewicz has been the Minister of Internal Affairs, Head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense, and Chairman of the Verification Commission. Minister Macierewicz is responsible for two eponymous documents, which he prepared by resolution of the Sejm. The Macierewicz Report examined special forces in the Polish People’s Republic and the Republic of Poland. Minister Macierewicz disbanded the discredited Military Information Services (WSI), an intelligence and counterintelligence agency with strong links to Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate. He established new entities, immune from foreign influence, that were responsible for providing military intelligence and counterintelligence.

Founder and President, Institute of Energy Policy
Mr. Vladimir Milov

Mr. Vladimir Milov

Mr. Vladimir Milov is Founder and President of the Institute of Energy Policy, a leading independent Russian energy policy think tank. He is a Russian opposition politician, publicist, economist, and energy expert. He was the Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia (2002), adviser to the Minister of Energy (2001-2002), and head of the strategy department at the Federal Energy Commission, the natural monopoly regulator (1999-2001). Mr. Milov is the author of major energy reform concepts, including the concept of market restructuring and unbundling of Gazprom, which was banned from implementation by President Putin. Mr. Milov is also a columnist for major Russian political and business publications, including RBC and Forbes Russia. Since leaving the Russian Government in 2002, Mr. Milov has become a major public critic of Vladimir Putin. He is the co-author of the critical public report “Putin. The Results”, written together with Boris Nemtsov and first published in 2008. Since 2017, Mr. Milov has participated in the Presidential campaign of the opposition candidate Alexey Navalny. He also hosts the weekly economic talk show at the Navalny Live Youtube channel.

Senator from New Hampshire, United States Senate
Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Senator Jeanne Shaheen

The first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a Governor and a United States Senator, Jeanne Shaheen has been committed to serving the citizens of New Hampshire and is known for her common-sense leadership, hard work and dedication to improving the lives of the middle class. She has served in the United States Senate since 2009 and is a member of the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and is Ranking Member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. As a former small business owner, Senator Shaheen has worked to keep the U.S. economy competitive in the global marketplace through her efforts on the Small Business Committee and through legislation such as the Small Business Jobs Act and the Small Business Innovation Research program. The first New Hampshire Governor to lead trade missions outside North America, Senator Shaheen has also co-sponsored legislation to help small businesses sell their products overseas. Her annual Experience New Hampshire event in Washington, D.C., gives New Hampshire businesses a forum to showcase their products and services. Between her time as Governor and election to the U.S. Senate, Senator Shaheen served as the Director of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.

Was 1989 the last good year? The Berlin Wall crumbled, dictators fell, and communism ended across Europe. Fukuyama predicted the ‘end of history’ as liberal democracies would become the world’s de facto system of government and many agreed. Today, democracy is showing cracks and tyrants consolidate power. How did we get it so wrong? Panelists discussed Russia’s active role in the post-Cold War world in an aim to set the record straight. All agreed that Putin has been waging a cyber war with the West, undermining its institutions, while waging a real war in Georgia and Ukraine. Putin’s shadow looms large over NATO members, particularly Poland and the Baltic States, who continue to beef up defences against the Russian threat. With Russia’s intervention in its neighbourhood and beyond and a presidential election in 2018, uncertainty remains as to whether or not 1989 was truly the last good year.

“What we have had from our current President is confusing messages about where he is on Putin and Russia.”

— Senator Jeanne Shaheen

“There is no doubt that the current state exceeds what we can call a Cold War. Open war is what we see in the Ukraine, and it breaks all rules of a civilized world.”

— Minister Antoni Macierewicz

“I believe we are fighting not only for the eastern flank of the transatlantic community, but for the whole transatlantic community itself.”

— Minister Pavlo Klimkin

“It is far more important what President Trump doesn’t say. He has never ever said a bad thing about Vladimir Putin.”

— Mr. Vladimir Milov

15:45-16:15

Coffee Break

16:15-17:15

Plenary 6: Satellite Armies: The Race in Space On the record

Speakers

Member, Aspen Institute Homeland Security Group
Moderator
Ms. Jeanne Meserve

Ms. Jeanne Meserve

Jeanne Meserve has been an anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News, winning two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and an Edward R. Murrow Award. Meserve interviewed six 2016 Republican presidential candidates on national security issues for Americans for Peace, Prosperity and Security, and moderates for the World Health Organization, the International Women’s Forum, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the American Red Cross and other groups. She is a Senior Fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, and a member of the Aspen Institute Homeland Security Group. As Director of Training at The Communication Center she provides executive coaching to clients from top corporations, governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations.

