American Security Project

On June 21, American Security Project hosted a panel discussion, marking the launch of its latest White Paper, “Strategy for Stabilization and Reconstruction in Syria.” Moderated by Brigadier General Stephen Cheney, the panel featured the following speakers: Matthew Wallin, Betty Bernstein-Babza, Dr. David Pollock, and Hani Masri.

Matthew Wallin, resident fellow of the American Security Project, opened the event, summarizing the White Paper. While recognizing the operational success of the U.S. military, he noted the lack of an endgame strategy in Syria. The growing population of Syrian refugees stand testimony to this failure. With an estimated 4.5 million displaced, the necessity for effective and efficient long-term planning, rather than short-term fixes, is imperative.

“Less is more,” stated Wallin, stressing that the quality of and type of strategy is key. First, realizing the importance of local stabilization, Wallin suggested grassroots campaigns as well as the proper enactment of funds for individual cities. However, efforts cannot be limited to this alone. The inclusion of partners and allies will help ensure the success of Syrian reconstruction as well as counterterrorism efforts. The plan must overall strengthen the relationship between the state and the Syrian people. Syrian hands must rebuild Syria, creating both value and physical infrastructure within the country. Time and strategic patience will help determine this strategy’s success.

Hani Masri, Chairman of Capital Investment Management Inc., agreed that U.S. action is imperative for stabilization. Masri noted the uniqueness of the Syrian population, pointing out the multiple cultural groups, such as the Sunnis and Alawites. Then, in order to seek stabilization, there must be unity. “There should never be a full winner,” Masri determined, pointing out the complicated relationships among these multiple parties, and the uncertainty of future reign. Rather, a stable coalition among all groups would prove most effective. While political stabilization has an immediate benefit, stabilization would also enable the future Syrian population.

Dr. David Pollock, Kaufman Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, called for immediate action. Dr. Pollock started with a personal anecdote of a visit to Syria in 2012. Moved even then by the extremity of the refugee crisis, Dr. Pollock noted that now the situation is likely to worsen, despite the current limited ceasefire. However, urgent humanitarian and reconstruction programs are imperative. Pollock pointed to existing pockets of safe areas within Syrian cities as starting points. Given that Russia and Iran seemed determined to transform the Syrian crisis into a military victory, Dr. Pollock pointed to the need for other partners, including the Kurds as a solution. Indeed, while controversial, and likely to upset Turkish relations, Dr. Pollock insisted that reconstruction and stabilization must begin somewhere, somehow. He concluded: “We need to act now.”

Betty Bernstein-Zabza is the Senior Policy Advisor at the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. State Department. Prefacing her discussion with a quick overview of the office’s mission, Zabza looked to stabilization efforts made in Iraq as an example of how similar work could be done in Syria. Working with the counter-ISIL group in Iraq and through a focus on liberated areas, the office has furthered the recognition of women as key players and the consideration of women’s issues.

Asked by Brigadier General Cheney about the need for U.S. leadership in Syrian stabilization, the panel deliberated opinions on the magnitude of American involvement. Masri determined that a solution was only possible through U.S. help; whereas Dr.Pollock thought of the situation as a humanitarian opportunity, which necessitated no U.S. troops on the ground. Wallin noted that recent attempts in Iraq,

On this week’s episode of ‘What’s Next?’ Maggie Feldman-Piltch sits down with Philippe Maze-Sencier on the NATO summit, Brexit, the future of the EU, and how isolationism and nationalism could pose real risks to US security and the security of our Allies. The discussion then turns to the complex relationship between the EU and the Levant, and the relationships among individual countries in both.

Philippe Maze-Sencier is a member of ASP’s Consensus for American Security and the Senior Director for Europe at McLarty Associates.

 

“What’s Next?” is American Security Project’s weekly, non-partisan podcast series featuring interviews with national security leaders and critical issue experts. Each episode runs about 20 minutes- making it the perfect addition to your DC commute.

