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National security is a local issue. One of the most important missions of the Network is to strengthen citizen support for responsible foreign policy throughout the country. We bridge the divide between experts and citizens, by offering local communities the chance to get involved, promote their own national security experts and leaders, and engage with experts from Washington and around the world.

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We have strong and established chapters in Ohio, Iowa, and Florida, which host events, develop policy positions and dialogues, work with the media and engage the community at every level. In 2008, we are building our presence in Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, California, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Michigan, and New York. To join, or to strengthen the national security dialogue in your community, please contact us.

Chaos in Afghanistan

Florida 25 June 2008

Mark Schneider, former head of the Peace Corps and now a senior vice president with the International Crisis Group, delivered the first lecture in the Human Rights and National Security in the 21st Century summer lecture series at Florida State University (FSU) on Monday, June 23rd '08. His topic was Chaos in Afghanistan. More than 100 students, faculty and members of the local community were in attendance including, students and faculty from Florida A & M University and Tallahassee Community College.

Schneider asserted that Afghanistan poses a far greater national security threat to America than any other country in the region. He told the audience that the U.S. must partner with other nations to bring about real peace and the rule of law to a country that has seldom experienced either. Otherwise, Schneider predicted that chaos in Afghanistan will destabilize the entire region. Despite the billions of dollars that the U.S. has spent in Afghanistan thus far, Schneider emphasized that the strong ties between the Taliban and Al Qaeda that have been reestablished while the U.S. focused upon Iraq make Afghanistan an ideal staging area to launch new terror attacks on the West.

Beyond those in attendance, the lecture generated significant media play. In addition to an article that appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday, June 24th, which ran in several other Gannett newspapers throughout the state, the lecture was taped and will be televised periodically on FSU's educational cable channel in several surrounding counties over the course of the next few months. The lecture was also covered by local television news and FSU's NPR/Florida Public Radio programming. Florida Public Radio produced an independent news segment that aired separately. Moreover, the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the University's student publication, ran an advance story the week prior to the lecture and will be doing a follow-up in its next weekly edition.

This lecture series, which is sponsored by FSU's Center for the Advancement of Human Rights (FSU/CAHR) in collaboration with the National Security Network, examines human rights interests and national security imperatives within the context of the U.S.-led "War on Terror." The series was launched last fall when Richard Clarke and Rand Beers traveled to Tallahassee to deliver the initial lecture.

In January '08, in collaboration with Human Rights First (NY), FSU/CAHR featured three retired generals including, a retired Lt. Gen. and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, who spoke out against enhanced interrogation practices and torture. In March, FSU/CAHR featured Emilio Gonzalez, who served as director of USCIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) and as an Under Secretary within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the time, addressed the national security implications of U.S. immigration policy.

FSU/CAHR intends to stage at least one more summer lecture at some point in late July/early August and then at least another few during the fall semester leading up to the general election on Nov. 4.