Murrett

If you need an expert to discuss U.S. military presence in the Middle East, you may want to consider retired Vice Admiral . Murrett is currently a professor of practice at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and deputy director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Security Policy and Law. He’s recently been interviewed by , , , and others on the news.

McFate

Additionally, , adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in D.C., is also available for interviews. McFate is an expert in international relations, military warfare, national security, and more. He was recently interviewed by () on the subject.

Robert Murrett

Retired Vice Admiral currently is a professor of practice and serves as the deputy director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Security Policy and Law. Murrett writes: “In the wake of the last week’s devastating Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the upcoming retaliatory action by Iran is likely to represent a significant response and a departure in character from previous such actions. Tehran will have to walk a fine line as they will want to send a strong signal to the Israelis, and at the same time not jeopardize their stated goal of not raising tensions in the region dramatically. Another key dynamic to watch in the weeks and months ahead will be the magnitude of attacks by Iran and their regional surrogates throughout the Middle East. The Israeli strike on the Damascus consulate may result in some level of additional latitude for the proxies, and lead to a range of actions in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, the Red Sea and elsewhere.”

Sean McFate

,��professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School��of Citizenship & Public Affairs and author of��The New Rules of War: How America Can Win — Against Russia, China, and Other Threats. McFate writes: “Israel and Iran have been fighting a shadow war across Syria for over ten years. Now it risks coming into the light, and could ignite the region into broader conflict — exactly what the White House is trying to prevent. However, unlike previous White House’s, the Israeli don’t issue fake ‘red lines.’ For them, it’s existential, and that’s why everyone should take it seriously. If it happens, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States will be in an odd position: triaging enemies. Before the October 7 attacks, they were all aligned against Iran. Hamas sought to end that alliance, and did.”

is an associate professor in the iSchool at Syracuse University, faculty advisor to the Worldwide Innovation Technology and Entrepreneurship Club (WiTec), and an affiliate of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSTC).��Regarding today’s cellular outage, he writes:

“The dirty secret of telecom networks these days is they are just a bunch of wires & towers connected to the cloud like everything else in modern life, whether Netflix or your grocery store.��

With little information released on the cause of ATT’s cross-country outages, the most likely cause is a cloud misconfiguration. Which is a fancy word for saying human error. I was reviewing this exact issue in class yesterday. (IST 615 Cloud Management) which is all too common.��

A possible but far less likely outcome is an intentional malicious hack of ATT’s network, but the diffuse pattern of outages across the country suggests something more fundamental.”��

Now two years later, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs professors Tetiana Hranchak and Robert Murrett, along with IVMF staff member Linh Nguyen G’21, offer their reflections on the lessons learned and the road ahead. Access their videos below.

Tetiana Hranchak is a visiting assistant teaching professor, supported by Syracuse University’s participation in the Scholars at Risk Network. She shares her thoughts on the two-year anniversary of the war in her homeland. Having fled her country when the invasion commenced, she offers a unique perspective on the ongoing conflict. Learn more about her.

Retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett discusses how the military and defensive landscape of both Russia and Ukraine has developed over these last two years, along with what it’ll take for this war to come to an end. Murrett is a professor of practice and serves as the deputy director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Security Policy and Law. .

If you are with the media and would like to schedule an interview with either of these faculty/staff members, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Robert Murrett

Murrett writes: “The lethal attack yesterday by Kataib Hezbollah on the Syria/Jordan border, which killed three Americans and wounded more than 30 others, is the latest in a series of mounting attacks by Iranian proxy forces throughout the region.��The White House has made it clear that there will be retaliation for the attack, and it is likely that response options are already available to the President for execution at any time.

The larger issue here is a policy of strong deterrence without causing escalation.��We continue to witness a wide range and increasing number of Iranian-backed attacks in the Red Sea, from Lebanon, in Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf of Aden.��Difficult choices will be required in the days and weeks ahead as military operations continue a policy of strong deterrence without seeking widespread escalation that could harm our interests and those of our allies.��While a retaliatory attack against proxy groups such as Kataib Hezbollah would not necessarily constitute a major inflection point, a decision to strike actual Iranian target(s) could do so.”

