Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Russia, Iran, and NATO to Kick Off Fall Season, in NYC and Online September 20

Tensions have risen with both U.S. allies and adversaries and faith in international institutions is deteriorating. What is the state of national security in the Trump era? On Thursday, September 20, as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, the "fantastic" (New Yorker) debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. will begin their fall season by debating not one, but three motions to investigate that question:

Motion 1: Is It Time to Take a Hard Line on Iran?

Motion 2: Is NATO No Longer Fit for Purpose?

Motion 3: Is the Russia Threat Overblown?

In this latest installment in Intelligence Squared U.S.'s new "Unresolved" series, debaters must declare their "yes" or "no" stance on each separate motion, allowing for both sharp disagreements and unexpected alliances. The debaters will be:

* Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Derek Chollet
* General Jim Mattis co-editor and former National Security Council member Kori Schake
* University of Chicago political scientist John Mearsheimer
* Former CIA case officer Reuel Marc Gerecht
* Russia scholar Stephen F. Cohen

The debate will be held at NYC's Peter Norton Symphony Space and stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." On September 20, online viewers can tune in at IQ2US's website: http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "Unresolved: U.S. National Security"
WHEN: Thursday, September 20 / 6:45-8:45 PM EDT
WHERE: Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY
TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ ID). To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

Debater Bios:

* Derek Chollet: Executive Vice President, The German Marshall Fund of the United States & Fmr. U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense
Derek Chollet is a veteran of the Obama administration, where he served six years in senior positions at the White House, State Department, and the Pentagon. Most recently, he was the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. In that role, Chollet managed U.S. defense policy toward NATO, Europe, and the Middle East. Currently the executive vice president and senior adviser for security and defense policy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, he is the author of "The Long Game: How Obama Defied Washington and Redefined America's Role in the World."

* Stephen F. Cohen: Professor of Russian Studies and Politics Emeritus, New York University & Princeton University
Stephen F. Cohen is among the most distinguished scholars of Russia in the United States and is internationally recognized for his academic works on Russian and Soviet political history since 1917. He is professor emeritus of Russian studies, history, and politics at New York University and Princeton University and a contributing editor at The Nation. Also an expert on Russian-American relations, Cohen is the author of several acclaimed books, most recently "Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War." His forthcoming book is "War With Russia? A Dissenting Narrative -- From Putin and Ukraine to Trump and Russiagate."

* Reuel Marc Gerecht: Senior Fellow, The Foundation for Defense of Democracies & Fmr. CIA Case Officer
Reuel Marc Gerecht, Senior Fellow, The Foundation for Defense of Democracies & Fmr. CIA Case Officer Reuel Marc Gerecht is a former case officer for the CIA, where he served as a Middle Eastern targets officer with the CIA's directorate of operations. He is senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan organization centering on national security, where he focuses on Iran, sanctions, terrorism, and the Middle East. An ardent opponent of the Iran nuclear deal, Gerecht is the author of "Know Thine Enemy: A Spy's Journey into Revolutionary Iran."

* John J. Mearsheimer: American Political Scientist & Professor, University of Chicago
John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison distinguished service professor of political science at the University of Chicago and one of the nation's most influential political scientists. A New York Times best-selling author, he has written six books about security issues and international politics, including "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics," "Why Leaders Lie: The Truth about Lying in International Politics," and most recently, "The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities." Mearsheimer has won several teaching awards and his work is frequently taught to, and read by, twenty-first century students of political science.

* Kori Schake: Deputy Director-General, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Kori Schake is the deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and was previously a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Schake is the editor, with Jim Mattis, of "Warriors and Citizens: American Views of Our Military" and author of "Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony." She was the director for defense strategy and requirements on the National Security Council under George W. Bush, where she helped create NATO's Allied Command Transformation and the NATO Response Force.

About Intelligence Squared U.S.

A non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches over 30 million American households through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps on Roku and Apple TV. With over 150 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008.