• Economics, Investment, and National Security -- Paul Stevens, President of the Investment Company Institute (ICI) spoke to NSF members about the current state of the U.S. and world economies, and their effect on U.S. national strategy and security.
• The U.S. / Israel Relationship -- Ambassador Michael B. Oren, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, spoke on the Israel / U.S. relationship, the threat of Iran's nuclear program, and other geopolitical trends in the Middle East.
• Symposium on Counter Terrorism -- The National Strategy Forum co-sponsored a one-day symposium with experts from the Institute for Counterterrorism based in Herliyza, Israel.  The experts addressed topics such as terrorist group recruitment over the Internet, current challenges in counter terrorism, and terrorist group fundraising.

Winter 2012

• Interview with the Grand Mufti of Pakistan -- The National Strategy Forum organized a conference call with the Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Muneeb-ur-Rheman, to discuss a recent fatwa he issued condemning suicide bombers.
• The Transatlantic Alliance -- Zsolt Nyiri, Ph.D., Director of the Transatlantic Trends program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, spoke about recent public opinion polls of Europeans and Americans that gauged the current perceptions and attitudes both had about the transatlantic alliance.  One finding was that Americans, particularly younger Americans, saw China as the future emphasis of security policy and foreign policy, whereas Europeans felt that the United States was still the most important.

• World Almanac of Islamism -- Ilan Berman, Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council and expert on Iran and the Middle East region, presented the AFPC's newest research on militant Islamism around the world.
• America the Vulnerable -- Joel Brenner, former Mission Manager for Counterintelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, spoke to the NSF about how our increasingly networked world is vulnerable to cyber attacks and cyber spies, and how these may be combated.
• Transitions and Challenges in the Military -- General Peter W. Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, addressed the current challenges to the U.S. military, including budget cuts, adapting to 21st century technology and warfighting, the drawdown in Afghanistan and Iraq, and helping veterans of the military after their service in these arenas.
• The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World -- Daniel Yergin, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction for his book, The Prize, spoke to the NSF about increasing energy demands around the world, the future of fossil fuels and our dependence on them, and how energy security affects foreign policy and national security.
• Media's Role in Achieving U.S. Objectives Abroad--Aaron Lobel, President and Founder of America Abroad Media, spoke to the NSF about AAM's mission and programs in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.

• Why Taiwan Matters--Professor Shelley Rigger discussed her new book, Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse, at the Union League Club of Chicago.  A book summary is available here. 

Spring 2011

• Taiwan's National Security Strategy -- President Ma Ying-jeou addressed an NSF audience in Chicago and a Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) audience in Washington, DC, via videoconference regarding Taiwan's three pronged national security strategy.  An event summary is available here.
• GITMO Operations -- Rear Admiral Jeffrey Harbeson, Commanding Officer, Joint Task Force for Guantanamo Bay, addressed current operations at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
• Morocco: Stability in North Africa and the Middle East --  His Excellency Aziz Mekouar, Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco to the United States, spoke to the NSF about the current events in the region, including the recent regime changes in Egypt and Tunisia and protests in Syria, Libya, and Bahrain that are pushing for democracy and/or regime change.
• Rethinking the Fundamentals of State-Building:  Roger Myerson, Ph.D., Nobel Memorial Prize Winner in Economics (2007) and Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, provided an analysis of current nation-building efforts by the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan, and recommendations for future strategy.

Winter 2011:

• Canada: Partnering with the U.S. to Secure North America:  Brian Lee Crowley, Managing Director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa, Canada, spoke to the NSF about the U.S./Canada strategic and economic relationship.
• Known and Unknown:  Donald M. Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense, talked about his experiences in government service, what drove certain policy decisions, and his relationships with former presidents Nixon, Ford, and George W. Bush.
• What's Next for Egypt?  The Players and Probabilities:  Panel presentation and Q&A with Cherif Bassiouni, distinguished research professor of law emeritus at DePaul University College of Law and expert on Middle Eastern affairs; Brian Endless, political science faculty at Loyola University Chicago; and Joseph Morris, former Chief of Staff and General Counsel of the U.S. Information Agency and former Assistant Attorney General in charge of internation liaision at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Fall 2010:

• Black Spots: Bill Banks, Professor at Syracuse Univesrity, discussed the emerging security issue of black spots around the globe and the importance of using local level analytical tools for researching these clandestine locations.  View the Bill Banks Event Summary  here.  
• A Decade of Indecision: Bill Smullen, former Chief of Staff for Colin Powell, discussed U.S. security policy in the post-9/11 era. 
• Environmental Security: Michael Greenberger, Director of the CEnter for Health and Homeland Security, talked about the recogntion and inclusion of the environmental instability in the U.S. national security strategy. 