In its proposal, Syracuse University will lead a consortium of schools—known as the Partnership for Educational Results/Syracuse University Adaptive, Diverse and Ethical Intelligence Community Professionals (PER/SUADE)—to recruit and educate talented, diverse students interested in public service careers in the intelligence field. The consortium’s partner schools include Norfolk State University, a historically black university; The Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York and other institutions.

This multi-faceted recruitment and education initiative leverages the University’s leadership and strengths in a wide range of security-related disciplines, cutting across STEM, public affairs, law, forensics, military affairs, disability studies, and language and cultural studies. Building dynamic and sustained partnerships with the consortium partners will enable PER/SUADE to share complementary strengths and attract diverse students, like military veterans, as well as historically underrepresented students, including women; ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse students; and students with disabilities.

“It is an honor for Syracuse University to be selected for this auspicious designation,” says Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly. “This recognition acknowledges the tremendous research of faculty members engaged in these interdisciplinary fields and the strength of our academic enterprises committed to supporting a diverse set of scholars in the classroom and the field.”

Affiliated faculty members will support PER/SUADE’s mission by developing an intelligence-related curriculum, including major and minor degree options and a certificate program; professional development and faculty research opportunities; and culturally immersive experiences.

“This significant designation as an academic center of excellence and funding demonstrate scholarship and the impact of the University’s broadening research portfolio,” says Vice President of Research John Liu. “Syracuse University has a long history and commitment to excellence in research and education in public service and to the highly regarded values of diversity and ethics. Our faculty across various interdisciplinary fields are well positioned to further advance scholarship and education in global understanding and elevate our work in educating under-resourced students with diverse experiences and backgrounds.”

The program will provide students interested in pursuing a career in the area of intelligence with a strong academic foundation and experiences that will increase their success in finding a career in any of the U.S. intelligence agencies. Along with their studies, IC CAE students will have opportunities to study abroad at more than 45 locations, with language instruction, cultural immersion and regional studies, and to participate in seminars, career talks, field trips and conferences.

“The goal of national security is to defend liberty as well as our physical security,” says Hon. James E. Baker, co-principal investigator, College of Law professor, professor of public administration in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT). “This program will benefit our nation and all who live in it by producing a diverse group of adaptive and insightful intelligence professionals who hold an unwavering commitment to public service with a keen understanding of ethics and the rule of law. These values and virtues were embodied in the life of Judge Jack Downey [a U.S. intelligence officer who was captured and detained in Chinese prisons during and after the Korean War], whose service is recognized in the form of the Downey Fellowship for academically excellent students.”

The partnership consortium will take a three-part approach to address current educational needs and challenges for the intelligence community. The approach recognizes that emerging professionals need to adapt to the demands of highly dynamic and changing environments; acknowledges that diverse perspectives and experiences enhance a person’s ability to analyze situations; and recognizes that the next generation of the best security and intelligence professionals will put ethics and the rule of law at the forefront of their analysis and practice.

“At its heart this effort aims to build a diverse workforce for the intelligence community that represents the full spectrum of our country’s population—reflected ethnically and culturally, and by gender, through sustainable national security education programs that will complement students’ primary areas of study,” says Vice Admiral Robert Murrett (retired), principal investigator, professor of practice in the Maxwell School and deputy director of INSCT. “It will leverage contributions from virtually all the schools and colleges at Syracuse University, and provide additional career opportunities for our students.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York state, with a global footprint and nearly 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience, as well as innovative online learning environments. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths. At Syracuse University, we offer a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges and 18 online degree programs. We have more than 15,000 undergraduates and 7,500 graduate students, more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

“I would say he’s chosen Bolton very much thinking about North Korea,” she told Newsday. “So he can have a bad cop . . . so that Bolton can be the real hardliner in the discussions so that Trump can negotiate on even terms, so the president can play the pure negotiator role.”

“These indictments remind us that the Mueller investigation has always first and foremost been about Russian interference in the election,” said Banks. “Just about everyone but the President has characterized their interference as a serious threat to our democracy.”

