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Book Signing and Question/Answer Event at Quantico Dec. 6
Gen. Al Gray, 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps and Chairman of the Potomac Institute's Board of Regents, will join author and Marine Vietnam Veteran Scott Laidig Dec. 6 at the Quantico Officer Club to discuss the writing of the first volument of Gray's biography.
The event is hosted by The Semper Fi Fund, a non-profit set up to provide immediate financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Since establishment in 2004, Semper Fi Fund has issued more than 65,000 grants totaling more than $83 million to over 10,600 of our heroes and their families. All donation proceeds will directly benefit the Semper Fi Fund.
Author Scott Laidig says the book is relevant and timely now, as much because of the enduring example of Gen. Gray's leadership and his signficant accomplishments in an austere budget environment, as well as his continuing commitment to military men and women, and their families.
Not monolithic, but inextricably linked
Criminal activity, even in local spheres, has an effect in the international realm and on national security. Drawing from experiences in law enforcement, federal government, and academia, three experts discussed the links between crime and terrorism at the Potomac Institute on November 21, 2013.
Anthony Placido (Principal, Booz Allen Hamilton) and Former Assistant Administrator for Intelligence, Drug Enforcement Administration, focused on how transnational organized crime groups mimic terror tactics. According to Mr. Placido, transnational organized crime groups are corporations with the capacity to inflict severe damage, and groups such as Mexican cartels are using terror tactics to further their criminal organization. Environmental damage, government destabilization, and an orphan population were also evidenced as examples of the damages inflicted by transnational organized crime. Today the global drug trade generates $400 billion in revenue, and this revenue has been used by terrorist members, such as evidenced in the Madrid bombings, to further develop terrorist training and procurement of materials.
Applying Scientific Understanding to Global and Political Environments May Improve Strategic And Policy Decisions
Just as U.S. naval forces could not effectively operate without understanding the marine environment, detection of radical actors and regime disruptions is limited by understanding of the cultural and political environments where those threats develop, according to Dr. Erin Fitzgerald, a Potomac Institute on assignment with the Office of Naval Research, currently working with the Minerva Program at OSD.
Named “Minerva” by then-SECDEF Robert Gates in 2008, Minerva was created with the belief that deeper understanding of global populations and their variance will yield more effective strategic and operational policy decisions.
The Potomac Institute, like Minerva, aims to bring the best scientific understanding of DoD-relevant phenomena to light and then help translate it into effective national policy to secure the Nation, according to Fitzgerald. The four PIPS academic centers – looking at neuroscience, terrorism, cyber security, and future revolutionary breakthroughs – all share goals with the Minerva program.
International & Domestic Issues Will Be Discussed Nov. 21
The growing nexus between gangs and terrorism has resulted in a unique type of threat. Since the 1980s, evidence of narcotics trade has been linked to terrorism and transnational organized crime. Operating without borders and in areas of government instability, Latin American gangs, such as MS-13, and Mexican cartels have been financing terrorist operations through the drug trade. The Potomac Institute is hosting a discussion Thursday, Nov. 21, at noon to discuss these issues.
In the United States, Los Angeles gangs have been linked to Hezbollah and Minnesota groups have been linked to Al-Shabaab. Narco-trafficking is a lucrative business and terrorist organizations such as the FARC, Hezbollah, and al-Qa'ida take advantage of this black market.
The panelists will discuss important issues surrounding the threat this nexus poses internationally and domestically.
Sometime between the summers of 2009 and 2010, a computer worm that came to be known as Stuxnet destroyed about 1,000 centrifuges at Iran's Natanz (nuclear) Fuel Enrichment Plant. The mission hinged upon superb intelligence, keen understanding of how the Natanz facility worked, and perfect delivery. Stuxnet was historic because it fulfilled the century-old quest for exquisite targeting that began with the advent of powered flight. Smith combines history and contemporary developments to weave a strategic fabric with important future implications.
Amb. David J. Smith, Senior Fellow and Cyber Center Director, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, opened the discussion.
Mr. John Toomer, Director of Intelligence, Information and Cyber Systems, Government Operations, The Boeing Company, was the commentator. Mr. Toomer is a retired USAF Colonel with extensive experience in cyber matters. He was also Associate Professor at the US Army Command and Staff College where he taught courses on the development of airpower.
Video of the presentation is available on our "Events" tab, under "Past Events."