Aspen Institute announces security forum

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ASPEN, Colo., April 18 (UPI) -- The Aspen Institute reports its third annual forum on homeland security and counter-terrorism is to be in Colorado in July.

More than 80 current and former government officials, military leaders and industry leaders will take part in the July 25-28 forum. Among them: Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Adm. James Stavridis; the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. Adm. William McRaven; and the former Special Ops commander, Adm. Eric T. Olson.

"The question that will loom large at this year's forum -- with (Osama) bin Laden dead, al-Qaida on the ropes, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan either ended or ending and the prospect of a new war with Iran, and policymakers' attention increasingly shifting to Asia -- is what does all of this mean for 'homeland security,'" said Clark Ervin, director of the Aspen Institute's Homeland Security Program.

The Aspen Institute said other confirmed speakers for the event include U.S. National Counter-terrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen and the Special Assistant to the President for Afghanistan and Pakistan Gen. Douglas E. Lute.

Also participating are Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman; the Ambassadors of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq to the United States; the European Union's coordinator for counter-terrorism, Gilles de Kerchove; and Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole.

Former U.S. national security officials will also take part in discussions.