“It does provide fairly strong signals that the investigation is now focusing on potential obstruction of justice, including by President Trump himself,” Banks said.

“It’s (FISA) been a foundational part of intelligence gathering in the United States since the late 1970’s,” Banks said, “and has been foundational in particular to the portion that’s up for renewal now since 2008.”

“It’s been a foundational part of intelligence gathering in the United States since the late 1970’s, in particular the portion that’s up for renewal now since 2008,” Banks said. “This one allows the collection of intelligence through sort of a vacuum cleaner like gathering of electronic signals of non-Americans abroad.”

He adds, “it’s the single most important source of intelligence that ends up in the President’s daily brief.”

“I think this is a partisan move to deflect attention from the core of the investigation that’s ongoing,” he said. “It is, I think, fair to wonder more about the Steele dossier and how it came into the hands of our intelligence committee and just what Steele was up to.”

“44 percent of veterans leave their first civilian job within a year, and another 21 percent leave before the end of year two,” the study shows. “We heard from a lot of our veteran employees that, because they felt so untethered, everything seemed foreign.”

“I think it’s likely that that’s what going on as we await possible indictments for Flynn and or his son,” Banks said. “Flynn could help his son here in return for offering more information to the team.”

“It is a signal that the investigation is far from over,” he said. “It’s probably still picking up momentum. These are important developments but by no means the end.”

“It’s time now to wonder whether the Trump administration is thinking of doing something different,” he said, calling into question the steps moving forwards if a legal arrest is not made due to lack of evidence.

Robert Murrett and William Banks

Syracuse University faculty members William Banks, a professor in both the College of Law and Maxwell School, and Robert Murrett, who also is a professor at both the Maxwell School and the�� College of Law, offer their thoughts on the possible threat of North Korea to U.S. interests at home and abroad. Both are also members of the (INSCT).

When it comes to declaring war on North Korea, according to Banks, the founding director of INSCT, “Under United States law, the president cannot lawfully strike militarily at North Korea without authorization from Congress. Under international law, the U.S. is forbidden from using military force against North Korea absent a Security Council Resolution or action by North Korea against us that would trigger self-defense.”

When asked if the armistice still in place from 1953 between the U.S. and DPRK gives the U.S. president international law options he might not have when dealing militarily with another country, Banks says “the fact that the Korean War ended in the stalemate of an armistice has little or no bearing on the current military situation and the legality of a strike against North Korea.”

As for Murrett, the former director of naval intelligence, “When it comes to the intelligence assessments of North Korea, we look at three tiers: their nuclear capability, the weaponization of their nuclear capability and the types of delivery vehicle they have, be they missiles, submarines or aircraft. When it comes to degrees of certainty in regard to North Korea’s current nuclear capability, I have very high confidence in the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community, and these intelligence assessments will influence U.S. policy and planning.

“The U.S. military is a planning machine and U.S. Forces Korea, part of the U.S. Pacific Command, has detailed contingency plans for the Korean Peninsula—drawn up in collaboration with South Korea and Japan—which offer a range of different options. Although I am concerned about the North Korean threat to Guam—that territory is an essential part of the U.S. presence in the Pacific—we can’t forget our Pacific allies, not just South Korea and Japan but Australia, New Zealand and others. We must keep them informed of the planning we perform and the diplomacy we execute.”

“Comey is unlikely to make any new devastating bombshell revelation about President Trump. Instead, he is likely to add details to what we already know, and to provide context. Comey should provide the first ever coherent presentation of the President’s interactions with law enforcement over the Russia investigation,” Banks said. ��“All of the very good reporting so far is based on anonymous sources. This testimony will be under oath. Comey’s characterization of his interactions with Trump matter a great deal. Did he feel he had to protect the FBI from him, that he was trying to interfere with the investigation? Or did he view Trump as an oddball who had to be educated on how to interact with the FBI Director? Is the pattern we’ve heard about a kind of pressure, or simply bungling?�� The fundamental question for Comey remains: Was there any attempt by Trump to interfere with the Russia investigation? If so, what specifically did Trump say or do?”

