Geoffrey Kemp has released a new report on U.S. power and the strategic environment in the Indian Ocean and South China Seas entitled Maritime Security East of Suez: Sustaining the U.S. Role as the Key Policeman in Times of Change.

Robert Leiken has released a new report on the situation in Mexico, entitled Mexico's Drug War.

On October 9, leading China experts David Shambaugh and David Lampton spoke about the 18th Party Congress, planned for early November, at which some key personnel decisions at the top of the Chinese hierarchy will be rolled out. They also addressed the potential impact the new personnel and the transition process could have on the U.S.-China relationship.

A summary is available here.

On September 20, The National Interest hosted remarks by Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations following his recent major article on Iranian foreign policy. National Interest editor Robert Merry moderated the discussion.

A summary of Takeyh's remarks can be found here.

On September 18, the Center for the National Interest hosted remarks by Gen. Ehsan ul Haq (Ret.), the former Chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence. Gen. Charles G. Boyd (Ret.) moderated.

A summary of the on the record portion of Gen. ul Haq's remarks can be found here.

On September 14th, Dr. Fumiaki Kubo of the University of Tokyo and Wallace "Chip" Gregson of the Center for the National Interest discussed the recent evolution of the Japan Self Defence Forces' structure, role, and legal status, and implications for the alliance with the United States.

A summary of the event is available here.

On September 12, the Center for the National Interest hosted Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Georgian Labor Party. Center President Dimitri Simes moderated.

A summary of his remarks is available here.

On September 11, two prominent experts on the U.S. military discussed the military balance in the Pacific and the new AirSea Battle concept that has garnered significant attention in American strategic circles. T.X. Hammes of the National Defense University and Jim Thomas of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments spoke; Wallace "Chip" Gregson, Director of the China Program at the Center for the National Interest, moderated.

A summary is available here.

On August 29, a panel at the Center for the National Interest discussed the controversial actions of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot. The two discussants were Andranik Migranyan, Director of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation and an informal advisor to the Putin administration, and Nikolas Gvosdev, Professor of National Security Studies at the Naval War College. Center President Dimitri Simes moderated.

A summary is available here. The event was broadcast on C-SPAN; footage is available here.
 

On August 22, the Center for the National Interest held a discussion with Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011. With the relationship between the two countries at historic lows and given their divergent interests, Haqqani argued that it would be best to move beyond the alliance. Geoffrey Kemp, the Director of the Center's Regional Security Program, moderated.

A full summary of this event can be found here.

On August 13, the Center for the National Interest hosted Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, for a discussion on the relationship between taxes and America's foreign policy. Robert Merry, editor of The National Interest, moderated.

A summary of Norquist's remarks is available here; Norquist's remarks were broadcast on C-SPAN.

A summary of the event can be found here.

On July 17th, the Center for the National Interest hosted a dinner discussion with Admiral (Ret.) Edmund P. Giambastiani as part of the Robert F. Ellsworth Study Group on U.S. Foreign Policy. Admiral Giambastiani was the seventh vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2005 to 2007, and the third naval officer to hold that position. Study group director Jacob Heilbrunn and chairman Dov Zakheim moderated.

On July 17, the Center hosted a discussion on the Syrian military. Jeffrey White, a Washington Institute expert with more than three decades of experience watching Middle Eastern militaries for the American intelligence community, suggested that the military will not remain loyal to Assad forever, and that it is facing an increasingly active and armed Free Syrian Army, but that it has not yet used all of its strength. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies cautioned that a Western intervention--whether by provision of arms or actual use of force--would not be as simple as in Libya. Geoffrey Kemp, Director of the Center's Regional Security Program, moderated.

A summary is available here.

On July 12, the Center hosted a discussion of the implications for America of China's strengthening military. Patrick Cronin of the Center for a New American Security and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey spoke; CFTNI China Program Senior Director Wallace "Chip" Gregson moderated.

A summary is available here.

