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2018 Halifax International Security Forum

2018 Halifax International Security Forum

Date
November 16-18, 2018
Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Participants
300

Agenda & Speakers

Friday, November 16
Saturday, November 17
Sunday, November 18

6:00-8:30

Breakfast

LOCATION: Elements Dining Room at the Westin Nova Scotian

8:30-9:15

The John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service On the record

Presented by Mrs. Cindy McCain to the People of the island of Lesbos, Greece

The second day of the Halifax International Security Forum began with the presentation of the inaugural John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service. It was awarded by the late Senator’s widow, Mrs. Cindy McCain, to the People of the Greek island of Lesbos, for their outstanding efforts in supporting refugees. The empathy and sense of service that the People of Lesbos showed, is exemplary of the values that John McCain stood for. The award was accepted by Giannias Svoros and Xenophon Koukoutas, both of whom served in the Lesbos Scouts, which provided aid and support to migrant families. They highlighted how the People of Lesbos, the decedents of refugees themselves, rose above xenophobia to defend the highest ideals of liberal democracy.

“John loved coming here to discuss and argue with a few friends the issues of peace stability and progress.”

— Cindy McCain, Chair, The McCain Institute for International Leadership, United States

“Our ideals inhabit the human heart. “

— Cindy McCain, Chair, The McCain Institute for International Leadership, United States

“We are the grandsons of refugees, and the grandsons of those who stood by refugees.”

— Xenophon Koukoutas, 3rd Troop of the Navy Scouts of Mytilini

“Simple human decency is not as rare as it sometimes may seem when we watch the world on TV or the internet.”

— Cindy McCain, Chair, The McCain Institute for International Leadership, United States

“He believed a shared commitment to justice was more important than our differences.”

— Cindy McCain, Chair, The McCain Institute for International Leadership, United States

“The people of Lesbos decided that it was our duty to help them, and not leave them helpless.”

— Giannis Svoros, 3rd Troop of the Navy Scouts of Mytilini

9:15-10:00

Halifax Chat On the record

Speakers

Presenter, Impact, BBC World News
Moderator
Ms. Yalda Hakim

Ms. Yalda Hakim

Yalda Hakim is the Presenter for Impact, BBC World News. She is an award winning foreign correspondent and 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.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States
General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.

General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.

General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. is the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council. Prior to becoming Chairman on October 1, 2015, General Dunford served as the 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He previously served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 2010 to 2012 and was Commander, International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces-Afghanistan from February 2013 to August 2014. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, General Dunford graduated from Saint Michael’s College and was commissioned in 1977. He has served as an infantry officer at all levels, to include command of 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, and command of the 5th Marine Regiment during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. A graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School, Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, and the U.S. Army War College, General Dunford also earned master’s degrees in Government from Georgetown University and in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

The first Halifax Chat of the weekend featured an open conversation with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., moderated by BBC World News Presenter Yalda Hakim. His key message: the importance of maintaining a unified alliance structure, as a means of countering emerging threats and preserving democratic values globally. General Dunford provided insights on the shift towards great power competition in the most recent US National Defense Strategy and the steps the US military is taking to maintain its technological competitive advantage. General Dunford also fielded questions from the plenary, covering a variety of topics, including the US South-Asia Strategy, the importance of regional partnerships for countering global terrorism, and the US role in NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe.

“Our relative competitive advantage has eroded over the last 10 or 15 years as we were singularly focused on dealing with violent radicalism.”

— General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States

“AI has extraordinary potential. Whoever masters AI will have a massive competitive advantage.”

— General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States

“The National Defense Strategy is a sobering read … we are losing our military edge.”

— Yalda Hakim, BBC World News

“We cannot buy our way out of many of the challenges we have. We need to think our way out.”

— General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States

“The emphasis now on our education system is to teach our future leaders on how to think in the 21st century.”

— General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States
—

10:00-10:30

Coffee Break

10:30-10:45

Introduction to Indo-Pacific Security Challenges On the record

Speaker

Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command
Admiral Philip S. Davidson

Admiral Philip S. Davidson

Adm. Phil S. Davidson is the 25th Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command. As a Surface Warfare Officer he deployed across the globe in frigates, destroyers, cruisers, and aircraft carriers. His sea service assignments include command of Carrier Strike Group 8/Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, USS Gettysburg (CG 64), and USS Taylor (FFG 50). In his most recent assignment, he served as Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command/Naval Forces U.S. Northern Command. He also served as Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet and Commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while simultaneously serving as Deputy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa. Other flag officer assignments included the director, Maritime Operations, U.S. Fleet Forces Command/Naval Forces U.S. Northern Command, senior military advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP) at the State Department, and the deputy director for Strategy and Policy in the Joint Staff/J-5.