“The Committee will not focus on whether the President obstructed justice. That is a question for others, in a criminal or impeachment investigation. Comey almost surely will not comment on the Russia investigation itself, certainly not in the open hearing,” said Banks.

Professor Banks is available to speak to media on this issue. Please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of news and PR for Syracuse University, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 315.443.1897, or Martin Walls, communications manager at INSCT, at��mwalls@syr.edu or��315.753.2744.

“President Trump’s firing of FBI Director Comey increases the pressure on Congress to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation of Russian influence on the 2016 election and the potential involvement of the Trump campaign, Trump transition, and Trump administration in those activities. Although the AG or Deputy AG could appoint a special counsel, that is highly unlikely under present circumstances. It will be politically challenging for Congress to create a special counsel for this investigation, because new legislation along these lines would have to pass and then overcome a presidential veto. More likely, Congress could on its own create a separate committee of its members or, better yet, an outside and independent commission (similar to the 9/11 Commission) with a mandate to investigate. A commission would be outside the political arena and could be made up of individuals with experience who are widely respected for their independent judgment.”

Professor Banks is available to speak to media on this issue. Please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of news and PR for Syracuse University, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 315.443.1897, or Martin Walls, communications manager at INSCT, at��mwalls@syr.edu or��315.753.2744.

Add to these notorious examples the 2016 Siege of Aleppo, an attritional campaign of the Syrian Civil War that lasted 160 days, from July to December, pitting the victorious Syrian Arab Republic against a rebel coalition mixed into a civilian population of some two million. Taken together, the Battle of Aleppo, which began in 2012, and the subsequent siege killed an estimated 31,000 people, with 75 percent of those believed to be civilians. One of the world’s oldest cities and a cultural capital, Aleppo was reduced to rubble.

On Thursday, April 27, the —a student-run organization based in the SU College of Law and led by professor of practice David M. Crane, a former war crimes prosecutor—will publish its latest white paper detailing this sad chapter of the civil war: “Covered in Dust, Veiled by Shadow: The Siege and Destruction of Aleppo.”

A close examination of the multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity that occurred during the 2016 blockade, the “Covered in Dust” release event will take place in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3 from 10 a.m. to noon. Discussants will be Ken Harper, associate professor of multimedia photography and design in the Newhouse School; Cora True-Frost, associate professor of law in the College of Law; and Corri Zoli, research assistant professor in the Maxwell School and director of research for the .

Authored by law students Kaitlyn Degnan, Zachary Lucas and Sean Mills, “Covered in Dust” uses open sources, media accounts and contacts in the field to describe events and to document crimes that occurred during the siege in violation of the , the and the Syrian Penal Code.

Although siege itself is not banned under customary international law, this strategy often employs tactics that are considered crimes. In terms of targeting citizens and the aid workers trying to help them, the Siege of Aleppo was especially egregious. “Covered in Dust” documents six distinct categories of incidents that are representative violations: the use of siege to starve a civilian population; indiscriminate shelling of civilians and specifically the dropping of “barrel bombs”; the use of chemical weapons (there were reportedly at least eight chlorine gas attacks during the blockade); attacks on humanitarian and medical operations, including on aid convoys and hospitals; and extrajudicial killings, especially during the final days of the battle.

The information in this white paper is drawn from SAP’s extensive legal analysis, now in its sixth year. The project’s comprehensive Conflict Narrative and Crime-Based Matrix are detailed accounts of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the civil war. The narrative is a daily accounting of recorded and pertinent crimes taken from open sources, while the matrix highlights specific incidents from the narrative, noting the date, location, description and responsible party. The matrix also provides the relevant source of potential legal liability under the Rome Statute, the Geneva Conventions and/or the Syrian Penal code.

The purpose of this white paper and SAP’s wider work is to aid the eventual administration of transitional justice for the people of Syria after the war. To this end, “Covered in Dust” will be sent to the newly created , which was formed with the help of Crane in December 2016.