Hosted by Maggie Feldman-Piltch, the conversations go beyond the dinner party commentary and offer guests the opportunity to discuss their vision for security in the 21st century, the strategy that vision requires, and what it means for America going forward- in less time than it takes you to get to work. With topics ranging from geo-economics to nuclear security, cultural diplomacy to energy security and asymmetric operations, “What’s Next?” is one of the many ways ASP works to raise the American public’s understanding of complex security issues we face.

On June 15, American Security Project hosted a panel to reflect on the first year of US Leadership of the Arctic Council. Led by three speakers, BGen. Stephan A. Cheney, Mr. Seth Myers, and Capt. Erik Bøe, the discussion focused on how to build a region that is at peace, given a wider world of insecurity.

The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on earth, opening a new sea to humanity. As the Chair of the Arctic Council, America has a leading role in determining whether the 21st Century opening of the Arctic will happen peacefully and sustainably, or whether it will be characterized by conflict and exploitation.

 

Andrew Holland, Senior Fellow at American Security Project, moderated the event. As climate change has led to melting ice in the poles, there is looming concern over hazardous sea level rise on a global scale which requires immediate attention. Holland noted that of the five recommendations (ratifying the UN Law of Sea Convention, increasing funding for US military presence, making a final decision on whether to approve offshore oil drilling, raising the arctic profile by raising the arctic votes and elevating Admiral Papp’s position to a permanent ambassador), the government has acted on about two and a half of those.

The speakers devoted much of their time addressing the role of Russia in the Arctic. After Russian annexation of Crimea, the US and allies cancelled mil-to-mil exercises with Russia in the Arctic. Russian air force harassment of US ships in the Baltic have led to further tensions. With a changing military dynamic in the Nordic-Baltic region in response to perceived Russian aggression, there is a need to head off instability.

Russia has also put in a request to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for an extended Exclusive Economic Zone in its Arctic territory. Like all Arctic nations, Russia is following legal procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

General Cheney called for restraint and caution in cultivating a relationship with Russia in the Arctic. He advised that military buildup in Alaska, if its intent were to be preemptive action against a Russian threat, was unnecessarily provocative. In fact, Cheney half-jokingly said that there was currently more tension between Canada and the US over contested Arctic territory, than there was with Russia. More importantly, Cheney warned that the US was long due for devoting more resources into developing ice breaker capability and communication (GPS, AIS) to decrease dependence on other countries in case of emergencies.

Captain Bøe relayed that Norway had little apprehension over increased Russian activity in the Arctic. In fact, cooperation between Russia and northern Norway is strong across private and public sectors. Furthermore, Russian interest in the region is easily justified: Russia owns 50 percent of all Arctic territory which brings it significant economic returns, primarily charging fees for icebreaking services, rescue and international shipping charges. This could explain Norway’s hesitation to form closer relations with NATO: it is not in Norway’s national interest to jeopardize their relationship with Russia.

Citing examples from conflicts and peacetime throughout the past century, Mr. Myers described how the Arctic reflects events taking place in the international system. As evidenced by the dynamics between Russia and other Arctic countries, military security in the Arctic is complicated by outside events. As the security situation becomes more complex, Myers stated that the Arctic nations should take advantage of peacetime in order to build a viable security infrastructure using existing international structures.

The event closed with a Q&A session. Innovative ideas to maximize ice melt were addressed, for example the creation of bottling plants in the North. For this to be possible,

On this week’s episode of ‘What’s Next?’ Maggie Feldman-Piltch talks with Lt.Col. Kendric Robbins, USA (Ret.) about the future of NATO, how mil-to-mil engagement builds stability, and U.S.-Russia relations.

Kendric H. Robbins is a retired Army officer with more than twenty years of experience serving in tactical, operational and strategic level assignments.  Most recently, he served as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

 

 

“What’s Next?” is American Security Project’s weekly, non-partisan podcast series featuring interviews with national security leaders and critical issue experts. Each episode runs about 20 minutes- making it the perfect addition to your DC commute.

Hosted by Maggie Feldman-Piltch, the conversations go beyond the dinner party commentary and offer guests the opportunity to discuss their vision for security in the 21st century, the strategy that vision requires, and what it means for America going forward- in less time than it takes you to get to work. With topics ranging from geo-economics to nuclear security, cultural diplomacy to energy security and asymmetric operations, “What’s Next?” is one of the many ways ASP works to raise the American public’s understanding of complex security issues we face.

