Issue Memos
REPORT: Reshaping Pentagon Spending and Capabilities: Setting Priorities for the Future
March 13, 2013
To read the full report, click here. By Bill French March 2013 A NEW PHASE of the debate over Pentagon spending is on the horizon. On March 1, sequestration went into effect as mandated by the Budget Control Act (BCA) and as modified by the American Taxpayer Relief Act. Under sequestration, Pentagon spending is to be [...]
REPORT: Oversight for Effectiveness: A Counterterrorism Perspective on the Targeted Killings “White Paper”
February 27, 2013
REPORT: Oversight for Effectiveness: A Counterterrorism Perspective on the Targeted Killings “White Paper” Read the full report here. By Joshua Foust February 2013 In February 2013, a Department of Justice White Paper was leaked, making publicly available for the first time a summary of two legal memos setting out the legal details of the administration’s [...]
Ready to Lead? NSN Policy Paper Explores the 2012 Candidates and Foreign Policy
November 9, 2011
THE TUMULT OF THE LAST YEAR reminds us that the president is not only legislator-in-chief and chief executive. He or she is also commander-in-chief, head of state and lead diplomat. Those roles require a facility with the complexity of world affairs, a vision for America’s role in the world that squares with global realities and a capacity to exert leadership that advances our national interest.
Matching Resources with Interests: A Strategy to Guide the Defense Budget
October 5, 2011
The Budget Control Act of 2011 is driving a focused budgetary review throughout the federal government, including the Department of Defense. Next week, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will testify before the House Armed Services Committee, where he is expected to discuss the Pentagon’s budget and describe elements of the department’s upcoming strategy review. As lawmakers [...]
NSN REPORT: Lessons In Counterterrorism Ten Years After 9/11
September 1, 2011
Ten years ago, America and the world were shocked by the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Qaeda. In a new paper, “Lessons In Counterterrorism Ten Years After 9/11: What Works And What Doesn’t,” the National Security Network’s Heather Hurlburt and James Lamond outline lessons military and security experts have drawn from the experiences of the past decade, and what that means for counterterrorism policy going forward:
The Consensus for Substantial Reductions in Afghanistan
June 15, 2011
President Obama is currently conducting a review of America’s strategy for the war in Afghanistan. He will announce the size of the July 2011 drawdown in the coming days. National security experts, public opinion leaders as well as a growing number in Congress and the public all support a substantial troop drawdown starting next month. [...]
