Global Tennessee

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RUSSIAN INFORMATION OPERATIONS CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AND ABOUT MALCOLM NANCE, A SPECIALIST ON INTELLIGENCE, TERRORISM, NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE RUSSIAN ATTACK ON AMERICA.

Today we’re coming to you from beautiful Belmont University where we’re talking with Malcolm Nance, career Navy man, counter-terrorism and national security specialist, author and expert on the Russian information warfare campaign being waged against the United States.

There could be no more timely conversation just as headlines focus on a new effort by Vladimir Putin and Russia, to deflect blame for its information campaign against the 2016 election. We will unpack Russian information operations with Nance whose books, public speaking and television appearances have earned him recognition as an expert on the subject.

But first we’re going to talk with him about his background, Navy service, and work in intelligence and national security that led him to getting inside the Russian attack on America.

Mr. Nance hails from a family rich with military tradition, traced back to a great grandfather and grand uncle who escaped slavery and joined a regiment of the Federal Colored Troops in Tennessee.

Nance chose the Navy like his father, a career Master Chief Petty Officer and was trained as a linguist in the Cryptologic community – the Navy’s elite group that exploits adversaries’ communications. He became an expert in Russian Cold War military and intelligence activities and in the Arab world.

Nance retired after 20 years and promotions to Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer.

Among his post-military pursuits was work in preparing Navy special operations forces, SEALs and others, in methods to endure captivity at the hands of a new class of enemies like Al Qaeda militants.

He also worked in security and intelligence activities in Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion. Along the way he became an expert on extremist threats in Iraq and literally wrote the book on ISIS producing a handbook that became a counter-terrorism bible.

Nance’s research and writing about ISIS’ use of electronic media led to his dive into what was to emerge as a wide-ranging Russian information warfare capability and campaign.

In the months leading to the 2016 presidential election Nance knocked out a book called, “The Plot to Hack America.” It was written and released in the same timeframe as the U.S. Intelligence Community’s analysis of the Russian support for the Trump campaign and eventual public statement charging Moscow with an attack on America’s elections.

What followed? What is the story of Nance’s relentless analysis and speaking out?

That’s what we’re getting into today with Malcolm Nance – Navy leader, intelligence and national security expert, author, commentator.

MORE INFORMATION AT: https://www.TNWAC.org/podcast

INFORMATION ABOUT MALCOLM NANCE'S BOOKS - visit Amazon.com

Complete Podcast Notes:

https://www.tnwac.org/2019/11/12/global-nashville-with-karl-dean-china-with-john-scannapieco-gnkd5-ep-32/

Podcast Notes Excerpt:

03:00 Tell us about your background. How did you become involved in global business?

05:11 Was international business your focus in college and law school?

06:32 Tennessee has significant interests in global commercial relations, how did you become involved in work with Chinese businesses?

08:35 How much travel time do you spend on the global business portfolio?

09:20 What is the importance of the US-China business relationship?

10:41 What do Americans want from China in terms of goods?

12:18 What does China want from the United States?

13:25 US-China trade wars. How did it begin? What led us to this point?

15:50 Prior to tariffs last year was it a relatively free bilateral trade relationship?

17:12 China expected to have world’s largest economy, is that right?

18:40 Tell us about the tariff process that is the center of the trade war.

20:34 How are we feeling the tariffs in Tennessee?

21:00 What about the TPP? What was it? What happened to it?

24:35 What was the geo-strategic and political implications of TPP?

25:34 BREAK

28:25 What is the issue with China over Intellectual Property (IP)?

33:01 What are the big issues with China and will they get worked out? Is the deal that the U.S. wants possible?

35:35 What can the U.S. lose in the trade war with China, particularly in Tennessee?

37:39 How do the issues fit into the process of globalization?

39:08 Are walls going up? Are we seeing economic dislocations?

41:15 What does China trade mean to Tennessee -- by the numbers?

43:25 What references and resources do you suggest for people who want to know more about U.S.-China relations and the trade war?