On June 18, the Center for the National Interest hosted meetings with a number of key voices in Russian foreign policy. Russian guests included Konstantin Kosachev, Director of Rossotrudnichestvo; Andranik Migranyan, Director of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation; Alexey Voskressenski, Dean of Political Affairs and World Politics at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations; and Victor Andrianov, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Far East Studies.

On June 14, the Center for the National Interest hosted a discussion on the May/June issue of The National Interest, "The Crisis of the Old Order." The panel was composed of former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and National Interest editor Robert Merry. Center President Dimitri Simes moderated.

A summary is available here.

On June 13, the Center for the National Interest hosted a panel discussion on legislation that links United States-Russia trade to Russian human rights and corruption. The panel included Edward Verona, President of the U.S.-Russia Business Council; Lorne Craner, President of the International Republican Institute; and Dimitri Simes, the Center’s President. Executive Director Paul Saunders moderated the discussion.

A summary of the event is available here.

General David Petraeus Honored with Distinguished Service Award in New York

The Center for the National Interest honored General David Petraeus, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, at its first New York Distinguished Service Award Dinner on May 15 at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. The Chairman of the Center’s Board of Directors, Maurice Greenberg, introduced General Petraeus and Honorary Chairman Henry Kissinger and General Charles Boyd, USAF (Ret.), presented the award. Center President Dimitri Simes also spoke. Guests at the dinner included Governor Dannel P. Malloy of Connecticut and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, as well as members of the Center’s Board including Vice Chairman Dov Zakheim, Leslie H. Gelb, Grover Norquist, Paul Saunders, and Brent Scowcroft.

On the evening of May 8, the Center for the National Interest hosted an off-the-record discussion with outgoing World Bank President Robert Zoellick as part of the Robert F. Ellsworth Study Group on U.S. Foreign Policy. Study group director Jacob Heilbrunn and chairman Dov Zakheim moderated.

On April 9-10, the Center organized U.S.-Russia dialogue meetings in Moscow in cooperation with the Institute for Contemporary Development. Outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev is the chairman of the Institute. American participants in the meetings included Center President Dimitri K. Simes, Center Starr Distinguished National Security Fellow Gen. Charles Boyd, Center Executive Director Paul Saunders, former Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Stephen Rademaker, and Georgetown University Professor and terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman, who is also a Contributing Editor of The National Interest. The group discussed missile defense, Syria, and U.S.-Russian relations after Vladimir Putin's re-election as President in discussions with Russian experts as well as in meetings with senior Russian officials.

On April 19, Maurice Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of C.V. Starr and Chairman of the Center for the National Interest, spoke at length about his impressions of China's direction. He offered an optimistic vision in which the United States and China have enormous opportunities for mutually beneficial interaction, especially in the area of trade, and suggested that there is far less risk of a military conflict than many think. Former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft moderated.

A summary is available here.

On April 16, the Center for the National Interest hosted a dinner discussion with Jon Huntsman, who has been a presidential contender, governor of Utah, and ambassador to China and Singapore. Board member Ambassador Richard Burt moderated.

The event was off-the-record.

Energy experts argued that energy innovation is dramatically reshaping the American energy sector and international markets in an April 13 luncheon panel at the Center for the National Interest.  J. Robinson West, Chairman and Founder of PFC Energy, compared the impact of new technologies to that of the fall of the Berlin Wall in their power and scope.  West moderated the discussion, which Center Executive Director Paul J. Saunders introduced as the first meeting in a series on energy innovation through a joint project with the Clean Air Task Force.  Other speakers were Frank Verrastro, Senior Vice President and Director of Energy and National Security and the Center for Strategic and International Studies; David Garman, a principal at Decker Garman Sullivan and a former Under Secretary of Energy in the George W. Bush Administration; and Geoffrey Kemp, the Center’s Director of Regional Strategic Programs and a 2011-2012 Transatlantic Academy Fellow.

A summary of the event is available here.

Center Chairman Maurice Greenberg and a group of prominent experts, including David Denoon of NYU, Amitai Etzioni of George Washington University, and Leland Miller of Avascent International, discussed the future of the U.S.-China economic relationship on April 3. Lt. Gen. Wallace "Chip" Gregson, the director of the Center's China programs, moderated the session.

