9:00-9:05 OPENING CEREMONY
Mr. John J. Miller [MC], Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, CNN

9:05-9:20 KEYNOTE
The Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary, United States Department of Homeland Security

9:20-9:30 HIGH-LEVEL REMARKS

Mr. Greg Ehrie, Chief Security Officer, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

9:30-9:35 FRAMING REMARKS

Mr. John P. O’Neill Jr., Victims Advocate, Internal Enterprise Investigations Manager, Bank of America

9:35-10:20 PANEL

The Evolving Terrorism Landscape: Emerging Trends and Threats – The terrorism landscape has evolved considerably over the past two decades. Whereas the U.S. and its allies were once almost exclusively focused on Salafi-jihadist groups, the threat has expanded to now include not just jihadists but also far-right and left-wing extremists, and a range of other violent extremists and groups motivated by varying ideologies and grievances.

Mr. Peter Bergen [Moderator], Vice President of Global Studies & Fellows, New America
Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Ulam Weiner, Deputy Commissioner, Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, New York Police Department
Mr. Robert Wells, Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Mr. Brian Jenkins, Senior Advisor to the President, RAND Corporation
Mr. August Cole, Managing Partner, Useful Fiction

10:25-10:45 FIRESIDE CHAT
The Criminal Justice System as a Tool for Accountability, Justice, and Closure

Mr. John J. Miller [Moderator], Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, CNN
The Honorable Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General, United States Department of Justice

10:45– 11:00 COFFEE BREAK 11:00-11:45 PANEL

October 7th and Beyond – The Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, are a stark reminder of the ever-present threat posed by terrorist groups. Over the past year, the Middle East has been brought to the brink of regional war on several occasions. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has assumed a regional dimension, with all sides attempting to redraw the “red lines” that for many years had defined the rules of engagement and prevented tensions from boiling over.

Mr. Brian Dodwell [Moderator], Executive Director, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
Mr. Rami Khouri, Distinguished Public Policy Fellow, Issam Fares Institute, American University of Beirut
Professor Chuck Freilich, Former Deputy National Security Adviser in Israel, Adjunct Associate Professor of Political Science, Columbia University and Senior Fellow, the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv
Professor Assaf Moghadam, Dean of the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy, and Strategy, Reichman University
Mr. Barak Ravid, Foreign Policy and National Security Correspondent, Axios

11:45 – 13:15 LUNCH 13:15-14:00 PANEL

Decoding Iran’s Playbook: The Axis of Resistance and the Use of Proxy Forces – Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” comprised of groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Houthi rebels in Yemen, and mostly Shia militia groups in Iraq and Syria, demonstrates the success of General Qassem Soleimani’s blueprint for spreading Iranian influence throughout the Middle East. This panel will discuss the implications of Iran’s sponsor of proxy warfare and how Iran uses these groups to execute its own foreign policy playbook.

Mr. Mark Mazzetti [Moderator], Washington Investigative Correspondent, The New York Times
Dr. Kenneth Katzman, Senior Fellow, The Soufan Center
Dr. Matthew Levitt, Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Counterterrorism, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Mr. Phillip Smyth, Researcher on Iranian Proxies and Shia Militias
Mr. Marc Polymeropoulos, Former Senior Intelligence Service, CIA, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council

14:00-14:05 HIGH-LEVEL REMARKS
Commissioner (Ret.) William Bratton, Chair, Homeland Security Advisory Council

14:10-14:30 FIRESIDE CHAT

High-Stakes Headlines Unpacking Today’s Threats-Planning for Tomorrow’s Crises: In this fireside chat, General Austin S. Miller (Ret.), Former Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) commander, speaks with Ali Velshi about the evolution of the terrorist threat during General Miller’s tenure and how that experience shapes how he views the future terrorism threat.

Mr. Ali Velshi [Moderator], Host of “Velshi” and MSNBC Chief Correspondent, MSNBC
General (Ret.) Austin S. Miller, Former Commander, Joint Special Operations Command, Senior Fellow, Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point

14:30-14:50 FIRESIDE CHAT

Today’s National Security Challenges – In this fireside chat, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security speaks with Karen Greenberg about the critical challenges facing national security today. Focusing on international terrorism, domestic terrorism, election security, and cybersecurity, Olsen draws on his experience within the Department of Justice and the Intelligence Community to provide insights into how these threats have evolved.

The Honorable Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, United States Department of Justice
Professor Karen Greenberg, Director, Center on National Security, Fordham School of Law

14:50-14:55 HIGH-LEVEL REMARKS (virtual)
Senator Richard Blumenthal, United States Senator for Connecticut

14:55-15:00 FRAMING REMARKS
Ms. Terry Strada, National Chair, 9/11 Families United

15:05-15:50 PANEL

The Never-Ending Search for Justice: Victims of Terrorism and Accountability – With so much focus on terrorist groups and high-profile terror attacks, more attention should be given to the victims of terrorism, giving voice to the voiceless and highlighting the toll that terrorism has on survivors, victims, their families, first responders, and others who are often neglected when discussing this issue. This panel will also focus on transforming accountability and fighting for justice against terrorists, terrorist groups, and state sponsors of terrorism.

