Latest Briefings
A Comprehensive and Sustainable Counterterrorism Strategy
May 23, 2013
President Obama’s comprehensive outline of U.S. counter-terrorism policy laid out principles against which a series of hard policy choices ahead must be measured. It envisions a strategy that has proven effective at decimating al Qaeda; can be made sustainable through adherence to the rule of law and increased transparency; and foresees an end to the [...]
Iran’s Presidential Candidates
May 22, 2013
On June 14, Iran will hold its first presidential election since the explosive 2009 election that sparked the Green Movement democracy protests and a violent government crackdown. Iran’s Supreme Leader appears to be taking no chances this time: two moderate figures with national following were excluded from the eight-man list of approved candidates released yesterday. [...]
Kerry’s Middle East Trip
May 21, 2013
This week Secretary of State John Kerry takes on some of the thorniest challenges in U.S. foreign policy with an ambitious trip to Oman and Jordan followed by Jerusalem and Ramallah. Top of the agenda for the trip is Syria – ahead of next month’s international meeting in Geneva – and the Middle East Peace [...]
Principles of a Sustainable Counterterrorism Strategy
May 20, 2013
At the National Defense University this Thursday, President Obama will outline a framework for a sustainable and effective counterterrorism strategy, in a speech billed as a second-term follow-up to his 2009 National Archives speech. Since 2009, the U.S. has seen great gains in the fight against al Qaeda, as Director of National Intelligence James Clapper [...]
One Month After Boston
May 16, 2013
Yesterday marked the one month anniversary of the terrorist attack in Boston, a time in which some key lessons have emerged. Law enforcement and counterterrorism professionals have received deserved praise for effective planning and response that solved the case swiftly, drove the perpetrators to make mistakes, and staved off potentially more-lethal events. Evidence suggests that [...]
“Double Whammy” on Defense: Against Backdrop of Furloughs, Defense Experts Urge Efficiency Reforms
May 15, 2013
Secretary Hagel announced yesterday that hundreds of thousands of civilian employees at the Department of Defense will face 11 days of furloughs as a result of sequestration. As training and readiness also take hits, nonpartisan analysts and senior military leaders point out that there are better, more comprehensive and sustainable ways to reform and reduce [...]
Sober Consideration on Iran
May 14, 2013
As the P5+1’s lead negotiator meets her Iranian counterpart tomorrow and Congress weighs new sanctions legislation, most observers expect little movement until after Iranian elections scheduled for one month from today. In this relative quiet, bipartisan voices are urging heightened Washington focus on a negotiated solution, even an imperfect one. Yesterday’s release of a CNAS [...]
The Benghazi Sideshow
May 13, 2013
The continuing political sideshow about the assault on Benghazi that resulted in the deaths of four Americans spilled into full view yesterday, as Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) used the Sunday shows to trade charges with Ambassador Thomas Pickering, chair of the State Department’s Accountability Review Board, and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called Issa’s [...]
Mixed Signals on U.S. Russia Relations
May 9, 2013
Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Moscow this week highlighted progress as well as continued tensions in the U.S.-Russia relationship. Even as hostility has increased over the past year, Russia remains an important partner for many of America’s international priorities including Syria, terrorism, the Afghanistan drawdown, nuclear negotiations with Iran, handling North Korea and [...]
The U.S.-South Korea Alliance, Present and Future
May 8, 2013
Today, South Korean President Park Geun-hye will address a joint session of Congress, an opportunity afforded only to America’s closest partners. She speaks as U.S. and South Korean resolve and diplomatic coordination are showing progress in diminishing provocations from Pyongyang, which now appear to be tapering off. Going forward, sustained U.S. and South Korean coordination [...]
