Pentagon decides to boycott Aspen Security Forum accusing it of 'disparaging the United States'
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced the withdrawal of all its representatives from participating in the Aspen Security Forum, just hours before the start of the summit hosted by Colorado over four days. The decision came with accusations from the Pentagon against the forum of 'promoting agendas hostile to the United States'.
Pentagon spokesperson, Kingsley Wilson, stated that the decision was in response to what he described as the forum 'promoting the evils of globalization and disparaging the country and the US president', according to 'Just the News' website, which was the first to report the news. On the other hand, the department's spokesperson, Sean Parnell, confirmed in an official statement that 'the forum's values no longer align with the Department of Defense's directives', emphasizing that the priority remains to 'enhance military capabilities and promote peace through strength'.
The forum is one of the prominent annual gatherings that attract elite experts, military leaders, and politicians to discuss global security challenges, according to Axios website. Among this year's attendees are prominent figures from previous US administrations, including senior officials from the Trump administration such as former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, as well as notable names from the Obama, Biden, and Bush Jr. administrations, like current National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Aspen Forum released a statement on its website expressing regret over the Pentagon's decision, affirming that its invitation to American officials 'will remain open', while reminding that the forum has remained a neutral platform bringing together Republicans, Democrats, and international experts for years.
In a related context, Anja Manuel, the executive director of the organizing group, revealed broad participation of European officials and emerging defense companies in the forum's activities, which will focus on advanced issues such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence technologies.
Furthermore, US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, expressed his support for the decision through a post on Axios website, where he shared the news of the Pentagon's withdrawal with a brief comment saying: 'True'.
It is worth noting that the Pentagon's spokesperson elaborated in his conversation with 'Just the News', expressing the department's refusal to 'legitimize any party hosting former officials associated with failed policies internally and externally'.
