The Ohio State University

Security expert to speak on war in Afghanistan, Pakistan

COLUMBUS — The increasing influence of the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and what the United States and NATO should do about it, will be the subject of a lecture by national security expert Anthony Cordesman on Wednesday.

Cordesman, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, will speak on “The Changing Nature of the Afghan-Pakistan War” at noon on Wednesday, May 14, at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, 1501 Neil Ave.

The Taliban has sharply expanded it support in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the United States and NATO must send in more troops to meet the threat, Cordesman argues. However, military action is not enough. The United States must provide aid for development as well as support to stabilize effective governments. We must also work with neighboring powers. The war can be won, Cordesman says, but not in the short term – it will likely take until 2012.

Cordesman has long been considered a leading expert in national security. He is an analyst for ABC News whose commentary has been featured prominently during the Gulf War, Desert Fox, the conflict in Kosovo, the fighting in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

At CSIS, Cordesman has led studies on the Iraq War, Afghan conflict, armed nation building and counterinsurgency, national missile defense, asymmetric warfare and weapons of mass destruction, global energy supply, and critical infrastructure protection.

Cordesman formerly served as national security assistant to Sen. John McCain, director of intelligence assessment for the secretary of defense, and assistant to the deputy secretary of defense. He is author of more than 50 books, including a four-volume series on the lessons of modern war.

About the Mershon Center for International Security Studies
The Mershon Center for International Security Studies at The Ohio State University advances the understanding of national security in a global context by fostering interdisciplinary faculty and student research in three areas of focus: the use of force and diplomacy; the ideas, identities, and decisional processes that affect security; and the institutions that manage violent conflict. For more information, please see the center's website at http://mershoncenter.osu.edu.

Anthony Cordesman
Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy
Center for Strategic and International Studies