Wednesday, September 22, 2010

From Slavic Languages & Literatures - Two Upcoming Lectures

The Indiana University Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
and the Russian and East European Institute
invite you to two lectures
by
Colonel J. Mark Mattox
Dean, Defense Threat Reduction University
Commandant, Defense Nuclear Weapons School

" The Slavic World and Weapons of Mass Destruction "
Thursday, September 23, 2010
  12 noon – 1:00 p.m.
Ballantine Hall 347

Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) played a significant role in the offensive and defensive security postures of many states, and in particular, those of the Warsaw Pact.  Although their role has changed in the twenty-first century, they continue to figure prominently in international security issues, including those affecting Russia and states of the former Soviet Bloc.  U.S. Army Colonel John Mark Mattox, Dean of the Defense Threat Reduction University-the Department of Defense's premier training and education institution for matters relative to nuclear and radiological weapons-will deliver a non-technical lecture including the following topics:
·         What is a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD)?
·         WMD and the Slavic World
·         Slavic country WMD profiles
·         Career opportunities at the nexus of WMD and Slavic studies

And

"The Semiotics of Military Deception: 
A Moral Evaluation"
Thursday, September 23, 2010
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
  Ballantine Hall 003

Deception-an important semiotic phenomenon-always has played, and continues to play, a significant role
in military operations at all levels.  Nevertheless, its significance does not override the reality that deception,
like so many other semiotic phenomena of war, is subject to limitations imposed by the demands of morality. 
Those demands include the imperative that military professionals act in good faith even with those who are
their adversaries.  Military leaders sensitive to this reality are far better equipped to use deceptive measures
in a way that minimizes their long-term negative effects than are those who ignore the moral dimension of
deception.   U.S. Army Colonel John Mark Mattox, Dean of the Defense Threat Reduction University-the Department
of Defense's premier training and education institution for matters relative to nuclear and radiological weapons-will
discuss the interrelationships among semiotics, military tactics, and morality as they pertain to this phenomenon.

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