The Aspen Institute

This event is at capacity. If space allows, tickets will be released at the door.

In collaboration with the Aspen Security Forum.
Featuring Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, in conversation with Courtney Kube, Pentagon Correspondent for NBC News, who will discuss important developments and national security in the Indo-Pacific. Following that, Dr. Monica Juma, National Security Advisor to The President of Kenya will be in conversation with Sarah Smith, North America Editor, BBC. The evening will close with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Ambassador to the United Nations, US Permanent Mission to the UN, who will speak with Andrea Mitchell, Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for NBC News.
Live event, Greenwald Pavilion

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Admiral John Aquilino is the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, the nation’s largest combatant command. USINDOPACOM includes 380,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Guardians, Coast Guardsmen and Department of Defense civilians and is responsible for all U.S. military activities in the Indo-Pacific, covering 36 nations, 14 time zones, and more than 50 percent of the world’s population. A native of Huntington, NY, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984, earning a Bachelor of Science in physics. He subsequently entered flight training and earned his wings in August 1986. Operationally, he served in numerous fighter squadrons flying the F-14 A/B Tomcat and the F-18 C/E/F Hornet. Aquilino graduated from Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and the Joint Forces Staff College. He completed Harvard Kennedy School’s executive education program in national and international security.

Courtney Kube is an NBC News correspondent covering the Pentagon and the Department of Defense. Kube regularly breaks exclusive reporting on military operations around the world and foreign policy and appears across all NBC News and MSNBC programs. Kube was the first to report the Chinese government spying ahead of the Singapore summit between former President Trump and Kim Jong-un, multiple exclusive details surrounding the ambush of U.S. soldiers in Niger, a recent CIA report concluding North Korea does not intend to denuclearize, Russia jamming U.S. drones over Syria, and more. For the past decade, Kube was NBC News’ Pentagon producer, covering wars in the Middle East, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, and reporting from U.S. military bases around the world.

Dr. Monica Juma is the National Security Advisor to the President of the Republic of Kenya. Monica Juma has served as Cabinet Secretary in five strategic Ministries of the Republic of Kenya, namely the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign affairs, and as Acting Ministry in the docket of Petroleum and Mining. She also served as Principal Secretary in the security triad: Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs. Before joining the top executive, she was Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti, and Permanent Representative of Kenya to the African Union, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and United Nations Commission for Africa (UNECA). Among the key efforts during this time was the engagement of Kenya as a key Troop Contributing country to the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). She joined government with a depth of experience in research and policy analysis accumulated from serving in leading continental and international policy institutions. She also served in the United Nation’s Secretary General’s (UNSG) High Level Panel on Resourcing African Union led, UNSC mandated peacekeeping missions. Amb (Dr.) Juma has strong academic credentials. She served as a lecturer in Government and Public Administration and as Research Director at the Centre for Refugee Studies, at Moi University, Eldoret. She began her employment as a Management Analyst in the Office of the President. Amb (Dr.) Monica Juma is well published in security, peace and governance areas. She has a BA and MA degrees in Government and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi; a Certificate of Refugee Studies and a Doctor of Philosophy in Politics from the University of Oxford.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations as well as the Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations in 2021. From 2013 to 2017 she served as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. Her Foreign Service career includes an ambassadorship to Liberia (2008-2012), and postings in Switzerland (at the United States Mission to the United Nations, Geneva), Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Jamaica. In Washington, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs (2006-2008), and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (2004-2006).

Andrea Mitchell, NBC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, is also host of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports.” A veteran political correspondent for NBC News, Mitchell has covered every presidential campaign since 1980 for the network as well as reporting on intelligence and national security issues across all NBC News and MSNBC properties. She appears regularly on “Nightly News with Lester Holt,” “TODAY” and “Meet the Press” as well as on the streaming service NBC News Now. Mitchell’s extensive and varied reports over the years include coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Iran nuclear negotiations, and conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories. In 2019, she co-moderated the fifth Democratic presidential debate hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post. Mitchell has been honored for her distinguished reporting, receiving the lifetime achievement award at the 40th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards, The International Radio and Television Society Foundation’s Giant of Broadcasting and Electronic Arts Honor, and other awards.

Sarah Smith is the BBC North America Editor covering all aspects of American news and politics for BBC TV, Radio and online. Host of “Americast” podcast. Based in Washington, DC.

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