Gates to be Keynote Speaker at FDD, Hudson, Center for Cyber & Homeland Security Event

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will be the keynote speaker at an event jointly hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Hudson Institute and the George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security: “Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood’s Global Affiliates: New U.S. Administration Considers New Policies,” Tuesday, May 23, 2017, 8:45 a.m. at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Following his remarks, Gates will join an on-the-record interview with Catherine Herridge of Fox News Channel to discuss the conference theme and the news of the day.

Additional speakers include Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and Jake Sullivan, former National Security Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden and Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School.

Gates served as the 22nd secretary of defense (2006-2011). On Secretary Gates’ last day in office, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Gates joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1966 and spent nearly 27 years as an intelligence professional. During that period, he spent nearly nine years at the National Security Council, the White House, serving four presidents of both political parties.

Gates served as director of Central Intelligence from 1991 until 1993. He is the only career officer in CIA’s history to rise from entry-level employee to director. Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, has three times received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and has three times received CIA’s highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

Gates, Royce and Sullivan join a distinguished list of experts to discuss Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood and developments with Hamas as President Trump visits the region. They include:

·         Amb. Husain Haqqani, former Ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S. and Director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute

·         Mary Beth Long, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and Nonresident Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

·         Mokhtar Awad, Research Fellow in the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University

·         Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

·         Sam Tadros, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom

·         Eric Trager, Esther K. Wagner Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy

·         David Weinberg, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

NPR News Correspondent Tom Gjelten and Fox News Channel Anchor Jenna Lee will be among the moderators.

The conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, 2401 M Street NW, Washington, D.C.

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For more information, contact [email protected] or 202.403.2904.

About FDD:

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a Washington, DC-based non-partisan policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. Visit our website at www.defenddemocracy.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.