Has the Central Intelligence Agency become the

Tactical Intelligence Agency?”

 With

 Rae Huffstutler

Former Executive Director, the CIA

 And other Intel community veterans

The Ramada Inn, Thursday, February 9, 9:00 am

Increasing attention has been directed at a covert intelligence war and paramilitary activities that have become a key part of American national security strategy. To a great extent implementation of this approach relies heavily on U.S. military Special Operations Forces and the paramilitary arm of the Central Intelligence Agency. The new warfare the CIA is engaged in is heavily dependent on the use of unmanned armed aircrafts (drones) and covert operations in key areas of concern – Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere. This has led some observers to assert that the CIA has relegated its decades long principle focus on strategic analysis to a secondary position as it becomes, in essence, “The Tactical Intelligence Agency”.

We are fortunate to have Rae Huffstutler with us for this discussion. A graduate of U.C. Berkley with a degree in Economics, he joined the CIA in 1958 and spent much of his career analyzing the USSR. He headed up the Soviet division and was the Director of the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC). Huffstutler’s last assignment was as the Executive Director (COO) of the CIA. In those roles he guided the Agency’s evolution in technical collection and analysis and the rise of the CIA as the preeminent analytical and estimate agency (diminishing the role of the military services).

 We will use a different format for this session – more a “Meet the Press” style interview. We will want to ask Rae about the role of the CIA in developing Soviet estimates, the increasing importance of overhead photography, the tension between policy makers and analysts, and specific activities. This will include addressing the charge that the Agency now and in the past has been engaged in “targeted assassinations”, previously by such means as phony cigars but today through the employment of UAVs, Special Forces, and “cyber intrusion”.

  We will also get comments from some veterans of the Intelligence community who are part of our NSF. Please join us for what will most certainly be an informative and provocative discussion.

 Please RSVP (ACCEPTANCES ONLY)by clicking this link or by calling 746-3222. A complete breakfast will be served. There will be a $15 dollar charge at the door for the presentation and breakfast. We recommend arriving by 8:30 to enjoy some pre-presentation food and conversation.

]]> http://nationalsecurityforum.net/meetings/nsf-meeting-february-9th-militarization-of-the-cia/feed/ 0 http://nationalsecurityforum.net/meetings/nsf-meeting-jan-26-islam-and-the-arab-turmoil/ http://nationalsecurityforum.net/meetings/nsf-meeting-jan-26-islam-and-the-arab-turmoil/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:47:32 +0000 Maria http://nationalsecurityforum.net/?p=742 Continue reading →]]> The National Security Forum Presents:

“Islam and the Arab Turmoil”

 With

 Richard Hobbs, John Jandali, and Larry Martines

 The Ramada Inn, Thursday, January 26^th, 9:00 am

The Arab Spring showed early promise of ushering in an era of democracy in the Mideast, but recent events raise instead the specter of Islamic militants seizing power, the peace treaties and tacit arrangements with Israel disintegrating, and Iranian influence spreading. Our distinguished panel will first look at the ideological underpinnings of Islam—how Jihadist in orientation is the religion and what influence does that belief system have in driving events today? The primary focus of the panel, however, will be on analyzing the dynamic political changes underway in the region, following the Egyptian elections (where the Islamic parties won a majority), Syria on the precipice of civil war, unrest in Iran, and ferment in formerly stable monarchies (Bahrain). We will also look at how key Islamic groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood are faring.

COL/Dr. Dick Hobbs will begin the program with an overview of the influence of Islam on contemporary Muslims. Hobbs will assert that Islam is fundamentality a totalitarian ideology, not a religion in the Western sense, but a guide for every aspect of life. He will show that Islam commands the creation of a government ruled by Sharia, that it is a capital crime to leave Islam – apostasy – that violence supersedes toleration – abrogation – and that while there are moderate Muslims, there is no moderate Islam.

Dr. John Jandali will analyze events in Egypt and Syria, primarily. The recent parliamentary elections in Egypt have given more than 60% of the vote to Islamist parties. What does that mean? Can the U.S., or should the U.S., work with the Muslim brotherhood? Syria has descended into virtual civil war, with the minority Alawite (Shia) government under Bashar al-Assad combating a revolution led by the majority Sunnis. Jandali will also touch on unrest in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

Larry Martines will direct special attention to the current condition and future influence of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Should the Syrian government fall, what would this mean for Lebanon, and in particular, Hezbollah. How strong is Iranian influence with both groups, and to what extent will the turmoil in the Middle East, and in Iran itself, impact these groups.

COL/Dr. Richard Hobbs is a retired combat infantry officer, professor, and businessman. He has worked, taught, and written in the international arena for over 50 years including at the Pentagon, the State Department, and in international operations for a major corporation. A.F. John Jandali is of Syrian descent, has a PhD in international politics & economics, is a former professor of Political Science (Wisconsin, UNR), and for the last two decades has been in the private sector, currently VP/ General Manager of Boomtown Casino Reno. Larry Martines, former Director of Nevada Homeland Security, retired from a major law enforcement agency. He is a consultant for “three letter” government agencies on international terrorism, has been a multi-national corporate security chief, and has served on a RAND Global Terrorism think tank.