Admiral Philip S. Davidson, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command introduced members of the plenary to a discussion on the security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific. The rapid growth of the middle-class in the region will have massive implications in the coming decades and will impact the prosperity of all democratic nations around the world. For these reasons, the US has outlined its policy of promoting a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, which aims to promote mutual liberal values and politics, as well as maintaining freedom of navigation throughout the region. Numerous challenges remain in the region: a nuclearized North Korea, radicalized terrorism, Russian obstructionism, and an increasingly confrontational China. Admiral Davidson highlighted how commitments to multilateral security are the cornerstone of US policy in the Indo-Pacific, and pursuing engagement and dialogue with all actors in the region remains essential.

“An open indo-pacific means that all nations should enjoy open access to the air and sea routes that maintain the prosperity that benefits all nations.”

— Admiral Philip S. Davidson, United States Indo-Pacific Command

“Where America goes, we seek partnership and collaboration, not domination.”

— Admiral Philip S. Davidson, United States Indo-Pacific Command

“Americans fought and bled on these lands, not to conquer them, but to help rebuild them.”

— Admiral Philip S. Davidson, United States Indo-Pacific Command

“The United States is an enduring Pacific power. That will not change.”

— Admiral Philip S. Davidson, Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command

10:45-11:45

Plenary 3: Asia Values: A Free and Open Indo-Pacific On the record

Speakers

Senior Presenter, BBC Radio and World Service
Moderator
Mr. Jamie Coomarasamy

Mr. Jamie Coomarasamy

James Coomarasamy presents BBC World Service Radio’s award-winning programme Newshour and BBC Radio 4’s main evening current affairs show, The World Tonight. He also appears on BBC World News. Before he began presenting in 2009, he spent fifteen years as a BBC Correspondent in Washington, Paris, Moscow and Warsaw. He has brought the results of the last four US presidential elections to BBC listeners around the world and he presented the BBC results programme for this month’s mid term elections. He is a Russian speaker, who regularly returns to that country – most recently to host daily programmes on Russian society and politics during this summer’s World Cup. In the past few years, he has also presented from Eastern Ukraine, Crimea, Poland, the Netherlands and from the scene of terrorist attacks in Paris.

Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation
Dr. Manoj Kumar Joshi

Dr. Manoj Kumar Joshi

Dr. Manoj Joshi is a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, heading its national security programme. A professional journalist, he is currently a columnist for several Indian newspapers and a commentator on TV. In 2011 he was appointed by the Government of India to the Task Force on National Security to propose reforms in the national security system of the country. He has been a member of India’s National Security Council’s Advisory Board where he was involved in the drafting of a Strategic Defence Review. He has authored several papers in professional journals and contributed chapters to scholarly works on South and South-east Asia. He has co-edited a book on US and South Asia and authored two books on Kashmir. He is a Ph.D from the School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University and has held visiting appointments in several universities. He is a regular speaker at defence institutions in India and abroad.

President and Director General, The Japan Institute of International Affairs
Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae

Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae

Kenichiro Sasae is the President and Director General of the Japan Institute of International Affairs, Japan’s premier foreign affairs think tank. From 2012-2018, he was Ambassador of Japan to the United States. His distinguished and illustrious diplomatic career includes prestigious assignments of Executive Assistant to the Prime Minister, Director-General of the Economic Affairs Bureau, Director-General of the Asian & Oceania Affairs Bureau, and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. During his period of service in Tokyo, he represented the Japanese Government for the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean issue. He also worked as Political Director for the G-8 Summit. Kenichiro Sasae joined the Japanese Foreign Service after graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1974.

Commandant, United States Coast Guard
Admiral Karl Schultz

Admiral Karl Schultz

Admiral Karl L. Schultz assumed the duties as the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on June 1, 2018. He previously served from August 2016 to May 2018 as Commander, Atlantic Area where he was the operational commander for all Coast Guard missions spanning five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. He concurrently served as Director, DHS Joint Task Force-East, responsible for achieving the objectives of the DHS Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Plan throughout the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Region, including Central America. A native of Connecticut, Admiral Schultz graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1983, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. In 1992, he was awarded a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Connecticut, and in 2006, completed a one year National Security Fellowship at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He and his wife, Dawn, have five children – Kelsey, Lindsey, Annaliese, Eric, and Zachary.

Deputy Director-General, Office of National Assessments, Australia
Mr. Andrew Shearer

Mr. Andrew Shearer

Andrew Shearer commenced as Deputy Director-General, Head of Assessments, at Australia’s Office of National Assessments on 30 July 2018. He has more than 25 years of experience in intelligence, national security, diplomacy and alliance management. Previously Mr. Shearer has been: Senior advisor on Asia-Pacific Security and Director of the Alliances and American Leadership project – Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC; National security advisor – Prime Ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott, Australia; Political minister-counselor at the Australian embassy in Washington, DC; Strategic policy advisor to former Australian defence minister, Robert Hill. He has also held a range of positions in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs of Trade, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Office of National Assessments. Mr. Shearer is a respected analyst of Asia-Pacific strategic issues whose work has been widely published in books and journals, leading US, Australian and Asian newspapers and think tank reports.

