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Bergen, who is also the director of the National Security Studies Program at the New America Foundation, began by sharing breaking news with the audience: the United States uncovered allegations that connect Iranian intelligence operatives with a foiled assassination plot targeting the Saudi ambassador to the United States.

Bergen went on to highlight steps taken by the Bush and Obama administrations that make such interventions possible, such as the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, increased security measures at airports and better cooperation among federal agencies.

According to Bergen, while these steps were necessary, it is important to put the threat of terrorism into perspective.聽 He advocated for a renewed focus on policies that address the issue of terrorist threats while doing so in a more measured manner.

He also addressed the criticism of the current administration, and he pointed to the overwhelming similarities between it and the Bush administration. He said parallels include the tripling of American troops in Afghanistan, the quadrupling of drone strikes in Pakistan and counterterrorism operations in Yemen and Somalia.

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In addition to the obvious loss of an influential figure, he listed four fundamental problems that al-Qaeda faces: the unrestricted killing of Muslim citizens; a vague, undefined return to an Islamic caliphate; extreme actions that have led to a unification of opposition; and the tactical methods of terrorism that have overridden their strategic goals.

Responding to a question regarding the possibility of a terrorist attack using nuclear weapons, Bergen explained that he was far more worried about a conventional conflict triggered by terrorism that could escalate into a nuclear exchange.聽 Another terrorist attack like the 2008 Mumbai attacks carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organization based largely in Pakistan, could trigger a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, Bergen explained.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners of Bergen 麻豆精品 S檚 presentation included the UCF Terrorism Studies Program, the UCF Global Peace and Security Studies Program, The Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship Program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, Larson Allen LLP, the UCF Nicholson School of Communication, the UCF Diplomacy Program, the UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program, the UCF Political Science Department, the UCF International Services Center, the UCF Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, UCF LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit .

麻豆精品 S淎n Agenda for the Next President in the United States and Abroad 麻豆精品 S� will begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, in the Cape Florida Ballroom of the Student Union. Organized by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, the event is part of the 2011-12 麻豆精品 S淚ndia Speaker Series. 麻豆精品 S� It is free and open to the public.

Ponnuru, who also is a columnist for TIME magazine, was previously a fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London and a media fellow at Stanford University 麻豆精品 S檚 Hoover Institution. In 2006 he authored 麻豆精品 S淭he Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life. 麻豆精品 S�

Ponnuru has published articles in numerous newspapers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Newsday, and The New York Post. He has also appeared on CNN’s Inside Politics, NBC’s The McLaughlin Group, MSNBC’s Buchanan & Press, Fox News, and NPR’s “Morning Edition. 麻豆精品 S�

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors of Ponnuru 麻豆精品 S檚 presentation include The India Program at UCF, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande India Program Endowed Fund, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, the UCF Nicholson School of Communication, The Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship Program, LarsonAllen LLP, the UCF Political Science Department, UCF Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, UCF LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit .

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Stephanie, a first-generation college student, will graduate Saturday during one of four weekend ceremonies at the UCF Arena . She will earn a degree in Political Science with an emphasis on International Relations. She 麻豆精品 S檒l go onto graduate school and then will work with the U.S. State Department.

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A student in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Burnett Honors College, Stephanie was awarded the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship. She was one of only 20 recipients from across the country.

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Stephanie received her associate 麻豆精品 S檚 degree from Valencia Community College, where she studied political science and participated in the human rights organization Amnesty International.

At UCF, she focused on international studies with a minor in Spanish. She has also been active in research, completing a project about how ideas affect history and writing an Honors in the Major senior thesis on neocolonialism.

She credits the mentorship that she has received from the McNair Scholars Program with helping her discover her love for research and earning the Pickering Fellowship. The program aims to increase the number of first-generation college students from low-income families and underrepresented groups pursuing doctoral degrees by exposing them to research and other scholarly activities.

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Stephanie also was named a MacArthur International Relations Scholar by UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Office of Global Perspectives. The scholarship honored her commitment to building international awareness and understanding in the local community.

Stephanie hopes to earn a graduate assistantship at Seton Hall, a role that would allow her to mentor undergraduate students and share the importance of research with them.

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