When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the attacks on September 11, 2001, and then overthrew the Taliban regime, senior military officers were not predicting that the United States would be militarily involved 18 years later. Yet, after expending nearly $800 billion and suffering 2,400 killed, the United States is still there, having achieved at best a stalemate. The CSIS report seeks to understand how this happened. Our panel discussion will consider the nature of military advice in Afghanistan, its strengths and weaknesses, and what we have learned for future conflicts.

This event is made possible through the support from the Koch Foundation.

Military Advice and the “Forever War” in Afghanistan

CSIS is a leader in researching, analyzing and identifying defense and security threats around the globe. CSIS programs study a wide range of Defense and Security issues as well as the evolution of past, present, and future defense and security policy worldwide. This research is led by&nbsp;the International Security Program&nbsp;(ISP), which houses&nbsp;Defense Budget Analysis, the&nbsp;Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group&nbsp;(DIIG), the&nbsp;Missile Defense Project, the&nbsp;Project on Nuclear Issues&nbsp;(PONI), Civil-Military Relations, the Aerospace Security Project, the Risk and Foresight Group, Seven Revolutions, the Transnational Threats Project, the Gray Zone Project, the Cooperative Defense Project, and Defense 360.

Find the latest research from our scholars and CSIS events on this topic below.

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The killing of Gen. Qassem Suleimani in January 2020 sent conflicting signals about the depth of U.S. engagement in the Gulf. The United States seems intent to diminish its presence while keeping an active hand in regional affairs. Meanwhile, Russia and China are exploring ways to reshape their own presence in the region.

Please join the CSIS Middle East Program for a conference to examine the Gulf region in the wake of General Qassem Suleimani's death. Two expert panels will explore security threats and new opportunities for diplomacy in the region. General Joseph L. Votel will then deliver a keynote address on Great Power competition in the Gulf, followed by a Q&A; moderated by Jon B. Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski chair in global security and geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program.








	The Honorable John McLaughlin, Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and former Acting Director of Central Intelligence
	The Honorable Christine Wormuth, Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation, and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy





	Ambassador Anne Patterson, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State  
	 Ambassador Douglas Silliman,President, The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, and former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
	 Dr. Ali Vaez,Iran Project Director, International Crisis Group 





	General Joseph L. Votel, President and CEO, Business Executives for National Security; Distinguished Senior Fellow on National Security, Middle East Institute; and former Commander of U.S. Central Command


This event is made possible by generous support from the United Arab Emirates Embassy.

After Suleimani: Crisis, Opportunity, and the Future of the Gulf

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) invites you to attend the inaugural event in our Synthetic Biology: The Ongoing Technology Revolution Series. This initial event will introduce the science of synthetic biology, as well as the opportunities and risks it presents to both national security and the global economy. This event will serve as the first of four events, which will convene a diverse set of experts to discuss the security and economic policy implications of this critical emerging technology.
 
Synthetic Biology: The Ongoing Technology Revolution Series
 
Emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, and synthetic biology—drive security and economic competition and are increasingly shaping national strategies. To develop an effective strategy for synthetic biology, policy makers and the general public need a better understanding of synthetic biology’s underlying capabilities, state of development, and diverse applications. Through a series of four symposia, CSIS will explore synthetic biology’s wide-ranging applications—from advanced microelectronics and materials to nutrition and cosmetics —and opportunities to shape its future development in support of U.S. security and economic interests. This series will include targeted discussions on synthetic biology’s:

	Present and future potential as a critical emerging technology;
	Economic, societal, and international implications;
	National security opportunities and risks; and
	Implications for emerging technology policy.

CSIS hopes you will join us for our inaugural event on February 6and will continue the discussion in the events that follow.
 
This series of events is sponsored by Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.

The Present and Future Promise of Synthetic Biology

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell emerged on the national scene more than thirty years ago, and it is easy to forget that they were once allies. The two men collaborated closely in the successful American wars in Panama and Iraq during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. Returning to government service under George W. Bush in 2001, they (and their respective allies within the administration) fell into deep antagonism over the role America should play in a world defined by terrorism, the invasion of Iraq, and debates about unilateralism. Why did the rift between the two respected statesmen emerge? And what does the broken partnership suggest about U.S. foreign policy?



Please join Seth Center and the Project on History and Strategy for a discussion with James Mann about his new book on the intertwined careers of Dick Cheney and Colin Powell.   The Great Rift: Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and the Broken Friendship that Defined an Era   is a sweeping history of two statesmen whose rivalry and conflicting views of U.S. national security color our political debate to this day. In a wide-ranging, deeply researched, and dramatic narrative, James Mann explores each man’s biography and philosophical predispositions to show how and why this deep and permanent rupture occurred. Through dozens of original interviews and surprising revelations from presidential archives, he brings to life the very human story of how this influential friendship turned so sour and how the enmity of these two powerful men colored the way America acts in the world.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Book Talk: The Great Rift

At 11:00 PM on January 31st, the UK will formally withdraw from the European Union. How will the UK's foreign and security policy change? What security challenges will it prioritize? And will leaving the European Union bring the UK closer to the United States?
 Please join us for a conversation with former UK Secretary of State for Defense (2010-2011), former Secretary of State for International Trade (2016-2019), and Conservative MP from North Somerset Dr. Liam Fox. Dr. Fox will offer his reflections on the vitally important role NATO must play in the future, the role of values in national security, the security challenges that Russia and China pose to the UK, the impact of cyber warfare, and the role of non-state actors and proxy groups in fueling future conflicts.
 This event is made possible through generous support from the Stuart Family Foundation

The UK's Post-Brexit Foreign and Security Policy and the Centrality of NATO

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) invites you to attend a conversation with SAIC’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Defense Systems Customer Group Jim Scanlon. Mr. Scanlon is responsible for leading strategy, business development, and program execution for approximately $2.9 billion in support to the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Defense Logistics Agency.
 The discussion will explore the implications of the growing emphasis on technology competition with near peers and how the benefits of big data and artificial intelligence, highlighted in the Army Future Command data strategy, could be brought to the operating force. These overarching issues have important implications for technical services companies, whether they develop algorithms or balance system engineering tradeoffs. Jim Scanlon will discuss not only the role SAIC may play, but will also analyze the larger services market as it has been shaped by the complexity of multi-domain operations that are reliant on a diverse mix of interacting systems.   The purpose of the Main Street Defense event series is to highlight the unique opportunities and challenges faced by ‘Main Street’ companies in the defense industry. By broadening the conversation to include entities headquartered in America’s towns and cities beyond the top five defense contractors, and by providing a public platform for discussion, CSIS engage new voices and provides a setting for a dialogue on important factors affecting the entire defense and security sector today, different from those that we usually hear about.   Mr. Andrew Hunter will moderate the discussion with Mr. Scanlon. Please join us on Thursday, January 23 for this timely conversation.
 This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.  
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Military Advice and the “Forever War” in Afghanistan

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