What does a ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific look like? What can the US and its allies do to counter Chinese provocations in the East and South China Seas? How should states in the region view China’s Belt-and-Road Initiative? These were some of the central questions discussed during the third plenary session: Asia Values: A Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Speakers from each of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries – the US, India, Australia, and Japan – shared their perspectives and insights on these vital issues.

One of the most immediate questions discussed was over the terminology of the ‘Indo-Pacific’ itself. Different states in the region have different geographical priorities, and ensuring that partner nations’ concerns feel validated will be important for security cooperation. Chinese economic influence in the region requires states to value their relationships with China, but the panelists were unified in their belief that democratic states can and must defend their values and attempt to bring China to the table. Facilitating dialogue between states will be critical in resolving territorial disputes throughout the Indo-Pacific, including in the South-China Sea and Kuril Islands between Japan and Russia.

“Asia Pacific used to end in South East Asia. When it ended in South East Asia, China loomed very large. When you extend it to the Indian Ocean, China looms a little less large, because another large nation is there: India.”

— Dr. Manoj Kumar Joshi, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation

“For the time being, we basically support what the US is trying to do, vis-a-vis China. Because what China is trying to do is not in line with market principles…they need to get rid of special and differentiated treatment.”

— Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, President and Director General, The Japan Institute of International Affairs

“Economic prosperity and security are interlinked…Being the second largest economy but not taking a leadership role, I think that is problematic.”

— Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant, United States Coast Guard

“We have more work to do to reassure South East Asia that we see ASEAN as central to the region…but, I don’t think we need to be overly prescriptive either.”

— Andrew Shearer, Deputy Director-General, Office of National Assessments, Australia

“We are not going to antagonize China over infrastructure building, so long as is it transparent, accountable, and financially sound…we have to be selective.”

— Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, President and Director General, The Japan Institute of International Affairs

“We have a very attractive proposition for the long term. If Australia can somehow regroup domestically, recover some of our self-confidence, and promote those values in the region, I think we can be successful.”

— Andrew Shearer, Deputy Director-General, Office of National Assessments, Australia

11:45-12:15

Coffee Break

12:15-13:15

Plenary 4: Inclusive Security: Playing the Winning Team On the record

Speakers

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

Ms. Jeanne Meserve

Ms. Jeanne Meserve is a member of the Aspen Institute Homeland Security Group, she is also a member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity. Coupled with public speaking, she moderates for groups including the International Women’s Forum, the Nuclear Threat Initiative and the American Red Cross. Additionally, she is the Director of Training at The Communication Center where she provides executive communication coaching to clients from top corporations, governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. In 2016 Meserve interviewed six Republican presidential candidates on national security issues for Americans for Peace, Prosperity and Security. As an anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News Jeanne Meserve won two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

Chair of the Advisory Board, Cyber Security Challenge
Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones

Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones

Righ. Honourable Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones DCMG is a Conservative peer in the UK House of Lords and Chair of the Advisory Board to Cyber Security Challenge, a UK NGO supporting the development of cyber security specialists. She is also a member of the Lords Science and Technology Committee and of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. From 2010-2011, she was David Cameron’s National Security Adviser before he became Prime Minister, and in his coalition government she was Minister for Security and Counter Terrorism and a member of the National Security Council. She was then the Prime Minister’s Special Representative to business for cyber security until 2014 and chaired a panel advising the Bank of England on cyber security. From 1963 to 1996, she was a member of the UK Diplomatic Service including being Chairman of the UK Joint Intelligence Committee and deputy secretary to the Cabinet. After leaving government she was chairman of the defence technology company QinetiQ, has been a Governor of the BBC and a member of the Councils of City and Oxford Universities and is currently on Lancaster University Council.

Global Fellow, Canada Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Ms. Jacqueline O'Neill

Ms. Jacqueline O'Neill

Jacqueline O’Neill is a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Canada Institute and former President of the DC-based Institute for Inclusive Security. She has supported the creation of national strategies and policy frameworks for some 30 countries, NATO, the OSCE, and the UN. Ms. O’Neill has also worked directly with coalitions of women in Colombia, South Sudan, Sudan, Pakistan, and beyond. Ms. O’Neill was concurrently at the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and at Khartoum’s Afhad University for Women. Previously, she was a policy adviser to Canada’s Secretary of State for the Asia-Pacific region. Along with former Lt. General Roméo Dallaire, she helped found an initiative to eliminate the use of child soldiers. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alberta and a master’s from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Ms. O’Neill is on the board of the Canadian International Council.

