FDD Events Podcast

The Biden administration is reported to have spent recent weeks drafting and consulting on a multiphase postwar plan for Gaza. As Israel continues to carry out its primary mission of destroying Hamas, significant questions remain on what may come next after the war ends, including what role Israel, the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Europe, among others, will play in supporting reconstruction, security, and long-term governance.President Biden has suggested that “Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority.” But does Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – 19 years into a four-year term – have the legitimacy among Palestinians? Can the Israelis – reeling from the aftermath of the deadliest attack on the Jewish state on October 7 – support such an arrangement, particularly in light of terrorist activities in the West Bank? What role and obligation do other countries have in the rebuilding efforts? What alternatives or creative arrangements might be worth pursuing?FDD hosts a virtual event featuring Eyal Hulata, former Israeli national security advisor under Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, and Ghaith al-Omari, senior fellow at The Washington Institute and former negotiator and advisor within the Palestinian Authority. The conversation will be moderated by Nahal Toosi, Politico foreign affairs senior correspondent, who recently authored a Politico article on this question.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/12/13/future-gaza-options-and-considerations-for-the-day-after-the-war/

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) campaign of malign influence across Latin America includes leveraging tools of financial exploitation, expansion of military and intelligence apparatuses, and growing pressure around ports and critical waterways. To this extent, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) poses a threat to the national security of the United States and allies. As Beijing implements a comprehensive campaign in Latin America to advance their interests to the detriment of the region, what is the United States doing to protect Americans and preserve a world order that embraces the freedom of navigation, fair trade, and the protection of the intelligence and national security?To address the challenges posed by the CCP in the Western Hemisphere, FDD’s China Program hosts a conversation with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) will deliver remarks, followed by a panel discussion moderated by HPSCI member Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), who will be joined by Dr. Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; Dr. Paul Angelo, director of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies; and FDD Senior Fellow Craig Singleton. For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/12/11/beijings-latin-america-exploitation-beyond-the-scif-with-house-permanent-select-committe-on-intelligence/

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a critical U.S. ally. It is one of three countries (along with Palau and Marshall Islands) that have signed Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) with the U.S. giving the U.S. extensive defense access, second only to what the U.S. has in the homeland. The COFAs forms the backbone of U.S. security architecture in the Central Pacific and facilitates U.S. freedom of deployment from Hawaii to the Philippines. FSM citizens can also live and work in the U.S. and serve in the U.S. military at high rates.Given its geographical location and its importance to the U.S., the FSM is the target of unrelenting People’s Republic of China (PRC) political warfare and grey zone operations, with the goal of pulling the FSM away from the U.S. and into Beijing's orbit. For example, currently key components of the Compacts are awaiting renewal by Congress, giving an opening for PRC influence campaigns to foster uncertainty about U.S. commitment to the region.Between 2022 and early 2023, then president of FSM, David W. Panuelo, wrote three letters describing in unprecedented detail for a head of state Chinese activity in his country and in the Pacific Islands area. He warned that not only were PRC activities corrupting the FSM and undermining democracy, they were an intrinsic part of Beijing Taiwan contingency planning.To update on the situation in FSM since he left government, FDD’s China Program is pleased to host former President of Micronesia David W. Panuelo for a discussion with FDD Non-Resident Senior Fellow Cleo Paskal. The conversation will be moderated by FDD Senior Fellow Craig Singleton with remarks by FDD Adjunct Fellow Richard Clark.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/12/01/chinas-pacific-coercion-a-conversation-with-former-president-of-micronesia-david-panuelo/

Modern critical infrastructure – including access to safe water, energy, communications, and transportation systems – is vital to American security and prosperity. And yet the existing private-public partnership governing framework – Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21) – is a decade old. To address the rapidly emerging technological changes and increased threats to critical infrastructure, the Biden administration has indicated it is reviewing and revising PPD-21. What are the shortcomings of PPD-21? How can improved public-private collaboration better protect U.S. national security, economic prosperity, and public health? What should the Biden administration be considering as it undergoes its important policy review?To discuss these questions, FDD and CSC 2.0 will host a panel with Kiersten E. Todt, former chief of staff of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and current senior advisor to CISA Director Jen Easterly; RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation and CSC 2.0 executive director; and Mary Brooks, policy fellow at the Wilson Center. The panel will be moderated by Martin Matishak, senior cybersecurity reporter for The Record.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/11/13/evolving-threats-stagnant-policies-a-conversation-on-how-to-secure-critical-infrastructure-for-the-cyber-era/