A summary of the event is available here.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell spoke to the Robert F. Ellsworth Study Group on American Foreign Policy. The April 2 event was moderated by Center Vice Chairman Dov Zakheim and by the group's director, Jacob Heilbrunn.

The event was off the record.

On March 26, a top non-governmental advisor to Russia’s President-Elect, Vladimir Putin, dismissed what he described as “myths” of widespread opposition to Putin and a lack of media freedom in the country.  Valery Fadeev, chairman of one of Russia’s most influential media holdings, the Expert Group, and an official presidential debate surrogate for Putin, also assessed Russia’s economic policy and predicted continuity in its relations with the United States.  He also defended Moscow’s position toward growing violence in Syria.  Center President Dimitri K. Simes moderated the event.

Click here for a full summary of the event.

On March 15, the Center hosted a luncheon discussion with former Obama Administration National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones (USMC-Retired) on future threats and opportunities for the United States. This was a continuation of a series of talks on America's strategic environment by former senior officials. Gen. Charles Boyd (USAF-Retired) moderated.

The 2012 Russian presidential election was seriously flawed, but broadly reflected the will of the Russian people, said three experts speaking at the Center for the National Interest on March 13.  Moreover, they agreed, while Russia’s opposition movement has become increasingly influential, the country’s political system remains generally stable.  Despite this, the U.S.-Russian relationship is likely to come under increasing strains as Vladimir Putin returns to the Kremlin.

Speakers at the session included Vladimir Averchev, a former State Duma Deputy from the liberal-leaning Yabloko party who attended several of Moscow’s large opposition demonstrations during recent weeks; Andranik Migranyan, Director of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation and an advisor to Russia’s leadership who spent election day at Putin’s campaign headquarters; and Center President Dimitri K. Simes, who was in Russia for several days prior to the March 4 voting to meet with senior officials and politicians.  Center Executive Director Paul J. Saunders moderated.

A full summary of the event is available here.

On March 6, the Center for the National Interest hosted a day-long off-the-record U.S.-Japan-South Korea dialogue on security in East Asia. Center Executive Director Paul J. Saunders organized the dialogue meetings in collaboration with the Tokyo Foundation and the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS and with the support of the Center for Global Partnership. The meeting was the third in a series of four; the Center released a report on the previous two sessions at the event.

The report is available here.

An agenda from the dialogue is available here.

On February 16, the Center for the National Interest hosted a panel discussion on the fortieth anniversary of President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China and U.S.-China relations today.  National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, a member of the Center's Board of Directors, shared his personal recollections of Nixon's opening to China and moderated the meeting. Panelists included Ambassador Charles "Chas" Freeman, Chairman of Projects International, who was Nixon's principal interpreter during the original trip in 1972; Dr. Nicholas Lardy, Anthony M. Solomon Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute of International Economics; and the Center's own Wallace "Chip" Gregson, Senior Director, China and the Pacific, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and a retired Marine Lieutenant General.

A summary of this event is available here.

Ambassador Charles "Chas" Freeman's remarks are available here.

On February 15, the Center for the National Interest presented Senator Carl Levin with its Distinguished Service Award, honoring his remarkable contributions to America's foreign and security policy.

In addition to Senator Levin, speakers included Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman of the Center's Board of Directors; Admiral Michael Mullen, USN (Ret.), former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Senator John McCain; General Charles G. Boyd, USAF (Ret.), member of the Center's Board; Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, member of the Center's Board and Center President Dimitri K. Simes.  Ambassador Richard Burt, Managing Director of McLarty Associates and also member of the Center's Board served as master of ceremonies.

To read Senator Levin's remarks, please go here.

Video clips of this event are available on the Center's YouTube Channel.

Senator Levin's speech was also covered by The Washington Post.