“Covered in Dust” joins two previous SAP white papers that also draw from the project’s Conflict Narrative and Crime-Based Matrix. (released March 2016) carefully documents 142 cases of the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war by all sides of the Syrian conflict. “ released in April 2017, documents the sarin gas attack on a rebel-held town that reportedly killed at least 87 people, including 28 children.

]]> /blog/2017/04/13/professor-william-banks-discusses-the-latest-developments-in-the-carter-page-surveillance/ Thu, 13 Apr 2017 17:25:51 +0000 /?p=119132 , Board of Advisors Distinguished Professor of Law, was quoted by Wired magazine for the story

William C. Banks

Banks is a highly regarded expert in national security and counterterrorism law, having written or co-written several books on these subjects, including “Soldiers on the Home Front: The Domestic Role of the American Military,” “New Battlefields/Old Laws,” “Counterinsurgency Law” and “National Security Law and Counterterrorism Law.” He helped launch INSCT in 2003 as a joint undertaking of the College of Law and the Maxwell School as an interdisciplinary center tasked with addressing the growing intersection of national and international security and counterterrorism law and policy. Under Banks’ leadership, INSCT has risen to be a recognized international leader in research and education in national and international counterterrorism and security.

Most recently, INSCT hosted a major cyber espionage conference along with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence. More than 20 academics, policy makers and industry leaders discussed the impact of cyber espionage on the global economy and potential methods to combat the issue from technical, legal and policy standpoints.

“Interim Dean Banks brings many years of experience as both a noted professor and researcher and as a successful administrative leader to the College of Law,” says Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost Liz Liddy. “In selecting him for this role, I know Bill will provide the strategic vision and advocacy the College of Law requires to continue its strong forward momentum.”

A graduate of the University of Nebraska (B.A. 1971) and the University of Denver (J.D. 1974, M.S. 1982), Banks joined the College of Law faculty in 1978. He was appointed a professor of public administration in the Maxwell School and was named a Laura J. and I. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence in 1998. Banks is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of National Security Law & Policy.

“This is an exciting time at the College of Law. We have a tremendous facility, Dineen Hall, from which our faculty and students can teach and learn the law and professional skills essential for 21st-century practice,” says Banks. “I will be focused on working with my colleagues to ensure that our academic programs remain innovative and that the college continues to explore new avenues that keep Syracuse University College of Law at the forefront of legal education.”

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the 18th chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke on global security challenges, leadership and a life in public service Friday in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall.

The world faces challenging, troubling times that need skilled leaders, policymakers and public servants.

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the 18th chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, who addresses global threats as the principal military advisor to President Barack Obama, spoke to the importance of a life in public service as part of a lecture Friday in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall.

Dempsey also shared his concerns on global security and his thoughts on leadership, engaging the audience of about 300 with both serious issues and moments of levity.

The theme of the day’s event, “Public Service in an Age of Complex Global Security Challenges,” resonated with Dempsey.

“One of the principles that you would take away from the theme of this conference is that first of all public service still matters,” Dempsey said. “When else would you want to serve? Would you want to serve when everything is kind of simple and deliberate and not much hangs in the balance? Or would you want to really serve when it makes a difference?”

Dempsey’s lecture was hosted by Syracuse University’s and the , represented by INSCT Director William C. Banks and Vice Chancellor for Veterans and Military Affairs J. Michael Haynie who both spoke at the event. His visit was one of many events celebrating the 90th anniversary of the .

Maxwell School Dean James B. Steinberg, who introduced Dempsey, said it is a proud time for the Maxwell School and its history of public service and engagement.

At the heart of its role as a school of citizenship, Steinberg said, is “the conviction that our greatest responsibility is to help the next generation think how they can make the world of tomorrow better than the world of today.”

Recognizing service

During his more than 40 years of service, Dempsey, who graduated from West Point, has served various levels of the U.S. Army, from platoon to combatant command. Dempsey recognized several dozen audience members who are currently serving or are military veterans and acknowledged the work of Syracuse in helping further develop leaders.