46:00 End

For more go to:

https://www.tnwac.org/2019/11/12/global-nashville-with-karl-dean-china-with-john-scannapieco-gnkd5-ep-32/

"Why Europe Matters"

Recorded: September 10, 2019

Ambassador John C. Kornblum has a long record of service in the United States and Europe both as a diplomat and as a businessman. He is recognized as an eminent expert on U.S.-European political and economic relations, in particular in Central and Eastern Europe. He served as the U.S. ambassador to Germany from 1997 to 2001. Before that, he occupied a number of high-level diplomatic posts, including U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European affairs, Special Envoy for the Dayton Peace Process, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Process), Deputy U.S. Ambassador to NATO, and U.S. minister and deputy commandant of forces in divided Berlin.

Join us as we gain insights and perspectives hard to find unless you're talking to someone who has lived the history. As Ambassador Kornblum said, "Living history is part of understanding the world. Understanding history that you didn’t live if harder.” So that you may appreciate not only history but also where the U.S. and Europe are as we move forward, we are proud to present this Global Tennessee Podcast episode with John Kornblum.

3:25 Why Nashville? “Nashville is the place we like the best.”

4:30 Why does Europe Matter? Europe and a close relationship and close cooperation is in America’s interest.

6:30 Need in Europe for America to exert leadership. Largest community, the US with Europe, of like minded economies. Largest investment and trade community in the world. Trade: $1 billion a day.

8:58 Better to have a partner like Europe than to be finding our way alone in the world.

10:47 NATO is the only integrated defense force in the world. Article 5 (common self-defense) first invoked after US attacked on 9/11.

13:30 Should there be a focus on China?

14:20 What does it cost the U.S. for the Transatlantic Alliance.

17:40 Why isn’t Europe good enough for you. Europe IS paying their bills.

19:50 Amb Kornblum and an important role in resolving the Balkan conflict where over 200,000 people died – a real war.

23:51 American security begins in Europe – the Balkans conflict and US intervention.

24:38 Amb Kornblum assigned to implement the agreement.

26:17 What was the role of diplomacy in ending the conflict in the Balkans?

28:06 15,000 US troops involved, no combat casualties.

28:57 The Dayton Accord – “a very dramatic experience”

31:40 “Mr. President, you sit down!” -- three weeks with Slobodan Milosevic.

33:18 Break

35:15 Taking a look at Brexit. Starting from the beginning. Born out of sense of disunity and keeping up with progress. Confrontation within the Conservative Party. Basis: England is not Europe – like Texas and Massachusetts.

42:02 “If there was ever a time for the United States and Europe to stick together, it’s now.” No alternative to working with others. There’s no “Make America Great Again” by being angry.

43:45 What is the feeling for other “Brexits”? There could be countries that “fall out.”

45:49 Freedom of movement in Europe. Lost generation in Italy. The danger of societies not being able to keep up. Conflict building in Europe between north and south.

46:54 “If you want to see a real wall go to the Serbian-Hungarian border.” Immigrant, refugee problem.

48:11 City/Countryside differences. People being left behind results in confrontation.

48:46 The world is coming together in ways we never expected not because of brilliant achievements but through the pressures of society – passage of time, immigration, technology, etc.

49:42 What’s going on in the U.S. diplomatic service?

50:20 Three Administrations have pushed away from traditional foreign policymaking.

51:04 New generations coming with new points of view. Sleep walking since 1990. “Living history is part of understanding the world. Understanding history that you didn’t live if harder.”

54:09 Last thoughts. Even a country as big and strong as the United States can’t go it alone.

GNKD4 | Global Nashville with Karl Dean focuses on the elements of Nashville that make it a global place. Today's episode is a roundtable on current issues with former Mayor Karl Dean talking with TNWAC Board Chair Jim Shepherd, Ambassador Dick Bowers and co-host TNWAC President Pat Ryan.