Mr. Michael Isikoff [Moderator], Investigative Reporter and Author, The Washington Post, Newsweek, ABC News and Yahoo News
Mr. Brett Eagleson, President, 9/11 Justice
Mr. Dennis Fitzpatrick, Senior Legal Advisor, The Soufan Group, Partner, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP
Mr. Charlie Savage, Washington Correspondent, The New York Times
Mr. Tim Brown, Former Firefighter for the New York City Fire Department, 9/11 Survivor

15:50– 16:05 COFFEE BREAK

16:05-16:15 FRAMING REMARKS

The Alexander Family, family of Edan Alexander, hostage held in Gaza since October 7

16:15-16:35 FIRESIDE CHAT

Hostage Taking: Countering an Asymmetric Threat: In this fireside chat, Ambassador Roger Carstens, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs speaks with Adam Ciralsky about the intricate dynamics of hostage-taking as an asymmetric threat. Reflecting on the themes discussed in Vanity Fair’s article “Take No Prisoners,” Ambassador Carstens shares his experiences and insights from the front lines of diplomacy, exploring how the evolving tactics of hostage-takers challenge traditional security measures.

Mr. Adam Ciralsky [Moderator], Founder and Chief Executive Officer, P3 Media, Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair
Ambassador Roger Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, United States Department of State

16:35-17:20 FIRESIDE CHAT
Domestic Terrorism and Documentary Making: An American Bombing

Mr. Alex Gibney, President, Jigsaw Productions
Mr. Marc Levin, Executive Producer and Director, Blowback Productions

17:20-17:25 HIGH-LEVEL REMARKS
Mr. Clifford Chanin, Director & Executive Vice President, the 9/11 Memorial Museum

9:00 – 09:10 OPENING REMARKS

Mr. David J. Scott, Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation

9:10-9:55 PANEL

Hatred on the Homefront: Domestic Extremism & Political Violence – An intense focus on transnational terrorism partially obscured the growing threat of domestic extremism and political violence. But the legacy of homegrown terrorism has remained, leading many to be concerned about another Waco or Oklahoma City-style incident on U.S. soil. White supremacists, neo-Nazis, militia groups, violent anarchists, and accelerationists continue to pose a significant challenge to law enforcement, especially in an election year when the threat of political violence remains ever-present.

Ms. Elizabeth Neumann [Moderator], Former Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism, Department of Homeland Security, Chief Strategy Officer, Moonshot
Dr. Michael Kenney, Director of the Matthew B. Ridgway Center, and Professor of International Affairs at the University of Pittsburg
Mr. Daryl Johnson, Founder, DT Analytics
Mr. Jacob Ware, Research Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Dr. Julia Ebner, Leader of the Violent Extremism Lab, University of Oxford and Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

10:00-10:20 FIRESIDE CHAT

The Evolving Threat Landscape: Ms. Christine Abizaid, Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and Mr. Nicholas Rasmussen, Counterterrorism Coordinator, United States Department of Homeland Security, discuss the global terror threat landscape.

Mr. John Miller [Moderator], Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, CNN Ms. Christine Abizaid, Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center
Mr. Nicholas Rasmussen, Counterterrorism Coordinator, United States Department of Homeland Security

10:20-10:35 COFFEE BREAK

10:35 – 10:50 HIGH LEVEL REMARKS

Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, United States Homeland Security Advisor, The White House

10:50-10:55 FRAMING REMARKS

Mr. James Tarasca, Former Special Agent in Charge, Field Office of Detroit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Director, Secure Community Network

10:55-11:40 PANEL

An Enduring Threat: The Current State of the Global Jihadist Movement – Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and their various affiliates, branches, and franchise groups look much different today than they did just several years ago. While many celebrated the collapse of the Islamic State’s territorial caliphate, its ideology continues to resonate with jihadists and their supporters throughout the globe. The center of gravity for jihadist terrorism has shifted from the Levant to parts of sub-Saharan African and South Asia, as groups like Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), al-Shabaab, and others dominate the terrorism landscape. Moreover, with the U.S. military gone from Afghanistan, al-Qaeda is looking to rebuild its global network at a time when few are focused on the organization.

