Events

Costing Out the Campaign against ISIS Hosted by NSN and the London Center for Policy Research November 6, 2014 Todd Harrison, Amanda Bowen, Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret.) and Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer (Ret.) The National Security Network and the London Center for Policy Research co-hosted a briefing on “Costing Out the Campaign against ISIS” for Hill staffers on November 6th. The briefing featured a panel that included Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer (Ret)., Senior Fellow at the London Center for Policy Research and Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow for Defense Budget Studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and was moderated by NSN Senior Advisor, Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret.) Harrison illuminated Hill staffers to the current costs of the military campaign waged against ISIS… Read More ›

NSN Luncheon and Discussion Negotiating a Deal with Iran: Overcoming Remaining Obstacles  DISCUSSION DETAILS: Using the United Nations General Assembly and the P5+1 sideline talks as a hook, National Security Network pulled together a panel of distinguished experts with unique professional perspectives on the P5+1 negotiations for a press luncheon. Our panel included foreign policy expert Dr. Les Gelb, Amb. John Limbert, the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran and former Iranian hostage, Amb. Ken Taylor, the former Canadian Ambassador to Iran during the Iran hostage crisis, and nuclear expert Dr. Jim Walsh of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Gelb’s remarks highlighted areas of U.S.-Iran cooperation after 9/11 and similarities and touched on Iran’s strategic regional importance and the consequences for Zarif… Read More ›

This past Friday, the National Security Network led a national security caucus in Detroit, Michigan at Netroots Nation 2014, an annual gathering of the nation’s progressive thinkers and leaders. John Bradshaw leads national security caucus at NN14 To read more about it, click here.   Read More ›

Iran, Iraq and Regional Security Threats Wednesday, June 25, 2014 9:00 AM Eastern Time As the violence in Iraq continues to swell and ISIS expands its controlled territory,  the Obama administration plans to send 300 military advisers to Iraq to assist the Iraqi military against the Sunni insurgents. At the same time the White House is attempting to manage the situation in Iraq, they are considering what role neighboring Iran could and should play in quelling the sectarian uprising. With increased diplomatic ties between Iran, the U.S., and its allies and the impending July 20th deadline to reach a final nuclear accord with the Islamic Republic, the idea of partnering with Iran holds promise for some and peril for others. EXPERTS Dr. Colin H. Kahl, Senior Fellow… Read More ›

Pay reform unlikely for years, budget experts say Critics say House committee members ‘chose pork and hardware over readiness’ By Leo Shane III May 14, 2014 | Army Times Meaningful military compensation reform is likely years away, and even then will happen only if the White House insists on a major overhaul, defense budget experts said Wednesday. In a conference call with reporters, a panel of progressive defense critics with the National Security Network blasted the House Armed Services Committee’s recently passed defense authorization bill for fiscal 2015, calling it a shortsighted plan that ducks budget realities. Committee members “chose pork and hardware over readiness,” said Gordon Adams, a former Clinton administration defense budget official. “They seem to imagine a parallel future where defense budgets… Read More ›

 Iran Nuclear Talks: Drafting a Final Deal Wednesday, May 14, 2014 11:00 AM Eastern Time Negotiators from the six world powers and Iran are meeting in Vienna to begin drafting a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. The panelists on this call will discuss prospects for the negotiations, essential elements of a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, and the effects of domestic politics on the international negotiations. Speakers Laicie Heeley Director of Middle East and Defense Policy, Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation Heeley’s work focuses on weapons proliferation, defense analysis, and Iran. She has published several reports on Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the effects of sanctions. Heeley has been a frequent contributor to CNN and her work has appeared in the Wall Street… Read More ›

Pentagon Budget: Insights into the NDAA Wednesday, May 14, 2014 9:00 AM Eastern Time The Pentagon Budget Campaign co-hosts press call with the National Security Network. With the full House of Representatives preparing to consider the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the experts on this call will provide insights into some of the contentious issues that might arise during the debate. The experts will also discuss questions surrounding the Overseas Contingency Operations account, and assess the impacts of sequestration on the Defense Department. Speakers, Gordon Adams Professor of International Relations at the School of International Service, American University Dr. Adams served as Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget, from 1991 through 1997. In that position he… Read More ›

Making a Good Deal with Iran Hosted by NSN and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation April 24, 2015 John Bradshaw, Dr. Colin Kahl, Paul Pillar National Security Network and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation hosted a briefing, “Making a Good Deal with Iran,” featuring Dr. Colin Kahl (Center for a New American Security) and Dr. Paul Pillar (Brookings Institute), and moderated by NSN’s Executive Director John Bradshaw. The panel discussed the key outstanding issues on the table in order for the P5+1 and Iran to reach a final agreement, Iran’s strategic considerations and intentions, and potential domestic and international spoilers. The event was well attended by House and Senate staffers. Read More ›

Relations with Russia: What Next? Wednesday, April 2, 2014 3:00 PM Eastern Relations with Russia remain tense after Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergay Lavrov met on Sunday in an attempt to make diplomatic progress on the situation in Ukraine. Russian troops have amassed along Ukraine’s eastern border as the Obama administration and officials in Kiev raise alarm and warn Russian President Vladimir Putin that further incursion into the country will have consequences. Join the National Security Network for a press call on Wednesday, April 2, as we explore the future of U.S.-Russia relations, the Crimea crisis and what it means for Russian expansion, how the ongoing conflict will affect current negotiations with Iran and the P5+1 countries and further attempts to… Read More ›

Vienna Talks: Assessing Negotiations with Iran Wednesday, March 19, 2014 11:00 AM Eastern Senior officials from  the P5+1 countries are scheduled to gather in Vienna, Austria next week for a new round of talks with Iran, aimed at halting the country’s nuclear ambitions. On Wednesday, March 19th, the National Security Network and ReThink Media will hold a press call looking to assess the diplomatic progress already made, expectations going forward, and what impact the crisis in Ukraine will have on Russia’s role in the negotiations. Speakers Ali Nader Alireza Nader is a senior international policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, and author of Iran After the Bomb (2013). His research has focused on Iran’s political dynamics, elite decision… Read More ›