For those seeking a role in public service, Dempsey noted that many policy and strategy decisions are made in public. “You will probably find increasingly you are constantly under scrutiny for the decisions you make,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey talked about global security concerns in terms of a mnemonic device he uses: “2, 2, 2 and 1.” Those are designated by two heavyweights (Russia and China), two middleweights (Iran and North Korea), two networks (al Qaeda and affiliated terror groups and transnational organized crime) and a domain (cyber).

In regard to China and Russia, the relationship with China is being managed well, but the relationship with Russia “is becoming more difficult to manage,” Dempsey said, noting one of Putin’s recent speeches, a three-hour, mostly anti-West, talk.

The difficulties on the Korean peninsula emanate from North Korea’s young, inexperienced and xenophobic leader, all of which keep him isolated and dangerous, Dempsey said.

With Iran, there is a path to resolve nuclear issues, but there are other issues with Iran—as a global sponsor of terrorism, an active threat in cyber security and a destabilizing force in the Middle East.

The networks are much more than just al Qaeda, Dempsey said. “It’s a network of radical religious terrorism that runs from Pakistan across the region and all the way into Nigeria.” The various groups have a common ideology, with some, such as ISIS, taking it to another more dangerous level.

Dempsey also pointed to cyber security as a dangerous problem. “If we do face a crisis in the immediate future, it’s likely to be in cyber,” Dempsey said. “We’re not dealing with cyber effectively, in the opinion of the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

Advice to future leaders

Dempsey offered some advice to future leaders, noting that they need to be agile, be able to take risks and allow subordinates to take risks, have candor and have both competence and candor. “Competence will get you to the table but character will keep you there,” he said.

Dempsey also quoted William Butler Yeats: “Talent perceives differences. Genius perceives unity.”

Gen. Martin Dempsey listens to a question from an audience member during his presentation Friday at Dineen Hall.

Differences are easy to spot, but genius is what allows people to come together—something this country has been good at. “You need to see genius, which is to say you need to find unity, and if you do that the country will be fine,” he said.

Dempsey took several questions from audience members, including one from a student who questioned the draw down of the military with effectively dealing with terrorist threats.

“The size of the military in response to terrorist threat is less of a factor than if we had a conventional conflict with Russia or some conflict with China or conflict on the Korean peninsula,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey recommended two books to further understand the shifting power dynamics and the immediacy of now in developing strategies—“Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now” (by Douglas Rushkoff) and “The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being In Charge Isn’t What It Used to Be” (by Moises Naim).

“One of the things I tell people is I have no authority as chairman,” Dempsey said. “But I have enormous influence.” He also has convening authority and called Naim to talk to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on his thesis on how the challenge is to use not military strength on strength, but how to see military strength in dealing with inherent weakness.

“The Middle East is inherently fragile and intensely weak,” Dempsey said, so it’s difficult to apply military power in seeking solutions in such an area of inherent weakness.

Military careers

Dempsey was also questioned about whether there was enough being done to promote military careers.

Dempsey pointed to the military’s recent “Commitment to Service” initiative in which U.S. service members and athletes serve side by side to address shared challenges and commit to public service. Along with a group from USA Basketball and college basketball coaches, men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim participated in a strategy seminar with Dempsey and military officials in May at the Pentagon as part of the initiative.

Haynie noted the importance of Dempsey’s lecture at the University, which he said “will add yet another chapter to the long narrative that is the Syracuse University story of engaging and being a partner to the nation’s military, our veterans and their families.”

The campus visit is being held in conjunction with the 90th anniversary celebration of the .

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey

“We are honored to host Chairman Dempsey, and we’re particularly proud that he selected Syracuse University as the setting to shine a spotlight on the important role higher education can play in supporting and empowering both the nation’s veterans and future defense leaders,” says Vice Chancellor for Veterans and Military Affairs J. Michael Haynie.

Joining Dempsey and providing additional remarks will be INSCT Director William C. Banks and Maxwell School Dean James B. Steinberg. Vice Chancellor Haynie will moderate.

Dempsey’s free lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, and will be held in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall. Tickets are required and may be obtained from the Schine Box Office beginning Monday, Oct. 27, at 9 a.m. A valid SU or SUNY-ESF I.D. is required and tickets are limited to two per person. Doors will open on Oct. 31 at 9 a.m. for security screening and guests should plan to arrive early. Backpacks and other large bags are not permitted.

