Summary:

On November 2nd, Daniel Morgan Graduate School (DMGS) hosted a special event with Christopher Costa, Retired, who currently serves as a Senior Adviser to the President and as Executive Director at The International Spy Museum. Costa served as Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council (NSC) in 2017. During Costa’s presentation, he provided analysis of how the threat of terrorism has displayed itself during the first year of the Trump Administration.

Costa sought to define what a successful counterterrorism strategy would look like for the United States as it seeks to contain the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. Giving consideration to the terrorist threat from the Maghreb to the Philippines, he drew particular attention to the demise of the physical caliphate – the complexities of the fight in the milieu that is Syria – and what the threat might look like in the future. He also discussed his views on the greatest causes for concern going forward including the significant threat and vulnerabilities to civil aviation and mass transit.

DMGS has had the incredible opportunity to host distinguished and influential thinkers, leaders, and practitioners as part of our National Security Lecture Series. This Series addresses a host of national security challenges, past, present, and future. DMGS remains a center of excellence in graduate education, instruction, and research.

Speaker Bio

Prior to assuming his position with the International Spy Museum, Mr. Costa served as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council (NSC). At the NSC, he was responsible for coordinating counterterrorism policy and strategy as well as U.S. hostage recovery activities. Mr. Costa had 34 years of progressive national security experience and well-documented success in special operations, counterintelligence, and human intelligence, deploying on multiple contingencies and to combat operations in the Republic of Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Mr. Costa’s last assignment with the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was as Program Director in the Operations Directorate. Preceding USSOCOM, Mr. Costa served as a Department of the Navy civilian at the Naval Special Warfare Development Group and as a Senior Adjunct Instructor with Norwich University’s Bachelor of Science in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis Program. At Norwich University, he taught on topics related to national security, strategy, and counterterrorism.

He holds an M.A. in Strategic Intelligence from American Military University; an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College; and a B.A. from Norwich University. His military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and two Bronze Stars. In May 2013, Mr. Costa was inducted into USSOCOM’s Commando Hall of Honor for extraordinary and enduring service to Special Operations Forces.

The National Security Lecture Series at DMGS

The Daniel Morgan Graduate School Lecture Series is specifically designed to bring together speakers with divergent opinions on national security with the goal of enabling the public to engage in robust and informed discussions. It has hosted some of the most distinguished and influential leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of the national security community. These members of the national security community have provided our students, faculty, and guests with first-rate analysis of some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Daniel Morgan Graduate School will continue to host speakers who can help prepare the next generation of leaders, scholars and, practitioners to develop actionable solutions to global and domestic security challenges.