NESA Center September 2016 Page

Building Relationships– Enhancing Security

Monthly Report September 2016

WASHINGTON–September 13-23, 2016–The second iteration of the NESA Center’s foundational Executive Seminar, titled “Beyond Sykes-Picot: Systems, States and Societies in the 21

st Century,”

brought together 43 senior diplomats, military officers and researchers from 25 countries throughout the NESA region. The theme of this seminar focused on the changing nature of the current balance of power, focusing especially on the rise of Russia and China against the de-facto hegemony of the West. The program, led by Professor Jennifer Jefferis, was designated into three sections: defining the global system, assessing contemporary threats and opportunities, and determining the prospects for the future. Participants were exposed to a variety of critical topics including economic development in the 21

st

century, understanding cyber related threats, media revolutions and security implications of religious extremism. Subject matter experts including Ambassador Kurt Volker, Executive Director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership and Dr. Maryann Love, Associate Professor at the Catholic University of America lent their expertise on the challenges and opportunities of transnational cooperation.

Executive Seminar: Moving Beyond Sykes-Picot

August 24, 2016–Participants arrive in front of the US Capitol Building.

Executive Seminar participants take a group photo outside the National Defense University

NESA Center September 2016 Page 2

Building Relationships– Enhancing Security

WASHINGTON–September 8, 2016–The NESA Center held its annual Washington Seminar Series,

hosted by Ambassador Craig Dunkerley and featuring David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent

for The New York Times.

Ambassador Dunkerley, Mr. Sanger and NESA Dean Roger Kangas discussed the 2016 Presidential

Campaign and its implications for American Foreign Policy. Topics discussed ranged from the work per-

sonalities of the two major contenders for the election to ongoing international crises in Eastern Europe

and the Middle East. Over 60 top diplomats, foreign officials and military liaisons attended the luncheon

discussion, including representatives from Jordan, Tunisia, Pakistan and Germany.

Washington Seminar Series

Dean Kangas Speaks at MEI

WASHINGTON–September 9, 2016–NESA Center Dean Roger Kangas was part of a panel hosted by the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) on U.S. and Russian coordination on Syria earlier this month. Dr. Kangas, an expert on Central and South Asia, Russia, and the South Caucasus, was joined by scholars from both SAIS and MEI. Dean Kangas along with Ambassador Robert Ford, Senior Fellow at MEI, and Dr. Henri Barkey, Direc-tor of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, discussed among other things how the coordina-tion on Syria would fit within broader U.S.-Russia relations and how Turkey's military intervention affects the prospects for establishing a national ceasefire in Syria.

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Building Relationships– Enhancing Security

Strategic Forum on Gulf Security

DOHA, Qatar–September 25, 2016–The NESA Center collaborated with the Center for International and

Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University’s campus in Doha, Qatar to hold a “Strategic Forum

on Gulf Security.” This partnership is the first that the NESA Center has ever undertaken with an Ameri-

can university based in the Gulf.

The Strategic Forum envisioned a small, scholarly, and expert group to exchange professional assess-

ments of pressing security issues in the Gulf. The forum featured about 30 speakers and attendees to

include many representatives from the diplomatic community in Doha. NESA Center faculty experts

who contributed to the proactive dialogue included Professors Gawdat Bahgat, Daniel Baltrusaitis, Cyn-

thia Pritchett, and Richard Russell.

During the forum, participants discussed a variety of these issues ranging from the balance of power

between key power brokers including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran, as well as the ongoing

war in Yemen, the Iran nuclear agreement and the ongoing threats of cyber-attacks.

Representatives from the embassies of Japan, the U.S., South Africa, and Austria participated in the

Forum. Scholars from Qatar University, Brookings Institution, and Kings College London also contribut-

ed their expertise to the Forum’s exchanges.

Alumni Reception in Jordan

AMMAN, Jordan–September 27, 2016–NESA Professor Gawdat Bahgat held a alumni reception. Close to 30 alumni spent the afternoon discussing their past experiences at NESA.

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Building Relationships– Enhancing Security

NESA-AFRICOM Capstone Review

TUNIS, Tunisia–September 6-9, 2016–The NESA Center in partnership with U.S. Africa Command held a Capstone and Wrap-up Strategic Review Workshop in Tunis, Tunisia. The workshop highlighted the “best of the best” from workshops and programs held by NESA throughout fiscal year 2016. “The Capstone acts as a barometer to recap and capture progress and attitudes/outlooks in the region,” said Anne Moisan, associate professor at NESA. More than 30 participants from Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Niger, and the United States attended the event. During the workshop, attendees shared experiences and proposed solutions/initiatives to some of the issues facing their country and the region. Several themes were present during discussions such as the need for good governance and how to reform and reintegrate returning fighters back into society. Though a capstone “pilot” workshop was held in 2015, this is the first year that a significant numbers of AFRICOM staff have had a more active role in the workshop and participated as commentators on the various discussions. “The ultimate goal of the program is to allow for the formulation of do-able, executable and practical regional solutions to regional problems,” Moisan said. One of the attendees used a popular Tunisian saying to sum up the benefits of the workshop. “Two opinions are better than one opinion…synergy really does work,” he said.

General Najim Photo

Spotlight: Former NESA Professor General Najim Al-Jabouri

MOSUL, Iraq–August 14, 2016–Former NESA Professor and Ninewa Commander Major General Najim Al-Jabouri, reviewing components of the Mosul liberation plan with Director Wolff and Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition Against ISIL, Brett McGurk.

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Building Relationships– Enhancing Security

Publications Bahgat, Gawdat. 2016. “Iran-Asia Energy Partnership: Economic and Strategic Implications.” Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Bahgat, Gawdat. 2016. “Verso Un Partenariato Energetico Iran-Europa?” Energia. Bahgat, Gawdat. 2016. “Gulf Politics: The Energy Factor.” Orient: German Near and Middle East Asso-ciation. Des Roches, David. 2016. “Amman alkhlyj: almustajadat alrrahinat waittijahat alttaslih fi almintaqa (Gulf Security: Current Developments and Weapons Trends).” Gulf Yearbook 2016. Payne, Jeffrey. 2016. “China Sets Up Shop in Africa.” Fair Observer.

NESA POC Seminar October 24-28

Washington New Embassy Orientation

October 24-28

NESA IISS Regional Security Conference

October 21-23

Executive Seminar October 25-November 4

Upcoming NESA Center Events

BARCELONA, Spain-September 25-27, 2016-The Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies in partnership with the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) conducted a “Violent Extremism Among Youth Workshop" in Barcelona. The focus of NESA-SSN-IEMed workshop was on topics that have resonated in the region among our growing community of Strategic Studies Network (SSN) security experts: youth, radicalization, de-radicalization, refugees, and security. In addition, a series of video interviews was also conducted during the program. 41 participants from Algeria, Belgium, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Libya, Moroc-co, the Netherlands, Spain, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States attended the event. Of the participants, 5 alumni from the College of Europe (EUNITED Against Extremism Team) were invited to present their CVE Peer-to-Peer (P2P) U.S. State – Facebook initiative. The workshop concluded NESA’s FY16 SSN program with the joint North Africa-Levant Working Group Workshop. This effort was led by NESA Faculty, Professors Anne Moisan and Jennifer Jefferis partner-ing with IEMed’s Ambassador Senen Florensa (Executive President) and Ms. Lurdes Vidal (Head of the Arab and Mediterranean World Department) and supported by Mr. Fahad Malaikah, Program Manager for the SSN.

Workshop on Violent Extremism Among Youth