Spring 2010:

• Drug War in Mexico: Peter Bensinger, Former DEA Administrator, discussed strategy for dealing with the cartels in Mexico and the illegal drug market in the United States.  View the event summary here. 
• War in the Middle East :General David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM, dialogued with the Union League Club of Chicago and the National Strategy Forum about the ongoing war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Winter 2010:

• War in Iraq: Major General Joseph Anderson, Chief of Staff, United States Forces-Iraq, discussed U.S. military strategy in Iraq and the plan for drawing down U.S. forces from the country.  View event summary.   
• Closing Guantanamo Bay: Brigadier General Tom Hemingway, Legal Advisor to the Convening Authority in the Department of Defense Office of Military Commissions, argued the pros and cons of closing Guantanamo Bay and using military commissions to try detainees.  View event summary. 
• Cyber Attack as an Instrument of Policy: Admiral William Owens, Kenneth Dam, and Herbert Lin, presented their new research about applying offensive cyber attack capabilities to U.S. national security policy.  View event summary. 

Fall 2009:

• Cyber Security: Stewart A. Baker, former Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, spoke about the current challenges to keeping our "virtual infrastructure" and communications secure.  View event summary.
• Taiwan:  Ambassador Jason C. Yuan of Taiwan spoke about U.S./Taiwan/China relations and the recent Taiwan elections. View event summary.
• Israel:  Ambassador Alon Pinkas of the Rabin Center in Tel Aviv addressed the U.S.-Israel relationship and current events in the region.
• Nepal:  Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala spoke on Nepal's democratization, its economy, and relationship with neighbors India and China.

Summer 2009

• Winning the Long War -- Ilan Berman, expert on Iran and Vice President for Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, spoke to the NSF about developing a long-term strategy for combating Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism.  View event summary.
• Leading the Charge -- General Anthony Zinni, USMC (Ret.), former Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and bestselling author, addressed the concept of leadership in today's interconnected world, and what will be required of America's future leaders in dealing with technology, foreign affairs, terrorism, and national security.  View event summary.

Spring 2009

• Protecting Those Who Serve -- Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and Executive Director of  Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), spoke to NSF members about the importance of veterans to national security, the economy, and to the social fabric of the U.S.
• Uncertainty in the Middle East -- Raja Kamal, Ph.D. of the University of Chicago provided NSF members with an overview of the current challenges in the Middle East region and potential U.S. response/strategy.

Winter 2009

• The Emerging Role of Non-Lethal Weapons -- The NSF hosted a lecture and Q&A with Jeff Kueter, President of the George C. Marshall Institute, and Col. Kirk W. Hymes, Director of the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate for the Department of Defense.

Fall 2008

• Margaret Daly Hayes, PhD, Vice President of Evidence Based Research, Inc. and Adjunct Professor at George Washington University, spoke to NSF members about the current geopolitical trends in Latin America, and opportunities and challenges for the U.S. in this region.
• Jimmy Gurule, Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame and former Under Secretary of Enforcement at the U.S. Treasury, spoke about strategies for stopping the flow of monies to terrorist organizations.  Professor Gurule is the author of the book, Unfunding Terror.

Spring 2008

• Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, Egyptian Ambassador to the United States, addressed the special challenges in preventing weapons proliferation, particularly nuclear, in the Middle East.  View event summary and photos.

• Lt. General David Valcourt, Deputy Commanding General / Chief of Staff, US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), discussed lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan and the recently updated Army Field Manual FM 3-0. View event summary and photos.

• Aaron Lobel, President and founder of America Abroad Media, discussed the importance of strategic communications and public diplomacy, and how non-governmental organizations can help the U.S. communicate its values to the Islamic world. View event summary and photos.