Senior Research Scholar, Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland University of Maryland School of Public Policy
Ms. Theresa Hitchens

Ms. Theresa Hitchens

Ms. Theresa Hitchens is a Senior Research Associate at Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM), where she focuses on space security, cyber security, and governance issues surrounding disruptive technologies. Prior to joining CISSM, Hitchens was the director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in Geneva from 2009 through 2014. Among her activities and accomplishments at UNIDIR, Hitchens served as a consultant to the U.N. Group of Governmental Experts on Transparency and Confidence Building Measures in Outer Space Activities, provided expert advice to the Conference on Disarmament regarding the prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS), and launched UNIDIR’s annual conference on cyber security. From 2001 to 2008, Hitchens worked at the Center for Defense Information, where she served as Director, and headed the center’s Space Security Project. Hitchens’s latest publications include, “Toward a New National Security Space Strategy: Time for a Strategic Rebalancing,” (2016) coauthored with Joan Johnson-Freese for the Atlantic Council; “Space Security-Relevant International Organizations: UN, ITU, ISO,” (2014), penned for the Handbook of Space Security; and “Preserving Freedom of Action in Space: Realizing the Potential and Limits of U.S. Spacepower,” (2011), which was coauthored with Michael Krepon and Michael Katz-Hyman.

Commander, United States Strategic Command
General John Hyten

General John Hyten

General John E. Hyten is Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), one of nine Unified Commands under the Department of Defense. USSTRATCOM is responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces to meet decisive national security objectives, providing a broad range of strategic capabilities and options for the President and Secretary of Defense. General Hyten attended Harvard University on an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship, graduated in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied sciences and was commissioned a second lieutenant. General Hyten’s career includes assignments in a variety of space acquisition and operations positions. He served in senior engineering positions on both Air Force and Army anti-satellite weapon system programs.

Chief Engineer, In-Space Vehicle Propulsion Systems & Associate Technical Fellow, Boeing
Ms. Julie Perkins

Ms. Julie Perkins

Ms. Julie Perkins is the Chief Engineer of In-Space Vehicle Propulsion Systems and an Associate Technical Fellow at the Boeing Company where she is currently leading a development activity for a new ion propulsion system. She started her career in 1995 as a propulsion engineer and mission analyst and over her 22 year career has led various activities including the Systems Engineering function for an international satellite program. One of her favorite positions held at Boeing was as a Regional Manager in the Customer Operations Support Center where she was responsible for ensuring the health and safety of Europe’s largest satellite services provider’s fleet of Boeing spacecraft. Julie has co-authored 3 papers: GEO Satellite De-Orbit, deactivation, and shutdown considerations, Interpretations of de-orbit, deactivation, and shutdown guidelines applicable to GEO satellites, and Finding a Way: Boeing’s All Electric Propulsion Satellite. She also holds a patent for a Rotary Switch Assembly that has been flown on several spacecraft and has a patent pending for Method for Ion Propulsion Subsystem with Redundant Units. Julie received her BS in Mechanical Engineering and her MS in Materials Science Engineering from the University of California at Irvine.

Senior Fellow and Head, Nuclear & Space Policy Initiative, Observer Research Foundation
Dr. Rajeswari Rajagopalan

Dr. Rajeswari Rajagopalan

Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan (RAJI) is Senior Fellow and Head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi. Dr. Rajagopalan joined ORF after a five-year stint at the National Security Council Secretariat (2003-2007), where she was an Assistant Director. Prior to joining the NSCS, she was Research Officer at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. She was also a Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Politics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan in 2012. She is the author of four books: Nuclear Security in India (2015), Clashing Titans: Military Strategy and Insecurity Among Asian Great Powers (2012), The Dragon’s Fire: Chinese Military Strategy and Its Implications for Asia (2009), and Uncertain Eagle: US Military Strategy in Asia (2009). She has also co-authored and edited five other books, including Iran Nuclear Deal: Implications of the Framework Agreement(2015). Her research articles have appeared in edited volumes, and in peer reviewed journals such as India Review, Strategic Studies Quarterly, Air and Space Power Journal, International Journal of Nuclear Law, Strategic Analysis and CLAWS Journal. Other writings have appeared in the Journal of Strategic Studies, Journal of Peace Research and Contemporary South Asia and she has also contributed essays to newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, Times of India, Hindustan Times, Economic Times and Pioneer. She has also lectured at Indian military and policy institutions such as the Defence Service and Staff College (Wellington), National Defence College (New Delhi), Army War College(Mhow), and the Foreign Service Institute (New Delhi). She has also been invited to speak at international fora including the UN COPUOS (Vienna), Conference on Disarmament (Geneva), UNIDIR (Geneva), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the European Union.