The U.S. federal deficit is reaching crisis proportions that have direct implications for America’s future and its international role.  This was the theme of a discussion held at the Center for the National Interest on February 8, 2012, inaugurating the Robert F. Ellsworth Study Group on American Foreign Policy.  The speaker was David Walker, former U.S. Comptroller General and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  Center Vice Chairman Dov S. Zakheim is Chairman of the Study Group and moderated the discussion.  Jacob Heilbrunn, Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Center, is the Director of the Study Group. 

A summary of this event is available here.

A summary of this event is available here.

On December 20, 2011, the Center for the National Interest hosted “The End of Putin?,” which assessed the implications of Russia’s domestic turmoil.  Center President Dimitri K. Simes argued that the era during which Prime Minister Vladimir Putin could rule Russia unchallenged has come to an end. Former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs and Ambassador to Germany Richard Burt moderated the discussion, which was broadcast on C-SPAN and can be viewed here.

A summary of this event is available here.

On December 14, 2011, the Center for the National Interest hosted “The New Triangle: China, Russia, and the U.S.,” a discussion of China-Russia relations and America’s role in them. Moderated by the Senior Director of the Center’s China and the Pacific program, Lt. Gen. Wallace “Chip” Gregson (USMC-Ret.), the event featured remarks by Kenneth Lieberthal, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Thomas Graham, a Senior Director at Kissinger Associates. Both suggested that the U.S. plays a prominent role in how China and Russia act toward each other, and that the U.S. can take constructive steps that avoid worries of a Sino-Russian bloc.

A summary of this event is available here.

Stephen Walt argued that while the U.S. maintains its status as the most powerful country in the world, the rise of other powers, the changing nature of the world, and our recent financial crisis have put an end to a time when the U.S. could exert influence in almost every corner of the world simultaneously.  On November 30, 2011, the Center for the National Interest hosted Walt, the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, to discuss his cover article, “The End of the American Era,” published in the November/December issue of The National Interest.  Robert Merry, editor of the magazine, moderated the event.

A summary of this event is available here.

Clips of this event are viewable on the Center's YouTube Channel.

China's growing naval power is driven by a number of factors, including China's desire to expand and protect its commercial interests abroad.  On Thursday, November 17, the Center for the National Interest hosted the inaugural program under the leadership of the Center's new Senior Director for China and the Pacific, Lt. Gen. Wallace "Chip" Gregson (Ret.), which featured a panel including Richard Solomon, President of the US Institute of Peace; and Toshi Yoshihara and James Holmes, associate professors at the Naval War College.  Gen. Gregson served as moderator.  The speakers examined China's maritime strategy and capabilities, the problems which China is facing in trying to learn how to operate a navy, and the potential consequences for the U.S. and its allies.

A summary of this event is available here.

Clips of this event are viewable on the Center's YouTube Channel.

On Tuesday, November 1, the Center for the National Interest hosted a reception to bid farewell to former National Interest editor Justine Rosenthal and welcome new editor Robert Merry. Magazine Advisory Council Chairman and former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld both spoke briefly, as did Center Board member and magazine Advisory Council member J. Robinson West, and Center President Dimitri K. Simes.
 

The Task Force on Russia and U.S. National Interests released its final report in Washington and Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 31, 2011. The task force was co-chaired by Graham Allison, director of Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Robert D. Blackwill, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. ambassador to India.  The project director was Dimitri K. Simes, president of the Center for the National Interest.  The Center's executive director, Paul J. Saunders, served as editor for the report.

The report assesses Russia from the perspective of American national interests and officers prescriptions for coherent, realistic management of the U.S.-Russia relationship. The Belfer Center and the Center for the National Interest co-sponsored the Task Force and the report is available for download here.

To read the rest of the press release, please go here.

The event was covered by C-SPAN and can be viewed here.

A summary of this event is available here.

