On October 28, 2015 at 2:30 pm, the U.S. Institute of Peace will host an expert panel to discuss renewed stability concerns in Afghanistan following the Taliban seizure of Kunduz.  Among the issues to be addressed are President Obama’s decision to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016, whether Afghan President Ghani should rearm local militias against the Taliban, human rights and humanitarian issues in Kunduz, and a criticism of the national unity government spending too much time focusing on internal rivalries rather than its core responsibilities. Scott Smith , director for Afghanistan & Central Asia, USIP will moderate and Belquis Ahmadi, senior program officer Asia Center, USIP will be among the panelists.

Featured panelists:

Ali Jalali
Distinguished Professor, National Defense University
Former Interior Minister of Afghanistan

Christopher D. Kolenda
Former Senior Advisor on Afghanistan and Pakistan, Department of Defense

The event will also be webcast.

Pre-registration for this event is required. To request credentials for this event, contact Paul Johnson at interviews@usip.org. All credential requests must be submitted by 5:00pm on October 27, 2015.

Location:
U.S. Institute of Peace
2301 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20037

Security requirements: Additional security procedures will be in place for this event, including early camera pre-set time, parking restrictions near USIP, and early door closures for all attendees. Information will be provided to registered attendees.

Video photography: Due to limited space, outlets requesting camera space must contact Paul Johnson at interviews@usip.org. Outlets will be notified on October 27 if space is available. Additional logistical information will be shared with confirmed camera crews. Video cameras must remain fixed on a tripod for the duration of the event.

Still photography: Outlets requesting to send still photographers must pre-register.

Credentialing policy: USIP media credentials are available to reporters, editors working as reporters, producers, camera operators and still photographers who work for legitimate media organizations and who present their official government-issued press credentials. Due to the limited space for media at “Implications for Afghanistan: The Taliban Seizure of Kunduz” USIP reserves the right to limit the number of representatives of each media outlet attending the event. Media representatives who violate guidelines for coverage of an USIP event, whether written or oral, may have their credentials withdrawn.