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.

General (ret'd), United States Air Force, Independent Director, AECOM and KPMG; Chair, Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services
General Janet Wolfenbarger

General Janet Wolfenbarger

General (Ret) Janet C. Wolfenbarger retired from the United States Air Force in July 2015. In 2016 General (Ret) Wolfenbarger was appointed by the Secretary of Defense to serve as the Chair of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS). General Wolfenbarger also works as a consultant and serves on the Board of Directors for AECOM Corporation and KPMG. In addition, she serves as a Trustee for the Falcon Foundation and as an Honorary Co-Chair of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation Board. Before retiring from the United States Air Force, she served as Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The command employs some 80,000 people and manages $60 billion annually, executing the critical mission of warfighter support through leading-edge science and technology, cradle- to-grave life cycle weapon systems management, world-class developmental test and evaluation, and world-class depot maintenance and supply chain management.

Militaries should reflect the diversity of their societies, shouldn’t they? Or is this just ‘politically correct’ thinking without basis? Perhaps ideas like diversity and equality are intrinsically Western conceptions, or are those who make that argument merely concerned with maintaining a hold on power? All panelists agreed that women play a key role in adding value to the security space — whether in the combat arms or at the negotiating table during conflict. Key challenges remain in attracting women to a career in the military, including ending stereotypes on the roles of men and women in the military and accepting that war is no longer just sticks and stones wielded by strong men. Difficult but necessary decisions, like the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation HONOUR to root out and eliminate harmful inappropriate sexual behaviour, must be taken. Diversity of thought and diversity of gender, race and other demographics are key to a winning team at home and abroad.

“Many people argue that this is a Western argument of feminism – they could not be more wrong.”

— Jacqueline O’Neill, Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

“We don’t just need to reflect our societies because it’s a good thing to do, we need to because… it makes a healthier military…it also needs to be a critical mass all throughout the institution.”

— General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces

“There is no earthly reason why it shouldn’t be 50-50.”

— Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, Chair of the Advisory Board, Cyber Security Challenge

“Its not about arguing the case that we need more women, its about getting more women to join and how to keep them once we’ve got them.”

— General Janet Wolfenbarger, General (ret'd) United States Air Force; Independent Director, AECOM and KPMG; Chair, Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services

“The glass ceiling has largely been broken…women can look up and see that women can achieve those most senior levels.”

— General Janet Wolfenbarger, General (ret'd) United States Air Force; Independent Director, AECOM and KPMG; Chair, Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services

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.

Minister of National Defense, Turkey
Minister Hulusi Akar

Minister Hulusi Akar

Minister Hulusi Akar is the Minister of National Defense for Turkey and has actively served in the Turkish Armed Forces for a total of 49 years. After completing his primary and secondary education in Kayseri, he graduated from the Military Academy in 1972, the Infantry School in 1973 and the Army Command and Staff College in 1982. During his military career as an officer, he served in various positions at the Turkish Armed Forces and NATO including the command of Turkish Task Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1997-1998). As a flag officer, he commanded the Internal Security Brigade in Tunceli/Hozat (1998-2000), the Military Academy (2002-2005), the Army Command and Staff College (2005-2007), the Land Forces Logistics Command (2007-2009) and the 3rd Turkish Corps-NRDC-T (2009-2011). Following his promotion to the rank of General in 2011, he served as the Deputy Chief of Turkish General Staff between 2011-2013, as the Land Forces Commander between 2013-2015 and finally as the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces between 2015-2018. Hulusi AKAR was awarded with the Turkish Armed Forces Courage and Self-Sacrifice Medal by Turkish General Staff due to his outstanding achievements in Internal Security Operations, Distinguished Service Medal and Medal of Honor along with several medals by other countries.

The Turkish Minister of National Defense, Hulusi Akar, was the featured speaker for this year’s second Halifax Chat. He spoke with Mr. Robin Shepherd, Senior Advisor with Halifax International Security Forum. Issues discussed ranged from the recent murder of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, to Turkish-NATO relations, and Turkey’s leadership in handling the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crisis. Minister Akar highlighted the strong lines of communication between Ankara and the White House, and that despite particular issues of disagreement, Turkey shares the same broad values and objectives.

14:45-15:45

Plenary 5: Beijing’s Cravings, Kremlin’s Gremlins: Freedom’s Foes 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.