When it comes to military deterrence, space remains the final frontier. While decades have passed since President Reagan’s ’Star Wars’ initiative, interest in the weaponization of space has continued. Since the launch of Sputnik, hundreds of satellites have been launched for a variety of purposes by both state and non-state actors. This panel’s discussion focused on the uses of these satellites and whether some may be weapons in disguise. From the military perspective, General Hyten sees space as another medium of military activity, comparable to ships at sea or planes in the air. In the 60 years since the launch of Sputnik, thousands of pieces of space junk poses a threat to functional satellites and space stations. All agree that states must go where no one has gone before to form rules, laws, and norms around the use of space.

“Almost every technology that you would use in space for a beneficial purpose could also be used as a weapon.”

— Ms. Theresa Hitchens

“Can you define what a space weapon is? Any satellite that can drive into another satellite is still just a satellite, but it is also a weapon. So do you legislate satellites?”

— General John E. Hyten

“With the China anti-satellite test in 2007, there is a new spurt to the whole issue, and countries like India are beginning to think how we should respond to this. Do we need to develop deterrence?”

— Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

17:15-18:00

Halifax Chat On the record

Speakers

Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Policy and Vice Chairman of the Board, Halifax International Security Forum
Moderator
Mr. Jonathan Tepperman

Mr. Jonathan Tepperman

Mr. Jonathan Tepperman is the Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy magazine and author of the book, The Fix: How Countries Use Crises to Solve the World’s Worst Problems (Crown, September 2016). From 2011 until August 2017, he was the managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine. Tepperman has spent twenty years working on international affairs as an editor, writer, and analyst. He started his career working as a speechwriter at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. After stints as a foreign correspondent, he joined Foreign Affairs as a junior editor. He later moved to Newsweek International, where he was deputy editor, and then worked as a political risk consultant before returning to Foreign Affairs in January 2011. Tepperman has written for a range of publications, including Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, the New Republic, and others, on subjects ranging from international affairs to books to municipal politics to food. Tepperman has interviewed more than a dozen world leaders, including Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Japan’s Shinzo Abe, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame. He is the coeditor of the books The U.S. vs. al Qaeda(2011), Iran and the Bomb (2012), and The Clash of Ideas (2012).

Executive Chairman, Alphabet Inc.
Dr. Eric Schmidt

Dr. Eric Schmidt

Eric Schmidt is the executive chairman of Alphabet, responsible for the external matters of all of the holding company’s businesses, including Google Inc., advising their CEOs and leadership on business and policy issues. Eric joined Google in 2001 and helped grow the company from a Silicon Valley startup to a global leader in technology. He served as Google’s Chief Executive Officer from 2001-2011, overseeing the company’s technical and business strategy alongside founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Under his leadership Google dramatically scaled its infrastructure and diversified its product offerings while maintaining a strong culture of innovation.

Video (Begins at 1:00:00)

Fake news. Propaganda. Foreign Influence. These are challenging times in the digital world. The U.S. presidential election has shown that the Internet is a heavily contested space where facts and alternative facts abound. What responsibility does a behemoth like Google have in the digital space? The Halifax chat with Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt focused on the future of the Internet and what’s at stake in the present. The assumption that good ideas and truth would prevail has been shaken. State and non-state actors continue to mask misleading content while circumventing Google’s checks and balances. But in a world where truth and facts are a matter of opinion, where is the line for what stays and what gets removed online?

“Ten years ago I thought everyone was going to be able to deal with the internet because we all knew the internet was full of falsehoods, as well as truths.”

— Dr. Eric Schmidt

18:30

Pre-Dinner Reception

LOCATION: VIA Rail Station

19:30-21:30

Dinner Sessions

Afghanistan, Afghanistan
WITH:

  • H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive, The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
  • Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Senior Fellow, The Future of Diplomacy Project, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Janice Gross Stein, Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management and Founding Director, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto

 

AI: Awesome Initiative or Apocalypse Impending?
WITH:

  • General John Hyten, Commander, United States Strategic Command
  • Dr. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Alphabet Inc
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Robin Shepherd, Senior Advisor, Halifax International Security Forum

 

Arab Spring, Hope Eternal
WITH:

