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Published on 08/24/1998 All articles from this issue

Former defense secretary Perry at World Affairs Council kickoff

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Special to the Town Crier

Former U.S. secretary of defense and current Los Altos resident William J. Perry will be the featured speaker Sept. 13 at the annual fall kickoff for the Peninsula chapter of the World Affairs Council of Northern California.

Perry, the keynote speaker at the July 4 Los Altos Veterans Memorial dedication at Shoup Park, will talk on "Preventive Defense: A Strategy for American Security in the 21st Century."

As the l9th secretary of defense (from 1994 to 1997), Perry oversaw a crucial transition as the U.S. redesigned and redeployed its military forces, moving away from the heavy armored formations to lighter, more mobile forces designed to meet a variety of tasks.

Perry will discuss the intersection between foreign and defense policy, examining how a proactive foreign policy can mitigate the need for military force and how effective military forces can underpin a stable and open international system.

A professor at Stanford University, Perry holds a joint appointment to the Department of Engineering-Economic Systems-Operations Research and the Institute for International Studies.

The event, held at a private Atherton estate, begins with a reception at 3 p.m., followed by the program at 3:45 p.m. Cost is $15 for World Affairs Council members, $17 for non-members.

Call (415) 982-2541 for reservations.

The World Affairs Council provides Bay Area residents and organizations with the latest information on international issues through approximately 240 programs annually.