Good afternoon. Welcome to the heritage foundation. Onwelcome those who join us all of these locations on our heritage. Org website. For those inhouse, make sure your cell phones are turned off. We will welcome questions at any time, it emailing us speaker heritage. Org. Hosting our discussion is the senior fellow at russian studies. He has a firsthand knowledge of the former soviet union and middle east and his work focuses on such issues as Economic Development and political reform in the former soviet republics, u. S. Commrg security, global war on terrorism, and continuing conflict in the middle east. He served as a consultant in both the skeckive branch and private sector on policy toward russia, central and eastern europe, central asia. He coauthored russian imperialism in crisis as well as eurasia in balance. Focusing on the easternure peaian region. Please join me in welcoming dr. Cohen. [applause] thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. It is my particular pleasure to welco