As 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dempsey is the highest-ranking military officer in the U.S. Armed Forces and the principal military advisor to the president, the secretary of defense and the National Security Council. During nearly 40 years of service, Dempsey has commanded at every echelon of the Army, from platoon to combatant command. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Bronze Star with “V” Device and Oak Leaf Cluster.

“The objective of the conference is to explore ways to enrich the education in our related but disparate disciplines by exposing one side and its methods and ways of approaching problems to the other,” says William C. Banks, Board of Advisors Distinguished Professor and director of the (INSCT) at Syracuse University. INSCT is a multidisciplinary, university-based center for the study of national international security and terrorism.

The agenda includes a welcome from College of Law Dean Hannah R. Arterian and a keynote address from Harold Hongju Koh, legal adviser to the U.S. Department of State and an expert on public and private international law, national security law and human rights. Koh also previously served as the dean of Yale Law School. There will also be a luncheon keynote by James Steinberg, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

The Standing Committee is part of the ABA’s Division for Public Services, an ABA department dedicated to applying the knowledge and experience of the legal profession to promotion of the public good.

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The donor, Andrew Berlin, is chairman and chief executive officer of Berlin Packaging, headquartered in Chicago. Under his leadership since 1988, the consumer-centric company has experienced exponential growth, with annual sales approaching $600 million. His gift to the Maxwell School was inspired by a professor who, he says, “stood out among the rest” during his undergraduate days at SU, where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science.

“Syracuse University, though large and at times daunting, was a place—I always believed—that if one chose to learn and be successful would provide a plethora of paths and methods to achieve those goals,” says Berlin. “To that end, I seized upon political science and history as the two subjects that engaged me most. My desire to excel was supported by nearly every professor with whom I came in contact, but there was one professor who, to me, stood out among the rest. That was and is David Bennett. His passion for his teaching, his students, his work, became a model for me as my personal evolution to adulthood was accelerating.

“Long after my departure from SU, I always remembered fondly the school, its culture, the environment and the opportunities. I am now at the point in my life where I can say thank you in a meaningful manner, and also address and assist in the important study and research of national security and counterterrorism issues. Regardless of politics and perspective, very little matters in our country if we do not have strong national security; all other important planks in one’s political platform, all other important issues of the day (education, welfare, health care, a healthy economy) pale by comparison. And I cannot think of a better place to support—at a school that provided that nurturing environment—than the Institute of National Security and Counterterrorism. Moreover, it is my honor to add Professor David Bennett’s name to this gift, and recognize his many years of commitment to Syracuse and the many students he mentored and nurtured during his tenure,” says Berlin.

Bennett remembers Berlin well. “When he was a student at SU,” Bennett says, “Andrew was an exceptional student in my classes, including a course in military history. He has had an extraordinary career since leaving our campus, and now his generous gift will support student and faculty research on national security and terrorism issues for years to come. I am deeply honored that Andrew would include my name in the title of the Berlin Family Fund.”

INSCT was established in 2003. It is dedicated to interdisciplinary teaching, research and public service focused on important national and global problems of security and terrorism. INSCT faculty and graduate students pursuing professional and doctoral degrees engage in advanced coursework toward specialty certificates in security and terrorism studies. They collaborate in the development of innovative interdisciplinary courses and seminars, such as “Perspectives on Terrorism,” team taught by political science, history, communications, international relations, public administration and law faculty.

The Institute’s research portfolio is broad and deep, ranging from faculty-supervised student working papers and research reports, to significant articles and books for academic journals and presses, to sponsorship of major workshops and conferences designed to further a research agenda in security or terrorism. While all INSCT research advances knowledge in the field, many projects are conducted on behalf of, or in consultation with, agencies, municipalities and other public entities, thus providing direct public service.

INSCT Director William C. Banks says, “I can think of no better way for Andrew Berlin to honor Professor David Bennett than to create an endowed research fund in his name, benefiting faculty whose research is directed at questions involving national security and counterterrorism.”