The roundtable started with tales of the North Atlantic with Mayor Dean recounting his summer sailing vacation in the Svalbard archipelago in the far North Atlantic, and the story of his "abandoning ship" and subsequent helicopter rescue. He also talked about Svalbard, the Arctic and climate change.

The other topics tackled by today's roundtable were the new leadership in Nashville with the election of Mayor Cooper; international business in Nashville; the city as an international "destination" including the work of Sister Cities of Nashville; developments with New Americans including refugee resettlement and TIRRC, and cultural events in the city.

Karl Dean -- former Mayor of Nashville

Jim Shepherd -- Chairman, TNWAC Board; former President of Carlex Glass and chairman of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce International Business Council

Amb Dick Bowers -- U.S. Foreign Service (Ret), career diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia

Pat Ryan -- LCDR, USN (Ret) President Tennessee World Affairs Council, Executive Producer Global Tennessee Podcast service

Resources:

Nashville Chamber International Business Council

https://www.nashvillechamber.com/economic-development/international-business/international-business-council

New Americans Advisory Council

https://www.nashville.gov/Mayors-Office/Diversity-and-Inclusion/New-Americans/New-Americans-Advisory-Council.aspx

World Population Review | Nashville

Tennessee Ranke #1 in Business Climate

https://businessfacilities.com/2019/07/business-facilities-15th-annual-rankings-state-rankings-report/

http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/nashville-population/

Sister Cities of Nashville

https://www.scnashville.org

Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition

https://www.tnimmigrant.org

THE MISSION of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Tennessee World Affairs Council is to promote international awareness, understanding and connections to enhance the region’s global stature and to prepare Tennesseans to thrive in our increasingly complex and connected world.

THE VISION of the Tennessee World Affairs Council is a well-informed community that thinks critically about the world and the impact of global events.

Learn more about the Council and find how you can join, donate and volunteer at: www.TNWAC.org —

Join / Donate / Volunteer

Ambassador Christopher R. Hill:

*Chief Advisor to the Chancellor for Global Engagement, University of Denver

*Dean, Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver

*Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

*Ambassador to the Republic of Korea

*Head, U.S. Delegation to Six Party Talks on North Korean Nuclear Weapons

*U.S. Ambassador to Poland

*U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia

*Special Envoy to Kosovo

Ambassador Christopher Hill is one of America’s most distinguished ambassadors who—in his career of service to his country—was sent to some of the most dangerous outposts of American diplomacy. From the wars in the Balkans to the brutality of North Korea to the endless war in Iraq, he will offer insight about the real life of an American diplomat negotiating with difficult partners. Based on his experiences, Ambassador Hill lays out a vision for the role of diplomacy in addressing national crises, and America’s role in global politics.

Biography:

ABOUT AMBASSADOR HILL

Christopher R. Hill served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea among other significant diplomatic posts as a career member of the Foreign Service.

Ambassador Hill is currently the chief advisor to the chancellor for global engagement and professor of the practice in diplomacy at the University of Denver.

Prior to this position, he was the dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University, a position he held from September 2010 to December 2017.

On February 14, 2005, he was named as the head of the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue. Previously he has served as U.S. ambassador to Poland (2000-04), ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia (1996-99) and special envoy to Kosovo (1998-99). He also served as special assistant to the president and senior director for southeast European affairs in the National Security Council.

Earlier in his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Hill served tours in Belgrade, Warsaw, Seoul, and Tirana, and on the Department of State’s Policy Planning staff and in the department’s Operation Center. While on a fellowship with the American Political Science Association he served as staff member for Congressman Stephen Solarz working on Eastern European issues. He also served as the Department of State’s senior country officer for Poland. Ambassador Hill received the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award for his contributions as a member of the U.S. negotiating team in the Bosnia peace settlement, and was a recipient of the Robert S. Frasure Award for Peace Negotiations for his work on the Kosovo crisis. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Hill served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon.

Ambassador Hill graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, with a BA in economics. He received a master’s degree from the Naval War College in 1994. He speaks Polish, Serbo-Croatian and Macedonian.