Senator from Delaware, United States Senate
Senator Chris Coons

Senator Chris Coons

Senator Chris Coons is a Senator from Delaware and has earned a reputation as a principled and pragmatic lawmaker, focused on some of the most important issues confronting Delaware and the nation. Chris has emerged as a strong voice for job creation and the innovation economy, jobs, progressive social justice, and Delaware’s values. Unwilling to be sidelined by partisan gridlock, Chris has worked tirelessly to build relationships with his Republican and Democratic colleagues to find creative ways to get results for the people of Delaware. Serving on the Appropriations, Judiciary, Foreign Relations, and Ethics committees, Chris is uniquely positioned to help nurture American innovation and make the United States more competitive in the global market. His legislative agenda has focused on job creation, leveling the playing field for clean-energy technology, expanding the impact of the research and development tax credit, and measures focused on attracting federal resources like the Violence Reduction Network. Senator Coons is a graduate of Amherst College with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and political science. He earned a law degree from Yale Law School while simultaneously earning a master’s degree in ethics from Yale Divinity School.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine
Minister Pavlo Klimkin

Minister Pavlo Klimkin

Mr. Pavlo Klimkin is the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, appointed on June 19, 2014. From June 2012 to June 2014 he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Federal Republic of Germany. 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.

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

Ambassador Keng Yong Ong

Ambassador Keng Yong Ong is Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore since November 2014. Concurrently, he is Ambassador-at-Large in the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore’s non-resident High Commissioner to Pakistan and non-resident Ambassador to Iran. He was High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia from July 2011 to October 2014. Ambassador Ong was Secretary-General of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), based in Jakarta, Indonesia from January 2003 to January 2008.

Co-Director, East Asia Program, The Stimson Center
Ms. Yun Sun

Ms. Yun Sun

Yun Sun is co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. Her expertise is in Chinese foreign policy, U.S.-China relations and China’s relations with neighboring countries and authoritarian regimes. From 2011 to early 2014, she was a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, jointly appointed by the Foreign Policy Program and the Global Development Program, where she focused on Chinese national security decision-making processes and China-Africa relations. From 2008 to 2011, Ms. Sun was the China Analyst for the International Crisis Group (ICG) based in Beijing, specializing on China’s foreign policy toward conflict countries and the developing world. Prior to ICG, she worked on U.S.-Asia relations in Washington, D.C., for five years. Ms. Sun earned her Master’s Degree in International Policy and Practice from George Washington University, as well as an M.A. in Asia Pacific Studies, and a B.A. in International Relations from the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing.

The two most powerful non-democratic states in the world are Russia and China. What threats do these counties pose to the democratic world in the short- and long-term? How do the threats differ and how are they the same? This was the focus of the fifth plenary session — Beijing’s Cravings, Kremlin’s Gremlins: Freedom’s Foes. US Senator Chris Coons began by arguing that Russia has positioned itself as a spoiler. It is actively disrupting global democratic institutions and coercing its closest neighbours. China, on the other hand, remains deeply imbedded within the international political order and economy. It is utilizing more subtle means to expand its influence.

The panelists discussed how China and Russia are strategically cooperating on specific issues, including Ukraine and Syria. However, China’s growing influence in Central Asia – Russia’s historical backyard — could breed division in the coming years. The speakers were in agreement that China poses a larger threat to the democratic order in the long-term. This is especially true as it positions itself to take a commanding role in emerging technologies, such as 5G and artificial intelligence. Panelists were also unified that the best way to counter these threats is through maintaining solidarity and a collective commitment to liberal values.

 

“Putin is essentially a mixed-martial artist. China, instead, is playing the long game. China will replace the world’s rules. Russia will punch holes, but will not fundamentally change the world’s rules.”

— Senator Chris Coons, Senator from Delaware, United States Senate

“ Russia has already lost in Ukraine, because Russia lost Ukrainians.”

— Minister Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine

“Collectively, we South East Asian nations might only be half of China’s population, but we believe we have the moral high ground.”

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

“Before the 2016 election, China preferred Trump to be president. If you asked them afterward, they would probably say they regretted it.”

— Ms. Yun Sun, Co-Director, East Asia Program, The Stimson Center

15:45-16:15

Coffee Break

16:15-17:15

Plenary 6: Migration Aggravation: Failing States Flooding Borders On the record

Speakers

President and Chief Executive Officer, HIAS
Moderator
Mr. Mark Hetfield

Mr. Mark Hetfield

Mr. Mark Hetfield is the president and Chief Executive Officer of HIAS, the world’s oldest organization dedicated to refugees, founded in 1881 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. A global agency guided by Jewish values assisting refugees of all faiths and ethnicities, HIAS works in partnership with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the US government and the government of Canada. Under Hetfield’s leadership, HIAS was the first refugee resettlement agency to file a court challenge against the Trump Administration’s Muslim and refugee ban. An attorney with 28 years of public, private and charitable sector experience in the refugee field, In 2016 Mr. Hetfield was named to the Forward 50 by America’s leading Jewish newspaper, as one of the 50 Jews with the greatest impact on American life. A frequent commentator on refugee issues in major media, Hetfield holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University.