Protecting our government and private sector networks from state-backed hackers and cybercriminals is more important than ever and starts with having robust cybersecurity teams. However, as the demand for cybersecurity professionals rapidly grows, the supply has not matched pace, leading to hundreds of thousands of unfilled cybersecurity positions across the U.S. federal government and private sector. To address this gap, the Biden Administration released the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, a document with the ambitious goals on educating and training students and professionals to expand the cybersecurity workforce.To discuss the implementation of the strategy and strengthening the federal cyber workforce, FDD and CSC 2.0 are hosting an event with Camille Stewart Gloster, deputy national cyber director for technology and ecosystem security; Seeyew Mo, assistant national cyber director for workforce, education, and awareness; Jason Barke deputy associate director for strategic workforce planning at the Office of Personnel Management; Kristy Daphnis, senior executive in the Office of Performance and Personnel Management at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation and CSC 2.0 executive director. The panel will be moderated by Natalie Alms, staff reporter at Nextgov/FCW.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/11/06/mind-the-gap-federal-cybersecurity-workforce-initiatives/

The Republic of Turkey as designed 100 years ago by Kemal Ataturk was intended to be a stalwart member of the Western alliance. A founding member of the United Nations, an early member of NATO, and a candidate for European Union membership, Turkey was a trusted and reliable U.S. ally committed to secular governance and rule of law. Unfortunately, it will mark its centennial under a radically different guise. The two-decade rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has transformed Turkey to be defined by authoritarian nationalism, distanced from the West both as a people and a government. Following Hamas’s recent terrorist attacks on Israel, for example, policymakers in Washington are looking with increased scrutiny at Turkey’s deep dies with the terrorist organization.One hundred years on, what is the trajectory of Turkey as a geopolitical and security partner for the West? What are the core security concerns held by the United States and its allies vis-à-vis Turkey and what steps could Erdogan take to change course? How could policymakers support a more prosperous century ahead for the U.S.-Turkey relationship? To what extent can Ankara claim to be a member of the Western alliance, while providing material support to terrorist entities?Join FDD’s Turkey Program for a panel discussion featuring Henri Barkey, Cohen International Relations professor at Lehigh University and adjunct senior fellow at CFR; Sinan Ciddi, non-resident senior fellow at FDD; and Sibel Oktay, non-resident senior fellow at Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The conversation will be moderated by Amb. Eric Edelman, senior advisor at FDD, with introductory remarks by FDD Senior Vice President Jonathan Schanzer.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/10/26/turkey-at-100-under-the-grip-of-authoritarian-nationalism/

To counter a well-funded, Iran-backed “axis of resistance” seeking its destruction, Israel has spent more than a decade waging a “campaign between wars” — an unconventional multi-front campaign against Iran and its proxies that entails air, naval, cyber, sabotage, and psychological operations. Sometimes in cooperation with the United States, Israel has struck a wide array of targets inside Iran, penetrating Tehran’s defenses almost at will. These achievements have left a deep impression on governments in the region with some Arab countries having elected to de-prioritize historical animosities with Israel and normalize relations as mutual concerns about Iran loom large. In the wake of the recent attacks by Tehran-sponsored terrorists, leading to over 1,400 Israeli deaths, Israel’s intelligence apparatus is under study and scrutiny now more than ever. How did Hamas plan and execute an attack at such large scale under the nose of Israeli intelligence, and what lessons can be learned when thwarting Iranian nuclear ambitions?Jerusalem Post senior military correspondent, Yonah Jeremy Bob recently co-authored a new book, Target Tehran, which surveys, exposes, and analyzes Israel’s 20-year clandestine war against Iran’s nuclear program. Yonah has recently been on the ground in Israel on both the southern and northern fronts meeting with top political and military decisionmakers. To discuss the new book and the trajectory of Israel’s military and intelligence campaign to counter Iran, FDD hosts a conversation with Eyal Hulata, FDD senior international fellow and former Israeli National Security Advisor and NSC head, and Jonathan Schanzer, FDD senior vice president for research. The discussion will be moderated by Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network Enia Krivine. FDD Senior Fellow and Director of Research David Adesnik will provide opening remarks.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/10/13/xi-and-bidens-diplomatic-dance-apec-summit-and-the-future-of-us-china-relations/

