General John Abizaid (Ret.), former commander of U.S. Central Command, talked about the changing role the military plays in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts. In his remarks he talked about the influence of globalization on security challenges, identifying present and future threats form terrorism, the importance of Middle East issues in shaping terrorist goals, weapons proliferation, and shaping public diplomacy and discourse on U.S. national security policy. He also answered questions from the audience.