Seminar Looks at Near East, South Asia Nontraditional Threats

FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, D.C. -- Officials and experts from around the Near East and South Asia gathered here to look at the security challenges in the region, National Defense University officials said.

More than 40 participants discussed nontraditional security challenges at an executive seminar sponsored by the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. The seminar ran Sept. 10-21.

The participants heard from a variety of speakers, including retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, the former director of the National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency; Lt. Gen. Michael X. Garrett, the commander of U.S. Army Central; and Dan Brouillette, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Discussion Topics

The participants discussed the coalition dedicated to the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the problems posed by Iran, increasing security cooperation and intelligence sharing. They also discussed threats arising from cyber warfare, weapons of mass destruction and energy security.

The executive seminars are the flagship events in the center’s annual set of 22 specialized programs. They provide a collaborative space for policymakers from the Near East-South Asia region to discuss geopolitical issues and cultivate relations with each other and the United States, officials said.

Participants in the seminar included representatives from Egypt, India, Iraq, Israel, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States.