China’s assertive moves in foreign policy, defense, economics, and human rights over the past year have reshaped geopolitics and international dialogue. With U.S.-China relations delicately at a crossroads, the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Asia Pacific Economic Forum in San Francisco promises to be more than just a bilateral meeting and could be a defining moment for international diplomacy.FDD hosts a discussion to dissect China’s aggressive moves, offer a rigorous assessment of the current state of U.S.-China relations, and deliberate on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the Biden administration. The conversation features Matt Pottinger, chairman of FDD’s China Program and former deputy national security advisor, who has been instrumental in shaping U.S. policy towards the Indo-Pacific; Craig Singleton, FDD senior fellow with over a decade of experience in national security roles focusing on East Asia; Human rights advocate Rayhan Asat, who brings a spotlight on international rights norms, particularly concerning Xinjiang; and the Honorable Nazak Nikakhtar, who served in key roles in international trade and national security at the Department of Commerce. The conversation will be moderated by Bloomberg’s White House Correspondent Michelle Jamrisko.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/10/13/xi-and-bidens-diplomatic-dance-apec-summit-and-the-future-of-us-china-relations/

As key international restrictions on Iran’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs are set to expire this month, Tehran supports, sponsors, and coordinates with terrorist groups like Hamas — who just brutally murdered over 1,200 Israelis. The United States and its allies are assessing how best to respond to the indiscriminate attacks on Israel while also actively seeking to mitigate fatal flaws of the 2015 nuclear deal and associated UN Security Council Resolution 2231. While the US has opted for a policy of declining pressure on Iran, the Islamic Republic has amassed enough material to produce a nuclear weapon in 12 days while simultaneously developing and testing more advanced ballistic missiles. To make matters worse, the Islamic Republic has booted inspectors from nuclear sites, leaving reduced international oversight.How can the US stand up to the murderous regime in Iran and its network of proxies? What exactly are the upcoming “sunsets” under UN Resolution 2231? How can the West mitigate the fallout of an effective greenlighting of Iranian sales of missiles and drones to Russia?To discuss Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities and its ongoing coordination with its global network of terror surrogates, FDD will host an event featuring: David Albright, founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security; Shannon Crawford, ABC News reporter; Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD senior fellow; Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power; Richard Goldberg, FDD senior advisor and former director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction; Eyal Hulata, FDD senior international fellow and former Israeli national security advisor; Anthony Ruggiero, senior director of FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program and former deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs and National Security Council senior director for counterproliferation and biodefense; Jonathan Schanzer, FDD senior vice president for research; Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Illinois’ 10th Congressional District; and Andrea Stricker, FDD research fellow and deputy director of FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/10/16/terror-sunsets-and-declining-pressure-countering-the-full-range-of-tehrans-threats/

Most Americans now recognize the serious threat the People’s Republic of China (PRC) poses to the United States. But many may not be aware of the comprehensive campaign Beijing is implementing in Latin America to advance the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) interests, undermine the United States, and put our homeland at risk.What is China doing in our hemisphere? Why does it matter? How is the United States responding? And what more can be done?FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP) hosts a conversation with Commander of U.S. Southern Command General Laura J. Richardson. As the Commander of SOUTHCOM, she is responsible for U.S. contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The conversation will be moderated by CMPP Senior Director Bradley Bowman.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/10/11/latin-americas-china-challenge-a-conversation-with-southcom-commander-general-laura-richardson/