U.S.-Russian interaction on Russia's periphery is one of the most complex problems in the relationship between the two countries, combining current political tensions and vast historical legacies.  On September 28, the Center for the National Interest hosted a discussion to launch the Center's new report, Enduring Rivalry: American and Russian Perspectives on the Former Soviet Space and to discuss President Dmitry Medvedev's recent announcement that he would not run for president, but that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would. The event featured Thomas Graham, Senior Director at Kissinger Associates; Samuel Charap, Associate Director for the Russia and Eurasia Program, Center for American Progress; and Paul J. Saunders, Executive Director, Center for the National Interest.  The discussion was moderated by Dimitri K. Simes, President of the Center for the National Interest.

The event was covered by C-SPAN and can be viewed here.

A summary of the event can be read here.

WASHINGTON, September 27, 2011—The Center for the National Interest announced today the appointments of Lt. Gen. Wallace “Chip” Gregson, Jr. (Ret.) as Senior Director, China and the Pacific, and Jacob Heilbrunn as Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy.  Gregson will lead the Center’s programs on China and Asia; Heilbrunn will focus on the role of foreign policy during the presidential campaign.  Both will begin their new positions on October 1, 2011. 

To read the rest of the press release, please go here.

For further information, please contact Paul Saunders by telephone at 202-887-1000 or by email at psaunders@cftni.org.

WASHINGTON, September 16, 2011—The National Interest magazine announced today the appointment of distinguished publishing executive and author Robert W. Merry as the magazine’s new Editor.  Merry, a former President and Editor-in-Chief of Congressional Quarterly, will assume leadership of the prominent foreign policy bimonthly on September 26.  Merry will oversee the print magazine as well as the highly-successful web site www.nationalinterest.org, which was named one of the top five global news sites by Real Clear World after its re-launch in 2010.

To read the rest of the press release, please go here.

For further information, please contact Center Executive Director Paul J. Saunders at psaunders@cftni.org or by telephone at 202-887-1000.

As the Palestinian leadership prepares for its bid for statehood at the United Nations later this month, many questions circulate concerning the motivations, goals, and possible impacts of this decision. On September 8, 2011 the Center for the National Interest hosted a seminar with a high-powered Palestinian delegation to discuss this intricate issue. The delegation included Hiba Husseini, Managing Partner of Husseini and Husseini, Chairperson on the Legal Committee to Final Status Negotiations, and legal advisor to the Peace-Process Negotiations since 1994; Hind Khoury, former Ambassador of Palestine in France; Zahi Khouri, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Palestinian National Beverage Company, Chairman of the Palestinian Tourism and Investment Company, and Member of the Palestine Business Committee for Peace and Reform; Wassim Khazmo, Senior Policy Advisor for the Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit; Nafez Husseini, Chief Technology Officer for Consolidated Contractors Company; and Reverend Mitri Raheb, Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, Palestine. Center Board member Ambassador Richard Burt, Managing Director of McLarty Associates, moderated the discussion.

A summary of this event is available here.

On September 7, 2011, the Center for the National Interest hosted a panel discussion on the economic consequences of a war with Iran, featuring Patrick Clawson, Director of Research, Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Amy Jaffe, Director of Energy Forum, Rice University; and Suzanne Maloney, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution.  Geoffrey Kemp moderated the session  The panelists agreed that the economic consequences of a war with Iran could be serious, not only for oil markets but also in global financial markets.

A summary of this event is available here.

Washington, August 22, 2011—The publisher of the foreign policy bimonthly The National Interest announced today that editor Justine A. Rosenthal will step down from her post in late August to join Newsweek as a Senior Editor.  “Justine took over The National Interest three years ago and has done a truly exceptional job,” said Dimitri K. Simes, President and CEO of the Center for the National Interest.  “Her work revamping National Interest Online has won wide praise and she enhanced the magazine’s traditionally high intellectual quality.  We are grateful to Justine, we will miss her, and we wish her well in her new role.”

Rosenthal said, “Running The National Interest has been a terrific journey.  I am grateful to my colleagues and our authors for helping to make the magazine provocative and influential.”

The National Interest’s November/December issue will be the final issue under Rosenthal’s editorship.  The Center for the National Interest will announce her successor as editor in the fall.

For further information, contact Kevin Karp by telephone at 202-887-1000 or by email at kkarp@cfnti.org. A copy of this press release is available here.

