Michael A. McFaul, a Senior Director of Russian Affairs at the US National Security Council, delivered the keynote address.

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In the US, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said "the characterisation of Zionism as a crime against humanity... is offensive and wrong".

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But a senior US official from the National Security Council warned that, given the North's unpredictable behaviour, it was "premature to celebrate it as good news".

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In an interview in 2002, Samantha Powers, who serves as a senior member of Obama's national security council, effectively called for the US to invade Israel in support of the Palestinians.

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Prince Bandar, who is the son of the Saudi defence minister, served for 20 years as US ambassador and is now head of the country's national security council.

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According to Richard Clark, the coordinator for security, infrastructure, protection and counter-terrorism at the National Security Council, our dependency on computers will make us increasingly vulnerable.

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