FDD Events Podcast

Experts from FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program were scheduled to attend the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) annual conference at The Hague when they learned their attendance was blocked. Iran, Syria, and/or Russia – all known rogue proliferators—managed to veto the attendance of FDD observers. What are the chemical weapons and proliferation concerns associated with each of these rogue states and North Korea? What can Washington and allied nations do to hold them to account? FDD hosted an on-the-record event to discuss the state of global nonproliferation efforts, the role each of these proliferators play individually and in coordination with each other, and recommendations for addressing these issues.The event featured keynote remarks by Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation C.S. Eliot Kang followed by a panel discussion with Michael Allen, former special assistant to the president and NSC senior director for counterproliferation strategy; Anthony Ruggiero, senior director of FDD’s nonproliferation and biodefense program and former deputy assistant to the president for National Security Affairs and NSC senior director for counterproliferation and biodefense; and Andrea Stricker, FDD research fellow and deputy director of FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program. The conversation was moderated by Vivian Salama, national security reporter for The Wall Street Journal.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2022/11/30/rogue-proliferators-nonproliferation-threats-posed-by-iran-syria-russia-and-north-korea/

State-backed hackers and cybercriminals from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are stealing America’s technological edge and holding U.S. critical infrastructure at ransom. What are we doing to thwart or deter them?  Nearly four years ago, the congressionally mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) was tasked with developing a strategic approach to defend U.S. national security and economic interests in cyberspace. The commission put forward more than 80 concrete recommendations (in a 2020 report and six subsequent white papers) for what it would take for the U.S. government to succeed. More than 85 percent of these initial recommendations are fully or partially implemented or on track for implementation. Following the commission’s planned sunset, CSC 2.0 is continuing efforts to assess and implement its recommendations. How resilient are we in cyberspace today? What is still left to be addressed? Commission co-chairs Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) will join a discussion hosted by CSC 2.0 and FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation to discuss outstanding congressional and executive actions in cyberspace and the path forward for national cyber policy. The conversation will be moderated by Tim Starks, author of the Cybersecurity 202 newsletter at The Washington Post.  The event will coincide with the release of the second annual implementation assessment report. For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2022/09/21/assessing-americas-cyber-resiliency-a-conversation-with-the-csc-2-co-chairs/

In the unclassified fact sheet that accompanied the Pentagon’s 2022 National Defense Strategy, the department’s priorities included “defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC)” and “deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary, prioritizing the PRC challenge in the Indo-Pacific.” That document describes the PRC as “the most consequential strategic competitor and the pacing challenge for the Department.”If the United States hopes to field the modern and capable military forces urgently needed to deter and defeat aggression from the rapidly improving People’s Liberation Army (PLA), there is no time to waste. China is sprinting to field modern forces that can defeat the U.S. military, and absent urgent American efforts in coordination with allies and partners, Beijing may decide to use military force to accomplish its political objectives in the Pacific. INDOPACOM, the U.S. combatant command responsible for the Indo-Pacific region, is today’s most consequential frontline. To discuss the current threat from the PRC and what can be done to strengthen military deterrence in the vital INDOPACOM area of responsibility, FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP) and China Program host a discussion with INDOPACOM Commander Admiral John Aquilino. The conversation was moderated by CMPP Senior Director Bradley Bowman.For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2022/06/24/investing-to-deter-in-the-pacific-a-conversation-with-indopacom-commander-admiral-john-aquilino/