On July 27, the Center for the National Interest hosted Michael Schiffer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, for a discussion of China’s military modernization.  Schiffer argued that the U.S. does not view China as an adversary and realizes that even peacefully rising powers will naturally need to carry out expansion of their military capabilities.  Yet, he continued, with expanded power comes expanded responsibility, and a greater need for military-to-military ties between the U.S. and China.

A summary of this event is available here.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Schiffer's remarks are available here.

Ichiro Fujisaki, Ambassador from Japan to the United States, spoke at the Center for the National Interest on July 11 on the status of the U.S.-Japan alliance after the March 11 earthquake.  The Ambassador discussed in detail the progress of recovery efforts in Japan and his hopes for the continued success of the U.S.-Japan alliance.  Lionel H. Olmer, Of Counsel for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, moderated the event.

A summary of this event is available here.

The Center for the National Interest hosted a book reception for Dov S. Zakheim in honor of his new book, A Vulcan's Tale: How the Bush Administration Mismanaged the Reconstruction of Afghanistan, on June 22.  Zakheim, currently Vice Chairman of the Center's Board of Directors, was Under Secretary for Defense (Comptroller) during the Bush Administration. General Charles G. Boyd (USAF, Ret.) introduced Dr. Zakheim and moderated the discussion.

From the book jacket:

"In A Vulcan's Tale, Zakheim draws on his own participation and intimate knowledge to analyze how the United States missed critical opportunities while it struggled to manage two wars, particularly the seemingly endless endeavor in Afghanistan. In his view, the Bush administration's disappointing results in Afghanistan were partly attributable to the enormity of the challenges, certainly. But flawed leadership and deficiencies of management, understanding, and forethought all played their parts as well. The book is an authoritative, candid but fair account of how a wise and admirable goal can be waylaid by insufficient funding and ineffective coordination, with the result of faulty—or, at best, incomplete—implementation."

For more information or to purchase a copy of the book, please go here.

In the wake of the catastrophic earthquake of March 11, the people of Japan are struggling to rebuild their lives. Although they have received much-needed aid from the global community, their own government has failed to take on the leadership role necessary to shepherd the nation through these trying times, said one leading Japanese expert. On June 14, Toshihiro Nakayama, a professor at Aoyama Gakuin University and Adjunct Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs; and Aiichiro Yamamoto, Vice Director-General of the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s Global Plaza, addressed this issue during a discussion hosted by the Center for the National Interest. Paul J. Saunders, Executive Director of the Center, moderated the discussion.

A summary of this event is available here.

Slides from Mr. Yamamoto's presentation are available here.

On June 13, the Center for the National Interest hosted an off-the-record discussion with His Excellency Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's Ambassador to the United States, on Egypt's domestic situation and U.S.-Egyptian relations.  Geoffrey Kemp moderated the discussion.

Statement by former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger.

Statement by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Statement by former Senators Bob and Elizabeth Dole.

Statement by Senator Pat Roberts.

You can read the Center's statement here.

Escalating competition between Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has weakened the trust between the two leaders as they attempt to decide who will be the next presidential candidate.  Gleb Pavlovsky, a Russian political strategist and former advisor to Medvedev, spoke on this topic at the Center for the National Interest on May 26, 2011.  Pavlovsky argued that the current deadlock is due to Medvedev’s failure to establish security for the elite in Russia, including Putin, who fear that they may be prosecuted and stripped of their assets at some point in the future due to rampant corruption.  This means that not only has a presidential candidate not been announced, but other important issues that the government should be dealing with are falling by the wayside. The event was moderated by Paul Saunders, Executive Director of the Center for the National Interest.

A summary of this event is available here.

At The National Interest's May 4 event, "The Rise of the Liberal Interventionists," panelists disagreed over the roots of President Obama's intervention in Libya, whether it was in fact driven by Obama advisor Samantha Power, as news reports had stated, or instead by the Arab League, France and Britain. They also debated the potential consequences of the return of the alliance between liberal interventionists and neo-conservatives and whether the Libya intervention will be the start of a series of humanitarian interventions.  The panel included Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist; Jacob Heilbrunn, Senior Editor of The National Interest; and Joe Klein, political columnist for TIME Magazine.  It was moderated by Justine Rosenthal, Editor of The National Interest. 

