The Weiser Diplomacy Center in collaboration with The University of Virginia National Security Policy Center and Meridian International Center will host a forum that will engage policymakers, military officials, academic experts, diplomats and other thought leaders to examine challenges and opportunities at the intersection of defense and diplomacy during this crucial transitional period in Afghanistan.
Free and open to the public. The war in Afghanistan is entering its eleventh year with the debate over continuing or withdrawing often reduced to little more than bumper sticker phrases. Former US ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann will discuss what is at stake, what may be possible and the political and strategic costs of both continuation and withdrawal. About the speaker Ronald E. Neumann is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary and has served as Ambassador to Algeria, Bahrain and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Terrorism is an inherently social phenomenon. While it is commonly assumed that terrorists kill and die for a cause, they are motivated and strengthened by social connections. This colloquium brings together researchers in this area to discuss terrorism's root causes in the interpersonal relationships between terrorists, competition between terrorist groups within societies, and strategic alliances between organizations. Note as of 10:00am 1/27: Erica Chenoweth and Michael Horowitz will be unable to join us due to inclement weather on the East Coast.