"Preventing Al Qaedastan: Canada, the United States, and NATO in South Asia in 2009 and Beyond"
Now into the seventh year of operations in Afghanistan, the United States, Canada and their NATO allies are facing new political challenges in the region and in their home constituencies. Al Qaeda remains a difficult enemy, as the border with neighbouring Pakistan is fluid to combatants. Political unrest in that country has brought attention back to the region and points to the need for a coordinated strategy among NATO members. In Canada, the report of the Manley Commission on the country’s role in Afghanistan is expected later this month. Early indications point to a recommendation for continued activity, yet the resolve of Canadians to support the mission is increasingly strained.
A light lunch is provided to those who RSVP.
Speaker Bio
Areas of Expertise Canada Canadian-U.S. Relations The Automotive Industry North American Integration U.S. Foreign Policy Trade Policy Homeland Security Border Security U.S. Democracy Promotion Biographical Highlights Sands is an adjunct professor in Government at the American University School of Public Affairs and a senior fellow in the American University Center for North American Studies. He serves as a member of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of the North American Competitiveness Council, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to consult with U.S. government officials in negotiations under the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership. He also lectures at the Foreign Service Institute of the US Department of State and for the US Department of Homeland Security. From 2002 to 2007, Sands was the director of strategic planning and evaluation at the International Republican Institute (IRI), a core institute of the National Endowment for Democracy and implementer of democracy and governance programs of the U.S. Agency for International Development and Department of State. At IRI, he was involved in evaluations and assessments of programs in Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Slovakia and conducted training seminars for new policy research institutes and think tanks in emerging democracies. In 1993, Sands began a long association with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) where he focused on US-Canada relations and North American integration issues, including a major study with Sidney Weintraub of The North American Auto Industry under NAFTA (CSIS Press, 1998). In 1999-2000, Sands was a Fulbright Scholar and visiting fellow at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa. Dr. Sands holds a B.A. in political science from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Canadian studies and international economics from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of the American Political Science Association, the International Studies Association, and the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States. Publications and Media Exposure Christopher Sands has been interviewed by NBC, CNN, CNN International, Fox News Channel, NPR, the BBC, and Canadian networks: CBC, Newsworld, CTV, Report on Business Television, and Global television news. He has been quoted in Time, Newsweek, Business Week, Maclean’s, US News and World Report, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Financial Times, and other publications.