PSA and USIP held a special off-the-record discussion on the current situation in Afghanistan and strategic options for the future featuring David Kilcullen, Lt. Col. (retired) Australian Army, former advisor to Gen. Petraeus in Iraq and Afghanistan, and President of Caerus Associates, and Andrew Wilder, Director of USIP Afghanistan and Pakistan Programs on September 27th.

Dr. Kilcullen has established himself as a key intellectual leader in the field of counter-insurgency.  He is the author of several books including The Accidental Guerilla and Counterinsurgency. 

Dr. Wilder has worked in and on Afghanistan since the mid-1980s, and is known for his research and analysis on governance, stabilization efforts and the upcoming political transition in Afghanistan.  He recently returned from USIP’s field mission in Afghanistan where USIP operates on-the-ground conflict management and peacebuilding programs.

This was the first event of the PSA/USIP Congressional Briefing Series - topics on International Conflict Resolution and Prevention, an educational program designed to provide congressional staff opportunities to engage with leading experts and fellow Capitol Hill staffers in bipartisan forums. The program aims to build cross-party relationships, encourage bipartisan dialogue, and equip staff with new perspectives on critical issues in the international conflict resolution and prevention field.

Click here for Dr. Kilcullen's full bio from Caerus Associates.

Click here for Dr. Wilder's full bio from the United States Institute of Peace.