Challenges and Changes 13 Years Later

BILL ROGGIO, managing editor of The Long War Journal:

• On the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, does the US truly understand the nature of the enemy it faces?
• The President’s concerning rhetoric about the Islamic State in yesterday’s speech
• Can the Saudis be trusted to properly combat the jihadist threat?

FRED FLEITZ, former CIA intelligence officer:

• The President’s plan to attack Islamic State targets in Syria with airstrikes
• Iranian influence in Iraq and Syria
• Russia’s involvement in negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program
• Under Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller’s chances of curbing Russian violations of the INF Treaty

Rep. ROB WITTMAN, Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee:

• The extent of jihadist extremism and the American ability to respond: 2014 vs. pre-9/11
• The need for President Obama to present Congress with specifics—not just objectives—for confronting the Islamic State
• Sequestration’s impact on US military readiness
• Lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan concerning Congress’s role in preparing the US budget for a possible long term military engagement

ADM. JAMES LOY, former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Administrator of the TSA, and Commandant of the US Coast Guard:

• Reflections on building up DHS and TSA after the 9/11 attacks
• The currently accelerating pace of change in US counter-terror planning in response to the formation of new terror groups after the weakening of “core Al Qaeda”
• Where is the federal government not adequately focusing on potential security vulnerabilities?
• Improving US resiliency planning to deal with possible cyber attacks on critical infrastructure