Ambassador Hill is author of Outpost: Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy: A Memoir, a monthly columnist for Project Syndicate, and a highly sought public speaker and voice in the media on international affairs.

Episode 28 of "Global Tennessee" opens our conversations with candidates for Federal office in 2020. We talked with Mr. James Mackler, candidate for U.S. Senate and the Democrat nomination.

Mr. Mackler's web site: https://www.jamesmackler.com

"Global Tennessee" host Patrick Ryan talked with Mr. Mackler about his background, education, military service and family. Then they discussed the role of the U.S. Senate in foreign policy -- war powers, advise and consent, military appropriations.

Then they discussed positions and perspectives on global issues and challenges including: relations with Russia, China and international institutions such as the United Nations, NATO, etc.; existential threats - global nuclear weapons proliferation, the new nuclear arms race, US nuclear modernization plans, the climate threat; regional issues across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, South America and Europe; international commerce - trade, tariffs, trade wars; and international alliances.

The conversation ended with the question: Where do you see America in the world?

***The Tennessee World Affairs Council is a nonpartisan educational charity but strives to bring speakers with diverse views on global affairs to the community.

The World Affairs Council does not endorse any candidate or party and invites all serious candidates for Federal office to participate in our "Global Tennessee" Podcast.

Executive Producer: Patrick Ryan

Technical Director: Bill Ryan

Voice of Global Tennessee: Ben Olson

Tick Tock... The "Doomsday Clock" is set at two minutes to midnight, a "new abnormal" according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. You should understand the fundamentals of global nuclear proliferation and the expansion and modernization being undertaken by the major nuclear powers.

Dr. Susan Haynes talked with the "Tick Tock Project" of our "Global Tennessee" Podcast about nuclear weapons strategies and concepts as well as a review of Chinese and Russian nuclear forces. Haynes also discussed the United States nuclear forces and modernization and the impact of strategic missile defenses on proliferation.

Dr. Susan Haynes is a Professor of Political Science, Lipscomb University and author of "Chinese Nuclear Proliferation: How Global Politics is Transforming China's Weapons Buildup and Modernization."

Join us for this Podcast, the second Podcast episode in our "Tick Tock Project" -- a six month deep dive at the Tennessee World Affairs Council into the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons, made even more critical with the current proliferation, expansion and modernization. Check the TNWAC.org/calendar for other programs related to our examination of global nuclear issues. As always send feedback and suggestions to [email protected].

Thank you.

Joe Cirincione, President of the Ploughshares Fund talked with TNWAC's President Patrick Ryan for an edition of "Know Now" presented by the World Affairs Councils of America.

There is a high risk that someone will use, by accident or design, one or more of the 17,000 nuclear weapons in the world today. Many thought such threats ended with the Cold War, but they remain an ongoing nightmare. Author of the books Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons and Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats, Joe Cirincione is one of the leading experts in the country on U.S. nuclear weapons. Join Cirincione as he discusses the major nuclear weapons threats the world faces today and the debate over the best policies to counter them with Tennessee WAC's Patrick Ryan.

Former Homeland Security Secretary and current University of California President Janet Napolitano talked with Patrick Ryan at "Global Tennessee" about her new book, "How Safe Are We: Homeland Security Since 9/11?" She talked about the mission of DHS, what DHS got right, where DHS needs to improve and homeland security in the current era. Napolitano described some of the challenges she faced as Homeland Security Secretary: aviation security; natural disasters; environmental catastrophes like the Deepwater Horizon; pandemics like the H1N1 threat; terrorism like the Boston Marathon bombing and much more. After the break they talked about the southern border security challenge and the current immigration, refugees and asylum seekers issues; the cyber threat to U.S. infrastructure systems and elections; and existential threats from nuclear weapons and climate change. Napolitano concluded with a conversation about "Black Swans" -- low probability, high risk phenomena and policy through risk analysis.

