On the Line

Today we have Corrado Catesi on the line. Corrado is the head of the "Works of Art Unit" at INTERPOL, leading the world police organization’s efforts to protect works of art and cultural heritage from crime. Today we’re asking him to zero in on Daesh antiquities and art smuggling: what the industry looks like, why we should be concerned about it, and how to stop it.

Today we have Charlie Winter on the line. Charlie is a communications expert who specializes in terrorism and insurgency. He is currently working on his PhD for King’s College London examining how militant groups cultivate creative approaches to governance and war. He’s here to help us unpack all things Daesh propaganda: the strategy driving it, how it has evolved, and how to counter it. 

Today, we have Patrick Stevens on the line. Patrick is the Director of INTERPOL’s Counter-Terrorism unit, and in this role he leads worldwide efforts to prevent the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. We’re very pleased to have Patrick with us today to discuss challenges and opportunities related to foreign fighters – detecting them, prosecuting them, and everything in between.

Today we have Brigitte Nacos on the line. Brigitte is an accomplished journalist, author, and academic. She is here to speak to us about Daesh’s propaganda machine, why media coverage of terrorism matters, and how to counter the ideological threat posed by Daesh. To read more of Brigitte’s work, check out her blog: https://www.reflectivepundit.com/reflectivepundit/

 | Today we have Major General Chris Ghika on the line. Gen. Ghika is the Deputy Commander of Operation Inherent Resolve – the military operation set up to tackle Daesh in Iraq and Syria. 33 Coalition partners have so far provided troops to support the operation. Gen. Ghika joins us from Baghdad, where he has been serving in his current role since 2018. 

Today we have Hugo De Vries and Jim Sawatzky on the line. Hugo and Jim are specialists with the United Nations Development Program working to stabilize liberated areas in Iraq. Both based in Mosul, Hugo focuses on West Mosul and Jim concentrates his efforts on the East. We’re excited to have them here to discuss their experiences working on stabilization projects in Mosul and to offer their insight about what can be done to rehabilitate areas formerly held by Daesh.