Dr. Colin P. Clarke [Moderator], Senior Research Fellow, The Soufan Center
Dr. Mia Bloom, International Security Fellow, New America
Dr. Barak Mendelsohn, Professor of Political Science, Haverford College
Dr. Daisy Muibu, Assistant Professor of Security Studies, Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Dr. Amira Jadoon, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Clemson University

11:45 -13:35 LUNCH

13:40-13:55 INSIGHT SERIES

Mr. Dexter Filkins, Staff Writer, The New Yorker

13:55-14:00 FRAMING REMARKS

Mr. Rajiv Maan, Director of Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, Federal Bureau of Investigation

14:00-14:45 PANEL

The Human Cost: Hostages in Conflict and Prospects for Global Cooperation – The practice of hostage-taking has become a more frequently employed tactic of state and non-state actors alike. Global power shifts have created hurdles for those advocating for hostages and wrongful detainees, while also expanding opportunities for international cooperation. Speakers in this session will speak to the human cost of hostages, while also presenting the challenges of dealing with what can be an emotionally draining process. The panelists will explore ways to more effectively support hostages and their families, and share lessons learned and best practices that can inform critical national and international efforts to bring hostages back home safely.

Colonel (Ret.) Liam Collins PhD [Moderator], Executive Director, the Viola Foundation and Madison Policy Forum
Ms. Sarah Moriarty, Fellow, Future Security Program, New America
Ms. Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, Hostage Advocate
Ms. Diane Foley, President and Founder, James W. Foley Legacy Foundation
Mr. Adam Goldman, National Security Reporter, The New York Times

14:50 – 15:05 INSIGHT SERIES Complexities of Terrorism

Colonel (Ret.) Christopher Costa, Former Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Counterterrorism, U.S. National Security Council, Executive Director, International Spy Museum

15:05-15:20 BREAK

15:20- 15:25 FRAMING REMARKS

Dr. David Scharia, Director and Chief of Branch, United Nations Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate

15:25– 16:10 PANEL

Recruitment & Radicalization: Root Causes, Grievances, and Drivers of Terrorism – Who becomes a terrorist and why? Scholars, practitioners, and law enforcement specialists are always seeking to understand what factors are most important when analyzing individuals who decide to join terrorist groups. This panel will look at the panoply of variables that impact someone’s decision to become a member of a terrorist or extremist group and discuss the resources available for preventing and countering recruitment and radicalization.

Ms. Deborah Amos [Moderator], Ferris Professor of Journalism in Residence, Princeton University
Mr. Javed Ali, Associate Professor, University of Michigan
Mr. Eric Rosand, Executive Director, Strong Cities Network
Ms. Farah Pandith, Former Special Representative to Muslim Communities, Former Chair of the task force on countering violent extremism, Department of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Ms. Racheal Atley, Head of Political Analysis and Research, United Nations Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate

16:10- 16:15 FRAMING REMARKS

Dr. Austin Doctor, Head of Counterterrorism Research Initiatives, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, University of Nebraska Omaha

16:15-17:00 PANEL

Beyond the “Bright Shiny Object:” Understanding How Terrorists Harness the Power of Emerging Technologies – From Luddite skepticism to tech utopianism, experts are moving beyond simplistic narratives to explore how terrorists exploit emerging technologies—and how counterterrorism professionals are simultaneously using these same tools for prevention and deradicalization. Effective tech policy requires a nuanced understanding of which platforms and tools are most vulnerable, along with thoughtful regulation that safeguards civil liberties.

Ms. Naureen Chowdhury Fink [Moderator], Executive Director, Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
Ms. Jessica Davis, Visiting Senior Fellow, The Soufan Center
Mr. Don Rassler, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
Ms. Vidhya Ramalingam, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Moonshot
Dr. Kim Cragin, Director of the Center for Strategic Research, National Defense University

17:00- 17:45 PANEL

Looking Forward- Developing and Implementing an Effective Counterterrorism Strategy -In an evolving global landscape, counterterrorism efforts must adapt to the changing nature of threats. This panel brings together leading experts from government, academia, and the military to explore the future of counterterrorism. From the challenges of domestic and international terrorism to the role of intelligence and military operations, the discussion will shed light on how different entities – law enforcement, security forces, international organizations, private sector, and civil society – can work together to create a more effective and sustainable counterterrorism strategy. This continued collaboration is critical today as the global CT community is challenged by resource and human capital constraints, to include reduced military presence, in an era of strategic competition.

Dr. Lyla Kohistany [Moderator], Senior Fellow, The Soufan Center
Colonel Jason Johnston, United States Army Special Operations Command
Dr. Julie Chernov Hwang, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Goucher College, Senior Research Fellow, The Soufan Center
Dr. Ben Connable, Independent Research Leader and Consultant, Adjunct Security Studies Professor, Georgetown University
Mr. Robert Kissane, Special Agent in Charge of the Counterterrorism Division of the New York Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation

18:30-20:30 SPECIAL EVENT  The Soufan Center x Tribeca Film Festival

Special Screening of Against All Enemies (2023) – The screening will be followed by a fireside chat between Mr. Charlie Sadoff, Director and Producer of “Against All Enemies,” and Colonel (Ret.) Keith Pellegrini, Partner at McChrystal Group. Mr. Ali Soufan, Founder of The Soufan Center, will provide opening remarks.