Marin Strmecki, Senior Vice President and Director of Programs of the Smith Richardson Foundation, will present a public talk titled, "Afghanistan: U.S Policy Toward Afghanistan and the Debate Over the McChrystal Report," at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11 in Bowl 016, Robertson Hall, on the Princeton University campus.

The Smith Richardson Foundation, located in Westport, Connecticut supports public policy research and writing and operates one of the country’s largest grant programs on national security and foreign policy issues. 

In addition to his role at the Foundation, Strmecki has recently worked in a variety of advisory capacities in the U.S. government, serving as the Afghanistan Policy Coordinator and as a Special Advisor on Afghanistan in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (2003-2005), an advisor to Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad in Afghanistan and Iraq (2004-2007), and as a Policy Counselor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (2007-2008).  He is also a member of the Defense Policy Board. 

Before joining the Foundation in 1994, Strmecki served as a professional staff member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1990 to 1991, was a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the Department of Defense in 1992, and served as a legislative assistant to Senator Orrin Hatch from 1993 to 1994.  He also worked as a Research Associate and Fellow in International Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 1985 to 1990, where he followed U.S.-Soviet issues and provided research and editorial assistance to Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski. 

In addition, Dr. Strmecki served for over 16 years from 1978 to 1994 as a foreign policy assistant to Richard Nixon, assisting the former President with the research and writing of seven books on foreign policy and politics and other projects. 

He received a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.A. in international affairs from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, a Ph.D. in government from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.  Dr. Strmecki is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Strategy Group.

Is event is co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs and the Institutions for Fragile States. It is free and open to the public.