Africa Program Director, International Crisis Group
Dr. Comfort Ero

Dr. Comfort Ero

As Crisis Group’s Africa Program Director, Dr. Comfort Ero oversees the organisation’s work in West, Central, Southern and Horn of Africa. She first joined the organisation in 2001 as West Africa Project Director, before serving for three years as the Political Affairs Officer and Policy Advisor to the Special Representative of the Secretary General in Liberia. Prior to Crisis Group, she was Deputy Director of the Africa Program at the International Center for Transitional Justice, Research Fellow at the Conflict, Security and Development Group at King’s College, and a Research Associate for the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Her areas of expertise include conflict prevention, management and resolution, mediation, peacekeeping, transitional justice, and Africa’s politics and international relations.

Senator from Virginia, United States Senate
Senator Tim Kaine

Senator Tim Kaine

Tim has spent his time in the Senate focused on improving the lives of Virginians. He has made boosting job opportunities for everyone a top priority. As co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, Tim focuses on expanding access to job-training programs to ensure that students of all ages are prepared with the skills they need for the jobs of the modern economy. Tim has helped lead efforts in the Senate to reduce unemployment for military families and veterans. Tim was first elected to office in 1994, serving as a city council member and four years later, Mayor of Richmond. He became Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2002 and was inaugurated as Virginia’s 70th Governor in 2006. While serving as Governor, Tim improved the education and health care systems, and by the end of his term, leading publications ranked Virginia the best state to raise a child and the best state for business. Tim was elected to the Senate in 2012 as a can-do optimist skilled in bringing people together across old lines of party, race, or region.

Chair, The McCain Institute for International Leadership
Mrs. Cindy McCain

Mrs. Cindy McCain

Chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs, German Bundestag
Dr. Norbert Röttgen

Dr. Norbert Röttgen

Dr. Norbert Röttgen is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for the German Bundestag. During this time he has fulfilled key functions within the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and the German federal government. His book, Deutschlands beste Jahre kommen noch, was published in 2009. It calls for a strategic and well-thought-out German political agenda that exercises a formative influence on globalisation rather than being at its mercy. Previously, he served as the German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety from 2009 until 2012. He has been a member of the German Bundestag since 1994. Röttgen has been a member of the Hertie School’s Board of Trustees since 2008. He holds a PhD in Law from Bonn University.

With over 68 million forcefully displaced persons, and 28 million refugees, the world is currently facing the largest migration crisis in history. The scale and importance of this issue demand its inclusion in this year’s Forum and it is the focus of plenary six, Migration Aggravation: Failing States Flooding Borders.

The panel featured several distinguished speakers, including US Senator Tim Kaine, who was adamant in his view that efforts to address global migration must be based on permanent commitments rather than episodic ones. Mrs. Cindy McCain, Chair of the McCain Institute for International Leadership, spoke to the dangers of populist politics and the use of fear-mongering to vilify migrant populations. Dr. Comfort Ero, the Africa Program Director of the International Crisis Group highlighted the need to broaden our collective narratives of migration to better understand the south-south threat it poses, which represents the majority of total global migration. Dr. Norbert Röttgen, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the German Bundestag offered the European perspective on this issue and spoke to the EU’s difficulties in managing the migration crisis. The panelists spoke passionately and frankly about the importance of this issue and their shared sense of frustration with the current state of global migration governance.

“The United States is not exercising the leadership on this issue that it should…sadly, the words and actions of the United States are going exactly the same direction on this issue, and we are going the wrong way.”

— Senator Tim Kaine, Senator from Virginia, United States Senate

“We do have a crisis, not just a crisis of the refugee framework, but a crisis of conflict prevention and management.”

— Dr. Comfort Ero, Africa Program Director, International Crisis Group

“It is a national security problem, whether you agree or not, because it destabilizes the area.”

— Cindy McCain, Chair, The McCain Institute for International Leadership

“No. We don’t have a global commitment on refugee protections. These commitments are not a matter of word, but a matter of deeds.”

— Dr. Norbert Rottgen, Chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs, German Bundestag

17:15-18:00

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.
Senator from South Dakota, United States Senate
Senator Mike Rounds

Senator Mike Rounds

On January 6th, 2015, Senator Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds was sworn into the United States Senate. Senator Rounds serves on five committees: Senate Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Veterans’ Affairs; Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Environment and Public Works. Rounds previously served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003 – 2011, easily winning reelection in 2006. From 1991 to 2000, he was elected five times to the South Dakota State Senate. In 1995, his colleagues selected him to serve as Senate Majority Leader, a position that he held for six years. During his time in state government, Rounds was committed to growing the economy, keeping taxes low and strengthening South Dakota families. A lifelong South Dakotan, Senator Rounds was born in Huron, the eldest of 11 siblings. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Dakota State University. In the private sector, Rounds built a successful insurance and real estate business with offices throughout the state. He and his wife, Jean, currently reside in Fort Pierre. They are the proud parents of four grown children and 10 grandchildren.

