INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TERRORISM STUDIES AT

POTOMAC INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES

February 23, 2017

The 19th Annual Event

"International Cooperation in Combating Terrorism:

Review of 2016 and Outlook for 2017"

The year 2016 represents one of the most troubling security challenges since 9/11. The human, political, economic, and strategic global costs will continue to grow in 2017 without more effective international cooperation. A distinguished panel of experts discussed a wide range of related topics from the shifting security environment to “best practices” recommendations for the new U.S. administration and its partners abroad. 

Opening remarks were given by Michael S. Swetnam, CEO and Chairman of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. The panel was moderated by Professor Yonah Alexander, Director of the Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies and Senior Fellow of Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. The panel consisted of: Governor James S. Gilmore, III who served as the 68th governor of Virginia and, from 1999 to 2003, he chaired the Congressional Panel, known as the "Gilmore Commission," that assessed America’s capabilities to respond to a terrorist attack; Ambassador (ret.) Robert Hunter, former National Security Council Director of West European and Middle East Affairs and United States Ambassador to NATO and, currently, Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at SAIS; Brigadier General David G. Reist, USMC (Ret.), Operation Iraqi Freedom, Deputy Commanding General for Governance and Economics in Anbar Province (2006-2007); The Honorable Bijan R. Kian, the highest ranking Iranian-American to serve three U.S. presidents and also was the Deputy Lead on the Director of National Intelligence, Intelligence Community Landing Team on the Presidential Transition Team from November 2016 to January 2017; and Dr. David Ottaway, former Foreign Correspondent for The Washington Post and, currently, Middle East Fellow at The Wilson Center. Closing remarks were given by General Alfred Gray, USMC (Ret.), the Twenty-Ninth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and Senior Fellow and Chairman of the Board of Regents for the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.