Some of the world’s foremost scholars and practitioners of Islamic and humanitarian law will converge at Syracuse University for a to address modern, comprehensive strategies for dealing with armed conflict. The workshop, which is by invitation only, is Friday, April 17, in Room 304 of SU’s Tolley Building. The event is part of the Islam and International Humanitarian Law initiative of the (INSCT) in . The workshop is sponsored by the Religions and Cultures cluster of , an interdisciplinary partnership involving SU, Cornell University and the University of Rochester.

For more information, call Corri Zoli at (315) 443-5078 or visit .

The goal of the workshop, says organizer William Banks, is to identify the most pressing issues at the intersection of Islamic jurisprudence and humanitarian law, and to consider how their shared concerns might prompt creativity in addressing gaps in Islam and international humanitarian law.

“The workshop is an important step toward a larger effort in understanding the challenges facing humanitarian law today,” Banks says, citing key issues as asymmetric warfare tactics, the deliberate targeting of civilians, transnational conflicts beyond state lines, and shielding soldiers among civilian populations. In addition to directing INSCT, Banks serves as the Board of Advisors Distinguished Professor of Law in SU’s College of Law and as a professor of public administration in .

To sufficiently discuss these issues, Banks has assembled a veritable Who’s Who of experts in Islamic law, Muslim politics and culture, comparative religion and history, international conflict and security, and international law and human rights. They include Robert Barnidge Jr., University of Reading (United Kingdom); Jonathan A.C. Brown, University of Washington; James Cockayne, International Peace Institute; Mohammad Fadel, University of Toronto; Bernard Freamon, Seton Hall University; Thomas Gibson, University of Rochester; Sohail Hashmi, Mount Holyoke College; Naz Modirzadeh, Harvard University; Niaz Shah, The University of Hull (U.K.); James Johnson, Rutgers University; Scott Worden, U.S. Institute of Peace; Mark Welton, U.S. Military Academy at West Point; and Tucker Culbertson, SU. The moderators are SU professors Miriam Elman, Renee de Nevers and Mehzrad Boroujerdi.

Banks says the impetus behind forming such a diverse group is the inherently complex subject matter. “The bodies of law we’re discussing are ‘living traditions,'” he says referring to the Islamic practice of adapting approved legal concepts to contemporary circumstances. “We want to rebut the tendency to reduce Western and Islamic legal traditions to static, or monolithic, constructs. An interdisciplinary approach to advancing knowledge on this pressing topic is necessary.”

The Islam-International Humanitarian Law initiative directs global attention to bridging the gap between Islamic and humanitarian law in pursuit of a contemporary set of international laws of armed conflict. The initiative arose from the INSCT research project which examined whether traditional laws and norms of armed conflict are adequate guides for present international conflicts. Banks says that INSCT is exploring different aspects of this topic through strategic partnerships with the U.S. Institute for Peace’s Rule of Law Center of Innovation and Harvard University’s International Humanitarian Law Research Initiative. “We’re committed to building an international network of scholars, legal analysts, policy makers and humanitarian practitioners to enhance a global dialogue,” he says.

INSCT is the brainchild of Banks, who established it in 2003 with support from Hannah Arterian, dean of SU’s College of Law. A year later, the Maxwell School, led by Dean Mitchel Wallerstein, signed on as a co-sponsor. INSCT is indicative of each unit’s systematic, interdisciplinary approach to important questions of law and policy related to national and international security and counterterrorism. More information is available at .

This workshop is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through a four-year, $1 million award designed to raise public engagement with and visibility of the humanities throughout Central New York and to enhance the productivity and connectivity of its key scholars, students and community members. The Mellon CNY Humanities Corridor is administered for by the SU Humanities Center and is part of a larger effort to support engaged research and a public dialogue about the possibilities of humanistic inquiry, coupled with innovative thinking concerning real human problems. Gregg Lambert, Dean’s Professor of the Humanities, is founding director of the SU Humanities Center and is principal investigator of the Mellon CNY Humanities Corridor.

More information is available at .