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The Aspen Institute Wraps the 2011 Aspen Security Forum

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aspen Institute held the second annual Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, on July 27-30, 2011. The Forum brought together top-level present and former government officials; industry leaders; leading thinkers; noted journalists; and concerned citizens for three and a half days of in-depth discussions on the state of: aviation security; maritime security; border security; mass transit security; intelligence; critical infrastructure protection; cybersecurity; counterterrorism strategy; terrorism finance; and much more.

Forum highlights from 2011 included:

    --  The Role of Special Operations Forces in the Global War on Terrorism -
        Admiral Eric Olson spoke on the role of Special Operations Forces in
        finding Osama bin Laden and the ongoing hunt for other terrorists around
        the world.
    --  The Department of Homeland Security at Year Eight - Secretary of
        Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and former Secretary of Homeland
        Security Michael Chertoff talked about how far the Department of
        Homeland Security has come in its 8 years and what the future holds for
        the Department.
    --  The Rule of Law and the War on Terrorism - Former U.S. Attorney General
        Alberto Gonzales, Executive Director of the ACLU Anthony Romero, and
        former U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo discussed
        torture.
    --  Threat vs. Response - Admiral (Ret.) Dennis Blair shared his thoughts on
        intelligence sharing and our disproportionate spending on fighting al
        Qaeda.
    --  Reflections on 9/11 and the Decade Since - Stephen Hadley spoke about
        our missed opportunity in the Arab Spring. (Watch the full conversation
        with Director, President, and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson Center for
        Scholars Jane Harman and former Assistant to the President for Homeland
        Security Fran Townsend.)
    --  The Wars Abroad and the Threat at Home - Lieutenant General Douglas E.
        Lute discussed U.S.-Pakistan relationships and U.S. drone strikes.

Video from every session at the Forum can be found at http://as.pn/asfvideo. Photos are available at http://as.pn/asfphotos.

The New York Times was the Forum's media partner. Sponsors for the 2011 Aspen Security Forum were AGT International, IBM, i2, and Mission Essential Personnel.

Dates for the 2012 Aspen Security Forum are July 25-28 in Aspen, CO.

About The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute's Homeland Security Program works to heighten public awareness as to the nation's continued vulnerability to terrorism, and to persuade the nation to take the necessary steps to close the gap between how secure we should be and how secure we actually are. For more information, please visit www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/homeland-security.

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events. The Institute is based in Washington, D.C.; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

SOURCE The Aspen Institute's Aspen Security Forum