On May 2, USIP hosted NATO Defense College (NDC) Senior Course 120, which consisted of 74 senior military officers from 31 countries worldwide, as part of the group's Transatlantic Field Study trip to Washington, DC. NDC Dean Dr. Richard Hooker and Brigadier General Patrick Desjardins of France, dean of Academic Operations, led the delegation; Daria Daniels Skodnik coordinated the trip for NDC.

May 7, 2012

Photo: USIP Senior Vice President Pamela Aall (right) with Amb. Tina Kaidanow, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs (center), and Daria Daniels Skodnik of the NATO Defense College (right)

On May 2, USIP hosted NATO Defense College (NDC) Senior Course 120, which consisted of 74 senior military officers from 31 countries worldwide, as part of the group's Transatlantic Field Study trip to Washington, DC. NDC Dean Dr. Richard Hooker and Brigadier General Patrick Desjardins of France, dean of Academic Operations, led the delegation; Daria Daniels Skodnik coordinated the trip for NDC.

Pamela Aall, provost of USIP's Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding, welcomed the group and introduced Ambassador Tina Kaidanow, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, to address the students. Ambassador Kaidanow provided a preview of the upcoming NATO Summit in Chicago as well an overview of U.S. foreign policy challenges and priorities, with a special focus on the central role of Europe in helping maintain international security.

The discussion continued with an overview of the Institute's role, mission, and programs by USIP Chief of Staff Paul Hughes. Hughes was followed by a panel discussion on key and emerging nuclear issues by USIP experts Michael Lekson, Bruce MacDonald and Brian Rose. The session emphasized future challenges for deterrence, prospects for and implications of further negotiated reductions in nuclear weapons, and challenges affecting the health of the international nonproliferation regime.

The group also had meetings on the Hill as well as at the White House and the Pentagon, and visited Arlington National Cemetery.

Related Publications

What a Transitional Government in Haiti will Require to Succeed

What a Transitional Government in Haiti will Require to Succeed

Thursday, March 28, 2024

By: Nicolás Devia-Valbuena;  Keith Mines

After weeks of consultations, and amidst a near total breakdown of law and order in Haiti, a Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-led effort to create a new transitional governing council may be nearing completion. The council’s establishment would allow for the entry of a multinational security force that would then be able to join with the Haitian National Police and restore order. Some have suggested the inclusion of “enablers” for the new security force — air support, drones, intelligence. But to gain the trust of the Haitian people, the new governing council will need its own popular “enablers,” a systematic way to include many more sectors of Haitian society that are currently ignored or deliberately excluded from governance.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D.;  Gavin Helf, Ph.D.;  Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.;  Andrew Watkins

On Friday, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow leaving 140 people dead and 80 others critically wounded. Soon after, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group, which is headquartered in Iraq and Syria, has several branches, including in South and Central Asia. Press reports suggest the U.S. government believes the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was behind the attack. The Biden administration has publicly noted that it had warned the Russian government of the terrorism threat in early March in line with the procedure of “Duty to Warn.”

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

By: Robert Barron

On March 25, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 2728, calling for an “immediate” cease-fire in Gaza. The motion’s passage came after weeks of back and forth and posturing among the UNSC’s permanent and rotating members. The exact phrasing of the resolution and its relevance to the situation on the ground, as well as bilateral and multilateral relations — particularly U.S.-Israel ties — have been the subject of heavy public and media attention since Monday, raising questions about the resolution’s subtext, intent and limitations. USIP’s Robert Barron looks at these questions.

Type: Question and Answer

Global PolicyPeace Processes

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Dean Cheng;  Sameer P. Lalwani, Ph.D.;  Daniel Markey, Ph.D.;  Nilanthi Samaranayake

Since deadly clashes between India and China on their 2,100-mile disputed border — known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — nearly four years ago, the two countries have remained in a standoff and amassed an increasing number of troops on either side of the LAC. While India and China have held regular exchanges at the corps commander level since 2020, each side has also continued to militarize and invest in infrastructure in the high-altitude border regions, which may exacerbate risks of clashes or escalation. India-China competition has also deepened beyond the land border, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

View All Publications