WASHINGTON - Congressman Adam H. Putnam (FL-12) recently participated in a crisis simulation exercise organized at the National Defense University. The exercise, known as “Fragile Crescent,” simulated a series of escalating crises in the South Asian region and allowed the examination of the implications of extremism and militancy on stability and development in South Asia.

“Exercise ‘Fragile Crescent’ provided a forum for information exchange and decision-making in the context of a major regional security crisis,” said Putnam. “It examined a multitude of complexities involved in responding to a series of escalating crises in the South Asian region.”

The program was the ninth in a series of Strategic Policy Forums, organized by the National Strategic Gaming Center (NSGC) and was held at the National Defense University on April 12, 2005.

“The exercise illustrated the difficulty in formulating both the national and international response options to a threat of extremism and increasing transitional terror,” said Putnam. “I came away with a better understanding of how local insurgencies can complicate the security of that region.” 
 
These crisis simulation exercises, an initiative of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, are designed to give senior government officials insights into the nuances and complexities of emerging global security challenges and to illuminate policy and organizational options.  They also seek to improve dialogue between the Executive-Legislative branches of the Federal government on critical national security issues. This is the third exercise in which Congressman Putnam has participated. In 2004, took part in exercise “Scarlet Shield.”

- 30 -