Leaders and experts will discuss the US presidential election, Syria, China, and more -- full conference streamed live

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders from more than 50 countries will gather November 16-18 at the Halifax International Security Forum to discuss pressing security issues, including the impact of the American presidential election on the rest of the world, the turmoil in Syria, the continued rise of China, energy security, cybersecurity and modern warfare.

Beginning Friday, November 16, Halifax will welcome Canadian Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay, a congressional delegation led by U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Mark Udall (D-CO); Alison Redford, Premier of Alberta; Canadian Associate Minister of National Defence and Minister of State Bernard Valcourt; Canadian Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews; Jean-Paul Palomeros, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO; Abdul Rahim Wardak, Senior Defense Advisor, Afghanistan; and 300 other leaders from around the world to assess events in 2012 and look ahead to 2013.

"Now in its fourth year, the Halifax International Security Forum has evolved into the premier event for leaders and experts to discuss the most relevant, urgent global security issues," said Canadian Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay. "The end of 2012 presents us with many challenges—Syria, the global economic crisis and China, to name a few—and Halifax provides the perfect atmosphere for the exchange of ideas that will inform the thinking and decisions of key leaders around the world."

A full list of participants can be found at http://halifaxtheforum.org/2012-forum/participants/2012-participants/.

People around the world will be able to view the discussions live at www.halifaxtheforum.org. Up-to-date information about the Forum is also available on the Halifax app for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android, which is downloadable at http://getmyapp.me/hisf/. The Forum can also be followed on Twitter at @halifaxtheforum and with the hashtag #halifax2012.

ON-THE-RECORD AGENDA
All times on the agenda are listed in Atlantic Standard Time (AST).

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16
15:00-15:45: Introduction & Opening Remarks
INTRODUCTION: Peter Van Praagh, President, Halifax International Security Forum
OPENING REMARKS: The Hon. Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, Canada

16:15-17:30: Plenary 1:  What is the New Normal and When Will it Get Here?
SPEAKERS: Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman, Munich Security Conference
Paula Dobriansky, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard
University
David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent, New York Times
Pauline Neville-Jones, Patron to Cyber Security Challenge and Special Government Representative to Business on Cyber Security, House of Lords, United Kingdom
MODERATOR: Gideon Rose, Editor, Foreign Affairs

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17
8:30-9:45: Plenary 2: Syria's Terror, the Middle East's Tragedy
SPEAKERS: Cengiz Çandar, Journalist, Radikal
Raghida Dergham, Columnist and Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, Al Hayat
Safeen Muhsin Dizayee, Leadership Member, Kurdistan Democratic Party?
Radwan Ziadeh, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies
MODERATOR: Kevin Newman, Anchor, "Question Period"

10:15-11:30: Plenary 3: Mischief or Miscalculation? China and the Rise of Confusion-ism
SPEAKERS: Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Ambassador for Policy Planning and International Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
MJ Akbar, Editorial Director, India Today & Headlines Today
James Miller, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, US Department of Defense
MODERATOR: Steve Clemons, Washington Editor-at-Large, The Atlantic

12:00-13:15: Plenary 4: The Good Guys? The Special Burden of Democratic Nations
SPEAKERS: Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, Canada
John McCain, Senator (R-AZ), United States
Josef Joffe, Publisher-Editor, Die Zeit
Juan Carlos Pinzon Bueno, Minister of Defence, Colombia
MODERATOR: Kathleen Koch, Author & Journalist

14:30-15:00: Halifax Chat
SPEAKER: David Kramer, President, Freedom House
MODERATOR: Mr. Robin Shepherd, Director, International Affairs, Henry Jackson Society

15:00-16:00: Plenary 5: American Global Leadership After the Election
SPEAKERS: Shlomo Avineri, Professor of Political Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Carla Anne Robbins, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Udall, Senator (D-CO), United States
MODERATOR: Jonathan Tepperman, Managing Editor, Foreign Affairs 

16:30-17:45: Plenary 6: North America Off Foreign Oil and its Impacts Everywhere Else
OPENING REMARKS: Alison Redford, Premier, Alberta, Canada
SPEAKERS: John Barrasso, Senator (R-WY), United States
Fabrice Pothier, Head of Policy Planning, NATO
Alison Redford, Premier, Alberta, Canada
MODERATOR: Tom Clark, Chief Political Correspondent, Global National News

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20
10:30-11:45: Plenary 7: Is Afghanistan Pakistan's Problem? (Or Vice Versa?)
SPEAKERS: Husain Haqqani, Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia, Hudson Institute
Saad Mohseni, Chairman and CEO, Moby Group
Ahmed Rashid, Journalist and Author, Pakistan
Amrullah Saleh, Former Intelligence Chief, Afghanistan
Abdul Rahim Wardak, Senior Defense Adviser and Former Minister of Defense, Afghanistan MODERATOR: Elise Labott, Foreign Affairs Reporter, CNN

12:15-13:30: Plenary 8: Automated or Automatic: Cyber, Drones and the Consequences of Modern Warfare
SPEAKERS: Rafal Rohozinski, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, The SecDev Group
Elisa Massimino, President and CEO, Human Rights First
Jean-Paul Paloméros, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO
Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, Public Safety Canada
MODERATOR: Jeanne Meserve, Senior Fellow, George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute

Pool Service (in Eastern Time)

Nov 16   1230-1730 apx 30
Galaxy 25 K13 Slot A
U/L:  14251H
D/L:  11951V
Symbol rate:  6.1113
FEC 3/4
Toronto TOC Switch order:  42333    Satellite order:  1128952

Nov 17   0630-1745 apx 30
Galaxy 25 K19 Slot C
U/L:  14362H
D/L:  12062V
Symbol rate:  6.1113
FEC 3/4
Toronto TOC Switch order:  42333    Satellite order:  1128942

Nov 18  0800-1400 apx 30
Galaxy 25  K13 Slot C
U/L:   14269H
D/L:    11969V
Symbol rate:  6.1113
FEC 3/4
Toronto TOC Switch order:  42333    Satellite order:  1128954

About The Halifax International Security Forum
Halifax International Security Forum is a Forum and a network for thoughtful and engaged decision-makers from governments, militaries, business, academia, and the media to work together to meet emerging threats in a changing world. The annual Halifax International Security Forum brings people together in an informal setting that only a place like Halifax, Nova Scotia can provide. As one of the secrets to its success, Halifax creates an informal, unscripted, discussion-based atmosphere that encourages interactive and free-flowing exchanges—providing a unique opportunity for informed leaders to learn from each other, share opinions, generate new ideas and put them into action. Halifax International Security Forum is a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Washington, DC.

For media accreditation or to submit interview requests, please contact RJ Bee at: media@halifaxtheform.org, or call 902-210-6004.

SOURCE Halifax International Security Forum