Senator from New Hampshire, United States Senate
Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Senator Jeanne Shaheen is a Senator from New Hampshire and 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. 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. 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. 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.

The final Halifax Chat of this year’s Forum featured bi-partisan representatives from the United States Senate. Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire and Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota focused their discussion on the continuing relevance and importance of the Trans-Atlantic relationship. Both Senators spoke to the enduring commitment of the United States Senate to the NATO Alliance. The Senators stressed the importance of their European partners in meeting their defense spending target of two percent of GDP, but also emphasized that the United States must value the other ways in which European nations contribute to the collective security of the Alliance. This engaging dialogue underscored the United States’ continuing commitment to its allies and partners on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Now is the time to send the message to Mr. Putin that we are committed.”

— Senator Mike Rounds, Senator from South Dakota, United States Senate

“We have to remember that congress controls the power of the purse…we do have the ability to have influence, and, when we work together, there is real power.”

— Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Senator from New Hampshire, United States Senate

18:30

Pre-Dinner Reception

LOCATION: VIA Rail Station

19:30-21:30

Dinner Sessions Off the record

Afghanistan: Pivot of Asia
WITH:

  • Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Director and Senior Fellow, South and Central Asia, Hudson Institute
  • General Christine Whitecross, Commandant, NATO Defense College
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. W. Bruce Weinrod, Adjunct Professor, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

 

Africa: Global Security’s Next Big Story
WITH:

  • General Lamine Cissé, President of the Board, Partners West Africa-Senegal
  • Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Digital and New Media, Government of Nigeria
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Jerrold Green, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Council on International Policy

 

After Brexit: EUphoria or EUlogy?
WITH:

  • Ms. Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; Director, Europe Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Professor François Heisbourg, Chairman, International Institute for Strategic Studies
  • Sir Andrew Wood, Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. François Lafond, Special Adviser, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Government of Macedonia

 

Climate Consequences: It’s the End of the World as We’ve Known It
WITH:

  • Ms. Isabelle Lasserre, Deputy Editor, Le Figaro
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Heather Hurlburt, Director, New Models of Policy Change, New America

 

Curbing Corruption: Global Magnitsky
WITH:

  • Mr. Vladimir Kara-Murza, Vice Chairman, Open Russia
  • Dr. Mauricio Meschoulam, Director, Mexico Research Center for Peace; Professor of International Relations, Universidad Iberoamericana; Analyst and Columnist, El Universal
  • Minister Eugeniu Sturza, Minister of Defense, Republic of Moldova
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director, Center for Justice & Accountability

 

Demography: Destiny’s Child
WITH:

  • Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary General and Co-Founder, Mubadara
  • Dr. Darrell Bricker, Chief Executive Officer, IPSOS Public Affairs
  • Mr. Tsuneo Watanabe, Senior Fellow, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. David Rohde, Executive Editor, NewYorker.com

 

Germany and its Alternatives
WITH:

  • Dr. Josef Joffe, Publisher and Editor, Die Zeit, Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution
  • Mr. Alexander Radwan, Member of the Finance Committee, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, German Bundestag
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Matthew Kaminski, Global Editor, POLITICO

 

Globalizing Dignity: Democracy Works
WITH:

  • General Micael Bydén, Supreme Commander, Swedish Armed Forces
  • Dr. Lobsang Sangay, President, Central Tibetan Administration
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Robin Shepherd, Senior Advisor, Halifax International Security Forum

 

Indo-Pacific Security: Battle of the Billions
WITH:

  • Professor Richard Heydarian, Fellow, Stratbase-ADR Institute
  • Mr. Hideo Suzuki, Director General for International Affairs, Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense, Japan
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Dov Zakheim, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Senior Fellow, CNA Corporation

 

Iran: Protection by Pulling Out?
WITH:

  • Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, Chairman Emeritus and Distinguished Fellow, Stimson Center
  • Mr. Jason Rezaian, Global Opinions Writer, Washington Post
  • Dr. Jim Walsh, Senior Research Associate, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Roland Paris, Professor of International Affairs, University of Ottawa

 

Monroe’s Doctrine Disinterred
WITH:

  • Admiral Cristián de la Maza, Vice Minister of National Defense, Chile
  • General Rocky Meade, Chief of Defence Staff, Jamaica Defence Force
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Ian Brodie, Graduate Program Director, Centre for Military, Strategic and Security Studies, University of Calgary

 

Nafta My Own Heart: Friends With What Benefits
WITH:

