IFPA-Fletcher Conference on National Security Strategy and Policy

As we mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the United States has begun to implement a new National Security Strategy and to reorganize its national security structures to meet the challenges posed by global terrorist networks and other threats. In order to examine the issues shaping the new strategy and to better understand its political and military implications, the U.S. Marine Corps, together with the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis (IFPA) and the International Security Studies Program of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, convened the 33rd IFPA-Fletcher Conference on National Security Strategy and Policy on October 16-17, 2002 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. .

Over 300 speakers and participants were drawn from the executive branch, Congress, the military services, the academic community, industry, and the media.

Designed to contribute substantively to the evolving discussion on U.S. national security strategy and to help better understand the role of the instruments of national power, including military capabilities, in the transformed security environment, the conference examined several themes, including:

The conference featured presentations and discussion on such topics as the challenge of Islamic extremism; asymmetric threats; transnational terrorism and non-state enemies; war in the information age; the new face of the weapons-of-mass-destruction challenge; preemption in the emerging Bush Doctrine; organizing intelligence and legislation to support the national security strategy; protecting expeditionary forces; reorganizing for homeland security; the role of allies and coalition partners in a new security strategy; U.S. basing access; the U.S. relationship with Russia; essential military capabilities to support a new national security strategy; future challenges for acquisition reform; DoD experimentation and concept development; technology concepts to support transformation; and preventing technology lag in the acquisition process.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz delivered a Keynote Luncheon Address at The 33rd IFPA/Fletcher Conference on National Security Strategy and Policy. Dr. Wolfowitz, one of the key architects of the Bush Doctrine, will discussed the Iraq crisis, the war on terrorism, and the National Security Strategy of the United States of America the first day of the conference.