A summary of this event can be found here.

During a May 3 panel discussion organized by The National Interest, three top experts expressed skepticism about the U.S. intervention in Libya.  They also assessed the recent death of Osama bin Laden and its implications for the future.  Panelists included Paul R. Pillar, former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia and Director of Graduate Studies at Georgetown's Center for Peace and Security Studies; Christopher A. Preble, Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute; and Dov S. Zakheim, former Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller) in the George W. Bush administration.  Justine A. Rosenthal, Editor of The National Interest moderated the event.

A summary of the event can be found here.

On April 28, the Center for the National Interest hosted an off-the-record discussion with His Excellency Kim Beazley, Australia's Ambassador to the United States, on U.S.-Australian relations and the emerging balance of power in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.  Geoffrey Kemp, Director of Regional Security Programs at the Center, moderated.
 

On April 11, the Center for the National Interest hosted a panel featuring Nathan Brown, Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at The George Washington University; Hillel Fradkin, from the Center on Islam, Democracy and the Future of the Muslim World at the Hudson Institute; and H.A. Hellyer, Fellow at the University of Warwick.  The panel was moderated by Robert Leiken, Director of Immigration and National Security Programs at the Center for the National Interest. The panel focused on the likelihood of the Muslim Brotherhood coming to power in Egypt, agreeing that it was not likely to be overwhelmingly successful in elections; and discussed their current role in Egyptian politics.

A summary of this event is available here.

On March 31, the Center for the National Interest hosted a panel featuring Lynn Coleman, former Deputy Secretary of Energy and Geoffrey Kemp, Director of Regional Strategic Programs at the Center for the National Interest, and moderated by General Charles G. Boyd (USAF, Ret.), Starr Distinguished National Security Fellow at the Center for the National Interest. The panel discussed the military, regional, and global impacts of the Libya invasion, as well as the impacts on the oil and natural gas market.

Watch clips from the event on the Center's new YouTube channel here.

A summary of the event is available here.

On March 29, the Center for the National Interest hosted a panel discussion on Northeast Asia in Afghanistan - Whose Silk Road?. The discussion marked the launch of a report, "Afghanistan and Northeast Asia: Mutual Interests and Shared Dilemmas," co-published by the Center for the National Interest and the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS . The report was informed by the authors' discussions with foreign policy experts in Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo earlier this month.  Panelists included Karl Jackson, Director of Asian Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); Jae Ku, Director of the US-Korea Institute at SAIS, and Center for the National Interest Director of China Studies, Drew Thompson. In addition, Ambassador Akio Kawato, Japan's former Ambassador to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan joined the panel and contributed his insights.

The report can be read here.

On March 28, the Center for the National Interest hosted Maxim Shevchenko, who discussed, "Can Moscow Become the Next Cairo or Tripoli?" Shevchenko is host of "Judge for Yourself," a political talk show on Russia's Channel One. The discussion was moderated by Center President Dimitri K. Simes.

A summary of the event is available here.

On March 8, the Center for the National Interest presented Senator Jon Kyl with its Distinguished Service Award and Julie Nixon Eisenhower with a special Legacy & Leadership Award.  The Center also announced its transition from The Nixon Center to its new identity, Center for the National Interest.

In addition to Senator Kyl and Mrs. Eisenhower, speakers included Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman of the Center's Board of Directors; Center President Dimitri K. Simes; Senator John McCain; James R. Schlesinger, Chairman of the Center's Advisory Council; General Charles G. Boyd, USAF (Ret.), member of the Center's Board; Senator John Hoeven; and Dov Zakheim, member of the Center's Board.  Steven C. Clemons, Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation and former Center Executive Director, served as master of ceremonies.

Senator Kyl's speech can be found here.

The press release about the Center's new name can be found here.