Please RSVP (ACCEPTANCES ONLY)  by calling 746-3222. A complete breakfast will be served. There will be a $15 dollar charge at the door for the presentation and breakfast. We recommend arriving by 8:30 to enjoy some pre-presentation food and conversation.

 “The European Economic Crisis:

Implications for the U.S.”

 With

 Dr. Gerald O’Driscoll

 Senior Fellow, the CATO Institute

The Ramada Inn, Thursday, January 5^th, 9:00 am

 Some time back we believed the worst possible outcome to the European fiscal crisis was a Greek default. Now a much wider disaster seems all too likely as the Eurozone could become the center of another global financial crisis. Markets have lost faith, driving up interest rates and threatening the stability of even major states, Italy most importantly. (Italy owes $2.5 trillion and must refinance $530 billion of that debt in 2012. It recently issued new debt at 8%, a rate that—if sustained—could force the country into default). A full-blown breakup of the Eurozone, given the exposure of American banks and investors there, would undoubtedly spread the crisis to U.S. financial institutions.

A sense of how vulnerable the U.S. economy could be if the euro currency union cracks apart is scary, especially if one considers the volume of American exports to the euro zone—about $330 billion a year—and several hundred billions more in U.S. investments and several trillions of dollars of other financial contracts between the two economies. U.S. banks alone have more than $220 billion at risk through investments in German and French banks alone.

Will European countries return to local currencies? Would that provoke civil strife in Europe (UBS AG predicted just that)? Would a disorderly collapse of the euro-zone lead to a global financial crisis? The new Chairman of the JCS has openly worried that the defense budgets of our European allies will decline precipitously. Warranted?

Gerald O’Driscoll is a widely quoted expert on banking and monetary policy. He has served as Director of the Center for International Trade and Economics at the Heritage Foundation, was VP and Director of policy analysis at Citigroup, and was VP and senior advisor at the Dallas Fed.  Dr. O’Driscoll holds a PhD in economics from UCLA and has appeared on Fox, CNBC, Bloomberg and other media outlets.

The session will be held at the Ramada Inn on East 6^th St between Sutro and Wells Avenues. A full breakfast will be served ($15 payable at the door). Please RSVP to this email or by calling 746-3222 (ACCEPTANCES ONLY!). The session is open to the public but we do need RSVPs from those wishing to attend. Coffee will be on at 8:15, the breakfast out by 8:30. Come early and enjoy some conversation with old friends.

Links to articles:

Click here: Austerity Reigns Over Euro Zone as Crisis Deepens – NYTimes.com

Click here: Nobody Understands Debt – NYTimes.com

And what does it all mean for Israel?

The Ramada Inn, Thursday, October 6th, 9:00 am

Given the rapid changes in the Middle East, some NSF participants have suggested a session where we can assess what is happening with the “Arab Spring”. Obviously events in Libya, Egypt and Syria have not been entirely positive and have raised fears that follow-on regimes may be worse than “the dictators we knew”. Furthermore, these developments certainly have not been a plus for Israeli security concerns. Ty will lead a round table discussion with Larry Martines, Dick Hobbs and John Jandali on these topics.

“Global Terrorism after Osama bin Laden: The Road Ahead for Al Qaeda and associated terrorist groups”

With

General John Abizaid

And

LTC Reid Sawyer

The Ramada Inn, Wednesday, June 8^th, 9:00 am

GEN Abizaid is the former Commanding General of the U.S. Central Command, overseeing American military operations in a 27-country region from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia. Abizaid earlier commanded the first infantry division, a brigade of the 82^nd and a battalion of the 325^th airborne regiment. He deployed with the battalion in northern Iraq in Desert Storm, served with UN Operations in Lebanon, was the J-5 (Strategic Plans/Policy) on the Joint Staff, and was deputy commander of the combined forces command during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Abizaid grew up in Coleville and played several sports in the Western Nevada Small School Athletic Conference.

LTC Sawyer is the head of the “Combating Terrorism Center” at West Point, where GEN Abizaid is the Distinguished Chair. He has served in a variety of special operations and assignments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and South America. He advises a number of federal agencies regarding terrorist threats and is a principal in the development of the National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terror.

They will do a joint presentation focused on the likely path of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s demise.  They will discuss the difficulties and opportunities for extremists in the region as they (and we) struggle to understand the meaning of the “Arab Spring”.   They will evaluate the options for US policy makers with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the broader Middle East as the war against terror continues.

Please RSVP (ACCEPTANCES ONLY) by calling 746-3222. A complete breakfast will be served. There will be a $20 dollar charge at the door for the presentation and breakfast. We recommend arriving by 8:30 to enjoy some pre-presentation food and conversation.

Since we expect a full house for this extraordinary presentation, we recommend making reservations as soon as possible. The NSF will also be making a contribution to the Countering Terrorism Center – hence, the extra $5 for this session.