The tumultuous US withdrawal from Afghanistan marked the end of America’s “forever wars” and also highlighted the shift in America’s focus – away from the Middle East and Central Asia and towards the Indo-Pacific.

General (ret.) David H. Petraeus, former head of the CIA and former commander of the US Central Command, will discuss America’s shifting strategic priorities in a conversation with the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore (MEI-NUS).

Among other things, the discussion aims to map out how the US’ focus on the Indo-Pacific will shape its military and intelligence strategies. It will also tackle the question of how Russia and China’s jockeying for strategic positioning vis-a-vis the US will affect security and the regional military balances. This session will be moderated by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow, (MEI-NUS).

This public talk was conducted online via Zoom on Tuesday, 19 October 2021, from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm (SGT).