  • Mr. Mohammed Abulahoum, Head, Justice and Building Party, Yemen
  • Dr. Faisal Devji, University Reader in Modern South Asian History, University of Oxford
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Leslie Campbell, Senior Associate and Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa Programs, National Democratic Institute

 

Cyber Rules Tomorrow
WITH:

  • Mr. Rafal Rohozinski, CEO, The SecDev Group
  • General Riho Terras, Chief of Defence, Estonian Defence Forces
  • HOSTED BY: Professor Alexis Wichowski, Adjunct Associate Professor, Columbia University

 

Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Floods: Who You Gonna Call?
WITH:

  • General Rocky Meade, Chief of Defence Staff, Jamaica Defence Force
  • Minister Guy Parmelin, Minister of Defence, Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Switzerland
  • HOSTED BY: Deputy Minister Jody Thomas, Deputy Minister of National Defence, Department of National Defence, Canada

 

From Belfast to Baghdad: The Evolution of Terrorism
WITH:

  • Baroness Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary General, Executive Director, Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, United Nations
  • Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Director and Senior Fellow, South and Central Asia, Hudson Institute, 
Pakistan
  • Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, Chair, Cyber Security Advisory Panel, Bank of England
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Kevin Baron, Executive Editor, Defense One

 

GCC: Gulf of Cooperation?
WITH:

  • Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, Stimson Center;
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Dov Zakheim, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies and Senior Fellow, CNA Corporation

 

The Geopolitics of Energy: What’s New Under the Sun?
WITH:

  • Dr. Stacy Closson, Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
  • Professor Richard Javad Heydarian, Columnist and Political Analyst, GMA Network/Manila Bulletin
  • Mr. Laurent Ruseckas, Senior Advisor, IHS Energy

 

Including Africa: Lessons to Learn
WITH:

  • General Lamine Cissé, Former Chief of Defense Staff, Senegalese Armed Forces and Former Minister of Interior and President of the Board, Partners West Africa-Senegal
  • Mr. Tom Perriello, CEO, WinVA
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. J. Peter Pham, Vice President for Research and Regional Initiatives and Director, Africa Center, 
Atlantic Council

 

Intelligence: From Spying to Lying
WITH:

  • Mr. Richard Fadden, Former National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, Privy Council Office, Canada
  • Mr. Nico Lange, Head of the KAS USA Office, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
  • HOSTED BY: Ambassador Kurt Volker, Executive Director, McCain Institute for International Leadership

 

Israel: A Century After Balfour
WITH:

  • General Amos Gilead, Executive Director, Institute for Policy and Strategy
  • Minister Tzipi Livni, Former Minister of Justice, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member, Head of Hatnua Party, Co-leader Zionist Union Party, 20th Knesset, Israel
  • Minister Moshe Ya’alon, Former Minister of Defense, Israel and President, Manhigut Acheret
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Luis Rubio, Chairman, Mexican Council on Foreign Relations

 

Japan’s Strategic Options
WITH:

  • Mr. James Baker, Director of the Office of Net Assessment, United States Department of Defense
  • Mr. Osamu Izawa, Director General for International Affairs, Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense, Japan
  • Professor Matake Kamiya, Professor of International Relations, National Defense Academy of Japan and Senior Principal Research Fellow, Japan Forum on International Relations
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Randy Scheunemann, President, Orion Strategies

 

Make Latin America Great Again
WITH:

  • General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda, Secretary of National Defense, Secretariat of National Defense, Mexico
  • Dr. Mauricio Meschoulam, Director, Mexico Research Center for Peace and Professor of International Relations, Universidad Iberoamericana and Analyst, Columnist
  • Mayor David Smolansky, Mayor, El Hatillo Municipality, Venezuela
  • Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberón Sanz, Secretary of the Navy, Secretariat of the Navy, Mexico
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Chris Sabatini, Executive Director, Global Americans; Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Founder and Editor, LatinAmericaGoesGlobal.org

 

Merkel and Macron: The Axis of Europe
WITH:

  • Minister Ömer Çelik, Minister of European Union Affairs, Ministry of European Union Affairs, Turkey
  • Ms. Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and Director, Europe Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Dr. Josef Joffe, Publisher and Editor, Die Zeit and Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. François Lafond, President, Blue Networks and Opportunities

 

The Press: Responsibility to Inform (honestly, completely)
WITH:

  • Mr. Yusuf Müftüoğlu, Partner and Director of Strategy, CRA Strategic Advisory
  • Mr. David Rohde, Online News Director, New Yorker
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Joshua Rogin, Columnist, Washington Post

