During the Strauss and Clements Centers’ second annual National Security Forum, UT Chancellor Bill McRaven spoke to attendees about the need for the U.S. to lead the military actions needed to combat ISIS, stating that “we are the only country that has the resources to take that leadership position and the other countries know that.” McRaven recognized that this new chapter in the fight against terrorism will be long and costly, but necessary for the U.S. to take charge.

This year’s conference titled, “Great Powers, Failed States, and New Frontiers: National Security Challenges in the 21st Century,” brought together an array of practitioners and academics to discuss national security issues related to terrorism, unrest in the Middle East, and the aggressive tendencies of Russia and China. As the chancellor also noted in Friday’s talk, he plans to establish a UT Network for National Security, making expertise in national security a hallmark of the UT system.

Media coverage of this year’s National Security Forum includes:

• Austin American-Statesman: “3 takeaways from UT’s national security panel on Russia”
• Texas Public Radio: “Security experts say Texas shouldn’t ban Syrian refugees”
• KVUE: “Experts: US can balance values and security”
• Time Warner Cable: “UT Chancellor: America must lead fight against ISIS”

Full video of Admiral McRaven’s remarks can be found below:

Photos from the conference can be accessed here.