  • Senator Peter Boehm, Senator, Province of Ontario, Senate of Canada
  • Mr. Alex Panetta, Editor, POLITICO Pro Canada
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Jacqueline O’Neill, Global Fellow, Canada Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

 

NATO Plus 2%
WITH:

  • Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, Deputy Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • Minister Raimundas Karoblis, Minister of National Defence, Lithuania
  • Mr. Christian Schmidt, Member of the Bundestag, German Bundestag
  • HOSTED BY: Ambassador Kurt Volker, Executive Director, The McCain Institute for International Leadership

 

Oceans 1: Our Collective Resource
WITH:

  • Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies, Vice Chief of Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force
  • Dr. Chaitanya Giri, Gateway House Fellow, Space and Ocean Studies, Indian Council on Global Relations
  • Mr. Francis McGuire, President, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. John Glenn, Policy Director, US Global Leadership Coalition

 

Populism: Popular?
WITH:

  • Dr. Eliot Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
  • Dr. Slawomir Debski, Director, Polish Institute of International Affairs
  • Dr. Janice Gross Stein, Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management and Founding Director, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Rosa Brooks, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Georgetown University Law Center

 

The Quad Squad: Asia’s Democracy Defenders
WITH:

  • Professor Matake Kamiya, Professor of International Relations,National Defense Academy of Japan; Director & Senior Principal Research Fellow,  Japan Forum on International Relations
  • Mr. Andrew Shearer, Deputy Director-General Office of National Assessments, Australia
  • Dr. Daniel Twining, President, International Republican Institute
  • Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chief of Naval Operations, Distinguished International Fellow, United States Naval War College
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Alyssa Ayres, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations

 

Syria: Sorry
WITH:

  • Mr. Raed Al Saleh, Co-Founder and Director, Syria Civil Defence
  • Mr. Andrew Tabler, Martin J. Gross Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Leslie Campbell, Senior Associate and Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa, National Democratic Institute

 

Testing Turing: AI Update
WITH:

  • Ms. Izabela Albrycht, Chair, Kosciuszko Institute
  • Mr. Ron Deibert, Director, The Citizen Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Mark Lennon, Senior Managing Partner, Gartner

 

USA: U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!
WITH:

  • Mr. Mark Hetfield, President and Chief Executive Officer, HIAS
  • Dr. Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General, International Institute for Strategic Studies
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Randy Scheunemann, President, Orion Strategies

 

Venom in Venezuela
WITH:

  • Mr. David Smolansky, Mayor in Exile, El Hatillo Municipality; Visiting Scholar, Georgetown University
  • HOSTED BY: Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Senior Fellow, The Future of Diplomacy Project, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University

 

Wavering on Uighurs, Firmer on Burma: Where Muslims Are Minorities
WITH:

  • Ms. Yun Sun, Co-Director, East Asia Program, The Stimson Center
  • Mr. Nicolas Tenzer, Editor and Director; Founding President, LeBanquet; Center for the Study and Reflection of Political Action
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Andrew James Gilmour, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Clippings

US military chief says tech giants should work with Pentagon
Rob Gillies

The top U.S. military officer said Saturday that it’s problematic that American tech companies don’t want to work with the Pentagon but are willing to engage with the Chinese.
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford told the Halifax International Security Forum that the U.S. and its allies are the “good guys.”

Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman says military's job at border is "not to deny access to migrants"
GRACE SEGERS

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the Halifax International Security Forum Saturday that the increased presence of military troops at the U.S.-Mexico border is “not to deny access to migrants.”

Shaheen, Tillis Lead Delegation to Security Forum
Associated Press

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina are leading a bipartisan delegation attending an international security conference in Canada. The group is participating in the 10th annual Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Three hundred delegates from around the world are discussing strategic cooperation on common global security goals.

U.S. troops won’t come into contact with migrant caravan, says Trump adviser at Halifax security conference
Michael MacDonald

Michael Macdonald/Canadian Press
The highest-ranking military officer in the United States is insisting U.S. troops will not come into contact with the thousands of migrants from Central America heading toward the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comment Saturday at a defence and security conference being held in Halifax.

Top U.S. general says competition with old foes requires new strategies
Chris Hall

America’s top soldier says the world is witnessing a return of an open competition between the U.S. and its allies and old adversaries Russia and China.
Gen. Joseph Dunford says the U.S. is having to adapt its military strategy to confront new challenges presented by the re-emergence of these old foes.
That’s a change from the 1990s and early part of this century, when the Allies could “project power when and where necessary to advance our collective interests relatively uncontested,” he told delegates at the Halifax International Security Forum on Saturday.

Two Scouts receive McCain Prize on behalf of Lesvos
Ekathimerini

Two Greek Scouts have received the inaugural John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada on behalf of all the residents of the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos for their “heroic support” of refugees.

More News & Press

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