Fall 2009:

• Cybersecurity: Stewart A. Baker, former Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, spoke about the current challenges to keeping our "virtual infrastructure" and communications secure.  View event summary.
  
• Taiwan:  Ambassador Jason C. Yuan of Taiwan spoke about U.S./Taiwan/China relations and the recent Taiwan elections. View event summary.
• Israel:  Ambassador Alon Pinkas of the Rabin Center in Tel Aviv addressed the U.S./Israel relationship and current events in the region.  View event summary.
  
• Nepal:  Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala spoke on Nepal's democratization, its economy, and relationship with neighbors India and China.

Summer 2009

• Winning the Long War -- Ilan Berman, expert on Iran and Vice President for Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, spoke to the NSF about developing a long-term strategy for combating Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism.  View event summary.
• Leading the Charge -- General Anthony Zinni, USMC (Ret.), former Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and bestselling author, addressed the concept of leadership in today's interconnected world, and what will be required of America's future leaders in dealing with technology, foreign affairs, terrorism, and national security.  View event summary.

Spring 2009

• Protecting Those Who Serve -- Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and Executive Director of  Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), spoke to NSF members about the importance of veterans to national security, the economy, and to the social fabric of the U.S.
• Uncertainty in the Middle East -- Raja Kamal, Ph.D. of the University of Chicago provided NSF members with an overview of the current challenges in the Middle East region and potential U.S. response/strategy.

Winter 2009

• The Emerging Role of Non-Lethal Weapons -- The NSF hosted a lecture and Q&A with Jeff Kueter, President of the George C. Marshall Institute, and Col. Kirk W. Hymes, Director of the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate for the Department of Defense.

Fall 2008

• Margaret Daly Hayes, PhD, Vice President of Evidence Based Research, Inc. and Adjunct Professor at George Washington University, spoke to NSF members about the current geopolitical trends in Latin America, and opportunities and challenges for the U.S. in this region.
• Jimmy Gurule, Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame and former Under Secretary of Enforcement at the U.S. Treasury, spoke about strategies for stopping the flow of monies to terrorist organizations.  Professor Gurule is the author of the book, Unfunding Terror.

Spring 2008

• Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, Egyptian Ambassador to the United States, addressed the special challenges in preventing weapons proliferation, particularly nuclear, in the Middle East.  View event summary and photos.

• Lt. General David Valcourt, Deputy Commanding General / Chief of Staff, US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), discussed lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan and the recently updated Army Field Manual FM 3-0. View event summary and photos.

• Aaron Lobel, President and founder of America Abroad Media, discussed the importance of strategic communications and public diplomacy, and how non-governmental organizations can help the U.S. communicate its values to the Islamic world. View event summary and photos.

• "The Presidential Election and U.S. National Security":  Panel discussion featuring James C. Warren, Managing Editor-Features of the Chicago Tribune (moderator); Richard E. Friedman, President and Chair, National Strategy Forum; Andrew F. Krepinevich, PhD, President of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA); and John Allen Williams, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Loyola University Chicago. View event video, photos, and summary.

Winter 2008

• Jeremy Issacharoff, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel to the United States, spoke to a small group of NSF members about current events in Gaza and the Middle East.
• Admiral Timothy Keating, USN, Commander, US Pacific Command (PACOM) addressed the NSF about the challenges and opportunities of the Asia Pacific region. Read the event summary and view photos.
• "Perspectives on Iran", a co-sponsored event with the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, and DePaul University School of Law, featuring David Menashri, Director, Center for Iranian Studies, Tel Aviv University, and Mehdi Khalaji, Trained Shiite Theologian and Expert on Iranian clerical leaders; Visiting Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

• Leena Salim Moazzam, Counselor-on-Leave, Foreign Service of Pakistan, spoke to NSF members about the current economic and political situation in Pakistan, particularly in light of the assassination of Madame Bhutto, and the US/Pakistan relationship. View lecture transcript, summary, and event photos.

Fall 2007

• Spike Bowman, Deputy Director, National Counterintelligence Executive, Office of the Director of Intelligence, spoke to the National Strategy Forum about how the 16 US national security agencies and 100,000 intelligence professionals in the federal government coordinate and synthesize intelligence into specific, actionable information.
• Jean-Baptiste Main de Boissiere, Consul General of France in Chicago, addressed the National Strategy Forum on the subject of "France and the United States: The Old Alliance and New Challenges of the 21st Century".  Read the full summary of the Consul General's remarks.
• General David L. Grange, USA (Ret.), CNN military analyst and President/CEO of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, presented his analysis of General Petraeus' report to Congress in September 2007 regarding progress in Iraq, potential future strategies for the US, and "what next?"  In addressing US strategy in Iraq and in the region, he referred to the National Strategy Forum Review Fall 2007 issue on Asymmetry, and McCormick Tribune Foundation post-conference reports on Forging an Iran Strategy and US International Broadcasting.

Other Recent Speakers

• Speakers from the Institute of Counterterrorism, which is based at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herlizya, Israel, presented in all-day workshop on international terrorism and counterterrorism policy to members of local police departments, security professionals, and members of federal agencies.
• Enders Wimbush, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Future Security Strategies, Hudson Institute, addressed the long-term effects of the US presence in Iraq and the diminution of US primacy. Click here to open a written summary of his remarks (.pdf file).
• Joel F. Brenner, National Counterintelligence Executive and Mission Manager for Counterintelligence, Office of the Director of Intelligence, addressed current counterintelligence threats and how counterintelligence encompasses the security of electronic networks as well as security against traditional human penetrations.
• A. Ross Johnson, former director, Radio Free Europe, spoke about international broadcasting and its positive effect during the Cold War, and how these lessons can be applied today in the War on Terror. Mr. Johnson participated in an April 2007 conference on the subject of  Understanding the Mission of US International Broadcasting underwritten by the McCormick Tribune Foundation.
• Ilan Berman, Vice President for Policy, American Foreign Policy Council and author of Tehran Rising: Iran’s Challenge to the United States, spoke on possible US response to Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon, and the effect of a nuclear-armed Iran on the region.
• Ambassador Yoram Ben-Zeev, Deputy Director General for North America, Israel Foreign Ministry, addressed the recent Israel/Hezbollah/Lebanon relationship following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon during the summer of 2006.
• Catherine Ann Bertini, former Undersecretary for Management at the United Nations, spoke about UN reform and relevance in combating terrorism and providing worldwide humanitarian aid.
• Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State and author of The Mighty and the Almighty, discussed the influence of religion and religious fundamentalism on foreign policy and world affairs and called for increased care and nuance in crafting US foreign policy.
• General Anthony Zinni, USMC (Retired), former Commander, US Central Command, Author of The Battle for Peace (published 2006), spoke about US national security strategy and how relationships with both friends and foes affect US security.
• General Robert Magnus, Assistant Commandant, US Marine Corps, spoke about the role of the military in fighting terrorism and insurgencies.
• Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III, former Director of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq spoke about his experiences as outlined in his book, My Year in Iraq.