Last week I was in DC for the two-day Foundation for Defense of Democracy conference. For such a young organization their range of accomplishments is very impressive. FDD analysts are tops in their fields and testify regularly before Congress, are consulted by the White House and have done much of the groundwork for the Iran sanctions legislation. The conference included FDD analysts, journalists, commentators, past and current government officials (including two past CIA directors).

If you’re not familiar with FDD, its an organization you should get to know:

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)3 policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. Founded in 2001, FDD combines policy research, democracy and counterterrorism education, strategic communications and investigative journalism in support of its mission to promote pluralism, defend democratic values and fight the ideologies that drive terrorism.

FDD transforms ideas into action and policy by focusing its efforts where opinions are formed and decisions are made. FDD holds events throughout the year, including the Leading Thinkers series, briefings on Capitol Hill, expert roundtables for public officials, diplomats and military officers, book releases, and panel discussions and debates within the policy community.

FDD’s scholars believe that no one should be denied basic human rights including freedom of religion, speech and assembly; that no one should be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin; that free and democratic nations have a right to defend themselves and an obligation to defend one another; and that terrorism – unlawful and premeditated violence against civilians to instill fear and coerce governments or societies – is always wrong and should never be condoned.

FDD is funded by a diverse [bi partisan] group of individual philanthropists and foundations. FDD has also received grants from the U.S. State Department. 

The theme of the 2014 conference was “The Middle East in Transition: Allies, Adversaries and Enemies“. Increasingly, certain countries are behaving in all three roles, making US relationships extraordinarily complex. These countries are allies on some matters, adversaries on others (an “adversary” can one day be an ally) and enemies (an enemy has to be defeated), often simultaneously. Our “frenemies” in the region today include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan.

At the Washington Forum sponsored by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies “Allies, Adversaries and Enemies,” a panel discussion (click here for video) of America in the 13 years following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Panel participants include Robert Kagan, a senior Fellow at Brookings, Walter Russell Mead, the Editor-at-large of the American Interest, and Leon Wieselter, the literary editor of the New Republic. Intro of panel at 8:30 mark is by Chicagoan Andy Lappin.