A lecture by the Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP, Secretary of State for Defence.

Bob Ainsworth discussed the progress being made in Afghanistan, addressing issues of operational welfare and support to troops on operations. He also set out the government’s commitment to Armed Forces personnel in general, including mapping out the implementation of the Service Personnel Command Paper published last year.

A lecture by Sir Bill Jeffrey KCB, Permanent Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, UK.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently published a Strategy for Defence. This strategy, focused on the period to 2014, maps out the path to the Defence Review which will take place after the General Election. The immediate goals are clear, even before we undertake a review; we have to succeed in Afghanistan, and any other contingent operations we are asked to undertake in the years ahead; we need to continue to meet our standing tasks against direct threats to the UK and overseas territories, including provision of the UK's independent nuclear deterrent. 

Sir Bill Jeffrey detailed the crucial role that people across defence, both military and civilian, play in tackling these challenges.

On 3 December 2009 Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, UK Ministry of Defence addressed RUSI members on the UK's operational commitments in Afghanistan. In his annual lecture to the Royal United Services Institute in London, the Chief of the Defence Staff said the Taliban could not win in Afghanistan. But the international coalition could fail if it lost its nerve. He said: 'The Taliban is not going to defeat us militarily, but we want the same patience, courage and discipline that soldiers show here from the public at home.'

RUSI.org has been updated to give members and users even greater access to RUSI's work on defence and security.

This new site also marks the launch of RUSI Analysis. This updated online forum will host incisive commentary from experts around the world.

The update to RUSI.org aims to enhance the way RUSI responds to and shapes the global agenda.

NATO must become an 'actor in a global world' able to outwit agile enemies and communicate its message to the public, the alliance's newly appointed Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR) argued in a keynote speech at the Royal United Services Institute.

Admiral James Stavridis said that NATO must become 'lean, fast and precise' in order to meet an expanded range of threats in the twenty-first century, as it prepares a new Strategic Concept.

In particular, Admiral Stavridis warned that the North Atlantic alliance faced new priorities in cybersecurity and counter-terrorism, and a new area of operations in the High North with the thaw of the Arctic ice. 

On 3 August, Bill Rammell MP gave his first speech as Minister of State for the Armed Forces. Speaking at a RUSI Members’ Lecture chaired by RUSI Vice President Sir David Omand. The Minister used his debut to highlight the defence contribution to UK and international security.

The Minister outlined how the UK Armed Forces are defending the UK's security interests in Afghanistan and those operations fit in with the UK's wider counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. He stressed that the vast majority of the Muslim community was appalled by terrorist groups like Al-Qa’ida and that Islam was being used as a mere ‘smoke-screen’ to carry out extremist aims. Indeed, he stressed the support of the Afghan people for the mission and conceded that rather than an imposition of Western values on the country, the campaign aims to provide a more secure future for Afghanistan. Ultimately, the Minister remained optimistic about UK efforts on the campaign, and although he conceded that counter-terrorism efforts could not take place solely by military intervention, he valued the input of the Armed Forces in maintaining UK security.

As the death of former US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara is announced, RUSI.org publishes remarks made by him at the Royal United Services Institute in 2001.

Taking part in a conference on nuclear deterrence organised in conjunction with the Oxford Research Group, Mr McNamara reflected on his own portrayal in the film, Thirteen Days, which explored the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The former US Defense Secretary then went on to reveal his role during this tumultous time in international security

At the award of the 2009 Westminster Medal for Military Literature, Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman delivered a lecture that illustrated the consequences of difficult choices in framing America's foreign policy towards Iran. Drawing upon his research into President Carter"s response to the events of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Professor Freedman provided historical comparison to the current US administration’s response to the recent political turmoil in Iran. For further information about Medal, visit: www.rusi.org/westminstermedal

Outgoing British Army Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt outlines the British Army’s analysis of recent conflicts and the lessons drawn for future conflict. And US Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey, provides an insight into the US Army’s transformation to meet the challenges of twenty-first century warfare. More presentations found at: http://www.rusi.org/landwarfare/presentations/

As Iran chooses between incumbent Ahmedinejad and opposition favourite Mir Hossein Mousavi, a RUSI panel discusses the implications the result will have for international security. What will this mean for President Obama's new posture towards the Middle East? Chaired by Christopher Dickey, Paris Bureau Chief, Middle East Regional Editor, Newsweek International. Speakers: Malcolm Chalmers, Professorial Fellow, RUSI; Sir Richard Dalton, Former UK Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran; and Steven Clemons, Senior Fellow and Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation. The Panel spoke at the RUSI Global Leadership Forum www.rusi.org/globalleadership

Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Barham Salih, speaks at RUSI on his country’s recent past and future prospects. Five years from now, he predicts, Iraq will be a dynamic, democratic and economically vibrant presence in the heart of the Middle East.

Watch the news report here: http://tinyurl.com/c3b3aw

Former British Ambassador and leading Middle East Expert Sir Mark Allen discusses the importance of Western-Arab Relations in ensuring stable energy supply.