On this week’s episode of ‘What’s Next?’ Maggie Feldman-Piltch goes around the world with ASP CEO BGen. Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret.), talking about current security hot spots, UNCLOS in the Arctic and South China Sea, and why we need both military and diplomatic efforts to further our national security interests.

BGen. Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret.)  is the former Inspector General of the US Marine Corps and former Commanding General of Parris Island. He is currently CEO of American Security Project and a member of the Foreign Affairs Policy Board and International Security Advisory Board.

“What’s Next?” is American Security Project’s weekly, non-partisan podcast series featuring interviews with national security leaders and critical issue experts. Each episode runs about 20 minutes- making it the perfect addition to your DC commute.

Hosted by Maggie Feldman-Piltch, the conversations go beyond the dinner party commentary and offer guests the opportunity to discuss their vision for security in the 21st century, the strategy that vision requires, and what it means for America going forward- in less time than it takes you to get to work. With topics ranging from geo-economics to nuclear security, cultural diplomacy to energy security and asymmetric operations, “What’s Next?” is one of the many ways ASP works to raise the American public’s understanding of complex security issues we face.

On this week’s episode of ‘What’s Next?’ Maggie Feldman-Piltch talks with Ashley Chang and Keith Eischeid of the United States Trade Development Agency (USTDA) about USTDA’s work in the energy sector across Latin America and the Caribbean and the impact of these projects on security and economic stability.

Chang is the Director of Public Engagement and Eischeid is the Country Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. USTDA helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project planning activities, pilot projects, and reverse trade missions while creating sustainable infrastructure and economic growth in partner countries.

 

More on USTDA

 

 

“What’s Next?” is American Security Project’s weekly, non-partisan podcast series featuring interviews with national security leaders and critical issue experts. Each episode runs about 20 minutes- making it the perfect addition to your DC commute.

Hosted by Maggie Feldman-Piltch, the conversations go beyond the dinner party commentary and offer guests the opportunity to discuss their vision for security in the 21st century, the strategy that vision requires, and what it means for America going forward- in less time than it takes you to get to work. With topics ranging from geo-economics to nuclear security, cultural diplomacy to energy security and asymmetric operations, “What’s Next?” is one of the many ways ASP works to raise the American public’s understanding of complex security issues we face.

 

On this week’s episode of ‘What’s Next?’ Maggie Feldman-Piltch talks with Dante Disparte, Chairperson of ASP’s Business Council for American Security about risk, resiliency, and trade.

Dante Disparte is President and Founder of Risk Cooperative, a risk, strategy and investment firm based in Washington D.C. He is Chair of the Harvard Business School Club of Washington, and is the co-author of the forthcoming book “Global Risk Agility and Decision Making” (Macmillan, Q2/2016).

 

“What’s Next?” is American Security Project’s weekly, non-partisan podcast series featuring interviews with national security leaders and critical issue experts. Each episode runs about 20 minutes- making it the perfect addition to your DC commute.

Hosted by Maggie Feldman-Piltch, the conversations go beyond the dinner party commentary and offer guests the opportunity to discuss their vision for security in the 21st century, the strategy that vision requires, and what it means for America going forward- in less time than it takes you to get to work. With topics ranging from geo-economics to nuclear security, cultural diplomacy to energy security and asymmetric operations, “What’s Next?” is one of the many ways ASP works to raise the American public’s understanding of complex security issues we face.

On May 23 and 24, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon will convene the World Humanitarian Summit which is taking place on in Istanbul, Turkey.

In this podcast, experts from the American Security Project, International Alert, and the Red Cross Red Crescent outline their expectations, and underline that preparing for the adverse effects of climate change must be at the center of humanitarian preparations.

The World Humanitarian Summit is a first of its kind event. Designed by outgoing UNSG Ban Ki Moon in an attempt to improve the world’s response to humanitarian crises, the event is not an intergovernmental process but rather a multi-stakeholder dialogue.