About the Book:

"How Safe Are We: Homeland Security Since 9/11"

by Janet Napolitano (Author), Karen Breslau (Contributor)

240 pages; Publisher: Public Affairs (March 26, 2019)

Biography of President Napolitano

Janet Napolitano is the 20th president of the University of California, and the first woman to serve in this role.

She leads a university system of 10 campuses, five medical centers, three affiliated national laboratories, and a statewide agriculture and natural resources program. The UC system has more than 273,000 students, 223,000 faculty and staff, an operating budget of $36.5 billion, and two million living alumni.

A distinguished public servant, Napolitano served as the U.S. secretary of homeland security from 2009 to 2013, as governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009, as attorney general of Arizona from 1998 to 2003, and as U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona from 1993 to 1997.

More.. https://www.ucop.edu/president/about/index.html

Global Tennessee is the Podcast series of the Tennessee World Affairs Council. For more information about becoming a member visit TNWAC.org/join or TNWAC.org/donate.

Mission

The mission of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Tennessee World Affairs Council is to promote international awareness, understanding and connections to enhance the region’s global stature and to prepare Tennesseans to thrive in our increasingly complex and connected world.

Vision

A well-informed community that thinks critically about the world and the impact of global events.

Recorded: June 13, 2019

Iranian scholar Dr. Neda Khodaverdi is completing a year as a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at Vanderbilt University. Global Tennessee spoke with her about her year in Nashville as a fellow. The purpose of the fellowship, how she got involved, what was her experience with the fellows from around the world and what she has seen and done in Nashville and the United States.

Dr. Khodaverdi was joined in the Podcast with her husband Saed Sahebjamee, who runs the SAED Cultural and Educational Institute in Tehran and Terry Rustan, a TNWAC volunteer and a Humphrey Fellowship "Friendship Family."

Dr. Khodaverdi thanked Nancy Dickson, Humphrey Fellowship Coordinator at Vanderbilt University and Dr. Eric Carter, Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University.

We also talked with Dr. Khodaverdi about her work in Iran teaching English as a second language to children on the autism spectrum.

About Dr. Neda Khodaverdi

Neda Khodaverdi, from Iran, is an adjunct university lecturer at Islamic Azad University and an Educational Supervisor and English teacher at SAED Educational and Cultural Institute in Tehran. Her professional focus includes training new teachers of English language, and teaching English as a foreign language to Persian-speakers, including children with special needs. She has developed her own teaching methodology for students with high-functioning autism, and is currently in the process of developing professional development resources to train more instructors to work with special-needs populations. Her previous appointments include English teacher and supervisor at schools and private language centers, and lecturer at Allameh Tabataba’I University.

Ms. Khodaverdi holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in TEFL from the Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature, Tehran, Iran, a Master’s in TEFL from Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran, and a Bachelor’s in English Language Translation from Islamic Azad University, North Branch, Tehran, Iran. She also holds honors certificates in IELTS Teacher Preparation and Knowledge of English Language Teaching Test from TESOL Arabia Testing, Assessment, and Evaluation.

About Saed Sahebjamee

Saed Sahebjamee is a Petrochemical engineer who was born in Tehran, Iran in 1983. He got his BS from Islamic Azad University in 2006. Since then he has worked in his field study. Besides, he established his own language institute in Tehran in 2011 under the title of SAED Cultural and Educational Institute. His mission is teaching English to Persian speaking students and more importantly, help the Iranian students to get familiar with other countries and their cultures by registering students in summer camps of international schools around the world. He is so passionate about his job.

About Terry Rustan

Terry is a Humphrey Fellowship "Friendship Family" and a volunteer with the Tennessee World Affairs Council staff in addition to many other service activities in the community. She has worked in China at the Zhejiang Ocean University and at the University of Washington Program on the Environment. Terry holds a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington.

About the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship

The program brings accomplished educational leaders from developing nations and emerging democracies to the United States for an academic year to study, gain related professional experience, build their leadership capacity and foster mutual understanding. The program provides a basis for lasting ties between US citizens and the Fellows while strengthening the global exchange of knowledge and expertise. Humphrey Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or the private sector.