American diplomacy spoken word links-February 2015.

• Author: Sempa, Francis

"U.S. Intelligence Community Surveillance"

Robert S. Litt, General counsel to the Office of Director of National Intelligence, in a speech to the Brookings Institution on February 4, 2015, set forth the Obama administration's efforts to reform the methods of collecting foreign intelligence in the wake of the NSA disclosures. Litt stated that the administration has adopted reforms that will enhance transparency, limit bulk collection of data, limit retention of personal data, and increase congressional oversight while providing for our national security against foreign threats. http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/events/2015/02/04%20surveillance/20150204 _intelligence_surveillance_litt_transcript.pdf

"ISIS's Influence in Social Media" In a February 4, 2015 speech at the Heritage Foundation, Daniel Cohen of the Institute for National Security Studies, discussed ISIS's use of social media and the internet for recruitment, propaganda, and hacking into media and government accounts, including the account of U.S. Central Command. http://www.heritage.org/events/2015/02 /isis-and-social-media

"Russia's Opposition in a Time of War and Crisis" Ilya Ponomarev, a member of the Russian State Duma, and a leader of the pro-democracy forces in Russia, spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in late January 2015, on Russia, Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and the future of U.S.-Russian relations. http://csis.org/event/russias-opposition-time-war-and-crisis

"National Security Strategy" In recent testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, and Madeleine Albright presented their views on the strategies that the United States must implement to meet current threats to our security, including the threat posed by Islamic terrorism. At the outset of the hearing, some members of the audience staged a protest against Dr. Kissinger which Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain characterized as despicable and disgusting. http://www.c-span.org/video/?323996-1/hearing-national-security-strategy

"National Security Strategy" On January 21, 2015, former National Security Advisers Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft offered their views on U.S. strategy to deal with current and emerging threats to our national security, including Russia's aggression in the Crimea and Ukraine, a possible Russian seizure of Baltic capitals, and ISIS. http://www.c-span.org/video...