 

Securing the Seas: Asia’s Troubled Waters
WITH:

  • Ambassador Toshiro Iijima, Deputy Assistant Minister, Foreign Policy Bureau and Ambassador in Charge of Policy Planning and International Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
  • Dr. David Ong, Research Professor of International and Environmental Law, Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University
  • Ambassador Keng Yong Ong, Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. W. Bruce Weinrod, Senior Counsel, Global Impact

 

Soft, Smart, and Hard: Balancing Power
WITH:

  • Dr. Eliot Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
  • General Jarmo Lindberg, Chief of Defence, Finnish Defence Forces
  • Mr. C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director, Center for Justice and Accountability
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Heather Hurlburt, Director, New Models of Policy Change, New America Foundation

 

The Balkans Southeast Europe Today
WITH:

  • Mr. James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • Minister Rrustem Berisha, Minister of the Kosovo Security Force, Ministry for the Kosovo Security Force
  • Ambassador Zoran Vujic, Political Director, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Serbia
  • HOSTED BY: General David Perkins, Commanding General, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command

 

(UN)civil Wars: Bringing Peace Home
WITH:

  • Dr. Jacobus Cilliers, Chairperson, Head, African Futures and Innovation, Institute for Security Studies
  • Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director, The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Roland Paris, University Research Chair in International Security and Governance, University of Ottawa

 

Where is My Home? The Refugee Question
WITH:

  • Mr. Peter Beyer, Member, German Bundestag
  • Mr. Mark Hetfield, President and Chief Executive Officer, HIAS
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Fellow, Democracy and Rule of Law Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

 

Who the People? The Future of Democracy
WITH:

  • Mr. Edward Luce, Washington Columnist and Commentator, Financial Times; Author
  • Professor Walter Russell Mead, Distinguished Fellow, Hudson Institute and Professor, Bard College and Editor-at-Large, The American Interest
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Rosa Brooks, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Georgetown University Law Center

 

Who’s Afraid of Global Trade?
WITH:

  • Governor Howard Dean, Board of Directors, National Democratic Institute and Senior Advisor, Dentons
  • Dr. Antonio Ramalho da Rocha, Professor of International Relations, University of Brasilia
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Jerrold Green, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Council on International Policy

21:30

After-Dinner Sociable

LOCATION: Westin Lobby

Clippings

Top general says he'd push back against 'illegal' nuclear strike order
Daniella Diaz

The top US nuclear commander said Saturday he would push back against an order from President Donald Trump for a nuclear strike if it were “illegal.” Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada, Gen. John Hyten, who is the commander of US Strategic Command, shared what would happen if he were ordered to launch a nuclear strike.

Top general says he would resist "illegal" nuke order from Trump
Katryn Watson

“The top U.S. nuclear commander said Saturday he would push back against President Trump if he ordered a nuclear launch the general believed to be “illegal,” saying he would look to find another solution. Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Saturday that he has given a lot of thought to what he would say if a president ordered a strike he considered unlawful.”

US General Says Illegal Nuclear Launch Order Can Be Refused
Associated Press

“The top officer at U.S. Strategic Command said Saturday an order from President Donald Trump or any of his successors to launch nuclear weapons can be refused if that order is determined to be illegal. Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of Strategic Command, told a panel at the Halifax International Security Forum on Saturday that he and Trump have had conversations about such a scenario and that he would tell Trump he couldn’t carry out an illegal strike.”

'They haven't forgotten us': Former refugees meet Kosovo president
Emma Smith

“Eighteen years after fleeing the war in Kosovo, Bea Rexhepi met the leader of the country she left behind in the place that first took her in. Thaçi, who is in Nova Scotia this weekend for the Halifax International Security Forum, said he wanted to visit the base to say thank you for what Canada did. His own country, he added, has changed a great deal since the late ’90s.”

U.S. ‘ready every minute of every day’ to respond to North Korea, says general
Francis Campbell

“Fire and fury if necessary. But not necessarily fire and fury. That’s the message delivered by a top United States military officer about the North Korean nuclear threat.“The president’s direction to me is to create the conditions for diplomacy to work by being ready (militarily) all the time,” Gen. John Hyten said Saturday morning during a panel discussion at the Halifax International Security Forum.”

Tap young talent on looming security issues, Google executive urges
The Canadian Press

“One of the world’s top technology executives is urging democratic countries to turn to youth in a bid to find innovative solutions to looming security problems. Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., was in Nova Scotia on Saturday, speaking to the Halifax International Security Forum.”

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