The invitation-only Summit is the culmination of 2 years of extensive stakeholder engagement, unfortunately, climate change is not given the central role it should have in building an effective humanitarian assistance plan for the 21st Century. Climate change is referred to only in regards to its potential to create more extreme weather events.

Participants explained that we need to reform global humanitarian assistance away from a predominantly knee-jerk reaction in cases of extreme emergency. We know that climate change means that more storms, droughts, and extreme heat events are already happening, so we must prepare. We have a gathering climate emergency. 2015 was the hottest year on record – and all signs pointing to 2016 being the same – science has found more than 90% of disasters are already climate-related.

On this week’s episode of ‘What’s Next?’ Maggie Feldman-Piltch talks with Ambassador Ron Neumann about the fight against ISIL, the state of affairs in Afghanistan, and the important role of diplomacy in security.

Ambassador Ron Neumann is former Ambassador to Afghanistan, Algeria, and Bahrain. He is the author of The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan (Potomac Press, 2009) and is currently President of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Ambassador Neumann is a member of the Consensus on American Security.

 

 

“What’s Next?” is American Security Project’s weekly, non-partisan podcast series featuring interviews with national security leaders and critical issue experts. Each episode runs about 20 minutes- making it the perfect addition to your DC commute.

Hosted by Maggie Feldman-Piltch, the conversations go beyond the dinner party commentary and offer guests the opportunity to discuss their vision for security in the 21st century, the strategy that vision requires, and what it means for America going forward- in less time than it takes you to get to work. With topics ranging from geo-economics to nuclear security, cultural diplomacy to energy security and asymmetric operations, “What’s Next?” is one of the many ways ASP works to raise the American public’s understanding of complex security issues we face.

 

Produced by Matthew Wallin.

PANELISTS

Governor Luis Fortuño, former governor of Puerto Rico and former Republican Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Puerto Rico

Rep. Hernández Montañez, Chairman of the House Treasury Committee

Alejandro Brito, President of Brito Development Group (BDG), LLP

Moderator : Dante Disparte, founder and CEO of Risk Cooperative

 

On March 21, ASP hosted an event highlighting the crisis in Puerto Rico, especially focusing on the financial, political, and energy-related fields. The island, America’s largest Caribbean territory, has long been an important U.S. geopolitical outpost and now finds itself on the verge of catastrophe under the weight of massive debt and a costly, inefficient energy supply.

As Congress recommits itself to a resolution, understanding the issues plaguing Puerto Rico through the lens of energy security and risk management offers opportunities to reverse the current trends, gain political support and address the future of 3.3 million U.S. citizens on the island.

The panelists offered different ideas of how to address the problems, but they all agreed on the severity of the situation. Dante Disparte noted the viscous cycle of Puerto Rico spending too much public money, raising taxes, and losing their tax base as the richest move en masse to the mainland. Rep. Hernández Montañez emphasized, after describing how little money is left on reserves, that, “There is a willingness to pay, but we cannot fulfill our contract obligations.”

Alejandro Brito went a step further, saying that, “Puerto Rico is like that person who is obese, gambles, or drinks alcohol and trying to quit … This time it will be different.” His suggestion was for a “trainer” who can get them back on track is a federal fiscal control board. He noted how this type of board has worked in places like Italy and DC before. Brito cited some major investment problems Puerto Rico faces, such as legislation to prevent big-box stores from building on the island, retail and casinos dying out, local credit unions not providing funds to support other businesses, and more.

“I don’t blame politicians, I blame the system,” Brito said. “Let’s get the house in order, then focus on the status.” Allowing Puerto Rico to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy would be the first step to recovery, he continued.

Governor Luis Fortuño laid out his suggestions for solutions, namely reestablishing rule of law, providing full transparency, sustaining economic growth that is beyond spending more, prioritizing creditors, avoiding default, and implementing the right public policies to improve credibility.

“It would be impossible for people like Alejandro [Brito] to invest without knowing [all options],” Fortuño concluded.

 

See footage from the event below:

 

Check out our event pictures (All rights reserved):