• "The Presidential Election and U.S. National Security":  Panel discussion featuring James C. Warren, Managing Editor-Features of the Chicago Tribune (moderator); Richard E. Friedman, President and Chair, National Strategy Forum; Andrew F. Krepinevich, PhD, President of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA); and John Allen Williams, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Loyola University Chicago. View event video, photos, and summary.

Winter 2008

• Jeremy Issacharoff, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel to the United States, spoke to a small group of NSF members about current events in Gaza and the Middle East.
• Admiral Timothy Keating, USN, Commander, US Pacific Command (PACOM) addressed the NSF about the challenges and opportunities of the Asia Pacific region. Read the event summary and view photos.
• "Perspectives on Iran", a co-sponsored event with the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, and DePaul University School of Law, featuring David Menashri, Director, Center for Iranian Studies, Tel Aviv University, and Mehdi Khalaji, Trained Shiite Theologian and Expert on Iranian clerical leaders; Visiting Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

• Leena Salim Moazzam, Counselor-on-Leave, Foreign Service of Pakistan, spoke to NSF members about the current economic and political situation in Pakistan, particularly in light of the assassination of Madame Bhutto, and the US/Pakistan relationship. View lecture transcript, summary, and event photos.

Fall 2007

• Spike Bowman, Deputy Director, National Counterintelligence Executive, Office of the Director of Intelligence, spoke to the National Strategy Forum about how the 16 US national security agencies and 100,000 intelligence professionals in the federal government coordinate and synthesize intelligence into specific, actionable information.
• Jean-Baptiste Main de Boissiere, Consul General of France in Chicago, addressed the National Strategy Forum on the subject of "France and the United States: The Old Alliance and New Challenges of the 21st Century".  Read the full summary of the Consul General's remarks.
• General David L. Grange, USA (Ret.), CNN military analyst and President/CEO of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, presented his analysis of General Petraeus' report to Congress in September 2007 regarding progress in Iraq, potential future strategies for the US, and "what next?"  In addressing US strategy in Iraq and in the region, he referred to the National Strategy Forum Review Fall 2007 issue on Asymmetry, and McCormick Tribune Foundation post-conference reports on Forging an Iran Strategy and US International Broadcasting.

Other Recent Speakers

• Speakers from the Institute of Counterterrorism, which is based at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herlizya, Israel, presented in all-day workshop on international terrorism and counterterrorism policy to members of local police departments, security professionals, and members of federal agencies.
• Enders Wimbush, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Future Security Strategies, Hudson Institute, addressed the long-term effects of the US presence in Iraq and the diminution of US primacy. Click here to open a written summary of his remarks (.pdf file).
• Joel F. Brenner, National Counterintelligence Executive and Mission Manager for Counterintelligence, Office of the Director of Intelligence, addressed current counterintelligence threats and how counterintelligence encompasses the security of electronic networks as well as security against traditional human penetrations.
• A. Ross Johnson, former director, Radio Free Europe, spoke about international broadcasting and its positive effect during the Cold War, and how these lessons can be applied today in the War on Terror. Mr. Johnson participated in an April 2007 conference on the subject of  Understanding the Mission of US International Broadcasting underwritten by the McCormick Tribune Foundation.
• Ilan Berman, Vice President for Policy, American Foreign Policy Council and author of Tehran Rising: Iran’s Challenge to the United States, spoke on possible US response to Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon, and the effect of a nuclear-armed Iran on the region.
• Ambassador Yoram Ben-Zeev, Deputy Director General for North America, Israel Foreign Ministry, addressed the recent Israel/Hezbollah/Lebanon relationship following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon during the summer of 2006.
• Catherine Ann Bertini, former Undersecretary for Management at the United Nations, spoke about UN reform and relevance in combating terrorism and providing worldwide humanitarian aid.
• Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State and author of The Mighty and the Almighty, discussed the influence of religion and religious fundamentalism on foreign policy and world affairs and called for increased care and nuance in crafting US foreign policy.
• General Anthony Zinni, USMC (Retired), former Commander, US Central Command, Author of The Battle for Peace (published 2006), spoke about US national security strategy and how relationships with both friends and foes affect US security.
• General Robert Magnus, Assistant Commandant, US Marine Corps, spoke about the role of the military in fighting terrorism and insurgencies.
• Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III, former Director of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq spoke about his experiences as outlined in his book, My Year in Iraq.